Title Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Author Dawn
Rating PG 13
Spoiler Info: We all know the CIA was very involved in our defeat of Saddam Hussein, and who else is going to be in the middle of it but our favorite ex-marine.
Chapter 3
Stiles pulled into visitor's parking at Georgetown. He went to the English Department and asked for Professor Stiles. They told him where her office was.
He knocked on the door, and heard his mother in her thick Irish accent say "Come in" He walked in.
"Hi mom." She ran up to him and hugged him. Hannah O'Connor Stiles was only about 5'5". She had red hair, and deep blue eyes.
"A. B. I'm so glad to see you. Sit down. I'm so glad you are at the Pentagon. I'm glad you are not going to Iraq."
"Mom" just the tone in his voice let her know she was wrong "I put in to go to Iraq."
"Why? How does Terri feel about this?"
"She's upset, but I think she understands. Mom, I have buddies over there. I can't sit behind a desk. I need to do this. I did my best to explain everything to Terri this morning. Ever since it became evident that we would go to war. I've been a real" he paused trying to find the right word, Absolute Bastard would fit but he wouldn't say that in front of her. "I've been a real jerk to her. I've snapped at her. I've been irritable, and I tried to push her away."
"She still puts up with you?" They both smiled.
"Yes Mom. Terri is incredible. She is everything I have ever wanted. I want to spend the rest of my life with her."
"Why are you telling me this? Have you told her?"
"Not yet. I'm going to tell her today. This morning is the first time I told her I love her." she just shook her head. She could tell from the first time he mentioned her in his letters this past September he was in love with her. "Mom do you have Gran's Claddagh ring. I want to give that to her as an engagement ring. Her ex-husband, he was a jerk, he cheated on her. I don't understand that. I can't imagine being with anyone else. I like the meaning of the Claddagh love, friendship and fidelity, and Gran's ring does have that diamond in it."
Hannah took the ring off of her finger. "Your grandmother always wanted you to use that as an engagement ring. I had almost given up hope. Take it to a jeweler and get it cleaned, it should really sparkle when you give it to her. I can't wait to meet her."
"You'll meet her tonight at 1800 sharp. Direct order from Dad." They both smiled. "Mom, I think you are really going to love her."
"Seeing that smile on your face" she put her hand on his cheek "and that she is still willing to put up with you being a jerk, I know I will." She hugged her son. "Are you going to give it to her before we meet her?"
"Yes, she had a few things to finish up at work. Her boss is great, he gave her off until I leave for Iraq."
"When is that?"
"Three days." Stiles kissed Hannah again. "I love you Mom. Thanks." He held up the ring.
**************************************************************************
He got the ring cleaned and bought a ring box. He must have rehearsed what he was going to say to her at least 100 times in his head.
He got to headquarters and walked up to OTS. Terri was sitting at her desk, with Vicki. "Hi gorgeous." She turned to him and smiled. Her smile even got bigger when she saw how great he looked in his uniform.
She grabbed her purse and hugged him. "I'm ready. I could never resist a man in uniform." she smiled at him. He kissed her.
"See you in three days, you two lovebirds." Joshua said to them with his usual grin.
"Bye Joshua" they both said it at the same time, as they walked out arm in arm.
**************************************************************************
They drove over to Terri's place. "You hungry Stiles? I'll fix you something for lunch."
"No" he put his arms around her and began kissing her. "I've got everything I need right here." The kiss became more intense, he backed off.
"Stiles what's wrong. I want to be with you." She moved in close to him and kissed him again.
"I want that too, but I want to talk first." she backed off this time.
"You want to talk? That must be a first." she smiled at him.
"There is so much I want to say." He took her by the hand and they sat on the couch. " I want to ask you something. Terri why haven't you told me to take a hike? I didn't call you after Nice. I didn't call you after the hijacking."
"Stiles I love you, and I could tell that you feel the same, even though you wouldn't admit it. In the middle of fighting with you, you would give me a look or a smile. I knew what was in your heart even if you couldn't say it."
"Lately Terri I've been living up to what I told you my initials stood for. Absolute Bastard."
She kissed him, and put her put her hands on his shoulders, and then touched his face. She could tell he was starting to get upset. "Stiles, none of us can even imagine what this is like for you. Having your buddies on the front line. I think we will begin to understand in 3 days." she was starting to cry. Stiles pulled her close to him. "Stiles last night, I could feel everything, you didn't have to say anything. Just holding me. It let me know everything you couldn't say. This morning when you finally said it."
