#johnny egan

[major-mads]

“Your patience will be rewarded. Counting down the days to premiere.”

From Apple TV’s Instagram

[mads-weasley]

Y’all I just started reading mota and there are already some moments that are connecting with the trailer and teaser and I’m like 🫨🫨

[major-mads]

Chapter 2: The Dance

John "Bucky" Egan x Ruth Morgan (OFC)

Series Masterlist

A/N: I think episode 3 destroyed all of us, so here's some sweetness to make everyone feel better.

Collab: On a Wing and a Prayer by @footprintsinthesxnd

Word Count: 10k

The pitter-patter of rain echoed on the tin roof of the building, and Ruth sighed to herself as she watched a few nurses dash through the torrential downpour to different areas of the base. The North Carolinian was in the infirmary when the first drops had fallen, signaling the typical British weather was quickly approaching. By the time she finished her tasks, the tapping of rain on the tin roof was the only sound filling the air. Ruth looked at her watch and groaned. She was supposed to meet Hope in their hut at 18:00 hours. It was 17:55. 

She opened the door and stared out into the muddy pasture between her and the hut. With a deep breath, she took off, raising a hand to her forehead to prevent the rain from getting into her eyes. Ruth’s feet splashed against the muddy English soil as she ran to her nissen hut, her blonde hair plastered to her forehead by the time she got there.

Ruth barged through the door into the relative warmth of the hut. Hope sat on her bed in the corner, reading a letter. She didn’t see Ruth’s sopping-wet figure until the blonde reached her footlocker at the end of her bed, which was beside hers, and began drying off.

“Who’s the letter from?” she asked, pulling on a pair of dry pants, a sweater, and some socks. Her footlocker closed with a thud and she plopped down on her creaky mattress, drying the ends of her hair with a towel.

Hope didn’t look up from the page but held up an unopened letter. “You got one, too. You should open it.”

“Not right now,” Ruth sighed. “Right now, I need a nap.”

Glancing at her with a raised eyebrow, Hope grinned. “It’s from a certain Major.”

In an instant, the woman was on her feet, snatching the letter from her friend. “If you’ll excuse me,” she said calmly as she excused herself for a moment. The other nurse could see it took all of Ruth’s effort to keep from exploding with happiness. She had been patiently waiting for Johnny’s letter and was starting to wonder if he was going to send one at all. Chuckling at her antics, Hope returned her attention to her own letter. 

A wide smile grew on Ruth’s face as she began to read the letter.

Ruth, I’ve spent the past hour trying to figure out the perfect letter to write you, but I’ve given up. I managed to follow your request of not getting shot down, and I hope you’ve done the same. The past week has been filled with constant training sorties for us, and I have a feeling we are getting ready for something big in the next few months. When I’m up there, I wonder if you’re up there, too. I picture you over Italy or France, calming your patients with your breathtaking smile that I have imagined many times since our meeting.  I would love to see that smile again next weekend at the officer’s club dance here on base. Buck is inviting Hope and has taken care of arrangements for both of you to stay with the Red Cross girls if you’re able. I might have to go AWOL and fly to Berkshire to see you if I do not get a response to this. I might just do it anyway. Until next time, I’ll try not to get shot down so I can get the response to this letter, and I hope you do the same. Your Hotshot, Johnny Egan

Her signature blush adorned her cheeks and she covered her mouth with her hand, excitement running through her. They were going to a dance! They hadn’t been to a dance in years!! Busting out of the bathroom, she ran to Hope’s bed, jumping up and down like an excitable child. 

“We’re going to a dance!!” Ruth cried, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree. Hope chuckled and watched on as the blonde’s jumping slowly came to an end, the situation dawning on her. Ruth’s voice dropped to a whisper and her eyes widened. “We’re going to a dance.”

Hope knew what was coming, and stood off her bed, grabbing onto her friend’s upper arms gently. “You’re going to be fine, Ruth.”

“I don’t know, Hope. You know I don’t like huge crowds,” she replied.

The dark-haired nurse sighed. “Do you want to see Bucky? Yes or no?”

“Yes,” Ruth nodded within a split second. “Very much.”

A satisfied grin worked its way onto Hope’s lips as she spoke. “There’s your answer.”

She pulled Ruth into a tight hug, her own excitement showing through. “What are we going to wear?”

Hotshot, You sure are one for flattery, Johnny, but as I’m writing this, I can’t stop myself from smiling like a child. You’re lucky you’re cute, because otherwise, I might find you a little forward...but don’t worry, it’s not a bad thing. I’m very glad to hear that you’re still up there flying. Luckily, Hope and I haven’t had to go on many runs the past few days with the terrible weather, so we’ve been keeping busy on the base. As the days went by, I was beginning to wonder if you were going to write me. I’m so glad you did.  Hope and I would love to attend the dance next Saturday. I’m not usually one for big parties, so you should feel special knowing that I wouldn’t go to such a dance with just anybody. I’ve also heard that you’re one for dancing, so maybe you could teach me some of your moves? I do expect you to be on your best behavior, Major, just as you promised me before…on Buck’s “boy scout honor.” I have thought of you often in the past week, and every time I hear the roar of a Fort flying over Berkshire, my mind goes back to that day in the infirmary and the moment we shared. I would very much like to get to know more about you: where you’re from, where you got that ridiculous jacket…among other things. I can’t wait to talk more when we see each other again.  Until Saturday, Ruth Morgan P.S. Don’t worry, I promise Frank won’t be there to keep interrupting our…conversations.

“I told ya she liked me,” John grinned as he lay on his bed, holding the letter above him. “Told ya, Buck.”

Gale rolled his eyes, looking over at his friend from his bed, which sat across the aisle of the officer’s hut. “I never said she didn’t.”

Sitting up against the wall, Bucky pointed at him. “I’ve got to show her my singing skills at the dance.”

The hut instantly broke out in complaints, each man having already heard the Major’s singing voice. “Please, Bucky,” Curt called out. “Spare the girl some embarrassment. She’s already going as your date. That’s enough right there.”

Buck tried to withhold a laugh but failed, earning him a glare from John. “Laugh it up, Buck. You’re just gonna have to watch Ruth and I have fun while you sit in the corner with Hope. Does she know you don’t like to have fun?”

“Wait. My sister Hope?” Hugh piped up from the corner.

“Oh, two can play at that game, Bucky,” Gale scoffed, choosing to ignore Hugh. “I’m gonna be the one sitting your crazy ass down when you start to act up. I can’t let you scare Ruth off before she gets the chance to know you.”

Narrowing his eyes playfully, Egan nodded and put down the letter. “I appreciate the vote of confidence, Buck.”

“Now wait a minute,” Hugh interrupted, his brows furrowed as he pointed to the two majors. “You two are taking Hope and Ruth to the Officer’s Club dance?” 

“Yes,” they both responded at the same time. 

Hugh ran a hand down his face with a sigh. “Great. You four are not leaving my sight.”

“Come on, Charlie,” Bucky laughed. “We’re not that bad.”

His eyes widened as he turned toward the Major. “Oh really? Tell that to the bar owner in Greenland.”

Groaning, Johnny sunk back down in his bed and tried to keep that rowdy night from his head. 

He’d never live that one down! 

After a while, he began counting out the days until he could see Ruth again. Maybe Buck was right…maybe he would be too much and scare her off. Anxiety crept into the back of his mind, a feeling that didn’t often come to the major when it came to the opposite sex. 

He’d always been so sure of himself, so why was this becoming an issue now?

Saturday, July 31st, 1600 HRS: AAF Grove, Berkshire

The terrible weather, which seemed to be the norm in England, finally cleared up a few days before, and the girls were beyond excited to see the sun again, as well as their new friends at Thorpe Abbotts. Ruth sat on her bed, clasping the dark red wedges that matched the lipstick she decided to wear that night. It was hard choosing her outfit, but with Hope’s help, she decided on a royal blue dress with short sleeves. Her light blonde hair contrasted against the blue, making her eyes even more striking than usual.

Hearing a car rumble up outside their hut, Ruth peered out the window, her heart jumping when she realized it was the car Buck had sent. 

“Hope!” she hollered at the woman who stood before the mirror. “The cars here!”

When the nurses stepped out of the hut, they saw Frank leaning against the building, a cigarette hanging from his lips. “Now ladies, I want you to be safe tonight. Be smart and don’t do anything stupid, alright?” Frank gave them yet another pep talk, adopting the worried older brother character. 

“Frank, we’ll be fine,” Hope reassured him, patting him lightly on the shoulder. “You’ve met the boys, they’re good, honest men.”

With a fake salute to the captain, Ruth got into the car, her pulled-back curls bobbing as she got situated for the long drive. Three hours was a long time, but it surely would fly by as they anxiously waited to see the guys.  She unconsciously began bouncing her knees nervously at the thought of seeing Johnny again, but also being in what she suspected would be a large crowd.

Hope opened the door and slipped in, but Ruth noticed Frank throw something at her in her peripheral vision as they started going forward. “What did he give you?” Ruth asked, staring out her window at the base as it passed by.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Hope replied, quickly shoving the mystery items into her purse, her cheeks blushing bright red.

1915 HRS: Thorpe Abbotts AAF Base, Norwich:

Gale and Bucky sat on their beds, finally sitting down after pacing up and down for the last hour as they listed all the reasons why the girls might not show. 

“You two are being ridiculous, these girls aren’t like other women. They wouldn’t tell you they're coming and then not show,” Hugh reassured them after Curt had begun grumbling about the state of the floor in the officer's hut.

“There won't be any floor left if you two don’t stop your damn pacing.” Bucky just glared at Biddick, but Gale was inclined to agree with him. 

“Curt’s probably right, you know,” Buck fell backward onto his bed with a loud huff. The back of his dress uniform jacket would probably be creased when he stood up, but for the moment, he just wanted to lie down and try to calm his nervous heartbeat. John continued his pacing, and eventually, Hugh and Curtis gave up and left the hut, moaning under their breaths about the Major’s ridiculous behavior. 

It felt as though they had been waiting for hours when the car’s dipped headlights finally appeared outside their window. Both men jumped off their beds in a frenzied panic, straightened up each other’s uniforms, and checked their hair in the mirror before dashing outside. 

“Move it, Buck,” Johnny tried pushing past his friend, but Gale stuck his arm out to stop him.

“Calm down, John. Alright, we don't want to run at them and scare them off.” Both men took a deep breath before casually stepping out of the wooden door as if they were going for a casual evening stroll and hadn’t been pacing for hours. 

“Why hello ladies,” Bucky yelled, trudging through the mud to the car. The windows were down, and they could see the girls conversing inside. “Don’t you both look stunning.” 

Ruth was on the side closest to him, and a smile instantly grew on his face when she looked his way. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned his elbows against the open window frame, taking in Ruth’s appearance. 

‘WOW,’ he thought. ‘I can’t screw this up.”

Ruth grinned up at him, her dimples making an appearance. “Hello there, Major.”

“Ms. Morgan,” he greeted before stepping back and opening the door for her. Offering her a hand, John helped Ruth out of the car, her soft and delicate touch giving him goosebumps. He raised her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles softly. Heat rushed to her ears at the action, and she cursed her pale complexion that showed blushes so easily.

“Such a flirt,” she rolled her eyes, giggling at the way his mustache tickled her hand.

“Well ladies, your chariot awaits,” John motioned to the Willys jeep that was parked beside the Nissen hut. 

“We have to go in that?” Hope asked, her eyes shooting from the jeep to Gale, and back again before trailing down to her pale blue dress that was most certainly going to be filthy by the end of the drive. 

“It could be worse, I could have made us ride the bikes,” Bucky laughed, throwing his arm over Ruth’s shoulder as he led her toward the jeep. “I’ll have to take you on a bike ride sometime. Buck here isn’t as talented of a rider as me, so you’re lucky. See, he hasn’t ridden in the pitch black all the way from Dickleburgh in the pouring rain half-drunk, so… ” He trailed off, grimacing as he realized he probably shouldn’t have revealed that tidbit of information. 

John looked down at her expectantly, ready for her to look disappointed, but when she grinned, his worry faded away. Ruth raised her eyebrows, an incredulous look on her face as she peered up at him. “That sounds like a fun story,” she joked, relishing the warmth from his body pressed against hers. His easy-going humor seemed to quell her growing anxiety as they got closer to the dance. 

“Ehhh, I don’t know about fun,” he smirked, opening the jeep door for her. “I looked like a wet dog by the time I got back. Could’ve given Meatball a run for his money.”

“Meatball?” Ruth asked, watching him round the front of the jeep to his side.

“Meatball’s a husky Demarco picked on the way over. He’s kinda like the 100th’s mascot. The dog’s-”

“That damn dog is pure wolf and nothing but trouble. The damn thing howled like a banshee in the Fort on the way here,” Buck interrupted as he and Hope got into the backseat of the jeep. 

Settling into the driver's seat, John threw an arm over Ruth once again. “Come on, Buck,” he groaned, looking back at the Major in the rearview mirror. “He’s adorable.”

“Not when he jumps on your bed soaking wet at 3 am,” Buck grimaced, meeting Hope’s sympathetic gaze. 

“This Meatball seems like a character,” Ruth beamed, thinking of her chocolate lab back home. “I’d like to meet him.”

Johnny raised his eyebrows, tilting his head down toward her. “I think that can be arranged.” He then turned over the ignition and brought the jeep to a rumble. “You dodos ready?” he asked the group, a mischievous smile on his lips.

Taking a deep breath, Gale made eye contact with his friend. “Bucky, please don’t kill-”

Before he could finish, the jeep was flying forward, its tires spraying mud behind them as they took off. John laughed loudly and tightened his grip on Ruth’s shoulder, pulling her closer against him. Her curled hair flew behind her wildly, and her eyes widened as they passed other airmen on much slower bikes.

 ”You’re crazy!” she cried, shaking her head at his antics to which he just cackled.

‘This man will be the death of me!’ she thought. ‘But at least I’ll die having fun…’

The jeep jostled around in the mud as they rode, and after hitting a bump that send Ruth’s butt off the seat, she wrapped her arms around John’s waist tightly, grinning from ear to ear despite her pounding heart. As soon as she latched onto him, Bucky let off the gas slightly, slowing down to a normal speed. He wore a proud smirk but didn’t take his eyes off of the road.

There was something about moving so fast that was so freeing, and Ruth closed her eyes, feeling the wind against her face. The cool air seemed to combat the heat that always appeared on her face in the Major’s presence. She hadn’t seen this side of him in the infirmary, but she quickly took a liking to it, admiring his ability to ease her nerves with his playful personality. His spunky confidence brought out Ruth’s own, which was something Hope had been trying to do for as long as she’d known the blonde. Perhaps that was exactly what she needed to break out of the shell she’d spent so long in.

“Whatcha think?” he asked, glancing down at her. 

“Think about what? Your driving?”

“Well, yeah,” Johnny nodded, watching the road. “Or anything.”

Admiring his side profile, Ruth sighed playfully. “Right now I’m thinking that if this is you being on your best behavior, I don’t know if I’ll survive you acting out.”

“Ahhh don’t worry Babe, I’ll make sure to get you out of the danger zone when that happens.”

The woman’s eyes widened as she raised a brow at his comment, and his confident expression wavered as he backtracked slightly. Ruth would be lying if her heart didn’t jump at the term of endearment.

 “Babe Ruth…you know, like the baseball player.”

“I know who Babe Ruth is,” she giggled quietly. “My family are Braves fans, so I’ve constantly heard about him for the past eight years.”

“Ruth, Ruth, Ruth,” he groaned, tutting loudly as he shook his head. “Why’d you have to say that? Things were going so well.”

She instantly recognized his teasing and dramatically brought a hand to cover her mouth. “Oh no, please don’t tell me you’re a Yankees fan.”

“Bingo, Ruthie.”

Unwrapping her arms from his waist, she pulled back with fake disgust, a smile threatening to curl her lips. “I don’t know if this is a good idea then,” Ruth stated, scooting away from him slightly.

“Not so fast, slugger,” Johnny laughed, his hand sliding down from her shoulder to her waist to pull her closer again. Ruth quietly gasped at the sudden contact and hoped he didn’t hear it.

“Maybe I can make an exception for ya…or I could always convert you.”

Scoffing, Ruth sat up straight, settling into his side again. “And just how do you intend on doing that, hotshot?”

The jeep rumbled to a stop in front of a large building, the sound of music and laughter already reaching their ears. Placing the car in park, Bucky turned toward her, his signature raised eyebrow grin adorning his lips. “I have my ways,” he winked.

His eyes gazed into hers, and Ruth felt like she was back in the middle of a North Carolina summer as the heat became too much. She ducked her head, her short curls falling into her face. John chuckled and grabbed her hand gently, helping her out of the jeep.

