Authors Note: Ok! Just so y'all know this ties in with my Hoot and Diana fic, "" so this occurs during that time. It's a tie in I guess. I had to have some traveling and such…enjoy and review please!
1.
Gordon.
Somewhere in Germany…
The training was over for the moment. It was winter and I was not the world's biggest fan of snow. Not to say I hated it or anything. I had just gotten my fair share of it while growing up.
I walked through the dorm like building we were sharing with the Aussie Special Forces and saw that Randy was on the phone, still. He was sprawled out on the couch in the white winter clothes that we had been training in all day long. Too intent on talking to his sons to care about changing out of them.
I made a gesture; a telephone gesture, letting him know I was next.
Randy gave me a nod and continued his conversation.
I then walked on through the common living room area and down the hall. There were a few guys here and there, the ones who were married or had responsibilities at home mostly.
Sanderson and some of the single guys from our team and a handful of Aussies had already taken off for the bars.
Hoot was on his way out to visit his female companion. The identity of which was still in question. He had been with this unknown female for the past week and we had not seen her. It was love.
Hoot, in pretty much jeans and a oversized broken in leather jacket rubbed a bruised neck, "What time we goin out to train tonight?"
Seeing as we had been giving a tentative ten-hour R&R pass. I wanted to be on the safe side. I came to a stop in the hall and smelled soap. He had cleaned up for this female. "Be back in seven hours if you're not paged before then."
Cold weather training for us was different then training in cold weather as Rangers.
As a new Delta Hoot, Randy, and Sanderson were discovering this.
He gave me a salute and strolled onward.
I continued onward into my Spartan room.
I pulled the white coat I had been wearing off and hung it over the door. It was waterproof, cold proof, and fire proof, just not bullet proof. I dropped my gloves and ski mask on the heating vent on the floor. I had no energy to take my painted white boots off.
Don't get me wrong, I love my job.
I love to train.
I love my work.
Everything I do I consider a blessing, but, it'd been two long months since I had seen the wife. She'd gone off to England for a month and worked on a commission. Then she came home and I had flown out the morning she flew in that afternoon. Then by the time I came back she was leaving for Saudi Arabia with the twins and I left with my team for training.
There were no pictures of her on me or in the room.
That would have been a distraction.
I ran my fingers through my long hair and collapsed on the bed wondering where on Earth she was. What was she doing? Was she still in Saudi Arabia? Was she in Switzerland yet? How were the twins? God I missed her.
I closed my eyes and could see her leaving on the airplane with her boss, Satan, aka Holly.
My body was grateful for the break, for the rest. I had been pushing it for the past few days on mere hours of sleep. It wasn't happy with me.
For just a few minutes I didn't want to think tactics.
I didn't want to thing rations, ratios, or any sort of cold weather affects on my weapon.
There was a soft knock.
I opened my eyes and saw Randy with a portable phone in hand. "Here G."
He tossed me the phone and I caught it, put it to my ear and wondered if it was my wife or one of the twins, "Hello?"
Her voice managed to make every last ache and pain I had subjected my body to go away. "Hey sweetie, what are you up to?"
God her voice sounded so wonderful.
"Resting. Where are you?"
"We are in Jordan right now. Holly, Dezi, and the twins are eating, I'm at the hotel. We'll be here a few more days. Dezi wanted me to see some stuff here, he wants the whole Arabian theme for his paintings. The food is great though and the twins love the weather."
Jordan was indeed an interesting place. Though I had never been able to enjoy its culture for my work.
"When will you be in Europe?"
I heard her laugh. I could hear the call to prayer in the background and wondered what time it was there. She paused and guesstimated, "Two or three days…I suppose. I'll call you and let you know. I already told this to Randy so he'll know if he gets a day off."
That wasn't likely.
But knowing she was on the same continent would make me feel some better.
I wouldn't get to see her but…there was some level of comfort knowing she was within driving distance in a neutral country that treated women equal as men.
Ok, I knew she was safe because there were CIA Agents following Dezi around, and a few Operators but still; she was my wife. My responsibility. My everything.
"Have you boys been behaving yourselves?"
"Absolutely," I lied.
"Ummhmm," she hummed, and then added, "I found a carpet for the living room. I had it sent home. Hopefully it'll be home by the time we get home."
A carpet.
Whatever took my attention away for the moment. While she described the carpet I closed my eyes and just listened to the sound of her voice. Enjoyed hearing her speak. If I concentrated enough I could see her face while she spoke.
There was a whistle.
While she talked about the quality of the carpet I saw Gus in the doorway. Gus was one of the Aussie's, and the only one with a wife and children. He made a telephone gesture.
I nodded and held up two fingers – two more minutes.
With a nod he pointed down the hall.
He'd be in his room.
I gave him a nod that I understood and closed my eyes to enjoy my remaining minutes of quality time with my wife, slowly counting off two minutes in my head.
