A/N: I wish I can come up with a plausible excuse for not updating like, for a month and a few weeks, but I can't! I got caught with Ghosts and Advanced Warfare and other games and school! D: That still doesn't make up for the fact I really took my time. I'm very sorry! Just know that I'm not ever going to give up on this! xD

I've never received so many reviews for a story as I have for this one, ever. So, thank you all so, so much for all the support. Really means a lot!

Later that night, you walk into the cafeteria and get yourself a cup of ice cream. The place is empty, which is normal since it's already ten at night, and most of the members are either at the recreation room or in their bedrooms.

The deadly silence enables you to detect the footsteps as someone enters the cafeteria. Glancing over your shoulder, you flash Archer a friendly smile and wave for him to sit with you.

"Private, hasn't anyone told you that eating dessert late at night isn't good for girls?" Archer smirks, slipping into the seat opposite you. "You'll get fat."

You roll your eyes, suppressing the urge to laugh, instead reducing it to a slight giggle. "I know, sir."

Then, you ask, "By the way, on the night we received the ice cream shipment, Ghost told me that Shepherd was the one who signed the papers and paid for it. Does that mean he was at the base during that time?"

Archer nods. "Yes, he was. He was present at the base on the first night you were here, but he left the following morning."

"Is it usual for him to be gone like this?"

"He usually returns every few days, but that's just to give us mission briefings, of course. I'm not sure whether he'd show up for this week, though, considering this is the first time ever we're given a week off without any special occasion."

You nod slowly, absorbing the bits of information. As you take another scoop of ice cream into your mouth, Archer raises an eyebrow and one edge of his lips curls upwards. "Anything interesting happen today?"

"Interesting?" you repeat, almost scoff. "I found out and nearly experienced something I didn't want to, thank you for asking."

Archer's blue eyes widened slightly. "Wait…what?"

You stare at him for half a second, before your brain finally realizes the kind of 'situation' that Archer misintepreted. "No, no, not as in I nearly got raped by one of your guys, alright?" you say quickly, waving a hand. "It's…in a different sense."

"Oh," Archer looked relieved. Then he looked curious. "So, what did you 'find out'?"

You look at him straight in the eyes, mind flashing back to all the evidence you found in his shared room with Toad earlier that day. "Well…I found out you got laid yesterday night."

There's a long silence this time. Archer's face is blank, but when he processed what you told him, his face flushes pink. He leans back against the chair, mouth opening but no words coming out.

You don't even bother to supress the creepy-ass grin from breaking on your face. "Yep. I know what's going on between you and Toad, alright."

Archer coughs, and looks at you worriedly. "And, you're…okay with this?"

"Yeah," you shrug, finishing up the ice cream. Then, you giggle. "Besides, I totally ship you guys. Still, do yourselves a favour and clean up when you're done, alright?"

Archer's lips stretch into a small smile. "I'll bear that in mind."

"Good," you laugh, feeling a slight burn in your cheeks as you think of Archer and Toad getting intimate again. "So, what about you? Have you found out anything interesting today?"

"Maybe, but I'd rather not tell you," Archer says carefully.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to be giving you the wrong idea," Archer reasons, looking doubtful.

"What is it?" you demand.

"Alright…whatever I say stays between us," Archer sighs, giving in. He leans forward and looks around, before lowering his voice. "This morning, both Ghost and the captain were missing, so I went about looking for 'em. I eventually went up to MacTavish's bedroom. Before I could knock on the door, I heard…things. Really strange things. From inside the room."

It takes everything in your power for you to fight back the laughter building up in your chest. Little did Archer know you were in the closet inside the room when this happened. Still, interested to see things from the sniper's point of view, you urge, "Go on."

Archer's cheeks tint a small pink and he casts his glance to the side. "I just assumed he sneaked a lass into the base, but…then…"

"Then?" your grin becomes wider.

"I swear I heard Roach in there," Archer stammers, looking a bit pale, as though what he said earned him a death sentence.

He wasn't expecting you to laugh, as proven by the surprise on his face when you did. "Alright, continue. What makes you think it was Roach? What did he say?"