Alarm bells went off in his mind for the second time that afternoon. ‘Too much, John. Too much. Dial it back with the flirting. She said she wants to get to know you better, idiot! Go slow for once!’

Once she was situated, he offered his arm. “Shall we?” 

Still quite flustered, she nodded, sparing a glance over at Hope who was in the same position with Buck. Ruth took a deep breath and put on the bravest face she could muster, reaching up for her necklace. Bucky seemed to sense her discomfort and squeezed her arm gently.

“You alright?” He asked, his concerned expression varying greatly from the flirtatious one moments before. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Ruth.”

“No, you haven’t,” she quietly replied. “I’m just nervous. I don’t norm-”

“Normally come to things with big crowds,” he finished for her, moving to stand in front of her. “I remember your letter. Don’t be nervous, alright? I’ve got you.”

Nodding once, she took another deep breath, her anxious mind slowing with John’s calming reassurance. “Alright, let’s do this.”

“Attagirl,” he said gently, tucking a stray curl behind her ear before offering his arm again. As they walked toward the doors, he spoke up. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

“Thank you. You look pretty handsome yourself.”

Gale and Hope walked up beside them, and Hope reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand with a nod. Sometimes she just needed a little extra push in situations like these. Seeing the interaction, Bucky’s heart warmed in his chest at the realization that the girls’ friendship was much like his and Buck’s.

“You hear that, Buck?” John remarked, raising an eyebrow at the man. “She thinks I’m handsome.”

Gale rolled his eyes, reaching for the door when John flung them both open. “Whatever, John.” 

The sweet sound of Ella Fitzgerald flowed out the doors into the night, leaving Bucky instantly itching for a dance and a drink. The band was on a break and congregated around the bar, some of them even with their instruments in hand. He led the group through the crowd of aviators and their dates to the dance hall, which was not yet full. Most of the couples were at the bar getting a drink to loosen up after a hard week. The 100th flew six missions in the past six days, so needless to say, the men needed a break. Before they could get too far, Buck called out to the group.

“Come on, I want to introduce you to the Red Cross girls you’ll be staying with tonight. They’re a nice group, I promise,” Gale reassured Hope and Ruth, leading them towards a small group of women who were chatting in the corner. Johnny squeezed Ruth’s arm, reassuring her as they followed him.

“Good evening Ladies, this is Hope and Ruth,” Gale introduced them, motioning for Hope and Ruth to step forward. A chorus of ‘Good evening, Buck’ followed from the smiling women, and Hope couldn’t help the pang of jealousy blooming in her chest as they smiled widely at her date. 

“Hello,” Hope thrust her hand forward, and several of the women shook it in return. Ruth was a little more reserved, giving the ladies a wave and a smile from her position between John and Hope.

“It’s lovely to meet you two.” One of the women spoke up, her dark curls bouncing on her shoulders and her kind eyes gleaming. “I’m Helen, and this is Tatty,” she gestured to the shorter woman beside her.

Tatty grinned and raised an eyebrow at Ruth. “You keep a close eye on this one, Ruth,” she chuckled. “The Major’s known to start trouble.”

Ruth peered up at him cheekily, her lip quirking into a smirk. “He’s said he’s gonna be on his best behavior.”

As John opened his mouth to respond, Buck smacked his chest. “I’m gonna make sure of that, don’t worry.”

The small group broke out into snickers, and Johnny knocked Gale on the back as he playfully glared at him, the women continuing their conversation while they ribbed each other. The Red Cross girls were warm and friendly, making Hope and Ruth feel instantly safe and included among them. The duo shared a glance and knew they were going to get along well with these ladies. 

“Sorry girls, but I’m gonna be stealing Ruthie from you now,” Bucky interrupted, leaning down toward the group with raised brows before pulling her away from the group. She waved goodbye and followed him through the crowd, her dark blue dress swishing with each step.

“You want a drink?” he asked her, leaning down so she could hear him over the music.

She furrowed her brows, turning her ear toward him. “What?”

“I said, do you want a drink?”

Still unable to hear him, she shook her head. “What?”

Motioning for her to come closer, he leaned down again, his lips lightly brushing her ear as he spoke loudly. “Do you want a drink?”

“Sure,” she hollered back, her stomach swirling.

Pulling back slightly, their faces remained inches apart. Ruth’s eyes involuntarily darted up to his lips when she felt his warm breath fan across her face. John seemed to do the same but then reminded himself of his usual problem…moving too fast, and stood back up. 

Still holding his hand, Ruth walked beside John to the bar. To her dismay, the area was the most crowded place in the hall, and anxiety began to eat away at her. Before she could even reach up and start her usual anxious habit, a gentle hand slid down to the small of her back, guiding her through the crowd. The touch sent a jolt through her, a bolt of electricity that seemed constant around John.

When they reached the bar, John’s hand remained on her back as he ordered. “One pint for me, and…”

“A whisky shot please,” Ruth finished for him, trying to remain composed with his hand placement driving her crazy.

The bartender nodded and began pouring the drinks, but Bucky added something else to the order. “Make that two shots.”

He leaned against the bar and finally removed his hand, watching Ruth as she seemed to deflate. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t miss the warmth of his touch, and when she looked up, she met his adoring stare. 

“So,” he began, a smile gracing his face. “Now’s the time to start asking those questions you mentioned in your letter, nurse Morgan.”

“Alright. Where are you from?” 

“Good ole Manitowoc, Wisconsin,” he replied. “You?”

“Charlotte, North Carolina.”

John raised his eyebrows with a toothy grin. “Ahhh I knew I heard an accent. I’ve got myself a southern belle. Ruthie, I don’t know how anyone could ever not like you.”

Rolling her eyes playfully, Ruth chuckled under her breath, “Tell that to my students.”

“Students? You’re a teacher?” he asked, his eyes widening.

“Yep. Junior High.”

“All I’m saying,” Bucky started, pointing between the two of them. “-Is that if my junior high  school teacher looked like you, I’d have been hanging on her every word.”

Ruth’s cheeks flushed with a soft, rosy hue as she listened to John’s compliment, and she couldn’t help but feel a flutter of excitement in her chest. Her eyes shifted slightly downward, a bashful smile playing on her lips.

“Would you look at that,” he said, his voice carrying a warmth that matched the growing affection in his gaze. “You blush, and suddenly you’ve gone from beautiful to downright adorable. I didn’t think that was possible.”

Ruth’s blush deepened at his words, and she playfully nudged his shoulder, a mixture of embarrassment and delight dancing in her eyes. She couldn’t help but laugh, the melodic sound filling the air between them.

“You’re full of it, you know that?” she quipped, her playful tone matching the twinkle in her eye.

Bucky’s grin persisted and he responded with an easygoing shrug. “Just calling it like I see it, Ruthie. Can’t help it if the truth makes you blush.”

Before she could respond, the bartender slid a foamy pint and two neat shots in front of them. She was partially grateful for the interruption because she felt as if she was going to melt under Johnny’s attractive gaze. No man had ever had this effect on Ruth before. Every time John looked at her, she felt like they were the only ones in the room. His playful yet sincere eyes swept away the noise of the crowded dance hall. Despite being in a room filled with people, Ruth’s usual anxiety seemed to fall away when they were together. The reassuring pressure of his hand in hers and the kindness in his smile acted against the overwhelming feelings that normally accompanied her at such gatherings. 

John thanked the bartender and caught Ruth’s eyes, offering an excited grin. “To those of us up in the air,” he proposed, raising his shot glass with a nod.

Ruth hesitated for a moment but then lifted her shot glass with a small smile. “And to those of us stuck on the ground,” she added, clinking her glass against Johnny’s.

They downed the shots in unison, the burn of the whiskey warming them from the inside. Bucky set his glass down with practiced ease, but Ruth didn’t quite have the same reaction. She winced, her eyes widening as she took a breath to compose herself, the aftertaste leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Strong stuff, huh?” John remarked, a playful glint in his eyes.

Ruth chuckled nervously, “You could say that. I’m not much of a drinker.”

His eyebrows raised in surprise. “Really? You handled it better than most first-timers I’ve seen.”

Shrugging, her lips quirked into a shy smile. “It’s a special occasion, after all. But I did forget how much I don’t like the taste of whiskey.”

“Well,” Bucky said, “It’s a good thing I can drink enough for the both of us, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Oh really?” Ruth teased, mirroring his position of leaning against the bar. 

He cackled and nodded down at her, gesturing to the men around the room. “Without a doubt. I can outdrink any of these children.”

“Children?” With an eyebrow raised, she tilted her head toward him with a smirk. “Just how old are you, Major?”

“Ahh, just the ripe old age of 27.”

“Goodness gracious,” she exclaimed, holding up a hand to cover her mouth. “You are an old man!”

He took a sip of his beer to hide his smile, but Ruth could see his grin from behind the glass. “Yeah, yeah, slugger. Keep laughing. Just wait ‘til your knees start to hurt when it rains.”

“Well, I’m not too far behind you, Grandpa. I’m the ripe age of 24, myself.”

“Oh, I thought I-” Johnny began, but was interrupted by a thick New York accent and a hand clamping down on his shoulder. “Bucky! Is this the famous Ruth I’ve heard so much about?

Turning toward the clearly drunk newcomer, Ruth politely smiled.

The man stared at her for a moment, blinking slowly before suddenly bursting out into a wide grin, shaking John roughly. “She’s even prettier than you said, Major!”

“Curt, come on,” John groaned, leaning his elbow against the bar as he shook his head. “You can’t give away my secrets like that.”

Ruth laughed loudly, a symptom of the alcohol already running through her. “No, Curt. Please tell me more.”

“Yes ma’am,” he replied, moving to stand beside her. Just as he was about to lean against the bar, Johnny grabbed him and gently flung the man in the direction he came.

“Get outta here!” he yelled after him.

Curtis grinned, looking back at the pair as he walked to his table with Hugh and a few girls. “It looks like you’re the big spoon now, Ruth! I’m being replaced! Bucky, how could you??”

Ruth’s confused gaze met John’s, and he simply groaned again, running a hand down his face. If she didn’t know better, she’d have thought she saw pink dusting his nose and cheeks.

“Do I even want to know?” she asked, trying to withhold another laugh.

He raised his eyebrows at her, sticking out his lips slightly. “Uhhh, just don’t worry about it.”

The conversation continued to flow effortlessly as the minutes ticked by, and the more Ruth learned about the man across from her, the more she found herself drawn to him. There was no doubt he was attractive…she knew that from the first time she laid eyes on him… but his charming and confident personality seemed to captivate her even more as she got to know him. They were almost polar opposites, yet their personalities worked so well somehow. As Buck Cleven would say, “They’re one of life’s great mysteries.”

John quickly finished his first pint and ordered a second, his foot tapping along to the music under the bartop. He had to fight the urge to grab Ruth’s hand and drag her onto the dance floor that very second, but he showed some rarely practiced self-restraint. 

He was going to ask first.

Johnny bowed dramatically, causing a dark curl to fall onto his forehead as he held out a hand for her. “May I have this dance, Ms. Morgan?”

“I would love to, Major Egan,” she beamed, taking his hand. As he began to lead her onto the dance floor, he goofily shimmied his shoulders to the beat, and Ruth just smiled and shook her head, her heart beating in anticipation. The alcohol must have suddenly started working on the man because she could see his already extroverted personality becoming more flamboyant by the minute. 

Around his tall frame, Ruth got a glance at the packed room and hesitated for a moment. After being alone with John, she almost forgot they were at a crowded dance. The closer they got to the dance floor, the more Ruth felt the familiar tightening in her chest. The lively atmosphere that had been so inviting before now seemed daunting. She stopped walking for a moment, her hand tugging on John’s, and he turned back at her, squeezing her hand gently.

“You okay?”

She tried to brush it off with a forced smile. “Yeah, just need to use the restroom. Be right back.”

But he saw through the facade and gently touched her arm, pulling her closer. “You sure? We can go back-”

Nodding, she gave him a reassuring smile. “Positive. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

As she made her way through the crowd towards the restroom, Ruth couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes on her. The weight of those imagined gazes pressed down on her shoulders, and when she pushed through the door to the restrooms, she took a deep breath and leaned against the wall with closed eyes.

“You alright there, Ruth?”

The blonde’s eyes flew open to see one of the Red Cross girls from earlier exiting a stall and start washing her hands. 

“Uh, yeah,” Ruth sighed, walking over to her. “There’s just a lot going on out there. It’s Helen, right?”

The woman nodded, her dark hair falling over her shoulders. “I know what you mean.”

“This isn’t usually my scene, but Johnny invited me and-”

“The Major’s a good man,” Helen interrupted as she turned the water off and dried her hands on the hand towel. “Rambunctious? Yes. But a good man, nonetheless.”

Ruth’s face turned to the floor, and her lips curved into a bashful grin. “He’s something else, for sure.”

Placing her hands on Ruth’s upper arms, Helen spoke softly. “Look Ruth, Tatty used to be anxious, too. Every time she started to clam up, I always told her to look around. Everyone here is too caught up in having a good time to notice anyone else. With the jobs they do, they live every day to the fullest, and John’s no exception.”

Ruth absorbed Helen’s words and found some comfort in the advice. 

‘Everyone is too caught up in having a good time to notice you,’ she repeated in her mind.

As the realization began to seep into her, she offered Helen a grateful smile. “Thanks. I appreciate it. Really.”

With a reassuring pat on Ruth’s shoulder, Helen opened the bathroom door. “No problem. Now, go on and have a good time. Life’s too short not to.”

As Ruth watched Helen leave, her thoughts lingered on the mention of the dangerous jobs most of the men faced. It struck a cord within her, and she felt her heart lurch at the idea of something happening to Johnny, or the thought something could happen to her, too. With C-47s not being marked for medical evacuation, the girls’ plane was under constant threat of attack when in the air. The fact that each of their lives was fragile and unpredictable flooded her mind as she stood there in the hall’s bathroom, the loud music seeping from under the door. 

Helen was right. Life was too short for unnecessary worries, especially at a time when every moment could be your last. 

After checking her lipstick in the mirror and smoothing down her dress, Ruth started toward the door but quickly pulled away when it opened, revealing a smirking Helen. “I think you’ll want to see this.”

With a confused brow raised, she followed the Red Cross worker out the door. When she arrived back in the main dance hall, her eyes widened at the sight before her. There was Bucky in front of the band, singing loudly, or rather attempting to sing, animatedly into the microphone. 

An uptempo version of “It Had to Be You” filled the air, and to her surprise, Hope was on the other microphone, singing along with him. Glancing over at where she’d last seen Gale, Ruth found him completely mesmerized by Hope, their gazes locked. While she wasn’t as animated as John, Hope smiled, belting out the beloved song. The difference between her and Bucky was that she could actually sing. Ruth watched on in amazement, and some slight embarrassment, but it was pushed deep down when she thought of Helen’s words.

“Some others I’ve seen, 

Might never be mean,

Might never be cross, or try to be boss,

But they wouldn’t do.”

He playfully exaggerated his movements, using animated hand gestures to emphasize the lyrics. His shoulders moved to the rhythm, and he swayed in time with the music, embracing the upbeat spirit of the song. In the middle of a high note, he picked up the mic, practically yelling into it as he threw his head back, all while maintaining an infectious grin that made her own appear. She shook her head as she laughed at him. When he spotted her in the doorway, a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes, and he stuck a hand out toward her as the duo continued to sing.

“For nobody else gave me a thrill,

With all of your faults, I love you still,

It had to be you,

Wonderful you,

It had to be you!”

In that moment, everything else blurred away. The lively dance hall, the chatter, the music…it all faded into the background. It was just Ruth and John, caught in their own little world. She shook her head, trying to seem unimpressed, but failed miserably when a wink from the man made her lose any composure she had left. She didn’t notice Hope stepping back from the mic, letting the Major finish the song by himself.

“Baby, It had to be you,

Wonderful you,”

As the last note approached, Johnny couldn’t resist a grand finale. He extended his arms wide, sweeping them through the air in a grand gesture. The men were used to Bucky’s antics at that point, so they were prepared, but everyone else’s eyes were on him expectantly.

“IT HAD TO BE YOUUU!” he belted out, his voice overpowering the music, causing a mix of groans and laughter to ripple through the crowd.

Ruth couldn’t help but burst into giggles once more, her attempts to appear unimpressed completely shattered by his performance. As the final notes of the song faded away, the room erupted in applause and cheers, most of them just glad Johnny was getting off the stage. He motioned to Hope and she took an elaborate bow, swishing her dress to the side and blowing a kiss to Gale, who caught it and held it against his chest. John then took a theatrical step back from the microphone, raised one arm high in the air, and with a dramatic flare, bowed deeply to the crowd. Hope took this as her sign to escape, scurrying off the stage and into the arms of her awaiting Major.

