A/N: Okay, it wasn't the last chapter. It was meant to be but I really felt there needed to be a division between that scene and this actual final last one.

I know the previous chapter was short and vague, my apologies. All should be answered in this chapter!

I also know that in the canon, Schofield goes to teach at Parris Island but as I said before, California is just cooler.

On the other hand though, lots of other loose ends in canon are explained in this chapter (or at least, I've invented some explanations that I reckon are pretty plausible!) such as the mysterious absence of Book II in the last two books, (that sentence sort of hurt my head to type…) How Astro ends up with Jack West Jr. and why Ralph would threaten to leave Mother because of the lengths she goes to stand by Schofield.

Really, this is it.

Hope you liked it! And if you did, I'd really love to hear from you, even if it's just a quick note to say hi and that you read it the whole way through. My readers really do mean the world to me – as Matthew Reilly himself always says, "to anyone who knows a writer, never underestimate the power of your encouragement."

Ta!

Chapter 26

Back on base, Schofield closed the door behind him softly. Although the sun was well and truly up by now and peeping around the edges of the still drawn curtains, Jack was sprawled out across the bed, fast asleep.

At some point since Schofield had left earlier in the morning, Jack had rolled over so he was lying on his stomach, limbs falling off the small bed. Carefully, Shane crawled onto the bed, running his hands softly along the curve of Jack's back before pressing a kiss into his shoulder.

Jack stirred sleepily and rolled over. Groaning a little in protest at being woken, he opened bleary eyes to see Shane looking down at him. Playfully, he toppled over to lie down beside Jack but ended up more like half on top of him. They lay chest to chest as Shane's fingers ran across Jack's pectorals.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Schofield said cheerfully.

To which Jack could only mumble a reply. He did manage however, to bring one hand up to ruffle Schofield's hair whilst the other wrapped securely around his back.

"Morning," he eventually choked out, "What time is it?"

"Past eleven," Schofield replied, "Everyone's outside. Mother decided a barbeque was in order."

Grumbling good naturedly, Jack tried to clamber out of the bed but Shane held him fast for just one more minute. Pressing his head into the crook of Jack's neck and breathing deeply, he felt Jack's arms tighten around him. Given recent turns of events, he wasn't sure how many more mornings like this they would get and he wanted it to last.

The sun and the sound of laughter from outside were tempting too, so after a moment he pushed the tangled sheets away and dragged them both out of the bed. Jack's skin was still warm as Shane pushed him up against the wall, leaning into him and brushing their heads together. His hands carefully held Jack's bare waist, thumbs running across the curve where abdomen met hip bone.

Schofield looked up at Jack, blue eyes striking under dark eyelashes, smiling playfully as Jack leant in to kiss him and he ducked away.
"We should get going," he teased.

He could've sworn Jack pouted – actually pouted – but followed orders and pulled on a casual shirt and jeans over the boxers he'd slept in before Schofield pushed him out the door and halfway down the stairs.

He stopped suddenly however, at the base of the darkened stairwell and flung out an arm to grab Jack, holding him back. One step behind him, for once, Schofield had the height advantage. With one hand against Jack's chest, he stilled him with only the slightest touch. The other hand ran through the bristles of hair on his half-shaven head, along the shell of an ear, the line of a cheekbone, the touch almost reverent.

But when he actually leaned in to kiss him, Jack was quicker. Quicker than even Schofield's reflexes could react, he leant in and nipped Shane's lip hard in a kiss that was more of a bite before pulling away and, with a wicked grin, disappeared off into the gathered crowd.

Schofield tasted blood and smiled to himself as he tried to follow but quickly found that Jack had slipped easily through the crowd whilst everybody wanted to talk to him. Obligingly, he stopped to chat briefly with each person – shaking hands with Skip's fiancé and shooting Rebound a warning as he tried to spike Astro's drink without knowing Sanchez had already got there first – as he made his way through the crowd, following the path Jack wend.

He would pause to speak to someone when a flash of blue eyes the same cool colour as the sea yet that still managed to burn with intensity would distract him through the mass of bodies and, inadvertently, he would forget the second half of whatever sentence he was stumbling through.

He had nearly reached him, hanging around the edges of the crowd, when a gruff voice rang out over the babble of voices.

"Attention," Mother called loudly to little effect.

"Oi, Shut the fuck up!" She roared.

Which was far more successful.

The chatter died down and all eyes turned to her.

"Well," she said gruffly. "Now that it comes to it, this is a good bit harder than I thought it would be."

She paused.
Cleared her throat.
"I'm leaving."

Despite the simplicity of the statement, there were several exclamations of shock and those who remained silent were so because their jaws had dropped in stunned surprise.

"I've put in for a transfer," she continued, having got everyone's undivided attention, "and I'm headed Miramar way. I'm going to TOPGUN baby."

The babble of chatter broke out again but this time with a clear undercurrent of curiosity and disquiet.

And yet above it all, Rebounds voice rang clear.
"Why?" he asked.

He looked almost hurt at this revelation. After all they had been through together… Mother couldn't just leave. It seemed utter lunacy, far beyond his comprehension.

In the heavy silence that followed, the only sound that could be heard was the sizzle of sausages on the barbeque as Ralph – the only one entirely unfazed by this news seeing as they had discussed it, albeit briefly, early in the morning – continued to cook with his back turned away from the group.

"Just needed a change," Mother said unusually subdued, "so I'm off to California to teach show pony pilots how to survive on the ground when the going gets rough."

