SAR: Search and Rescue…
There were certain things about being in the captain's chair that were a given. For one thing is that you had to lead your men and they looked to you to make the right decisions since their lives depended upon it. It was a big responsibility and could only be earned as one moved up in ranks, something that John 'Soap' MacTavish learned as he moved up from sergeant to lieutenant and now captain of Task Force 141.
He never asked his men to do anything that he wouldn't do. The reason for that is in order to inspire his men by his example, he had to be willing to do what needed to be done and be there with them… where the metal meets the meat. Sometimes that worked a little too well. Everyone did what they were supposed to do, they covered their corners and still things happened. He was a seasoned enough soldier to know that it was a given shit happens but it still didn't make it better especially when he had a man in the infirmary with a hole in his chest.
Captain MacTavish sat at his desk and ran a hand through his hair thinking about what could have been done differently. He was on placing people in different positions when he heard a knock on his door. If it was Ghost deciding he needed a pick me up… "Enter."
The door opened followed by, "The last time someone told me to do that was the principal in tenth grade."
MacTavish turned to see the one person he would drop everything to have at least a decent conversation with without people being nosy. He smiled softly and replied, "And I'm sure you told him or her to fuck off. How are you Nico?"
Nicolette Walker, taking the opportunity to not play her cover of Lt. Nicole 'Ryan' Price, walked into MacTavish's office/quarters and closed the door with uncharacteristic quietness. She took in MacTavish's demeanor and replied, "I'm fine. Nothing that a saline wash couldn't cure."
"You were lucky you didn't get hit."
"Technically I was by debris and shrapnel and I have abrasions that make a baby rash pleasant," she countered as she pulled up the spare chair and sat in it. She had a grin on her face ready to give a more detailed description of that if the occasion called for it.
"Bad visual," MacTavish replied as he rubbed his head trying to get that image plus a few choice thoughts that he wasn't sure he wanted to say.
"I try." Nicolette sat back, trying not to wince since the back of her shoulder had one of those abrasions and the gauze covering it was sticky and itchy. She looked around and then at MacTavish and added, "Are you thinking about what happened out there? Soap?"
MacTavish stirred at her use of his call sign. None of his men knew it and she had been at pains to not refer to him by that since he was the captain and all that. It was like a warm pleasant feeling of familiarity. He was also at pains not to call her Nico since that would imply familiarity even though pretty much the 141 knew that they knew each other way back. It was more like seeing nothing and hearing nothing and everyone was happy as long as General Shepherd wasn't asking. He looked at her into her compelling hazel eyes and replied, "We have a man down in the infirmary Nico. Just trying to figure out what went wrong."
Nicolette nodded and leaned forward. She reached out and grasped his hand in reassurance and said, "Roach is fine. I was just there and Doc says that he'll be up and getting into trouble in no time. It's why we call him Roach."
"Funny. It suits you better." MacTavish gave a slight smile at her.
"So you're saying I bug you? I think I'll leave," Nicolette replied and got up to leave.
"You don't bug me, Nico. Don't go."
Nicolette turned to see MacTavish trying to give her a puppy look that just made her laugh. "A beagle looks more cuter than that Soap," she said in between bouts of laughter. She turned to take her seat. "Fine, I'll stay but I need a good reason to."
"So you don't like my company?" MacTavish stressed his Scottish accent more.
"Hell no," she replied with smile, not meaning it at all. Her American accent was a stark contrast to his Scottish one.
MacTavish laughed softly. It sobered though and he said, "It does bother me, Nico. You have no idea… or maybe you do… what it's like to lead men and they trust you to get them through… Did I do anything wrong?"
"If you have to ask me that…" Nicolette began softly. She paused as she looked at the board above his desk. She recognized the 22nd SAS patch and a few other things. She looked back at MacTavish and saw that he really wanted to know. She tried again, "If you have to ask me that… then, why are you the captain?"
MacTavish expected something like that from her. He gave a slight nod, "I guess I just want to know or hear if I did it right."
"Sometimes even the best laid plans go to shit. We've seen that enough."
"True."
Nicolette studied MacTavish. She recognized the look before. It had been awhile but it made a lasting impression on her and she could understand that. She looked around his office and spotted something that had her lip twitch in a slight smile. She knew what to do. Quietly getting up, she walked to the bookcase and picked up what she was looking for and held it, deliberately making noise to get his attention. "You still have it."
