Warning: This is a Military AU, meaning there will be references to some violence and descriptions of active missions as well as injuries that happen during them. It is labeled M because the scenes are described, but there is not much detail involved in them. I'm not going for gruesome. That's not my intention. There is nothing particularly graphic, but there will be descriptions of injuries and quite a lot of talk of PTSD. There will be mentions of minor character deaths.
It will not be all violence. This is a Sanvers endgame love story. There's a lot of heavy feelings involved while Alex is learning to manage her PTSD symptoms and avoid her triggers as well as learning how to live with her injuries.
With all that being said, there will be sad parts, but there will be a lot of Sanvers love and comfort. Alex doesn't know it yet, but the light at the end of the dark tunnel comes in two forms that she never expected. This story is focused on the development of Sanvers.
It will get dark before it gets light, but I promise it will get light again. I plan on making this one a long story.
"Sergeant Sawyer, meet Staff Sergeant Danvers. You will be leading a team right beside her as our two best strike teams." They shook hands in greeting and saluted their superior as he left them to get acquainted.
Alex sank back into the chair she had been occupying and gestured for her to do the same.
"I gotta say, it's nice to meet another woman at that rank… My name's Maggie by the way." Alex chuckled. It was refreshing that someone was actually willing to joke around a little. It was starting to get a little lifeless out there in the desert in this unit.
"Alex. And yes, it is nice… You get your stuff settled in alright?" Maggie was going to be joining Alex in her tent. She was the only Sergeant at this unit that was a woman and was granted her own tent because of it. It was quite a bit smaller than the others since she was the only one, but it was still nice. There was plenty of space in it for Maggie too.
Alex had been thinking for a while now that it would be nice to have another human to talk to before going to bed at night. You know, someone to talk with to take her mind off of everything around her even if only for a few minutes. It could get lonely out here.
"Yeah I did. I figured the vacant cot and table was mine. It's a nice set up you've got in there actually. It's better than what I expected." "Glad to hear it. Did you get the grand tour yet?" Alex asked her.
"No, just the sleeping quarters and here… Which this, I'm assuming, acts as a lounge for officers?" Alex nodded her affirmative, "you'd be correct with that assumption. If you're up for it, I'll give you the tour of the camp and we can go grab dinner from the mess tent?" Maggie nodded and followed her out.
…
"... And that just about wraps it up. It's not meant to be terribly big since we're all about striking and stealth." Alex said as they stepped into the last tent to get their food. The tour had taken barely any time to complete.
The mess tent wasn't exactly a five star restaurant, but the food produced was edible. Their food definitely could be worse. Honestly, that's what Alex missed the most from home other than her mother and sister. Food was one of her favorite things, especially junk food.
They took a seat at the end of one of the tables. "So, Danvers, how long you been out here?" "Right here?" Alex asked pointing down to the table meaning this camp. Maggie nodded. Alex sucked in her lips thinking about it. "I wanna say it's been almost thirteen months now at this one. This is my third tour. The first one was nine months, the second one was eighteen, and this one is eighteen, too. I'm on the home stretch now. I've got another five months before heading home for a long break this time. What about you?"
Maggie didn't hesitate, "four months left. This was a last minute switch. The original person supposed to come ended up getting an appendicitis of all things and couldn't make it." Alex chuckled at the irony of that happening out here. "I'm here as his replacement for the next four months. But I'm done after this. I've fulfilled what they needed me for."
"So what are you going to do back in civilian life? You got something in mind?" Alex asked between bites of food. "Yeah actually. I'm a writer. I've published one novel and a series of children's books. I've been working on a second novel for a while now, but hit a dead end. Still looking to find my muse for this one, but I'm gonna finish it and send it off for publishing when I get back."
"Now that's cool. My sister always wanted to be a writer. Journalist actually, but ended up a florist. Funny how some things work out right?" Alex said. Maggie chuckled and nodded, going back to her food.
"Maybe the change of scenery will help you get unstuck…" Alex suggested.
They were quiet for a while, the sounds of the mess tent filling the silence.
"What are your plans? Have you thought about it?" Maggie asked after a while. "I have." Alex stated and said nothing else, going back to her food.
"...That's it? That's all you're going to give me?" Maggie asked waiting. Alex shrugged with a challenging smile.
"Come on… I'm gonna have to use my imagination then..." Maggie said with exasperation. Alex laughed, "I wanna hear your ideas, writer." Maggie tapped her chin dramatically. "Hmmm, I could see you as… An alpaca farmer." Maggie nodded, sure of herself. Alex choked a little on her water laughing. "I like that. Maybe I should be."
After another silence Maggie spoke up again, "so you're not going to tell me?" Alex shook her head, "maybe someday, but I prefer you to guess. We'll make it like a game to pass the time." Maggie nodded, "I like that idea Danvers. I like a good challenge."
Two weeks after Maggie rolled into camp, they were preparing for their first mission together.
"The intelligence that we've been receiving shows that the meeting is going to take place in three days. Three of our top five targets are going to be there. There should be no civilians around and no collateral damage. If we do this right, it should be a quick in an out." Alex briefed the room.
They had prepared well for it. The latest set of intelligence had come in that morning and everything was on schedule for them to do their mission in three days. Alex and Maggie had worked really well together so far and this would be their first test going on. The practice drills they had been doing for this mission already showed that they were going to work flawlessly together. Both their teams were in sync with each other.
"Everyone understand?" Alex received nods from everyone around the room and several "yes Sergeants." Alex nodded and dismissed them.
"Ready for your first rodeo with us?" Alex asked Maggie after everyone had left. "Definitely ready. My team is ready to go. They're prepared. Three days and it'll be perfected." Alex nodded.
They had three days to perfect their tactics. Three days gave them a huge advantage.
…
The evening of their mission at dinner, to relax before heading, Maggie made another prediction about Alex's potential job after rotating home. "National Park Ranger." Alex looked impressed at the guess and relieved at the pause of her thoughts. "No but that would definitely be cool. Maybe I'll keep that as a potential option in the future. I've got the survival skills needed in case too."
…
Their mission had been a success. All targets had been taken out or arrested with no injuries on their end. The ones captured had been sent off to the main base for questioning and imprisonment.
The mission had gone down flawlessly. Alex had a high success rate when it came to missions. Each one she lead was well prepared and well done. Tonight was no exception. Maggie and Alex themselves, as well as their units, made a great team together.
