I know, I know. It's been a while. I have a lot of excuses; family, school, activities, fundraising, travelling, working. I have had some time to work on this, but I've been lazy, as well. Also, I didn't want to force something into a chapter. What I originally wrote would've been really sloppy and just flat-out terrible. I'd rather wait another week to get the right chapter for you guys than give you something even I wouldn't want to read. So, yeah, that's my daily excuses explanation :)

Since there's been quite a few new reviews since the last chapter and the fact that I should've got off hours ago, I won't do a detailed Review Response. I want to thank all the reviews that I have been alerted of! They really helped me push to get a new chapter out for you guys. I'm actually really flattered by all the feedback I've gotten. It means so much to me that there's actually people out there that wants to know about Jesselynn and my big bunch of OC's. All the reviews amused me (and I mean that in a good way. You guys make me giggles with joy! :3 ) and encouraged me. I just can't find the words to say how much I appreciate the feedback!

December 21, 1967

Vietnam

Private Justin Thorne and Jesselynn Thorne

"I dunno, you were pretty good at baseball, Jess. Everybody used to pick you when we played at that park across the street. You always had to 'earn' your spot on the team because us boys didn't want to be seen with a girl on our team, but I think you showed them." Justin said as he rested on the cot against the wall, fiddling with things nearby, and watching his older sister during her normal routine paper work at the end of the day.

Jesselynn just rolled her eyes at her brother. "They only let me play and win because I would whine if they didn't. Truthfully, it wasn't a fair game." She said as she played with her bottle-cap necklace that hung from her thin neck.

"Shut up! Sure, you were a whinebag, but you still proved to be a good baller. You weren't the fastest player, but you could sure swing. You gotta give yourself a little bit of credit." Justin exclaimed as he pointed a finger at her from across the room.

Jesselynn just smiled. She and Justin had been going on about old, childhood memories for an hour and the topics never seemed to cease. She had talked some about Justin's old crushes as a child and then he began on her memories. They had just got past her high school love life –which was a very short conversation – and were now on her skills. She had proved to be quite athletic as a child, but was obviously slacking more as she grew older.

Justin managed to crawl from his current position and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, trying to stand up. He was sore from the training and persistent "coaches". "What was it Mrs. Forrester would always say? She used to drive you up the wall every time she said it."

Jesselynn just laughed. She remembered how her foster mother would never give up her dream. The same dream that she used to tease Jesselynn about almost every day. "She used to say that I was preparing myself for when I got older. I needed strong legs to chase after children all day. She 'prophesied' that I was going to have six children; all one after the other. Three boys and three girls."

"Yeah, I always felt sorry for her. She had her own kids, but they never even gave her the time of day after they were grown. All she had was us and we weren't any better, really." Justin replied in a guilty tone as he stared down at the ground underneath him.

Jesselynn sensed the tension building between the two and put down her pen. "What's wrong? Why would you think that?" Her brows scrunched together to further demonstrate her alarm and confusion over her brother's statement.

Justin chewed on the coarse skin around his thumbnail and pondered his sister's question. There were a million things going on in his head any more these days. They used to be simple questions and ideas during his childhood and adolescence, but ever since he and Jesselynn finally escaped Marcus' shroud of terror they've been wavering towards a more serious path. What if he did die out on the field? What would happen to Jesselynn? What would she do to and for herself if he wasn't there to push and encourage her to a normal life? He loved his sister and thought of her as a mother, but she was so cut-off from the outside world. Ever since their parents' death, she shut herself off from the normal, spirited child she used to be and forced herself to act like an adult. She never thought of herself and he hated it! Some would consider that a noble trait, but after living with her over twenty years, it was nothing but annoying. He wasn't a child anymore and he just wanted her to start living for herself and not for his future, as she always claimed to be doing.

First, she never really told him about the day their parents died. It was nearly impossible for her to even mention them anymore. She used to tell him stories about them when he was little but as he grew older those stories decreased. Now, she'd practically run away at the mention of their parents.

Then, there was Marcus. Just the thought made him want to growl. Once she heard how Marcus could get Justin into some of the best colleges and possibly even get him an internship with some of the best jobs that the world could offer, he was wrapped around her finger. Not for the right reason, of course. Marcus quickly and easily took advantage of her and her naivety to this new step in a relationship. He remembered Jesselynn acting as though there was nothing happening between the two even though he would run off when Marcus would come home drunk and immediately lunge at her.

