A New Beginning
Author's Note/Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego characters in this fanfic. This takes place two years after the events of the Schism.
November: Corporal Victor Garibaldi sat at the bar at the mom and pop's bar and grill with several of his buddies. He was now twenty-one years old, and it had been two years since he left Acme. It was almost promotion time; a month from now the Army would decide which among this group of young men and women would advance in rank. He sat alone at the bar watching the others enjoying themselves at games of billiard. "Hey barkeep I'll take another beer, a Miller Light." He said.
"Make that two." Said another man, the one sitting next to him. He vaguely recognized him as Sergeant First Class Schwartz, a heavyset power lifter who worked with the Administrative department at Fort Benning, Georgia.
"I know you kid," the man said, "You work on the crash site investigation unit. Made corporal at the minimum time, I know you're a synch for sergeant. What's you're name again."
"Victor Garibaldi."
"Eddie Schwartz, Sergeant First Class. I got a look at your personnel file and I know they're definitely recommending you to sergeant, so that beer's on me." Schwartz said, "I tell you, once you get that confidence up, you'll be a babe magnet in no time. I hear your guys talk about you all the time, how the military's your only life. They practically had to drag you out here."
"Hey Vic," said Corporal Ace Leivy, the other sergeant hopeful. Both of them were good buddies, "Heard they're really interested in putting you up for immediate promotion to sergeant."
"Really." Said another soldier.
"Alright Sarge." Came another.
"So do you think the Army's gonna issue you a woman with those stripes?" said Ace.
"I don't know, Ace, I don't know." Garibaldi said with a slow grin.
"How many waiting in the wings?" said Schwartz, taking a long swallow of his Miller Light.
"None really." Garibaldi replied.
"Do me a favor and go look for one, because before you know it you'll be an old barfly like me who's sooner or later gonna be pushing up daisies in some depressing cemetery." Schwartz replied.
~ ~ ~ ~
Victor realized that more opportunities awaited him as 1st Lieutenant Harding stopped him on his run. "Hey Corporal, got a minute?"
"Yes sir." Garibaldi replied, sweating in his black sweat pants and brown Army issue undershirt.
"Hop in." Harding said, driving him off to see the unit's commanding officer.
"Sir, may I inquire what this is all about?" Garibaldi said.
"Well, seeing you've had such a good service record, we think there just may be more opportunities for you than going around investigating crashed aircraft." Harding said, "How would you like to go through the Warrant Officer program and actually fly those aircraft that you go through and investigate?"
"I'll think about it sir." Garibaldi replied.
"All I want to hear is an honest answer, say two days from now with your final decision."
~ ~ ~ ~
Wearing his new sergeant chevrons, Victor Garibaldi was due to ship out to Fort Rucker, Alabama to the Warrant Officer's Candidate School or WOCS. He had the feeling Ace was going to be wearing them after he left.
"Hooyah!" said several of his co-workers, lifting their glasses.
Outside the restaurant, Zack and Ivy were waiting to be seated, as they were meeting a contact on their case. The waitress led them to their seat as another one passed by with a pitcher of beer.
Two tables over was a noise fest, a bunch of Army guys toasting one of their own, who just made sergeant. They were all in their Class A summer uniforms; short sleeved gray green shirts and darker green trousers.
Normally Ivy would have written it off as just another bunch of people partying, celebrating another's success but the following loud words were enough to stop her dead in her tracks.
"Hooyah Sarge!" a soldier sitting at the table's end called out, downing a glass of beer.
"Quiet!" said a corporal.
"Why, what is it Ace?" said the soldier.
"I'd like to propose a toast, to our new sergeant." Ace replied, "To one of the best buddies a guy could ask for. A man for all seasons, one hell of a soldier, not to mention one who's stripes I'll be wearing once he leaves for Rucker. A toast for Sergeant Victor Garibaldi."
"Here. Here." The echo around the table of around seven or eight enlisted men sounded.
