Author's note: I'm so sorry this one took so long. I'll explain at the end, but for now I'v made you guys wait long enough. Enjoy.
What Will It Take?
Chapter 13
Monika walked into the lounge to grab a bottle of water, still sweating from her workout at the gym. She chose to train during the late hours since there were few patrons at that time. She was sporting her new green workout attire, which Eliza claimed made her look 'sexy as hell' although the blonde didn't understand how one could find workout clothes sexy. However, the German would purposefully leave her pink bra strap exposed because she knew it drove her red headed girlfriend crazy. Normally Meghan would join her in her workouts, but tonight the SEAL said she had made other plans, Monika was curious as to what those plans could be, until she saw her leave with a certain Polish operator.
As if on cue, she saw the American girl walk into the lounge, having returned from her outing. "Meghan." She smiled.
Meghan turned around and Monika could see the remnants of tears on her friends face. Monika's smile quickly disappeared. "Oh no." She walked over to her friend and put a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"
Meghan wasn't sure how to answer, finally she just said it. "I messed up. I messed everything up Monika."
"Ela?"
Meghan nodded.
The two sat down at one of the tables. "Tell me what happened."
"I kissed her."
Monika was surprised, she didn't think her friend would go that far just yet. "She rejected you?"
"Well, she said she had to think about it."
"So how did you mess things up?"
"Because I wasn't supposed to tell her yet, let alone kiss her." Meghan explained. "She has so much to deal with right now, with the mission happening soon and with her personal troubles. I told myself that I would wait until everything passed and was taken care of before I would tell her how I feel."
"So what exactly made you jump the gun?"
"I don't know, we were out having fun. We were both laughing and having a good time and I guess…"
"You got caught up in the moment and decided to do something spontaneous and romantic." Monika finished for her.
"…yeah. How did you guess that?"
Monika sighed. "Because being spontaneous was how Eliza first kissed me, guess how I reacted."
"You kissed her back and you two immediately fell in love?"
Monika let out a small laugh. "You've been watching too many romance movies. Not quite."
"How then?"
"I wasn't expecting it and was caught off guard," She explained, "so I slapped her across the face so hard that I'm sure I saw some of her freckles fall off."
Meghan was stunned at the revelation, but not ultimately surprised. "Really?"
"Yes. I told her that was completely uncalled for and for her to drop dead, along with some other harsh words." Monika smiled at the memory. "I must have taught her every curse word in the German language."
"Given how you two are now, I never would have guessed."
"Exactly, if I reacted like that and we're still going strong, I know things will turn out alright for you and Ela. I know exactly how she feels right now."
"What do you mean?"
"Ela said she had to think about it. It was the same for me when I was considering dating Eliza. I had never dated or even been interested in a woman before, it was all new to me. But after a lot of thinking and weighing my options, I realized that she was a great match for me. Sure it was rough and even a bit awkward in the beginning, but being with her was the best decision of my life."
"So, what about Ela?"
"Ela is confused and maybe even afraid about what she's feeling. Once she has calmed down and thought everything through, she will decide whether or not you are worth her time. To be honest, she'd be a fool not to, but that's her decision."
"So what do I do in the mean time? What did Eliza do for you?"
"She waited patiently for me to figure everything out, which I appreciated. I suggest you do the same, just give her some space, if she needs you, she will ask for you, but otherwise you must let her figure this out on her own. In the meantime, don't stress yourself to death."
"But how can I not? I haven't felt this way about someone in a long time and now I may have ruined my only chance. What do I do if she says no?"
"If she says no before the relationship begins, it never stood a chance and you need to move on." The German explained. "I know that's not exactly what you want to hear, but taking a chance at starting a relationship isn't the only time you will take a risk on one another. In order for a relationship to survive, you will need to take chances and make sacrifices for each other time and time again. If she isn't willing to take that first leap, there's no chance that it would have lasted."
It wasn't the most reassuring advice, but Meghan knew it was the truth. "I guess you're right. I'm just terrified that she'll say no and I'll have to start over again looking for someone else."
"Personally, I think your chances are good."
"You think so?"
"Given what you've done for her and how close you two have become, I think the odds may ever be in your favor."
"Thanks."
"Maybe I'll even catch you in her bed again." Monika winked.
Meghan blushed. "Why did you have to tell everyone?"
"I thought you were together, I was happy for you two."
"Of course."
"Regardless, whatever the future has in store for you Meghan, I know you will be okay."
Meghan was thankful that her friend was able to help her in this confusing situation. "Thank you Monika."
"No problem." Monika looked at the time. "You should get some rest."
"That sounds like a good idea."
"And remember, don't stress yourself."
"I'll try not to."
The two hugged before leaving the lounge, Meghan going to her room while Monika entered Eliza's room. Meghan tried to get some sleep, but had trouble wondering what Ela would say to her in the future.