Justin nearly forgot that she had even asked him something until he looked back at her and saw her waiting for an answer; brows arched and body leaning forward.

"Once we moved off with Marcus, we practically ignored her. We never got to go and visit her or even talk to her that much. We were, honestly, brats and probably even acted like we were better than her. She took us in without a second thought, yet I don't remember ever truly thanking her for that. She could've just let the authorities take control of us, but she stepped right in and volunteered to give us a home. Now that she's gone, I'll never get to thank her. I didn't even get to go to her funeral because I was too scared to. I was a coward and never told her how I really felt or thought." Justin finally admitted as he rested his elbows on his knees, folded his hands, and stared at the hard ground underneath him. He could no longer face his sister and the sure pity that was to be there.

Jesselynn's hardened, confused expression softened as she heard her brother's true thoughts. She had never known that he felt so strongly about her. Honestly, she robbed him of getting to know her better by forcing him to move and live with her and Marcus. He had never mentioned Mrs. Forrester before this and she was honestly shocked.

Jesselynn fell back into her chair and slumped. She knew how bad it was for her posture, but she didn't care. "I…I didn't know you felt that way," was all she could voice.

Justin finally found the courage to shift his eyes and looked up at his sister from behind dark, short eyelashes. He looked so young and almost childlike as he watched his sister absorb his true feelings behind their childhood. "Figured it was about time I said something. Never know when your last day is, right?" Justin tried to play it off with a crooked grin but it never reached his eyes. She knew him too well to fall for that.

"Shut up. Don't talk like that." Jesselynn immediately scolded through a huff of breath; almost like it had actually knocked the air from her lungs to think about her brother's death.

Justin rolled his eyes with a groan and pushed himself off the cot. "Jess, we've been over this a million times. I'm gonna die! Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe in forty years, I don't know! I'd be stupid to say that I was going to live forever. We all have our appointed time." He said nonchalantly as he strode over to the exit/entrance.

Jesselynn stiffened with aggravation as she tried to ignore her brother's blunt statement. Although, he did have a point. She thought about her previous conversation with Woods as she watched him reach out for the doorknob; more than ready to flee the tension they had both caused.

"Justin, wait!" She suddenly called out before she realized she wasn't ready for this conversation. She had to tell him the whole story, just like Woods said, but how?

He froze and turned back to her, eyebrows arched. "If you're gonna complain some more can you at least let me take a piss break?" He groaned as he trudged back over to her.

"It was me. Mom and Dad. It was all my fault." She managed to get out through a tight throat, completely ignoring his mocking.

The grin that was on his face immediately disappeared. "What are you talking about?"

Jesselynn's hand instinctively reached out to her bottle-cap necklace for both comfort and pure nervousness. She thought of the day her father first clasped it around her neck, though it was too big at the time, just before sending her off to school. "The day Mom and Dad died, I pulled on the steering wheel trying to avoid a deer. They were arguing and I didn't want to hit it. I thought I was doing the right thing." She finally admitted with a guilty tone and conscience. It was barely audible, nothing more than a whisper, with her eyes downcast as she played with the rusted caps around her neck.

Justin sighed and sat back down on the cot. The shock and confusion too much for him as the news absorbed. He knew that his sister and their parents were together during the car accident that took them away from the siblings, but he never knew the details. Jesselynn refused to tell him for years even when he was a full-grown adult. Well, obviously, until now.

"How?"

Jesselynn was thrown off by the question, expecting more of anger and accusations thrown at her. "What?"

"How do you blame yourself? You were a kid and Dad never told you about the dangers of vehicles. Yes, you should've just left it alone and maybe they would still be alive if you did, but you cannot blame yourself for this. It's not healthy. How long have you been keeping this from everybody?" He explained with nothing but concern in his eyes as he looked back up at her; much in the same position he was moments ago.

Jesselynn's puzzlement only grew stronger the more Justin spoke. Her brows furrowed together even tighter as her face scrunched together as her confusion grew. "Twenty-four years. Give or take." She said as she played the same card her brother was known for. She still hadn't mastered the crooked grin he was famous for throwing at any given time. Hers came out strictly forced and unbelievable by every measure.

Though he wanted to jump up and scream, possibly even toss her desk over, he managed to contain himself and just let his stress and aggravation out through a gruff sigh. "Have you told anyone? Besides me."

"Roxanne. Woods, recently."

"Hm."

