The room was quiet save for the soft droning of the television set that sat upon their drawers opposite the bed. Both of the bed's occupants were focused intently on the scene playing out in front of them; a flag being folded above a polished wooden casket as the sound of gunshots rang out through the cemetery.

Sergeant Matt Graves, call sign 'Scarecrow', had attended many a military funeral in his time with Delta Force; that number rose dramatically upon his arrival to Task Force 141. Yet, that particular aspect of service was something that he kept shielded away from his wife, Skye. Nine years younger than him, she still had that slight touch of innocence and naivety that was so endearing and so underserved of a soldier like him. Yet, the two of them had become inseparable since the night they had met. Engaged after six months of dating, married after another six, and now quietly celebrating their fifth anniversary in their rented apartment near the base.

Skye was no stranger to the military though; having a father who served during the first Gulf War exposed her to the risks that military service comes with. But she still kept positive throughout all of the hardships: Matt being called away at a moment's notice with no guarantee that he'd return; the lonely nights in a cold bed whilst he was sleeping in a bombed out building on the other side of the world; the moments of isolation when she couldn't tell her own friends or family about what was wrong as she had to keep his profession a secret.

Because of times like those, she resolved to enjoy every moment she could with Matt.

"I know what you're thinking..." Matt says quietly, pulling her into a sideways cuddle under the covers as the funeral scene ended and the credits began to roll. "And I understand how you feel... but know that every time I pull my uniform on, I'm doing my damnedest to come home to you safe and sound."

The words make her heart flutter, the same fluttering she felt when he was stood at the alter in his Army Class A uniform. Turning her head to face him, she smiled. "I know... that wasn't what I was thinking though..." To this, Matt raises an eyebrow. He was about to question her but was interrupted by a pair of lips pressing against his. They kissed for a good minute, before she pulled away slowly.

Matt smirked a little bit, and pecked her on the lips before whispering to her. "I think I understand now..."


Holly Brent looked ridiculous. That was the only way she could be described right now; the woodland-patterned tactical shirt she was wearing looked more like a dress on her, with the bottom of the torso running down to her knees and her hands well and truly covered by the long sleeves. The boots on her feet made her feel like a giant, as did the helmet that covered her brown eyes and wavy blonde hair.

"You almost look the part, you know." An amused voice spoke up, and Holly nearly tripped over herself as she turned to find the intruder. Standing in the doorway of his bedroom was the owner of the shirt, boots and helmet. Senior Airman Nick "Chemo" Brent walked over and crouched in front of his daughter. He looked her up and down, before chuckling and retrieving a plate carrier from his wardrobe. It was one of his lighter and smaller ones, and he made sure to remove the heavy armour plates before slipping it over his daughter's head and onto her relatively small frame. Standing back to admire his handiwork, he laughed. "Now you're ready to rock. What time is it, soldier?" He asked her, and she snapped to attention with a grin on her face.

"Dinner time, sir!" She said, stifling a giggle at her Dad.

"Correct. And what do we do at dinner time?"

"Uh… eat, sir?" She hesitated before answering, and Chemo leant down and gave her a mock-stare of disappointment.

"Wrong, soldier. We clean up ourselves and wait at the dinner table patiently." He broke into a loving smile and pulled the helmet off of her head. "Now come on, let's get you out of Daddy's clothes and into the dining room before Mommy has a fit." He helped her out of the vest and shirt, letting her take the boots off before taking her hand and walking her out of his bedroom.

Her mother, and Chemo's wife, Caitlyn, stood in the kitchen and had stopped preparing food in order to listen in on the interaction between father and adoptive daughter. Holly wasn't biologically his, but the small stuff like DNA did not deter Chemo from treating her like one in the slightest. The first few months of her life with the young girl were rough, as her real father had walked out on the pair of them shortly after Holly had been born. It wasn't until Caitlyn had met Chemo that her life, and by extension Holly's, had turned around for the better.

And she was determined to keep it that way.


"So, I was thinking that we keep the roses as decoration along the aisle, and then have them transition into tulips and lilies upon reaching the alter. What do you think, baby?" Emily Porter's smile was infectious; so infectious that sniper/spotter Sergeant Todd "Toad" Cane could not find it in him to not smile back, despite the fact that they'd been wandering around the greenhouse for the better part of an hour now. Their big day grew closer and closer as the days ticked by, and with each day Emily's enthusiasm grew and grew. Yesterday was a preliminary cake taste-testing, and the weekend before was spent looking for a venue to host the reception.

Thankfully, a small and short mission had spared him having to go through sorting out the seating plan for the reception a few weeks back; a fact that Emily begrudgingly accepted. It was her choice to marry into the role of a 'military wife.' Something that one of his team member's wives had said upon news of their engagement still floated around her head whenever he was called away for business.

"You don't only say 'I do' to the man…."

When she asked for an explanation, all she received was a hug and a "you'll see" in return. And she was starting to see, alright. It had been late at night a month and a half ago, around 11pm, when her fiancé walked through the door. She got up to berate him for being out so late, before remembering that he was due to return the following day. The team had returned early and postponed the debrief for later, allowing them all to return home and get some much needed rest. He was practically dead on his feet when she had walked up to him and embraced him, the scathing remarks about 'being out on the town' all but a distant memory.

Emily was also learning about the risks and responsibilities that come with being the partner of a soldier. It was a month after being engaged when she was off on her lunch break during the day. She was in line at a Subway when her phone started going off, the ID on the screen being one of the many other wives and girlfriends she had befriended.

"Oh hey Toni, how ar-" She started only to be cut off by an accented woman's voice.

"Emmy, there's been an accident at the base. A few of the boys are hurt, but they'll all live. I wanted to let you know before anyone else tells you otherwise or before you hear otherwise." It was Archer's wife. Toni was one of the first girls she met after meeting Toad. Toni said that it was natural, and an unspoken rule, to meet the wife of your partner's 'battle buddy'.

"What exactly happened?" Emily fought to keep herself composed, but the mere thought of Todd being hurt shook her to her core.

"Shelby's not telling me much, but from what she told me, it's only minor injuries. Her hubby took most of the damage, apparently, and he's only got a few moderate cuts and abrasions."

"Uh huh… and what about-"

"Toad's fine," Toni cut her off again, using Todd's call sign as the rest of the wives tended to do. "He's a little shaken from it, but nothing's missing or damaged. I'll text you if there are any major developments."

"Right… right, thanks Toni." Emily said with a sigh of relief as she hung up the call. She hadn't noticed that she was shaking slightly until she tried to put her phone back in her purse.

"… you say 'I do' to his job, the unit, and all the risks that it entails as well."

Nothing like some fluff and mild feels mixed in. So far, reception to this has been somewhat good. Nothing negative (yet), and I aim to keep it that way.

There might be a few short story arcs that will come with later chapters, but the first four or so are mainly to establish characters and setting. Anyway, thanks for reading! Until next time!

- TSO

PS - For any talented artists out there, I really wanna see fanart of Holly Brent wearing her Dad's (Chemo) woodland camo G3 shirt, MICH 2000 helmet and boots. Preferably while she's riding on Chemo's shoulders. The mental image just makes me want to die from cuteness and fluff overload. I picture her as being 10-12 years old: young enough to still be childish, but old enough to have an idea of what her Dad does for a job.