From where she stood towards the back of the dance floor, Ruth could see John’s tall figure maneuvering through the crowd toward her. When he appeared through the mass of dancers, their eyes met again, and Ruth tilted her head at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word out, he was before her. 

In a sudden burst of energy, John effortlessly lifted her off the ground by her waist and spun her around. Ruth was caught off guard, letting out a surprised and excited gasp as he twirled her, his rambunctious laughter echoing around the hall. Her arms instinctively circled his neck, and as he gently set her down, she felt the warmth of a blush creeping up on her cheeks. Their eyes locked, and Bucky’s blue-grey eyes, still brimming with mischievous joy, peered down at her with more adoration than the woman had ever seen in her life.

His hands squeezed her waist lightly. “Whatcha think? I’m good, right?”

“That was…something,” Ruth answered, her voice rising in pitch as grinned up at him, her arms still around his neck. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but he really did sound like a donkey up there…a cute donkey.

“Don’t worry,” he quipped, shaking his head at her. “I know I’m no good, but I’m loud. And hell, if you commit with enough enthusiasm, it really don’t matter.”

She let out a relieved sigh and leaned her forehead against his chest. “Thank goodness. I didn’t have the heart to tell you.”

John chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest as she relished in the feeling. Leaning back, she found herself looking up at him, their eyes meeting again. They stood there for a moment as Artie Shaw’s Star Dust played softly in the background, the couples around them starting to sway slowly. Breaking the quiet spell, John moved one hand from her waist and held it out to her. 

“May I finally have this dance?” he asked quietly, a gentle smile adorning his lips.

Ruth placed her hand in John’s. “Absolutely,” she replied softly, her other hand finding its place on his shoulder, her fingers lightly tracing the silver wings pinned on his uniform.

John’s hand on her side found a comfortable place at the small of her back, and he delicately intertwined their fingers, holding their hands out beside them. There was a few inches between their bodies, and Ruth could feel his warmth through the space between them.

The first notes of the chorus echoed through the room, casting a spell over the dimly lit dance hall. He led her with a tender sway, and John subtly used his hand on her back to pull her flush against him. The soft press of his fingertips against the small of her back, the feeling of his thumb rubbing her hand as he held it, and the way their bodies melded seamlessly sent a shiver down Ruth’s spine.

His voice broke through the music. “This alright?” he asked, his eyes searching hers for confirmation.

“More than alright,” she nodded in response with a soft smile playing on her lips.

“You’re a natural,” John murmured, his voice a low, soothing rumble.

Ruth chuckled, her dimples making an appearance. “I guess I can follow a lead.”

Bucky’s eyes locked onto hers and he twirled her gracefully, the movement seemingly effortless. He guided her back and their bodies connected again. “Well, you’re making me look good out here,” he teased, the corners of his eyes creasing as he smiled down at her.

They continued to sway, getting lost in the music and each other’s embrace as they both relished in the moment. The feeling of Ruth in his arms was like nothing John had ever experienced, and he began to compare her to every girl he’d ever been within his mind. 

He came to a quick conclusion: With the other women, he was just with them for a good time, but Ruth…she was already someone he could see himself with for the long haul.

“You know, I’ve danced with a lot of girls,” Johnny confessed, his tone softening. “But you’re different.

Ruth’s eyebrows lifted in curiosity, expecting a cocky pickup line. “Oh, really? What’s different?”

“You’re steadier,” he explained sweetly as his eyes searched hers. “I like it.”

What he didn’t say floated in his mind. ‘I want to be a better man for you,’ he thought. ‘A man worthy of you.’

The blonde’s heart skipped a beat, and a blush painted her cheeks. Ruth couldn’t help but smile at his words. It was then that she realized…Johnny wasn’t just different for her. She was different for him, too. 

Neither one spoke, allowing the soft music to permeate the air between them. A few moments later, John leaned down and gently rested his cheek against her temple, his eyes fluttering shut. Ruth's heart thumped loudly in her ears as she again felt the warmth of his breath on her face. She inhaled the light scent of his cologne mixed with whiskey and a subtle hint of cordite, her rapid heartbeat slowing at the somehow comforting aroma. It was so uniquely John, and it quickly encapsulated her senses. Sighing in contentment, Ruth leaned into his embrace, her face finding its place in the crook of his neck, nestled against the curve of his shoulder.

They stayed like that for the next few songs until a familiar voice boomed over the music. 

“Did you two know about this?!”

Glaring at the man over Ruth’s shoulder, Johhny decided to ignore the outburst, but when she pulled back from him slightly, he had to acknowledge it. 

“What are ya talking about, Charlie?” John asked, his voice tinged with irritation.

Hugh’s face was bright red as he angrily pointed at Johnny. “Did you know?”

Bucky’s arm remained secure around Ruth’s waist as she turned toward Hugh. The couple shared a confused glance before moving their gazes back to the pilot. 

“Know what?” John repeated.

Hugh stepped toward Ruth and held something up to her face, and she felt Johnny tense behind her as the man waved a small packet before her eyes.  “About these!” 

When he recognized what they were, a smirk broke out on the Major’s face. “Ahh, Charlie,” he chuckled. “Did it not work out with the redhead at the table with you and Curt?”

Ruth raised a brow in confusion, but when she took a closer look, she realized he held up a packet of condoms. In his other hand, he white-knuckled Hope’s bag.

“I got these from in here,” Hugh scoffed, holding up the bag before turning around and storming toward the door, yelling for his sister.

Eyes widening, Ruth’s face flushed with heat at the behavior the packets suggested as she peered up at Johnny. “We should probably follow him,” she said quickly. 

“Ruthie,” he groaned dramatically, throwing his head back. “Do we have to? What if I want to keep dancing?”

She smacked his chest lightly. “He’s gonna kill Buck, John.”

“Buck?” Johnny asked with furrowed brows. “What’s Buck got to do with condoms?”

The woman blinked at him for a second. “That was Hope’s purse.”

As the predicament dawned on him, his eyes grew as big as saucers. “Shit.”

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her along as they bolted through the hall after Hugh. They reached him at the same moment he burst through one of the side doors. 

“Hope? Is that you?” Hugh bellowed, seeing two figures tangled together in the shadows.

The pair quickly separated, and the dim light from the door illuminated them, revealing Buck and Hope, the latter donning a dress jacket over her dress. Gale’s hair was a complete mess, the sandy blonde strands falling over his forehead as his hand rested on her hip. 

Ruth grimaced at the sight, and John pursed his lips, his mustache raising slightly.

“Sparky, what’s got you in such a tizz?” Gale laughed, instantly regretted it when several condom packets went flying towards his face.

“Don’t you Sparky me, Asshole!” He hissed at Gale before turning towards Hope. “What the hell are you doing with these, Hope? Did he give them to you?” Hugh demanded, his fist clenched at his side as Hope gathered up the packets and shoved them deep into her coat pocket. Her face was on fire and she couldn’t bear to turn to see Gale’s expression.

“So that’s what Frank gave you,” Ruth muttered under her breath from beside Johnny, whose expression morphed into one of amusement. Buck was always so straight-laced, and John found it humorous to see his friend in such a situation. Despite this, he was ready to step in at any moment to break up anything before it got out of hand.

“I wasn’t going to use them. They aren’t even really mine! Frank made us take them to be safe, but Hugh, I swear it’s not what it looks like,” Hope pleaded, removing herself from Gale’s side to go to her brother. “Hugh, I swear, I just shoved them in my bag on the way.” 

Hope stopped for a moment, eyeing her brother suspiciously. 

“Hang on. Why are you going through my bag?” She snapped, snatching the small leather purse from his hands.

“You always carry first aid stuff with you and I cut my finger on some broken glass,” he admitted sheepishly, holding up his bloodied finger. Sighing, Hope took hold of her brother's hand and assessed the damage.

“I do have some stuff in my bag,” she sighed again. “Go inside and wash your hands. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” 

Watching her brother sheepishly retreat, Hope’s gaze moved to Ruth’s. The blonde sent her a raised brow, but Hope just rolled her eyes and shook her head. Ruth grinned at the realization she wasn’t the one with the rosy hue on her cheeks for once. From above her, John smirked and winked at Gale, who shot an ‘I can’t deal with you right now’ glare back at him. Taking that as their queue to leave, he tugged Ruth over to the door and held it open as she walked through. He gave the couple one last glance before shutting the door behind him. 

The moment the door clicked shut behind them, Ruth and John looked at each other, their lips quirking up as they tried to keep their composure. He was the one to break first, his loud belly laugh echoing through the hallway, soon followed by Ruth’s giggles. They both had tears glistening in their eyes when the laughter died down, allowing them to hear the music in the distance.

“I’m never gonna let him forget that,” Bucky sighed, reaching up and wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.

Ruth couldn’t get the laughter out of her system and kept chuckling. “Poor Hope looked mortified. Do I look like that all the time? Like a deer in headlights?”

“Oh Ruth,” he sighed with a grin, softly releasing her hand to grasp her upper arms gently. “Don’t worry. You’re the cutest deer in headlights I’ve seen.”

Narrowing her eyes at him, she tilted her head slightly. “I think that was a compliment?”

“It was.”

John’s grip slid down her arms to her hands, where he began to pull her back toward the main dance hall the music was streaming from. With every backward step he took, Johnny shifted his shoulders to the beat while bending his knees, lowering with every step. Ruth rolled her eyes at his antics but slowly gave in and began goofily dancing with him as they made their way to the hall once more. 

Most of the couples had cleared out from the bar area in the few minutes they were dealing with Hugh, and they found a seat at a table in the corner. 

“Where’d everyone go?” she asked, looking around at all the empty seats.

John checked his watch and groaned. “It’s 10:30. They’re gonna kick us out at 11.”

“So, hotshot,” Ruth stood to her feet, extending a hand to him. “What do ya say we do some more dancing ‘til then?”

A smirk grew on his face as his eyes rose from her hand to her flushed cheeks. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Just as Johnny predicted, the pair were kicked off the dance floor at 11 pm on the dot. Ruth’s cheeks ached from her constant smiles and laughter of the night, but she didn’t mind. 

Her heels clicked on the concrete as they walked hand in hand to the Red Cross hut. The normally abysmal English weather had remained clear for the rest of the night, and the stars shone down on them, illuminating their path. John swung their hands between them, his gaze lowering to admire the curve of her nose and lips.

“Did you have a good time tonight?”

“I had an amazing time,” she replied softly, squeezing his hand. A gust of wind sent a chill through her, and she shivered involuntarily. Without a word, John released her hand and pulled her into his side, rubbing his hand up and down her arm gently. 

“Better?”

His body heat instantly warmed her up as she nuzzled into his side, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Yeah,” she whispered, feeling his fingers drawing shapes on her arm. 

As they rounded the corner of the Red Cross hut, John’s heart sank into his stomach. He didn’t want the night to end and he hoped Ruth felt the same. He realized that if they were to have an actual chance of making it work, he would have to do something different.

He would have to be vulnerable. 

Stopping in front of the door, Bucky released her from his side and held her hands delicately between them. Taking a deep breath, his soft voice broke the stillness of the night. “I meant what I said earlier, ya know…when we were dancing.”

Ruth’s breath hitched in her throat at his words, and she looked up at him. The soft glow of the moon illuminated the sincerity in his gaze as he continued. “You’re different.”

“Thank you,” she murmured, Ruth’s blonde hair covering her reddened face as her gaze fell to their shoes. “Nobody’s ever said anything like that to me.”

With her words, his brows furrowed and his eyes flicked to her left hand, his expression becoming more serious. “Ruth, can I ask you an honest question?” he said softly.

She nodded slowly, unsure of what he was going to say next.

Gently reaching up and running his hand over her cheek, he pushed the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “You’re gorgeous, smart, funny, and have a good career…you’re a perfect example of what guys want…so why isn’t there a ring on your finger?”

The question completely caught her off guard, and Bucky’s touch stole her breath away. “I-uh,” she stuttered, her gaze falling to the floor again. “I’m not sure. There have been guys, but they just never…worked out.”

“They must’ve been total dodos, because I know any smart guy wouldn’t let you get away. I’ve known you for a little over a week and I can already see that.”

Ruth took a moment to collect her thoughts before meeting his blue eyes once more. “Maybe it was just bad timing in the past,” she admitted, her voice sincere. “Or maybe I just wasn’t what they were looking for.”

Their eyes locked, and the air seemed to shift around them. John’s thumb grazed lightly over her cheekbone, his eyes never leaving hers. “Ruth,” he said earnestly. ”I can’t speak for those other guys, but I won’t let you slip away. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Bucky’s words lingered in the air of the cool English night as they stood silently, each of their hearts beating rapidly in their chests. 

“Good,” Ruth finally spoke, her voice lowered to a whisper.

The woman’s breath caught as Johnny leaned in slowly and gently moved his hand to cup her jaw. His touch was both tender and confident, and Ruth’s eyes remained locked with his, captivated by the fondness that radiated from them. 

For the second time that night, she felt his warm breath fan across her face, the scent of whiskey filling her senses again. Their noses nestled together for a brief moment and Ruth couldn’t help but giggle against his lips at the way his mustache tickled her face. 

John’s grin matched Ruth’s as he murmured in reply, his lips brushing hers. “What’s so funny?” 

“Tickles,” she answered, her eyes fluttering closed at the sensation.

Without another word, Johnny carefully tilted her face toward him and connected their lips softly, his free hand moving to the small of her back. The feeling of his lips on hers was sweeter than she’d imagined, and Ruth moved her hand to rest on his chest. 

Just when she thought he was going to deepen the kiss, he pulled back slightly, their eyes meeting once more. A bashful smile appeared on Ruth’s face as he held her in his arms.

“I didn’t mean to make you so ticklish,” John teased, a playful glint in his eyes.

She chuckled, her fingers reaching up and brushing over his thin mustache. “I think I like it,” Ruth confessed, a blush tinting her cheeks.

He raised his eyebrows at her. “You think?”

“Okay, I like it a lot,” she nodded, her head still spinning from the kiss. 

“That’s what I thought,” Bucky remarked, glancing down at his watch. His excitement deflated and he sighed when he saw the time was 11:45, a soft grin forming on his lips. “Well, I guess it’s that time.”

Their hands slowly released their grip, and Johnny took a step closer. In the soft moonlight, he cupped her cheek. “Goodnight, Ruthie,” he whispered, his breath a gentle caress against her forehead. With that, he leaned in and pressed a sweet, lingering kiss to her forehead. 

Ruth closed her eyes, savoring the soft touch. “Goodnight, John,” she replied.

He gave her one last lingering look before turning to leave, a smug smile playing on his lips. As he strolled off into the night, the cool breeze helped to calm the raging heat she felt. Ruth turned toward the door, her fingers grazing her lips as she remembered the softness of his mouth and his subtle taste of whiskey. As she shut the door quietly behind her, she smiled to herself, the blonde’s heart fluttering with the sweet aftertaste of their goodnight kiss.

The very second the door closed, Johnny punched the air, shouting enthusiastically before letting out his signature loud cackle. 

The Major had a really good feeling about the nurse. Perhaps she was what he needed to truly feel again without the buzz of alcohol or one-night stands that left him longing for something more.

He did know one thing for sure.

‘Ahhh, I’m in trouble,” he chuckled under his breath, shaking his head as he made his way back to his hut. He relished in the memory of her smooth skin beneath his touch and her adorable grins throughout the night. “Ruth, Ruth, Ruth…what have you done to me?”

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[major-mads]

Chapter 7: Lucky 25

John "Bucky" Egan x Ruth Morgan (OFC)

Series Masterlist

A/N: please comment or reblog and tell us what you think!! thanks for reading!! <3

Collab: On a Wing and a Prayer by @footprintsinthesxnd

Word Count: 11k

Thursday, September 16th: Thorpe Abbotts AAF Base, Norwich: 1300 HRS: 1 PM

Hope’s back ached as she bent over her old Singer sewing machine, silk fabric sliding effortlessly as the needle punched thread through it. Silk was hard to come by with rationing, and there was no way, even with Hugh’s help, that she could afford a new wedding dress. Luckily for her, Frank had a knack for making things disappear from the storeroom on base and later making them reappear in the girls' hut. 

Ruth hummed Artie Shaw out of tune from behind her as the blonde cut out more fabric from the pattern, laying the pieces of cloth over the tissue paper cutouts. Tatty and Helen hand-sewed small pieces of lace together, just some odd cuts they’d gotten from the local fabric shop.

The girls worked hard all afternoon, measuring, cutting, and sewing. The dress was coming along nicely, and with only three weeks to go until the big day, Hope was anxious to get it finished in time. 

The Singer buzzed along nicely as three familiar heads poked around the nissen hut door.

“Knock, knock,” Hugh called out, stepping inside, his hands on his hips as he assessed the girl's work. Gale and John followed him closely. 

“You guys can’t be in here,” Helen scolded.