"Well, someone moaned 'John' quite loudly and…John is MacTavish's first name, I'm sure…no doubting it was a man with who said his name…" Archer looks flustered now. "I waited for about five minutes, listening. Not to brag or anything, but I'm a bloody sniper for god's sake, I trust my instincts and observations are the sharpest…

"W-When MacTavish exited, he looked irritated, as though I interrupted him and…I swore I caught a glimpse of a blond on his bed that looked like Roach and…why are you grinning like that? This is all just an assumption, I—"

"Oh no, everything you think happened did happen," you say, wagging a finger in his face. "Just so you know, Archer; you and Toad aren't the only two lovers in the task force."

Archer's mouth is slightly agape, and he looks stunned, as though unable to believe what you're telling him. "Wait…you mean—"

"Welp, anyway, I should get going now," you announce, standing up. "I wasn't actually supposed to tell you that, it was meant to be kept a dirty little secret between MacTavish and Roach…and Ghost."

A baffled look that you didn't know Archer is capable off crosses his face. "W-Wait, Ghost is—"

"I'll see you later," you sing, lengthening the 'I'll' purposely to interrupt him.

After sending the cup and spoon to the sink, you head towards the exit. Before you can fully turn and disappear down the hallway, however, Archer calls out to you, his thick accent laced with mischief. "Hm, Private?"

You throw him a fake annoyed look. "What?"

"Since you're such a laidback person with these secrets, I guess it's safe to tell you that I was the one on top yesterday night. Tonight, however…we'll be changing positions."

Somehow, you lose your balance and nearly collide into the wall.

The digital clock on your end table flashes two in the morning. You wonder why you don't feel tired, or why you couldn't fall asleep. Your bedroom is dark, and the only source of light is the moonlight filtered through the thin blinds draped over the lone window in the room.

Restless, you sit up and bring your feet down to the carpet, sighing and running your fingers through your hair. Without anything better to do, you approach the window and pull back the blinds with one hand, looking out.

You didn't know what to expect, really. But you surely didn't expect seeing two figures standing next to each other, staring at the full moon glowing in the sky above them.

It's hard to identify them since it's so dark. Pulling the window up a bit, you hear traces of voices. The two figures are talking to each other, and it doesn't take long for you to distinguish them.

'Ghost, Roach…' you think to yourself, subconsciously smiling. With the window up halfway, you lean against the window sill, chin resting on your arm as you watch them leisurely. 'What are you doing out here this late?'

Ghost turns to look at Roach. He reaches out, hesitates, and then gingerly takes Roach's hand into his own. The blond's gaze snaps from the moon to the lieutenant's eyes. From your angle, and how the moonlight hit Roach, the sergeant's green eyes are sparkling, and shadows are cast in all the right places. Waow, he looks so good. Ghost is just frigging lucky.

"Bug…I don't normally do this, alright?" Ghost says, sounding nervous and worried. With his back facing you, you couldn't make out his facial expression.

"You don't normally what?" Roach asks, his voice soft, soothing and encouraging.

There's half a second of silence. "I don't always think of a certain someone almost every moment of the day," Ghost admits, embarrassment and hesitance lacing his voice. "I don't always worry about someone more than others on missions, and I've never felt so happy to be around anyone before. Neither have I ever felt so hurt to see someone with another person other than me."

You blink, slowly realizing what the hell is unfolding. 'Holy fuck, it's a confession!'

Roach's eyes widen, and his cheeks flush an adorable baby pink. "S-Simon…?"

Ghost squeezes his hand, and then puts it to his chest, right above his heart. "I know I sound as stupid as hell, and you probably think I'm being an emotional piece of shite, but…"

Roach says nothing, his lips trembling, as Ghost sighs. "I know we hooked up at first just to release steam. It was suppose to be just that, nothing more…but I couldn't help but fall… in love with you."

Those words. The sudden urge to cheer overwhelms you. Ghost listened to your advice! To confess to the sergeant. To make Roach his. This is happening…

Now with those small yet powerful words laid out on the table, Ghost spoke easier, freely—as though a weight was lifted off his shoulders. "I love your smile. The silly way you always screw up. Your weird hair. Your laugh. Everything about you."

Your heart is doing backflips in your chest as you bite your bottom lip to stop yourself from squealing. Roach's face is unreadable but you have a feeling that the sergeant is happy. Then again, a silence that seems to last forever ensues, and you feel like ripping your hair out at the suspense.

