O's Disclaimers: General disclaimers apply. I don't own GI Joe or the songs mentioned nor do I make any money on this fic. The only characters I did create would be the children: Alexis, Riley, & Caitlin Hauser.
O's Notes: Have you ever just had something affect you, and you just couldn't shake it until you did something about it? Well, a recent conversation left me with this empty, lonely feeling. On the way home, I was radio-surfing when the first song came on the radio. Anyway, I got an idea to help put some of my thoughts, emotions, and concerns into perspective, and my husband encouraged me to write this. (Mr. Action/Adventure man – no not Duke - himself was prompting me to write this romancy/angsty story). Because I wanted to incorporate all the Hauser children that I had created, I had to find a song that would fit for a little boy, thus the second song. I added the last song to the end of this fic because I heard the song on the way to work, and it just seemed to sum up the entire theme. So now, I offer it to you to read. From some 'sneak peek' responses and feedback, tears in one's eyes may occur.
A Sense of DutyShana Hauser stood beside the crib of her youngest daughter. Caitlin Shana Hauser was six months old and had been a joy to watch grow and interact with her older siblings. Shana smiled to herself, remembering the long, grueling 28-hour labor that she endured, but she knew that she would do it again in a heartbeat. She had nearly crushed her husband's hand throughout the long delivery, but the pain disappeared as soon as their little redheaded beauty was born. No pain compared to some of the agony she encountered while in the military, specifically when she was the captured soldier among the terrorists known as Cobra.
Shana had met her husband at GI Joe, and except for some little bumps in the road, the two of them had known from the first kiss that they were meant to be together. Conrad Hauser had been the First Sergeant of the Joes and had led the team against multiple battles involving Cobra and the evil that they wanted to unleash on the world. At times, it appeared that the Joes would falter against Cobra, but by some miracle, they seemed to stop Cobra in time to save the world from Cobra's antics. Sometimes, the team came back to headquarters a little worse for the wear, and unfortunately at times, a fellow teammate didn't make it back alive. She had lost several teammates over the years, but it was a small price to pay for freedom, and one that the entire team had been willing to give in order to save someone else and fight for what they believed in.
Shana gave her sleeping infant a kiss on the forehead and headed out the bedroom door. She stopped to check on her son, Riley Conrad Hauser. He was almost two but had been following his older sister for long enough that the "terrible twos" had been present in him since shortly after he turned one.
Riley was his father's pride and joy. Conrad had almost missed his son's birth, but thanks to Wayne and Dash, he made it to her side moments before Riley was born. Conrad had beamed with pride as he bragged about his son's entrance into the world. Riley had been so eager to enter the world that Doc had to deliver him at the base hospital. Although Conrad loved all of his children equally, Shana knew that he was the happiest man on earth when his son was born. His room was decked out in both Atlanta and St. Louis sporting paraphernalia, supporting the teams from each of their hometowns. The Hauser house got pretty confrontational when these two teams played each other.
Shana smiled and kissed her sleeping carrot-top boy. He stirred slightly and curled up, sucking his thumb. She switched his light to nightlight mode and left his room. She quietly opened the door to her oldest daughter's room. Unicorns decorated this room from floor to ceiling. Alexis Maille Hauser had a fetish with the one-horned horses and would check the stables each morning to see if one of the horses had magically turned into a unicorn. Shana tried to explain that the unicorn was a mythical creature, but to a four-year old, the word mythical only meant that adults had never really seen them in person.
Her blond daughter lay sprawled out on her pink canopy bed and had, as normal, kicked off her covers. Shana replaced the covers and brushed some of the hair out her daughter's face. Alexis rolled over and said, "I love you mommy" through her sleepy voice.
"I love you too, honey," Shana whispered and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Shana and Conrad's life had certainly changed dramatically after Alexis was born; and at that moment when Doc had placed Alexis in her arms for the first time, Shana was absolutely certain that all the years of fighting Cobra was definitely worth everything that she had endured fighting for freedom.
As she closed her daughter's door, she realized how lucky and fortunate that she was to have a loving husband and three wonderful kids. She had done so much in her life, but if anyone would have told her ten years ago that she would be retired from the military, married to Conrad, and raising three kids, she would have scoffed at their remarks.
As she meandered down the hall to her bedroom, she supposed she knew that deep down she and Conrad were meant to be together, but she had never seen herself as anyone other than an Army soldier. Possibly married but not a mother. As she closed her bedroom door and changed into her pajamas, the feelings of happiness and contentment faded away. A longing and yearning entered her soul.
She crawled into bed and looked over at the blond-haired, smiling face of her husband. She reached over and caressed his cheek. "I love you Conrad. Stay safe and come back home to the kids and I soon. We all miss you and love you so very much." She replaced the picture on the nightstand, switched off the light, and settled down to sleep, hoping and praying that her husband and her other deployed friends would come home very soon, safe and sound.
Halfway across the globe, several soldiers were preparing for their day. One of them looked up into the sky and said, "I love you too, Shana, my love."
O's Ending Notes: Please keep all of our service men and women here and abroad in your hearts and prayers, not only the US military but also all military regimes around the world.
BTW: My conversation revolved around a client telling me about her husband, who is in the Marines (I believe), and he has yet to see or hold their four-month old baby girl. He shipped out before Thanksgiving, and my heart just ached for them.