Cruel Summer

Chapter 4

A/N: Well we've got some reunions....and yes, i had to leave you with this cliffhanger haha! Please let me know what you think/any predictions you have for how things are going to go with Bucky haha!

Bucky Egan didn't like the fact that as Air Executor, he was writing letters to the members of those who were dead or MIA. It was a foul job, one that he didn't altogether like. And especially because he didn't even know the guys in the bombing group that had gone down in France.

See, he knew his men in the 100th. Not Colonel Lewis's men in the 286th. And as he stared at the name of Alexander Lewis, he just had a pit in his stomach. He knew Alex, vaguely. Back in the day, he had looked up to the guy and practically worshiped him. At least, as a kid he had. See, Alex Lewis was the kinda charismatic that made you hate him once you actually got to know him.

And considering the fact that Bucky had started dating his darling little sister in high school, it left little room for the football all-star Alex Lewis to like him much. Not that he particularly minded at the time. But then Alex had gone into the military and then Meg had broken things off and he found that he liked Alex even less once Meg had gone off to Europe to join the Nazi cause.

Still, going down in France was practically suicide.

He didn't even have to write a letter for this one. The only person who cared about what happened to Alexander Lewis was his father—Colonel James Lewis. And he was here at Thorpe Abbotts, acting as an intermediary between here and London for the men.

Crumpling up the list, Bucky took a look at the clock on the wall. The men from the Hundredth Bombing Squad should be arriving shortly. And he didn't want to miss that. He exited his chair, pushing it back in lazily and whistling Blue Skies under his breath. Bucky lazily made his way out of the office and to the jeep, that seemed like it was just waiting for him anyway.

He was still burping up some of the alcohol from the night before— it was too early for shit like writing letters to families anyway. He could push that off on the other Air Execs—you know, as soon as they were appointed.

Giving a wave to the men that had given him the bikes, Bucky grinned as his eyes landed on his boys in the skies above. All in a nice and neat line, tucking in from a long day of flying from Greenland. Everyone had gathered for the occasion and he passed dozens of children as he drove on the runway.

Pulling to a stop, Bucky's eyes landed on Buck's plane—where DeMarco was depositing a dog. He couldn't help the grin on his face as he climbed out of the car. "DeMarco!" He called, an energetic pep filling his tone.

"Hey, Major!" DeMarco grinned, dog-leash in hand.

"Where'd you get that dog, Benny?"

"I won him in a game of Craps!" DeMarco explained.

Bucky had always wanted a dog growing up. Somethin' about it being man's best friend or whatever had always struck him as endearing. His ma had always told him no, he was the family dog. So at the sight of the dog, he leaned down and gave him a good pat behind the ears. "You took this baby above 10000 feet?" Bucky questioned.

"He's got a mask!" DeMarco promised, patting at his jacket. "Cost me $3 but boy, he loved to fly!"

"He wouldn't stop howling!" Buck chimed in, appearing in their vision.

"That's because he's part wolf!"

"That wolf is part dog," Buck corrected.

"Well, does he have a name?" Bucky demanded.