Never coming home

August 18th, New York, Air Force Academy.

Gerard's POV.

I didn't want to let go of Mikey. I hugged him so tightly that after a few minutes, he said that he was running out of breath so I had to let go. We both had tears in our eyes as we stared at eachother. There was no need for words. We both new what we were thinking.
All five of us were standing next to the plane that in a few minutes, Mikey and Ray would board and go to England.
I was terrified, different scenarios of what might happen over there were rushing through my mind. I haven't slept since the announcement.
"C'mon Gerard, don't be like that!" Mikey said, placing his hands on my shoulders,"you'll be there with us before you know it! There's no way they won't select you!"
"Besides, I'll be there to look after him!" Ray said, smiling at me.
"I know you will buddy..." I said, forcing myself to smile but not quite able to.

"Attention! All extra personnel, clear the runway. Take-off 5 minutes." Said a voice on the loud speakers.
I watched as Frank and Bob hugged and said goodbye to Mikey and Ray. I hugged Ray wishing him good luck, then turned to Mikey and hugged him one last time.
"Write! You have to promise to write me every week! I want to know about everything that happens out there! Please!" I ask him, not being able to control my tears any longer
"I will, I promise! I'll be fine Gerard!" Mikey tighten his hug and then let go.
I took a step back and watched as Mikey and Ray picked up their backpacks and walked towards the plane. As they climbed the stairs, they turned around to wave at us. We waved back and left the runway.

5 minutes later, Frank, Bob and myself, we're staring out the windows watching the plane that took Mikey, Ray and three other pilots, in the direction of a war, that we all wanted to be a part of, but were to scared to face the consequences of it.
"I guess we should go back. It's almost lunchtime and the Captain said that he and Miss Williams had new information about what's going on out there." Frank said, trying to make me snap out of my dark thoughts. It didn't work.
"You guys go ahead... I'll catch up..." I said, not even looking at them.
I hear Frank sigh and turn around to leave. Before Bob follows him, he places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes it a bit, trying to confort me. Then he leaves.

I was alone. Staring at the place where the plane stood, just a few minutes ago. Now an empty parking space. Mikey was gone, and possibly not coming back.
I had no idea if I would ever see him again. I didn't know if I would ever get chosen. The thought of not seeing my brother again made me sick. And in the midst of all the dark thoughts about war and death and lost, there was one that stood taller than the others. One that I was glad it came, because it was exactly what I needed at that moment,
"I need a drink."
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I was sitting at the counter of a sleazy bar, outside the Academy. I've been here almost four hours now, not caring that I skipped training and breifing. I just stood there, not moving, and staring at the same drink I ordered four hours ago and didn't even touch it yet.
Scotch, straight. My kind of drink. The idea that all the dark thoughts would just go away just by drinking a few of those, was incredibly tempting. However, all I could think about is how upset Mikey got when I drank. But the thought of Mikey just made me feel even worse.
After so many hours of not moving, I finally reached for the glass and brought it to my lips.
"Liutenant Iero told me I might find you here..." A soft female voice said behind me.
The glass stopped, touching my lips. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. I would recognize that voice miles away and in any dream.
I lowerd the glass and sighed, "Then Liutenant Iero is not very good at keeping secrets..."
"He is... I'm the one that's very good at persuading people..." She took a few steps and was standing next to me leaning against the counter.
I didn't look at her directly, but I could see that she was wearing a dark green dress.
"How many have you had already?" She asked
"What do you care?"
"I care, because I know what happens when you get drunk..." She said.
"That's his first one. Hasn't touched yet! Been sitting there for hours just staring at it!" The bartender shouted from the other side of the bar.
I looked over and glared at him. Next to me, Margaret chuckeld, "I guess you and I thought the same thing then..."
I finally looked up to see her. She was staring right at me with her big dark brown eyes. She had a small smile on her dark ruby red lips. I couldn't help but think how much I wanted to touch those lips...
"How about we go back to the academy? Clearly you're not doing anything here..." She said
"I would like to finish my drink first..." I answered, pointing at the glass.
She looked down at it, then back at me. Before I could react, she grabbed the glass from my hand and in one swift movement, she swallowed the drink like a shot.
My eyes widened when I saw the drink dissapear in a matter of seconds. Her cheeks were flushed by the sudden amount of alcohol, but she held it down, "There. Now you're finished."
Still surprised about what happend, I stood up, payed for the drink and followed her to the exit.
When we stepped outside, it was no surprise for me, that the sun was already setting.
"How did you get here?" She asked, standing next me but looking over at the parking lot.
"I walked..."
She looked over at me and raised an eyebrow, questioning if I was telling the truth. Eventually she sighed and started walking towards a jeep from the academy. When she saw that I wasn't following her, she turned around to face me,
"Would you like to walk again? Or do you prefer a ride?"
I smilled a bit and walked over to her.

