Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from GI Joe.
Time Keeps Ticking - Chapter 5
Scarlett's hour was almost up and her rendezvous with the mysterious but known contact person was imminent. Her earlier phone call had instructed her to not tell anyone of her whereabouts or upcoming mission. Not that she knew any of those answers anyway. All that she knew was that she was summoned to aid the team she worked for prior to the Joes, but she just couldn't leave Duke without something. She didn't know how he would handle this. They had become so close over the last six years. She wanted nothing more than to try and live a normal life. A life where she didn't have to research and spy on terrorists. A life where she could relax in the evenings. And a life that would bring her closer to the man that she loved. She would be ecstatic if she could just settle down with Duke, and they could have a little house all of their own. She knew Duke would still be in the military. He was definitely military minded, and this was his life and chosen career and that was okay by her. Depending on where Duke would be stationed, she could be a civilian working on a military base, or she could always re-enlist. She wasn't being discharged.
But alas, those dreams of a happy normal life did not exist in Shana O'Hara's world. She lived in a world of chaos and murder, of terrorists and drug lords, of life and death. Her sense of honor and loyalty far outweighed any daydreams of a normal life. Duty calls, and when duty has a name like General Angelus "Angel" Richardson, then you answered promptly and without question.
Scarlett took a deep breath and wrote two short letters, one to Lady Jaye and one to Duke. Jaye's letter simply stated:
**Dear Allie: I apologize for not getting to say goodbye in person. I will miss you, my best friend. An unexpected assignment presented itself with a departure date of immediately. I could not turn it down. Please have all of my belongings sent to my dad. I love you and Flint and hope that you two have all of the happiness that you so very much deserve. Please reassure Duke of my love for him. I will be in contact with you when I am able. Take care, Shana**
Scarlett knew that she would probably never get to make good on that last sentence written, but it was the thing to do. Now she had to write Duke's letter. This was tougher than she thought it would be. How do you tell a man that you love him with your whole heart but have to leave? Tears started to slide down her cheek as she began his letter:
**Dearest Conrad: You will never know how awful I feel as I am writing this letter. I had so many hopes and dreams for us but duty calls. I know you have a new job offer; I don't know what. I have been contacted for immediate departure to a new assignment. I cannot tell you about it, but I pray that you will forgive me. I know that is asking a lot, but if I ever get to see you again, I promise I will explain everything to you. I love you more than life itself, and if given the chance, I would sacrifice my life for yours a thousand times over. We have been through numerous life-altering situations together. I will never forget them, and I will never forget you. You are the love of my life, and one day, I pray we will meet again. I will always love you. Love, Shana**
She wiped away the tears that were flowing down her cheeks. This felt so wrong, so unjust, but it was the only thing that she could do. She folded the letters and placed Allie's on the countertop where she would be sure to see it. She grabbed her duffel bags and laptop and opened the door. She turned around and glanced one last time at the place she had called home for six years. She sighed and fought back the tears that were just begging to come again. She closed the door and headed towards Duke's quarters. She knew he was in meetings with Hawk again, and she supposed that instead of being annoyed with him, she should be thankful. She could not bear to see the look in Duke's eyes when he read her letter or worse if she would have to tell him in person.
Time was up, so she hurried across to Duke's quarters, slid the note under his door, and headed for the garage. She took the "path less traveled" as she made her way to the garage. She did not want to run into anyone right now. Luckily, her chosen path was clear of teammates, and she hustled to her destination point.
After her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the garage, she looked for her contact person. She was shocked at who the person was.
To Be Continued (sniff sniff)
Time Keeps Ticking - Chapter 5
Scarlett's hour was almost up and her rendezvous with the mysterious but known contact person was imminent. Her earlier phone call had instructed her to not tell anyone of her whereabouts or upcoming mission. Not that she knew any of those answers anyway. All that she knew was that she was summoned to aid the team she worked for prior to the Joes, but she just couldn't leave Duke without something. She didn't know how he would handle this. They had become so close over the last six years. She wanted nothing more than to try and live a normal life. A life where she didn't have to research and spy on terrorists. A life where she could relax in the evenings. And a life that would bring her closer to the man that she loved. She would be ecstatic if she could just settle down with Duke, and they could have a little house all of their own. She knew Duke would still be in the military. He was definitely military minded, and this was his life and chosen career and that was okay by her. Depending on where Duke would be stationed, she could be a civilian working on a military base, or she could always re-enlist. She wasn't being discharged.
But alas, those dreams of a happy normal life did not exist in Shana O'Hara's world. She lived in a world of chaos and murder, of terrorists and drug lords, of life and death. Her sense of honor and loyalty far outweighed any daydreams of a normal life. Duty calls, and when duty has a name like General Angelus "Angel" Richardson, then you answered promptly and without question.
Scarlett took a deep breath and wrote two short letters, one to Lady Jaye and one to Duke. Jaye's letter simply stated:
**Dear Allie: I apologize for not getting to say goodbye in person. I will miss you, my best friend. An unexpected assignment presented itself with a departure date of immediately. I could not turn it down. Please have all of my belongings sent to my dad. I love you and Flint and hope that you two have all of the happiness that you so very much deserve. Please reassure Duke of my love for him. I will be in contact with you when I am able. Take care, Shana**
Scarlett knew that she would probably never get to make good on that last sentence written, but it was the thing to do. Now she had to write Duke's letter. This was tougher than she thought it would be. How do you tell a man that you love him with your whole heart but have to leave? Tears started to slide down her cheek as she began his letter:
**Dearest Conrad: You will never know how awful I feel as I am writing this letter. I had so many hopes and dreams for us but duty calls. I know you have a new job offer; I don't know what. I have been contacted for immediate departure to a new assignment. I cannot tell you about it, but I pray that you will forgive me. I know that is asking a lot, but if I ever get to see you again, I promise I will explain everything to you. I love you more than life itself, and if given the chance, I would sacrifice my life for yours a thousand times over. We have been through numerous life-altering situations together. I will never forget them, and I will never forget you. You are the love of my life, and one day, I pray we will meet again. I will always love you. Love, Shana**
She wiped away the tears that were flowing down her cheeks. This felt so wrong, so unjust, but it was the only thing that she could do. She folded the letters and placed Allie's on the countertop where she would be sure to see it. She grabbed her duffel bags and laptop and opened the door. She turned around and glanced one last time at the place she had called home for six years. She sighed and fought back the tears that were just begging to come again. She closed the door and headed towards Duke's quarters. She knew he was in meetings with Hawk again, and she supposed that instead of being annoyed with him, she should be thankful. She could not bear to see the look in Duke's eyes when he read her letter or worse if she would have to tell him in person.
Time was up, so she hurried across to Duke's quarters, slid the note under his door, and headed for the garage. She took the "path less traveled" as she made her way to the garage. She did not want to run into anyone right now. Luckily, her chosen path was clear of teammates, and she hustled to her destination point.
After her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the garage, she looked for her contact person. She was shocked at who the person was.
To Be Continued (sniff sniff)