“It’s bad luck to see the dress before the wedding, Cleven,” Tatty hissed, marching over to the men. “You better get going before…”

“My dear Tatty, don’t be so defensive, I merely come to offer my services,” Hugh bowed dramatically. 

Hope snickered, all too aware of Hugh’s sewing skills, “I don’t think your skills are required here, Hugh. You’re not really one for a needle and thread.” 

Hugh scrunched his face up at her just like he’d done since they were children, and before he could throw out any more ridiculous ideas, Gale stepped forward.

“I don’t want to cause trouble, I merely want to spend some time with my girl,” Gale smiled charmingly at Tatty who moved aside.

“No wonder Hope can never say no to you, Major. That damn smile.” 

Gale made his way across the room just as Hope finished covering the dress with a sheet. “Hello darling,” he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers, “I’ve missed you.” 

“I’ve missed you too,” Hope stood up, pressing her lips against his again, smiling into his touch. 

“Tatty, come on,” John all but whined, pointing into the hut while Tatty stood firm on the doorstep. “It’s me.”

“And that is exactly why I’m not letting you in. You’d get your grubby mitts all over the dress.”

“I wouldn’t dare! Please,” John clasped his hands together, looking rather sad and pathetic until Tatty sighed. 

“Fine, but one step out of line, Major, and you’re out.” 

John moved past Tatty towards Ruth who was still sitting on the floor, surrounded by a collection of differently shaped pieces of silk. 

“Never knew you were such a seamstress,” he grinned, kissing her gently and enjoying the familiar blush that crept across her pale cheeks.

“Well, I’m a woman of many talents,” Ruth retorted, grinning up at the Major.

“That you are.”

“Hugh, put that fabric down now,” Hope hissed, moving away from Gale’s arms to scold her brother, smacking his arm until he released the precious fabric. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to get a hold of this?” 

“It’s just some silk, I’m sure any white fabric would do,” Hugh replied nonchalantly, pushing the reeling of cotton across Helen’s desk and glancing awkwardly around the room as it fell to the floor.

Hope sighed, “Hugh, for once in your life, please just be serious and stop acting like a child. It’s for my wedding day. Please don’t mess this up for me.” 

Hope loved her brother dearly, but sometimes it felt like she had to do all the work in their relationship.

Hugh nodded apologetically, “I will. I wouldn’t dream of ruining your big day, Little Bird.” Hope smiled at her childhood nickname, it had been a long time since he’d called her that. “But is there anything I can help with?” 

“Yes, there is,” Helen grabbed ahold of Gale and John’s sleeves, marching them towards Hugh, “You can take these two and keep them out of trouble until this evening.”

“Oh, come on, we just got here,” John groaned, glancing at Ruth in the hope of some sympathy, but she just waved at him. Gale glanced around Helen, blowing a kiss in Hope’s direction before the three men descended from the hut.

“You ladies have fun now, we’ll see you later,” Hugh called out, slamming the door dramatically. 

Helen turned back to the group, hurrying back to her spot beside Tatty, “I honestly don’t know how you’ve put up with Hugh for so long.” 

“I didn’t have much choice,” Hope laughed, turning back to the sewing machine, “He’s my brother after all.” 

A few moments passed until another knock sounded at the door, and Helen marched back over with a groan, slinging it open to reveal John leaning on the doorframe. 

“What is it?”

He peered around the woman, his eyes falling on Ruth. “Can I get a kiss?”

“You just got one!” she giggled, rising to her feet and approaching the door. “You’re so needy.”

Helen moved out of the doorway, chuckling as Ruth rose on her tiptoes and quickly kissed John before pushing him out the door with a wink. “See you later, hotshot!”

As the door closed in his face, John couldn’t help but shake his head at Ruth, his heart racing at the mere sight of her. Buck clapped his shoulder and turned him toward the nearby mess hall where Hugh walked a few feet ahead of them. “You gonna tell her tonight?”

“If Dye gets back in one piece, I will,” Johnny nodded, scratching his mustache. 

“He will.”

One Week Earlier: September 10: Thorpe Abbotts AAF Base

The mess hall was unusually quiet as John and Gale sat eating their breakfast, having missed the morning rush by sleeping in an extra hour. They both laid awake the night before, their minds unable to shut off after the events of John’s party. Since they’d arrived, Bucky was silent, only speaking to thank the mess hall worker for his coffee.

Buck stared at him skeptically, taking in his slightly pursed lips and distant gaze that focused on the plate of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of him. “I can hear the gears turning from here, John. What is it?”

A few beats passed until he spoke up, his eyes remaining on his food. “Ruth.”

“Hmm,” Gale nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. “What about her?”

“Everything…I can’t get her off my mind, Buck. I don’t know what’s going on.”

‘I do,’ the younger man thought.

John shook his head with a sigh, his brow creasing as his conflicted gaze lifted from the table. “I can’t explain it.”

Gale put down his coffee cup and smiled softly at his friend. “I can…you love her.”

“I don’t know, Buck.”

“What don’t you know?” he asked as his brows furrowed. Gale saw the deep thought behind the Major’s eyes and realized the confident and boisterous John Egan was nowhere in sight. This Bucky was unsure of himself, facing emotions he’d never felt before. Buck’s voice softened as he continued. “What do you know?”

John raised a questioning brow and Gale leaned his elbows onto the table. “How do you feel around her?”

“I don’t-” Bucky frustratedly groaned, sitting back into his seat. ”I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Just try.”

Every moment he shared with Ruth replayed like a film in John’s mind as he tried to find the words to describe the way he felt.

“When I think about her,” he finally began, a fond smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “It just…It just does somethin’ to me, Buck, and can’t think straight.”

Gale listened intently, nodding along as John continued, his voice growing softer.

“And after last night, how she did all that for me? I’ve never met anyone like her.” His brow creased in thought as he struggled to find his next words. “She’s…she’s-”

“Everything,” Buck finished, Hope’s smiling face forming in his mind.

Gale’s words hung in the air for a few moments as the Majors thought of their beloved nurses. 

Bucky nodded slowly, his gaze drifting to the window where the morning sun filtered through the glass, lighting up the mess hall in a golden glow. He took a deep breath as he finally came to terms with what he was feeling. 

John Egan was in love.

“Yeah,” he murmured, his deep voice rumbling in his chest. “She’s everything.”

A knowing grin painted Gale’s face as he repeated his earlier statement. “You love her.”

“That how you feel about Hope?”

“Yeah, it is.”

As Buck’s words settled over them, John felt a weight lift off his shoulders. It was as if hearing the words out loud made them easier to grasp, and he couldn’t deny it any longer…he was in love with Ruth Morgan.

But even as the realization settled in, Bucky couldn’t shake the uncertainty that lingered in the back of his mind. This was a new territory for him, uncharted skies that both excited and terrified him. He’d always prided himself on his wild heart, but now he found himself willingly surrendering to feelings he’d managed to avoid for so long.

“You know,” Gale began, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. “You should tell her. It’s pretty clear she feels the same way.”

“We said we’d take it slow.”

Cleven pushed his plate aside and leaned further over the table. “So? When have you ever been one to follow the rules?”

Finally, John’s serious expression faded and he shook his head with a chuckle, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “And when have you ever encouraged me to break them?”

“Today,” he shrugged. “But only cause you need an extra shove.”

“Should I get used to this new Buck?”

“Don’t count on it,” Gale smirked as he sat back in his chair, taking a sip of his coffee. 

1900 HRS: 7 PM 

The lively sound of Glenn Miller filled the Officer’s Club as the band brought the hall to life. Couples jitterbugged and lindy-hopped across the dance floor, and happy conversation filled the air, including loud cackles and laughter from a table in the bar section where Hope and Ruth sat with their Majors. They were reminiscing about their time in San Angelo, Texas, with the girls’ under their arms and Hugh to the right of his sister.

Buck took a sip of his ginger beer with a raised brow. “Isn’t that where you picked up that damned jacket?”

“Sure is,” John replied and sucked his teeth. “My pride and joy.”

“So that’s where you got it,” Ruth giggled, shaking her head.

“Well,” he shrugged, holding a hand up defensively. “It was being discontinued, so I had no choice.”

Sitting up in his chair across from them, Hugh let out something between a chuckle and a scoff. “It was a choice, alright.”

Hope’s eyes met Ruth’s at the comment, waiting for a snarky comeback from the Major, but the blonde just patted John’s chest consolingly before he could respond. “It was being discontinued for a reason, John. Have you seen that thing?”

“Thank you. It always looks dirty,” Gale interjected as he smirked at John. “Seems Ruth is on my side for this one, Bucky.”

A giggle escaped Ruth’s lips and she sheepishly looked up at Johnny to see him already staring down at her, a playful frown on his lips a few inches away. “Say it isn’t true, Ruthie.”

“Sorry, hotshot,” she laughed, her eyes unable to resist flicking to his mouth at their close proximity. “Buck’s right, hon, but know you’re still my favorite Major.”

John’s frown faded and his lips curled into a mischievous grin as her laughter filled the air, and to his surprise, she leaned up and kissed him softly. Ruth pulled away after a moment with bright pink cheeks. The taste of her drink lingered on Bucky’s lips as his gaze locked with hers, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

His plans to finally tell her how he cared about her, how he loved her, flashed in the forefront of his mind. But even as he stared down at her smiling face and a wave of pure adoration washed over him, his stomach swirled with nervousness. 

What if she thought it was too fast? Too soon? Too much?

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, John forced himself to look away and took a sip of his pint before turning to Hope and pointing at her across the table. “And whaddya think, Hope? About my jacket? It’s nice, right?”

The woman met Ruth’s lovesick eyes and chuckled, shaking her head slightly. “It’s not the worst thing I’ve seen, but I prefer Gale’s.”

Gale smiled smugly, pressing his lips firmly to her forehead, “That’s my girl. Always knew you had good taste.” 

“Well, of course, I do. I picked you didn’t I?” She grinned at him, leaning up to press her lips to his, smiling into the kiss.

“Well, that’s right. You sure a lady with a good eye,” Gale mused, nuzzling his nose into her neck.

“Gale,” she chuckled, feeling his breath tickling against her collarbone, while her fingers carded through his tousled, blond locks. 

“Gaaaale,” John teased, dramatically drawing out the name with his eyes closed. “What kind of name is Gale, anyway?”

Hope’s eyes widened in amusement as Gale groaned beside her, having heard the joke a million times before. “Well, what kind of a name is Bucky?” she asked, tilting her head with a sarcastic grin. “Now Buck I can get because he’s a dashing young man, but Bucky? I don’t know…”

The group burst into laughter and John tried to send the woman a dirty look, but he couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from curling into a smirk and joining in with them. Before long, he itched for a dance and stood to his feet, pulling Ruth toward the dance floor.

“I think it’s time for a dance, Ruthie.”

“Alright, I’m coming!” she giggled, sending Hope a wave as she tried to keep up with Bucky’s long strides in her tight skirt.

The couple found themselves at the edge of the dancefloor, swaying hand in hand to the soft trumpet solo ringing through the hall. Ruth rested her head on John’s chest, calmed by the gentle thrum of his heartbeat beneath her ear and his warmth as they danced. 

She could’ve stayed there in that moment forever…just her and her hotshot…just her and the man she loved. 

“You look beautiful, sweetheart,” he murmured against her hair, breaking the silence between them. “I know I told you earlier, but you do.”

Lifting her head from his chest, Ruth smiled sheepishly at him. “Thank you. I don’t normally wear my dress uniform, but-”

“Oh, I’m so glad you did.”

She raised an eyebrow and slid her hands around his neck. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” he nodded with a smirk, his eyes drifting down to her breast pocket area that proudly displayed her pair of wings and lieutenant’s bars. “I’m a sucker for a woman in uniform.”

“So I need to worry about the WACs?”

Bucky chuckled, tugging Ruth against him. “Don’t worry. You’ve got nothing to worry about, lieutenant.”

As the music swirled around them, John’s gaze softened as he looked into her deep blues. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against hers in a tender kiss. Ruth’s cheeks flushed pink as she returned it, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, melting into his embrace. She felt him smile against her lips and pulled back to get a good look at him.

“What are you smiling about, Major?” she joked.

Bucky wanted to say, ‘How much I love you,’ but anxiety churned in his stomach and he couldn’t go through with it.

“Just you.”

Rolling her eyes, Ruth pecked the corner of his lips before returning her head to its place on his chest. “I’m so happy for Gale and Hope.”

“Me too,” he replied, his eyes scanning the room for the couple. “Speaking of Buck…where is he?”

Ruth joined him looking for their friends, but she had no luck and wiggled her eyebrows at Bucky. “They’re probably having some alone time.”

He sent her a mischievous smirk, and she knew what he planned to do. “Leave ‘em be, Johnny,” she groaned, sighing as he pulled her along behind him toward the door. “Don’t bother them.”

“But it’s my job to bother Buck.”

Before Ruth could respond, he flung open the side door and stuck his head outside. By the wild grin on his face, she knew he’d found them. “Hey, Lovebirds! Hurry up, you're missing the party!” 

“Five more minutes!” she heard Gale groan, and then John closed the door, a proud smirk hanging from his lips. 

“You’re terrible.”

Bucky shot her a wink and led her back to their table, settling back into their seats as they saw Gale and Hope enter the hall and begin swaying slowly. 

“Would you look at that?” John scoffed, sipping his pint and throwing an arm over the back of Ruth’s chair. “I’ve been trying to get Buck to dance for years and Hope did it in two months.”

The couple couldn’t help but watch their friends dance, both with lovesick smiles as they got lost in the song, spinning around the floor with a practiced grace that neither Ruth nor John expected. 

Buck was good at dancing.

Their concentration on the couple was broken when yells echoed through the air. Following the sound, they saw Harry throw peanuts across the table into Hugh’s mouth, laughing hysterically as Hugh caught another one. 

Ruth opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when Hope beat her to it.

“I leave you two alone for all of five minutes and you wreak havoc,” Hope tutted, patting Harry on the head like a small child. “If you choke on all those nuts Hugh, I swear…”

A giggle escaped the blonde’s lips at the comment and John chuckled beside her.

“Alright mother,” Hugh laughed, throwing one of the nuts at his sister. 

Hope and Gale took their seats beside Harry, settling easily beside each other with Gale’s hand draping lazily around her shoulder. The six of them fell into easy conversation, and soon, the table became more crowded when Veal, Crank, Brady, Blakely, and a few other airmen joined the group. Laughter and wisps of cigarette smoke filled the air as the men and the two nurses unwound, enjoying the company of friends.

Ruth remained tucked under Bucky’s arm, listening to yet another story from training in the States. This one was about a failed exercise where several forts experienced ‘equipment malfunctions’ and ‘discrepancies’ that forced them to land in or near the hometowns of family and girlfriends. 

Crank grinned, shaking his head. “Yeah, the Hundredth almost got canned after that.”

“And I got demoted for the first time,” John chimed as he thought about just how many times he’d changed commands over his time with the 100th.

Eyes widening in surprise, Ruth playfully smacked his chest. “For the first time? I thought you getting demoted back to Squadron CO only happened once?”

“It would’ve been three times if LeMay would have found him or Buck that day he came to base,” Kidd added.

Nudging Buck with her shoulder, Hope smirked. “And what about you, Gale?” 

Gale shrugged as he hid a smirk behind his glass of ginger beer. “I don’t know why LeMay thought both of us were responsible for the ‘raunchy discipline’ on base.”

“So you’re sayin’ it was just me?” John asked with an incredulous grin.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“I mean,” Benny started, trying to hold in a laugh as he rubbed Meatball’s head affectionately. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Buck tear up a bar with a narwhal tusk.”

Laughter erupted like a sudden burst of fireworks around the table, echoing around the lively room and drowning out the music. 

Narrowing his eyes at them, John pointed around the table.  “Technically, none of you dodos saw any of that!”

“We didn’t have to. We saw the aftermath,” Brady called out through his chuckles.

After a few moments, the laughter died down, and the large group broke into smaller conversations. 

Gale spoke quietly to Benny as Hope whispered with Hugh, and Ruth listened as Jack shared more stories of John’s escapades back in the States. Before long, the two majors went at it as they often did, but Ruth’s attention was drawn away by Hugh and Hope slinking away from the table and disappearing into the crowd.

‘This outta be good,’ she thought.

When the band slowly faded out, Ruth smirked, knowing what was most likely coming. She peered over at Gale, expecting him to be watching Hope, but he was engrossed in a conversation with Benny and didn’t seem to notice his fiancée’s absence from the seat beside him. 

The band thrummed to life, music springing out across the room in a less-than-subtle fashion that had all heads turning toward the siblings. Then Gale’s eyes found Hope’s across the room and he did a double take, glancing back at her empty chair in confusion. 

Ruth pointed at siblings, a wide smile painting her face as she whispered in John’s ear. “This is gonna be interesting. They both can sing.”