Ivy scanned the table, as discreetly as possible, finally spotting a dark haired, dark-eyed man of Caucasian/Sicilian origins, approximately twenty- one years of age. He was wearing brand new sergeant shoulder boards and Ivy heard several more shouts.
"Hooyah Sarge!"
"Hey good luck at WOCS, man!"
"Speech! Let's hear our new sarge make a speech!"
"C'mon pizanos," Garibaldi said, "You know I'm no good for speeches and if anyone's gonna be wearing these stripes soon it'll be Ace. Then you clowns have to salute me. Oh what the hell. Cheers anyway and bottoms up, my last drinking night as an enlisted man."
As Garibaldi took a long swallow of the Corona he saw her. Short fiery red hair, green eyes, and oval narrow face. It had been two years since he had last seen her, and she was not an easy woman to forget. He still had her letter in his pocket, the one telling him she couldn't be with him. She looked different, sort of, but in a good sort of way, a little older than the last time, but it was as if she had a neon sign around her neck that read Ivy.
Right about then, Ivy felt that Vic had seen her, looking up she saw him. His hair was shorter, close cropped and low faded in typical Army fashion, he was a little more trim and muscled than the last time she saw him, but it was as though his name were emblazoned right on his forehead.
"Hey sarge, you alright?" Ace said.
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine Ace, maybe I just had a few too many." Vic replied.
"That was only your second glass, I don't think you're that drunk." Ace said, he then followed Victor's line of sight, "Nothing really spectacular about that redhead bud, she's a bit plain. I mean she's got that cutely independent look to her, but trust me, not the kind you'd want to get involved with."
"I was involved with her." Garibaldi said, "Two years ago."
~ ~ ~ ~
"Ivy, what's wrong?" Zack asked.
Zack's eyes followed his sister's line of sight when a response was slow to follow. He saw the young Army sergeant looking back at them. "Wait a minute sis, isn't that Victor Garibaldi?"
Ivy nodded. She didn't know what to do at that point. Neither did Garibaldi, as he stood, almost frozen to the spot. "Ivy, just go talk to him." Zack said.
"I don't know Zack, what if he just brushes me off." Ivy said, nervously.
"Ive, the worse that could happen is that he just stalks off and doesn't say anything." Zack said.
Ivy tried to conceal the nervousness circulating through her as she approached Victor, when he was standing off by himself, about to leave the bar with Pvt. Ted "Trigger" Fitzgerald, the youngest man at seventeen being designated driver by virtue of his being under legal drinking age.
"Hi Victor." Ivy said.
"Hi." Victor said, feeling like a nervous schoolboy again, a schoolboy in an Army uniform.
"You look great." Ivy said, "The uniform, you must really be a hit with the ladies."
"Actually I haven't had many dates lately." Garibaldi replied, "Been kinda busy. How have you been?"
Part of Victor wanted to yell at Ivy but he understood the reasons why they couldn't be together, she had her biggest commitments at ACME, he loved her enough not to force her to give up something she enjoyed and loved just for them to be together.
"The same. Not much new at Acme, the C-5 still keeps messing up our landings." Ivy said.
"And they call it the cutting edge of modern technology." Garibaldi replied, the booze loosening his tongue more than it usually was.
"Well Victor," Ivy said, "Our contact's here, I'll talk to you later. You should come to the Christmas party this year."
"I'll keep that in mind, Ivy, but I may have started flight training by then, but if the Army lets me go on leave, I'll be there." Victor replied, tossing off a jaunty wave before climbing into Trigger's minivan.
~ ~ ~ ~
December: Ivy stood in the terminal at the San Francisco Airport, "Ive, I wonder when mom and Uncle Charlie's flight's arriving, they were supposed to have arrived an hour ago." Zack said. At sixteen, Zack's voice had deepened; he stood almost a foot taller, but was still somewhat gawky.
