A/N: Wowza! Definitely not a response I was expecting, but thanks so much! I've left comments at the bottom in reply to the reviews, so have a looksee! Also I'm not particularly happy with this chapter, it's a bit back and forth, also quite wordy. Fabrevans moments are there, but they're not as prominent since their relationship is going a bit slow at the moment.

I'm also trying to get a chapter out once a week or once a fortnight (I actually write most of it by hand then transfer it over, so that takes a bit as well), but I'm in the middle of exams so please bear with me.

Chapter 2

You've seriously got to be kidding me. I've only been asleep for one hour when I hear hoots of laughter and wolf whistles, waking me from my somewhat not so peaceful sleep. I swear to god I'm going to murder every single one of these guys and castrate them while I'm at it.

I reluctantly trudge out of my small bunk that only contains a small bed, desk and a barred window to find the boys. I find them, all dressed in nothing but shirts and boxers, all huddled around a small computer that's sitting up on one of the mess hall tables. When I finally focus in on what all the commotion is on the screen, my eyes almost bulge out of their sockets.

It's Quinn.

The video is of her standing in front of a conflict zone in Iraq or Afghanistan, can't tell which one, with a very well known American Broadcasting Company logo on the corner of the screen. She's a journalist, go fucking figure. A very, very beautiful one though. She's dressed in a button down white top, just showing off the soft curves of her hips, and has her hair up in a messy ponytail. Her serious face is kind of hot.

"That bite still sting, Evans?" I glance down, registering the comment as I was really focused on how great Quinn looked and find Puck looking up at me with this smirk that makes me want to level him out right there, but I'm too tired and my hand actually does still hurt. Fucking hell.

"Shut up Puck." I mutter, ignoring the snickers from everyone and wander back down the hallway to where my bunk is, but on second thought I decide to head down to where Quinn is being held.

Yes, 'held'.

After our run in, HQ demanded that we bring her back to our small quarters stationed in Turkey and interrogate her. I only managed to get enough clearance to stay with her until they actually got her into the room before I was kicked out and ordered to get some sleep. Couldn't really sleep when the last thing I saw was how she looked terrified as fuck.

I suppose that happens when you've just been loaded off a truck, in rope ties, sprung upon by a soldier – a very dashing one, of course – and brought back to be questioned the hell out of. Not to mention what must have happened to her before she was loaded off the truck, because the guys she was with looked like serial killers and that mustn't have been pretty. But the good thing is that we've confirmed who she is and be able to send her back home. Although, as a journalist I wonder how deep she went to undercover a story that wound her up as a victim of a kidnapping. Pretty fucking deep, me thinks.

I finally find where she is after about ten minutes. I've only been in this building once and all the hallways look the bloody same, so I'm not amused by the Private that's standing at the door with a small smirk on his face. I ignore him and peek in the cell, only to find Quinn's huddled in the corner of the room, her knees to her chest as she draws invisible patterns on her tattered jeans. Her blonde hair is flowing down on her right shoulder and it looks longer than the CNN broadcast I saw just before. I also notice a small scar that's just above the corner of her eyebrow. Knowing her, it's probably from picking a fight with some big bad bully.

I grip the private who has the key and take it, unlocking it before stepping in. God, if the Capt. finds out I did this I'm in deep shit.

"Hey Q." I murmur, not even realizing that I didn't use her full name until she's looking up at me with furrowed brows. "Sorry, Quinn." I walk over to her and bend down, reaching out my hand. "You want a hot shower?"

Ten minutes later I'm sitting outside the only shower room, that conveniently doesn't have a lock, guarding it so make sure that no one enters it as Quinn does her business. All the other showers are just the ones in the men's lockers, open air and not very private for someone who probably feels pretty violated at the moment. Also, not to be rude, but it seemed like she hadn't been anywhere near a shower in a couple of days and even though she still looked just as hot, she probably didn't feel it.