Ela managed to keep her composure all the way back to the barracks. However, as soon as she closed the door to her room, she let out everything. Tears spilled down her face as she cried out loud, not caring if anyone heard. For a while that's all she did, she just sat on the floor and sobbed.
She wasn't crying because she was unsure of how she felt, quite the opposite. She knew exactly how she felt. It was obvious, it should have been a no-brainer, Meghan was perfect for her. Meghan had been nothing but caring and kind to her since the day they had met, not just in Rainbow, but when they had first encountered each other ten years ago. When she had kissed her, it felt perfect, she wanted nothing more than to kiss her back, but she couldn't, why could she do it?
"Because you'd be a fool for trying." That's why. Her father, her old demons, haunting her as they always did.
"Why?" Ela asked. "She's perfect, I've never felt closer to anyone in my life." Ela began arguing with the dead man.
"She's also a woman."
"So what? That doesn't matter to me, as long as I care about her and she cares about me."
"We both know what happens to people you care about, you fail them and terrible things happen."
"Not this time, I wont let anything happen to her."
"A bold statement, and one you can't control."
"Why?...You've been rotting in the ground for ten years, why do you keep tormenting me? Why can't you let me have this?"
"You and I both know why you're doing this, this is just another stunt your pulling because you know I wouldn't approve."
"This isn't about you."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, asshole."
"Really now? Curse me all you want, but you have to ask yourself, do you really want her? Or are you just lashing out again as you always do?"
"I…" Ela was now frustrated that she couldn't answer.
"See."
"Fuck you!" Ela began crying again. "Why do you keep coming back? Why can't I just be free of you?" She laid down on her bed, searching her heart for an answer to her question. Was her attraction to Meghan true, or just another way of getting back her father like everything else?
"And then Amelie punched Gabriel in the face." Lena laughed. Amelie was sitting next to her with a smirk on her face.
Meghan was concerned. "But all he said was you had a nice haircut."
"He did it in a flirtatious manor." Amelie said in her defense. "I had to show him what is mine."
"But punching him in the face?"
"It got the point across, no?"
"Olivia caught it on camera." Lena showed Meghan a recording of the unfortunate man getting knocked out with a single punch by the French woman.
Meghan wasn't sure if she should be concerned or impressed. "He definitely wasn't flirting."
"Oh Amelie was just being protective is all." Lena said as she nuzzled up to the French woman.
"Is he alright at least?"
"He'll be fine…I'm sure."
"If you say so."
The three of them were having dinner at the coffee shop, Meghan keeping her promise of spending as much time with Lena as possible before leaving for China. She also needed a distraction from her predicament with Ela, it had been a full day since the movie theater incident and the Polish girl hadn't spoken to her at all. Meghan was starting to get anxious.
"You leave in two days right?" Lena asked.
"Yes, and I'll be gone for a few weeks." Meghan answered.
Lena's mood dampened. "You ready?"
"I'm always ready."
"Are you nervous?"
"A little, but I've been through this many times before."
"You're going to be careful right?"
"Of course I am."
"Good."
Meghan wanted to change the subject to lighten Lena's mood. "Have you thought about where you want to go when I get back?"
Lena smiled. "Sure, how 'bout Bristol?"
"Never been there but I hear it's a beautiful place, sounds like it could be a good trip."
"Perfect, I can't wait!" Lena was excited. "What do you think babe?"
"Anything is good to me as long as I get to be alone with you." Amelie answered with a certain look on her face, causing Lena to blush.
"Okay, well now I'm definitely not leaving you two alone." Meghan interrupted.
"Oh come on Meghan, we're just kidding." Lena responded. "Kind of."
"Sure. Anyway, we'll start planning our trip once I get back."
"Sounds brilliant."
"Oui." Amelie agreed.
Meghan suddenly felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw that she had received a text message, and it was from none other than Ela herself. Meghan felt her heart drop, she wanted to read the message but was too scared to open it at the same time.
Finally, she unlocked her phone and read the text. "Are you busy?"
"What do you need?" Meghan quickly typed her response.
"Can we talk?"
"Of course, I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Thank you."
Meghan was now even more nervous than she was about their mission in China. She had never been in this situation before, sure she had been rejected by guys and girls in the past, but she had never wanted to be with any of them as badly as she wanted to be with Ela.
She hated to leave Lena and Amelie, but she really needed to hear what Ela had to say. "Guys I'm really sorry but something came up that I need to take care of."
Lena was slightly disappointed but understood. "Okay. Have a good night." Lena got up and hugged the SEAL. "Talk to you tomorrow?"
"Of course."
"Brilliant, see you then luv."
"You two behave yourselves now." Meghan specifically looked at the French woman. "See you tomorrow."
Lena sat back down and watched Meghan leave, a worried look on her face.
Amelie wrapped an arm around her girlfriend. "She will be fine chérie."
"You think so?"
"Of course, even if just half of what you have told me about her is true, she will be just fine."
"I hope you're right."
