Notes: Mari and Sammy – Thank you for sharing everything in the REAL and real world. The last two years have flown by and I'm looking forward to many more!
Esther – Happy birthday, my friend! I wish you nothing but the best. Always.
Readers and REAL McRollers – Thank you for the heartwarming love you've shown all the REAL World characters, and Cody in particular.
Hope you enjoy!
Capture the Flag (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
Friday, May 27
"Hey, are you about ready?" Catherine asked as Steve came downstairs dressed in a long-sleeve t-shirt and cargoes.
"Yep. Good to go."
"I'm gonna text Jadon and let him know I'm on my way," she said, taking out her phone and typing a quick message.
Steve bent to say goodbye to Cammie. "You sure you don't just want to take one vehicle?"
"Oh no," she said, pocketing her phone. "Jadon and I need to have a strategy session before we start."
He chuckled, straightening. "Okay," he said, shaking his head in amusement.
"What?"
He gave a little shrug, stepping closer to her and running his hands along the sleeves of her own long-sleeve shirt on their way to her waist. "It's good to know we're just as competitive now that we're married."
Her brow creased, and she tilted her head to the side. "Did you really think we wouldn't be?"
"No." He grinned. "Obstacle course proved that."
She smiled, running her hands up his chest. "Mmm, I still have some victory gummy bears left. We didn't finish them all."
"Yeah, I noticed you've been saving the yellow ones."
"They taste like lemon drops," she reasoned.
His smile remained in place as he leaned down and kissed her.
"Hmm, victory gummy bears," he said. His eyes danced with mirth. "So what do I get when I win today?"
" 'When'?" she balked, though she didn't step out of his arms.
"When," he repeated confidently.
"You forget, I'm no slouch on the paintball field."
"You're no slouch anywhere … but have you forgotten I've played with Jadon? The kid's a lot of things, but stealthy is not one of them. Neither is patient."
She chuckled.
"Plus my teammate got advice from you last year," he continued with a pointed look, "and I guarantee he hasn't forgotten any of it."
She smiled, recalling her phone call to Cody, unashamed. "Hence my need for a strategy session."
"Strategize all you want, Rollins. I am very confident about who's coming out on top this afternoon."
"Ooh, so maybe the winner will get to pick who's on top this evening?" she suggested, a saucy smile on her face.
His eyebrows shot up, and his smile grew in response. "I like the sound of that."
"You're on, Commander." She leaned up to kiss him, playing with the hair at the back of his neck.
Her phone buzzed, and she settled back on her heels to check it.
"That's my teammate," she said. She kissed him once more briefly and turned toward the door, grabbing her keys from the end table. "We'll see you and the birthday boy there."
"So apparently Catherine and Jadon are having a strategy session," Steve said to Cody as they drove to the paintball facility.
Cody snorted. "She's gonna have a hard time with that. Jadon isn't exactly the best at following instructions."
"Yeah, I get the feeling he's a little impulsive."
"Just a little?"
Steve chuckled. "Anyway, we should figure out our own strategy."
Cody nodded, looking at Steve from the passenger seat.
"Now, unless Jadon has been practicing non-stop since last May, Catherine's our real threat," Steve said.
"J hasn't played since my last birthday."
Steve nodded. "Okay. And I know Catherine's playbook."
"Cool." He stopped, his eyes narrowing. "But ... doesn't that mean she knows yours, too?"
Steve paused, reaching a stop light, and glanced at the teen. "That's a good point. We may need to mix it up."
"Mix it up?"
"She'll be expecting me to take charge, so instead we'll have you call the shots."
"Me?" Cody looked surprised.
"You."
The teen smiled, nodding slowly. "Okay."
Steve smiled back. "All right."
The light turned green, and they continued to drive.
"How's your birthday been so far?" Steve asked.
"Good. Mom made French Toast this morning."
"Your favorite."
"Yeah. And Jacob made this." He pushed up his sleeve to show the woven bracelet with a blue LEGO attached.
Steve glanced over and nodded, his lip twitching up in a smile. "Stylish."
Cody ducked his head, smiling at the homemade gift from his youngest brother.
"Kaitlyn's making a cake for later," he added. "And Dylan and Casey said they'd do my chores all next week."
"Nice."
