Chapter 5

Every time that Ruby and her team finished a mission, she would host a party for all of them to enjoy and relax after a mission.

This time was especially good as firstly they had a new member to their little team, and secondly Ruby had been given two months off for completing the mission and also for injuries sustained while on operation.

Ruby rubbed her shoulder as she went about getting stuff set up for today, the bullet passed straight through but it still hurt like a bitch, and she was glad that she had two months off to recover and to also relax at her house.

Her house was on the main island of Hawaii, but it was off any main roads and areas that tourist would visit. It was also right on a beach, which was for all intents and purpose a private beach.

Ruby brought out a BBQ and the coal needed to use it, and also carried out a cooler full of different types of beer that her team would all drink.

Ruby's house was two stories, six-bedroom house. It was enough for her whole team to stay together, be it with someone or on their own however most of her team were together with someone on the team, the only exceptions were Ruby and Weiss.

She heard a car pull in, in front of her house telling her the first members of her team were arriving. The only people who knew of where she lived was her team, her commander and also a few members of the local police force but all knew her need for secrecy and privacy so Ruby was the only one who would tell anyone of its location.

Ruby started to set up the rest of the stuff for the day, as her first guests started to come around to the back.

One hour later.

Neo was holding on for her life, as the driver was moving in between cars and going above the speed limit as she drove fast down the highway.

Neo had arrived at the airport about half an hour ago, and when she was getting outside she saw a member of Red's team waiting for her, Gold if she remembered correctly.

She had been reintroduced to the woman who was known as Yang Xiao Long, but she wouldn't tell her the names of the other team members.

Yang had led Neo over to her bike and started to drive away, and this was where Neo found out how much Yang loved speed.

Neo held onto Yang tightly as she drove on the roads, weaving in between cars as she was driven to a small dirt road out of the way of everything.

Neo was about to ask Yang what they were doing when she saw the house in the middle of the forest, and by the beach. She also heard music being played out and shouting as well.

Yang brought her bike just outside the house where a couple cars were outside; Neo got off the bike and waited for Yang to put her bike in the garage.

Leading Neo around and out the back, Neo saw most of the team she had been working with for the past month; however the one person she wanted to see wasn't there.

Yang smiled as she noticed what Neo's eyes were looking for, "She's out on the water." She pointed out to Neo.

Neo in turn looked out to the sea, and saw Ruby on a surfboard and riding a wave, she was dressed in a red bikini, and as she spotted Neo she smiled and started to swim back to the beach.

Neo looked around and saw the whole team was either in swimming clothes or in light clothes to deal with the heat.

Ruby put her board onto the ground as she jogged up to Neo, smiling and hugging her slightly, trying not to get her wet.

"Hey, glad you could join us." Ruby smiled happily at the woman.

"I'm glad you invited me, whose house is this? It's lovely and out of the way of everything." Neo asked as she looked back at the house again.

Ruby smiled at the girl saying, "Your welcome, and thank you it's actually my house for when I spend time on the island."

"It's great, but I wish I knew we were by a beach, I would of brought a swimsuit." Neo said, a little sad she couldn't swim today and would need to go buy a swimsuit.

Ruby laughed as she looked over Neo quickly, "Don't worry about it, you look about my size and I've got spare swimsuits."

Neo blushed slightly, "Um if it's alright." Blushing at the look she had gotten from Ruby.

Ruby smiled and lead the woman into the house and upstairs to her room, like her bikini and name Ruby's room was red in color and had a number of red items inside but it was also covered in pictures as well, showing Ruby in all stages of her life.

Digging through one of her closets Ruby picked out a pink and white bikini set, handing it over to Neo she walked out and allowed the girl to dress without anyone looking in at her.

Neo dressed quickly and placed her clothes she was wearing onto the bed in the room, remembering to ask Ruby where she could put them later on.

Looking outside just before she went back down, she saw a fancy and expensive looking car pull up outside, and a large man climbed out of the car, looking at the house.

Neo didn't recognize the man and rushed downstairs to tell Ruby of the fact, but when she got down there she saw Ruby wasn't there and looking at Yang, the woman answered her question.

"She's already gone to talk to the guy, she said she's someone she's taught when on the island on holiday."

"Taught?" Neo asked Yang.

"Yeah when she has holiday time she teaches surfing and skydiving on the island, tends to spilt up the week to teach both and from what she's told me before that the guy has been following her and going to a lot of her sessions where she teaches." Yang informed the girl in front of her, and hid a smile when she saw Neo's panicked look.

However Yang's face turned serious when she heard Ruby shouting, looking at everyone she went over to her bag, and pulled out a weird shaped yellow gun.