“Sparky? No way,” he griped with a grimace. “No way he’s got better pipes than me.”

Giggling, she patted his cheek lightly and turned back to the stage. “Just wait and see, hon.”

Hugh took his place in front of the microphone, encouraging Hope to do the same as he pressed his lips near the cool metal grille. The conductor gave them the queue, and she took a deep breath before singing into the microphone.

“One of our planes was missing, two hours overdue. 

Yes, one of our planes was missing with all its gallant crew,

The radio sets were hummin', they waited for the word,

Then a voice broke through that hummin',

And this is what they heard!”

The song, rather aptly chosen by Hugh for Dye’s 25th mission, began to flow easily. Hugh joined in, belting out,

“Comin' in on a wing and a prayer!”

The second Hugh’s voice rang through the speakers, the skeptical smirk on John’s lips fell, and he raised a brow at Ruth, who just rolled her eyes at his reaction.

“I told you he was good.”

“I never said he was good,” he defended.

The corners of the blonde’s eyes crinkled as she laughed. “You didn’t have to.”

Around them, some of the crowd began to join in, all looking at Dye whose cheeks were growing redder by the minute as he stood beside Lil, trying to shield his face. 

“What a show (What a show),

What a fight (What a fight).”

The instrumental section began to play, and the couple watched as Hugh took Hope’s arm and spun her around in quick concession. A wide grin spread on Ruth’s face that matched her best friend’s on stage. 

With her eyes glued on Hope, Ruth started to sing along. Her voice was slightly off-key, but she didn’t care, continuing to sing quietly where only John could hear. The man couldn’t look away from her smiling face as she sang. His gaze wandered over her face with a gentle intensity, watching how her lips moved, the slight quirk of her smile adding to her already breathtaking look.

“Yes, we really hit our target for tonight,

How we’ll sing as we limp through the air,

Look below, there’s a field over there.”

Ruth’s eyes flickered over to John and caught his gaze. For a brief moment, their eyes locked, and she noticed the same vulnerable glint in his eyes as the night he told her of his past. She offered him a questioning look, silently asking what was on his mind.

Johnny’s mind raced as his lips parted slightly. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he sent her a small, reassuring smile and barely shook his head as if to say, ‘nothing.’

There was something in his eyes that Ruth couldn’t quite put it into words, but it made her heart flutter nonetheless. With a soft nod, she turned her attention back to the stage, her hand reaching for John’s beneath the table, intertwining their fingers gently.

The Major’s heart sank as Ruth turned away, his own hand squeezing hers softly in response. He cursed himself silently for his inability to tell her how he felt, and frustration bubbled up within him.

How many more opportunities would he let slip away without telling her the truth?

“With our full crew aboard,

And our trust in the Lord,

Comin’ in on a wing and a prayer.”

As the song came to a close, Hugh wrapped his arms around his sister, squeezing her hard before grasping her hand and pulling her down from the stage. Hope hopped down the best she could, ignoring the small ripping noise from her skirt that would surely be a problem later. Hugh had a little skip in his step as they made their way back to the table.

Hugh threw himself down into his chair, downing the last of his whiskey, while Hope took her seat beside Gale, his face still in awe and his lips turned upwards into the largest smile.

“Have I ever told you how amazing you are?” He mumbled softly, kissing her cheek, letting the rough stubble on his chin graze against Hope’s cheek. 

She squirmed, laughing lightly, “Oh only about every hour that I’m on base and in every letter.”

“Good,” he mused, kissing her cheek once more, “Because you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met…” Gale was broken off by Bucky’s loud declaration. 

“What the hell was that, Sparky?” John asked with a mischievous grin, his eyebrows raised at Hugh. 

Scoffing as he settled into his chair, the lieutenant rolled his eyes. “I sounded a helluva lot better than you ever have…Isn’t that right, Croz?”

Harry’s expression dropped, his eyes widening nervously as he darted glances between Hugh and his Squadron CO, who sported a smirk and an eyebrow raised expectantly. “Uhhhhh…”

Ruth was in the middle of sipping her when the comment left Hugh’s lips, and she choked on the liquid, her hand flying to cover her mouth as she coughed, trying to regain her composure. Immediately, John’s hand on her chair moved to rub her back as he ducked to check on her, the rest of the table turning their attention to the pair. Before he could speak, she waved him off with a sheepish smile, finally managing to swallow. 

“Sorry about that,” she rasped, wiping at her eyes. “I’m alright…please continue.”

Looking around the group, Ruth met Hope’s concerned gaze and sent her a teary grin, her pale face splotchy as she caught her breath.

“Where was I?”

Bubbles chuckled under his breath before sending Hugh a smirk. “You were complimenting Bucky’s singing abilities.”

“Right! I-”

“Everyone look here!”

A flash of light momentarily blinded the group as Captain John Schwarz, the 100th’s photographer, stepped forward with his camera in hand. 

“Alright, everyone, let’s get a good one!” he called out cheerfully, adjusting the settings on his camera.

The group quickly turned toward him, and Ruth managed to put on a bright smile for the photo despite still trying to clear her throat. They all posed in their seats, and John’s arm draped casually over the blonde’s chair, her hand resting on his knee as she leaned into him.

With the click of the camera, the Captain took the picture, but before he could step back, John called out to him with a grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Hey, Schwarz. Mind getting a picture of just the two of us?”

He nodded enthusiastically, adjusting the camera to focus on the couple. Bucky flashed a charming smile as he reached over and gently tugged Ruth from her chair into his lap.

“Hey!” she protested playfully, her cheeks flushing pink as John wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close.

Ruth giggled as Johnny leaned in, his cheek pressing against hers as they posed for the picture. Despite her initial protest, she found herself melting into his embrace. The photographer chuckled at their antics, capturing the moment with a few clicks of his camera. She glanced up at the Major just as Schwarz lowered his camera, and Bucky planted a soft kiss on her lips.

The table erupted into a chorus of whistles and hoots, their friends cheering them on as they kissed. Ruth laughed against John’s lips, feeling a rush of happiness and warmth enveloping her. Pulling back slightly, John gazed into her blue eyes, his own filled with pure adoration as her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink. 

“Alright, lovebirds. That’s enough,” Gale grinned, repeating Bucky’s words from a few minutes before. 

Schwarz moved around the table, snapping a photo of Demarco and Meatball, Hugh with poor Harry in a headlock, until he moved around to Hope and Gale. Buck stood up, leading Hope slightly away from the table, and wrapping his arms around her from behind kissing her temple. Hope grinned widely at the photographer who snapped the picture with his own smile.

Hugh appeared beside the Captain, mumbling something under his breath before moving over to the couple. 

“Could I please borrow my sister, Cleven?”

Gale looked a little forlorn as he released Hope from his embrace, stepping back towards the table. Hugh pulled his sister into his side, a bright smile on his lips as Schwarz took the photo. 

Back at the table, Hope slipped into her seat beside Gale, his arm draping over her shoulder as they got comfortable. Ruth sent her a bright smile from her position on John’s lap, and soon the group’s conversation picked back up, laughter filling the air once more. This continued for a little while longer, but when Dye made his way over with Lil under his arm, there was a shift in the air.

It was almost unnoticeable at first.

Ruth chuckled under her breath, watching John take a drag of his cigarette across the table and point to Dye as he neared the group. “There’s our very own Charlie Robertson!”

She’d moved back to her own chair when he got up to get her another ginger beer. Ruth learned her lesson with alcohol after waking up with a raging migraine the morning following John’s birthday party.

“Charlie? Who’s Charlie?” Lil asked, trailing behind Glen and smiling at John as she passed him on his way back to Ruth.

“Not me,” Hugh snickered, sipping his whiskey with a grimace. The British liquor was nothing compared to the ‘good ole American stuff,’ as he called it. In his footlocker sat an unopened bottle of VAT-69 he was saving for his own 25th mission.

No one else thought anything was wrong with the alcohol, but Hugh just had his particular taste and he stuck to that.

“1922. White Sox at Tigers. No runs, no hits, no errors,” John answered, his hand gesturing in the air with each word before sinking into the chair beside Ruth. He kissed her on the cheek quickly, scooting his seat closer to her until their shoulders touched and she wrapped her arm around his bicep, whispering into his ear.

“He threw the last perfect game, right?”

“Sure did,”  he grinned, shooting her a wink. “Way to go, Slugger.”

Benny nodded from beside Hope and Gale, not having heard the blonde. “Yeah, he’s the last guy to throw a perfect game.”

“Til’ now!”

“You get to go home before Florida?” Jack asked, but the conversation soon Ruth faded as she turned her gaze to John with a fond smile. She traced the outline of his face, her eyes trailing over the dark pink scars from Regensburg, the slope of his nose, his mustache, and the natural pout of his lips…the soft lips she’d kissed dozens of times. The warmth of his touch seeped through her uniform, and a feeling of contentment washed over her. 

Over the last week, the couple exchanged multiple letters corresponding about the party and how each was doing, but John mainly raved about how much he liked his birthday present. 

‘Doll, I think I’m hooked…’ John wrote two days after the party.

She was broken from her inner dialogue when the toothy grin on John’s face suddenly fell, and Ruth’s heart jolted in concern as she became aware of the hush that fell over the group

“We’re all that’s left, aren’t we?” 

At Glen’s question, her eyes quickly scanned those around them and found that all the airmen shared the same pained and exhausted look. Curt’s smiling face flashed in her mind…a reminder of the sacrifices of the heroes from the 100th. 

Hope’s wandering eyes met Ruth’s across the table, and she sent her a weary frown at the way the lively men quieted, each lost in their thoughts. 

Blakely spoke first, breaking the silence that fell over the group “12 crews out of-”

“35 that flew in from Greenland,” Crank finished.

With his lips in a tight line, Bucky nodded solemnly. “That’s right.”

Ruth reached out, her free hand finding John’s atop his chair’s armrest, squeezing it gently. He didn’t meet her gaze, but she felt him deflate slightly beside her just before Gale began to speak.

“We’re just happy for you, Dye.”

“That’s right. We are,” John added, his voice deepening as he raised his glass. “Very happy for you. Very happy.”

Glen held out his drink to the group. “And to all the fellas that aren’t here tonight, who should’ve been.”

The table broke out into quiet mumbles of agreement as they all lifted their glasses in a toast before tipping them back. Ruth’s ginger beer fizzed as it traveled down her throat, and beside her, John downed the rest of the amber liquid in his glass, unfazed. She watched him stare at the tabletop in front of them for a few seconds until Dye’s voice filled the air.

“Gentlemen…and ladies, I’m gonna go check on the boys, make sure they aren’t celebrating too hard without me.”

As he walked away with Lil tugged against his side, John’s eyes followed them and he pointed in their direction, muttering, “Charlie Robertson,” under his breath.

The jovial atmosphere from before shattered as the group remained quiet despite the raging party around them. And to think…John’s day had started off so well, had gone off without a hitch until that very moment.

He got to see Ruth, and Dye made it back from his 25th Mission, but as Bucky leaned back in his chair, he couldn’t help but be bothered by all the new faces and the lack of old ones.

Even Ruth’s presence beside him wasn’t enough to quell the rising anger and frustration that swirled in his stomach when he thought of the numbers. 

Out of 35 crews that flew in from Greenland, only 12 remained. 

120 men out of 350…230 gone in the matter of a few months. 

‘Will we all just be another number? Another crew marked off the list until replacements come and fill the huts like we never existed in the first place?’ 

These questions floated in his mind while his gaze stayed on the empty glass in front of him. “I’m, uh, gonna get another drink. I’ll be back,” he announced quickly, rising from his chair and turning toward the bar. Ruth’s anxious eyes followed him before she glanced back at Hope.

Buck watched him go with a pang of concern and kissed Hope on the temple, promising his return before he got up and followed after his friend. The women shared a knowing look as they watched the men they loved disappear into the crowd. Seemingly following their Majors, the rest of the men got up and trailed after them a few minutes later, leaving Hope and Ruth alone at the table.

“I’m worried,” Ruth muttered, chewing her bottom lip nervously. “What happens if John or Gale don’t make it back one-”

Hope cut her off quickly and moved to sit beside her.  “Hey. They’re going to be fine, Rue. Before long, we’re gonna be celebrating their 25th mission, alright?”

“Alright,” she whispered as her gaze fell to the table.

The dance floor cleared over the next few minutes, and just a few couples remained dancing. In the middle of the floor was Helen, wrapped up in the arms of an airman they’d never seen before. Wide grins grew on their faces as they watched her place a few kisses against the dark-headed stranger’s jawline. Over his shoulder, Helen’s eyes wandered to the two women sitting alone, and Ruth smiled, giving her a thumbs up as Hope winked at her.

Feeling someone’s gaze on her, Hope scanned the room, meeting the familiar but concerned blues of Gale across the room from where he leaned against the bar beside John. They talked to yet another new airman the girls had never met, but even she could see the grimace on Bucky’s face as he leaned closer to the man, gesturing his hands out.

She glanced over at Ruth who thankfully was too busy tidying up the mess the men left before returning her eyes to her fiancée. In the few seconds she’d looked away, the replacement airman disappeared, and the two Majors stood alone.

“Come on, Rue. Let’s rejoin the party, shall we?” Hope asked, rising to her feet and offering Ruth her hand with a forced smile.

She knew something was up with John. She could tell by Gale’s body language alone.

The blonde took her hand, allowing Hope to lead them towards the men. But just as they passed Helen and the dancing soldier, Colonel Harding and Major Bowman stepped through the doors and sauntered over the bar, a fat cigar hanging from Chick’s lips. 

“My boys!”

Not wanting to interrupt, the women stood on the outskirts of the group, moving to stand beside Tatty, even though both Buck and Johnny sent them a questioning look. Ruth scanned Bucky’s face, but her smile fell when she immediately noticed the line between his brows and the muscle twitching in his jaw.

“Listen up! I just had a mood-killing conversation with Doc Stover. He thinks you sissies could be getting flack happy.”

“No, not us, sir,” the airmen chorused.

“I told him war is war. The longer you go at it, the more it screws a man up. And it’s been that way since the first caveman son of a bitch picked up a club and went after the other. Did cavemen go for head-shrinking?”

As the men shook their heads, Ruth and Hope shared a wary glance. 

Where was this going?

“No! Damn sure not! What counts is that you soldiers show up ready and able to fight. What you do between battles…” Harding trailed off with a chuckle, smirking as he took a drag of his cigar.

Hope watched as Buck remained stoic, no reaction on his face, but John looked over at Ruth, sending her a wink. “I like your style, sir!”

For the first time, Bucky’s wink didn’t make her heart skip a beat…it made it drop into her stomach. His grin was so clearly forced that her mind went haywire, and he was the only thing she could focus on. Sensing the blonde finally picked up on John’s demeanor, Hope silently intertwined their hands, squeezing Ruth’s reassuringly.

Red broke his silence, shaking his head slightly as he spoke. “Aerial combat like this hasn’t been around since the caveman, sir.”

“Of course not, Red. Every war has its novelties,” Harding dismissed the Major, turning to look at the dance hall. A few seconds later, his demeanor changed, and his voice grew serious. “Who the hell decorated this fiesta?”

Everyone looked around the group before Jack hesitantly spoke. “I put together a committee, sir.”

Craning their heads to see around the Colonel, the women confusedly searched the hall for what he possibly could be upset about, but had no such luck.

“The damned plane looks like it’s in a nosedive.”

The sound of chuckles filled the air as John grinned over at Ruth. “Fire ‘em. Fire the committee…Ruth can decorate next time.”

She did her best to smile back at him, but it was just as forced as the grin on his lips.

“I won’t bother next time,” Kidd muttered.

Harding seemed to move on and faced the men again, waving them all closer. “Come on, get in. Come here. Got something to tell ‘ya.”

Hope and Ruth stepped forward, watching the Colonel over Tatty’s shoulder, their eyes moving between their Majors and the CO. 

“You know how we could end this whole thing tonight?” Chick asked, his face scrunched into a half-grimace as he leaned into the group. “We fill up one of our forts with as many 500-pounders as she can hold, we bomb the hell out of Hitler’s hidey-hole.”

The grin on Johnny’s face fell, and he tilted his face to the floor with slightly pursed lips for a moment before returning his gaze to Harding. His forced smiles and strained banter only added to the underlying tension in the room. Ruth’s fingers tightened around Hope’s hand, seeking reassurance as Chick continued.

“I’m sure Red and Bubbles could locate that mustachioed little fucker.”

Bubbles grinned proudly. “Yes, sir.”

“Well, now who’s flack happy?”

The second the words left John’s mouth, Ruth’s heart plummeted, and a knot formed in the pit of her stomach. She held her breath waiting for what would happen next.

What happened in the last few minutes to change his attitude completely?

