A/N: I've had this story sitting in my writing folder for almost two years now, so I figured I might as well start publishing it and continue working on it. I'm probably going to update chapters every other week, but since college takes up almost all of my time nowadays, it might be a little bit longer than that. Anyways, reviews are joy to my heart! Let me know what you guys think! :)
Quiet little voices
Creep into my head-
I'm young again
I'm young again
I'm young again
I'm young again
Toccoa, Georgia. July, 1942.
I took a deep breath before opening the door of the barracks I was assigned to. I glanced around nervously before spotting a pale-skinned man sitting on one of the bunks towards the middle of the room. He was busy worming his hands through his small knap sack and hadn't taken any notice of me. He had short, black hair with eyes that matched and a face that gave away no emotion. I was automatically curious. I hesitantly walked up to the bed next to his and placed my own knapsack onto the ground. He finally noticed I was there and glanced up. My dark, fiery eyes clashed with his own dark, soothing ones. Polar opposites, I mused. I slowly smiled and held out a hand.
"Hi, I'm Grace Morris. I, uh, I'm gonna be apart of your company from here on out." I said, watching his reaction. His calm eyes searched mine before his warm hand clasped my own.
"Eugene Roe." He said, a small smile forming it's way on his lips.
I noticed that he had a certain accent that I couldn't place my finger on. I pushed the thought to the back of my head and pulled my hand out of his. After a moment of watching him, I glanced around the barracks.
"Well, they certainly don't know how to decorate a place, huh?" I stated, taking in the very…well, ordinary room.
Eugene smirked, and continued to prod at the belongings in his bag. I threw myself onto my acclaimed bed and glanced at the watch I was wearing. It was only eight in the morning. We were an hour early. I let out a grunt as I rolled onto my back. A few moments of silence passed. I was getting restless.
"I'm bored." I announced, staring at the back of Eugene's head. His movements paused as his brown eyes met mine. He licked his lips when I didn't say anything and only continued to stare at him.
"Uh, well…maybe take ah walk?" He offered in his soft drawl.
I decided at that moment that I was in love with his voice, and I could listen to him talk all day long. A light bulb went off in my head and an excited grin suddenly formed on my face. He looked taken aback by my sudden change of expression. His shocked appearance soon turned wary as I leaned forward with newfound vigor.
"Let me ask you a question!" I burst out, practically bouncing on my bed. His eyes widened slightly, and I thought he looked a little bit like a deer caught in headlights.
"I'll take that as a go-ahead. I need to know, but where the hell are you from? I can't place your accent, and it's bugging me." His eyes lit up in amusement.
"Bayou Chene, Louisiana. Lived deh mah whole life." My nose scrunched up as I racked my brain, trying to think of what that accent would be called. He continued to watch me as I stared intently at him, as if I expected a sign to appear on his forehead with the answer. He jerked in surprise when I jumped up in success.
"Cajun!" I said excitedly. He nodded, and I puffed up in pleasure.
"Yup, I knew it all along. I was just testing you." I joked. His eyebrows rose, but his smile leaked through his eyes.
"You have ah pretty strong accent of yoh own." He commented after a moment, eyes searching mine as if the answer lay somewhere deep in my mind. A grin lit up my face.
"I'm from Bronx, New York." I explained. He nodded his head with a thoughtful look on his face. I scrutinized him for a moment.
"You don't really like to talk all that much, huh?" I stated, more than asked. One of his shoulders raised and lowered in a half-attempted shrug. I leaned my cheek onto my palm.
"Well, you should talk more. Know why?" I asked, a smirk pulling up at my lips. He gave me a curious glance.
"You have an amazing voice." His cheeks automatically began to flame red, and I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up in my chest.
My bout of laughter was cut short by the door to the barracks slamming open, revealing a man with dark brown hair and a smile that was contagious. Eugene glanced between both of our grinning faces, confusion etched into his eyes. I jumped up from my bed and made my way over to Mr. Contagious.
"Hi, I'm Grace Morris." I said, holding out my hand just as I did with Eugene. A rough hand clasped my own tightly.
"George Luz! It's nice to meet ya." I noticed his eyes crinkled at the edges when he smiled, and I thought it'd be a crime to try to smooth them out. I released his hand and gestured over to the brooding man seated behind me.
