Outrun the Future - G. Cleven

Ch 2

The 354th fighter squadron had settled into their new base with instructions to act civilly. The men were split up into different houses that had extra bunks while Marley was housed with the nurses. They were welcoming of the pilot and excited to have another Egan on base. Bucky had always been good to the nurses, trying to accommodate them as best as he could. Which helped Marley make friends easily.

One of the girls stood out the most to her though. Betty was from a farm down in Texas who joined the war efforts as a nurse to get away from the small-town life. Even though life on a military base wasn't glamorous, she loved every minute of it spreading a sort of joy throughout the girls. Which is why Marley seemed to gravitate towards her. It was clear to them both that they were meant to become friends.

Word spread fast that the female pilot was Major Egan's sister. She was now untouchable as Bucky had zero issues putting his men in place. Buck on the other hand was intrigued by the girl. It wasn't every day they found a woman who could out fly them in a smaller and faster plane. But she was just as loud and outgoing as the other Egan. Something he learned quickly when she joined them that evening at the Officer's Mess.

Marley walked into the crowded building, immediately finding her brother and his blonde friend by the bar. "So, this is what the bombers do for fun?" Bucky threw his arm around his sisters' shoulders. "You fighter pilots only wish you had this much fun. Lucky for you, you now get to experience the true perks of war." Marley rolled her eyes, "Yeah, lucky our base was bombed." Buck had a small smile on his face as he listed to the two go back and forth.

"What made you pick P-51's?" Marley turned her attention to the other man that was with them. "I was never one for team sports. Plus having nine other lives on my hands isn't something that interested me. If I go down, the only person I have to blame is myself." Bucky scoffed at the answer. "You and Buck will get along great. He doesn't do sports in general."

Before Marley could ask why, a new song started up. Her eyes lit up as she turned to her brother nearly bouncing with joy. "You know what this song is missing?" The matching smile made Buck shake his head. "Dear god." He watched as the siblings danced their way up to the stage, taking the one mic and singing the worst possible version of the song. Neither of them was on tune, but something about the enthusiasm they sang with had everyone in the room laughing.

As the song ended, the two of them took a bow and made their way back to the bar. "See! I told you that song was missing vocals." Bucky clapped his friend on the back and took a long swig of his beer. All Buck could do was shake his head.

***

The night went on and Marley found herself a little too sober for the men around her. It was one of the few traits she didn't share with her brother and that was her dislike of alcohol. She would drink a beer maybe two, but the appeal wasn't there. So, she slipped out the door as her brother was distracted with retelling some story about a unicorn.

The base outside was quiet with the higher ups planning or sleeping while the rest of the men and some women drank as if they wouldn't make it through tomorrow. For some of them, it might very well be their last.

Not wanting to head to bed yet, Marley climbed up on one of the B-17's and sat with her legs hanging over the edge. The sky was dark for once. Back at her base, flak could be seen littering the sky at all hours of the night. The Brits always ran their missions during the dark hours, making clear skies like this few and far between. She took advantage while she could and leaned her head back, taking in the cluster of stars.

It didn't take long before footsteps could be heard and then the sound of metal groaning as weight was put against the plane. "This seat taken?" The gruff voice of Buck Cleven filled the air, surprising her a bit.

She motioned to the spot next to her and watched as he gracefully sat down. "What brings you out here, Major?"

The blonde-haired pilot leaned back on his hands and replied, "Thought I would turn in early but saw someone sitting on my plane. Wanted to make sure no funny business was going on." Her laugh in turn made him smile. It was a sound he could see himself getting used to.

"Well, Major. I am happy to report that there is indeed no funny business going on here. Although I had no idea this was your plane. I can get down if that makes you more comfortable." When he shook his head at her, she mirrored his position and leaned back on her hands, resuming her star gazing.

"Do you know any constellations?" It was her turn to shake her head. "Can't say I do. But I do enjoy making some up. Like that one over there kinda looks like an angry cat." Buck chuckled at the response and decided not to show her the ones he knew. Her version of constellations seemed more entertaining.

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a while until Marley asked, "Have you been up yet?" There was an underlying meaning to her question and Buck picked up on it. The words themselves were simple but what she really wanted to know is if he knew what was waiting for them up there.

So, he let out a breath and nodded his head. "Last week was my first mission. Was more of a wakeup call than anything."

Marley tore her gaze from the stars and looked at him. She saw the way his jaw was clenching, muscles not as relaxed as before. It was clear the mission didn't go as planned and the harsh realities met him head on. "I'm sorry to hear that. Seems like it's the same no matter what kind of plane you fly."

He sighed, "Bucky was here a few weeks before the rest of us. I was angry at first when he didn't clue us into what it was really like. But the more I thought about it, the more I knew there was no words to even describe what it's like flyin' those skies. We lost too many good men that day."

All Marley could do was nod her head. She wasn't lying when she said it was the same for them as well. "I didn't tell John what was really going on for that exact reason. Once I got my wings, I had plans to write him. Tell him how hard I worked to get the position I did. But the first mission went by, and I knew if I told him I was a pilot, he would lose it. Our first mission we lost 14 fighter pilots. 14 planes went down in the matter of seconds, and it felt like a slap in the face. So, I kept the secret to myself and prayed for both of us that nothing would happen. Damn air raid screwed that up for me though."

Buck had turned his full attention to the girl, noticing for the first time the scars that peppered the side of her face. How her brother had missed that earlier, he didn't know. But it was clear she had seen more than what any of them would've wished.

"How many missions have you been on?" He watched as she bit her lip, making him almost nervous to hear the answer.

"Would you accept 'too many'?" Marley had a small smile on her face, trying to lessen the tension in the air. Another trait her and Bucky shared. The day Bucky was in full serious mode was the day he knew things had gone to shit. Marley seemed to be the same.

"I'll accept whatever you want to tell me. I know that question is personal." The girl saw a sliver into how good of a man Gale Cleven was. A gem that needed to be locked away for safe keeping.

"Eight so far. Our group started a little bit before yours and can fly more often. Not having to replace an entire crew when we go down, unlike the 100th." There was a short pause, "I hate to ask this of you, but can you keep that last bit of information from my brother? I'd like to keep him naïve as long as possible."

Buck nodded his head without hesitation. "Bucky doesn't need to know we talked at all. I know there must be some added stress to your days now with sharing a base."

The snort that came from Marley had him chuckling. "That's putting it lightly." She sighed, "Bucky spent his whole life looking out for me. Just this once I want to be able to look out for him. Even if that means keeping him in the dark for as long as possible."

And just as Marley learned how good of a man Gale Cleven was, he saw the same of her.