The Trainer
Chapter 10
Wolf was waiting on Willow at the gym. Mike had specifically requested that he teach Willow a few hand to hand techniques, due to her small stature. He knew Mike had taken it upon himself to help her at the range, more as a way to bond with her than anything else. It was crowded with several new recruits and they were very young and immature. As soon as Willow walked in; he heard several of them cat calling her. She ignored them completely and walked towards Wolf. He made a point not to notice her figure. She was wearing a pair of tight athletic leggings, a tank top with a sports bra under it. She threw her gym bag down next to where Wolf was stretching and rolled her eyes at the young recruits.
"So, this is where my dad works, huh? He said when you and I get done; he would order us lunch from the Officer's Club and we could eat with him. I hear it's good." Willow said, concentrating on food.
"Yep, he's upstairs. Those windows up there." Wolf pointed towards the loft area that had windows that looked over the gym. Several times a day, Mike would look out over the gym and frequently come downstairs and help train.
"I see. Not a terrible place to work. He said this used to be a factory or something. I figured he worked in some sterile office. Couldn't imagine that." Willow said as she did some leg stretches. The recruits were still ogling her and Wolf was getting aggravated.
"He picked this place. I think he wanted to avoid the sterile office environment. Those guys getting on your nerves?" Wolf asked her as he leaned in. He was half tempted to land a kiss just to detract them but decided not to. He needed to be slightly professional.
"Unfortunately, I have gotten used to that sort of behavior. Most women do. Just ignore them." Willow stated as she stood up, ready to start sparring. Wolf also stood up and they both took their positions and before he realized it; he was lying flat on his back. He wasn't even sure what hit him. Willow reached down to help him up with a smile on her face.
"What…how did you do that?" Wolf asked. He was not used to being taken by surprise by a five foot, barely hundred pound women.
"Hit your shin. Wanted to shut those guys up. I think they're scared now. Point made. Thanks for the help." Willow told him as she lifted him up and took position again. She had her hands up and was bouncing around like a boxer.
"Okay, your stance is…odd. Why don't you stand still? Are you trying to box?" Wolf critiqued.
"Ah…maybe? They really didn't teach us much in Academy." Willow admitted. At least she had her feet planted back on the mat.
"Where'd you learn the knee and shin move? It's effective but you need some work with your upper body." Wolf asked.
"Jim taught me that. It's really the only thing I know. I can punch." Willow told him just as she connected her fist with his chin. Lesson learned.
"Yep, you got that too. Ouch." Wolf said. He was getting distracted by Willow but didn't particularly want her to know that; especially considering that her father could look down at them at any point. "Alright, let me see those hands." Wolf asked as he pulled on Willow's hands.
"What are you doing?" Willow asked as she let him move her hands into a position to block any punches.
"You can use your feet and hands but you need to protect your torso and your face. Now; I am going to punch at you and I need you to block me." Wolf told her. She nodded at him and they spent several minutes trading punches and blocking. What neither of them realized was that several of the recruits were watching them. They finally stopped but only because Willow's stomach growled.
"Okay, I've worked up an appetite. I want a bacon cheeseburger and onion rings." Willow complained as they sat back down on the mat to stretch again.
"How do you stay that size?" Wolf asked.
"I have been swimming a lot and back before I started staying with Dad and Andrea, I ran five miles a day. I need to get back to that. Do you run?" Willow asked.
"I do and we should together. Cross country or on a track?" Wolf asked.
"I like cross better but I only had access to a track. And yes, we should." Willow told him as she stretched her arms. It was really hard for Wolf not to get distracted with his view and he noticed a couple of the recruits watching as well.
"You good? I need to get something out of my locker if you want to go on up to your dad's office?" Wolf asked as he stood up and pulled Willow up.
"Yep. Do you want me to order you something?" Willow asked.
"A grilled chicken salad and sweet tea sounds good. French dressing." Wolf told her before he pulled her in for a kiss. He did it for effect and Willow seemed to understand. He didn't even care if Mike seen him do it. He needed to teach the recruits a lesson about respecting women. Willow headed up the steps and Wolf watched the windows and seen her walking into Mike's office and giving him a hug. He then walked towards the recruits and they all stood at attention. When he joined the U.S. Navy, he had immediately been promoted to Master Chief. He had some authority and he was tired of the recruits.
