𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐓 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓 ✈︎ r.rosenthal

𝐕. 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡

July 16, 1943: Three weeks later

"Hey Ken, how's it going" Dorothy shouted across the field as she approached him, a small smile on her face as he quickly waved in response. The girl had decided to pay the ground crew a visit late in the morning to check up on her fort, as well as to see how her favourite ground crew was doing.

"It's going great, she's thriving." Ken answered as the Lieutenant finally arrived in front of him as she patted his soldier in return, about to answer when she was suddenly interrupted.

"Lemmons! Hot potato flying in." Two children shouted as the rushed over, immediately launching the object into the air as Ken was quick to catch it immediately trying to juggle it between his two hands due to the sheer heat of it.

"What do you think? It's salt and pepper like you asked." The boys questioned as they watched the man take a swift bite of it.

"It's perfect." Ken responded as the boys quickly turned their attention to the pilot standing right next to him.

"Would you like one, ma'am?" One asked, smiling lightly at Dorothy as she quickly returned the courtesy.

"I'm alright, thank you boys." The girl responded, lighting patting one on the head before turning back to Ken before asking, "can I take a look at her?"

"She's all yours." The man responded, gesturing towards the plane as she quickly nodded before walking over to it, gently feeling through the metal that once held hundreds of bullets within it as the two boys watched her.

"What is she doing?" One questioned, turning to face Lemmons as he could only smile at the two.

"She's checking her fort, any pilot does that." He responded before quickly directing their attention away through pointing out a large splatter of oil on the ground.

However, a large crash immediately drew everyone's attention away as Dorothy quickly ran over to the side of the plane to observe the large incident, her face contorting in horror at the large fireball that erupted from the ground.

Before she knew it she was standing alongside Buck and Bucky right in front of the crash site as they were soon joined by the CO and Air Executive.

"What happened?" She asked, still in utter disbelief that they could lose men over something as simple as this.

"Practice mission. He went into his turn too early, too slow. Stalled out." The colonel explained as they all stood there, staring at the smoke arising from the crash.

"Who was it?" Bucky questioned.

"One of the 349th, new crew." The Air Exec responded as Dorothy felt Buck turn away, heading straight for Bucky's jeep.

"Barnhill." She heard him mumble before clambering into the vehicle as the girl quickly followed, sitting on her designated seat at the back, waiting for Bucky to drive them.

✈︎✈︎✈︎

"You've got some mail Lieutenant." A poster boy announced whilst walking into the small officer room before he handed Willow a letter, the two Majors surrounding her looking with curiosity at the small piece of paper.

"Thank you." She answered before practically ripping the envelope apart.

Dorothy,

I know I had promised to write to you first, I have been overcome with missions at my time here on base but I'm very sorry to leave you waiting.