"Victor?" Ivy said, seeing a familiar face, carrying a backpack, wearing his trademark beat up brown leather jacket, wearing a 101st Airborne t- shirt, the chain of his dog tags sticking out of his collar and jeans.
"Ivy." Victor replied, "You cut your hair."
"You let yours grow." Ivy replied. Her hair had been cut a little shorter as part of a cover from a recent undercover case, "Which I plan to do."
"So are you a warrant officer yet?" Zack asked, he and Ivy knew this from Victor's letters.
"No, I'm still a sarge, on leave." Victor replied, "For two weeks, I restart school and then if all goes well I go back and go to flight school."
"You want to go back to the 101st?" Ivy asked.
"Yes, hell yes. Anywhere the Army sends me but the 82nd." Victor replied, "So has ACME changed much?"
"Not much, Victor." Ivy said, "The Christmas party's still the big blowout it's always been."
"Yeah, and it's one of the only times I've ever seen Ivy even attempt to wear a dress." Zack laughed.
Ivy turned around and gave him a dirty look. "Better than seeing you attempt to wear one." Victor replied.
Both Zack and Ivy laughed at Victor's attempt at humor. "Mom!" Zack and Ivy both said, hugging their mother, Garibaldi felt a tad bit lonely having grown up in an orphanage whether Sicilian or American most of his life.
"Who's your friend?" said a familiar gruff voice. It was belonging to a broad shouldered man, standing about 5'10", a couple inches taller than Victor.
"Oh man." Garibaldi said.
"Who, Uncle Charlie." Zack said.
"Uh, your Uncle Charlie was my drill sergeant in Basic." Victor replied, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
"Sergeant Garibaldi." Charlie said.
"Master Sergeant Zim." Garibaldi replied, "Congratulations on your recent promotion."
"I'll be saluting you at some point you clown, relax." Zim said, "Warrant Officers are supposed to look relaxed."
"Ivy," Victor said, when Zim was out of earshot, "Why didn't you tell me you were related to my old drill sergeant."
Ivy smiled, "Uncle Charlie actually told me about you and to keep it a secret next time we met. He wanted it to be a surprise."
Victor wanted more than anything else to talk to Ivy about their past relationship, but not now, things were going too good for now. He knew that it was necessary, what she did, but he couldn't help but feel hurt. Ivy, whom as much as it pained him to admit, he still loved had broke up their relationship because she didn't know if it would work, she had been in a few failed relationships before. Sure they still kept in touch but it was almost like they delicately avoided talking about their two-week relationship.
Ivy wanted more than anything to talk to Victor about the same thing, but what was keeping her from doing so. Victor seemed pretty clearheaded, reasonable, caring, so what was it that kept her from speaking her mind around him.
~ ~ ~ ~
"Hey, Victor." Zim said, when Ivy was out of earshot, "You wanna go grab a drink and talk."
It was slightly unnerving to have his old drill sergeant call him by his first name, "Sure, sarge." Garibaldi replied.
They met at a local pub a few hours later, "Let's talk, Victor." Zim said, "I understand you were once involved with my niece."
"I was." Victor said.
"I notice you two still keep in touch but always beat around the bush when it comes to talking about your previous relationship." Zim said, taking a swallow of his Corona.
"It's in the past, I don't bother talking about it much. She doesn't either." Victor replied.
"Victor, I'm actually surprised Ivy hasn't driven herself crazy." Zim said, "She's so afraid of commitment, it's not funny. She keeps it bottled up inside all the time, but you can see it. There was Glen, this scumbag she was involved with. Every time he went overseas, he had a girl in every city and when Ivy found out she wouldn't come out of her room for weeks. She sees something in you, Victor I can see it. I'll take the check."
"Thanks sarge." Garibaldi replied, as Zim walked out to the Chevy Blazer that his sister drove and he had borrowed and drove off, leaving Garibaldi with a half empty beer and his thoughts.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note/Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego characters in this fanfic. This takes place two years after the events of the Schism.
