Hey, everyone! It's been a while and I apologize! I will admit that I've been having some troubles writing campaign missions. It's something new for me and it's just taking me a little while to get used to writing them. So, please forgive me if this comes out horrible. Also, half of it was written when I was barely awake at 3 in the morning, so you can also take that into consideration. Also, I'm sorry for stretching this mission so much. Once again, it has to do with it being new to me and I'm taking my time to get something good enough for you guys, though I feel like I failed you on this. Anyway, I will definitely try to finish the S.O.G mission from Black Ops on the next chapter. Surely, I should be able to :)

Review Responses!:

USMC Girl: Once again, I have to say how excited I am to see you in my reviews! I fangirl, hard, when I see that you actually like my stories :) I will definitely try to squeeze in some more moments. Actually, there should be one in the next chapter. Or, the next chapter that involves the past, that is :)

Guest223 (Guest): Haha! You have no idea how much that made me giggle! I think we will all find out what he thinks about this date soon, so look forward to that! :)

Prettyprincess45: Omigosh, yes! I love that song, both of them! I hope I'm not actually stealing, but I also get some scene inspiration from the song :) I'm in love with it. If I could marry a song, I'd be Mrs. "All of Me" right now haha. And, no, don't quit rambling! I love rambling! Haha :) Thank you so much for the help, those song suggestions were absolutely awesome and have really helped me, truly. I have some new ideas now so I give you a cyber-hug now! Lol :D

Guest114 (Guest): Hmm...Good prediction. I guess we'll see if Mr. Smooth is as good with the ladies as he claims to be later on haha :) Thanks for reviewing! Please, do it again bahaha ;)

FCKING WANKERS (Guest): Hmm...Well, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it. I'd appreciate some feedback in what I did wrong though. Perhaps, you could help people instead of flaming them by letting us know how to make it more like COD since you seem to know it so well. Either way, thanks for reviewing and, obviously, letting me know what you think! :3

January 21, 1968

Khe Sanh

Private Justin Thorne, Sergeant Frank Woods, Captain Alex Mason, and CIA Special Agent Jason Hudson

Justin easily found his way back to the others and found them pushing forward in the trench. Woods was the first to notice that Justin had found his way back by clapping his hand on his back.

"Scared me there for a minute, kid. What the hell were you doin' back there?" He questioned after firing a round of ammo into two NVA soldiers.

Justin arched a brow and glanced at the incoming NVA soldiers then back at Woods. "Tell ya about it later." After that, he sprinted with the others to provide backup for those ahead of them.

Woods just shook his head and followed a step behind him.

"Incoming!"

Woods heard the Marine's warning call and his eyes and at the same time an APC was shot with multiple, stray RPGs. He had already calculated what would happen as he reached out, grabbed Justin by the collar, and threw him back from the line of fire. Justin tripped over himself as Woods extended an arm to hold the others back.

They sat for a split second to make sure everything was clear as the damaged APC sat there. Woods cleared it and offered Justin a hand up. He accepted it even though he was beginning to dislike his commander. Though, he would never admit to doing so.

"Now you can run head-on to incoming threats." Woods mocked as he motioned the others to go on.

Justin just frowned and took off behind Hudson. Woods, again, shook his head at the Private and followed behind them.

At the time Mason made his way across, the APC exploded from the inner damage and collapsed to the trench ground below. There was a moment of panic as Woods slid to a stop and looked behind him. At first, he didn't see a glimpse of Mason and began to fear what had happened to his old friend. Then, his fears were debunked when he saw his form began to strategically crawl underneath the large, smoking APC.

He grinned for a moment as he called out and tried to hurry him. "Hurry, Mason, c'mon!"

Mason was able to slide out from underneath the APC and was immediately on his feet. Justin nearly chuckled as Mason literally took a deep breath and shook his head. He couldn't blame him; he actually considered that Mason handled that situation better than what he would have. He probably would have had a panic attack considering that the rest of the APC could have, possibly, gave in and crushed him.

The group continued to push through the trenches as the NVA pushed on relentlessly. Justin amazed at the amount that came across the hillside. Before long, there was nothing but Vietnamese soldiers in white uniforms blanketing the hillside and hid the sand underneath them from sight. He had to admit that he was getting anxious. How would they be able to withstand them if they kept growing?

Woods apparently thought the same as he peeked over his cover and spotted the same sight Justin had. His face looked pinched as he scowled and ducked from attacking infantry.

"Shit! Infantry coming right at us!" He paused as an idea came to him, peeking over his barrier he continued, mostly to himself, "We got a line of napalm barrels buried about twenty yards out! Just hit this..."

Justin hissed as a bullet nearly hit its target, his skull, and watched Woods pull a detonator from one of the many pockets of his jacket. Justin chuckled mischievously while Mason looked at the both questionably.

Justin clutched to his gun and waited for Woods to activate the mines. Once he did, there were unanimous screams and a loud explosion that shook the ground. Justin jokingly thought that he didn't have to worry about any more infantries, for now.

Woods turned to Mason who was providing fire behind him. "Fugassi mine, Mason. Local forces love 'em." He explained with a grin.

Justin had the same grin on his face as he looked over at Mason. "Hell yeah!"

Woods chuckled and rolled his eyes at the younger soldier.

After that, they continued to push forward. The mines had helped them and took a chunk of the incoming forces out, but as he noted before, they were relentless. The men they had lost were quickly replaced as more poured across the hillside and were now attempting to get in the bases and trenches, again.