Finally, Roach responds.

But not in the way you would have liked it to be.

He slowly pulls his hand out from Ghost's grasp, his expression fragile and a mixture of hesitance and confusion—but is that a glint of happiness in his emerald eyes?

"G-Gary?" Ghost whispers imploringly, sounding hurt.

"I-I'm sorry, Simon," Roach stammers, taking a step back and casting his gaze to the ground.

Your heart stops. 'No, no, no, no! "Sorry"?! What are you talking about? What the hell?'

Roach's left hand rubs slowly against his right one, the one that had touched Ghost's heart. "I need…I need time to think about all this… I'm sorry, I—"

Roach swallows, throws one last apologizing glance to Ghost, and turns around. Your heart sinks to your stomach as the blond walks away, his steps portraying one who is puzzled and nervous.

As Roach recedes into the distance, your gaze flickers to Ghost, whose back is still facing you. He stands there, staring at the sergeant's back as he leaves, hands dangling helplessly at his sides.

Finally, it's just Ghost standing out there in the bitter cold of night, alone. For some reason the dark sky and brilliant moon isn't so pretty anymore. Now it's just…eerie. And depressing. A sick feeling of sadness consumes you as you notice Ghost's shoulders slump.

'Oh, Roach…Ghost! What the fuck….' you think, rubbing your temples and closing your eyes. What the hell happened? Did the world turn upside down?

Opening your eyes again, you see Ghost walking off to a shed nearby instead of re-entering the base. Probably heading for some alone time.

Sighing, you stare after him sadly. "Damn…I'm sorry, Ghost…" you whisper, hoping the wind will carry your apology to his ears. "It was me who told you to confess in the first place…"

With a heavy heart, you close the window, turn the lock and draw the blinds. You pause as you pull the drapes down, wondering whether you should jump out the window and run after Ghost to comfort him.

You wag your head and shake the thoughts off, before slipping back into bed.

You've lost count of how many times you've glanced at the clock.

2.26 am.

3.20 am.

3.56 am.

At 4.03 am, you couldn't handle it anymore. Throwing on a jacket and a pair of slippers, you shuffle out of your room and gather the courage to walk through the deadly-silent and dark hallways to get out of the building.

A wind blows as you walk out the main door, sending a chill down your spine. You sweep your gaze across the compound, fear crawling to the back of your mind. It's dark and cold. Oh, what are you doing out here this late…

Pushing the fear aside, you stuff your hands into the pockets of your jacket and march off to the shed near the back of the main building. It isn't long before you reach the said place. It's a small, reckless shack with spaces between the clumsy wood, and you wonder what it's for in the first place, since it resembles a tool shed.

You slowly push the door open, wincing as the door creaks on its rusty hinges. A bit of the moonlight pours into the shed and brings to light a figure sitting on the floor.

Ghost is there, between a few shovels and a stack of boxes. He's leaning against the boxes, knees up to his chest, head resting against the edge of the hard cardboard, arms folded and expression carved as though he's in deep thought. You notice his red knuckles, the pinkish outlines of the bones and bluish hue of bruises, and the thin brown splinters stuck in his pale skin. Then you notice the traces of blood on the wood opposite him.

Ghost is already asleep, undoubtedly. But he's only in a T-shirt and a pair of slacks, and it's cold outside. And you're the one wearing a jacket. With a grunt, you wonder how you could have missed the thought to bring a blanket or a bigger coat to drape over Ghost. Waking him up is obviously a bad idea.

Exiting the shed, you approach your room window and try to pry it open. Then you remember that you locked it.

"Darn…" you mutter grumpily, heaving a sigh.

A dull pain pounds at the back of your skull as you trudge the five-minute walk from the shed to your room. Picking out an extra blanket and pillow, you throw them over your shoulder and prepare to walk all the way back to the shed.

As you roam through the silent hallways, you hear the main entrance close and some shuffling. It lasts for a few minutes and fades. Someone is awake…

You tread carefully, opening the door without a sound and peeking out. Despite not seeing anyone, you keep your guard up. You've thought yourself to be hallucinating a good many times, and that's a mistake you're not going to repeat. One of the lessons you've learned here so far, is to always, always, trust your instincts.