"Everyone stay here." Yang told everyone as she went around the side of the house.

Ruby was currently in an argument in front of her house with a man, he was called Cardin and was a student of Ruby's for both surfing and skydiving but when Ruby had to go on a mission she stopped but she also noticed that he had also started to flirt with Ruby, even though she shot him down every time, saying she wasn't interested, which she wasn't.

"Mr. Winchester, I will ask you one last time, how did you find out this address?" Ruby was getting annoyed now, every time Ruby asked him, he would deflect the question and try to get her to go with him.

Ruby saw Yang out of the corner of her eye, moving slowly towards the pair with the tazer in her hand. Good, she'd heard her and acted.

"Come on babe, it doesn't matter but why won't you just come with me?" Cardin asked the same question he'd been asking since he got here.

"No I will not Mr. Winchester, I have told you a number of times that I am not interested, now how did you find out this address? Or I will have you arrested."

"Ah don't be like that, I have some friends in the police that knew. Now will you just come on a date with me?" Cardin asked again.

Shaking her head, Ruby said again, "No I will not! Now who told you?"

Cardin moved forward trying to catch Ruby's arm but he barely made it a step when Yang made her presence known.

Yang fired the tazer into the man's back, making him scream out as he was knocked out from the electricity.

Ruby seeing the man taken care of opened up her phone in her hand to call the local police.

"Hey John, I've got a problem. Yeah I know sorry, yeah can you send someone over here to take someone into the station and I'll come in tomorrow to sort it out. Really? Thank you, I owe you one."

Hanging up the phone with a smile, Ruby got Yang's help to sort out the man at their feet, and within half an hour a police car showed up to take the man away.

With that all sorted out the party returned to it's normal pace, a couple team members were cooking the food, while others were standing or sitting around talking, and the rest were in the sea having fun either surfing or swimming.

Ruby came back around and Neo rushed up to her, asking, "Are you ok?"

Ruby smiled at the concern in the girls voice, "I'm fine, just had to deal with a guy who couldn't take no as an answer. It was fun to be honest, seeing someone hit by a tazer is quite funny." Laughing as she finished speaking, and relieving the tension from earlier.

"Anyway I haven't told you anyone's name." Ruby started to point out everyone's name and introduce her to them, and lastly introduced herself.

"And my name is Ruby, as I think you've guessed I'm the leader of the group and from the UK originally but I tend to help out the US a lot, but I do get some very nice holiday time from it all." Smiling at the girl, she would get around three months holiday each year, which made her more then happy.

"That sounds like quite a good deal." Neo nodded her head in agreement with Ruby.

Ruby smiled and the rest of the night fell into a simple party, most people were drinking but could easily hold it and not get too bad; people went between going into the sea, to eating food to talking with each other.

Neo got to know everyone in the team, and while they didn't know it quite yet other then Ruby, she was to become a permanent member of the team as an intelligence officer and also as a helper on ground operations as well.

Ruby spent most of the time in the sea, surfing or swimming but she had gotten out to eat and talk with some of the team.

However as the day turned to night, Ruby had taught Neo how to surf and everyone had gotten onto boards and swum out to the sea, all meeting up in a circle everyone sat up on their boards not saying a word.

Everyone had a bottle of beer in their hands; those who didn't have one because they were already in the sea were given one by those who came into the sea.

Ruby raised her beer up, the others following suit to her movements, "To another successful mission."

Everyone echoed her words, taking a drink in time with it, and once they took one drink they raised their bottles again.

"To another bastard in the grave."

Again everyone echoed the words and took a drink, Neo having now understood what they were doing and following suit.

"To those of us who don't return." Ruby said, sadness in her voice for those who die in service to their country.

Everyone echoed the words again, although a sadder tone overtook everyone as they had a drink to those who have been lost.

Ruby then spoke up again, "To new members." As she raised her bottle she pointed slightly to Neo.

Everyone now being told of the fact they had a new member, took it in their stride as they echoed it, all pointed their bottles towards Neo, welcoming her into their group.

Ruby spoke up one last time, "To our ever improving health."

Everyone laughed at Ruby, but took a drink to it, finishing off their beer and everyone started to swim back to shore with their empty bottles in hand.

The rest of the night ended shortly after that, most people being too tired to carry on further into the night, and once everyone had gone to sleep Ruby and Neo were the only two still awake or at least not in bed.

"Thanks for coming tonight, I'm sure you'll get used to everyone after a little bit." Ruby said to Neo, as they both sat on the beach looking out to the moon sitting above the sea, the reflection of the moon lighting up the sea.

