UPDATED 05/06/2022.
See end for author's notes
* * *
JUNE 3, 1944
UPOTTERY, ENGLAND
"Easy Company! Listen up! Move it up, come on gentleman!"
Everyone who belonged in Easy Company gathered around Lieutenant Thomas Meehan, the company's CO. Madison Klein made her way to the front so she could see Meehan. Even though he was standing on top of one of the jeeps, she still had a hard time seeing him. Not only was she short, but her eyesight wasn't the best either.
"The channel coast is soaked in with rain and fog," Meehan began, making hand gestures. "High winds on the drop zones. No jump tonight. We're on a twenty-four hour stand down."
"Son of a bitch," Madison heard her friend Bill Guarnere swore as the men around them groaned and complained.
"No kidding," Madison agreed with her friend from South Philly, Pennsylvania. "Luz smacked me in the face with his fingers for nothing," she gestured to her grease streaked face, courtesy to their fellow friend and paratrooper, George Luz. "We got ready...for nothing."
Fuck the weather in Europe, Madison thought. It was always so cloudy and rainy. She would have probably enjoyed it if she wasn't in service.
"I know, girly," Bill sighed, placing one of his large hands on her small shoulders. "Come on; let's go see what we're up for now."
* * *
Madison Elizabeth Klein was born to Matthew, Sr. and Marlene Klein in May of 1927. She had a twin sister named Morgan who was a minute younger than her, as well as an older brother who was named after their father and a younger brother named Michael, named after their grandfather. The family of five lived in Dayton, Ohio, and all was quite well until December 7th, 1941. That was the day Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor and Matthew, Jr. had decided that the first thing he would do when President Roosevelt and Congress declared war was that he would sign up for the war as soon as he could. His announcement had turned his family's world upside down.
On December 9th, Matthew Jr. had told his family that he officially signed up for the war. Everyone had reacted differently. Matthew Sr. sat in his chair in silence, not sure how to respond to his eldest son and child. He could respect his son's decision because after all, his son would eventually join the war at some point. Marlene started to tear up, which caused little Michael to cry as well. Morgan had only briefly stared at him with widened eyes before she looked down, not sure on what to say. Madison, numbed in response, had gone up the stairs, slamming the door to the bedroom that she and her sister shared shut. She hopped onto her bed and stared outside the window, numb but simmering in anger.
He's signing up for war, Madison thought angrily as tears escaped and rolled down her cheeks. Then: Nein, don't think of it like that! Matt's doing a good thing. He's serving our country. That's a courageous and honorable thing to do. Still doesn't mean that I have to like it, though. Knowing him he probably overdid it somehow.
It felt like hours to Madison as she was curled up in her bed, crying and thinking angrily. She could only fear for the worst happening to her brother; that he would end up dead.
Madison heard her door creaking open slowly, but she made no move to roll over or get up from her bed. She made no acknowledgement to who it was, because she knew exactly who it was.
"Maddie?" Matthew, Jr.'s voice rang out quietly. Madison ignored him.
"Maddie," Matthew, Jr. said louder, stopping in the doorway. Madison still would not answer.
"Madison—"
"Go away, Matthew. I don't want to talk with anyone right now," Madison interrupted him, her voice weak. She heard no reply from her older brother. A small part of her hoped that he had left, but that wasn't the case Madison had figured out. Matthew, Jr. had sat on the edge of her bed, watching her stare at him.
"Maddie, please understand that I have to do this," Matthew, Jr. told his younger sister solemnly. "I have to do this for my country, I have to do it for us. If I sign up, I get money. If I get money, I can send it back here." The Klein family wasn't one of the poorer families, but they were definitely not the richest either. They had made it through the Great Depression, but money was still tight, especially with six people living under one roof.
Madison sat up against her bed frame, eyeing her older brother. "Matt, I do understand. I just don't like it that you're leaving," she explained. "I just don't like it one bit. You're going to be shipped out into a foreign land. You could get hurt. I'm scared that you're going to die and if you did, what would happen to us? Mama's heart will be absolutely shattered, we would all break. I don't think I could bear it," Madison had started to hyperventilate at this point. She felt her brother's arms wrap around her. She hugged him back. "I won't be able to bear it."
Matthew, Jr. pulled back, staring down at his little sister. It hurt him to see her like this. Growing up as the oldest of four children, he had to protect his younger siblings. Knowing that Madison was hurt by his decision had hurt him. He was causing his little sister to be distraught.
"Maddie, I am not going to die out there, okay? I promise, I am going to survive this war and return home to everyone here," Matthew vowed to his sister. He held out his pinky to her. "Pinky promise."
