Where the skies are so blue

Summary : What if Stef wasn't a police officer but a corporal in the US Army? What if she was based in San diego but got sent back to Iraq?

Author's Note 1 : The idea popped in my head and I HAD TO GET IT OUT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!

Author's Note 2 : English is my second language and I know next to nothing about the US Army. Although I'll start doing research as of tomorrow...Please forgive my mistakes both with the language and the US hierarchy and what not :s

Reviews- good and bad are more than welcome as they help me progress! :)

Rated M to be safe – mention to war, war zone, there might be some graphic description of scenes. DO NOT READ IF MOMMA HASNT APPROVE

Now I'll go before you kick me out.

Disclaimer : I do not own anything. I promise. Please don't sue me I can't afford a lawyer. while I'm at it I was listening to Sweet Home Alabama for the title..I don't own that either. I just borrowed it. and I bought the song LEGALLY ON ITUNES. ANYWAY


2002

"Lena... I'm sorry".

"No. Stop it. No stef."

"If I had a choice you know I'd stay with you but love I..""

"No Stef. You don't get to steal my heart and crush it like that".

"Lena what are you talking about you know I love you. I'm not breaking up with you".

"You're going on another continent to FIGHT A WAR."

"I'm in the army Lena. And we are at war."

"I can't do this."


Stef sighed deeply, closing her eyes. They had survived her going to war. They had survive her coming back her body and mind damaged beyond repair.

She was on her second tour in Afghanistan when her group had been ambushed. Her tank had been targeted and a rocket hit them. She was one of the three people that survived. She had been sent back home with a lacerated spleen and a minor spine injury. It took her a whole year of surgeries and physical therapy along with group therapy to recover. But they pulled through. Lena had been extraordinary at the time. They were in the early stage of their relationship and most thought it would never last. Brandon had just started Kindergarten and Stef had just come out. But Lena had been amazing. She stood beside Stef and took care of Brandon when Stef couldn't and Mike was "unable" to.

Following her injuries she ended up training new recruits at the San Diego military base and they slowly moved on. Jesus and Mariana came into their life shortly thereafter and they slowly put the traumatic experience behind them.

But she had been called in the office today. She thought one of her new recruit was in trouble- a common occurrence these days.

"Corporal Adams-Foster. You are being promoted." her CO said. He had that look on his face that told Stef she shouldn't relax just yet

"Oh wow, thank you sir." She said, holding her breath

"That's not why I called you in here." The older man said.

Here it was.

"Sir?"She asked, wiping her sweaty hands on her kakhi.

"You're going back". He said plainly.

"Pardon me sir?" Stef refused to believe what she just heard. It couldn't happen.

"They're sending you to Iraq Corporal." The superior officer said.

She gasped. Her brain was trying to comprehend the information at hand. She started to panic as thoughts intertwined and moved around her head. What about the children? Lena. How was she going to tell her? Jude and Callie just settled and they had already lost a mother before. The noise, the smell of burnt flesh, the dismembered corpse of her captain on top of her, suffocating her. She couldn't. She wouldn't. There was no way. War was behind her. Not waiting at the corner.

"Sir I... I can't. I just I can't." She started to panic. It had been years since she had a panic attack.

"Corporal breathe. It's not that bad." The man sympathetically

"Sir, please, I have five children at home I just...My wife..." She held her tears, she took a deep breath. She couldn't lose it in front of him.

"I already talked to headquarters, you're not being sent to combat zone. You're going to do the same job that you do here corporal, with a higher rank and a better pay."

"Thousands of miles away from my ." As usual, she had talk before she thought about it, being the hot blooded woman that she was.

"It's only for a short time."

"Am I eligible for retirement?" She would try anything to get out of it.

"You will be in a year but your pension won't be much"

"A year." She said pensively. Would she last a tour or more away from her family? Away from her wife? Would her marriage survive yet another bump on the road?

"Corporal, you're being sent for 8 weeks as a first tour. You're the best trainer we have around here. They need you over there."

"When am I leaving?"

"In a month"

"A MONTH? ..Sir"

"Yes. You're dismissed corporal, I'll have all the information required on monday from headquarters. Now go home."


Stef had been outside for about fifteen minutes when she finally came back to reality. She dried her tears and after a second of hesitation she entered her home. It was going to be a long night.