All the officer’s went silent, shooting each other worried looks while Bucky and Harding stared at each other.

“Who?”

“You are,” John nodded, his expression bearing no trace of any amusement.

Harding smirked, “You are.”

“No, you are,” Egan leaned forward, thwacking Harding’s chest with his hand. “Sir.” 

The next few seconds seemed to stretch on for hours as the atmosphere became even more tense, the room seeming to hold its breath. Gale quickly glanced over at Hope, his eyes filled with concern, much like the rest of the officers. The blonde beside her didn’t notice Buck, unable to tear her eyes away from John, who looked like he was teetering on the edge of an outburst.

The Major and the Colonel stared at each other until a smirk broke out on Chick’s face and he chuckled, the rest of the group following suit when the tension eased.

“Mmm, Single fillies. Come on, boys. Let’s get the lead out!” Harding smirked, taking a drag from his cigar, and left the party with Red trailing behind him.

The officers dispersed out onto the dance floor, leaving John, Gale, Hope, Ruth, and Benny at the bar. 

Gale turned to catch Hope’s eye, his face saying ‘hold on while I talk to him’. Hope nodded in agreement, catching Ruth’s arm and leading her away from their men. 

“What about John?” Ruth looked hastily over her shoulder for him, meeting his conflicted eyes momentarily, but Hope pulled her on. 

“Gale’s going to talk to him, it’ll be okay. They’ve been through a lot, remember? It’s bound to catch up with them all at some point, and we just need to be here to help them if they fall.” Hope led her back to the table, sitting her down and placing the glass of ginger beer in front of her. 

Hope hated watching Ruth’s worried eyes keep darting back toward the boys, but she knew that her own eyes kept drifting back to Gale’s. If this evening had taught her anything, it was that life was more precious than they could ever realize, and each moment should be cherished. 

They needed a distraction from their anxieties, and Hope blurted the first story that came to mind.

“Do you remember that day when you were new to the Grove and you walked in on Frank naked?” 

The blonde’s cheeks immediately heated up as she buried her head in her hands, “How could I forget? I’d only known the man for three days.”

Hope laughed too, “Well, it could be worse. On my first day on base, he nearly ran me over with a jeep. That was before he realized I was on his plane. He bought me a beer that same evening to apologize.” 

Ruth laughed, imagining a younger Hope giving Frank hell for trying to run her down. 

“We had a medical technician on our plane with us back then. Joseph was his name. He was a right pretty boy…thought he was the bee's knees but I soon told him otherwise.” 

Ruth chuckled, knowing Hope probably gave the poor boy hell. It was strange thinking back to when they first came to the Grove, the airbase that had quickly become their home and safe haven. 

“It seems like a lifetime ago that I met you, Hope. I thought you hated me at first.”

“Oh, I didn’t hate you…I just thought you weren’t going to make it,” Hope replied honestly, feeling slightly guilty about how she’d misjudged her best friend. “You soon proved me wrong though, Rue. You’re a good nurse.” 

Hope looked up as Gale approached them, smiling brightly at her while John still stood near the bar still looking quite somber. Ruth stood up, quickly excusing herself as she made her way over to the bar, resting her hand against John’s arm.

“Hey,” she whispered, her blue eyes filled with worry. “Let’s go somewhere we can talk.”

He nodded, allowing her to take his hand and tug him to the door.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” she finally asked when they excited the club into the English night, her voice soft with concern.

John pursed his lips and a flicker of hesitation crossed his features before he shrugged. “Nothing. What do you mean?”

“John,” Ruth urged, her voice hardening as she gave him the look that always made her students squirm in their seats. 

And her tone…it was only used when dealing with problem students, the ones who lied directly to her face when she already knew the truth.

He sighed, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly. “I’m fine.”

“What was that, then?” Ruth pressed, refusing to let it go. She needed to know exactly what was wrong…needed to help him in whatever way she could.

But how could he tell her the truth?

He could go down the next day and it would be like he never was there in the first place. Gone like the 230 men they’d lost.

How was he supposed to tell the woman he loved that she could lose him in the blink of an eye?

That he could lose her just the same?

That he couldn’t write another life-shattering letter to a boy’s family?

His nervousness to confess his feelings was replaced with guilt, anger, and frustration that compounded in his chest, creating a volatile mixture that was bound to explode. 

“Nothing,” he insisted, his tone growing defensive. “Like I said.”

“Please don’t lie to me,” Ruth pleaded as she grasped his hand, her voice barely above a whisper. “I know-”

The flood he’d been trying to hold back finally broke, and his voice raised just a fraction as he pulled his hand from hers. “Damn it, Ruth. I said I’m fine!”

The sharpness of his tone caught the woman off guard, and she recoiled slightly, blinking furiously to hold back the tears threatened to fill her eyes. “I’m just trying to help,” she whispered.

Without another word, she turned and walked back into the dance, leaving Bucky standing there in the chilly night. His hands moved to his hips as his chest heaved, the anger slowly leaving his body and morphing into guilt as his mind replayed her baby blues shining with tears and the tremble in her voice.

He was supposed to be a better man, someone worthy of her, and what did he do at the first chance?

Despite the mix of emotions within him, Johnny knew she was only trying to help, only trying to be there for him, and he’d raised his voice at her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before following after her, his heart pounding in his chest.

Pushing open the door and stepping inside, the sounds of the party filled Bucky’s ears, but for once, he couldn’t bring himself to care that the band played ‘Blue Skies’. His eyes scanned the bustling club and caught a glimpse of her blonde hair disappearing into the women’s bathroom.

John hesitated where he stood in the middle of the club, lost and unsure of what to do next. He knew he needed to talk to her, to make things right, but he also didn’t want to intrude on her privacy. Frustratingly running a hand over his mouth, he caught sight of Gale on the dance floor where he swayed slowly with Hope. Buck’s brow furrowed in confusion as he glanced in the direction Ruth had gone over Hope’s shoulder. With a nod of his head, he silently urged Johnny to go after her. 

It was the push that he needed to make a decision.

Swallowing thickly, he approached the bathroom door and knocked, his knuckles rapping against the wood gently. “Ruthie, can I come in?”

His heart sank when he heard sniffles from inside.

“Please,” John murmured softly, his voice barely audible through the door.

A few seconds ticked by and he was about to ask again when the door clicked open, giving him a view of her reddened and splotchy face. Ruth backed up, allowing him to slowly push in the door. She stood before him with her arms wrapped tightly around herself, barely meeting his gaze as her eyes remained on the floor. John silently stepped into the room and closed the door behind him gently, muffling the sounds of the party outside.

They stood there silently for a few moments until Ruth finally looked up at him, quickly wiping a tear from her cheek as she chewed on her bottom lip. 

“Come here,” he mumbled, pulling her softly into his chest, running a hand up and down her back. “I’m sorry, doll. So sorry.”

Ruth stiffened for a moment before relaxing against him, burying her face into his chest.

“I’m not mad at you. I just,” he sighed against her hair. “I hate myself for making you upset. I know you’re just trying to help me.”

She lifted her head from his chest and broke her silence, her voice wavering. “Then talk to me.”

John stared at her for a moment, running his fingers through her hair gently as he thought of a way to explain what he felt…the weight he felt on his shoulders. “There’s nothing you can do about it, Ruth,” he muttered, his face tilting to the ground.

“I don’t care,” the nurse answered quietly, reaching up and gently lifting his face to meet her teary gaze. "Just…just please don’t shut me out.”

For a moment, they stood there in silence as Bucky nodded to himself with his lips pulled into a tight line. When he finally found the words, his voice was barely audible as he fought to keep his composure. 

“You heard Crank earlier. We’ve lost so many boys, and I-,” he cleared his throat, looking over her shoulder at the wall while fighting the burning sensation in his eyes. “I don’t know how much more I can take.”

Ruth’s heart broke at his confession, and she cupped his cheeks and pulled him down to her, their foreheads pressing together.

“John, you are going to get through this. We are going to get through this,” Ruth whispered. “I’m right here, and I don’t plan on going anywhere. You can talk to me, alright?”

He released a shuddering breath against her face, allowing his eyes to flutter shut as he savored the feeling of her warm touch. The three words he’d been meaning to say all night danced on the tip of his tongue but refused to pour from his lips.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you. I-”

“You didn’t have to do anything,” she interrupted, her thumb caressing his cheekbone lightly. “I know I don’t say it enough, but thank you. You make me so happy, Johnny.”

Bucky raised his hand to cover her much smaller one on his cheek as he sent her a soft smile. “I should be the one thanking you. You…you mean everything to me, Ruth. Everything. And I’m so sorry for talking to you like-”

“Just kiss me,” she whispered, her eyes flicking to his lips.

John immediately obeyed, tilting his head to connect their lips softly, their worries fading away as they lost themselves in each other. Ruth’s hands slid from his face to the nape of his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair as she deepened the kiss with an eagerness he’d never seen from her before. He fought against every instinct in him urging him to take things farther, but she deserved more than that…they both did.

As they pulled away from the kiss, they remained wrapped in the other’s arms, their breaths mingling in the air between them. John’s gaze softened as he looked into Ruth’s eyes, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. He noticed the remnants of tears still clinging to her lashes, her eyes red and puffy, and his hand raised to brush her hair behind her ear.

“I’m getting a weekend pass to London,” he said breathlessly, nervously peering down at her. “Come with me.”

Ruth grinned and pecked his lips again softly. “I’d want nothing more.”

In that moment, with Ruth in his arms, John Egan vowed London would be the place…would be the time he’d confess his love for her. 

How he couldn’t imagine life without her.

London…it would be the place that everything changed.

Monday, September 20th: AAF Grove, Berkshire: 0700 HRS: 7 AM

Hope let out a long sigh as the C-47’s wheels left the runway in one swoop, rising above the airstrip and leaving the base far below them as they climbed into the clouds. Frank talked quietly to Bill in the cockpit, and both girls couldn’t help but smile at their pilot's antics. He was a good pilot, but as a mentor, he was a hard task-master, and Bill was being put through his paces. Ruth pulled John’s latest letter from her pocket, rereading his words with a small smile.

September 17th My Ruth, Hey, slugger. I hope you’ve had a good few days. Have your runs been okay? Has Frank been nice to you? You know I won’t hesitate to rough him up if not. I have been unable to keep my mind off of you…as usual. Schwarz developed the pictures from the party yesterday, and I’ve found myself staring at our photo for longer than I’d like to admit. You’re just so beautiful…the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on…have I told you that? Schwarz also gave each Buck and Hugh individual pictures of them with Hope. I’m pretty sure Buck is sending copies of the letter he’s writing from his bunk. You’ll find one of us in this envelope, as well. I’m sure you’ll love it just as much as I do. I keep my copy in my breast pocket, next to my heart so you’ll be with me everywhere I go. When I start to spiral, I just look at you and your smiling face, and I remember what all this is for. Every day I ask myself how I got so lucky that you landed on my base out of the hundreds scattered around England, and after months of wondering, I still have no explanation.  All I know is that I kiss the lucky cross around my neck every time I leave and come back from a mission, thanking Mrs. Virginia Morgan that I made it back to the ground…back to you. I still can’t believe you wouldn’t take it back, Ruthie, but I promise to keep it safe until you’re ready to.  I can’t wait to take you to London, doll. Did your CO approve your leave? I can try to pull some strings if she doesn’t. Maybe I could give her a call and use my charm to convince her? What do you think? Stay safe up there for me, alright? Yours Completely, John Egan P.S. The Yankees swept the Athletics in their series, keeping their 9-game win streak alive. We’ve got the American League in the bag! What do I always say? The Yankees always end on top! Remember that, doll. You’ll be hearing it a lot after we win the World Series next month.

Both women received letters from their Majors late the night before and immediately wrote their responses, promising to send them the following morning. But when they were called up for a run before dawn, both dashed to the post room before hurrying back to ‘The Angel.’ 

“So how is the hotshot then?” Hope asked with a grin, amused by Ruth’s embarrassed expression, her pale cheeks blushing deeply. 

“How do you know I call him that?” Ruth asked curiously, but Hope just shook her head with a chuckle. 

“Ruth, you've read his letters out loud enough times when I’m around that I’ve basically read them myself.” The blonde nodded slowly, half listening to Hope and the other half of her too engrossed in John’s words as she reread them again. After a few moments, she looked up from the letter.

“I wrote to my parents about John the other day,” Ruth called out over the engine’s whine, a fond smile on her lips.

“Oh yeah?”

The blonde nodded. “Yeah.”

“What all did you tell them?” Hope asked with a raised brow.

Ruth’s innocent smile turned into a mischievous smirk as she chuckled to herself. “Well, my Mama always reads the letters, so I wrote the basics for her to tell my Dad and Jamie, but gave her all the details.”

“John’s right,” she laughed. “You are a sneaky woman.”

Shrugging, Ruth pulled out the picture he sent from her pocket, her heart fluttering as she studied it, tracing the lines of John’s face on the small photo. She was glad to finally have a piece of Johnny to carry around with her, being able to whip it out whenever she missed him or just wanted to see his handsome face.

The plane rocked from side to side as they gained altitude, and the large metal bird flew ‘through the ‘gate’ as Frank liked to call it as she moved to full throttle, soaring up into the clouds. 

“Stop being a clot,” Frank hissed to Bill, flicking a few switches in the cockpit with a long sigh, “You know what you’re doing kid, but shit, try using your head sometimes okay?” 

“Yes Sir,” Bill nodded shyly, turning his attention back to the plane's control panel. The girls smiled at each other, listening to the two men bickering in the cockpit

“Where do you think the boys are right now?” Ruth asked, looking up nervously at Hope. She always worried when she thought of where their men could be. The thought of them in harm's way made her sick to the stomach. 

Were they flying like girls were? Were they in danger? 

Hope slouched in her seat as the plane leveled out, “I don’t know, Rue. I’d like to think that they’re at Thorpe Abbotts. Hugh’s probably getting into some sort of trouble or terrorizing poor Harry Crosby. John is probably having some coffee with his whiskey about now at breakfast.” This caused Ruth to laugh lightly at the thought of John’s usual morning routine.

“What about Gale?” 

Hope took a little longer to reply this time. “I think Gale would… well I don’t know. He’s probably either eating breakfast with John, walking Meatball, or he’s with his baby.” 

“His baby?” Ruth sputtered, cocking her head and looking at her friend for the answer.

“His Fort, ‘Our Baby’,” Hope laughed, watching as Ruth nodded, understanding the men’s attachment to their Forts. She guessed they all felt the same way about their own plane, although Ruth thought if she never had to fly again it would be a blessing. 

The pair soon fell into silence, both organizing their mussette bags for the hundredth time, as if they hadn’t checked all their supplies pre-flight. Hope moved up to the cockpit to check in with the pilots while Ruth moved along the racks of supplies, laying out fresh blankets on each cot, humming an Artie Shaw song to herself as she went.

“How’s it going up here, boys?” Hope leant over Frank’s shoulder, watching as the cloudy sky unfolded before them. 

“Can’t complain,” Frank replied plainly. “I think Billy Boy here is getting the hang of things at last.” The young pilot grinned at the compliment and Hope couldn’t help the sense of pride that filled her chest. They’d had several copilots training with Frank, but Bill was definitely the girl's favorite. 

Looking back out the window, Hope pointed towards the dark clouds erupting ahead of them. 

“Hey Frank, what’s that up ahead? That’s not what I think it is…right?”

“That, my dear Hope, is flak fire,” he said regretfully. “Looks like we’re heading to the movies. I suggest you girls grab a seat…Ruth may want a blindfold for this next part.” 

Hope swallowed, nodding quickly before rushing back to her seat. Bill talked quickly to Frank in the cockpit but remained calm, it wasn’t anything they hadn’t been through before. 

Ruth’s fearful eyes widened as Hope explained what Frank had told her before swiftly strapping herself into her seat. Her mind raced at all the terrible outcomes that could occur. 

What happens if they go down? 

What would happen if they just blew up over Germany? 

She tried to put on a brave face but she knew Hope would see right through it, she always did. 

The plane swerved as flak erupted around them, swooping and diving as the black clouds and wuffs from the Ack-Acks flew wildly around them. Hope and Ruth were thrown around in their seats as the plane swerved, flack bursts shaking the bird. They were very grateful that they always secured all their supplies and stretchers down pre-flight.

Hope’s fingers dug into the metal seat and her eyes closed as her stomach flipped in circles with each turn. She’d not had any issues with her motion sickness since her training, but the urge to vomit up her breakfast only grew as the bile rose in the back of her throat. 

Ruth opposite from her was as white as a sheet, her already pale face now the color of a corpse with her lips set in a thin worried line. Her teeth clenched tightly together and her eyes squeezed shut as flack pierced through the plane's fuselage above her head. 

“Shit!” Ruth shrieked, covering her head with her hands.