Madison couldn't help but let a little giggle escape from her. She wrapped her small pinky finger around her older brother's pinky, sealing the deal. "Okay."
It was silent between the two for a moment before Madison asked, "What branch did you sign up for?"
* * *
It was almost two weeks later when Matthew, Jr. left for California. He had joined the Marine Corps. Both Madison and Morgan couldn't help but roll their eyes. They both had the same thought: of course he would sign up for the Marines, out of all the things. They were supposedly the best, and Matt would definitely fit in with their quotas.
It was a week later and Madison was growing more concerned, more worried. She knew she wanted to help with the war, too; she had to help. Her brother, his friends, her best friend's older brother, boys who were her neighbors, boys who worked at the local grocery store...all of them were signing up. So many people she knew were signing up and being shipped out in a blink of an eye. They were going out, risking their necks. Madison couldn't just sit by and watch everyone leave. She had to do something. Not only for her brother, but for herself, too. Eventually, Madison did sign up. She signed up to be a nurse.
It all happened one day thanks to a trip to the grocery store. Madison and her mother were in line when the woman in front of them was a dime short. Madison had noticed that the woman was wearing a uniform. It had caught her interest.
"Um, excuse me, Miss?" Madison piped up. The young woman turned around and Madison received a better look. Her outfit—a suit jacket and skirt to match—was military green. This was one of the few factors that sparked an idea in the young girl's head. Madison quickly gave the woman a dime she needed before asking, "If you don't mind me asking, Miss, but what are you wearing?"
"Madison!" Marlene Klein had immediately scolded. Madison immediately turned red, bowing her head in embarrassment. The woman had offered a gentle smile. She was really pretty, too, Madison had taken note.
"Oh, I don't mind. I'm part of the Nurse Corps."
Madison's head quickly shot back up. "The Nurse Corps?" she asked.
"Yes," the woman replied. She then went into great detail about how it was great, which led Madison into one thing. To sign up.
However, the woman's work was not the only motivator to Madison's calling. Marlene Klein was a nurse, working at Good Samaritan Hospital. When Madison and Morgan were younger, their mother would sometimes take them to work. These visits fed Madison's interests in medicine and she had always wanted to help out. When she had gotten older, she started volunteering at the hospital for various tasks. As a result of her interests and volunteer work, Madison has been dubbed as "Medicine" or "Medicine Madison" by her best friend Louise—a running joke because her brother Michael would call her "medicine" as he couldn't pronounce his older sister's name.
The woman at the store had helped develop a small, feeble idea into something bigger. Madison now knew how to help her brother and all the other men at war, and how to get herself involved. She would sign up. It couldn't be terrible, right?
In the end, Madison asked her grandmother, her Oma, to help her out. There was no way in hell that her parents would ever allow her to do such a thing. It took Madison a few times to convince her grandmother to help her, but she was able to succeed. With her falsified papers, Madison was able to join the Nurse Corps with no issue.
* * *
In the beginning months of 1942, Madison Klein was registered in the Nurse Corps and doing very well in the program. Madison had hoped that she would be stationed in Dayton, but she was wrong; most definitely wrong.
She was going to Toccoa, Georgia. She was being assigned as Easy Company's nurse. Meaning, they were signing her up to travel with them. Madison had found out when her instructor informed her after class one day. She had no idea on how she was going to tell her family that she was going to be located down in the south. When she had first told them what she had done, signing up to join the Nurse Corps, they were upset but didn't mind as long as she stayed in Dayton and tried to finish her education. She wouldn't be able to do that anymore. Madison doubted that she would be able to go to school and be trained for combat (combat, oh Herr!) while she was in Georgia. Oh, she was so screwed.
The first person she told was Louise Torres, her best friend. Madison knew that Louise wouldn't lash out on her like her mother or sister would. Throughout all of their years as being best friends, Louise and Madison have never yelled at each other.
"You're leaving? What do you mean by that? Are you moving?" Louise had asked, nervously twisting her dark auburn hair. Madison had thought for a moment on how she was going to answer her friend's questions.
"Not...exactly," Madison began, twisting her hands. "It's more of...being relocated."
"Relocated? Do you mean the Corps decided that you need to be somewhere else?"
Madison sighed. There was no way of putting this lightly. "Yes. I am going to be in Georgia."
There was silence between the two girls before Louise had asked, "Why are they moving you to Georgia?"
Madison took a deep breath. "They are assigning me to a company to be their nurse. I'm to travel with them. It's...I don't know. I don't know how to explain it and I don't know what any of this means."
"You are going to travel with a bunch of men in a different country?! What did your family think?"