"And Jess is coming over for dinner tonight."
"That sounds great. And last day of school was yesterday, that's a nice birthday present."
"Yeah."
"Well, here we are," Steve said as they pulled up to the empty facility next to Catherine's blue Corvette. "What do you say we keep celebrating with a paintball victory?"
Cody grinned. "Sounds good."
Steve nodded, matching his grin. "Let's do it."
After the four players got their gear on, they agreed to start with a round of Capture the Flag. The proprietor, Hanale Kama, had reserved the facility for them as he had done the previous year for Cody's birthday and had offered to serve as referee once again.
Catherine and Jadon hid their flag in an old tire, a corner of the red fabric visible as directed by Hanale. They moved behind a wooden structure to wait for the game to begin.
"Okay, lay it on me," Jadon said, looking at Catherine eagerly through his goggles. "How we gonna beat 'em?"
"First of all," she began and reached over to adjust his grip on his paintball gun. "That's better. Now remember what we talked about. Stealth. When we're not next to each other, watch for my hand signals."
"Right."
"Not only do we have to find their flag, but we have to defend ours, so we gotta work together."
"Okay."
"Steve plays aggressively, so we gotta be smart. And patient."
"Got it."
"Teams, ready!" Hanale called out. "Game on!"
Catherine peered around the structure and, seeing no movement, signaled for Jadon to stay put while she scouted the terrain. He nodded, taking his position where he could keep an eye on their flag.
Staying low, Catherine moved down a slight incline to get a better view of the field from behind a fallen log. After getting her bearings, she moved back to Jadon.
"Those crates will make for a good decoy location," she said quietly, motioning to her left.
He nodded and matched her volume. "Okay." He started to move in that direction but she grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Pick a spot where you can see the tires." She nodded toward their opponents' side of the field. "Make sure they're not approaching. I'm gonna give them something to think about. Wait till you see me get to midfield before you follow."
"Okay."
"And Jadon?"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Have fun."
Though his mask hid his mouth, she could tell he was grinning by the look in his eyes. She nodded back and motioned for him to move out.
After a brief skirmish a few minutes later, they regrouped behind a tin shack in their territory. Jadon hissed, rubbing his thigh where he'd been hit by one of Steve's green paintballs.
"I forgot how much that stings," he said.
"Maybe that's why you haven't played in a year," Catherine teased, peering around the corner of the shack.
When she looked back, Jadon's shoulders were slumped despite the fact that they had to be hit three times before being eliminated.
She squeezed his arm. "Don't worry, we're all gonna get hit today."
"Even SuperSEAL?"
"Oh yeah," Catherine said confidently. "I'll get him."
He stared at her admiringly. "You're pretty awesome, you know that?"
She chuckled. "Thanks, Jadon."
"Call me All Day J."
"I'm not gonna call you All Day J."
"Just J?" he tried.
"As long as you call me Catherine," she countered.
He straightened. "You got it. What's the new plan, Catherine?"
She looked around the corner again. "Head back to the crates. They're starting to creep up. I'm gonna see if I can get behind them, try to spot their flag. Remember, keep to your cover until you see me signal."
"Got it." He put a fist out, and she bumped it.
Ten minutes and a few hits later, Cody dove behind the cover of a set of barrels after Steve, breathing hard as he scrambled into a sitting position, blue paint splattered on his leg. "She's good."
"Yes, she is," Steve said, looking around the other side of the barrel, blue paint on his arm where one of Catherine's paintballs had hit him.
"But I think I have a good idea where their flag is. Jadon has been patrolling that area by all the crates, but I think that's a decoy. He keeps looking over by the tires."
"Where?" Steve prompted him to be more specific. "There's a lot of tires."
Cody closed his eyes, thinking for a second. "East of the tin shack."
"Good," Steve said with a nod. "I saw that, too. I think you're right."
Cody straightened proudly, leaning against the barrel.
"How should we take it?" Steve asked.
The teen thought for a moment. "I think we both need to advance. Maybe to the far side of the field?" he said, pointing in the direction he meant. "Out of Catherine's range. Jadon's still way back and we can take him two-on-one. If we move fast, we can get there before Catherine has a chance to find our flag, and if she decides to come after us instead she'll have to move into the open."
