A/N: So I've re-written this story before, but it just wasn't getting that right feel to it for me. But this is much better than what I had before. The old first chapter is still used and happened, I just wrote it into the story differently. Anyway, I'm done deleting and republishing this. This will be it. Once again, this is for my brother, who just made Captain, and my dad who comes home in 2 months. Read and enjoy!
The plane wheels touched down on the runway and I gathered my backpack and duffel from the over hanger. Glancing out the window I saw other people's families waiting for them with signs and flags, anxious to see their husband and wives again. Smiling, I shouldered my pack on my left shoulder and the duffel on my right and got in line to exit the aircraft. This was it, the first time in two years, not through Skype or phone call or anything else like that that I'll be seeing and talking to her; my girlfriend. Yes, I, Lieutenant Quinn Fabray of the United States Marine Corps, have a girlfriend. And she's been my girlfriend ever since we both graduated high school.
The sound of the door opening with a hiss of air breaks my train of thought as it opens and allows the bright, shining sun in, along with the sound of cheering families. Fellow men begin to walk out and run over to their waiting families and soon enough I'm standing in the doorway, the bright sun blinds me momentarily as I look out and look for those captivating brown eyes that have held my heart since I was fifteen.
Stepping down the stairs, I finally spot her; she's standing off to the right in a white summer dress, her gorgeous locks flowing in the wind and those eyes shining with unshed tears. I begin to walk over to her, picking up speed with every step, until we were both practically running towards each other. And as soon as she was in my grasp, I wrapped her up in my arms and held her for dear life.
She smelt the way she always did and she still fit perfectly underneath my chin. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I wrapped mine around her lower back, and with a quick breath, our lips met for the first time in what seemed to have been forever. Oxygen was sucked out of us and as I broke the kiss, I felt wetness on my cheeks; she finally had released all those tears. "Shh, I know, love, I know," I whispered as she clung unto me tighter, as if she couldn't believe I was here. Her sobs continued as she clung unto me, her tears and snot getting soaked through the jacket of my uniform. "It's okay. I'm alright. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, alright? I love you, so much, Rachel. Shh."
Time seemed to stand still as I held her and she hung onto me. And after about five minutes of just holding each other, she took a shaky breath and brought her eyes up to mine. "I'm just so relieved you're safe. I never want you to go over, ever again," she muttered.
Nodding I gave her a soft smile and cupped her face with my hands, wiping her tears away with my thumbs I said, "I know, I know. But I may have to, I don't want to brag, but I am the best Medic they have, Rach. They need me out there. That's why I was over there for two years, with only two leaves. But I promise, if they give me the option to not go, I won't, okay? I'll stay here with you, promise."
Rachel smiled sadly and leaned forward on her toes to place a soft, loving kiss to my lips once more. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Without her noticing I trailed my right hand down to one of the pockets in my pants and pulled out a small, velvet jewelry box. Snapping it open, I dropped to my knee and looked up at her. Once again she had tears threatening to spill out from her eyes. "Rachel, I don't want to be just your girlfriend anymore. It's been five years since high school, and I think we're ready for the next step. We've survived these past two years, and I believe that was the final test of our relationship. So…will you do me the highest honor and become my wife?"
A moment of silence passed and I was silently begging Rachel to say something. My left knee was digging into the concrete and the bags on my shoulders were making balancing more difficult, but I was too afraid to move. Moving could make her say no, and through her off, so I pushed through the digging pain of rocks and concrete and my eyes stayed locked onto hers. My hazel eyes begging and pleading with her to say yes; to evolve to the next step with me and take this chance.
Finally, Rachel nodded and the breath that I didn't know I was holding escaped. As I jumped up I placed the silver diamond ring on her finger then wrapped my arms around her and spun her around. Still holding her up, I leaned up and kissed her. Joyous laughs escaped us both as I continued to twirl her and kiss her with so much love and passion as our first kiss, and our twelfth, and our hundredth, every kiss was like this one. Full of undying love for the other and there were some days that I still couldn't believe that I had Rachel Berry as my own.