A few minutes later she comes out, damp hair that looks a little brown in the light and is somehow managing to wear a beautiful smile. I say beautiful because even though I've seen Quinn on the news, wearing make up and made to perfection, she in fact is just... naturally beautiful. She's wearing one of my old t-shirts and I managed to dig up some ladies size khaki pants, but she's a bit too tiny for them so it hangs off her. She still looks just as beautiful. Fuck, I said beautiful about twelves times. Then I notice the cut on her arm and frown, standing.

"What?"

"Come on, I'll fix that up." I keep my hand on her back as I steer her towards the medical quarters, which really is just a room filled with boxes of bandages and anything else you can think of and sit her down on the small bed. I can't help but notice that she's shaking from head to toe.

"So you're a journalist?" I ask as I look up at her, hoping I didn't sound like a bit of a dick trying to chat her up. She's biting down on her bottom lip – the same exact thing I watched her do on the way back to the base from the conflict zone - and rub the disinfectant over her cut, somehow managing not to flinch from it. Puck cries like a little baby anytime I patch him up.

"And you're a medical officer?" I hear in the same tone I heard the other night when I threw her over my shoulder. Feisty Quinn is back... and I'm loving it. When... I really shouldn't.

"6 years running."

"Quinn Fabray, CNN journalist. Three years running." She murmurs, her voice soft and crackly. I let out a low whistle as I work, keeping my eyes on hers. Quinn looks and sounds like a completely different person by how she is right now. Where's the girl that bit me almost five hours ago?

"You're in the big boy league. CNN is fucking rough." I say as I let out a laugh, looking down. "Sorry, didn't mean to swear." I hear her quiet giggle and as I wrap up her delicate arm, I glance back up at her again and she's sporting a perfectly arched eyebrow. Fuck, she's going to be the death of me.

"I heard you boys are too." Her voice is stronger this time, maybe she's just trying to get comfortable to new settings. I shrug before sitting down beside her once I'm done, smiling a little.

"We're not as badass as the Navy Seal guys, but we try." She smiles again and then looks down at her arm, letting out a sigh. "You okay?"

"It was terrifying, being in their camp, I thought they were going to…" She chokes up and I instinctively wrap my arm around her shoulders, giving them a small squeeze. I silently pray in my head when she doesn't flinch away from me.

"You're safe with us, I mean, we got some pretty big bad guns." I also happen to notice she's leaning into me… just a little.

"Who has a big bad gun?" Pucks conveniently says as he appears with a grin that makes his eyes narrow as he takes in our form and he also manages to drawl out the pronunciation of gun in a terrible mock of my southern accent. His mohawk looks very inviting at the moment. To rip off, I mean.

"Weapons." I clarify and Puck just continues to grin, throwing up the tennis ball he has in his hands up in the air. Fuck he's the crudest guy I've ever met, but he's also one of the smartest on the ground so I have to tolerate it.

"Uh-huh." I shift and stand, moving my hands into my pant pockets and stand between the two. Almost shifting so I'm sort of shielding Quinn.

"Quinn Fabray, this is Staff Sergeant Noah Puckerman. Asshat and bong face are also his other names, but Puck is just fine." I announce and smile as Quinn giggles but it earns me a jab in the ribs from Puck. Even when he messes around he still manages to make it hurt, causing me to try hide the tears in my eyes. I watch as Puck walks over and takes her hand, kissing her palm which in turn makes my eyes roll, but I catch the wink Puck throws her and I'm suddenly feeling territorial.

"Sergeants, what the fuck is going on here?" We both spin around to find Commander Foley, glaring at us both with a look so ferocious Chemical Warfare doesn't look half as bad.

"I was just giving some aid to Quinn." I blurt out and then pause when Puck snickers, shaking my head and feeling a little flustered from Quinn's presence. "No, I mean, she had an injury so I provided first aid."

"She hasn't been properly screened, you could be aiding a spy!" I feel Quinn stiffen beside me and I let out sigh, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. Foley has always had a love for the dramatics.