The ride back to the academy was silent. Neither of us knew exactly what to say.
When we reached the academy, she drove in the direction of the dormitories and parked at the door.
Before I could thank her for the ride, she looked over at me and spoke,
"I know it's hard. Letting your brother go while you stay behind. I get it. Belive me I do. But drinking your problems away, or trying to, isn't the most helpful thing in the world you know?"
I didn't answer. I just stared at her, wondering why she cared if I had problems and what did I do to overcome them.
"You just have to belive that you'll see your brother again. That he'll come back..." She continued
"But we can't be sure now, can we? There's no certainty that he'll be alright..."
"Do you trust him? Do you think he's a good pilot?"
"I do..."
"Then trust that he'll do his job, and come back. If you doubt him, then he will doubt himself. But if you belive in him and trust him to know what he's doing... Then he will belive that he's capable of surviving this..."
We stared at eachother, not knowing what else to say. I knew that what she told me was the truth, but at this point, my fears weren't going anywhere.
"Thank you for the ride..." I sighed and opend the door.
I didn't stop to hear if she said anything else. All I wanted right now, was a good night sleep.
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September 25th, New York, Air Force Academy.

Gerard's POV.

"To Liutenant Way, Gerard Arthur.
We regret to inform you that on the 20th of September, Liutenant Way, Michael James. was reported MIA, and presumed KIA, after an attack on the Oxford Air Base.
More information will be provided as more details of this attack are reviled."

I dropped to my knees when I read the telegram. There were people hovering me, asking what happend, but I couldn't answer. I felt empty. Lost. He... Was... Missing... and presumed dead...
There was only one person that could tell me if this is true.
I got up and ran to her office, leaving everyone behind me, shouting my name and asking questions.
I held the telegram as tightly as I could as I rushed to her office, not even bothering to knock when I reached it.
She was standing behind her desk, holding a paper similar to mine. When she looked over at me I could see that she was crying.
"Ger..." She started, but I inturrepted
"Is this true?!" I snapped
"I... I..."
"Answer me!!" I shout, "Is my brother dead?"
"I... I don't know... They haven't said anything else... I just heard the news... Same as you..."
"Don't lie to me!" I shout again, throwing the paper on the ground and walking towards her, "You're a government official! You know everything before anyone else! Tell me what you know!! NOW!"
She cringed as I shouted, but soon regained her composure. Nevertheless, she was still crying, and her voice cracked a bit,
"I'm not lying to you. I've only got the news. After the attack, communications were down and no one could get any information whatsoever. Only now are the telegrams coming in. The only thing we know, is that a German Air Force attacked the Oxford Air Base before sunrise on the 20th. No one was prepared. They were caught by surprise. There's still no exact data about who's dead and who's just missing, so every telegram send, said the exact same thing as ours. There's a chance... That he's still alive..."
"What about Ray? Or Frank? Or Bob? Have you heard anything from them?"
"No... I recived nothing regarding your friends, which only means that they're still alive and accounted for." I paced around the room, listening to her speak. The thougth of a possibility that Mikey was still alive grew inside me. But I needed to be sure. And to do that, there's only one way.
"I need to go to England." I said, stopping my pacing and facing Maragaret. She froze in place when I spoke and her eyes widen.
"N...no... You can't... You haven't..."
"I don't care about the selection! Get me on plane to England by tomorrow, or I'll find a way to get there by myself!"
"No. No... Y-you can't...you..."
"It's been a month! Almost half of the Air Force is in England and I'm the only one that's still here! Why?!"
"B-because I don't t-think..."
"That's not the reason! I'm the best pilot here and you know it!! There has to be another reason why you won't let me go! Tell me!"
She looked down at the ground not wanting to look at me. I started getting frustrated so I went around her desk to stand next to her. I grabbed her by her arms and forced her to look at me.
"Tell me! Why wont you let me go to England?! Answer me Maragaret!"
She looked up at me still with tears in her eyes. She spoke quietly, almost like she didn't want me to hear what she was saying,
"B-because I can't let you go... I don't want you to go... I-I'm to scared o-of what might happen... I c-can't loose you... Not you too..."
At first, I thought I was dreaming. The idea that she would ever say something like that to me, was absurd. But at the same time, I exploded with happiness on the inside. And the only way I could express it, was by leaning down, and connecting my lips to hers. Her lips were salty from her tears, but the touch made me shiver with pleasure.
The pleasure grew even more, when she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled herself closer to my body... She was kissing me back.

Notes

Sorry it took me so long to update, but this week was hectic!
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A lot of love to all of you :)