This too shall Pass.
When the phone call came he wasn't really surprised. He knew things had been going down swiftly since he had last seen Boom. Boom's wife Karen had been calling almost nightly for the past 2 weeks. She had no idea how she was going to survive without him. He packed his dress uniform and summer clothes and began the drive to the airport. Gibbs had made the trip to see Boom at least monthly for the last 6 months as his friend slowly succumbed.
They had been friends since they had joined the Corps. Boom had made gunny about 6 months before Gibbs and had harassed him unmercifully by phone telling him "Well when I walk into a situation people can see I'm earning my pay. Sniper's are just plain sneaky. Nobody really knows what y'all do anyhow boy. How do we know what you do?"
Gibbs had met Raymond Jessup Randall III at Pariss Island. They had been bunkmates. Gibbs up, Randall lower. Gibbs had been certain that Randall would be someone to stay away from because his mouth ran continuously in his slow Louisiana drawl. It was true their DI whaled away on Ray and anyone near him. The unfortunate part was that Ray was funny! He had a way of looking at the worst situations and finding one little thing to laugh at. His squad mates spent a lot of time choking as a result of Ray's muttered 1 liners. Gibbs felt drawn to him.
He found himself liked in his platoon and squad. He enjoyed a sense of family in the Corps he had never had. He was what he appeared to be and had a dry sense of humor.
But Ray sparkled. He had a dark handsome face, always telling people it was his Cajun ancestry. " My sainted Forbearers ya'll know" He would say when asked or harassed. He wore his top 'thatch' hair slicked back otherwise it curled. He would tell Gibbs more than once over the years when they were in some city on liberty, "I'm too good lookin' for my own good Gibbs." It always brought a guffaw or punch from Jethro. They had found themselves matched for their assignment aboard the USS Nimitz. They became extremely close friends during that time. Jethro found himself able to talk to Ray in a manner he had never had anyone else. Ray was the one who told him to marry Shannon.
Boom picked his name up in Panama. He had explosives training above and beyond the norm for gunnies while Jethro had taken the sniper training. They had been overjoyed to be back together for Panama. Boom had wired C4 to an expansion bridge and refused a direct order to blow it until Jethro's squad trailing Jethro and his spotter made it across. When the dust and shrapnel settled and they had all made it to their pickup site he said to the exhausted
men around him, "Well y'all found that a satisfactory Boom right? I'm here to tell ya they doan' get no better than that fella's."
Walking quietly down the dirt road near Boom's family home, a spared plantation dating back to the 1790's in the main house, Jethro went over all the good times. His first visit here on leave with Boom was his first exposure to a home full of history. The portraits, the furniture, the easy going nature of his parents and siblings. The plantation was still growing cane sugar and sugar beets. His older brother and family still lived here in the big rambling house. The entire family spoke Cajun French and Jethro who had found he had an affinity for languages found himself quickly speaking it too.
The road to Le Couer plantation crossed and re crossed water for a total of 5 bridges and wandered under huge cypress and southern live oak trees as it got closer to the house. The Spanish moss hung thickly down and made the air sweeter. Boom had told him " Grandfathers graybeard is a cherished thing here. It's one of the things I love. Walkin' under it in the summer. It's home."
They paused on the first bridge and looked down in to the greenish water.
" Y'all doan talk about home much Jethro, why's that?"
Jethro had shrugged and picked at the railing. "Not much to say. Hasn't been home for me since I came in the Corps."
"We all gotta have a home boy. Maybe you'll find it with that petite j'eune filles Shannon?" Boom winked slyly at Jethro.
"Hopin' to Boom." He had said and then they kept walking.
Now Jethro stood up from the railing and let the pain of losing his friend hit him. He was 3 bridges out from the house now. He walked off the road under a huge oak tree and sank to the ground his back to the tree. They had stood for each other at their weddings. Ray had been ecstatic when Jethro had found Lainy. He hadn't been well but had insisted and eagerly hosted the wedding at Le Couer. Long talks into the night until Karen would draw the line brought Lainy close to Boom too.
They had served in many places the last of which was Desert Storm. Boom was one of the friends who had stood by him after Shannon's death. It was here he had come after Mexico to grieve. Karen wasn't the only one who didn't know how to go on. He put his head down and wept, he was exhausted.