"Commander Foley this is Quinn Fabray. She's a journalist that works with CNN. Turn on the TV, they've been running her disappearance for days." Thank god I'd woken up the sounds of Pucks hooting, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to recount that bit of information. Foley just nods slowly before turning on his heel, stalking off towards where I presume to be his quarters. "Keep in your fucking pants!" I heard him shout, causing a snicker to escape Puck's lips.

I turn to Quinn and she looks terrified by the experience so I just hold out my hand to her.

"I'll find you a bunk, you should get some sleep." I ignore Pucks gruffness when she takes my hand and I gently fold my fingers over hers. I reluctantly let go of her hand when we get to the main hallway, but focus on looking through rooms to find her a spot. There isn't any and the only option is to put her up in my room.

"That – no I can't do that." She says as I'm unfolding out a thin foam mat and settle down on the floor with it, grabbing a spare pillow off my bunk.

"Quinn, I've slept on rubble before, it's fine. Just sleep." I murmur and her beautiful face scrunches up before she obliges, sliding down into the bunk and pulls the covers up. Her head is the only thing that's poking out and it's probably the cutest thing I've ever seen.

"Can I ask you a question?" She murmurs and I nod, facing her as I scoot back so I can see her a little better. The floor is actually quite uncomfortable, but I'm not regretting the decision.

"How come you ran for me?" I blink and I'm kind of dumbfounded by the question. I don't know what to say to her.

"It was… I don't know. It happened all so fast." I murmur quietly, tucking my arm under my head. She purses her lips to that and I sigh, shrugging again.

"I saw your hair and I knew straight away that you weren't one of them. Plus, I don't know, it was that whole damsel in distress sort of situation." I laugh nervously, looking back up at her to see her wearing a small smile.

"Thank you, for all you've done." Her eyes sort of do this thing where they just change from a light hazel to a sort of green. I'm surprised I don't manage to stutter out my sentences.

"I know you've already been asked a dozen questions by those asshat investigators," Quinn smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes, "but I really want to ask you what happened in that camp." As soon as I finish the sentence I'm expecting a backlash, but Quinn might be the only key we have in being able to solve this thing, even with the littlest of information that she might have. "Tomorrow." She murmurs, her voice still a little shaky and I nod, keeping my eyes on her. Her eyes finally close and I think that it's probably the first time she's been able to do that without having to have that awful feeling someone might do horrible things to you.

I finally manage to fall asleep, the last thing in my mind being Quinn's blonde hair sprayed across the bunk.

"Sam." I wake to my name being called, but it's something I don't hear a lot anymore. Evans is all I am to most people so I know the name calling me isn't someone from the army. Have I been suddenly been transported back to my home and my mother is calling me for breakfast? Did I get into some freak accident where I only remember meeting Quinn and then I've lost all memory before that?

"Sam." It's soft and very inviting. I definitely like how this person calls my name and then I realise it must be Quinn and that stupid freak accident theory is pushed away. I sit up, immediately, and fling my eyes open to find I'm in kissing distance with Quinn Fabray. I swallow hard, my senses completely going numb as all I can focus on is her tongue, darting out to wet her lips or the fact that her eyes are so beautiful I could barely even think.

"Are you hungry?" I nod and she stands, a sort of smile on her lips, but I can't tell if it's a smirk or if it's something else. I try to stand before I finally feel it. The thing I've never had to deal with whenever I'm on active duty because I never really have to think about it, but now I'm sporting a very embarrassing erection. Thank god I've got a blanket over me.

"I'll meet you… out there." I blurt out, receiving one of her perfectly arched eyebrows, that doesn't help me at all but she nods, leaving the room. I let out a groan, landing onto the hardness of the floor and look down. How the fuck am I going to get rid of this?

"Hey, fucktard! We're having bacon for breakfast and if you're not there I'm gonna lick all the bacon including that blonde friend of yours." It's Puck and I'm actually thanking him for that lovely image because now my lovely boner has diminished and I can now focus on the food.