"Alright. I have noticed you five doing that with Officer Slattery, along with a couple female recruits. It ends now. Woman are not something to be ogled. I want you all to go out and run ten laps on the track. I will also be explaining this to Admiral Slattery. He will agree. And yes, Officer Slattery is Admiral Slattery's daughter so you might want to think about that before you ogle her. Happens again, it won't be me that you'll be having this conversation with, it'll be him and I will warn you; he is extremely, extremely protective of his daughter. Now, go!" Wolf told them and they all nodded except one; Sanders. While the other four ran off, he stood toe to toe with Wolf.
"You were ogling at her too." Sanders said. He was a punk that had already been written up several times for insubordination.
"That is none of your business and besides; I kissed her. Where her father himself could see it. He has given his blessing. Now, go run ten laps." Wolf ordered.
"You said five…" Sanders argued.
"That was before you were insubordinate. Look, Sanders; I would be happy to bounce you out of the Navy but that isn't an option. Admiral Slattery may agree though. Now, go before it becomes fifteen. I want to go eat lunch with my girlfriend and her father." Wolf ordered again. He had seen Tom Chandler walk in and nod at him.
"Go, Sanders. That's a direct order from me. You will not be treating any woman; rather it's Willow Slattery or a female recruit like that or I will bounce you myself. I also am not thrilled with your insubordination where Master Chief Taylor is concerned. He is on special assignment from myself and Admiral Slattery, business that is none of your business. Go." Tom ordered and the young recruit ran for the training field.
"He is an idiot. Sorry you got involved in that one, Admiral." Wolf apologized.
"He isn't going to make it. Mike had told me that you and Willow were dating. He is happy about it so I don't have a problem with it. Is it going to be an issue with you training her?" Tom asked.
"No, I don't believe so, Sir." Wolf told him.
"Alright; I am going to warn you of something, unofficially. As you said, Mike is very protective of his kids. The fact that he is actually thrilled with you dating Willow is surprising, not because of you but because he is the sort of father who doesn't think anyone is good enough for his kid. Tread carefully and treat her well. I think you will be fine but I also understand Mike's position to a point. He has missed out on a lot with his older kids and I do think having them back in his life is affecting his decision making. He is particularly worried about Willow and he's struggling with a few things where she is concerned. Just be careful." Tom warned.
"Yes, sir. I knew that he was having some issues with a scar on her hip." Wolf agreed.
"The scar is symbolic. Its…you won't understand this until you're a father but it is a physical reminder that Mike failed." Tom told him quietly as he eyed the office windows, obviously concerned about being heard.
"Failed, sir?" Wolf questioned.
"It's the father's job to protect his children. After Shaw had Ashley and Sam kidnapped and my dad murdered, Sam had nightmares for months, every time he had one; it was a reminder that I had failed as their father. But what happened to Willow; it is far worse, worse even then what happened to Hannah. A rape, especially one as gruesome as Willow's, is horrific. It goes against everything Mike ever stood for. To not be able to protect his own daughter from it; he is horrifically ashamed and angry at himself. Seeing that scar…it makes it worse. I know Willow is taking a stand, not wanting to hide behind what happened to her, but it is really hurting Mike." Tom told him.
"I see." Wolf said. He had been proud of Willow but hadn't thought of it from Mike's point of view.
"I think you know what I am asking you to do? Talk to her?" Tom asked.
"I will, Sir. I am sure that she didn't mean to hurt him." Wolf told him.
"He knows that. He had disclosed it to me this morning and I need it kept quiet." Tom told him.
"Understood. If nothing else, I will make it seem like I have an issue with it." Wolf agreed.
"Thanks. He won't ask her to cover it up." Tom said as he headed towards the locker room. Wolf nodded towards him and started up the stairs to Mike's office. He knocked on the door and walked in.