November: Corporal Victor Garibaldi sat at the bar at the mom and pop's bar and grill with several of his buddies. He was now twenty-one years old, and it had been two years since he left Acme. It was almost promotion time; a month from now the Army would decide which among this group of young men and women would advance in rank. He sat alone at the bar watching the others enjoying themselves at games of billiard. "Hey barkeep I'll take another beer, a Miller Light." He said.
"Make that two." Said another man, the one sitting next to him. He vaguely recognized him as Sergeant First Class Schwartz, a heavyset power lifter who worked with the Administrative department at Fort Benning, Georgia.
"I know you kid," the man said, "You work on the crash site investigation unit. Made corporal at the minimum time, I know you're a synch for sergeant. What's you're name again."
"Victor Garibaldi."
"Eddie Schwartz, Sergeant First Class. I got a look at your personnel file and I know they're definitely recommending you to sergeant, so that beer's on me." Schwartz said, "I tell you, once you get that confidence up, you'll be a babe magnet in no time. I hear your guys talk about you all the time, how the military's your only life. They practically had to drag you out here."
"Hey Vic," said Corporal Ace Leivy, the other sergeant hopeful. Both of them were good buddies, "Heard they're really interested in putting you up for immediate promotion to sergeant."
"Really." Said another soldier.
"Alright Sarge." Came another.
"So do you think the Army's gonna issue you a woman with those stripes?" said Ace.
"I don't know, Ace, I don't know." Garibaldi said with a slow grin.
"How many waiting in the wings?" said Schwartz, taking a long swallow of his Miller Light.
"None really." Garibaldi replied.
"Do me a favor and go look for one, because before you know it you'll be an old barfly like me who's sooner or later gonna be pushing up daisies in some depressing cemetery." Schwartz replied.
~ ~ ~ ~
Victor realized that more opportunities awaited him as 1st Lieutenant Harding stopped him on his run. "Hey Corporal, got a minute?"
"Yes sir." Garibaldi replied, sweating in his black sweat pants and brown Army issue undershirt.
"Hop in." Harding said, driving him off to see the unit's commanding officer.
"Sir, may I inquire what this is all about?" Garibaldi said.
"Well, seeing you've had such a good service record, we think there just may be more opportunities for you than going around investigating crashed aircraft." Harding said, "How would you like to go through the Warrant Officer program and actually fly those aircraft that you go through and investigate?"
"I'll think about it sir." Garibaldi replied.
"All I want to hear is an honest answer, say two days from now with your final decision."
~ ~ ~ ~
Wearing his new sergeant chevrons, Victor Garibaldi was due to ship out to Fort Rucker, Alabama to the Warrant Officer's Candidate School or WOCS. He had the feeling Ace was going to be wearing them after he left.
"Hooyah!" said several of his co-workers, lifting their glasses.
Outside the restaurant, Zack and Ivy were waiting to be seated, as they were meeting a contact on their case. The waitress led them to their seat as another one passed by with a pitcher of beer.
Two tables over was a noise fest, a bunch of Army guys toasting one of their own, who just made sergeant. They were all in their Class A summer uniforms; short sleeved gray green shirts and darker green trousers.
Normally Ivy would have written it off as just another bunch of people partying, celebrating another's success but the following loud words were enough to stop her dead in her tracks.
"Hooyah Sarge!" a soldier sitting at the table's end called out, downing a glass of beer.
"Quiet!" said a corporal.
"Why, what is it Ace?" said the soldier.
"I'd like to propose a toast, to our new sergeant." Ace replied, "To one of the best buddies a guy could ask for. A man for all seasons, one hell of a soldier, not to mention one who's stripes I'll be wearing once he leaves for Rucker. A toast for Sergeant Victor Garibaldi."
"Here. Here." The echo around the table of around seven or eight enlisted men sounded.