He heard her steps, moving through the grass and leaves until the moss was parted and she stepped through. The sunlight dappled her and he couldn't see her face. She came and sat down beside him. Reaching for him she drew him into her arms. He turned and slid slowly down until his head rested against her thigh. He put his arms around her waist and buried his face into her. He began to weep again. She held him, rocking gently and murmuring soft words and sounds, stroking his silver hair. She bent and kissed it softly.
He was her only true love. He was wounded to the heart. Aching for him she tried to focus her love and energy and put it into her touch. Her own tears were for him, although she did like his friend very much. Gradually he was still. Lainy continued to gently stroke him and rub his neck. Jethro lay still in her lap. Her scent filled his nostrils. The sweet lavender, heather and musk of her perfume mixed with her perspiration relaxed him.
He pushed himself up and caught her lips gently with his tugging at her lower lip. His tongue swept into her mouth as she parted her lips. Their tongues danced and he groaned as she moved her tongue over his gums and teeth. Her fingers moved into his hair as he took her face in his hands. He drew back and looked into her emerald green eyes which were dark with want.
"Lainy, I love you… I…" She put her index finger over his lips. "Shhhhh…" she whispered. She leaned in to kiss him again. She knew what he needed right now and she also knew she was the only one he would find it with. There were no barriers between them, even their thoughts were merged at times.
The kiss spiraled rapidly. Deep open mouthed tongue kisses, led to a shower of kisses with tongue and nips trailing to her shoulder. She turned her head and sucked the side of his throat. His fingers slid beneath her tee shirt and with a quick flick of his fingers her bra was off. His mouth moved to her breasts and nipples. Lainy moaned and arched against him. He withdrew long enough to remove his windbreaker and shirt, lowering her on it to the ground. He moved between her legs holding his weight on his knees and forearms. Lainy was gasping as more deep kisses followed. She could feel the hard length of him against her belly and her hands sought the waist and zipper of his jeans. He shrugged them off with one hand then the other all the while showering her throat and mouth with kisses. Things moved very fast as an almost desperate need to feel connected and grounded mixed with love and lust.
"Jethro!" she gasped moving against him trying to bring him into her.
She arched as he reached between them to touch her center. "I need…you" he gasped. he was so very ready for him, he almost lost it when his fingers found her.
He lifted himself up and slid between her labia and into her in one hard thrust.
Lainy screamed, peaking savagely. In less than a few breaths she found herself climbing again. Jethro had held himself still until her orgasm passed then began to thrust into her. He buried his face between her neck and shoulder, his breathing harsh and deep. He nipped and sucked at her neck as his passion
washed through and over him. Lainy moved with abandon, in rhythm with him. Her cries made him moan and then with a deep growl he began to move almost roughly into her. His senses were totally focused on her wet heat. As she neared climax again her muscles began to contract around his erection. He felt himself grow even larger as his body prepared to come. It burst over him and his cry mixed with hers, wild and savage. He continued to thrust through until he was spent. She pulled him down full on top of her, her arms and legs wrapped around him and drew his head down to her heart where he belonged.
They lay still for some time until their breathing became regular. He remained inside of her, gently their mouths met and tongues stroking slowly in love and pleasure.
"I love you more than my life." he murmured to her, smiling into her green eyes. Her pupils were still slightly dilated and glazed with her pleasure and love.
"Don't love me more than yourself. Live for me to love you." she whispered to him. His azure eyes melted her making her tremble inside and out in aftershock. He closed his eyes for a moment feeling her muscles contract.
She knew him as no one ever had. Not even Shannon, the love of his young life. Lainy knew him as a grown man, flaws and strengths as well.
He helped her redress, kissing each part of her as she clothed herself. They moved out of the trees and into the misty afternoon. The trees and Spanish moss had kept them dry from an early afternoon rain.
Jethro paused again on the second bridge and told Lainy about his conversation with Boom that summers morning. She said nothing just squeezed his hand and leaned into his shoulder. He held her close to him. Then he leaned over and looked down into the greenish water.
"Bye Boom. Thanks." He took her hand and moved back toward the house knowing he had been and was loved.