"I love you." He got down on one knee and reached into his pocket. Terri was really crying now as he pulled out the ring. "Terri this ring belonged to my grandmother." He showed her, "Are you familiar with the Claddagh?"
She nodded yes. "Tell me about it anyway."
"Terri the heart represents my love. Terri for the first time in my life, I know what love is. When I see you, my heart just starts racing. My heart belongs to you." He wiped the tears from Terri's face, and kissed her. "The hands represents our friendship. Terri you are my best friend. I can't imagine anyone else to share all of good and bad times with. You have always been there for me, even when I wasn't there for you, but I promise from now on I will be there for you." She gently touched his face. "The crown represents my loyalty and fidelity. Terri there is nobody else for me. I could never be unfaithful to you. Since that first time in Nice, I have only wanted you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
She smiled at him and kissed him. "Yes. I love you. I want to be your wife." He put the ring on her finger. She smiled at him seductively "Why don't we grab a bottle of champagne and continue the celebration upstairs?" He smiled at her, she grabbed the glasses and he opened the champagne and the two of them hurried up into the bedroom, they were laughing.
After making love Terri curled up close to Stiles, she didn't ever want this afternoon to end. He kissed her on her forehead. "I have to meet your family now. Why don't you see if we can meet them tomorrow?" Terri looked at him a little disappointed. "I know what you're thinking, but Terri we are spending tonight with my family. We'll tell them we are getting married. I want to be there when you tell your family. Tomorrow night we could go out to dinner. Then the next 24 hours, I'm all yours to do with whatever you want."
"Anything I want?" She kissed him. She didn't want to share him with anyone but she knew he was right. How could she tell her mom she was engaged, but she wouldn't meet him until the war was over?
"Anything"
They spent the next few hours talking about their childhood's. Stiles looked at the clock "We better get ready."
"I don't know what to where."
"Casual, I'm just going to where my khaki pants and a dress shirt."
Terri started to get ready. Stiles just stayed in bed and watched her. She put on his favorite red blouse and a denim skirt. He was convinced she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life.
Author Dawn
Rating PG 13
Spoiler Info: We all know the CIA was very involved in our defeat of Saddam Hussein, and who else is going to be in the middle of it but our favorite ex-marine.
Chapter 3
Stiles pulled into visitor's parking at Georgetown. He went to the English Department and asked for Professor Stiles. They told him where her office was.
He knocked on the door, and heard his mother in her thick Irish accent say "Come in" He walked in.
"Hi mom." She ran up to him and hugged him. Hannah O'Connor Stiles was only about 5'5". She had red hair, and deep blue eyes.
"A. B. I'm so glad to see you. Sit down. I'm so glad you are at the Pentagon. I'm glad you are not going to Iraq."
"Mom" just the tone in his voice let her know she was wrong "I put in to go to Iraq."
"Why? How does Terri feel about this?"
"She's upset, but I think she understands. Mom, I have buddies over there. I can't sit behind a desk. I need to do this. I did my best to explain everything to Terri this morning. Ever since it became evident that we would go to war. I've been a real" he paused trying to find the right word, Absolute Bastard would fit but he wouldn't say that in front of her. "I've been a real jerk to her. I've snapped at her. I've been irritable, and I tried to push her away."
"She still puts up with you?" They both smiled.
"Yes Mom. Terri is incredible. She is everything I have ever wanted. I want to spend the rest of my life with her."
"Why are you telling me this? Have you told her?"
"Not yet. I'm going to tell her today. This morning is the first time I told her I love her." she just shook her head. She could tell from the first time he mentioned her in his letters this past September he was in love with her. "Mom do you have Gran's Claddagh ring. I want to give that to her as an engagement ring. Her ex-husband, he was a jerk, he cheated on her. I don't understand that. I can't imagine being with anyone else. I like the meaning of the Claddagh love, friendship and fidelity, and Gran's ring does have that diamond in it."
Hannah took the ring off of her finger. "Your grandmother always wanted you to use that as an engagement ring. I had almost given up hope. Take it to a jeweler and get it cleaned, it should really sparkle when you give it to her. I can't wait to meet her."
"You'll meet her tonight at 1800 sharp. Direct order from Dad." They both smiled. "Mom, I think you are really going to love her."
