Hello readers! So, this shall be the third story from me and this one will be kind of emotional. Right off the bat I'm going to let you know that I have no experience in the military or with how it internally opperates. I really enjoy learning about the military and am quite fond of watching war movies. I get my knowledge and locations from those movies. So the family life part is totally made up by me. More importantly, this story is going to be a three parter with multiple chapters within each.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is recognizable. I just reserve the right to screw with the characters :P
Song: Leaving On A Jet Plane - Chantel Kreviazuk

ONWARD!

Wait For Me - Part I

JPOV

It was the best and worst day of my life. Today was my seventh year anniversary with my long-term girlfriend, Bella. It was also the last night I would spend in her arms, in this country, in this reality. Most of my family was here, at the Going Away / Anniversary party Bella's more than a little over-the-top best friend, Alice, threw for us. She really had outdone herself, knowing just who to invite, she had made this a memorable night.

I sat at a table in the bar that Alice had rented for the night by myself just observing all my friends; Emmett, my best friend and gun partner was hitting on my cousin, Rosalie, good luck with that one man, she's as cold as ice; Peter, my other best friend and superior was chatting quietly in the corner with his wife, Charlotte, spending the last moments they could together; Marcus and Demitri were trying not to get each other drunk, a tough feat for those two; Ben Cheney, the youngest of our company who we all called Benny was being introduced by Bella to her other best friend, Angela, she had been wanting to set them up for a long time; Mike and Tyler, the platoon goof offs were having a hard time staying on their stools while they sat at the bar having yet another beer. Sarg will have their balls in the morning. Alice was dancing with Esme her mother, to the country music blasting through the jukebox in the corner. Renee and Charlie, Bella's parents were also standing on the dance floor trying not to laugh at the little pixie girl. I was going to miss everyone.

Bella wasn't paying attention to what she was doing with her hands when she was talking to the bartender because she knocked over a glass that almost landed right down the front of Carlisle's shirt. Carlisle Cullen was Emmett's father and one of the only qualified medics that could travel and stay on base. This tour he chose to stay on base. Bella turned a bright pink as she apologized. He had been like a father to me during the last tour he went out, he was like that to all the guys I suppose.

Everyone was in attendance and the party was getting underway. I hadn't noticed Bella sneak up behind me until it was too late. "Why are you sittin' here all by ur' lonesome, cowboy?" I laughed at her nickname for me and her failed attempt to copy my southern drawl. She snaked her arms around my waist and looked out at the crowd with me. "It really is sad that you have to leave again. Everyone was just getting settled in." We had moved to the remote Army Ranger's Base in Washington state three months ago, our whole family unit got up and moved with us. That meant all of the guy's family and Bella's as well.

"It won't be as long as the last time, just some on location training and a mission or two, I promise." We leaned in and met in the middle for a quick, but meaningful kiss. It wasn't until the flash of a camera and Alice's voice that brought us back to earth.

"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!" Everyone shouted at once. The first thing I noticed was Alice standing in front of us with a microphone. "I know this isn't how we usually do it but I wanted to shake things up a bit!" Everyone had moved to sit at tables scattered around the worn out dance floor. "I was thinking that I wanted to start a new tradition for nights like these but then realized that was stupid because you guys are leaving tomorrow to go to Somalia. Why would I want to make a tradition that meant my best friends were leaving to put themselves in danger...?" She had to stop for a second to compose herself. "What I'm trying to say, is that I wanted to make a night for the boys to remember while they are away, so they will always be thinking of us; wanting to get home as soon as possible." Everyone cheered at her statement. Bella squeezed the hand she was now holding. "So, right now, I want Bella and Jasper to lead us onto the dance floor with a song that has followed them around for a long time. Now I want it to mean something to everyone. After you two." She signaled us to get up just as the music started, the DJ taking over for the jukebox. It was our song, kind of.

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standing hear outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin' it's early morn'
The taxi's waiting he's blowin' it's horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could die

After the first verse people started coupling up. Peter and Charlotte. Ben and Angela. They work fast. Carlisle and Esme. Didn't see that one coming. Emmett and Rosalie. Wow. Bella sang quietly in my ear. I could hear her voice shaking. I tried my hardest to keep it together as well. We could break down after the party, together.

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go

I thought back to the first time we heard this song together:

We had just moved into our own apartment in Fort Worth, Texas when I got the memo that the company was to be moving out a week from that day at O'Six Hundred for a short tour of duty. We had been together for exactly one year and six months. Ironically, this song came on the radio while we were standing in the empty kitchen. Bella had just stopped crying. She knew every word to the song and made me dance with her while she sang along.

