Summary: Slight AU. Jackson survives the war, goes back home and gets himself married, but he still has nightmares of the mission to save Ryan and of that day on the beach. He's grateful his wife is there to support him through. Please R&R!
Disclaimer: I don't own Saving Private Ryan or its characters. I only own my OC.
A/N: There'll be hints of scenes from the movie in this as well as the scenes between Jackson and his wife.
Dreams/Flashbacks will be in italics.
I hope you like this!
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Life After The Mission
-One-
Bullets.
Bombs.
Bodies.
Blood.
Jackson sat up in bed, sweat dripping down his body as he remembered where he was, his wife, Annabelle sitting up beside him and touching his shoulder gently.
"Daniel?" She asked, watching with sad eyes as her husband scrubbed a hand over his face and calmed down, "Sweetheart, you're safe..."
"I know," He replied, "I know..."
Breathing a sigh he wiped his brow and tried to relax as Annabelle rubbed his bare shoulders lightly, her gentle hands working in small circles to calm him. He'd been having nightmares since he came home, and for the mere two weeks they'd been married every night had been the same, him sitting up in bed like a bullet in the middle of the night with sweat pouring down his body, tears in his eyes and his breathing quaking. She wondered what horrors he'd seen in the war, and most of all she wondered if she'd be able to help him.
"Darlin'?" He said, Annabelle gazing at him with her bright blue eyes, "I love you."
"Love you too, Daniel." She replied, feeling his hand stroke through her light brown curls as he pressed a kiss to her lips.
They lay back down, Jackson laying on his back as Annabelle took his hand, locking their fingers and squeezing tightly just the once. Jackson's head was spinning, full of the memories of that day on the beach, of the mission and how both Caparzo and Wade had suffered to get one soldier back, how that same soldier had sat by Captain Miller as he'd died on that bridge, leaving with a free ticket home while everyone else had been through hell to get to him. He was right in a way as he remembered what he'd said in that field.
"This entire mission is a serious misallocation of valuable military resources."
Valuable military resources had been lost on that mission, good soldiers, brothers who could've made it out of there and didn't. He, Ryan, Upham and Reiben still wrote to one another on occasion but it wasn't the same since Wade, Mellish, Horvath, Caparzo and Miller had died too. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Annabelle humming Amazing Grace to him, the young woman resting her head on his shoulder as he wound his arms around her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, smiling softly as she kissed his lips, pulling the sheets back over them and stroking his arm. Her fingers were delicate and comforting against his skin, her full lips gentle against his cleanly shaven cheek and her voice warm and soft in his ear.
The woman was a saint, it had to be said. She'd been waiting for him since he left for war, and on his return she'd done everything she could to make him comfortable and to make him feel at home again. He'd asked her to marry him as he'd stood on her porch on his first day back home, still in his army uniform and covered in dirt, the pair of them getting married a month later.
He didn't know how he'd managed to get such a beautiful girl, and he didn't know what was so special about him that had made her hold onto him through his time away. He assumed she'd have been married with kids now, but she wasn't, she was now lying in his bed by his side, trying to soothe him after yet another nightmare. She'd stopped humming, he found, and he looked down to see her asleep on him, a smile crossing his lips as he kissed her forehead once more before closing his eyes and trying to fall asleep.
"Daniel?" Annabelle called, "Breakfast, honey!"
Jackson emerged downstairs in an powder blue shirt and black slacks, sitting at the small round table in the warm kitchen and receiving a kiss from his wife. His breakfast was there, eggs and bacon on a plate whilst she had a slice of toasted bread.
"Sweetheart, you want some of this?" He asked, Annabelle shaking her head softly.
"I feel a little queasy, darlin'." She replied, and if Jackson was honest, she looked pretty pale.
"You alright?" He asked, "Do you need a doc?"
"No, I'm fine, sweetheart." She replied, "I'm fine."
Jackson smiled and they held hands across the table before he tucked into his breakfast. Damn, this woman could cook.
"That is beautiful." He told her, "Wow..."
"Thank you." She said sweetly, "Glad you like it."
With a gentle smile, Annabelle stood up and kissed her husband's temple, hurrying out of the room to the bathroom. She was going to be sick, she could feel it and she hurled like it was going out of fashion into the toilet, hearing pounding feet heading up the stairs.
"Annabelle?" That familiar voice asked, a gentle hand on her back while another lay flush against her stomach.
After she'd finished vomitting, Jackson's arms pulled her back to him and he held her trembling form.
"Sweetheart, you're never sick," He said, "It's my day off, I'm gonna take care of you...and get a doctor."
"Daniel, I'm fine," She protested, feeling her husband shake his head.
"No, I'm gonna get a doctor, okay?"
There was no point arguing, so Annabelle nodded, being helped to stand by her husband and led to the sink.
"I'll give you some privacy." He said, heading out of the bathroom and back down the stairs.
Annabelle had an inkling about what may be happening, but she hadn't said anything to Jackson just in case she was wrong. She'd been ill several times over the past couple of days, normally in the morning, and there were other signs there which, after consulting her mother, she had found maybe related to pregnancy.
Pregnancy. What if she and Jackson were having a baby? How amazing would that be, being married for a mere two weeks and already having a baby. She hoped and prayed that, for one, they were having a baby, and two, that Jackson would be happy. Maybe it would take his mind away from the war and what had happened to him.
She headed downstairs slowly, being met by her lover who kissed her tenderly, leading her to the living room where she sat in the armchair, a gentle hand in her own as she found him on one knee before her.
"I'm going to fetch a doctor, alright?" He told her softly, "So just rest yourself here until I come back."
Despite her trembling, Annabelle smiled and nodded, Jackson kissing her lips softly before standing up.
"I love you, Annabelle."
"I love you too, Daniel."
-TBC-
Hope you liked this first chapter!
If you want me to continue it, please let me know!
Thanks for reviewing!
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