MacTavish looked up and saw what she was doing. He stood up to join her and take a look. Seeing what it was, he shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Well I wasn't going to get rid of something that reminded me of how annoying you are."
"Such sweet sentiments you utter," she replied with false simpering that had him chuckling at the face she made at him. "Well… how about for old time's sake?"
MacTavish looked at the box and at her and a slow smile began to form, "All right lass. You're on."
Nicolette grinned as he went to pull a small table up. She held the box with a dignified air as if ti contained the crown jewels itself. She said, "Okay then. Shall I be white? Or are you gonna bitch about it like the last time? Better yet take white. I can beat you with either."
"I'll take white then ya flaming arse," MacTavish replied as he sat down opposite of her as she set up the chessboard and pulled out the pieces.
"Try and keep up old man."
"I can run circles around ya," MacTavish stressed his accent even more.
"If you were on a treadmill."
They both laughed at that as Nicolette finished setting up the pieces. The first time they played chess together was when he was recuperating from injuries after he killed Zakhaev. He had been bored and she suggested it as something to keep his Scottish bitching at bay. They played a round and ended up shocking a few nurses and doctors since they were laughing while playing. She said it was his chance for him to get even since they really couldn't carry a conversation on without sarcasm and insults. MacTavish had won that time.
Nicolette noted the expression that was on MacTavish's face and could tell that he was remembering their first match. She said, "Do you need training wheels?"
"I can do it."
"Prove it Grandpa."
"No cheating brat."
"I'm good. You're too damn easy."
MacTavish started the match and made his move. "This could have been you." He gestured towards the white piece he had moved.
"Ladies first," Nicolette countered as she made her move and folded her hands sweetly like she was posing for a camera.
"You're hardly a lady," MacTavish countered as he made his move.
"I'm ruggedly handsome and you're just too damn ugly."
The game went on. Each player made an insult and talked smack as they made their move. Some comments made the other laugh or both of them laugh. Some of them were the worst things to call a person but it was done in good humor and neither of them meant it. They were engaged in a serious match and each was determined to win it.
MacTavish was aware that she was staring at him hard with that piercing gaze she did that made Ghost cave in and admit to something that she wasn't even asking about. He knew she was trying to get him to falter. She asked, "So is that your move?"
"My hand on the piece," he replied while he looked at the layout of the board. It looked like it was going good.
"Mate you in three no matter where you put that one and you owe me extra on the Little Bird you Scottish Nazi."
MacTavish almost wanted to laugh. She still was sore about his asking her to teach new hand to hand to the team? She already beat his ass black and blue on that one. His lip curled in a grin and he retorted, "I'd keep my eye on that queen. You always did suck at checking your corners."
"Says the Scottish bastard who nearly blew himself up."
MacTavish narrowed his eyes as he looked at Nicolette trying to see what she was up to while his hand was still on the piece. Deciding on what he was going to do, he released the piece, leaving it where he moved it. "Got anything for that you bloody Yank?"
Nicolette grinned as she studied the board like she would the fruit selection in the canteen. "I've got plenty as long as you admit punk rock went out with Barry Manilow," she countered making a dig at his Mohawk.
"Not in this lifetime, sweetheart," MacTavish replied realizing he let that one slip but it was too late to take it back. He quickly added, "And who the fuck is Barry Manilow?"
"Men are from Mars," Nicolette retorted the moment she heard that.
They continued on with their game until MacTavish made his move and said, "Check. Anything more, Muffin?"
"So cheesy, Cupcake," Nicolette replied as she looked at the move he made and studied her pieces. "I would have thought you could find yourself halfway to a decent pickup line."
"Would you like that?" MacTavish looked at her intently.
Nicolette looked up and caught MacTavish looking at her. They hadn't been drinking so he wasn't drunk. Did he really mean what he said? It threw her off and she hesitated and looked around for something to rescue her. She looked down at the board and looked at the pieces some more and was grateful that they didn't play on the timed mode otherwise she would have been in trouble since she was delaying her remark. What could she say?