The vibe in the mess hall is different than most mornings. Usually it's just quiet, a few bits of mumbling and not a whole lot of talking. Maybe today it's difference because we'd almost cracked onto something really terrifying, but it probably had to do with the fact Quinn was here. I see her as soon as I enter the room, it's not hard to since she's the only female in here and I make a beeline straight for her. Then, I remember, it would be a bit strange if I didn't come with food and grabbed that first.

Nothing special, well bacon was pretty special and sat myself in front of Quinn. She'd gone for the fruit option and that actually surprised me. From what I've heard, the camps that these Syrian dudes run aren't the biggest on nutrition.

"Only fruit?" I murmur as I somewhat graciously stuff my face with bacon. It's been a while since I've seen actual solid food, so leave me alone. I see a smile starting to form on her lips and it's so infectious that I begin to smile too.

"I might have snuck out and eaten some marshmallows. I'm coming down from a sugar rush." I feign a gasp, which she thinks is real since her smile falls and her hazel eyes fill with worry, but I grin at her, causing her to roll her eyes.

"I didn't even know we had marshmallows."

Silence falls over us then and I can see she's still getting used to where she is. I've been a victim of a kidnapping back on one of my tours so I know exactly what's going through her mind at the moment. I almost didn't get cleared to go on the next tour because I was just… slightly fucked up, so I'm grateful that she didn't get the grunt of what I did.

I finger my necklace that's neatly tucked under my shirt and tug it out, fiddling with the St. Christopher medal that my mother gave me as I keep my eyes on Quinn. She's currently inspecting the mandarin peelings that she has in front of her. I wasn't the biggest on religion, nor did I practice any of it, but the meaning of it was somewhat sentimental to me. St. Christopher is the patron saint of travellers and when my mum first gave it to me I was a bit bemused. I was sure there was another dude that was the patron saint of soldiers or some shit, but I think mum strayed away from the idea of me being a soldier and instead of seeing me as a traveler. Traveling and helping those along the way. It was nice to just have that extra bit of thought.

"Catholic boy are ya?" I hear Quinn murmur, her voice bringing me back to the present. I just shrug, giving her a sly smile and she in turn gives me one that does in fact reach her eyes this time.

"Not really, I was too bad to be one of those ring bearers."

"I think you mean an altar boy." I roll my eyes and we both laugh, earning us a few looks from the fellow guys around the place.

"I've been thinking, about all the stuff that I've managed to collect from the camp." I snap my head up in attention to her, not ready for the sudden change in subject. Quinn's got one eyebrow poised and she darts out her tongue to wet her lips. A million different things come to mind about what I'd like to do with that tongue, but I decide that's probably not the most appropriate thing to think about at the moment.

"Quinn I need to tape this." I murmur, grabbing my phone from my pocket and set it on the table. Quinn hesitates as she looks at it and I notice the breath she lets out because her shoulders slump at the same time.

"There man that gave you the intel, his name is not Abdi, it's Abasi."

"Isn't Abasi more of a… Kenyan name?" I hear someone say and I turn, realizing that now half of the squad is listening in to Quinn's story. Quinn doesn't seemed phased by it.

"That's what I thought too, I tried to find out if he had any other family in the area, but I couldn't find any and I really thought that was worth following." I frown at that. That's some seriously dangerous shit to be poking around with. "Abasi is a local arms dealer, he's also known to be apart of a local kidnapping crew and he's a smuggler of some of the ingredients for the nerve agent."

"How the fuck did we confirm intel with this guy?" Puck mutters from behind me and I'm feeling personally played at the moment. I nod to Quinn to continue.

"He's also known to be a..." She clears her throat before leaning in. "He's been known to work with international government agencies to provide cover ups... and to spy." I lean back, thoughts and theories forming in my mind.

If this Abasi guy purposely gave us fake intel - which in turn was actually real intel because the truck did show up - was he in fact leading us into a trap? What was the point of it? We had too many feet on the ground, there was no possible way that the guys that Abasi was working with would be able to take us out. Unless... Quinn was a trap or... she was given to us for a reason. To stay away? That she'd give us all the information she has on Abasi and the guys, causing us to stay away. Why the fuck would we do that?