"Sorry, I got caught up talking to Admiral Chandler." Wolf said as he sat down next to Willow at the conference table. He would tell Mike about the recruits later, when Willow wasn't there.
"It's okay. I was just suggesting all the restaurants that Dad could take Andrea to for their date night. Any ideas?" Willow asked.
"Not really, that place we went to was nice…until you got carded. That was embarrassing for me." Wolf joked.
"Not sure Andrea or I will have that problem. I haven't been carded in…never." Mike admitted.
"Well, no. But Dad, the offer still stands. If you guys want to get out for the whole night, I can handle the kids, even Lauren. MJ had a few rough nights when he was that small." Willow told Mike.
"Thanks, sweetie. I do appreciate it. We will probably definitely take advantage of that in a few weeks. Our anniversary is coming up about the time that Andrea will get cleared to…anyway, a few hours out will be really nice." Mike said with an ornery grin.
"Oh God, Dad, gross." Willow teased.
"I didn't say what she would be cleared to do. How do you think babies are made? Not that we're going to be making a baby. Just…" Mike kept teasing back. While Wolf didn't particularly want to hear about anyone's sex life; he was glad Mike and Willow were at least teasing.
"Dad…oh, yuck! I didn't think old people did that stuff?" Willow asked.
"I won't ever be that old and Andrea really loves when I…" Mike kept up with the teasing.
"DAD!" Willow exclaimed.
"Okay, okay. Wolf, I've never seen that shade of red. You okay?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, I'm good." Wolf lied.
"Sure. Willow, have you given any thought to our offer from this morning?" Mike asked as their lunch appeared. Willow looked thrilled with her burger and onion rings.
"I'm thinking about it, Dad. My lease is up next month and the landlord is raising the rent. I don't even know how much. It will be outrageous, I'm sure." Willow told him.
"All the more reason. We can make the apartment your own. I have to work a couple days a week but I am taking some time off. I want you with us. It doesn't have to be permanent but it would give us all some time. I just want my entire family under the roof." Mike explained. Wolf knew that Mike had wanted Willow to stay on with them.
"I just don't feel right about the no rent thing. I make a decent enough living." Willow worried.
"You can save your money. I won't charge my own kid rent no matter what kind of living you make. You'd have your own entrance so you can come and go as you please." Mike was practically begging.
"Dad, my concern is how Andrea feels about all this. It can't be easy to be in her shoes." Willow was hinting.
"She's…she is the one that suggested it. She thought the closeness would be good for all of us. Not just me and you. Wants a chance to get to know you better and was afraid that if you moved out; you'd come over for a family dinner here and there and that would be it. We all want…more." Mike explained.
"Okay. I'll need to borrow your truck to move furniture into storage and…" Willow rattled on.
"Between Me and Wolf, we'll take care of that, right, Wolf?" Mike asked. Wolf was beginning to wonder if Mike had an ulterior motive but he was happy that Willow would be close by.
"Yes, sir." Wolf confirmed as he ate his salad. Mike was grinning from ear to ear.
"Wolf, we have today off. Do you want to go for a run?" Willow asked.
"Sure. Maybe not five miles but I know a good trail. It's about three." Wolf told her. They all ate their lunch and discussed the kids activities and what Willow wanted to change about her living area at Mike and Andrea's house. By one; they left to go on their run with plans to go back to Mike and Andrea's to swim. It gave Wolf time to talk to Willow about the swimsuit issue. As they were working up; Wolf decided to bring it up. If it made her mad; at least they wouldn't be half way down the trail. "So; I wanted to talk to you about your swimsuit."
"Did you not like it?" Willow asked as she stretched her legs out.
"I…like it just fine. But…I was just going to tell you that seeing that scar bothers me, but honestly, it is really bothering your dad." Wolf admitted.
"I really don't understand it." Willow said, confused.
"Tom tipped me off; your dad had…talked to him. Said he was really torn up about it. He sees it as a failure. He should have protected you, he feels. Seeing the scar is a reminder. I get why you are doing what you're doing and I am proud of it and I think your dad is too." Wolf told her and Willow nodded.