MacTavish knew he had thrown her off balance. That was part of their game and she had done that plenty of times. It pleased him that he threw her that off balance since she always seemed ready with a dry comment or joke that she would only utter with the men and ended up making them laugh. Plus she used to say things that made him feel like an idiot and a damn rookie. He could guess she was asking herself whether or not to take the comment seriously. Truth was he was serious.
Nicolette looked for her rescue and picked up the piece she had decided on before he said that. She said, "Maybe… troglodyte." She didn't look at him as she moved her piece into position with a gentle finality to it. "Check and mate you strutting peacock."
MacTavish looked at the board and decided to tease her, "No it isn't."
"Yes it is and you owe me 2 hours flight time."
"Then you must need glasses because that is not checkmate."
Nicolette gave a defiant look at the man and said, "Yes it is you Scottish bastard. I won fair and square so pay up." She had stood up and looked defiant about it. If it came down to it they could settle this the old fashioned way and that she would definitely win unless he played dirty.
MacTavish grinned at her and stood meet her on a sort of equal field since he towered over her standing at attention. He noted her nostrils expanding as she was huffing and knew she would get physical. If there was one thing they both had a serious flaw or not was that they were extremely competitive. He had been guilty of getting her riled up on purpose just so she would do what he wanted to make his point with the men. The hand to hand was one of them.
Looking at her, he said, "I'll pay but you have to do it too."
"What do you mean?" Nicolette narrowed her eyes suspiciously at MacTavish.
"Pay your forfeit."
"What forfeit?"
"You used a name twice. You may have won the match but I won the name calling." He grinned at her to let her know that he had a point.
"Cheating bastard." She crossed her arms defiantly. "I protest."
"Too late." With a swoop MacTavish kissed her full on the lips, pressing his lips against hers firmly but gently. He would have liked to have deepened it but that would have taken it too far. He stepped back and got a good look at the look on her face. She looked at him like she was in shock and he said, "Not too bad was it?"
He was unprepared for the sudden movement as she launched herself forward and grabbed him in a headlock. She was muttering something in Russian and no doubt it was uncomplimentary things that he didn't want to know. He grinned as he grabbed her around the waist and put her down on the ground. He bent over and looked down at her grinning, "I thought you were a good loser, Nico."
"When everyone plays fair," Nicolette replied as she swung her leg out and swept his legs out from underneath.
MacTavish hit the ground and was lucky that he didn't hit his head on anything in there. He would have gotten up but Nicolette jumped on top of him and pinned him down. He grinned cheekily up at her and asked, "Think you got me?"
"I know I do," Nicolette replied looking down at him. She glared at him.
"Good," he replied and slipped her grasp and pulled her down and gave her another kiss like before and pushed her back and off him to allow him to sit up.
It fully enraged Nicolette as she slapped his hands away. She charged grabbed him again in a headlock and wrapped her legs around him. "I'll kick your ass you Scottish bastard!"
"Not before I get my forfeit," MacTavish replied as he somehow managed to get to his feet while she hung on like a barnacle. "Nico can you let go a little? You're choking me."
The response was a tighter grip and it had him laughing a little. Okay, time to play a little rough. He reached up and grabbed her arms and twisted around so that her hands were behind her back forcing her feet to the ground and he was standing behind her. He smirked at her enraged face and gave another kiss. When he pulled away he said, "It could have been worse."
The kick to the shin sent him into the bookcase and the stuff on the edge fell down. MacTavish looked at a disheveled Nicolette who was wearing a look that was a cross of surprise and serious pissed offness. She had a mission to get him out of the dumps and she succeeded in that endeavor. This was the most fun he had in a while even if he got sore shins and bruises that would have to be explained to a very confused medic later on. He grinned at her as more of his belongings fell on the ground making more noise. "Got any more?"
Nicolette narrowed her eyes and her grin was a combined one of mischievousness and revenge. She grabbed the softest thing she could find and it turned out to be a rolled up t-shirt that didn't get put in its proper place and threw it hard where it hit MacTavish right on the head. She charged forward and slammed him into the bookcase, "I got plenty."
MacTavish was ready for it and kept his hands open for the fist fight that he had earned this time around but he would still have fun with it. "Come and get me sister."
A/N: Just some fluff between MacTavish and Nicolette and a hint about their relationship that begins in Scars of Duty. Enjoy.