"They took me in very well, and I'm glad for it. I normally worked alone before I met you." Neo told Ruby.

Ruby smiled at Neo, "Well you won't be working alone again, or at least not without other team members on extraction duty."

"That will feel different, but a good feeling no doubt." Neo said, inching closer to Ruby.

Ruby saw this and smiled, "It's a nice feeling, knowing someone will always have your back."

Neo just hummed in agreement as she looked out to the calm sea, enjoying the peace and quiet for a change, compared to how loud and busy the city can be even in the middle of the night.

Ruby smiled when she felt Neo lean her head against her shoulder, feeling the girl start to grow tired and was struggling to keep her eyes open.

Picking Neo up effortlessly, she held her princess style as she carried Neo up the stairs and into her room.

Placing Neo onto the bed gently Ruby climbed in herself next to her.

"Are you ok with this?" Ruby asked Neo softly.

Blushing Neo nodded her head; "It's fine if we share a bed."

Ruby smiled at Neo and kissed her forehead gently, "That's good then, I'm just going to get ready for bed."

Ruby got up and brushed her teeth and got ready for bed, walking back quietly she saw that Neo was still awake.

"Are you alright?" Ruby asked the girl.

Neo nodded her head, "I'm fine, but can I ask something weird?"

Ruby nodded but saw Neo wasn't looking at her, "Sure you can."

"Can you kiss me?" Neo asked shyly, with a blush on her face.

Ruby smiled and leaned down to the girl, kissing her softly for a few seconds before pulling away, "If you want a kiss all you need to do is ask."

Neo was about to reply but let out a large yawn right in Ruby's face, blushing she stumbled out "Sorry."

Ruby just giggled at Neo's actions, "It's fine, we'll talk in the morning." Smiling Ruby climbed into bed next to Neo.

"Oh and you might want these." Ruby handed over two small foam bullet shaped things, which Neo looked at confused.

"What are these?" Neo asked the girl.

Ruby smirked and said, "Ear plugs, you might want them for tonight most of the team have been on operation for over a month so leaves a little bit of tension."

As if to answer her next question they heard someone shouting quite loudly next door, blushing Neo put the earplugs into her ears.

Just before Neo put the second one in she heard Ruby go, "Sweet dreams cutie."

Blushing Neo put the second earplug in and felt Ruby's arms wrap around her front. Smiling Neo relaxed into Ruby and fell asleep.

A/N

Real life super heroes exist; they walk among us every day, ready to defend our great nation and its citizens in a moment's notice. They are husbands, fathers, brother, and sons capable of staring death in the face, and still come home to rock their newborn infant to sleep in the same day.

This kind of warrior cannot be manufactured or purchased. They are born into this life, blessed with a higher sense of purpose, and the understanding of exactly what their fate may hold. We chose to share this life with them, because we would rather love an extraordinary man for a brief moment, than spend a lifetime with a man far more ordinary.

You can never be prepared for certain events in life, they change you, and their consequences turn your world upside down. Meeting your husband's casket as he makes his final journey home. The prospect of raising your children alone. Living the rest of your days without the one person that loved you unconditionally and never let you down. In truth, these men never let anyone down, which is why they are no long here today.

These amazing warriors chose to spend their brief but amazing lives with us. We raise their children. We honor and remember them, we live in the present, and we look to the future. They knew we would have the strength to carry on in the face of tragedy, and to become stronger, more amazing versions of ourselves. They knew we would never be defined by their passing, but inspired by their memory to live more fully and to make each moment we are given count.

-Stacey.

Internet cookie if you know where this is from (Hint it's at the end of a very good FPS game)

First things first, there are a large number of people all around the world in fighting for their country in the military, in the most part they are not thanked, they go through a lot to protect us be it from terrorists or a dictator trying to take over the world, either way they do their duty.

I would like to thank everyone in the military for their service and for what they do, I know it's a hard job to do, especially with fighting in warzones but also what happens afterwards, you see a lot of soldiers who have PTSD or other life changing injuries like having an arm or leg blown off, or even giving their life.

Yet very often people do not remember these people and what they do, it is only a very short time where we remember those who served and currently serve, I hope through this story that maybe you think about those who serve in the military and fight for you. Even if this story is maybe at the far end of things that happen, and is different to the real world in some sense, but either way I hope you think about those that serve and fight.

I would like to thank everyone who as reviewed, followed or favorite this story, and for the support I've had on this. This story is finished and I do not plan on a sequel anytime soon as I have other stories to focus on for the moment.

That is all I wish to say, thank you everyone.