Steve nodded his approval. He pointed to another set of barrels several feet away. "I'll cover you. On three."
Cody nodded and moved into a crouch in preparation to run.
Catherine had to stay behind cover when Cody ran for the second set of barrels since Steve pelted a few paintballs in her direction. She returned fire when he moved, but didn't connect.
She knew she wouldn't get a better chance to search their territory, so decided to trust Jadon to hold them off for a few minutes before heading back to help him defend their flag.
Unfortunately, Jadon broke cover when he saw both Cody and Steve heading for the tires and was eliminated when Cody hit him in the side.
"That's three," Jadon groaned, rubbing the area where he was sure to have a bruise later.
"And that's game," Cody said, grabbing the red flag from inside the tire as Steve guarded against Catherine's approach.
"We have our winners!" Hanale announced, and the four players relaxed, lifting their masks off.
"Green looks good on you, Rollins," Steve said with a smirk, nodding to her leg where one of his paintballs had hit.
"And blue's always been your color," she retorted, grinning.
He glanced at his sleeve, acknowledging the hit.
"Do you want to go again?" Hanale asked. "Or move on to speedball?"
Steve and Catherine looked at Cody.
"What do you say, birthday boy?" Steve asked.
Cody's smile spread across his face. "Speedball."
Afterwards, the four headed to Kamekona's to refuel. They had changed at the facility, the teens' clothes covered in paint, Steve and Catherine's less so but still in need of a fresh set.
Jadon and Cody animatedly described the games to Kamekona, who nodded appreciatively.
"No wonder you all were in need of some serious sustenance," he observed, motioning to the now empty trays in front of them. "Sounds like an intense afternoon."
"It was," Jadon agreed. "Catherine was awesome. Command–" he began and corrected himself at Steve's look. "I mean, Steve . . . I think I'm kinda in love wit' your wife, man."
Catherine chuckled, and Steve raised an eyebrow.
"But don't worry," Jadon rushed on to say. "Just friends." He held up both hands. "I swear."
Steve snorted. "Thanks for the reassurance, J."
"No problem, SuperSEAL," Jadon said easily, causing Steve and Catherine to exchange an amused look.
"Well, you paintball warriors let me know if I can get you anything else," Kamekona said.
"Thanks," Steve said.
"And happy birthday, my friend," he said to Cody. "You sure you don't want a complimentary shave ice?"
" 'Complimentary'?" Steve said. "I didn't think you ever used word."
"It's pretty rare," Kamekona agreed seriously. "Only for special occasions."
Steve smiled at Cody. "I'd say this qualifies."
"Definitely," Catherine agreed.
Cody smiled, looking down for a beat with a small smile on his face. "Maybe in a little bit?" he said, half question, half statement.
"You let me know," Kamekona said and walked back toward the shrimp truck.
On the table, Cody's phone buzzed, and he glanced at it.
Smiling, he said, "It's Jess. She says she wants to play next time, but only if she gets to be on Catherine's team."
Steve chuckled and shot a grin at Catherine beside him. "Always winning the popularity contests."
She shrugged in response, smiling around her last bite of shrimp and rice.
"As long as I win the actual paintball contest," he continued, and she rolled her eyes.
"I dunno, SuperSEAL," Jadon said. "With a better teammate, she could probably take you."
"You did great," Catherine said sincerely. "We've had years of training and experience. You just need some more practice."
He smiled crookedly at her, clearly appreciating her words.
"But for now, I think it's time you and I headed out," she said.
Jadon jumped up, looking toward the Corvette in the parking lot. "In that sweet ride? I'm there."
Catherine stood as well, followed by Steve and Cody.
"Can I drive?" Jadon asked.
"Do you know how to drive a stick?"
"No."
"Then no," she said, a hint of a smile on her face.
"Aww, man," he said with a sigh.
Catherine chuckled. "We'll talk to your mom, maybe I can teach you sometime."
"Sweet!" He nudged Cody. "Did you hear that?"
Cody laughed, shaking his head. "I heard."
"You driven the 'vette yet?"
"No."
"Ha!" Jadon barked a laugh, slapping his shoulder. "That's what's up."
Catherine smiled, coming around the table.
"Happy birthday, Cody," she said, pulling him into a brief hug.