"Seeing that smile on your face" she put her hand on his cheek "and that she is still willing to put up with you being a jerk, I know I will." She hugged her son. "Are you going to give it to her before we meet her?"
"Yes, she had a few things to finish up at work. Her boss is great, he gave her off until I leave for Iraq."
"When is that?"
"Three days." Stiles kissed Hannah again. "I love you Mom. Thanks." He held up the ring.
**************************************************************************
He got the ring cleaned and bought a ring box. He must have rehearsed what he was going to say to her at least 100 times in his head.
He got to headquarters and walked up to OTS. Terri was sitting at her desk, with Vicki. "Hi gorgeous." She turned to him and smiled. Her smile even got bigger when she saw how great he looked in his uniform.
She grabbed her purse and hugged him. "I'm ready. I could never resist a man in uniform." she smiled at him. He kissed her.
"See you in three days, you two lovebirds." Joshua said to them with his usual grin.
"Bye Joshua" they both said it at the same time, as they walked out arm in arm.
**************************************************************************
They drove over to Terri's place. "You hungry Stiles? I'll fix you something for lunch."
"No" he put his arms around her and began kissing her. "I've got everything I need right here." The kiss became more intense, he backed off.
"Stiles what's wrong. I want to be with you." She moved in close to him and kissed him again.
"I want that too, but I want to talk first." she backed off this time.
"You want to talk? That must be a first." she smiled at him.
"There is so much I want to say." He took her by the hand and they sat on the couch. " I want to ask you something. Terri why haven't you told me to take a hike? I didn't call you after Nice. I didn't call you after the hijacking."
"Stiles I love you, and I could tell that you feel the same, even though you wouldn't admit it. In the middle of fighting with you, you would give me a look or a smile. I knew what was in your heart even if you couldn't say it."
"Lately Terri I've been living up to what I told you my initials stood for. Absolute Bastard."
She kissed him, and put her put her hands on his shoulders, and then touched his face. She could tell he was starting to get upset. "Stiles, none of us can even imagine what this is like for you. Having your buddies on the front line. I think we will begin to understand in 3 days." she was starting to cry. Stiles pulled her close to him. "Stiles last night, I could feel everything, you didn't have to say anything. Just holding me. It let me know everything you couldn't say. This morning when you finally said it."
"I love you." He got down on one knee and reached into his pocket. Terri was really crying now as he pulled out the ring. "Terri this ring belonged to my grandmother." He showed her, "Are you familiar with the Claddagh?"
She nodded yes. "Tell me about it anyway."
"Terri the heart represents my love. Terri for the first time in my life, I know what love is. When I see you, my heart just starts racing. My heart belongs to you." He wiped the tears from Terri's face, and kissed her. "The hands represents our friendship. Terri you are my best friend. I can't imagine anyone else to share all of good and bad times with. You have always been there for me, even when I wasn't there for you, but I promise from now on I will be there for you." She gently touched his face. "The crown represents my loyalty and fidelity. Terri there is nobody else for me. I could never be unfaithful to you. Since that first time in Nice, I have only wanted you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
She smiled at him and kissed him. "Yes. I love you. I want to be your wife." He put the ring on her finger. She smiled at him seductively "Why don't we grab a bottle of champagne and continue the celebration upstairs?" He smiled at her, she grabbed the glasses and he opened the champagne and the two of them hurried up into the bedroom, they were laughing.
After making love Terri curled up close to Stiles, she didn't ever want this afternoon to end. He kissed her on her forehead. "I have to meet your family now. Why don't you see if we can meet them tomorrow?" Terri looked at him a little disappointed. "I know what you're thinking, but Terri we are spending tonight with my family. We'll tell them we are getting married. I want to be there when you tell your family. Tomorrow night we could go out to dinner. Then the next 24 hours, I'm all yours to do with whatever you want."
"Anything I want?" She kissed him. She didn't want to share him with anyone but she knew he was right. How could she tell her mom she was engaged, but she wouldn't meet him until the war was over?
"Anything"
They spent the next few hours talking about their childhood's. Stiles looked at the clock "We better get ready."
"I don't know what to where."
"Casual, I'm just going to where my khaki pants and a dress shirt."
Terri started to get ready. Stiles just stayed in bed and watched her. She put on his favorite red blouse and a denim skirt. He was convinced she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life.