“You okay, Rue?” Hope shouted over the noise of the war around them. A glossy-eyed and panting Ruth only nodded quickly in response.

Bullets ripped through the riveted sheets of the fuselage with a series of metallic pings, piercing through easily and sending metal flying into the cabin like confetti. With the chaos surrounding them, Ruth barely noticed when a piece of shrapnel flew past her face, just grazing her temple. Flak fire continued to blast in the air surrounding the skytrain and the noise was deafening to everyone inside. 

How could anyone think strategically in these conditions? 

“OH FUCK!” Frank’s voice shouted from the cockpit as he leaned over to Bill, “Stay with me, kid.” Bill’s lifeless body lay wide-eyed staring straight ahead, his young face frozen, expressionless. “DAMMIT!” 

“What’s wrong, Frank?” Hope called out as she unbuckled herself and stumbled from her seat, edging her way towards him. 

Ruth’s eyes widened. “Hope! What are you doing?!”

She simply sent her a worried glance, seeing the blood trickling down Ruth’s cheek before disappearing from view, and the blonde stared at her in disbelief. When another burst sent burning hot metal through the plane’s fuselage around her, Ruth’s eyes clenched shut, her head bowing as she mumbled a prayer for them, her hand instinctively reaching up for her usual comfort… her necklace….her lucky necklace that now hung around the neck of John Egan.

“Our Father, who art in heaven…”

In the cockpit, Frank didn’t turn to face Hope when he spoke, his eyes trained on the incoming fire from the Messerschmitts flying in all directions around them. 

“We have been fucked by the fickle finger of fate and today is not our day. We’re down to one engine and she isn’t sounding too healthy. We’re littered with holes and,” he paused, his throat constricting as he motioned to the young boy who lay dead beside him. “And the Krauts…they got Billy.” 

The plane juddered and smoke poured from the remaining engine with a horrendous screech as Frank took a steadying breath. The next words to leave his lips sent a shiver down Hope’s spine. 

They were the ones every airman, flight nurse, and pilot prayed they’d never have to hear…

“There goes the last engine. We’re going down!”

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[major-mads]

Chapter 3: Listen to Your Heart

John "Bucky" Egan x Ruth Morgan (OFC)

Series Masterlist

A/N: I'm so glad y'all are enjoying the series!! Thank you so much for reading!! Us Callum girlies sure got some...cough cough...quality content in episode four, that's for sure! Let me know what you think, and go read the other half of the story using the link below!!! this wonderful gif is by @zsuo!

Collab: On a Wing and a Prayer by @footprintsinthesxnd

Word Count: 4.7k

August 3rd, 1943

Ruthie, Since Saturday night, you have rarely left my mind. I replay the dance in my head, trying to commit every detail to memory. I love being around you, Ruth. I couldn’t imagine the night going any better than it did, and I’m so glad that you stepped outside of your comfort zone to come with me. Curt’s been giving me a hard time about embarrassing you when I sang, but I told him you loved it, even if I sound like a “dying animal” in Buck’s words.  Speaking of Buck, I’ve decided to never let him live down Saturday’s condom incident with Hope. Hugh sure isn’t letting it go, so I can’t help but join in on the fun. Despite that, I think he had a great time with her, even though he’s a total stick in the mud. I can’t believe they didn’t dance, Ruthie! Our dance was my favorite part of the night, besides how we said goodnight, of course.

I would really like to see you again soon, Ruth. It’s no secret that I’m taken with you, and I think you feel the same. We’re spending the next few weeks replacing crews and forts, so we won’t be too busy. If you’re able, please stop by and pay me a visit. At the sight of your sweet, kind smile, and the feeling of your hand in mine, my worries seem to disappear. The only worry left in my mind is that my efforts to convert you to a Yankees fan won’t be successful. I hold onto the hope that you’ll see that the Braves are terrible and that the Yankees are the better team. The Braves went 11 and 18 this past month, and my amazing team went 21 and 11. You can’t argue against stats, slugger. I hope this won’t affect your feelings toward me because then we might have a problem. I can’t wait to see you again soon. Please stay safe up there for me.  Your Hotshot, Johnny Egan

August 6th, 1943

Dear John, I am happy to hear that you and the boys are finally getting a break. When we were at the dance, I knew y’all were exhausted, but you sure didn’t show it, Major. You danced and sang like there was no tomorrow, and I had more fun than I had in a long while in your arms. Don’t worry about what Curt or Buck said. I loved your singing, even if it was slightly off-key and very loud. You might have embarrassed me, but seeing you in your element was worth it.  Every time I think back to that night, my heart begins to race and I can’t help but smile at the thought of you. I’m so very grateful that you decided to bring me along. Somehow you manage to turn me into a giddy, blushing teenager every time you cross my mind. Our kiss is a cherished memory of mine, and forgive me for being forward, but I hope that we can make more of such memories in the future.  Hope had an amazing time with Gale at the dance, and apparently, he wasn’t as much of a “stick in the mud” as you think. I’m sworn to secrecy, but know that they are very fond of each other already. When we got back to Grove the day after the dance, we told Frank what happened with…the incident, and he thought it was hilarious! He even said that he “did his job well,” whatever that means.  I would love nothing more than to come see you, but sadly, I don’t know when I’ll be able. Casualties from Italy are getting worse with the invasion of Sicily underway, and we’ve been on runs almost every day since we got back from the dance. Regardless of this, the first chance we get, Hope and I will make our way up to Thorpe Abbotts.  I can’t wait to see you again, Johnny, but the blatant slander against the Braves might damage your chances of getting another kiss. We’ll just have to agree to disagree on this because I promise you I am not going to be converted. After all, a little friendly rivalry never hurt anyone, right? Don’t hurt yourself falling off your bike during your break. Yours,  Ruth Morgan P.S. I would like to meet Meatball the next time I visit the base!

Sunday, August 8th, 1943: Thorpe Abbotts AAF Base, Norwich

The mess hall buzzed with energy as Buck and Johnny sat at breakfast with Curt, who slowly moved his powdered eggs around on his plate with his fork. 

“I can’t eat this shit anymore,” he groaned, pushing the plate away from him.

John took a slow sip of his “coffee,” raising an eyebrow at the man. “Then don’t eat it.”

“Oh wow,” Biddick quipped. “What a great idea, Bucky. I’d never thought of that.”

The major smirked behind his mug and shot his friend a wink. Buck watched on in amusement, used to the two going back and forth as he and John did.

Leaning his elbows on the table, Curt leaned over the table toward John with a teasing glare. “Have you heard anything from Ruthie? Has she mentioned me? I thought I made a good first impression the other night.”

“Hmm,” Johnny hummed, pursing his lips for a moment before pointing at Biddick. “That’s Nurse Morgan to you, you dodo. I’m surprised you even remember anything from the dance with how drunk you were.”

“Oh I couldn’t forget a face like that,” he chuckled.

John’s eyes narrowed playfully as he clasped his hands together and leaned on the table. “Well it’s a good thing for me that she could forget yours, then,” he clapped back. “And you’re not the one she kissed goodnight.”

Buck rolled his eyes and continued to eat his breakfast as Egan’s loud, wide-mouthed cackle echoed through the mostly quiet mess hall. Curt then turned to Gale with a raised brow. “How about Hope-”

“Nope,” Buck interrupted calmly, raising his cup and taking a sip of his steaming coffee.

The other two men watched him as a tiny grin formed on the Major’s lips. Although he didn’t talk about it much, they could tell Buck had already developed deep feelings for the woman. 

Raising his eyebrows at Curt, John grinned. “Oh boy.”

“You’ve got it bad, Buck,” Biddick laughed, his hand landing on Gale’s shoulder roughly. “You gotten a reply to your letter yet?”

Thinking of the perfectly folded letter from Ruth he’d picked up that morning sitting in his breast pocket, John smiled down at his food, warmth spreading through him at the thought of the blonde. Buck, however, pursed his lips and shook his head at the question.

“I actually haven’t written her yet,” he sighed, running a hand down his face. “I want-”

“What!?” Johnny all but yelled, his eyes widening as coffee almost spewed from his mouth. “Why the hell not, Buck? I already sent one to Ruth and got a response.”

Gale groaned and put down his fork with a clink. “Because of Hugh.”

“Why are you so worried about Charlie?” Curtis asked, wearing a confused expression.

“Because he’s in my squadron. And he’s her brother.”

John pointed and leaned over the table at him. “Hope’s a big girl, Buck. She can make her own decisions. Screw what Hugh says.”

“But-” Gale started but was once again cut off by Bucky.

“He’s gonna hate you even more if he thinks you're leading her on. You not sending Hope a letter isn’t making anything better,” he said, a smirk beginning to tug at his lips as he continued. “On top of the condom situation.” 

John and Curt busted out into chuckles as Buck just groaned, closing his eyes tightly. “Oh, please don’t remind me.”

The ideal chatter was disturbed by the door to the mess hall swinging back on its hinges with a crash, followed by heavy footfall as Hugh all but stormed through the building like a tornado. He snatched a mug off a table and poured himself a steaming cup of black coffee before marching past the trio, staring daggers at Gale who looked up worriedly from his breakfast. 

Curt’s eyes followed the man as he walked in, muttering under his breath, “Speak of the devil.”

"Good morning to you, too, Sparky," John called out with a small wave as he walked by, only to be met with deafening silence from the other pilot. 

Hugh's harsh glare was burning a hole in the back of Gale’s skull and he thought any second now he’d come into his brain and it would be lights out. 

“You’ve really pissed him off this time, Buck, and you didn’t even get his sister into bed,” John laughed heartily, taking a long swig from his whiskey and coffee, it was most likely more whiskey than coffee but Gale humored him. 

“Will you give it a rest? I’m already getting it from Hugh without your added input,” Gale stabbed aggressively at his scrambled eggs, willing the eyes of the room to stop looking at him. 

Curt snorted beside him, waving his fork around. “Well, I’m telling you boys, if I’d have had Hope in my arms and she’d bought condoms with her, let’s just say she wouldn’t have been going back home with them.” 

That was the final straw. 

Gale slammed his fist down on the table, ignoring the way Johnny jumped in his seat, spilling his coffee over the table, and the way several chunks of his scrambled egg disappeared onto the floor.

“You say anymore slander about my girl, Biddick and I swear…”

“Your girl, Buck?” John raised his right eyebrow, an amused smirk on his lips as his mustache twitched. “She’s your girl and you haven’t even written her yet?”

Sometimes Gale wished he could rip that stupid mustache off John’s face, but he kept his cool. 

It would seem that Hugh had heard the whole commotion. His chair screeching back from the table, he stomped up between the tables once more, his glare never leaving Gale until the door slammed shut behind him. 

Buck groaned, unsure if it was in relief or at the impending doom that he was likely to suffer if this debacle continued. Without a second thought, he excused himself from the table, ignoring the calls of protest from John and Curt, and hurried after Hugh. 

“Hugh! Hugh, wait up. Please, I want to talk to you,” Gale jogged after the tall brunette whose face turned sour the instant he noticed him.

The door quickly closed behind him, and Curt looked at the major across from him with a guilty expression. “I was just joking, Bucky. I would never-”

“Ahh don’t worry about it,” John said as he sipped on his coffee. “He knows that. Like you said, Buck’s got it bad and this thing with Hugh has been eating at him since Saturday.” 

Biddick nodded to himself, his eyes lingering on the door. “Do you think Hugh’ll let it go?”

“For Buck’s sake, I do…I think he will. Doesn’t mean I won’t still rag Buck about it, though.” 

“Yeah,” Curt mumbled, staring down at his plate.

Neither man spoke for a few moments, each lost in their thoughts until Bucky wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood up. “I’ve got a letter to write. See you later, Curt.”

“I never thought I’d live to see the day,” Biddick replied. “Bucky Egan writing a love letter. Looks like Buck isn’t the only one who’s got it bad.”

John tugged his white-fleece jacket back into place and chuckled at his friend. “Don’t go all soft on me.”

“I think it suits you, John. Really,” he urged, a soft smile on his lips. “You seem happier.”

Staring at him for a moment, Bucky didn’t quite know how to respond. He felt happier. He had something to look forward to other than getting drunk at the bar or the adrenaline rush he got when the sound of .50 cal brownings echoed through his fort. John placed his cap back on his head, and with a curt nod, turned toward the door.

His tie suddenly became too tight around his throat as he pushed through the doors into the cool English air, and he quickly loosened it, letting it hang limply as he took a deep breath. In that moment, John Egan had a profound realization.

Since he came over to England in May, he had been simply going through the motions, replaying the same days over and over: Wake up…Fly forts…Bomb targets…Get drunk…Show a woman a good time…then start the cycle again the next day. For someone with such a passionate personality, he lacked the feeling that he so deeply desired. Curt could vouch for this, being the one to knock some feeling back into him a few months back on the wing of Mugwump.

But since that day in July when the nurses landed on their small base in East Anglia, feeling had slowly been creeping back into his life. He first felt it when Ruth caught him staring, and was soon captivated by her dimpled smile and capable personality. The numbness that had become so familiar to him faded into the background when she was near, her laughter shaking free his heart a little more each time it left her lips. 

He was alive with Ruth. More alive than he felt when ME-109s whizzed past him or when flack shook his fort. More alive than when he unbuttoned a woman’s dress and laid her down. More alive than the burning sensation that traveled down his throat when he downed another shot at the bar.

Over the past few weeks, the blonde nurse had somehow burrowed into his jaded exterior and broken down the walls he didn’t even know existed. 

John’s mind reeled as he silently mounted his bike and rode to the base HQ. The ride passed in a blur, and before he knew it, he was sitting at his desk, staring down at the blank sheet of paper before him. He hadn’t had a problem writing her before, so why was this any different?

How was he supposed to convey such profound feelings in a letter?

He started simply, letting his mind imagine her there beside him.

“Dear Ruth.”

Thursday, August 12, 1943: Termini Imerese, Sicily, Italy

“You ready girls!” Frank called over his shoulder, glancing as Hope and Ruth took the stretcher from the medics below them and loaded the last wounded soldier onto the rack. Hope pulled out her flight manifest and checked off the final patient to board. The young boy reached out, grasping her hand. 

“Nurse,” his voice cracking as he tried to grab her attention. He was so young, barely eighteen years old. His bright blue eyes, glossy and hazy, gazed up at her. 

“Yes, My Love,” Hope crouched down, clasping the boy's hand in one of hers while her other brushed away his brunette locks from his face. She tried to stop her eyes from drifting down his body to where only stumps of his legs remained, the burnt flesh wrapped neatly in crisp bandages. 

“You’re an angel,” he whispered and Hope smiled sweetly at him, squeezing his hand. “When I write home, I’m gonna tell my Momma ‘bout you.” 

A single tear trickled down her cheek and she leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead and watching until he drifted off to sleep. His delicate, young features were no longer etched with worry, and the hard lines across his forehead softened as the morphine began to take effect. 

Hope turned, watching as Ruth comforted one of the other young men further down the plane who had managed to remove some of his bandages. 

“Hey, don’t do that, you need those,” Ruth tutted quietly, helping the Private sit up a little so she could secure fresh, white bandages around his bloody arm. The poor boy grumbled under his breath as Ruth tucked in the end. “Now leave ‘em be, okay?”

The young boy nodded, shifting uncomfortably in his cot. They weren’t the most comfortable racks, just cool metal bars lining the hammock-like beds that swayed as the C-47 rocked through the sky. 

Hope took her seat beside Ruth, who had finished trying to redress the soldier's wounds, smiling briefly at her friend, who wore the same exhausted expression she did.

“I can’t wait to get back to the Grove. I need a warm bath and my bed,” Ruth mumbled, stretching out her aching muscles that screamed against the tension in her body. 

“Oh don’t say that, Rue. We’ve still got to drop these poor boys off at the hospital in Mateur.” Ruth just groaned in response. 

The dance with the boys had been their last outing in a while. It was the last time Hope hadn’t felt completely exhausted. She’d been relaxed, able to let go, and safe in Gale’s arms. 

This trip had been hard. The plane was at full capacity and when they arrived on the airfield at Termini Imerese, Sicily, they were instantly thrown into action. The girls disappeared into the makeshift hospitals that lined the airfield, the white tents flapping in the harsh wind that did little to cool the heat from the scorching midday sun. 

Hope and Ruth conferred with the surgeons, assessing and stabilizing patients that were safe to fly, meaning that many of the young men with head injuries or who had suffered significant blood loss would be unable to fly due to the unpressurized aircraft cabins. Many of the men didn’t have emergency medical tags, so the girls had to make their own assessments for many of the patients. 

The thrumming roar of the C-47’s engine erupting to life always brought a great sense of comfort to Hope, along with an impending sense of fear in unison. This job, while rejuvenating her youth through the exhilarating flights and the lives they saved, aged her with each passing moment spent in the air, because after every successful landing she was left with the feeling that although they had saved lives, they couldn’t save them all. This weighed heavily on both of the women.

