We Happy Few
Authors Note: There are quotes from Band of Brothers in here, because I admire those men greatly with how pulled together they were, and how close they were, and I think Omega though smaller than Easy Company is the same way. The beginning of this will be explained later.
Chapter One
"So, what does this mean?" Wick asked Becky softly as they sat in the commissary. "Does this mean we're going home?"
She shrugged, eyes trained on the purple stained-glass window. "We don't what we want to do," She paused. "Let me rephrase that, Woolsey doesn't know what he wants to do."
Flea chewed on the toothpick that was in his mouth, and heaved a sigh. "So, we're done?" His voice held an edge of bitterness to it. "That's it? No more team, no more Omega?" Becky looked over at him, brown eyes wounded. "This was…you guys are my family."
"We few, oh we happy few," Slov quoted looking up at the ceiling, arms crossed across his chest. "We band of brothers." His chief glanced at him, her lips twitched in a sad smile, he returned it.
"For he who sheds his blood with me today, shall be my brother," The sailor finished. Her team, her men, her comrades, her band of brothers. They had been wounded, they had been captured, and through it all they had stuck together.
Wick sighed heavily. "Three years."
"Hmm?" Slov looked at him, brows furrowed.
"We've been together for three years," Danny answered. "Three fuckin' years, and they wanna take that away."
Three Years Ago
"You people are at the position of attention!" A voice shouted at the group of men as he entered the room. They snapped to attention, the new recruits paling some. He paced to one side then the other looking over the men. Colonel Ellis glanced from Senior Chief Becky Schlegel to the man beside her Major Evan Lorne. "Chief I believe I told you to form your team."
"I did sir."
"And where are they?"
"Behind me sir," she answered, her toes curled in her boots in anger, and there was a slight gritting of teeth.
"Those men?"
"Yes sir."
"These men?" Ellis looked over the four men behind the woman. "This is the sorriest excuse for a team I have ever seen!"
"In your opinion sir."
"Are you doubting me?" Ellis moved in front of her, eyes boring into hers. She held fast. "Are you Senior Chief?"
"Yes sir, I believe I am," Becky whispered, lips in a tight line. Lorne knew the subtle signs of anger. The faint white around her lips, the two lines between her eyebrows, her eyebrows bent together as if thinking.
Daniel Wickwire slid a sidelong glance to the blond man beside him. Steve Fleanick was trying to force a smile away, and the man to his left Jerry Slovak snickered. Ellis' eyes turned to them. "Petty Officer Wickwire," he approached the man. "When did you attach this chevron?" He plucked at the American flag on the SEAL's sleeve.
"Yesterday sir."
"Long enough to notice this?" He held up a small piece of string. Wick looked straight ahead, mentally punching himself. "Chief I am very disappointed in this so-called team. I thought you would've had them…" He searched for a word. "Squared away."
"I've only known them for a couple hours, sir."
"Are you sassing me?"
"I believe the chief was merely stating," Evan began, Ellis shot him a glare.
"I will speak to you when I want you to speak Major Lorne, not before." He looked around, nose wrinkled slightly. "This is a disgrace. Take them to the Mainland and PT them." The men and woman in front of him snapped a salute out, and waited until he was gone.
"Chief…" Evan began as the ranking officer in what was known as a shit rolls down hill kind of speech. She looked at him and shook her head.
"I know Major, I know," Becky rubbed a hand over her forehead, as if rubbing away the lines that were there. "I gotta learn to shut my mouth." She turned to her new team, hand chosen by her, and offered a smile. "Colonel Ellis isn't fond of me; expect to be challenged a bit by him."
"Understood Chief," Wick, who would be her 2IC said with a slight smirk. "We gonna PT like he said?"
Her mouth quirked in a smile. "Gonna have to Petty Officer, but we're doing it my way."
"Senior Chief," Lorne grabbed her arm before she could begin to leave. He pulled her away from her men. "Beck, is that really a good idea? I mean Weir would be fine with it, but Ellis—"
"Jesus Christ Evan, fuck Ellis," Becky ran a hand over her dirty blonde hair. "I finally have a team, my own team, he's not gonna take that away."
He drew her further away from the eyes of his own new team as well as hers. "Look Schlegs," His blue eyes bored into hers, he saw the defiance that he had seen only a year or two before, the same set of her jaw, the same fire in her eyes as when he had talked to her about the Marine she'd gotten into a scuffle with. "Be careful, all right?"
Her lips twitched in what could be described as a smile. "Yes sir."
"Three miles to the camp site," Evan said standing beside Becky in front of her team now called SG-Omega, and his team SG- 12. "Full gear, guns at the ready, light, noise discipline." As he said the last part his 2IC Tilly scowled, and tucked the cigarette he was about to light behind his ear, and pulled out a stick of gum instead. "Who wants to take point?"
"I will, sir," Wick raised his hand.