"They, uh...they don't know yet," Madison offered lamely. "Louise, please, you cannot tell anybody. I am planning on telling them very soon. I just needed to tell you first."
Louise's eyes widen just the tiniest bit. "You mean...they don't know? You didn't even tell Morgan?"
Madison bowed her head, feeling guilt and shame. "I just...I know how she would react with me. She would be angry with me. Very angry, if I may add. She was even upset that I had signed up in the first place! She didn't talk to me for at least twenty-four hours after that! How would she react now? She may never want to talk to me ever again!" Madison looked back up and Louise noticed that her friend's eyes were watering. "I told you first because I knew that you would never be angry with me, no matter what I did."
Louise was silent for a moment before she responded. "Alright, fine. I will not tell anyone what is happening. I wasn't going to anyway," Madison smiled at her sister in all ways but blood. Of course Louise wouldn't tell, she was like a safety vault with secrets. "But you need to tell them soon."
"I know, and I will," Madison promised. She just needed to find out how to tell them.
* * *
Madison's family did not take the news well.
"Madison Elizabeth, I forbid it!" Matthew, Sr. had yelled. Anyone who has met the balding Klein all agreed that he was rather mellow, and that it took a lot to make him angry and be terrified of him. This situation of one of his daughters doing something so...outrageous would cause him to be upset. Even though Madison didn't enjoy being yelled at by her father, she still tried to reason with him.
"I'm sorry, Pop, I really am. Did you think that I want to go to Georgia and out of the country? No, I did not! But I definitely will not back out now. I can't back out now! People are going to need me! My help will be needed!"
Matthew, Sr. rubbed at his temples hard. "Madison, sweetheart, I know that you want to help. But with you to be with all of these men...Madison, please, think about it. You are going to be with a group full of men who might take advantage of you, liebling. You are fourteen-years-old and you are not even five foot! You need to stay here."
Madison took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Papa, but I can't. They decided that I needed to be somewhere else. I cannot disobey them. I must do my duty for our country."
Matthew, Sr. eyed his eldest daughter. "Well then, I will not be the one to tell your mother or your siblings. You may do that yourself."
* * *
Morgan had exploded on Madison when she heard.
"You're going where?!"
"They're sending me away to Georgia, Morgie," Madison restated her answer. "They decided that I am needed there to help the men while they fight."
"So...you're going to Europe?"
"Or the pacific, they never said."
"Oh, so you could be with Matt and die with him? That's great."
"Morgan!" Marlene scolded the youngest twin. Marlene may not have been happy with what her oldest daughter will be doing, but she wouldn't be able to stop it. There was nothing they could do about the situation. "You will not talk like that!"
"Who cares, mama? Someone is going to die anyway, and Madison just added herself to the possibility of being killed!"
That set Madison off. "What is that supposed to mean? Do you think I am going to get myself killed? Well guess what, Morgan? You are wrong; dead wrong!"
As Madison said that, Morgan realized what she had truly just said. "No, Maddie, I only meant..."
"You know what Morgan? I don't care. Don't even bother coming to the train station and telling me goodbye. Obviously, you don't have faith in me." Or in Matt.
* * *
It was a week later, and Madison was boarding a train to go to Toccoa, Georgia. She was dressed in her uniform and was ready to go.
Not.
Madison was nervous, she knew it. Her heart was beating rapidly against her rib cage. Her palms were clammy and she was trying really hard to not shake.
Everyone hugged Madison goodbye. Her father and mother held her tightly and letting her know that they loved her very much and would always be proud of her, no matter what. Matthew, Sr. and Marlene tried hard not to cry, but their eldest daughter could see the tears forming in their eyes.
Madison's younger brother Michael was the next one to hug her. He held on to her, crying and asking for her to not go away. Madison had to keep the tears held back as she promised little Michael that she was not going away forever. She would be back with him and the others soon enough.
Louise was the next person to hug her. Louise was letting the tears flow freely, but no sound was emitted.
"Stay safe, Madison," Louise had said.
"Always," Madison promised. "Please, watch out for my family if you can. Especially Morgan."
"I will."
After Louise it was Louise's mother and Louise's nephew and niece. Louise's mother had told her that they were all proud of her for what she was doing, even though they may not be one hundred percent happy with it or understood why she was doing this. Other relatives, such as her father's parents, and a few of her other friends hugged her as well. Finally, it was Morgan that she had said goodbye to.
Over the course of Madison's last week at home, the girls had rarely spoken to each other. They both knew what had been said was hurtful, but they could never find the willpower of confronting each other. Not until the day that Madison had to leave was an apology made. Madison and Morgan had clung to each other tightly, not wanting to let their sister go.
