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CHAPTER SEVEN | time after time |
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The mission briefing was over and like usual John and Gale sat in their jeep driving the planes runways.
Gale, unexpectedly sighed.
"Buck. I need you to do something for me." He started and sounded quite serious which made John loose the smile that had graced his features.
"Sure Buck, anything." Bucky told him in response.
Buck seemed to be contemplating the pros and cons of whatever bomb he was about to drop onto his best friend. But eventually he built up his sentence and stringed his words together.
"I need you to fly with Lucy, today and in the future." He said. "I know she had a Co-pilot already but I can't shake this feeling, Bucky."
The feeling he was talking about was fear. For the first time in a while Gale had felt genuine fear about loosing his sister. He often felt that same feeling for John but never spoke of it. But he knew it would make him feel better if John was with Lucy, keeping her safe.
"It won't go away." Buck told him and Bucky stayed quiet for a while letting the jeeps engine run.
"She'll kill me. You know that right?"
"Please Bucky, for me." Gale begged and after he did John gave in.
"Of course I'll do it, but don't blame me if I catch feelings." John added and Bucks face turned into a lop sided smile.
"You better not. I'm counting on you, Bucky."
Bucky understood what he needed to do and in all honesty he had wanted to fly with Lucy. He just needed the go ahead from Gale. If anything this was a win for him. If only they wouldn't have to be flying into hell together.
They would all be heading to Bremen and flying straight over enemy territory to bomb the city of Bremen. There was a lot of red marks on the map they were showed prior to take off.
A lot of red meant a lot of danger, and a lot of German trouble. In terms of enemy fire and enemy planes. Which in there case was the worse case scenario in every situation, quite literally ever.
But all Lucky could do was take it on the chin and with a deep breath. There wasn't much choice in were they bombed, who they bombed, what they bombed. They just did what they were ordered. When they were ordered.
However in Lucy's case she couldn't help but argue when she entered her plane only to find John Egan sat in her Co-pilot seat instead of her usual Co-pilot, Richy.
She sat down and continued to stare at John in bewilderment. He didn't say a word but stared at her, smirking. Was he going crazy? Probably. Because he looked pretty crazy in this moment.
For a while the pair sat in silence as Lucy contemplated whether he had truly lost it, or had simple gotten onto the wrong plane. Which was a considerably hard thing to do considering they all had their own names plastered on the side of them, as plain as day.
Her eyebrows pulled into a knit. "What are you doing here, Egan?" She thought it would be best to cut straight to the point and ask him frankly.
"I'm your co-pilot?" He said as if it was the most obvious thing ever.
"No Richy is my co-pilot." Lucky stopped and looked around the cockpit to further add emphasis to the statement she was about to make. "I don't see him anywhere."
"That's because he isn't here, I am." You can always count on John to state the obvious apparently.
"Where the hell is he then!"
John sighed. "Oh Richy this, Richy that. If you like him so much go fuck him." His words were laced with venom which made Lucy even more confused.
Was he seriously getting angry at her for wondering where her co-pilot had gone and why he was in Richys place. However, jealousy was a good look on John Egan, maybe his best look.
Lucy wasn't quite sure how the conversation had jumped from John being her co-pilot to her fucking Richy but things like this do happen commonly with the brown haired pilot sat beside her.
His jaw clenched. He could feel Lucy's eyes burning holes into the side of his face.
"Buck asked me to keep an eye out for you. He wanted me to fly with you."
"Gale? I'm gonna fucking kill him." Lucky exclaimed and John nodded along.
"Can you do it when we land?" Bucky asked and began flipping the various take off switched on the command board in front of him.
"Yep."
"Great."
Smooth take offs were always the best. This was a smooth take off despite the high level of tension that rose around the cockpit with every pain seething second of silence that passed between Bucky and Lucky.
Several hours later Bremen was nearing with every minute now, the target just in reach of a few kilometres.
"Pilot to bombardier how are we looking?" Lucky asked. Sweat had began to lace her hands on the wheel.
She wasn't sure how many, but a fair few of the B-17s had already been shot down. They were one of the lucky ones who hadn't.
The farther they got into enemy territory the wort the flak and firing got. The more
losses occurred, and the feelings raised. Hers in particular.
Lucy's heart had began to hammer out of her chest three minutes ago after a close call with one of the German fighter jets that had hit their third engine. It caught on fire but after Bucky screamed some orders the fire was out.
"Close call." He breathed.
"Y-yeah." Lucy stammered.
"Bombardier to pilot we are approaching the bomb sight, bomb doors opening now." The bombardier spoke down the radio line.
"Good job-" she couldn't even finish the sentence as a throaty scream fell down the radio. "Bombardier!" She screamed. "William!" She screamed his name.
He didn't reply. Instead one of the other boys did.
"He's gone." Was all he had to say before silence befell the ship.
The bomb bay got hit. Williams body included. The familiar feeling of guilt shook through Lucy's body making her gulp and turn to look at Bucky, tears in her eyes. But she didn't let any of them fell, she wouldn't let them until she had two feet on the floor.
"It's fine, it's gonna be fine." Bucky shouted over the sound of the loud engine.
"Bomb sight missed!" Another crew member shouted.
That meant it was time to go home but Lucy couldn't feel a thing anymore she just continued to stare at Bucky.
"Lucky!" He screamed her way trying to release her from the trance she was in. "Lucy!" He shouted yet again but this time used a different tactic.
He moved his hand and rested it on her thigh giving it gentle squeeze which worked. Her head dropped to his hand before it fell back on his face.
"Get us home Lucy." He told her and she nodded before taking control of the plane again still not sure what had just occurred.
