Disclaimer: I don't own G.I. Joe or any of the characters therefrom. Hasbro does, the lucky bums...
Summary: Scarlett finds out that often the ones you love the most are those you least expect…
"Those You Least Expect."
By: J.T. Magnus, "Turbo"
It's like a curse, Shana O'Hara thought, first Snake-Eyes, then Conrad, anyone I fall in love with never loves me back. I humiliate myself. I debase myself. I let myself become some simpering little damsel in distress, and all that happens is heartbreak. She drew her legs up to her chest and began to rock back and forth on her bed, crying to herself.
"Scarlett? Scarlett, I know you're in there, open the door."
She did not need him right now. All she really wanted to do was wallow in self-pity, something she rarely did.
"Shana, I'm not kidding!"
Ignoring the pounding on her door, she reached across her bed, dragged her blanket over to her and wrapped it around her, crying herself into a light sleep.
When she woke up, the teammate that had been knocking on her door was sitting on her bed, holding out a glass to her.
"Iced tea? Sweet with lemon."
Accepting the drink, her favorite, she noted, she glared at him, "How did you get in?"
"Sparks gave me the override code."
Scarlett made a mental note to have a talk with the General's aide when she had dealt with this problem, "What do you want?"
"Brought these for you," He held out a baggie of cookies, "Chocolate Chip and Walnut, I bribed Roadblock into making them. I know how you like them when you're depressed."
The tea, the cookies, they were just the most recent things she had noticed, "You know a lot about me."
"I've just paid attention."
"Why?"
"Uh, well, uh…" He was blushing under his beard, a sight she was actually finding enjoyable.
"Well?"
"I don't know… It started as just looking for things to get on your nerves about at first, but over time I began watching just to watch…"
Suddenly several years clicked in Scarlett's mind, "You love me."
He turned away and cast his face downward. Scarlett paused for a moment, she had to make a decision, would she risk it? Then she realized something, Duke and Snake-Eyes had never brought her comfort foods when she was upset, they had never broke into her room just to check on her, he had. She reached out her hand and turned his head to face her as she leaned toward him.
"I love you too, Lance." She whispered as she kissed him.