You edge around the building and approach the shed. Noticing that the door is half open (which is unusual since you closed it before leaving to take the blanket), your walking falters into slow, inaudible sneak. Instead of entering the shed, you circle around it and hide in the shade of the shack.

Setting the blanket and pillow down without a noise, you peek in through one of the gaps between the wood.

Strangely, there's nobody inside, excluding Ghost of course. To your surprise, there's a blanket already draped over the sleeping form of the lieutenant, and a small, square pillow slipped under his head so his neck wouldn't strain against the hard boxes. You blink a few times, having a hard time trying to think of how those things could have magically appeared.

Someone must have given those to Ghost when you were gone. That would explain the shuffling and main door closing that you heard on your way here.

Although still confused, you can't help but heave another sigh. You will still have to return the blanket and pillow to your room, anyway.

The feeling is terrible.

Guilt, sadness, frustration and helplessness prevents you from falling asleep. It's half past four when you splash water on your face and make yourself a steaming cup of strong coffee to keep you awake for the night.

Finally, with the mug in your hands, you walk out to the compound and amble to the same spot Ghost was smoking a couple of days ago. Or perhaps, it was yesterday? You aren't sure.

As you lean forward and rest your elbows on the wooden fence, you recall how sweet it was to watch Ghost so affectionately speak and hug Roach on the night you dared the sergeant to take his balaclava off. You smile subconsciously for a few seconds, but then you feel a sharp pang of guilt.

What if their relationship is ruined? What if you were wrong when you thought Roach genuinely liked both Ghost and Soap? Perhaps his feelings were just for Soap? Ghost said himself that Roach seems to prefer the captain over him…

Lingering on these thoughts makes the time fly by. Before long, the sky brightens. You can hear the murmurs and laughter of the members as their voices bounce off the cafeteria and shower room walls. You can hear their chattering as they exit the base and begin to train, completely unaware that you are nearby, listening, hidden from view.

You guess it's about a quarter past seven when you hear a helicopter whizzing by from afar.

'Shadow Company…' you frown, eyes following the helicopter as it slows, flies across the base and descends to one of the helipads. 'General Shepherd, you bastard. Talk about bad timing. Hmm, what are you doing here?'

Curious, you walk in the direction of the helipad and watch intently as the soldiers cease training and rush up to the helipad to greet the general.

There he is. Looking so proud, confident and in authority. Seeing him just adds to your bad mood. As far as you're concerned, he didn't actually have any business to do here.

Turning away, you speed-walk to the cafeteria to put you coffee mug in the sink. You have been holding that thing for three hours and it took that long to finish it.

As you turn around to head back to your room, you see General Shepherd standing by the entrance. Your look hardens into a stoic, neutral expression as he stares at you with an almost-glare, mouth tugged into a frown and eyes displaying disapproval.

"Enjoying your stay here?" he asks, tone almost demanding.

"Yes, I was enjoying it a great deal," you answer honestly, though your tone is quiet and firm.

"Was?" he arches a brow, unimpressed by the emotionless act you're setting up for him.

"Well, it shouldn't be so enjoyable now that you're here," you say, keeping your voice cool. Your lips quiver as you prevent yourself from smirking. Alright, that answer was smooth. Really smooth.

He doesn't reply, instead scowls. You grab a small bowl and a spoon, lightening your voice a bit but still keeping it cold and fixed. "I'll get you some ice cream, sir."

"That would be—"

"—very kind of me," you interrupt. Okay, well, you can't stop the edge of your lip from curling upwards.

As you lean forward to reach in to get a few scoops, you ask, "So…tell me. How could a normal young girl like Seraph get a Lieutenant General like you to give up his covert task force for a week?"

There's some silence. The general's scowl hardens, as though you just insulted his manhood. "Your friend is very…persuasive."

You pull on a fake disgusted expression. "Yuck. First, I'm surprised Seraph would go that far for an old guy like you, and second, didn't know you liked girls more than two decades your junior."

"Not in that sense," he hisses, venom in every word. "Have some respect, civilian."

You slide the bowl onto the table nearest to him, mantaining stolid eye contact for five seconds, before bowing your head slightly and leaving the cafeteria.

You feel a bit satisfied with how you acted with the general. You can't help but dislike the guy. Besides, you've killed him before. Perhaps you've killed him twice. You know what kind of man he is, what kind of play he will be setting up.