"When we get done running, I will go and get a different bottom. They had shorts that would hide it completely. I guess I should have thought about that. Dad isn't generally so…not sure sensitive is the right word." Willow told him.
"He's hurting, Willow. For a lot of different reasons but seeing that scar, it's symbolic. He failed as a father. I don't really understand it since I'm not a father but its creating a lot of pressure on him." Wolf explained.
"I guess. God, I feel bad about this. I just was tired of hiding behind what happened. I didn't think or care what it was doing to him." Willow had teared up and Wolf put an arm around her and sat her on the park bench.
"He is proud of you taking ownership of this. He is. And I think that staying with them is a really good idea for all of you guys. It gives you all time to bond as a family. Now, do you want to run or go shopping?" Wolf asked.
"Shopping. But let's run tomorrow. That burger isn't settling well." Willow admitted.
"Deal, are these swim shorts boyfriend friendly?" Wolf teased.
"No but they will be dad approved." Willow teased back.
"Well, I guess. Let's go." Wolf told her as they walked towards his Jeep and got in.
They went to the same store and Willow found a pair of swim shorts that would hide the scar. What surprised Wolf was that she also picked out a silver picture frame with two slots for two different pictures.
"I want to give Dad something and I have a couple pictures. Andrea took a picture of us kids the other day and I am going to take my cellphone to that photography place to have it printed off and then put a picture of Lucas in the other slot. Do you think he'll like it?" Willow asked as she showed him the picture that Andrea had taken. It was adorable.
"I think he'd love it." Wolf told her as they walked towards the photography store.
"I hope. So, you know all kinds of stuff about my family and I know nothing about yours?" Willow asked.
"Not much to say. My mum left me at the hospital when I was born. I know nothing about my father. I was raised in various foster homes and group homes. As soon as I was old enough; I joined the Australian Navy. I had taken martial arts classes in the group homes and so I was quickly pegged for advanced training. The Navy became my family, both the Australian and then the US Navy. I really have nothing from my family other than my name." Wolf told her and Willow had a sad look on her face.
"I can't imagine. I'm sorry. I wouldn't have talked so much about my family…" Willow stammered.
"It's fine. I like watching you all. Let's get that picture printed." Wolf told her as they made their way into the store and Willow quickly got the picture printed. She had the picture of Lucas in her purse and the pictures were placed. The shopkeeper pointed them towards another shop that would wrap the frame for Willow. Within just a few moments; it was placed in a gift box with tissue surrounding it and then the box was wrapped in dark gray paper with dark blue ribbons. Willow also bought a simple note card and wrote out a sweet note.
"Daddy,
We are all so lucky to have you. We couldn't have a better dad than you.
I love you,
Willow"
Wolf and Willow drove back to the office and picked up Willow's car and then he followed her to Mike and Andrea's house. Mike was already home and they could hear the family in the backyard. They used the gate to join the family. Hannah, Tommy, MJ and Annika were swimming, Mike was grilling and Andrea was holding Lauren at the patio table. Wolf sat down next to her and Willow kind of hung around until Mike closed the lid on the grill.
"Dad, I got you something." Willow told him as she handed him the gift. Mike looked at the gift like it was a bomb and even shook it slightly.
"Mike, just open it." Andrea told him wisely. She winked at Willow and smiled at her husband.
"It's not my birthday or Father's Day." Mike stated as he pulled the ribbons off and started opening the wrap. Tommy and MJ had gotten out of the pool and while Willow was drying them off, they watched Mike closely.
"Daddy, you got to rip the paper. Do you ever get presents? We need to get you more presents so you know how to open it." MJ told Mike.
"Why don't you help me with that while I read the card?" Mike suggested as he handed MJ the box. Mike opened the envelope and read the card with tears in his eyes until MJ handed him the box with the framed picture inside.
"I can't open the tape." MJ told him and Mike immediately got the box open and pulled the frame out. Wolf could see the tears gathering in his eyes again but also the soft smile.
"Oh, sweetheart, thank you. I love it." Mike told Willow as he handed the picture frame and card to Andrea and pulled Willow into a massive hug. "I love you too, sweetie, so much."
