I don't own GI JOE just my characters, just doing this for shits and giggles

-Pit Barracks-

"Can you believe this girl?" Heavy Duty asked while basically throwing me into the room with Scarlett, Breaker, and Snake Eyes.

"What?" Scarlett asked

"This girl hasn't had fun with people around her age in three years." Heavy Duty said while placing a large hand on my left shoulder.

"Seriously?" Breaker asked

"Yeah." I said while walking over to Snake Eyes. I tapped his shoulder to get his attention.

'Sorry for laying you out on the floor like that.' I signed to him

'It's fine. You can pack quite a hit.' he signed back to me

'I feel really bad. Is there anyway I can make it up to you?' I asked him

'You could tell me where and when you learned to sign.' Snake Eyes suggested

"Where do I start? Well I started to learn to sign when I saw about four. My dad made me learn to sign because my grandparents and uncle were def. My dad was half def in his left ear after touring in the middle east." I said while sitting next to him

'What do you mean were def?' he asked

"When I was twenty-four my dad just disappeared one day. Haven't seen him since then. My Grandparents passed away from old age and alzheimer's when I saw ten and fifteen. And my Uncle passed away after getting hit by a semi truck when I was sixteen." I said not really paying attention to people listening in on my conversation.

'That must of been hard.' Snake Eyes said

"No not really because I didn't know them that well." I said while looking over at him

He tilted his head in a confused manner while looking at me.

"My dad never really raised me, my uncle raised me and my cousin. My grandparents were sticks in the mud and hard to please." I said while turned my head over to Heavy Duty who had put some music on.

I sat down on a couch while listening to Heavy Duty say the best way to learn about a girl is the way she dances.

'Someone shoot me.' I thought while getting up and stretching out my arms. I felt a really bad pain in my right arm so I stopped.

I looked over and saw Duke struggling with the weights that he was lifting.

'Note to self hit Ripcord over the head.' I thought. If there is one thing that I learned about being in the Army is that you never leave your partner out to dry, especially if they are weight lifting.

'I may not get along with Duke that well but I can't let him get hurt for something stupid.' I thought while walking up to the bench and putting my hands underneath the bar. Unfortunately my hands caressed his muscular chest which caused me to feel my face burn a little. I was glad that my hair was in the way from everyone's view so that they couldn't see it.

"You need a better spotter." I said while helping him put the bar up.

"Tell me about it. Thanks Drew." Duke said while sitting on the bench. I turned my attention to the ground and ran a hand through my hair. I was unsure of what to do since everyone else seemed to be busy except me and Duke.

'I probably should apologize to him but he kinda deserve it. Fucking captain's pride.' I thought

"Sorry Drew." Duke said which surprised me

"For what?" I asked him while looking up at him from the floor

"For treating you badly after finding out who you were. And for grabbing your arm like that. That was stupid of me." he said while chuckling which caused me to let loose a low chuckle of my own.

"I will agree with you that was a stupid decision of you. I don't blame you for how you reacted when you found out. I'm beyond pissed off though that you snuck up on me and grabbed my arm last night." I said while pulling my hair back into a ponytail.

"Why?" he asked

"Even if I was very in tuned with what I was doing, I could always tell when someone was sneaking up on me. I guess I'm losing my edge a bit." I said while sitting on the ground in front of him.

"I don't think you're losing your edge. I think the multiple nights without sleep and constantly training are making you even more tired than before. Although you do pack a powerful punch and kick." he said while pointing to a bruise on his left side.

"Ah sorry about that. Its just that…" I trailed off while standing up and looking at the bruise I inflicted on him.

"Drew" Duke said making me meet his eye contact "I know what its like to lose someone. Maybe not to the extent that you have gone through but I have lost someone that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with." he said

"Yeah. I remember, I was at Kayla and Derek's house trying to get Kayla to calm down when the phone started to ring off the hook. I went and answered the phone and got a bawling Ana on the line. I remember that day very well." I told him

-Flashback 4 years earlier-

After talking to the officers that were at the door, Drew pulled Kayla into the living room and set her on the couch. Drew then went to the kitchen and grabbed Derek who was still riding on Aquilla's back and brought him into the living room and sat him down.

Drew was rubbing Kayla's back in a comforting manner while holding Derek on her lap. The phone started to ring and Drew put Derek on the ground next Aquilla and went to answer the phone.

"Irons residents." Drew said into the phone

"D-Drew!" came a bawling voice on the other end

"Ana?!" Drew asked in surprise

"Drew I need you over here!" she bawled even louder

"I'll be there very soon." Drew said the hung up the phone

Drew was breathing hard. Now not only did she have to deal with a bawling Kayla but she had to deal with a bawling Ana too. Drew became very frustrated and punched the kitchen wall. Drew then grabbed the keys to her truck and walked back into the living room to see little Derek gently rubbing his mom's legs while their dog was rubbing against her leg.

"I'll be right back." Drew saw gaining Kayla's attention who was wiping her tears from her face

"W-Where are you going?" Kayla asked while her voice cracked from all the crying she did

"I'm gonna pick up Ana and bring her here for the night." Drew said while walking out the door

-End of Flashback-

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to sleep in a household filled with two women that are crying their eyes out for their loved ones, a two year old who is afraid of the dark and a soldier that can't cry for her deceased cousin?" I asked him

"How is it that I can cry for a man that I was friends with in middle school but I can't cry for my cousin who was like a brother to me?" I asked then sat on the couch and put my face in my hands.

I felt someone sit on the couch next to me. I looked over and much to my surprise Duke was sitting next to me.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" he asked me

"Go right ahead." I said while leaning back into the couch and looking at him.

"How long where you engaged and to whom." Duke asked

I paused and looked at him. I thought about it for a few seconds before I spoke.

"I was engaged for two month three years ago. As to whom I was engaged to that would be Captain Zachary Wilson." I said then chuckled

"What?" he asked

"Nothing its just you remind me of Zach a bit." I said

"How so?"

"You act like him. You want to get things done now and make sure its done properly. Zach was the same way. Now if I had to say he was like someone else, I think I would say he reminded me of my cousin because of how much a goofball he was." I said to him then I looked at my scar, it has healed very nicely but the largest part where the knife was plunged the deepest was still trying to heal and I had needed to go and get a few more stitches for it.

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