Thank you again to the lovely @tvserie-s-world for letting me use her screencaps💕
"Currahee!"
Valerie grinned as she cheered along with her fellow paratroopers. Liebgott managed to slosh some of his drink onto her boots but she couldn't bring herself to get mad about it. After the thrill of completing the five qualifying jumps and managing not to vomit during any of them, Valerie and the rest of Easy felt like they were on top of the world.
She spotted Gene getting a drink at the bar and wandered over to him. He jumped when she clapped him on the shoulder, whacking her in the arm good naturedly for frightening him. Valerie grinned before turning to Luz, who was manning the bar for the night.
"Hey, George, you got another one of those beers under there for me?" She asked.
"That depends," Luz responded cheekily. "You gonna tell me the magic word of the night?"
"The magic word of the night," Valerie teased, "is kiss my ass and gimme a beer."
He smirked and reached under the counter, pulling out a full glass and planting it firmly on the counter in front of her. He got a mischievous twinkle in his eye then and reached under to grab a glass for himself.
"Now in response to your cheek," stated Luz, in a scarily accurate impersonation of Sink, "I'll have to challenge you to a contest. Whoever downs their drink the quickest, gets a full pack of Lucky Strikes."
"Well, how could I back down from a challenge like that," smirked Valerie. "You wanna get in on the fun, Gene?" She asked, laughing when Gene vehemently shook his head.
"Oh no, I'm quite happy to drink my beer and watch you two act the fool," he retorted, sipping his drink and leaning against the counter. Luz and Valerie shared a look and, with a nod, they raced to down their drinks. Clearly they'd drawn a crowd, because she could hear the guys shouting out a countdown around her. With a gasp, she slammed her glass on the counter and cried out in dismay when she realised Luz had just beat her.
"C'mon Valerie, hand 'em over," he teased, holding out his hand and fluttering his fingers. She grumbled something about him obviously cheating before pressing her precious box of Lucky Strikes into his palm. He opened them gleefully and plucked one out for himself before holding out the box to her.
"Aw you didn't think I'd take em and not offer you one as a peace offering, did ya?"
She rolled her eyes but took one gratefully, nodding her thanks to him when he lit it for her. He placed another drink on the counter for her and she took a sip, content to enjoy this glass.
Toye and the mortar gang had decided to stick around at the bar, and she laughed with them as they challenged each other to drinking games. She almost choked on her drink when Muck spilled beer all down his shirt in his eagerness to beat Penkala, who was surprisingly good at downing drinks.
"Hate to interrupt your fun, fellas, but I was wondering if I could have a word with Lieutenant Landry."
She went stiff in her seat, cigarette in hand suspended right in front of her lips. She glanced to her right and met Gene's eyes giving her a very pointed look. She glared back at him before turning around and facing Winters. He gestured towards a quieter corner and she nodded, following him without a word. She smoked her cigarette harshly, wondering what he could possibly want with her tonight of all nights.
"So," he started cautiously, "the battalion officers are drinking in another room to let the enlisted men enjoy themselves here. Nix, Harry and I were wondering if you'd like to join us?"
She stared back at him sceptically. Outside of the necessary consultations on exercises they hadn't spoken since their argument, and she wasn't quite sure what to say now that he was.
He could sense her hesitation and sighed softly. "Look, Landry, I know we haven't exactly gotten off on the right foot but we're celebrating tonight, so how about we put all that aside and enjoy a well deserved night off?"
She contemplated that for a moment, but she agreed that a night off was well deserved, and the men would probably have more fun without any officers breathing down their necks.
"Alright then," she sighed, "lead the way."
He seemed almost surprised that she'd agreed so easily, but he recovered quickly and led her out of the room and down the hall to a smaller room.
"Hell, Landry, what a delightful surprise," grinned Nixon when he spotted her walking in behind his friend. He was standing behind the bar and pouring a very generous helping of VAT 69 for himself.
"Don't get used to it, Nixon," she shot back.
"Oh, don't worry," he replied nonchalantly as she took a seat at the bar. "We're all very aware that you prefer the enlisted men to us 'stuffy' officers."
Ah, so he'd overheard her talking to Guarnere that day he'd asked her why she was hardly ever with the other officers. "Yeah, well, ain't my fault you all wouldn't know fun if it slapped ya," she retorted. Nixon and Welsh exchanged a glance and then burst out laughing.
"You know what, Landry," Nixon chuckled, "you're not half bad. What's your poison, then? Or are you on the soda water with Dick here?"