"What about Marcus?"

"Roxanne and Woods."

"'Course. Should'a guessed."

It was silent between them as they let the news sink in. Jesselynn couldn't believe that it was finally over. After nearly thirty years of hiding and concealing the guilt, it was finally gone. She didn't know whether to be relieved or scared. She wanted to regret letting the information slip. What if he hated her now? He had all reason. One, he said it himself; she was the cause of their parents death. Two, she kept it from him his entire life. She didn't like secrets and she was the one hiding the biggest of them all. She was a hypocrite. Why didn't he speak? Why didn't he call her what she was?

Justin couldn't believe that it was actually true. He should've guessed that there was something wrong, something more serious than just a grieving daughter, yet he let it slip by through the years. He should've said something before, maybe force her into telling the truth. Would she be different today had he? Was he also at fault in his sister's distant behavior? Then again, how was he to know that she was so troubled with guilt all these years when she never let him in? He was the only thing she cared about in this world and she wouldn't even open up to him.

Why was he expecting her to open up to someone? It was so obvious. It was just a stray thought, but it was the answer to years and years of stress. Yes, he should've made her open up years ago. Perhaps even the moment he was an official teenager. He noticed a change in his sister, a better change, and it was all because she was gone from Marcus' control and encouraged to open up and be herself. Justin was never as strict with her feelings as he was now. Yes, he was a child, but he should've known or, at the least, suspected. He could've been the key to his sister's happiness, but he waited until it was nearly too late to say anything.

"Please allow me to introduce myself…Hmm, hmm, hmm, hm, hm."

They were both thrown from their tension and their thoughts when Roxanne came through the door singing along to the song that was stuck in her head for days. Jesselynn remembered her listening to that very same song that previous morning, the last time she spoke with her.

Roxanne threw her jacket into the nearest corner and was beginning to untie her shoes when she laid eyes on the two, mostly Justin, and stopped in place. She was hopping on one foot with an arm extended to her foot when she caught herself against the bedframe.

"Oh, hey, Justin. Am I interrupting?" She said with a grin as she felt the tension between them resonate about the room.

Jesselynn sprung from her chair and escaped through the cracked door, not even bothering to give them another look. It was the only moment she had to escape the truth and the tension in the room and she was taking it. Justin almost envied her.

"Huh, not the fastest runner my ass." He grumbled as he followed his sister out and vanished into the nightlife of the base.

Roxanne was left standing there as she held one of her tennis shoes in one hand, the other still on her foot, with a confused expression. "Jesus…My singing ain't that bad, is it?" She mumbled humorously to herself, not even bothering to follow the siblings and figure out why they bolted.

December 22, 1967

Vietnam

Sergeant Frank Woods and Jesselynn Thorne

"Confession; I've never had a drop of alcohol in my entire life. Jesselynn said as she lay on her stomach on the cot in her room. It had been one day since her revelation with Justin and now she and Woods were having their daily conversation. First, it had been about Justin, which proved to be very tense for her. Now, Jesselynn grew bored and decided to force the Sergeant into a game of Confession. She used to do it with Justin all the time, especially when he was young and suspected to be in trouble.

Woods sat on the floor beside her cot and rested against the wall. Normally, it'd be uncomfortable, but after a long day, it felt like Heaven just to sit still for more than two minutes. "For real? Damn." He said a little shocked as he craned his neck to look up and behind him.

She just shrugged sleepily. "After the whole Marcus thing, I didn't find any appeal to it."

He was just silent as he thought of something to confess about. Honestly, he thought the game was childish and boring, but he didn't want to think of something else to do or talk about so he just agreed to it and went on. Now, he knew some more interesting facts about her that he would've never bothered to ask. He learned that while she absolutely loves animals, they get on her last nerves sometimes and that she refuses to eat anything green or mushy or both.

"Confession; I've had a lot of drops of alcohol in my lifetime." He said nonchalantly even though he knew she was bound to be either amused or annoyed by his sarcastic confession.

Jesselynn giggled sleepily and rolled her eyes. "Gee, really? Woulda never guessed!"

Woods chuckled by her obvious annoyance. She never said anything about giving only serious answers.

"Confession; I told Justin about my parents yesterday." Jesselynn said with a sudden serious tone. The humor and sarcasm that was there just seconds ago completely vanished as she looked down at him with serious, yet vulnerable eyes. He was still amazed that he eyes seemed to be the only thing that never aged along with her. They were still the same innocent puppy-dog eyes that she shone brightly when she was a child in the picture in Justin's locket.