"I was taken after that, chloroformed and I wound up in a small compound." Changs beside me now and he's diligently taking notes, making me glance back up at Quinn to see if she's noticed this too. She talks directly to him at this point. "It had really high walls, it had no windows and from what I could see, it was all white. The outside too." Her breathing becomes a little heavy and I resist the urge to lean over and give her hand a reassuring squeeze. But I still can't help but think that Quinn was given to us for a reason. That there is something much deeper than we're thinking about at the moment. Like we haven't even scratched the surface. All I know is that Abasi is out there and that's the only lead we have to go on.

"I was the only foreigner in there. They had a number of women and children, I wasn't sure if they were the wives of the men in there, but they were never touched. The women, I mean." All I can hear is her breathing and the scratching of Chang's pen, but I could definitely feel the tension beginning to rise.

"The children were sent off, to make the canisters... and when they ran out of children, the women." Her voice is barely audible and my throat contracts, the sick thought of children making canisters and having it blow up in their faces makes me want to throw up. For anyone to have to make those canisters, the thought makes me want to be sick.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Puck mutters and I can see the sadness swelling in Quinn's eyes. There was something that she saw in there that I knew she'd never forget.

"Huh?" Hudson mutters and instead of making a public announcement of his stupidly and inability to connect the dots, Puck decides to pull him away and explain it to him.

Of course they would use the children. It would hurt any person the most, especially world leaders wanting to end this. To see children having to make a canister and knowing that they would in fact lead themselves to their own deaths, would make anyone sick. I watch as Finn finally gets told and watch as he walks off, disappearing down a hallway. I'll have to find him later to make sure he's okay.

"There was a man there called K… something and he to me, looked like he was running the operation."

"Catch a name?" Mike asks and she shakes her head before reaching out to take a sip of her water. She looks exhausted.

"They were speaking Swahili." I furrow my brows, the most common tongue in Syria was Arabic. Why on earth would they be speaking Swahili?

"They weren't Syrians, they were Kenyans." Quinn deadpans, answering the question that was floating around in my head. I frown deeply. This just got a whole lot complicated that I really didn't want it to be and my mind is now swirling with possible scenarios. "I think I may be able to get back in."

Any comments, thoughts or ramblings (including rants) are all welcome! Hit me up with a review!

Samquinnchorddianna
Thanks so much! I really wanted to test how far I could get with their relationship in that short period of time – also in an environment where you wouldn't meet the potential love of your life (ha ha ha spoilers?!). Actually, have to admit, as I read your review I started laughing because I was like "Oh no! I've been caught!" because yeah, I'm a huge Arsenal fan. Just wait, I'm pretty sure a few more will appear, haha. #TOPOFTHELEAGUE

Nicole
Oh goodness thank you! You're way too kind. I'm such a huge mandorac fan, oh goodness that's such a huge comparison AHhhAHhHhh that's so nice! Unfortunately I haven't been able to read any of readingtoomuch before, but she sounds really good . You're being way too nice though, oh goodness. I've always been so bad with doing one-shots because I really have a lot of trouble ending my stories, I always want them to keep going! But I'll definitely give it a think, but thanks for investing so much thought, really! Also kick your phone in the butt for me!

CeruleanBlues
Sam in a military uniform is such a swoon fest and thank you so much! I actually was sitting on the fence about posting this because I've never been too confident about writing (I always bloody change tenses, without even realizing omg and I have such a blergh fest spending so long trying to fix it). But ahh thank you so much! I've always had this idea where Quinn is this kick ass journalist who never backs down from a fight and probably winds herself up in a ton trouble because of it. Then enter the white knight who swoops in to save the day! Haha! But yeah, I'm really excited to bring out Quinn's past, why she wanted to be a journalist and especially why she's so invested in going out in conflict areas so wee! Thanks so much for taking the time to read and review!

FabrevansXOXOBrittana
Eee, you're way too kind, but thank you so much for reading! I really hope the storyline doesn't disappoint.

B2stB2uty
Thanks heaps for the review! I hope that this chapter was as good as the first one for you!