"Mommy, we need to get Daddy more presents. He doesn't know how to open 'em." MJ told Andrea sweetly. He had leaned onto her knee and was looking at the picture. Wolf realized as he looked over at the picture and at MJ, how closely the two boys resembled each other. Tommy looked a little like Mike but had Andrea's red hair. Andrea realized that Wolf was assessing the picture and the little boy at her knee and smiled over at him.
"He's having a rough time with that too but he loves MJ. He knows MJ isn't Lucas. I have difficulty sometimes too; Annika resembles Lily pretty closely, except for her eyes. It's just one of those things." Andrea told him quietly as she sit the picture frame down and ran her finger along Lauren's chubby cheek, obviously remembering her oldest daughter.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I didn't think about that. This is all new to me. I don't think I've ever been so close to a family." Wolf admitted.
"Well, we are happy to have you. And you aren't just near a family; you are becoming part of a family. Mike and I have noticed how close you and Willow are getting. He's thrilled with it." Andrea disclosed as she smiled at her husband and oldest stepdaughter.
"She's pretty special." Wolf told her.
"Her dad and I agree. Remember what I told you at the hospital about love coming softly? I think that is what is happening for the two of you." Andrea stated as she sat MJ next to her and helped him hold Lauren.
"I guess. I just…when it was Val, things were…well, you knew Val. Willow is different." Wolf admitted. It was what he was struggling with because things simply felt different.
"Willow is like her father. Still waters run deep. When I fell in love with her father, I honestly told myself that it wasn't possible because it didn't feel the same as what it had with Bill. I had to accept that just because it doesn't feel the same doesn't mean it isn't love. It's just a different sort of love. It's safe. More mature. When you're young, it's all about the hearts and flowers and fancy dinners. Now, it's about Mike holding Lauren long enough that I can take a relaxing shower and making sure my coffee is made in the morning. Me making sure his uniform is ironed and his lunch is packed for work. The fancy dinners are nice but it becomes more…easy. I don't have to wear makeup or do my hair to impress Mike like I felt I did with Bill. When you get older and fall in love with a different sort of person like Willow, like I did with her father; it isn't fireworks. It's easier and more fulfilling than that." Andrea advised quietly.
"Thank you, ma'am. I never thought about it like that." Wolf told her as he watched Willow and Mike across the yard. Willow was helping him plate the meat that he had grilled and they were talking quietly. "It just feels odd telling her; I don't know if she feels the same and it seems so soon."
"She feels the same. Like I said no fireworks. Willow is so much like her father. Elaborate displays bug her. Just say it and mean it. Too much information for you; but I remember waking up the next morning after Lily's birthday. Mike and I had…anyway, use your imagination. He was sound asleep next to me but he had kind of wrapped himself around me. It was…sweet, protective and comforting. I watched him sleep for probably an hour and realized I had fallen in love with him. I had all the doubts and then he woke up. I remember admitting to him that I had fallen in love with him. I expected him to make a run for it. My doubts were that what we had done; was just friends with benefits, a one night stand, whatever you want to call it. Instead of running away, he pulled me closer and nodded. He then admitted that he felt that way for a while but was shocked that he deserved love again. I got pregnant with Annika and Tommy that night and he did struggle with it throughout the entire pregnancy but once he held them, he was okay. He missed Hannah and Willow still, Lucas too but he stepped back into the role of being a dad. I am thrilled that he got his girls back and found MJ. He's fulfilled again. Sure, there are bumps but the important things are happening. They're bonding again." Andrea said as she smiled over at her family.
"Yes, ma'am. I did mention the scar to her. She bought a different swim suit bottom. One that hid it." Wolf explained.
"Good, Mike was having issues with that. He's protective and seeing that scar really bothered him. He saw it as a complete failure on his part." Andrea told him quietly as Mike and Willow made their way to the table. Hannah and Annika had gotten out of the pool and the entire family gathered at the table for supper. Wolf was immediately included in the jokes. For the first time in his life, Wolf was becoming a member of a family.