July 31st 2018-Afghanistan
When Aaron woke up the next morning, Soap's back was the first thing she saw. She slept with an arm around his waist and her forehead against the space between his shoulder blades, making the marks Soap received from the shrapnel the first thing she saw in the morning. Even though it has been a few weeks, the marks were still pink and healing. There were three long lines in his skin and more scattered smaller ones. Aaron's face fell at the sight of them and gently took her arm from around his waist and placed her fingertips on the marks. His skin was warm and Aaron worried for a moment that even the small pressure she was putting on the wounds was painful at all. Even though he was fine and healthy now, the fact that she could have lost him that easily made her feel sick. She ran her fingertips along the marks for a moment when Soap all but jumped where he was laying. Aaron instantly pulled her hand away and watched as he rolled onto his back to look at her.
"You okay?" Aaron asked with a hint of worry in her tone. She didn't know of she had just startled him or if he was legitimately frightened.
"You're hands are cold." he told her with a smile, reassuring her. Aaron let it slide, but she didn't believe it was just that. For the moment, she just smiled and rested her head back on the pillows. Soap laid on his other side to face her and studied her features. Her warm brown eyes, her tangled blonde hair, her smooth skin...she was perfect.
"How'd you sleep?" he asked as he brushed some hair out of her face. "You woke up before the alarm."
"Pretty well." Aaron replied. "You?"
"You're here so I'd say I got as a good a sleep as I could get."
Aaron smiled and reached out to touch Soap's face. His face had stubble on it and it pricked at her fingertips, making her chuckle. "You need to shave." she joked.
"Oh really?" he questioned before moving closer to her and moving on top of her. "You're here how long and already telling me I need to shave?" he teased. "Maybe I like my beard."
"Then keep it." Aaron replied as a smile infected her face. "I just might stop kissing you then if I am going to get stabbed with little hairs every time."
Soap raised an eyebrow at her and lowered his face to hers. "You love kissing me. You couldn't stop even if you wanted to." he told her as he pressed his lips to hers.
Defeated, Aaron kissed him back because he was right: she loved kissing him. She slid her arms around him and picked her head up off the pillow a little to match his kiss. Everything seemed to melt away and it felt like they were in their own little bubble that needed to be popped when air became needed.
"I need to talk to Price." Aaron told him as he began kissing her jaw and neck.
"Now? Does he know you're even here?"
"He met me at the car when i got here last night."
"It can't wait."
"You know I'm here for work, right?"
Soap pulled back and gave her a defeated look before getting up. Aaron laughed and threw a pillow at him which he easily caught and threw it back at her. Aaron laughed even more and for Soap, it was the most amazing sound in existence.
OOOOO
Aaron and Soap left for the technical building the Aaron once worked in for Task Force 141. As they walked around, she smiled at the familiarity of the base. She saw the firing range, mess hall, gym, offices, and all the other buildings and things on the base. It was nice to be back. She'd be lying if she said she didn't miss being here at times because she did. She spent eleven years serving in active duty and going home one day and not returning wasn't easy. Even though the weather in Afghanistan was excruciating and her days were long, she still missed it.
"Does anyone know we're together other than Price and Nikolai?" Aaron asked as they walked.
"The guys know I have a girlfriend, but they don't know it's you."
"Would it be alright if we kept it that way for a little?"
Soap stopped in his tracks, causing Aaron to, too. "Why?" Soap asked. "I'm not your superior anymore and you aren't an active soldier. It wouldn't matter."
"I know that, but I am supposed to be here on professional business and I don't know the new guys here. I already know they aren't going to be stoked about some lass coming here and telling them what they're to do once in London and I feel like if they knew you and I were together-"
"They'd be sure to respect you." Soap cut her off.
"Exactly. I don't want them to respect me because you're my boyfriend, I want them to respect me for me."
Soap stayed silent for a moment before nodding. He understood where she was coming from and assured her he'd do his best to keep his hands off of her while there were others around.
"And no staring from across the room or touching or anything." Aaron warned as they continued walking.
"No dirty thoughts?"
"No! Nothing!"
Soap chuckled as they walked to the rest of the way to the building.
The technical building was basically empty with the exception of a few of the guys who worked the night shifts. When Aaron stepped into the familiar room, she couldn't help but stop in her tracks a little. A warm feeling spread through her chest and body as her eyes fell on the familiar features of her work space. The navy carpet, the grey walls, the large monitor in the front of the room, her old desk. She smiled at the sight of the room. It felt like being home. "You alright, Aaron?" Soap asked her as she stood there silently looking at the room. She nodded. "Do you think I could just stay here while you go to breakfast?" she asked. "I think I…I just wanna be here."
Soap nodded. "Of course. Price and I will be back in about a half an hour or so with everyone else. You remember how everything works, right?"
"Couldn't forget if I tried."
Soap smiled and then left for breakfast.
Aaron walked around the room for a few minutes, taking everything in. A few of the other technicians said hello to her and welcomed her back even though she wasn't officially "back". She was here for work and leaving again in a few days to work in London with the Task Force and DETO. Once she walked around the room, she sat down at her old desk that didn't seem to be in use by anyone when the phone rang. She looked at the ID and saw it was Hereford which meant it was most likely MacMillan calling. Smiling, she reached for the phone and answered it.