"And that's Eugene Roe. He doesn't talk much." I stated, grin practically eating up my whole face. Luz set his bag on the bed next to mine and gave a nod to Eugene.
"It's nice to meet ya too, Gene." He said, moving to lie back on his bed.
I nodded to myself, approving of Eugene's newfound name. George's eyes roamed over to me with a curious light in them. I raised my eyebrows in question.
"So how did a pretty girl like you manage to get into the paratroopers?" He asked, placing his interlaced hands behind his head. My smile only widened.
"Well, Luz, I have incredibly resourceful connections." I said, a mysterious lilt to my voice. He let out a huff of breathe and sat up to face me.
"No, really, I'm sure all the other boys will want to know as well." He said. Eugene turned around to face me, eyes all attention. I took a seat on my bed and crossed my legs underneath me with a thoughtful look on my face.
"Well, I'll only tell you guys on one condition." Both of them nodded. Excitement leaked through Luz's eyes and I contained a chuckle. "No interruptions."
"Yeah, no problem." George quickly said, a satisfied smile on his face. I leaned back to rest against the wall, and delved into the story of my enlistment.
Flashback
Bronx, New York. May 1942
I leaned forward against the bar and slid a Rheingold beer into the hands of one of my close friends, Antonio. He gave me a sly wink before snatching up the beer and sauntering off to a woman wrapped up in a skimpy dress. I let out a snort as she slid away from him, a disgusted look on her face. His shoulders slumped in slight disappointment, but he straightened back up after laying his eyes on another victim.
I rolled my eyes and turned back around to fill up another glass of beer for a tall man who was gesturing to me with a raised finger. I slid it over to him, and snatched up the coins he handed to me. My eyes fell over the smoky room as I dried my hands on a towel and I felt a swell of pride. This was my bar, my job, my men, and my home. My ears honed in on a rather loud conversation between a cluster of college students to my right.
"You know, my dad fought in World War I, and I've always looked up to him. I know I'm doing him proud by joining the army." A kid with high cheekbones and unruly hair exclaimed, practically bouncing in his seat. My lips raised in a smirk. He reminded me of a puppy. One of his friends, a guy with forearms the size of trucks, clapped him on the back with a wide grin.
"Yeah, yeah, we know. I can't believe we're going off to train in only a few months." He said, lifting his beer to the others in his group.
My eyebrows rose as they let out a shout and clinked their glasses together before downing them in one go. Expectant eyes turned my way, and I quickly began to fill glasses and pass them over to the group. As I worked, the clocks in my head began turning. I had heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor back in December, and I clearly remembered the President declaring it was time for the Americans to be trained to go to war. A lot of the guys in my neighborhood had signed up right away in desperate need of the money. Even Antonio was going, and the guy was as harmless as a bunny rabbit. My eyes gravitated to him, and I watched with a smile as he chatted up a pretty girl in a green dress. I could tell she was charmed by his boyishness, and I couldn't help but to snigger as his face morphed into a child's grin.
Antonio had always been by my side. His mother and my mother were best friend's-they knew each other way back when they both lived in Argentina. He and I were born there, but I only stayed for a year, while he stayed until he was five. When his family made the move to the United States, they claimed the apartment right next to ours, and Antonio and I had been inseparable ever since. He was like the brother I never had, and it killed me to know that he was going off to war without me.
My lips set into a grim line as I tried to imagine him shooting a gun, killing other men, and living in a world of death. I knew it was something he had to do, not only for himself but also for his family. I knew I had to let him go, no matter how painful it was.
My mind veered back to an article I had seen the other day, and I remembered it had said something about a new group called the "paratroopers." Supposedly, they were going to be the best of the best, and it had automatically piqued my interest. If I went to war, I knew I would join them. I glanced at the college students to my right once more, mind turning with ideas. My thoughts were broken off when a hand slammed down on the bar top in front of me. I nearly dropped the cup I was drying off and raised my head to glare at the man who had done the offense. My face split into a grin when my eyes met bright blue ones.
"Daddy!" I exclaimed, setting down the cup and rushing around the side of the bar to throw myself in his arms. He smelled like an office; fresh and clean with a tinge of freshly brewed coffee. He let out a chuckle and rubbed my head.