Everyday for the next week she woke up to me singing that song to her. She would get a sad smile on her beautiful face and I usually a heated hour of limbs and passion before we had to get up and on with our days. So I started waking her up an hour earlier.

As the years passed we would smile whenever we heard it but never initiated it as 'our song'. It just held a sad smile.

Now that we were dancing to it once again it all clicked. Bella and I had been talking about marriage a lot lately. I had been wanting to propose for a while now but the news of our departure had pushed that to the back of my mind. I had the ring, I had the right date, I had the right girl, I also had the perfect song. Now or never, Whitlock.

There's so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around
I tell you know they don't mean a thing

I stepped away from Bella's embrace, searching in my pocket for the ever present black velvet bag I carried the ring around in. She was about to speak when I simply lowered myself onto one knee. Singing the lines of the song that meant the most to me and to Bella.

Every place I go I'll think of you
Every song I sing I sing for you
When I get back i'll wear your wedding ring

Realization flashed across her already damp eyes as more tears flowed to her cheeks. I stood up and wiped at her silly tears while I quietly sang the rest of the song to her.

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go...

I didn't care that everyone in the room could hear me singing or that they just witnessed that whole thing. All I cared about was the brown eyed girl staring back at me with my heart in her hand. I put myself out there for her hoping she was ready, 'cause if she wasn't, I was fucked.

As my heart was sinking she sang back the only words I wanted to hear.

Now the time has come to leave you
One more time, oh, let me kiss you
And close your eyes and I'll be on my way

Bella jumped into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist. We finished the dance as close as we could get in front of her parents. We both sang the rest of the song to each other.

Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times I won't have to say:

Much to our humour the rest of the group joined in singing the song and applauding what was now Bella and my engagement.

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go...

As much as that was our song, we had others. As a going away gift, Bella had bought me a cheap MP3 player to take with me. She didn't want me taking my Ipod and it getting ruined. It also gave her an excuse to upload only the songs that had meaning.

I was sitting on the plane listening to the music she chose. For the first time in a long time I really hated my job. Being in the military had taken a toll on everyone; Bella, my parent's, her parents and all of our friends. We all knew the risks but never chose to accept the fate that they really held, for fear of the truth. The truth being that any of us might not come home breathing.

Bella was strong. She grew up in the lifestyle, Charlie was a marine; he had some objection to his daughter dating a Ranger but got over that quickly when I started calling him a puddle pirate. It turned into a game and the game turned into a relationship. Bella was well aware of what she put on the line when she chose to be with me, God only knows what Renee had to say about it. She was always trying to talk Bella out of being my girlfriend because she didn't want her to live in the fear like she had. Charlie had been wounded on active duty and was releived because of it. Renee nearly lost it. Or at least that's what Bella always said.

Bella knew, she was strong.

I was shuffling through the songs when the title of a file caught me off guard: To: Jazz From: Bells I hit play and hoped to God it was what I wanted it to be. Relief flooded through me as I heard her voice. "Hi, Jazz! I love you, Baby! I hope you found this while you were still on the flight, I know you like to sit alone when you fly. I thought you would enjoy having your corny country songs and my sappy love ones, just don't let the guys grill you about them. Now, I know that most guys take a picture or two of their girls with them but I thought I would one-up all those other chicks. I want to warn you now: if this device falls into the wrong hands it could mean ultimate embarrassment on both our parts. So don't fucking lose this. I have made a series of recordings for you. Some are short and sweet, the kinda stuff you listen to when you want to hear my voice. There is one that you must be very careful with, only listen to it when you are absolutely alone. You can thank me for it when you get home. And just to let you know how much of a creeper I am, because you will totally think I am after you have your alone time, I recorded a few of our conversations so i could always have your voice too. Just remember that I miss you and will always love you. Be safe."