"I'm so sorry I said that you wouldn't live," Morgan had begun. "It was mean to say, and it's not true. You're one of the strongest people I know. I know you will survive anything! You and Matt both!"
Madison pulled away just enough so she could look at her twin right in the eye. They both shared the same blue eyes, the same nose, sandy brown hair...they were identical. Not one person could tell who was who. (Although after the war was over, people would be able to tell the two apart a bit better.)
"I'm sorry that I had exploded on you," Madison told her sister. "That wasn't fair for you. After I thought about it...I thought about what it was like to be in your shoes. I'm leaving you. First Matt had left, and now I am going to? You're losing two of your siblings, not just one. It's not fair either way."
"Just be safe and write to us, okay? Come home as soon as you can," Morgan ordered the older twin.
Madison smiled and hugged her tightly one last time. "I promise that I will."
The train whistle blew, signaling it was time to go. Madison knew that she had to leave.
"Goodbye, schwester," Madison whispered into Morgan's ear. "Stay safe."
* * *
TRANSLATIONS these shall be provided for every chapter. These are just rough translations, because while I know bits and phrases, I am not perfect.
Oma - Grandma (Grandmother)
Oh, Herr! - Oh, Lord!
Schwester - sister
* * *
A/N 2 (OG; minor edits): Hello everyone! It's been quite a while since I have written something, and as my school year is coming to an end, I decided to begin on a new project. Specifically, this one. I have been HBO war trash since the sixth grade and I thought, "Well, why not write something?" So, here I am, writing a story for Band of Brothers. It's been awhile since I've written something (and took it very seriously), so bear with me here. I was planning on doing a chapter for each episode but decided that it would be just too long, especially the wait!
I based my main character on different factors. First, her age. I based her on James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes from the Marvel Comics franchise. Bucky was a young teenager during his time in World War II, and my character is the same age as he is as time goes on, if my memory serves me correctly. Yeah, maybe some of it may not be...accurate, but it's fanfiction. And I have heard and read numerous stories where things like this has happened. In other words, there were quite a few underage civilians who lied to join the service! I also chose Madison to be this young because I wasn't planning for her to have any romance with any of the men in Easy Company this story. I thought I would shake things up a bit. (However, feel free to ship her with whoever you want. I don't care.)
The second factor would be her family and her heritage. I somewhat based her off of my great-grandfather's family during the time the story takes place. His family was German and I believe his mother and father were immigrants. They had seven children, but I cut that down just a bit. My grandmother was a twin and in this story, so is my character. She and her twin are the middle children, with an older and younger brother. And later, I will publish a story about my character's older brother. (See: They Used to Shout My Name (Now They Whisper It). I plan on rewriting that one too after I read one of Sledge's books.)
The third factor is the name. My character is named Madison Klein. During this time, Madison was considered to be a male name and the name became popular for women in the later twentieth century (according to Wikipedia, 1952. It did become popular after Splash came out in 1984). I thought the name was a beautiful one, and it could serve some humor as well. I chose the last name Klein because it was German, and I liked how it sounded with Madison's full name. Madison means quite a few things. The basic meaning is usually "Son of Matthew (or Maud)". It's an English name. Klein is both Dutch and German. It means "small". I also thought this could serve a purpose later on (but Madison wouldn't be too pleased as to why, poor girl).
If you need help deciding what Madison (and her twin) looks like, well I can't choose just one, I have so many FCs for the twins! I know some people need someone, but there's really no concrete one for me :/ However, here is a small (and still growing) list:
Modern Stars: My first choice is Emilia Clarke. However, AnnaSophia Robb could be another good choice. I've also taken inspiration from the Olsen family: the twins and Elizabeth.
Based on the actual era the story takes place (want to picture some noir stars? Go ahead! I sometimes do): Gene Tierney, Judy Garland, Martha Vickers, Shirley Temple. (This list is based on their birthdays, which range from 1920 to 1928.)
Others I have thought about, but could also be cast as Marlene Klein due to their ages: Madchen Amick, Elisabeth Shue.
I am also very sure that I am missing other possible FCs (as I've said, I have a list), but like I said, just picture her however you want. (How do people just pick one faceclaim? That's too hard for me!l)
The title comes from Lorde's Team. I love Lorde, and I decided to use titles from her music. She's so great. I love Lorde. We're On Each Other's Team is part one of my HBO War Series.
Finally, at last, the disclaimers. I mean to take no offense to anyone. This story is for fictional purposes, and is based on the actors' interpretations, and there will most likely be canon divergence. Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy reading this!