"Petty Officer Wickwire has the lead, follow him, and don't get lost," Evan waited until the men had begun moving through the dark forest before whispering to Becky. "Ellis is insane," he held his P-90 in front of him, ready as always even if they were on the Main Land where nothing could, and would ever happen. "Marching three miles in the dark like we're in the goddamn Marines."
"I heard that sir," Tilly called over his shoulder. "We don't like you flyboys neither."
"No one likes you jarheads," Flea said with a smirk to Wick and Slov.
"We don't like you squids," Hayworth who was an army man replied darkly.
"Forgive us for not getting shot at," Slov called back.
"Light, noise discipline, ring a bell?" Becky asked, halting the arguments. Satisfied with it she looked at Evan, a small smile tugged his lips.
It wasn't long before Wick doubled back, and stopped her. "Chief I think we're lost," he whispered.
"What?"
"We've had to have gone three miles."
"Dammit, who's got a raincoat?" She asked as the men circled around her.
"I do," Flea said. Hayworth dug into the pack the SEAL carried, and handed it over. She knelt down, took her map out, with a flashlight, and put the raincoat over herself. She turned the light on, and glanced over the map. A hand inched under the coat so that no light got out and delivered a compass. "Thank you Major," she said dryly.
"You're welcome," was the reply. The chief sighed as she realized where they were, turned the light off, and took the raincoat, handing it back to Flea. "Well?" Lorne asked.
"Ellis' lied," She said as she tucked her map into the pocket of her BDU jacket. "He sent us off a full grid."
"That son-of-a-bitch," Lorne muttered. Denton his lowest ranking teammate grinned at the Major.
"So, what do we do, chief?" Slov asked looking around.
"We head that way," she jabbed her thumb toward their right. "Bout a mile or so, then we should reach the site."
"You sure you were just an MA?" Lorne asked as they began moving again. She smiled bitterly at him. If only he knew.
An hour passed before they reached their camp site; there were no tents, only a foxhole. "Oh, this guy is really startin' to piss me off," Becky said checking the hole, inside was a couple tarps, and shovel with a note. She jumped down and picked up the note. "If you're reading this then you've made it, here's a shovel to have your men dig three more holes, I will be checking tomorrow to see them, and tarps, it's going to rain. Colonel Ellis, jack ass of the Pegasus galaxy." She looked up at her team, then to Lorne's. "All right, Major Lorne and I will share this hole, Flea and Denton dig yours first, then Slov and Hayworth, Wick and Tilly. If I hear any bitching and moaning about who I put you with there's gonna be an ass-whooping."
"Yes chief," they chorused half-heartedly. The men set to work taking turns at the shovel, she and Lorne pitched in as well making it a full team effort. It took two hours for the holes to be dug, and it was near one when they finally settled into their holes, with tarps pulled over the tops. Becky shifted beside Lorne, and sighed as they first raindrops began to fall.
"Go to sleep," Lorne said eyes closed, arms crossed on his chest.
"Can't."
"Why?"
"This is bullshit Lorne, and you know it."
"Course I know it," he said yawning. "I just don't bring it up." He tossed a wool blanket at her. "Now go to sleep."
"You failed to cover your objective," Ellis said matching strides with Becky as she made her way to the gym the next day. "There were four foxholes."
"Yes sir, we dug three of them."
"You were ordered to dig four."
"Your note said different, Colonel."
"I think I know what I ordered you to do Senior Chief," Ellis blocked her path finally, eyeing the shorter woman. She gritted her teeth, and stood tall. "Unless you have that note I believe a court martial is in order."
"Yes sir."
"That's all."
"Yes sir," Becky saluted and walked into the gym the moment the doors were closed she heaved a gigantic sigh. Lorne looked up from his push-ups. "Don't ask," she said, and walked over to drop her things off on the wooden bench. "Two years here, two fuckin' years, and he drags his ass in acting like a goddamn Marine."
"What'd he say?"
"We didn't fill our objective, he blames me, not you, even though, sorry Lorne, you are the commanding officer I am enlisted."
"He's got it out for you."
"Y'think?" She asked joining him for push-ups. "He's talking about court martial."
"For you?" Evan cried out. "You're kidding."
"If I were kidding I'd be laughin'," she replied darkly. Evan knew her sense of humor edged on that, but still a court martial seemed like an insane thing to do.
"Senior Chief Schlegel," A Staff Sergeant approached her with a piece of paper in hand. "From Colonel Ellis."
"Thank you Sergeant," Becky took it, and dismissed him with a nod. Lorne leaned against the rail beside her.
"What's it say?" He asked, moving to look.
"Says I'm being court martialed."
"Spelt court martial wrong," Lorne said. She smiled slightly. "Want me—"
"No," She said, and headed out. Evan watched her leave, and smiled. This was going to get good.
"You disobeyed a direct order," Ellis said as Becky followed him to his make-shift office in his team's wing of the city.