Frank and his fellow pilot chatted hastily in the cockpit, their muffled voices cracking through over the radio. As soon as the plane leveled out Hope and Ruth stood, each taking a side of the plane and beginning the checkups on their patients, recording their temperature, pulse, and respiration as well as checking there was no strike through of blood from their dressings. The girls worked quickly, only conferring on their patients' conditions. 

It always amazed Hope how quickly their work changed them, on the flight over Ruth had been once again telling her about the letter she’d received from John. Hope feared she could probably quote Ruth’s letter herself by now, but she never complained, pleased that Ruth was finally coming out of herself. 

Hope had her own letter from Gale tucked into her top overall pocket, over her heart. His words burned into her flesh and she felt as though he was right there beside her all along. 

Having dropped off the soldiers at the large US hospital in Mateur, Tunisia, the C-47 headed home. The mood was somber as the large metal bird rattled its way across Europe towards England. 

Ruth’s eyes had closed about half an hour before, and Hope didn’t have the heart to wake her up. She looked so peaceful, the wrinkles that normally appeared when she smiled were smoothed away, and her blonde locks fell softly from where she had so lovingly pinned them that very morning. 

Hope took Gale’s letter out of her pocket, smoothing out the creases that had poked around the edge of the page. Words of affirmation sprung out at her and a smile was instantly cemented to her lips as she relieved the last moments with him. 

The flight home always seemed quicker, and soon ‘The Angel of Death’ was touching down on the runway. Hope helped a rather sleepy Ruth off the plane and waved goodnight to Frank, who chuckled in amusement at the blonde’s incoherent murmurs, some of them sounding an awful lot like the name of her beloved major.

 “Goodnight Ladies.” 

“Come on, Rue. Let’s get you home,” Hope wrapped her arm around her sleepy friend, leading the way to the Nissan huts they were billeted in. 

Some of the other nurses were still stationed in Africa and so they currently had the hut to themselves. Hope lay Ruth down on the bed, smiling as she snuggled closer into the pillow.

So much for a warm bath…

Hope would rag her about it later, but she couldn’t deny that the stress of the day was getting to her too, but something restless kept her from falling into her own bed. Instead, Hope sat at the small desk in the corner, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. She pulled Gale’s crumpled letter from her pocket, smoothed it flat onto the desk, and began writing her reply.

The following day, the girls finally had a day off, and as much as they wanted to make the trip up to Thorpe Abbotts, the nurses were so exhausted that they barely got out of bed. 

“What time is it?” Ruth groaned, turning onto her side to hide from the bright sun peeking through the curtains. 

Getting no response, she cracked her eyes open, and a smile tugged at her lips at the sight before her. In the corner of the room, Hope’s cheek lay smushed against the desktop, her messy black hair splayed around her as she slept soundly. The corner of a paper could just barely be seen under her hair, and Ruth immediately knew what she’d fallen asleep doing.

Sighing softly, she pulled back her covers and padded over to Hope, wincing at the sting of her feet against the cold floors. “Hope,” Ruth whispered, rubbing the woman’s shoulder gently. “Come on, let’s get you into bed.”

She awoke slowly, allowing the blonde to sit her up off the desk. “Five more minutes,” Hope mumbled.

Ruth chuckled, the sound echoing through the silent hut. Luckily, Hope’s bed was directly beside the desk, so the smaller woman didn’t have to maneuver her around too much to get her onto the mattress. 

Gently laying her extra blanket over her best friend, Ruth smiled down at her. “There you go. Snug as a bug.”

She then walked over to her bed and snuggled under the covers again, but not before closing their blackout curtains, causing darkness to envelop the room once again. The warmth drew her back into her peaceful slumber, her eyes fluttering closed as her mind repeated Johnny’s latest letter:

Sunday, August 8th, 1943

Dear Ruth, I can’t wait to see you again. I know I said that in my last letter, but I’ve recently discovered that absence actually does make the heart grow fonder. I find myself waiting in anticipation for your letters the moment I send off my own, and I long to see you…to have you here next to me. Hopefully, your missions will ease soon and you’ll finally get a break, too. I understand how tiring it can be to fly day after day, and that’s without even having to take care of patients. Please take care of yourself, alright? As much as I would love to see you, please rest if you get the chance. Don’t worry about me. We’ll see each other soon enough. Today Buck finally wrote Hope back. I tried to tell him how stupid it was to wait, but he was adamant about getting Hugh’s approval. He’s a bigger man than I am, Ruth. Regardless of this, we can never let him live the incident down…ever. In response to your threat to withhold your affection from me, I say bring it on. Like I said before, you can’t argue with facts. The Yankees are the better team, and I’m going to convince you of that, so I cannot agree to disagree. I’m too stubborn to let you win, and if I’m being honest, I don’t know if you’ll be able to resist my charming personality…or the mustache. I know you love the mustache, Ruth. If you decide to follow through on your threat, I’ll shave it off. Just for you. Don’t stand between a man and kisses from his girl. It doesn’t end well for anyone. But it’s like you said, a little friendly rivalry never hurt anyone, right? Please be safe, Ruthie, and know I am thinking of you. Yours, John Egan

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Hope! Ruth! You alive in there?” a voice hollered through the hut’s door, rousing Ruth for the second time that morning. She opened her mouth to reply, but Hope beat her to it. 

“Go away, Frank!” she groaned, covering her ears with her pillow.

“It’s almost noon,” the man chuckled. “I know you’re tired but you both need to get up. We’ve got stuff to do.”

Sitting up abruptly, Ruth grabbed her watch off her small side table, her eyes widening when she read 11:43 am. She looked over to Hope who was also staring at her watch in utter disbelief.

“I haven’t slept in this much since I was a teenager,” Hope muttered under her breath before turning to Ruth, almost breaking into a fit of laughter at the blonde’s wonky curls from the day before. “We look terrible.”

Frank pounded his fist against the door, yelling, “Get up!”

“WE ARE!!” They both hollered back, unable to keep the frustration from lacing their voices.

Throwing off her covers, Hope stood to her feet and marched over to the door, swinging it open. Ruth clamored quickly out of bed to follow her, stopping right behind her shoulder as they glared at Frank. His eyes scanned the women before him, and a grimace appeared on his face at their ragged appearances. 

“Okay,” he started, raising his hands in surrender. “Go back to sleep. You look like shit, and I’d rather do things on the plane by myself than deal with your grumpy attitudes.”

They narrowed their eyes at him. “Nope. We’re awake now,” Hope retorted, smiling sweetly at him.

Sighing, Frank stepped back from the door with a barely concealed smirk. “Meet me at the hardstand.”

As Hope shut the door, Ruth flopped back on her bed, her eyes following Hope’s figure walking across the room to the desk in the corner. “How’s Gale?” she asked, propping her head up with her hand.

Hope began to neatly fold up the letter, smiling softly as she talked over her shoulder. “He’s good. Said he didn’t write because of Hugh causing problems, but he’s got his blessing now.” She turned toward Ruth with dusty pink cheeks, giggling to herself. “He even signed his last letter with ‘your Gale.’”

“Hope!” Ruth squealed, sitting up and covering her mouth with her hands. “I’m so happy for you. You deserve someone like Gale, and I’m sure Hugh sees how much he adores you.”

Hope looked down at the letter in her hands, her heart swelling at the thought of the man. “He’s amazing,” she whispered as her eyes traced over his name on the paper. After a few moments, she shook her head, seemingly clearing her thoughts, and raised an eyebrow at Ruth. “How’s John?”

It was now Ruth’s turn to blush, the tips of her ears heating up at the mention of the major. “Great…amazing…wonderful. I feel like I’ve known him so much longer than a few weeks, Hope. You know how I can get sometimes, but when I’m with him, I don’t feel nearly as anxious. And when he kissed me…I wished it could’ve lasted forever. I can’t wait to see him again.”

Sighing softly, Hope plopped down onto her bed. “Look at us, Rue. We’re like a bunch of lovesick teenagers.”

“Yeah, we are,” Ruth giggled, her mind replaying her and John’s laughter, soft touches, and tender looks from the dance. The way he held her face so delicately, how his lips-

“Come on,” Hope called, her mattress squeaking as she got up, breaking Ruth from her thoughts. “Let’s get ready so we can go annoy Frank.”

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[major-mads]

Interlude Part 1: The Letter

John "Bucky" Egan x Ruth Morgan (OFC)

Series Masterlist

A/N: sorry for the depressing stuff, guys...please comment and reblog to tell me what you think!!

Collab: On a Wing and a Prayer by @footprintsinthesxnd

Word Count: 1.7k

September 23: Thorpe Abbotts AAF, Norwich: 1200 HRS

The roaring of engines filled the air as forts of the 349th, 350th, and 351st squadrons taxied the runway and took off toward Vannes, France. John propped against the concrete wall on the deck of the control tower, his eyes stuck on Buck’s fort as it disappeared into the clouds. 

He couldn’t take another loss.

The Major’s hand itched to reach for the flask in his pocket, but there were prying eyes there, eyes that would report him to Harding or Stover…if they hadn’t already. He stood up from the wall and braced his hands against the cool metal railing, the weight of Ruth’s lucky cross around his neck unusually heavy. 

He didn’t know why she’d been killed…didn’t understand it. Was it just fate? Was it the universe’s retribution for what he’d done? 

A part of him, the part that relied on lucky deuces and jackets, blamed himself. He should’ve forced her to take back the necklace, not taking no for an answer. 

He should’ve…

Should’ve.

Before July, should’ve was not in John Egan’s vocabulary. If he wanted to do something, he did it without worrying about the consequences. If he wanted to go to the pub and get drunk, he did it. If he wanted to pretend to be a unicorn with a narwhal tusk, he did it.

Now, he found that the word made up the majority of his thoughts. 

I should’ve spent more time with her.

I should’ve spoken kinder to her that night.

I should’ve told her I loved her.

John’s fingers drummed against the railing as he fought to keep his emotions in check. The ever-present ache in his chest threatened to overwhelm him, and he turned to quickly exit the tower.

He needed to get away…needed a drink.

As he rounded the corner toward the steps, a hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. He glanced over to see Red standing beside him, his freckled face filled with sympathy.

“How’re you doing, Bucky?” Bowman’s voice was uncharacteristically soft and tinged with concern. 

Forcing a tight-lipped smile, Johnny’s facade of strength faltered slightly. “I’m fine,” he replied, his voice deepening as he tried to cover the emotion creeping up his throat.

Red arched a skeptical brow, his gaze piercing through Bucky’s facade. “You sure about that?”

John hesitated as his words caught in his throat. He wanted to scream, to rage against the unfairness of it all. But he couldn’t. Not here. Not now.

Instead, he forced himself to nod once, the movement stiff and mechanical. “Yeah, I’m sure,” he assured him again.

Staring at him for a moment longer, Bowman didn’t believe him, but he sighed quietly nonetheless. “Alright, Bucky. Let me know if you or Buck need anything, alright.”

With another curt nod, Johnny ended the conversation and took off down the stairs, taking deep breaths. He was unable to resist the urge any longer, and he pulled out his flask, relishing in the burning sensation that seemed to drown out the pain that coursed through him. 

It really didn’t get rid of the pain…just masked it, dressed it up in different costumes that gave the illusion it was gone.

John feared the pain of losing Ruth would never go away.

While in the middle of a long swig of whiskey, the side door to the mail office swung open and an orderly with a stack of letters stepped out. John quickly turned around and screwed the lid shut, stashing his only comfort in the pocket of his jacket before facing the man.

“Oh, Major Egan, sir. You have mail,” the orderly smiled politely, flipping through his stack of letters. “Here it is, sir. Handwritin’ is real pretty.”

He held out the letter and John stared at his outstretched hand with a creased brow.

Who could it be? His sisters? His ma?

“You alright, Major?”

Those new replacements didn’t know anything.

John snapped from his trance and took the letter carefully. “Sorry,” he grunted, opening his mouth to speak again as he flipped it over to see the return address.

His world stopped turning for the second time in two days when ‘Berkshire’ stared back at him.

The letter was from Ruth.

The letter burned a hole through his hand as John stood frozen, his eyes unable to tear away from the familiar looping cursive on the envelope. He had no recollection of how long he’d been standing there, but the orderly was nowhere in sight even he finally looked up. With trembling hands and a pounding heart, John carefully tucked the letter into his jacket and turned on his heel. 

Much like the day he found out…the day his life changed, his feet led him to one of the only places he felt free, free to be himself, free to be vulnerable. Somewhere to be alone. 

The walk to the Muggs’ was short, and before he knew it, he was pulling himself up into the B-17, the familiar scent of cordite and engine oil enveloping him like an old friend. He slouched into the pilot’s seat and closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment to get his emotions in check. 

Removing the letter from his pocket, he traced the lines of each letter on the envelope. For a moment, he couldn’t bring himself to open it, knowing it would be the last he’d ever hear from her, the last words he’d ever get that were meant for him and him alone.

There would be no more late-night conversations on B-17 wings or in the corners of pubs…there would be nothing. Nothing but memories of her.

John fought against his wobbling lip and pressed them tightly together, taking a deep breath. He carefully tore open the envelope and withdrew the letter.

September 20th, 1943

Johnny,

Hey, honey. I’m doing good! Tired, but good! How are you doing? Please be truthful.

I know you’ve got a heavy load on your shoulders, and I just want to say that I meant every word I said the other night. I’m here for you, John Egan. Even when I’m not physically there beside you, know that you are in my thoughts always, and that I pray God will keep you safe and give you the strength to push through this terrible war.

He lowered the letter to his lap as the tears he’d been holding back finally fell, a solitary teardrop landing on the thin paper. She always had a way of telling him what he needed to hear, and without even realizing it, she’d done it again. Hastily wiping the tears from his cheeks, he shakily raised the letter again.

I can’t wait to go to London with you, to finally spend more than a few hours together. There’s so much to see, and it will be even better with you by my side. We both could use a break. I haven’t heard anything from Chief Nurse Dunnam, but I don’t think she’ll have a problem with it. As for you giving her a call, I think your “charm” wouldn’t do much, seeing as she’s been immune to the base pilots’ passes at her.  I think I want to keep your charm all to myself, anyway. 

I love our picture more than I can even put into words. I’m so glad I finally have something to look at when I start to miss your smiling face. 

I’m so thankful that we landed that day, too, hon. Knowing you has changed my life in the best way possible, and I can’t imagine any future without you in it. I’m going to hold you to your promise of meeting my students when we get home. I have a feeling they’re going to be as enamored with you as I am.

Swallowing hard against the sob that clawed its way up his throat, John’s mind flashed with images of the future he’d just begun to imagine. White dresses and rings, houses and keys, early mornings and late nights, children and the pitter-patter of little feet…

Every plan, every hope for the future seemed hollow and meaningless without her, and John wondered if that future was even worth seeing…worth living without her beside him.

We just got word that we’re going on a run, so I’ve got to cut this short although I feel I could write you pages upon pages. I will write you another letter once we return, for I have so much more I want to say to you. 

But for now, know you have my heart, my prayers, and my unending support.

Be safe for me, alright? Talk to you soon.

Yours Completely,

Ruth Morgan

P.S. I (don’t) hate to tell you, but the Yankees aren’t as good as you think, Johnny. We’ll have to go to a game one day so you can finally see that.

The Major’s vision blurred as he read her words, the ink on the page swimming before his eyes. Ruth’s voice echoed inside his head, reading every sentence like she was right beside him. Bucky pressed his lips tightly together, his chest heaving with the effort to keep his sobs at bay, but it was futile.

She was gone…

Before he knew what was happening, his body shook with sobs, and nothing but the quiet huffs of his cries filled the air of the cockpit. John closed his eyes and tried to shut out the world, but the woman’s presence lingered like a ghost, haunting him with his lost hopes of a life beyond the war…a life full of love and laughter. In that moment, John Egan felt completely and utterly alone, lost in his grief for the woman he loved.

Ruth was gone, and with her, went any hope of a future worth living.

His hand unconsciously drifted to his pocket where he felt the familiar shape of his flask, and pulled it from his jacket. Raising it to his lips, Johnny hesitated for just a moment.

He’d be sober…cleaned up by the time the boys would return…or at least that’s what he told himself.

John let out a resigned sigh and his eyes as he took a long, deep swig, feeling the liquid fire sear his throat and dull the ache in his heart. 

“I’m sorry,” he croaked as he reached up to grasp the cross around his neck. “I’m sorry.”

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[major-mads]

Group Shots in the opening title sequence for Masters of the Air (2024) on Apple TV+

Coming January 26th!

[major-mads]

Callum Turner as Major Johnny "Bucky" Egan in the opening title sequence for Masters of the Air (2024) on Apple TV+

Coming January 26th!