"This is Lieutenant Pager." She said.
"Good to see you've landed safely lass." MacMillan responded.
"I got in last night."
"How's it feel to be back?"
"Good, actually."
"It's a good thing I got ahold of you now because there's something I need to talk to you about."
A sense of worry spread through Aaron. "What is it?"
OOOOO
Soap walked into the technical building with Price after breakfast and found Aaron sitting at her old desk, staring at the pen she mindlessly dragged across the desktop. "Morning lass." Price greeted, breaking Aaron from her trance. She looked at the two men and smiled her vibrant smile, but Soap knew something was up when he saw the look on her face. He couldn't place the emotion, but if he had to, she looked almost worried. She even looked a little sick to her stomach with the expression she wore. There was nothing Soap wanted more than to go over, brush the loose strands of hair out of her face, and ask her what was bothering her, but he didn't. He knew he wanted them to maintain a professional relationship in front of others.
Aaron moved to the middle of the room to stand with the two men. "There is something I need to tell you, though." she told Price and Soap just as the other guys walked in, but Soap didn't miss her unsteady tone. She sounded nervous about something, but the answer was put off as the rest of the one four one entered the room. A few of them were laughing as they entered, but silence filled the room the minute the groups' eyes landed on Aaron. "Is, is she the DETO official?" one of the guys asked.
"Yes I am." Aaron answered, her voice steady and sure of itself again. "And you must be the new members of the one four one."
"Yes ma'am." Axe answered as he and Bolt appeared at the front.
"Gents this is Aaron Pager." Price informed the group as he and Soap stood on either side of her. "She is the head of this case and came out to inform us on what we have waiting for us back home."
"We all due respect, Captain but does a civilian have the authority or the clearance to be on this base?"
The question came from Roy Martin, the individual Soap didn't particularly care for all that much. He was still his team mate and Soap respected him as a soldier, but they didn't have a friendship of any sort the way Soap was friends with Axe and Bolt.
Before Price could respond, Aaron beat him to the punch. First she let out a light chuckle before actually speaking. "What's your name, soldier?" she asked.
Martin looked at the other soldiers for a moment with a sly smile before looking back at the blonde a few feet from him. "Sergeant Roy Martin." He informed her.
Aaron smiled and walked towards him slowly. "Sergeant…" she repeated in a quiet, unimpressed voice. "And how long have you been here?"
"Six months."
"Interesting…"
Aaron looked at the man up and down for a moment from where she now stood, now only a foot away from him. He was about as tall as Soap, had broad shoulders, messy brown hair, and a pair of menacing grey eyes. He had sun burned cheeks, from the Afghanistan sun no doubt, and a light stubble growing on his face. He wasn't all that intimidating and Aaron simply continued on as Soap and Price stood where they have been, watching to see what Aaron was doing. Both captains had a pretty clear idea where things were going at this point though.
"Well, Sergeant Martin," Aaron began again. "I was a sergeant for the S.A.S for ten years believe it or not. I was in intelligence. Then I was welcomed onto this very Task Force and promoted to Lieutenant after a while. I was here for a year before I move to London to work at DETO."
At this point, Martin was completely shocked. His eyes widened at the words sergeant and lieutenant and her mention of being on the one four one, but he kept up the act of questioning authority.
"So you left the S.A.S to deal with some radicals in the city?"
"Martin." Price's harsh voice sounded. He wasn't about to let someone like Martin discourage one of his closest friends and high valued member of the S.A.S. Aaron simply held up a hand to signal Price to stop.
"I didn't leave anything." Aaron told Martin, her voice steady, stern, and threatening. "I became an inactive soldier but as of this morning via General MacMillan's informative phone call I have officially been reinstated as an active duty lieutenant in the Special Air Service which now means not only am I one of your superiors alongside Captain MacTavish and Captain Price, but you answer to me on this case. Speak to me like you have been the past five minutes again and I will make your life a living hell. Are we clear, Sergeant?"
Roy clenched his jaw tight as he and Aaron locked eyes in an icy stare before responding. "Crystal."
"Good." Aaron said as she stepped towards her desk. "I think we can start the briefing now gentlemen."
The group of guys gathered at the center of the room while Soap stood in the same spot motionlessly. Aaron was on active duty again. Active duty meant she could go on missions. Life threatening, dangerous, missions. Once he found it in him to move, Soap stepped to the side and looked at Aaron as she began the briefing. Their eyes locked momentarily and he could see in her eyes that this wasn't her idea, nor was she all onboard with it. If there was ever a time to panic…it was now.
A/N: I AM SO SORRY FOR SUCH THE LONG WAIT OMG. BUT I AM IN CHRISTMAS VACATION NOW AND WILL DO MY ABSOLUTE BEST TO GET SOME CHAPTERS WRITTEN, BUT OF COURSE I HAVE SOME SCHOOL WORK OVER BREAK. YAY FOR HONORS CLASSES. I AM STILL TYPING IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE THE KEY IS NOW STUCK BY THE WAY FOR WHATEVER GOD KNOWN REASON. I LOVE YOU GUYS. HOPE YOU LIKED THE CHAPTER. PLEASE REVIEW!