The Secret Behind The Tattoo

A/N: All JE characters are hers. I own Piper Longstride. Thanks!

Hal and Cal are on a steak out waiting for a FTA to finally come home after his binge.

Hal POV

"God, this is so boring Cal. How can you just sit there?"

"Part of the job man."

"Yea I know but still." Hal looks over at Cal in the passenger seat debating whether or not to ask him what he has been dying to know since the day he met him two years ago when he joined Rangeman and got partnered with him.

"Dude, what do you want? You've been staring at me for the past five minutes."

"Well I was wondering if I could ask you something?"

"Depends, is it something I can answer?"

"Yes."

"Alright, fire away."

Yes! Finally! "Okay well I was wondering if you would tell me why you got that tattoo on your forehead?"

Cal just looks at him. Stunned.

Crap! He's gonna kill me! I shouldn't have asked. Great now Ranger is gonna have to hire a new partner for Cal, one who's not dumb enough to ask him about his tattoo.

Instead Cal does something Hal never thought he would do. Cal laughs, like a full blown belly laugh.

"Hahaha, wow I didn't think anyone was ever gonna get up the nerve to ask me that." Cal smiles.

Oh thank god he's not gonna kill me and is sounds like he is actually gonna tell me.

"Okay, well it was me and my best friend Longstride. We were both Captains at the time, on leave so we went to the bar. Were pretty buzzed by the time I got the crazy idea to get a tattoo, Longstride thought is was a great idea when I said it. So we did it."

"Wait so you both got tattoos? While being almost drunk?"

"Yep"

"What did Longstride get? And why did you get it on your forehead?"

"Longstride got a star inside a sun design thing; I don't remember what it meant. I got the skull on my forehead cause I thought it would look bad-ass and Longstride happen to agree with me so that's where I got it."

"Wow, that simple? Wait so what happened once you guys got back to base and your C.O. saw your tat?"

"I got reemed for it, got desk duty for three months, but it wasn't so bad I wasn't planning on staying in must longer anyway. My eight years were almost up."

"How long did you know Longstride before you two got your tat's?"

"We knew each other since basic. So a good while before we did something that stupid. Ha."

"Ah, sounds like you guys did some other dumb stuff before that."

"Yea we did, but Longstride has also managed to save my butt a couple times and cover for me when I did something dumb on my own. So we were thick as thieves."

"Were?"

"Still are it's just that communication is kinda hard seeing as Longstride is still in the service. Plus, the whole switching from Army to Air force two years ago, and being promoted to Colonel, lots of paperwork and political crap, keeping her busy, so not a lot of time to talk."

"HER?"

"Yea I didn't tell you that in the beginning?"

"NO!"

"Oh, sorry well yea Longstride is a girl. Okay it's been four hours sitting out here in the dark waiting for this guy to come home, looks like he ain't so lets call it a night and go home."

"Fine but we are continuing this conversation in the morning, I have a feeling there is some more to this story than your telling me and I want to hear more about this Longstride girl."

"Your not gonna let this drop now that you know are you?"

"Nope." Hal smugs

"Fine, but you better not wake me up at some ungodly hour to find out or so help me I'll take your ass to the mats and not tell you the rest of it and I won't answer any more questions ever. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Good, now start the car and lets get back to Rangeman."