1/2
Warning: Contains period appropriate slurs.
Flight Lieutenant Sam Mitchell was sitting in the pilot's seat of the Mosquito, with Flight Sergeant Bill Ford in the navigator's seat next to them. It was night and they could see the tracer rounds from the German night-fighter flash past them. Any moment now they would be replaced with cannon rounds, and that would be the end of them. Sam rammed the throttles forward and put the wooden aircraft into a sharp climb. The two Merlin engines screamed as the propellers tore the air apart. Another burst of tracers, closer this time.
"Damn! It must be one of those new Kraut birds with rockets under the wings!" Sam yelled in frustration.
"And we've got foo-fighters on our starboard. Keep clear of them!" Bill called back.
"Why? What's up with them?"
"They say that any plane that touches them is never seen again."
Another burst of tracers, this one nicking the outer port wing.
"Can't be any worse than collecting a bunch of cannon shells!" Sam wrenched the stick around, and turned into the glowing light.
"No! Don't!"
The engines stopped. Suddenly it was daylight, and they both blinked hard to clear their eyes. Bill looked to where the foo-fighter had been. In its place there was a human-sized figure, with gossamer wings holding onto the wing of the bomber. She was naked.
Bill stared.
"Damn the engines won't restart. Bill? Can you recycle the fuel pump by hand? Bill? Bill?" Getting no response Sam looked over and saw what Bill was staring at. The fairy grinned with sharp teeth, waved at Sam, and let go of the wing.
"Bill, the fairy is gone, can you try pressurising the fuel pump by hand?"
"Uh, yeah, sure."
After a few minutes it was clear that the engines were not going to restart.
"OK, I'm going to have to dead-stick her in. Can you see anywhere to land?"
Bill looked into the bombsight for a few moments, then "There's a beach just below us. It looks big enough."
"OK, I'll take us in."
Ten minutes later the aircraft bounced along the hard-packed sand, and rolled to a surprisingly orderly stop.
Bill and Sam climbed out, and looked around. The sea was perfectly flat and blue, to the other side of the beach, there was a forest, emerald green in the summer sun. It had been mid-winter not half an hour ago.
"Um, Bill, I think we might be in fairyland. You know, Underhill."
"So don't eat anything?"
"Not if you want to leave" a voice came from behind them.
They turned to see the fairy that had been on their wing standing on the sand.
"Those are most unflattering." A wave of the hand saw Bill dressed in doublet and hose, while Sam was suddenly in a flowing gown that covered everything but left little to the imagination "Much better."
"Um, Sam, how come?" Bill started to ask.
Sam looked down, and swore. "Shit. I guess the cat's out of the bag. Yes, Bill, I'm a woman."
Bill blinked "We thought you were a nancy! You fly so well, no-one cared."
2/2
"Excuse me!" the fairy interrupted "You are both mortals in the lands of the Summer Queen. You may leave if you find the way out, but only if you don't eat anything."
"Right, and I suppose you are not going to tell us how to leave?" Bill asked.
"Oh, I can. Are you willing to pay the price though?"
Sam broke in "What is the price?"
The fairy grinned, all sharp teeth "A memory".
Bill started to say something, when Sam clapped her hand over his mouth. "Let me guess, the memory is of having lived outside of these lands."
The fairy clapped and laughed "Oh, I like you. You are so much cleverer than the usual run. How clever are you?"
Sam thought for a moment, then "How about a deal?"
"A deal? How delightful. Go on."
"You tell Bill how to leave, and you get to keep me."
"You swear to never try to leave?"
"So long as Bill gets to go home back to Beaker Hill airfield and arrive safe, unharmed, and with a plausible reason for his appearance, and my absence."
"Uh, Sam," Bill interjected "what about you?"
"Bill, you have a fiance and a family. My family were all killed in the Blitz. I took my brother's place so I could sign up."
"So," the fairy broke in "if you have nothing to lose, what do I have to gain?"
"I lose the chance of revenge against the Nazis who killed my family."
The fairy stared, the grin gone suddenly "You would give that up for him? We understand revenge just as well as you mortals, and you would give it up?"
"It is the right thing to do."
"Deal!" and the fairy turned to Bill "Just dive into the ocean. You will surface next to one of your rescue boats. Go. Now!"
"Go on, Bill. I'll be fine."
"Is your name even Sam?"
"No dice - names have power here. Just go."
Bill waded into the water and dived under. He did not reappear.
"Now, miss lady who is not Sam" said the fairy "what is the real reason?"
"What I said was true. But also if I were to return there would be a medical exam. And my disguise would never survive that."
"How did you get through the enlistment?"
"My brother had already had his medical. And we were twins."
"Ah. So what shall I call you?"
"Keep calling me Sam. It will do. What do I call you, my lady?"
"Hmm.. just call me, oh, I know. Call me 'Summer'."
Sam frowned, and then a look of realization came over her. She bowed "Very well Summer. When no one is around, that is what I will call you."
"Very quick. Tell me what were you before you became a warrior?"
Sam grinned "Something much more dangerous. A writer."