"Like when their planes explode?" Skip asked with vigour.

"Exactly," Mother replied with the hint of a grin.

"Wait," Sanchez said disbelievingly as he put two and two together, "They're really gonna let you teach? At TOPGUN?"

"Yep," She replied, her eyes fixing themselves on Schofield, "And I'm not going alone."

When she didn't continue to speak, the eyes of the other marines began to follow her gaze and turned to where Shane was still standing on the fringe of the group with his hands in his pockets.

"I suspect it's a new record," he said evenly. "Discharged and reinstated within twenty-four hours."

"No, come on, seriously?" Sanchez continued, "TOPGUN?"

"Well, you know what they say, Pancho," Jack said, strolling over to Schofield, pausing only to swing down and grab two cold beers from a nearby esky, "Those who can't do, teach."

Pressing one of the drinks into Schofield's hand, Jack was brought to a standstill by Shane's other hand curling quickly around his neck and drawing him in and before he could even think, Shane had kissed him in front of the entire close knit group – who were all, naturally, staring.

It was a brief kiss, barely a fleeting touch of lips but everyone saw and that, Jack knew, was what mattered.
It said, 'I care about you more than I care about what they think,' better than any words could have.
Without saying a thing, Shane managed to say the one thing Jack wanted to hear more than anything else.
In its simple ease, it said, 'I love you.'

"Cute," Sanchez drawled, "but you're missing the point. It's only fucking ironic cause that's got to be the gayest movie ever … and you're gay."

"Thank you, Sanchez," Schofield said, turning to him and only blushing slightly, "I had figured that one out for myself."

"And we call it the 'Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program' now," he added.

"TOPGUN sounds cooler," Rebound added matter of factly.

"What'll you teach?" Skip asked.

"What's going to happen to us now?" The soft voice of Bigfoot cut across the chatter. "What about our team?"

Schofield paused.

"Tactical flying," he said eventually, choosing to answer Skip first – buying time.

"And don't think I'm not gonna miss every one of you guys," he pressed on, suddenly serious, "It's been an honour serving with each of you. But I reckon I'm leaving you in pretty good hands -"

He shot a smile at Jack

" – And I thought Book might do the honours of replacing Mother as Team Chief - "

The expression on Book II's face said it all, stunned amazement and pure joy, tempered by a hefty dose of humbleness. Shane saw his mouth form the word 'Me,' as he pointed to himself questioningly.
He just smiled and nodded.

" – As for the team as a whole, I pulled some strings to get you guys changed to a six-man specialist unit designation. You're all staying together, so you'd better look after each other."

"Wait," said another voice, one that hitherto now had been silent. "That doesn't work. There are nine of us. Even without you and Mother, that's still one too many for a six man unit."

Schofield could've laughed, but instead, he said simply, "You're a smart kid Astro, observant and resourceful. Exactly the sort of marine I'd choose if I happened to be asked to recommend someone for some high-priority, top-secret mission."

He saw Astro's mouth fall open and laughed even harder.

"Wait...! What…? Where…?" Astro eventually managed to splutter out.

"Dunno kid," was Schofield's reply, "My security clearance wasn't high enough for any details, except that it was long term and out of this world sort of crazy – sounded right up your alley."

As Astro walked away, still stuttering his thanks and the party moved on around them. Book II, Mother and Schofield found themselves surprisingly alone, huddled around a small table in a corner of the yard.

"So," Book II said, raising his beer, "Is this the end of the dream team?"

"Nah," Mother replied as the bottles clinked softly together, "You'll never be able to get rid of me."

"And besides," Shane added, "You'll have to see me at least once more. I'm your best man."

Tossing back the rest of his beer with a smile, he left the pair of them to talk.
In the opposite corner, hanging around the edges, he had just spotted Jack.

"Penny for your thoughts," he said as he slipped his arms around Jack's waist, startling him out of them.

Jack didn't say anything in return. Instead, he brought his own arms up to encircle Shane's back and shoulders, holding him close and breathing him in.
"California, eh?" he eventually said.

Schofield pulled back a little so he could look Jack in the eye but without moving out of his arms.
"Hey," he said sincerely, swiping his sunglasses off so Jack could see his eyes too, "Hey, it's only just across the border."

"We'll be fine," Shane said reassuringly, laying his head on Jack's shoulder, "We'll be just fine."

"When do you ship out?" He heard Jack's voice say into his ear.

"Couple of days," he murmured in reply.

"So we've got to make this time count," Jack suddenly said, drawing back from Schofield but still holding onto his shoulders, a light gleaming in his eyes. "Want to go somewhere else – Alone?"

Schofield could do nothing but grin in return but when he tried to move away, Jack flung out an arm and caught him, stopping him in his tracks. The light in his eyes was still sparkling but behind it, there was a new intensity that Shane had never yet seen.

Jack tried to speak, but foundered.

Luckily for him though, he didn't need to say a word. Shane could read the words his lips were struggling to form clear as day.

"Don't," Shane said, silencing him. "I know, I love you too."

Out of nowhere, he leant forward and kissed Jack hard and fast without caring that the entire unit and assembled company had stopped to watch. He didn't pull back until the wolf-whistles and catcalls started up.

Biting on his lower lip nervously, he looked up at Jack. Shane was fairly sure that the same light he could see in Jack's eyes was shining in his too. Slipping his hand into Jack's, he began to lead him away, ignoring the appreciative noises of his friends.
"Let's go," he said.

Fin

A/N: Thanks again and I'll see you next time!