"Hey sweetie, how's the night goin' for ya?" He asked, taking a seat on an open stool at the bar. He pulled a cigar out from his front jacket pocket and lit it with a match. I grabbed a lager and slid it towards him, then tucked a strand of dark, chestnut hair behind my ear.
"It's pretty good. Antonio's finally found himself a girl to dote on. It's about time, I thought the poor boy was going to start crying himself to sleep every night." I joked, watching as he blew a puff of smoke to the side. He let out a bark of laughter, and my own grin widened. His eyes roamed around the bar for a second before landing back on my face.
"Seems like business is going pretty well." He commented, raising the lager to his lips and taking a gulp. I turned around to fill a glass of beer and exchanged it to a man for a handful of coins.
"Yeah, it's going great, actually." I replied, a soft smile gracing my face. "I think this was one of the best decision's I've made in my life. This is everything I've ever dreamed of having…" I trailed off, eyes landing back on the group of college students who were still celebrating. My father's eyes followed mine, and he gave me a questioning look. Suddenly, a determined look overtook my eyes and I squared my chest. "But there's something I need to talk to you about."
"Uh-oh. The last time you said that, I had to fight hours on end with you over you keeping a pocketknife. What is it now?" He asked, taking a rather generous gulp of his beer. I rolled my eyes and ran a hand back through my long hair.
"Well, as you know, Antonio joined the army…" I began, glancing up to see him nod, "And it sparked my curiosity. I was reading about this group called the paratroopers. The article said that they would be a unit who specialized in being dropped behind enemy lines to flank them and make way for the other ground troops coming in from the coast. Supposedly, only the best of the best can make it and-"
"No." My father abruptly cut me off. I looked up at him, startled.
"No? What do you mean, no? You didn't even let me finish!" I exclaimed, eyes flashing.
"I hope you haven't forgotten that I raised you, and I can only guess what's going through that wild head of yours. You grew up fighting in gangs on the streets of the Bronx. You wore trousers your whole life and gave your mother grief over wearing dresses. The toughest guys on the streets constantly surround you, protect you like a sister. I wouldn't be surprised if you were involved in the fucking mafia. I know what you are thinking, and I do not approve." He rattled off, leaning forward to glare at me. I matched his glare with a feisty one of my own, letting him know I had no intention of backing down.
"Why?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm. His mouth set in a straight line. "I am not sending my only daughter out to be parachuted in the middle of Germany during a goddamn war." He growled, hand tightening over his beer.
"I can help! Antonio's going, and I should be able to go too. I know I can do this. I need to do this." I explained, laying my hand over his.
"Is this what it's about? You want to follow Antonio into battle? Grace, I know he's like a brother to you, but-"
"No!" I cut him off, "this isn't about Antonio. This is about me. I want to fight for my country. Even if no other man in this borough was going, I would still want to sign up. Besides, I wouldn't even be in the same division as Antonio. He's not going to be a paratrooper." My father's icy, blue eyes seared holes into my own before he stood up and motioned for me to follow him.
He led me to the back door of the bar and to the alleyway beyond that. He leaned against a brick wall, arms crossed over his suit. I lifted my head to stare up at him, and I could see the wrinkles lining his face. I knew he was upset by what I was suggesting, but I needed to do this.
"Please, Daddy. If there's one girl on the earth who can do this, it's me. And I can get in-if you just talked to President Roosevelt about it. Hell, I'll talk to him about it if you want. I just gotta do this." I said softly, trying to make him understand. He looked away, and I followed his gaze to the moon.
"I already lost your mom. You're the only thing I have left. Why are you trying to leave me?" He muttered. I almost didn't hear him, and I almost wished I hadn't. It stung, and he knew he had hit a weak point within me when I didn't say anything back. "You're my daughter. I promised her I would keep you safe. I promised her I would watch over you and keep you out of trouble. I can't do that when you're across the world from me."
"I don't need protection. I know I'm your daughter and I know you don't want to let me go, but I'll come back. I promise you I'll come back, and when I do you'll be the proudest Dad in the world, because you'll be the only parent who's daughter helped win this war. I can handle myself, and you know this better than anybody. I grew up fighting, I grew up tough. I can get through this, and I am determined to join them. I will fight with the best, and I will be the best." I said, a passion in my voice that had tears welling up in his eyes. He dragged a hand over his face and pulled me to his chest with his free hand. I knew I had won, and it left me feeling empty and fulfilled at the same time. I would be a paratrooper.