I couldn't believe it. She had done all of that just for me. She recorded some of our conversations. Wow. The only thing I don't know is what she named the mystery recording. How was I supposed to know when it came on? I listened to a few of her commentaries, the last one is her making fun of me because she knew Sarg wouldn't let me take my cowboy boots with me. Not expecting what I heard next I quickly realized it was the mystery file. Or it was the beginning of it. I heard a beep and a bunch of rustling. Then I heard our voices. We had just had this conversation the night before. What sounded like a shower running and foot steps came next until the voice sounded again. Holy fuck is this what I think it is? "Now, now, Jasper, be careful. Don't say I didn't warn you." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Last night while I was in the shower she had recorded herself getting off; narrating the whole fucking thing. Thanking God I was sitting alone, I glanced at the play time. Fuck. Me. A whole hour and twenty minutes? What the hell did she... Then it all made sense. That's what she meant. Bella was a creeper. At least she was my creeper. A naughty fucking creeper.

I sat in headquarters waiting to hear instructions on our latest mission. It would have been our third in the eight months we have been away for and the boys were getting restless. This mission was the going to be our last and most dangerous. We were supposed to be heading down into the heart of the city, the most dangerous part of town. It had been put off for two weeks now because Washington and all it's wisdom couldn't make up its mind.

Bella's recordings got me through some of the longest nights of my whole career. It turned out that the mystery track that was an hour and twenty minutes long just happened to be our love making the night before I left, after the party. I really would have to thank her for that when I got home.

Through my thoughts I could hear Sarg talking and the boys moving around, getting up and leaving. "Come on, Whitlock, time to suit up! We got RECON!" Emmett shook me from the thoughts of my woman.

"Right, where are we going this time, I wasn't really paying attention." Emmett was my partner for everything: guns, back up, recon, training; we worked the best together and we traded off on chaulk leader every other mission. This time it was his turn.

"No shit, man, get your head out of your pants and into the game. Get your game face on, we are going into the Bukhara Market. I can't lose you now, this is going to be difficult as it is. I need you one hundred percent today." Even though he was my best friend and of equal rank, I had no problem when he went into Ranger mode. We had respect for each other in that sense; if we felt one was making a bad decision we didn't say anything at the time. But we made sure to talk about it afterward, because the only thing worse than breaking the chain of command was breaking the chain of command on Sarg's watch.

The rest of the crew was how they always were; the Volturi brothers, Marcus and Demitri always connected at the hip were loading amo into the 50 Cal. guns on the humvees, Newton and Crowley were still trying to give Benny tips on how to operate without getting shot. Their words went in one ear and out the other. You and me both Benny. "Just remember, shoot in the same direction everyone else is." Newton thought he was being funny, but really he was the stupid Son of a Bitch that would take the armor plate out of the back of his vest and replace it with Kevlar so he had a lighter load. "I don't know about you but I don't plan on getting shot in the back running away." What a dumb shit.

"If you both don't stop raggin' on Benny, I'll shoot you both myself." I was dressed and ready by the time Newton had his rifle cleaned and together. He still had to pack up his amo and gear. Mother fucker. We'll never get home at this rate. "Also, if you don't hurry your ass up I'm going to blow up the amo locker with you in it. So hurry the fuck up!"

"Dude, calm the fuck down. You know Newton takes forever. We all want to get home too, Jazz." There was only two people in the world that called me that: Emmett and Bella. "I mean, bro, I got that hot thang' you call your cousin waiting for me! Shit, I don't even know how you two could be related, cause she is the best lookin' woman I've seen. Then there's you, the ugliest motherfucker I've ever seen!" If it was anyone else they would have hit the ground so fast there would be no time to even think, but, it was Emmett, I knew he would treat her right. I could still tease him about it though.

"OK men, time to move out. Overwatch, I repeat Overwatch. Let's get airborne." The pilot's voice came out loud and clear through our coms. The mission code name meant it was go time. Loading into the humvees, three other chaulks that made up the ground convoy rolled out of base. My chaulk group seated ourselves in the Black Hawk helicopter to provide them air support. This is it.

We were headed into the Bukhara Market in downtown Mogadishu. The goal was to scout the area, find our inside man Peter, who had been undercover as a tourist all day so he could locate the source so we could infiltrate the building an alleged war lord was to be hiding out. From the choppers we would fast rope onto the roof and move down, where the guys on the ground were to move up.

This could have been our simplest of missions. But when something goes wrong, it goes really wrong. Fifteen minutes into the air the shit hit the fan. Twenty minutes into the air this became a battle for life and death.

One soldier was lost.

One soldier was dead.

And the convoy was way the fuck off course.

Well, watcha think? A little different I know. The next bit will jump time so pay attention. Anything I write that has happened in the past will be in Italics. While I was writing this I left it really open ended so most of the loose ends will be tied in further chapters. Muawahahaha. That's one way to keep you interested :D

[Jazz]