With all the members out resuming on their training, you take a bath and slip into a fresh pair of clothes. As you do so, you notice that you have more laundry to do than available outfits left. A feeling of disappointment pokes at your heart as you remember it's already Day 6. This week feels like a breeze…

As you ponder on what to do, you hear heavy footsteps trudging down the same hallway you're wandering through. Turning, you see a very irritated-looking Soap carrying a thin stack on papers in one hand, and he's currently flipping through them, his lips moving, producing incoherent mumbles and indistinguishable curses.

"Hey, Captain," you smile weakly.

He looks up, and his annoyed face lightens into a relaxed one. He spares a charming smile. "Hello, Private."

"More reports?" you ask, referring to the stack in his hands. "Lots of work to do?"

"I always have a lot of shite to do," Soap says, a shallow chuckle passing his lips. "Even more so now that Shepherd's appeared out of nowhere, and, seemingly, for no reason. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering if you have some time to answer a question."

"What is it?"

"Best talk about it where no one can hear us. Where are you heading?"

"My office," Soap pointes towards his office door just a few meters away, further down the hallway. Without another word, he starts walking and you follow him into his working space. He strides straight to the table and begins sorting files out as you close the door behind you.

You watch as Soap takes a key from the pocket of his pants and unlocks his desks drawers. 'So there's where the keys are…they were in his pocket the entire time.'

"What's so important, Private?" Soap asks. You would've thought him to have been asking absent-mindedly, by the way he's going through the thick files, if it weren't for the focus in his steady voice.

You remain silent for a while longer. "Do you…have genuine feelings for Roach?"

Soap freezes. His blue eyes slowly trail from his files to you.

"I need to know," you say hurriedly. "I know it may be sensitive information, but you have to trust me—I won't tell anybody and…it's important," you sigh, remembering what you witnessed last night between Roach and Ghost. The painful pangs of guilt bite back at you again. "It is so, very, important."

Soap releases his files and rests them gently on the table, before crossing his arms. His expression is serious.

"I don't think I can answer that definitely, Private," he finally says after a few moments of contemplation. He shrugs, smiles for half a second, and then admits, "I can't say that I don't like the little numpty. But I can't say that I genuinely like him romantically, either…"

"Is he, oh I don't know," you wave your hands around, trusting your intuition, "a replacement of some kind? A reminder of someone else whom you really loved?"

Soap's look softens, perhaps even becomes fragile for a split second there. That's just enough to confirm that what you guessed is right. Then, he returns serious and curious.

"What is this, Private? Why are you asking?"

"A long story," you stall, not wanting to tell Soap anything about whatever was going on between Ghost and Roach. "Another few things. Do you hook up with Roach to—uh, release stress? And did Roach train with you this morning?"

"Well, yes, we got in bed together to release stress…but then we kind of got attached," Soap flashes you a lopsided smile, one which can be indicated as slightly dirty, and flirty. "I don't know how to explain it. It's just nice to be with him, and he shared the same opinion about me. And, as a matter of fact, yes. Roach trained with me this morning. Riley didn't even put up a fight like he always did every morning."

He scratches his beard and looks up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Now that I think about it, that bloody bastard has been acting colder and more dismissive than usual this morning."

You bite the insides of your cheeks. Not only is the sadness coming back, you're also beginning to feel a bit dizzy. "Alright. Thanks, MacTavish. I'll—see you later."

Without waiting for a reply, you exit the room and begin walking down the hallway towards your room. The bright white lights are suddenly much too bright for your standards. The hallway looks never-ending. Everything begins to spin.

Starry-eyed, you lean against the cold concrete wall, blinking a few times. Suddenly, your knees are wobbling and weak.

Somebody walks by at that moment, and you focus on him long enough to notice who he is.

"Ghost…" you call out, but your voice comes out a whisper.

He throws one glance in your direction, and, without stopping, continues down the hallway, completely dismissing you. A sharp feeling pokes the back of your chest as you stare after his back, vision fading, mind falling into an abyss…

A/N: With that, I ventured into a more serious part of the story.

Hope you enjoyed reading that (because I didn't, but had a lot of fun writing it!), and be sure to review to keep the updates coming! xD