"Thanks," he said, returning her smile.
"Yeah, happy birthday, man," Jadon echoed, giving him a hand slap and shake and a one-armed hug.
"Thanks, man. And thanks for the movie tickets."
"The new X-Men is out," Jadon said meaningfully. "I'm just sayin'."
Cody laughed, nodding. "I'll text you."
Jadon smiled, then turned to Steve.
"Good game, J," Steve said, offering his hand.
Jadon started to shake it, then grinned toothily and launched himself forward with a hug. "I'll get you next time, SuperSEAL."
Steve laughed. "Next time." He leaned over, kissing Catherine briefly. "See you at home."
"Yep." She smiled at Jadon. "All right, come on, All Day J."
He beamed and rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Ha!" He fell into step beside her and asked, "You sure I can't drive?"
Steve and Cody chuckled as they watched the two head for the parking lot. Steve gathered up their trash before taking his seat again, and Cody sat across from him.
"Okay, present time," Steve said, taking out his wallet.
"You don't have to get me anything …"
"Yeah, well, I haven't yet." He handed him a business card.
Cody studied at it. "Mako's," he read. He looked up at Steve. "This is the place where we got our tuxes."
"That's right," Steve said, nodding. "He sells regular suits, too. And you need a nice suit."
"I do?"
"Yeah, for interviews. Like if you end up applying for that internship with the governor's office." He shrugged. "Or even if you don't. You're seventeen, now, Cody. You're headed into your last year of high school. It's time to start thinking seriously about what's next."
Cody squinted. "You mean like college?"
"That's one option, yeah," Steve said with a nod. He looked at him earnestly. "This is gonna be a big year for you. A lot of decisions to make about the future."
Cody looked down, swallowing. "I don't really … know what I want to do."
"That's okay," Steve said. "We'll talk through some things. Figure out the path that's best for you." He leaned down to catch the teen's eye. "I'm gonna be there, Cody. So's your mom. And a whole line of other people. We're here for you."
Cody sat up straighter, his eyes focused on the man across from him.
Steve smiled softly. "I've watched you change a lot over the last year and a half. Watched you grow into the man you are now. And that's a man I'm glad I know." He shook his head. "I'm not worried about your future," he said with complete honesty. "I can't wait to see it."
Cody smiled gratefully, holding his gaze. "Thanks, Steve. I'm glad you're gonna be in it."
Steve nodded once. "I will be." He reached over and clasped Cody's upper arm. "Happy birthday, Cody."
Cody's smile grew bright. "Thanks."
An hour later, Steve returned home. Catherine and Cammie came into the living room at the sound of the door.
"Hey," he said with a smile, kissing her briefly and then rubbing Cammie's head. "You get your newest admirer home all right?"
She chuckled. "Yeah."
"How many more times did he ask to drive?"
Grinning, she said, "Three or four. What'd Cody think of his present?"
"Got him thinking about the future, that's for sure."
She nodded. "Good. That's good. I think it's gonna be a great year for him."
Steve smiled proudly. "Yeah. I think so, too."
They shared another smile, and then Steve's expression shifted, catching her around the waist and pulling her closer.
"Now about my victory …" he said leadingly.
She ran her hands up his chest to his shoulders, smiling. "Mmm, I thought we could start with a shower …" she began suggestively. "Check each other for bruises." Her fingers moved down his left arm. "I know I got you here." She put a hand on his hip. "And here." Her hand moved around his back and under his shirt, sliding down under his waistband as she pressed closer, and he inhaled sharply.
"I don't think you got me there," he said, his voice low as he dipped his head toward her.
"Better check," she murmured, her lips coming close to his. "Just to make sure."
"Always thorough," he said approvingly. "I like that about you, Lieutenant."
She quirked an eyebrow. "Just 'like'?"
He shook his head, hands smoothing over her back. "No. Not just like." He caught her lips in a heated kiss, arms tightening around her.
After a long moment, they pulled apart, both breathless.
"Come on, Commander," she said, nodding toward the stairs. A sultry note crept into her voice. "Let's play our own game of capture the flag."
He kissed her again. "You're on."
Hope you enjoyed!
Thanks to sue2556 for the yellow gummy bear idea :-)
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