End of flashback
"And that, my dear friends, is how I became a paratrooper." I concluded, waiting for a round of applause.
"Wait a second, wait a second. That doesn't explain how you got in." George pointed out. I put a finger to my chin and thought back.
"Oh, I guess you're right. Well, to put it in simple terms, my dad is the assistant to President Roosevelt. He is like an uncle to me, so naturally, he was the one who allowed me to join." I explained.
"Woah! The President? Like, the actual president?" Luz asked, shock written on his face. Eugene gave me a skeptical look. I smirked and nodded.
"Yup, the one and only. He and my dad have been friends almost their whole lives, so it was only natural that he worked for the president. It was difficult for him, though, since my mom refused to live anywhere but New York, so my dad was always traveling between D.C. and New York whenever he had free time. I didn't see him much as a child, but when I did it was like Christmas every time." I said, smiling as I thought back to the times he would surprise me by coming home unannounced.
"I never would've guessed." George said with his eyebrows raised.
"Well, boys, I'm full of surprises." I winked, trying to contain a chuckle as I saw Eugene's amused face. My attention was quickly diverted to the door when I heard the thumping of boots on the ground and loud voices.
"I think some of the boys are here." George said, jumping up onto his feet.
Eugene stuck his hands back into his bag and busied himself once more. The door to the barracks burst open and a group of men shuffled in, curiosity lighting their faces. I leaned back on the palms of my hands and watched as George practically danced around them, trying to get all of their names. I decided to sit back and let George do all of the work. I glanced over at Eugene and gave him a smile. His lips quirked upwards uncomfortably, and I had the sudden urge to smooth out the worry lines creasing his forehead.
"Who's da girl?" A man with a Philly accent suddenly asked, dark eyes directed at me. I sent him a small wave.
"I'm Grace Morris." I announced, smile practically splitting my face. These were the men I was going to train with. These were the men I was going to fight with. "And who might this lovely gentleman be?" The dark-haired man stepped forward and offered me his hand. He was quite handsome with a strong jaw and tiny eyes that had a habit of glaring.
"Bill Guarnere." He said, wrapping his hand tightly around mine.
"I've been down to Philly quite a bit. What part are you from?" I asked after he had released my hand. A grin formed on his face.
"South Philly." He answered, seeming to be quite proud of this fact. I gave him an impressed look.
"What about you?" He asked.
"Bronx." I said. He looked surprised, but nodded after a moment.
Our attention was stolen away from each other when Luz leapt onto my bed, excitement still brewing in his eyes. He started rattling off names, pointing at the men surrounding the barracks, "That's Carwood Lipton, then over there in the corner with the bright red hair is Donald Malarkey, the Hispanic looking kid is Darrel Powers, the small, skinny guy is Robert Wynn, the guy next to him is Wayne Sisk, the small, Italian looking guy is Frank Perconte, next to him is Charles Grant, and then there's Joe Liebgott, the tall, skinny one-"
"All right! Jesus, Luz, how do you expect me to remember all their names so quick?" I cut him off, overwhelmed. I gave the men a smile when their eyes traveled over to me, "Well, not that I don't want to know your names, I just figured I'd eventually learn them over time. I'll work on it, promise!" The men laughed, and then began shuffling around the room, choosing which bunks they wanted. As the time passed, even more men filed into the room, and soon every bed was taken up. I was between Luz and Roe, and Gaurnere had quickly claimed the cot directly across from mine. Next to him were Liebgott and Powers. I leaned back with a smile on my face, already ticking off the names of the men Luz had pointed out.
"Bill!" I yelled, jumping across the space between our cots.
He let out a bark of laughter as I practically landed in his lap, reaching for my bra. He dangled it above his head, and all the boys let out catcalls. I huffed in annoyance and clawed my way up his body, reaching for the clothing article. "I swear to god, Bill Gaurnere, if you do not give me back my fucking bra I will personally chop your dick off and feed it to wild pigs." I growled. His eyes widened slightly and I took that as my chance to make the final leap.