"Why am I not surprised Saint Winters doesn't drink?" She snarked, rolling her eyes. "I'll have some of that VAT 69, if you please."
He poured Valerie a generous glass, and whistled in surprise when she downed it in one and put the glass back down in front of him expectantly.
"Hell, Nix," chuckled Welsh, "I think you may have met your match on the drinking front." Nixon smirked as he poured her another and topped up his own glass. He picked up his and tilted it towards her expectantly.
"I think Harry here may be onto something there," he grinned. "What d'ya say, Landry, why don't we start anew and be drinking buddies?"
Valerie sized him up for a moment, contemplating. She'd tended to avoid spending much time with her fellow Easy officers, preferring the company of the enlisted men. She still maintained they were stuffy as hell, but maybe they weren't all bad. Sure, Nixon was another rich jerk from another posh college, but he did seem like the kind of guy who knew how to have a good time. As for Welsh, he was a late addition to the crew and she hadn't exactly taken too much trouble to talk to him. Maybe if she gave them a chance, she might grow to like them.
"Hell, Landry, you sure know how to keep a guy hanging," quipped Nixon, shaking his glass in front of hers. She rolled her eyes at his impatience but smiled slightly as she clinked her glass against his and they downed their drinks in unison.
"Well, I wouldn't want to seem too eager now, would I?" She smirked, sliding her glass across the counter for another. He raised an eyebrow at her sceptically and she narrowed her eyes at him as if to say 'are you doubting I can handle it?' He poured again and watched with fascination as she downed it.
"Jesus, Landry, you really are somethin' else, aren't you?" He laughed.
"I'm here all week, folks," she grinned, spreading her arms and doing a mock bow, with Welsh and Nixon joining in with a round of applause. It was fun, they were fun, and she thought that maybe, just maybe giving them a chance wouldn't be so bad after all.
She felt a pair of eyes on her and when she looked beyond Welsh, she was unsurprised to find two blue eyes watching her intently.
"Something you'd like to say, Winters?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. He sat up a little straighter then and cleared his throat, clearly not expecting she'd pay him any mind.
"Well, I… was just thinking to myself that I'd never met a lady that could drink like that," he replied honestly. Valerie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
"Well, then it's lucky I ain't no lady, as I've already told you," she replied dismissively. "And there's a whole lotta things you don't know about me."
"Well, it'd be hard to know anything about you since you hardly ever talk to us."
Nixon eyed his friend in surprise, and he shared a look with an equally shocked Welsh. He subtly poured them both another drink and sat back to see how it would all play out.
"Well, maybe I would talk to you more if you weren't so goddamn stiff. You got the rule book stuck up your ass or something?" Valerie snapped. Winters gazed back at her, his jaw clenching and his eyebrows furrowed.
"And maybe if you weren't so argumentative, or didn't act like you were so much better than us, you wouldn't be such a chore to be around."
His eyes widened the minute he realised what he'd said, and she could see that he was about to try and apologise for it, not that she would give him the chance. He'd meant every word of what he said and they all knew it.
"Well, I'll be sure not to impose on your time any longer," she hissed, pushing her glass across the counter and standing abruptly. "Lewis, Harry, it's been fun. We should do it again sometime."
Without waiting for a response she marched from the room. Nixon and Welsh watched her walk out the door before turning to Winters with barely smothered smirks.
"Wow, Dick," Nixon said. "I've never seen you get so animated. What's going on there?"
"Yeah," chimed Welsh, "I didn't think anyone could get under your skin."
Winters finished off his own drink and placed the glass on the counter, unwilling to meet their eyes. "There's nothing going on," he stated as he pulled on his coat. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna hit the hay. I'll see you two in the morning."
"Aw c'mon, Dick, don't be like that," pleaded Nixon. "There's clearly something going on."
Winters shook his head and bid them both goodnight as he walked out the door. "I'll get it out of him yet, don't you worry," promised Nixon, pouring himself and Welsh another drink.
dick sitting in the door of that c-47 just looking down at the invasion force!!!!! what that must have been like......
that's maybe the thing that like... okay this isn't a new wonder because it's what everyone basically feels about anyone who found through that war. ordinary men out there doing extraordinary things without like, really much of a thought about it? just because it needed to be done.
not that I think that's any different from people now. human nature doesn't change and these people have always existed and will always exist but sometimes it's a point in history where the rest of it is stripped away and there's a focus on those actions as opposed to all the static and so we see more of it in more people.
Didnt realize today (June 6) was D-Day. Now I feel like binge watching Band of Brothers again. Great appreciation and respect for all the soldiers and nurses who served and fought that day.