Ivy scanned the table, as discreetly as possible, finally spotting a dark haired, dark-eyed man of Caucasian/Sicilian origins, approximately twenty- one years of age. He was wearing brand new sergeant shoulder boards and Ivy heard several more shouts.
"Hooyah Sarge!"
"Hey good luck at WOCS, man!"
"Speech! Let's hear our new sarge make a speech!"
"C'mon pizanos," Garibaldi said, "You know I'm no good for speeches and if anyone's gonna be wearing these stripes soon it'll be Ace. Then you clowns have to salute me. Oh what the hell. Cheers anyway and bottoms up, my last drinking night as an enlisted man."
As Garibaldi took a long swallow of the Corona he saw her. Short fiery red hair, green eyes, and oval narrow face. It had been two years since he had last seen her, and she was not an easy woman to forget. He still had her letter in his pocket, the one telling him she couldn't be with him. She looked different, sort of, but in a good sort of way, a little older than the last time, but it was as if she had a neon sign around her neck that read Ivy.
Right about then, Ivy felt that Vic had seen her, looking up she saw him. His hair was shorter, close cropped and low faded in typical Army fashion, he was a little more trim and muscled than the last time she saw him, but it was as though his name were emblazoned right on his forehead.
"Hey sarge, you alright?" Ace said.
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine Ace, maybe I just had a few too many." Vic replied.
"That was only your second glass, I don't think you're that drunk." Ace said, he then followed Victor's line of sight, "Nothing really spectacular about that redhead bud, she's a bit plain. I mean she's got that cutely independent look to her, but trust me, not the kind you'd want to get involved with."
"I was involved with her." Garibaldi said, "Two years ago."
~ ~ ~ ~
"Ivy, what's wrong?" Zack asked.
Zack's eyes followed his sister's line of sight when a response was slow to follow. He saw the young Army sergeant looking back at them. "Wait a minute sis, isn't that Victor Garibaldi?"
Ivy nodded. She didn't know what to do at that point. Neither did Garibaldi, as he stood, almost frozen to the spot. "Ivy, just go talk to him." Zack said.
"I don't know Zack, what if he just brushes me off." Ivy said, nervously.
"Ive, the worse that could happen is that he just stalks off and doesn't say anything." Zack said.
Ivy tried to conceal the nervousness circulating through her as she approached Victor, when he was standing off by himself, about to leave the bar with Pvt. Ted "Trigger" Fitzgerald, the youngest man at seventeen being designated driver by virtue of his being under legal drinking age.
"Hi Victor." Ivy said.
"Hi." Victor said, feeling like a nervous schoolboy again, a schoolboy in an Army uniform.
"You look great." Ivy said, "The uniform, you must really be a hit with the ladies."
"Actually I haven't had many dates lately." Garibaldi replied, "Been kinda busy. How have you been?"
Part of Victor wanted to yell at Ivy but he understood the reasons why they couldn't be together, she had her biggest commitments at ACME, he loved her enough not to force her to give up something she enjoyed and loved just for them to be together.
"The same. Not much new at Acme, the C-5 still keeps messing up our landings." Ivy said.
"And they call it the cutting edge of modern technology." Garibaldi replied, the booze loosening his tongue more than it usually was.
"Well Victor," Ivy said, "Our contact's here, I'll talk to you later. You should come to the Christmas party this year."
"I'll keep that in mind, Ivy, but I may have started flight training by then, but if the Army lets me go on leave, I'll be there." Victor replied, tossing off a jaunty wave before climbing into Trigger's minivan.
~ ~ ~ ~
December: Ivy stood in the terminal at the San Francisco Airport, "Ive, I wonder when mom and Uncle Charlie's flight's arriving, they were supposed to have arrived an hour ago." Zack said. At sixteen, Zack's voice had deepened; he stood almost a foot taller, but was still somewhat gawky.