I managed to get the bra, but I ended upside down on the floor with my head spinning. I let out a groan as the men laughed, and I swore revenge on Guarnere. Eugene helped me up, giving me a sympathetic look. I squared my shoulders and turned to glare at Bill.
"The next time you touch any of my personal shit, I will kick you in the balls so hard, you'll barf them up." I growled, inching my way closer to the chuckling man. He laid a hand on my head and tousled my hair.
"Awh, Gracie, lighten up a bit. I was only playing around." He said fondly, though I noticed he kept a good distance between our bodies. I brushed his hand off my head and smirked.
"Right, well keep this in mind-I wasn't playing around when I said that. You better make sure those puppies are well-protected." I said before marching back to my cot to stuff the bra into my knap sack. Sniggers surrounded me as Bill slowly shook his head, an amused but wary smile on his face.
"You aren't like any other dame I've ever met." Luz muttered from beside me, sizing me up. I tossed my long, dark hair behind me.
"And you'll never meet another like me." I said back, grinning.
A few moments later, the door to the barracks opened up again. This time, three men entered-a tall, lanky one with beady eyes, a tall one with red hair and blue eyes that matched my father's, and a shorter, dark-haired one. I recognized that they were a higher rank then I-one a 1st lt. and the other two 2nd lts. I stood up and automatically snapped a salute. The boys followed soon after, and a resounded "Sir!" was heard bouncing against the walls.
"At ease boys. I am Lieutenant Sobel, and I am your commanding officer. Next to me are 2nd Lieutenant Winters and 2nd Lieutenant Nixon." The tall, lanky one announced, beady eyes glaring out at us with contempt.
A bad feeling crawled against my skin when I heard his voice, and I almost slapped myself. He was my commanding officer and I had to respect him. As if he could read my thoughts, Lt. Sobel's glaring eyes found mine.
"What the hell is a womandoing in my company?" He shouted, marching forward to size me up. I straightened my back and snapped another salute as he stopped in front of me.
"I am Private Grace Morris. You should have received a letter addressed from President Roosevelt informing you of my arrival to become part of Easy Company." I said, trying to not glare back at the tall man.
There was something about him that I did not like. There was something about him that made me want to punch him in his face. He whirled around and landed his feverish eyes on the redheaded man standing by the door.
"Winters! Did you receive any letters notifying us about her?" He demanded, anger apparent in his voice. I suppressed myself from rolling my eyes. Lt. Winters nodded, "Yes sir, the letter arrived earlier this morning while you were out preparing the training field. I had not gotten the chance to inform you of the letter, but Private Morris is indeed a part of Easy Company, according to the President." His voice was calm, soothing, and I found myself feeling more respect towards this man than Sobel. Sobel marched up to Winters, eyes practically on fire.
"And where exactly is this letter, Lieutenant? I'd like to see it with my own eyes." He hissed out.
The redhead shuffled around in his pockets before pulling out an envelope and handing it over to Sobel. The Lieutenant pulled out the letter and scanned over it, eyes narrowing and mouth forming into a tight line. His head snapped up to me, and he looked me up and down before shoving the letter back into Winters hands. I tried to hold back a smirk, knowing exactly what the letter said. He marched up to me and poked a finger into my chest, heat seeping through his eyes. I glared back at him, standing tall.
"You'll be out of here soon enough private." He hissed, before abruptly spinning around and moving back towards the door. I glanced at 2nd lt. Winters and saw him give me a small smile. My lips twitched up, then straightened out when Sobel shot me another look. I repressed a roll of my eyes.
"All right, Easy Company! I want you to change into your PT gear. We're running Currahee!" He shouted.
The men around me automatically began bustling around to change into the white t-shirt and the dark, blue short-shorts. I pulled mine out and glared at the clothing articles, not too happy about the shorts. I sucked in a deep breath and began to strip, trying to be as quick as possible. Luz glanced over at me and gave me a sly wink. I stuck my tongue out at him and hastily pulled the shirt over my head, trying not to gain more attention. When I looked over at Eugene, his face was bright red and he looked anywhere but at me. I let out a chuckle and pulled on the heavy, army boots, grimacing at how uncomfortable they were. As a group, we double-timed it out of the barracks and followed Winters and Sobel to the mountain we were to run up. I gawked at it, and then nudged Liebgott in the ribs. He grunted and glanced down at me.