The sound of explosions eroded my senses, snapping me out of my flashback. I shot up from my cot and looked around at my surroundings. But all I could see really was the smoke and sand in the air from the attack that was happening around me. As fast as I could I slung my hair back into a messy ponytail, slung my M-4 Carbine Rifle on my shoulder, tied my M-9 Pistol holster around my waist and grabbed my med-kit. Then I got to my feet and ran out into the explosions and gunfire stopping every time I saw a wounded soldier; the blood from the bullet spilling out of the muscle and skin coaxing my hands as I quickly tried to stop the blood flow, and stabilize the injury and my fellow comrades.
"Fabray, you better hurry up!" Colonel Michael Jacobs yelled from my right as he crouched behind a barrier nearby as I was removing a bullet and fragment of a truck soldier's left leg.
"I cannot lose another one, Sir!" I yelled back over the gunfire and bombs going off. I had already lost three out of the five I've operated on. It doesn't help that I'm the only combat medic in my squadron and some of the men didn't have a clue what they were doing when they tried to help.
"Get the hell out of there, now Lieutenant! That's an order!" He yelled again as he kept firing at an unseen enemy.
Ignoring him, I turned my attention back to the bleeding out Sergeant in front of me. "Hold on there, James. I'm almost done. Don't go just yet. You have a wife and family waiting for you when you get back." I tell him as I stop the bleeding and radio for a pickup, which goes unanswered. "Shit!" I drag him over to cover as he begins to regain consciousness.
The gun fire continues and when I look around I see no more wounded soldiers from my squadron, only the dead from both sides and other soldiers firing at their targets. Grabbing my gun and medical bag I slide over to cover and take a breather against the wall of the barrier Colonel Jacobs is holding down. "Fabray. I swear you're going to be the death of me!" He curses as he kneels down to reload his gun.
I crack a smile and reply, "I hope not, Sir."
Colonel Michael Jacobs is the one in charge around here, and he practically sees me as his own daughter. Typically, females aren't permitted to be on the front lines, but out of all the medics, I'm the one who's saved the most lives under the most extraordinary circumstances, so Jacobs requested me and wouldn't take no for an answer. He once told me that I reminded him of his own daughter, who died when she was in high school due to a school shooting, he said that I have the same personality and carry myself the way she did. And because of that he looks after me more than anyone else in his unit. And with his salt and pepper hair, his aging blue eyes, and his soft smile, I see him as my own father figure.
"Sir, what's the situation? Who's attacking us?"
"The Taliban. They're after some of the intel we possess about the mission we just finished the other day and I'll be damned if they get it."
"And our reinforcements?"
"The radio that we had to contact help has been destroyed and is now in flames."
"So, it's just us?" I inquire.
He nodded and shook his head. "We may not survive this attack, Quinn. Their numbers are too many and ours is too few. There's only a handful of us left and they keep coming. No matter what, they cannot know that intel, Fabray." I knew what he meant. The Taliban can be ruthless and torture isn't out of their league. "I've loved you like a daughter, Quinn." He passed me his dog tags and that had his wedding ring on the chain as well.
"Sir?" It was then that I notice the eerie silence surrounding us both. No more gunfire, no more explosions, just complete silence. He looked at me and smiled sadly and when he looked up he aimed his pistol at a member of the Taliban and shot. I didn't have the chance to blink before he shot as many as he could with both his pistol and my rifle, quickly I began shooting them as well with my own pistol. But then we ran out of ammo and were left sitting next to each other as we became surrounded by the lot of them.
It all became a blur then. I shoved his tags and ring into my back hidden pocket of my pants for safe keeping. Then a shot rang out and wetness splattered across my face. Turning I saw Jacobs lying lifeless beside me and that was the last image I saw before I was knocked unconscious by a butt of one of their guns.
A/N: Thoughts? Review!