"Victor?" Ivy said, seeing a familiar face, carrying a backpack, wearing his trademark beat up brown leather jacket, wearing a 101st Airborne t- shirt, the chain of his dog tags sticking out of his collar and jeans.
"Ivy." Victor replied, "You cut your hair."
"You let yours grow." Ivy replied. Her hair had been cut a little shorter as part of a cover from a recent undercover case, "Which I plan to do."
"So are you a warrant officer yet?" Zack asked, he and Ivy knew this from Victor's letters.
"No, I'm still a sarge, on leave." Victor replied, "For two weeks, I restart school and then if all goes well I go back and go to flight school."
"You want to go back to the 101st?" Ivy asked.
"Yes, hell yes. Anywhere the Army sends me but the 82nd." Victor replied, "So has ACME changed much?"
"Not much, Victor." Ivy said, "The Christmas party's still the big blowout it's always been."
"Yeah, and it's one of the only times I've ever seen Ivy even attempt to wear a dress." Zack laughed.
Ivy turned around and gave him a dirty look. "Better than seeing you attempt to wear one." Victor replied.
Both Zack and Ivy laughed at Victor's attempt at humor. "Mom!" Zack and Ivy both said, hugging their mother, Garibaldi felt a tad bit lonely having grown up in an orphanage whether Sicilian or American most of his life.
"Who's your friend?" said a familiar gruff voice. It was belonging to a broad shouldered man, standing about 5'10", a couple inches taller than Victor.
"Oh man." Garibaldi said.
"Who, Uncle Charlie." Zack said.
"Uh, your Uncle Charlie was my drill sergeant in Basic." Victor replied, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
"Sergeant Garibaldi." Charlie said.
"Master Sergeant Zim." Garibaldi replied, "Congratulations on your recent promotion."
"I'll be saluting you at some point you clown, relax." Zim said, "Warrant Officers are supposed to look relaxed."
"Ivy," Victor said, when Zim was out of earshot, "Why didn't you tell me you were related to my old drill sergeant."
Ivy smiled, "Uncle Charlie actually told me about you and to keep it a secret next time we met. He wanted it to be a surprise."
Victor wanted more than anything else to talk to Ivy about their past relationship, but not now, things were going too good for now. He knew that it was necessary, what she did, but he couldn't help but feel hurt. Ivy, whom as much as it pained him to admit, he still loved had broke up their relationship because she didn't know if it would work, she had been in a few failed relationships before. Sure they still kept in touch but it was almost like they delicately avoided talking about their two-week relationship.
Ivy wanted more than anything to talk to Victor about the same thing, but what was keeping her from doing so. Victor seemed pretty clearheaded, reasonable, caring, so what was it that kept her from speaking her mind around him.
~ ~ ~ ~
"Hey, Victor." Zim said, when Ivy was out of earshot, "You wanna go grab a drink and talk."
It was slightly unnerving to have his old drill sergeant call him by his first name, "Sure, sarge." Garibaldi replied.
They met at a local pub a few hours later, "Let's talk, Victor." Zim said, "I understand you were once involved with my niece."
"I was." Victor said.
"I notice you two still keep in touch but always beat around the bush when it comes to talking about your previous relationship." Zim said, taking a swallow of his Corona.
"It's in the past, I don't bother talking about it much. She doesn't either." Victor replied.
"Victor, I'm actually surprised Ivy hasn't driven herself crazy." Zim said, "She's so afraid of commitment, it's not funny. She keeps it bottled up inside all the time, but you can see it. There was Glen, this scumbag she was involved with. Every time he went overseas, he had a girl in every city and when Ivy found out she wouldn't come out of her room for weeks. She sees something in you, Victor I can see it. I'll take the check."
"Thanks sarge." Garibaldi replied, as Zim walked out to the Chevy Blazer that his sister drove and he had borrowed and drove off, leaving Garibaldi with a half empty beer and his thoughts.
To Be Continued…