"Sir, you said three foxholes, you sent us a full grid off; we followed light and noise discipline, and even had watches."
"I don't need your excuses Senior Chief," he said sitting down at the desk. "I expected more—Stand at attention when I'm talking to you," he ordered. She snapped to attention, brown eyes on the back wall. "Now either we can make this a court martial, or I take away your leave for the next three weeks. It's up to you."
"Sir—"
"You spend your leave here Senior Chief, be a man and take it."
Her gaze dropped to his, and her heart began to beat faster as she grabbed his pen from his desk, and signed the form for a court martial. "See you in Captains Mast, sir." She went back to attention.
"Dismissed," he said slowly. She saluted, and left. Ellis dropped his gaze to the paper. He hadn't believed she would go that far.
"Chief what if you are court martialed?" Wick asked jogging beside her. "Who will we go to?"
"He won't court martial me."
"Why?" Flea asked.
"I have the note from the mission."
"I knew I liked her," Slov said laughing breathlessly. She grinned at him over her shoulder, and looked back in time to avoid a Marine.
"Hey watch it Schlegel!" He shouted leading his own team.
"Blow me Malarkey!" She yelled back.
The fights with Ellis didn't go on for much longer. She was stronger than that, and Omega knew it. Their new chief was a basket of surprises and mysteries. They found out soon after when winter came around that she had chosen them in some small way because they had all played hockey as she had. As Ellis left Atlantis they had stood side by side, watching with grim satisfaction. Ellis had met Becky's eyes, and a message passed that this wasn't over.
The team got closer through the PT they still did, the hockey games they played, and watched, but Christmas that year was when they really bonded. They were off-world for maybe their twentieth time together held up in a foxhole.
"This is bullshit," Wick said as he shivered in his jacket. "Goddamn bullshit."
"Y'think Wick?" Becky shot back rubbing her arms with gloved hands. "I'm gonna kill someone for not taking this mission."
"Ya heard Weir Chief, they weren't qualified," Stated a bitter Slov as he warmed his hands up over Wicks lighter.
"Are you getting any heat offa that?" Becky asked after a moment.
"Some."
"Get any closer to that your hands gonna catch on fire, and I'm gonna laugh," Said Danny leaning back against the dirt wall of the foxhole. "I wanna go home, I want warm food, a bed, and to get the hell outta this fuckin' hole."
"We hold our position until we're relieved Wick," Becky replied. "Which should be soon."
"Remember Omega," Slov said imitating Sheppard's voice. "Three days, and three nights, and you will be relieved." It was day eight. Becky grinned at him. "Remember boys," Now it was Beckett's voice being used only with a new saying. "Flies spread so keep yours closed." They laughed, and Schlegel leaned back closing her eyes.
If there was anyway to spend her Christmas on earth she wouldn't have, not without her team. She stiffened as she heard something. The lighter was shut, and in the silence only the sound of guns being picked up could be heard. She stood up, clutching her P-90; she lifted the edge of the tarp up, looking out. She could make out forms of someone. She moved back down. "It looks like the enemy."
"Mean the one that sounds like they speak German?"
She stared at Wick in the dark for a moment. "Sure, if that makes you feel better." She took out her little bronze clicker, and clicked it twice. There was a pause in the movement of whoever was out there. She clicked it again, and she got a response.
"Thunder."
"Flash!" She said standing up out of her hole. Malarkey approached them. "Man am I glad to see you—" she was cut off as a bullet tore into her shoulder. She fell backwards, hand automatically going to her wound.
"Chief!" Wick shouted jumping up to return fire. Malarkey's team was firing back even as Flea ripped up a packet of powder to stanch the bleeding, and pressed a bandage down on it.
"They got me!" Becky shouted. "Those son-of-a-fuckin-bitches got me!" Slov laughed as he threw a grenade up, and over the Atlantis teams. It exploded sending the enemy around a bit. Flea stood up, moved out of the foxhole, and began running to help the others. Wick helped Becky out, and Slov sprinted after the youngest member of their team.
"Flea look out!" He roared as he spotted the grenade land near them. Flea turned as he exploded. Both SEALs flew back onto the ground. Flea suffered a fragment or two in his arm, and Slov a couple scratches to his face and chest.
"Shit, ah shit," Wick ran toward them, a stupid move he realized as a bullet ripped into his thigh. He fell down, firing his gun off. Becky struggled to find her team even as Malarkey shouted at her to get to the gate; she was losing too much blood. "Wick!"
"Here chief!" He lay just a few feet away clutching his thigh, the blood seeping between his fingers. "Flea, and Slov got hit with a grenade."
"Are they—"
"We're fine," Slov said pulling Flea behind him by the vest.
"We gotta go Schlegs," Malarkey said approaching them, his team had taken only a few casualties, bumps and bruises compared to Omega. They returned home to not only an angry Beckett, but also an irritated Sheppard, not irritated at them, but at Ellis for once more returning to intervene.