"How'd it go?" He asked as he pushed himself into a proper position and gave his attention fully to her. He had been halfway paying attention while they were playing their game and stared at a crack in the wall, but now the game had taken a serious turn.

Jesselynn was silent. She didn't know how to explain it. "A lot different than what I always imagined. I think he's mad at me. I told him how long I kept it and that I told you and Roxanne before him. I think that upset him the most. Roxanne said she'd talk with him if she had the chance."

"However he feels, he's damn good at keeping his emotions intact. Haven't noticed anything different about him all day." He praised half-heartedly as he brought one knee closer to him and rested his arm against it.

"He's obviously better than I am. Roxanne's been bugging me all day to tell her what we talked about. Then again, I did get up and run away the second she came through the door." Jesselynn agreed as she contemplated her options.

Woods arched a brow and looked back up at her. "You got up and ran away?"

Jesselynn just nodded as she cuddled the pillow.

"You're not an idiot. I mean, seriously? If you got up and ran off now I think I'd wonder what the hell happened, too. I'd be wonderin' what I said to offend you." He said through a mocking chuckle.

Jesselynn just rolled her eyes and turned, facing the wall instead of down towards him. Woods watched her turn away from him and scoffed.

"Okay, so now I offended you." He said shaking his head.

"Take it as a compliment. I didn't run away." Jesselynn suggested emotionlessly as she stared at the wall in front of her. As the words escaped her lips, she couldn't help but grin. It was easy to seemingly be rude to Woods. Everything ended up to be a joke between them anyway, might as well keep things light.

Woods chuckled again and groaned as he pulled himself off the ground. "Well, at least you finally put on your big-girl panties and told him. It's about time."

Now it was Jesselynn's turn to scoff as she flipped back over towards him, watching him leave. "Excuse me? I've had my big-girl panties on for a very long time. It took guts to come down here, right? I even slapped Marcus before I left." She proudly stated and resisted the urge to throw something at the retreating man.

He just chuckled. "Whatever you say," he paused for a moment as he reached for the doorknob. "Oh, shit, nearly forgot. Here," he paused again long enough to dig through his pocket and toss something on her cot.

She grunted as she pulled herself up and crawled to the end of the cot, examining what he gave to her. She was shocked to realize that was nothing new, but something she had lost that morning. "My bottle-cap necklace! Where'd you get this? How'd you get this?"

"I'll be honest, I stole it. Heard you complaining the other day about nearly losin' the caps. Took it down to welding and fixed it up. I know it's not as authentic like your old man's, but it's better than losin' it, right? Something like that would be a damn shame to lose." He explained as he watched her happily clasp it around her neck and immediately went to rubbing against the middle cap.

She looked up at him and smiled brightly. "Thank you! I forgot all about the stupid caps getting loose," she exclaimed happily as she tested the strength on her newly-enforced bottle-caps, "Why'd you do it?"

It was his turn to be silent and serious as he tried to explain his act of kindness. "To be honest, I don't know. Call us even for stitchin' me up?" He said with a half-hearted grin.

Jesselynn returned his grin and dropped her hand back to her side. "I think this covers about ten favors. Thanks, again." She said as she climbed from her cot and followed him to the door. She was bare foot again and freed herself from her itchy, cardigan jacket. Now that she thought about, this was the most bare she had been around anyone. She ignored the urge to run for her jacket as she saw Woods out the door.

"Don't mention it." He simply replied as he slipped through the door, waving her off.

Okay, I'm down here too! It's been a while so I'm a bit of a blabber-mouth...What do you think of this chapter? It's more a fill-in because the Black Ops campaign is coming in very, very soon to the story! Possibly next chapter or the one after that. I wanted to get some more little moments such as these out before I started on the actual story within this story. I really hope I do well with the campaign missions/chapters and I hope you guys are ready for them!

It's been a while since I've done this, so...

Creative Question!: What do you think lies in the future of this story? What kind of "adventures" lie ahead for our IDHY characters?

I'd really love to hear your responses! Oh, and let me know if you guys don't really care for the Creative Questions. It wouldn't hurt my feelings since I forget about them half the time or don't have anything new to ask you guys!

Anyway, that's enough of me. Thank you all so much for reading and please review! Yes, I'm a review-whore. I need them all the time.