"That's Currahee?" I whispered, biting my lip. His lip rose in a smirk, but I could see the incredulous look in his eyes.
"I suppose so."
I glued my eyes back to the mountain, and gathered up my determination. This was just a test, and I would be damned to hell if I didn't pass it. I noticed the boys around me looking skeptical and I shot them a smile that said we can do this. They grinned back and picked up their speed, following Sobel up the long, winding path leading up the mountain.
Halfway up, I was certain I would die. Men were dropping out in groups of two's and three's and we weren't allowed to help them up. When I had tried to pull a fellow soldier to his feet, Sobel had slowed down to shout at me and give me a shove forward. I shot the fallen soldier a sympathetic look, trying to tell him with my eyes that I was sorry. My whole shirt was soaked with sweat, and I wanted to turn the sun off. It was way too fucking hot. Sobel kept running around us in circles, constantly throwing insults at the men. I could tell I was one of his favorites.
"Private Morris, why don't you just give up? Women don't belong in the paratroopers! Why don't you go home to daddy and play dress up?" He yelled directly in my ear. I clenched my jaw and sped up, trying to get away from him. He followed on my heels, though, "You're a nothing. You think these men want you here? You'll get us all killed in combat. Can't you see they despise you? It'll be so easy to give up!" He growled.
I forced myself to not turn around and drop kick his ass. After senselessly yelling at me for a few more minutes, he gave up and went to go scream at another victim. Liebgott and Guarnere ran up on either sides of me, and I nodded at them in acknowledgement.
"Hey Gracie," Gaurnere panted, "Don't listen to him. We do want you here." Liebgott nodded, tapping my back with his hand. A grin split my face in half, and they smiled back.
"Thanks, guys." I managed to huff out. As we got closer to the top, the path began to narrow.
I could spot Sobel at the very top of the mountain behind a large boulder, holding a timer and screaming at the men who made it to the top. Winters was off to the side, pushing the soldiers forward and trying to drown out Sobel's insults with encouraging words. When I reached the rock, Sobel stepped around it, and I could see trouble in his eyes.
"You're gonna be a fucking wash-out, private Morris!" He shouted in my face. Before I knew what was happening, I was falling forward down the steep incline. I let out a grunt when I finally managed to claw at the ground and stop myself. I glanced up to see Sobel back behind the rock with a self-satisfactory smirk on his face.
"Gracie! Fuck, you okay?" Luz asked, skidding to a sharp stop when he saw me sprawled out on the ground.
I let out a growl and pushed myself up, shooting Sobel a glare. His eyebrows raised, and then he diverted his attention to the other men. "Come on, we gotta get out of the way." Luz grabbed my arm and dragged me down the mountain. Ahead of us, I spotted Liebgott, Gaurnere, and Roe. They slowed down, letting George and I catch up to them. Eugene's eyes widened when he took in my appearance. I could only imagine what a mess I looked like.
"What happened to you?" He asked, laying a hand on my arm.
"Fucking Sobel tripped me, that sonuva bitch!" I said, completely outraged. What kind of fucking Lieutenant trips somebody down a mountain? And a very steep mountain, at that. I knew the guy hated me, but Jesus Christ, this was going too far.
"Sobel tripped you?" Liebgott asked, surprise written on his exhausted face. I nodded, "Yeah. Trust me, if there's one thing I am-it's coordinated. He came around that fucking rock to yell at me, and the next thing I know, I'm falling down the hill."
"I saw the bastard do it." Luz said, sweat dripping down his face. I whipped my head around to look at him.
"You did?" I asked.
"Yeah, I was right behind you. He stuck his foot out and you fell over it, and trust me, that was no accident."
"I can't believe that bastard." Gaurnere said, shaking his head.
"If that fucker thinks he can break me so easy, than he's going to be in for one hell of a surprise." I said, eyes narrowed. Hell, I wouldn't let him drag me down. No matter what, I was going to make it through this. I was going to become a paratrooper.
A/N: In case anybody was wondering, the song in the beginning is called "Quiet Little Voices" by We Were Promised Jetpacks