Meghan stood outside of Ela's door for what felt like an eternity, she wanted to see her but at the same time she knew she might not like what Ela had to say. Finally, after standing out in the hallway looking like a lost puppy, she knocked on the door.
"Come in." She heard Ela say through the door.
She slowly opened the door and stepped inside, the lights were dimmed in the room. Immediately, she saw Ela sitting on her bed, knees pulled up to her chest, as if she was trying to make herself look as small as possible. "Hey Ela." She greeted.
"Hey."
"You wanted to talk?"
Ela nodded and pat the area of the bed next to her, inviting Meghan to sit down. Meghan walked over and sat beside the Polish operator, she couldn't hep but notice that Ela couldn't bring herself to look her in the eye.
"Meghan," She started. "about what happened last night."
"I'm sorry," Meghan interrupted. "I shouldn't have done that."
"How long have you felt that way?"
"Since you came back into my life, but I didn't realize it until a few days ago."
"What about me makes you feel that way? After how much we clashed during Orange Sky, I thought you hated me."
"At first I think I did, but later on I realized, I think it's what made me attracted to you. You were the only one to challenge me or defy my orders and come out on top. It made you stand out to me, which I liked. In all honesty, I think I was envious of your rebellious nature."
"So you like me because I pissed you off?"
"That's one way of putting it, I guess." The comment made them both smile, if only for a moment.
"Is that all?"
"There's also the fact that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met."
This made Ela blush, luckily the darkened state of the room hid this from her companion. When she first met her old team, several of them had told her the same thing hoping to get in her pants. However, she quickly drove the point home that she wasn't interested in being with anyone and they eventually stopped trying.
"Meghan, I'm scared." Ela said. "I've been in life or death situations countless times in my life and now I'm more terrified of this. I feel so pathetic."
Meghan looked at her. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm scared too."
"Meghan, a big part of me knows that doing this would be a mistake that wouldn't end well."
Meghan hid the pain she felt inside at hearing those words. Her worst fear had come true. She had to force herself not to cry.
"But," Ela started again. "I know I trust you." Ela finally turned at looked at Meghan, she was giving her the same look she had back at the movie theater. Meghan could swear she was leaning in close.
"Ela?"
"I can trust you with anything…right?" She asked.
"Of course." Was Meghan's only response.
"Then I'm willing to take that risk." With that, Ela closed the gap between them and brought her lips to Meghan's. At first, Meghan was surprised, she almost couldn't comprehend that this was happening. Then she managed to close her eyes and return the kiss. They began bringing their bodies closer, Meghan wrapped her arms around Ela's waist as Ela wrapped her arms around the back of Meghan's neck. It felt so nice, so perfect, they made the kiss last as long as possible, separating only when they both needed air.
The two of them looked at each other, almost as if in a haze, as if neither one of them could believe that this was really happening. But it was, and Meghan was thanking every higher power she could think of that this was real. She kissed Ela again, to feel the sensation of her soft lips caressing her own, she couldn't get enough of it, eventually they both needed air again. They both decided to stop before one of them passed out.
"I promise, I wont let you down Ela."
"I know you won't."
"I cant believe this is actually happening."
"So, where do we go from here?" Ela asked, all of this being completely new to her
"China," Meghan answered. "so we can accomplish the mission as a team once again."
"As a couple." Ela corrected.
Hearing Ela call them a couple made Meghan's heart want to jump out of her chest. "As a couple." She repeated.
Meghan gave Ela another quick kiss, which Ela gladly returned. "We should get some sleep." Ela suggested. "We only have one more full day before we leave."
"Can I…stay here?" Meghan asked tentatively.
"Of course you can."
The two of them laid down on the bed and pulled the covers over them. For a while they simply stared into each other's eyes, not saying anything, both of them were on cloud nine. Meghan didn't want to fall asleep, she feared that she would wake up only to find out that this was a cruel dream, but eventually her body's needs overtook her and they both fell asleep, holding on to each other's hands
There was no telling how well or how bad this would turn out. However, now that the two of them were finally together, they both felt like they could take on whatever the world could throw at them.
Author's note: As I said, I'm really sorry that this took so long. So it's official, after spending the last two years in Japan, I'm finally back in the US. That's the good news. The bad news, in the process of moving here, some of my stuff was lost, including my computer, along with all my writing and notes. Luckily, I had it insured and managed to buy a new one. Now I have this new laptop and I'm having to start pretty much from scratch. Thankfully I have all the chapters saved here on fanfiction. Anyways as for the story, finally our two lovebirds are together, it's about time and now we get to see all the awkward and adorable moments that come with a new relationship. Just a heads up, I've only got one more chapter until we hit Act 3, which will likely be shorter than Acts 1 and 2. Also, this story hit 100 followers! I never thought that this story would get up to that many, I would have been more than happy if all I had was 5. Thank you all so much for reading my story and being patient with me it honestly means a lot, hopefully the next chapter wont take as long. As always, I hope you enjoyed and please feel free to leave a review. Until next time.