"Aw, shit! They're relentless!" Justin moaned as Woods rolled his eyes and clapped Mason on the back. He hated how his friend and commander found his panic amusing.

January 21, 1968

Khe Sanh

Jesselynn Thorne and Roxanne Fischer

"Jess! Jesus, I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Jesselynn spun around from the burnt patient and nurse when she heard an oh-so familiar voice chime behind her. For hours, she had been worrying about her dear friend and she was relieved to hear her voice giggling behind her.

She didn't bother embrace her but grinned and slowly made her way towards her. "I told you, you'd be running in circles without me, Roxie."

Roxanne chuckled and rolled her eyes. She remembered their conversation from that morning when they spoke of each others' responsibilities now that they were part of this war.

"Yes, it was different not having Major Buzzkill bitchin' about my every move all day long!" Roxanne said sarcastically as she pursed her lips in mock deep thought and tapped her chin with her index finger.

Jesselynn laughed and then pulled her into a hug. She had never realized how much she needed her friend at her side throughout the day. Before, she rudely thought that she was the only thing that was getting Roxanne to perform accurately, but it wasn't until they were separated that she realized it was the other way around. Roxanne kept her sane and her cheerful, optimistic presence kept her in the same attitude no matter what opposition they faced.

"Seriously, Roxanne, you have no idea how terrified I was without you today. I had no idea what happened out there, besides being attacked. I kept thinking the worse about you and Justin. I even worried about Mason, and Woods, and the rest of their crew! Please, don't leave my sight again!" Jesselynn whispered as she pulled back from her embrace, rested her hands on Roxanne's shoulders, and gazed into her eyes.

Roxanne's playful grin gradually faded as the sobriety of her friend's words sunk in. Jesselynn was still pasty and shaking from the overwhelming stress her body had been under that day. She looked absolutely exhausted, yet livelier than she had ever seen her before. It was such an odd expression and all she felt was pity for the girl.

"Jesselynn, you know you're going to be okay, right? You're my best friend, practically my sister, but you're being ridiculous. We're the seniors of this staff, Jess! You know, set an example for the recent recruits! I know I sound harsh, but you have to snap out of it. I freaked out like you did, but one of the other nurses told me something that changed my outlook on this all." Roxanne started her "speech" by swapping positions with her. It was her turn to place her hands on her shoulders and looked her square in the eyes.

"Jess, providing medical aid to the wounded isn't our only job here! We're somebody's wife, girlfriend, sister, or even mother from back home! I even had one soldier call me Abby. I later learned that Abby was the name of his little sister. His friends told me that he and Abby were really close, kinda like you and Justin, and she was depending on him to come home. He just passed away. I won't go to dramatics and say that he died in my arms, but he died right in front of me. It made me realize how much we mean to these men!"

"We're more than just some maids in a skirt; we're a lifeline! A piece of normality before they're thrown back in that shithole they nearly lost their life in! We gotta be strong for these guys. If we can't, then how can we expect them to be? You never know the roles you play, Jess." Roxanne finished her speech with a grin. Her hands dropped to her side as she waited for Jesselynn's verbal reaction.

Jesselynn could see the emotional strain this was doing to her friend, but didn't voice it. Everyone was drowning in a tidal wave of emotion right now; she feared that bringing it up might make the waves even more violent then they already were.

"I'm scared, Roxanne. What if Justin is rolled in here one day? Or even worse…I…I would…fail him," she paused to take a deep breath and collect herself before she burst into tears. The thought was too painful. "Roxanne, I couldn't live with myself. I can't do it without my brother. And, now, you." She finally whispered out as she clutched herself.

Roxanne sighed, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and pulled her to the side. "Jess, while everyone heads off to sleep tonight, you're coming with me. We're gonna go to the landing pads alone."

The fear she felt surfacing was pushed under and replaced with genuine confusion. "Why?" She questioned with knitted brows.

Roxanne resisted the urge to giggle at her friend's lack of nurse-gossip and hugged her with the one arm draped around her shoulders. "To cry, duh. I've been told it's the best place to go full, Nurse Batshit. No one can hear or see you cry."

Jesselynn giggled even though she already felt unnerved and uncertain about the landing pads and what the nurses did there. "Nurse Batshit?" She inquired instead to focus the conversation on something else.

Roxanne opened her mouth to speak when the Vietnamese toddler from before was suddenly awake and immediately went back to her piercing, blood-curdling shrieks.

Her jaw went slack and she literally gaped at the sight. This poor child looked as though she was in pure agony and the rushed, frantic treatments of the nurses did nothing but anger and upset her more.

She abandoned Jesselynn in the corner of the tent and immediately rushed to the child's cot. Jesselynn was amazed at Roxanne's nerve since she wasn't even called over. Normally, she'd be sent away from the orders of the main doctor. Then again, this wasn't a normal situation. She wasn't at home at her hospital. She wasn't even in America anymore. She was in the middle of war. There weren't really any more rules around the infirmary. At least, not like the ones before.

Jesselynn slowly pushed her way through the frantic crowd and tried her best not to disturb any patients as she followed her friend. Roxanne patted another woman's shoulder as the latter turned to leave and immediately grabbed the uninjured hand of the little child.

What happened next shocked Jesselynn to the core. Roxanne had to scream over her, but she managed to gather the child's attention as she began to, loudly, comfort the child in her native tongue. Jesselynn tried to remember if she had ever mentioned it before, but she couldn't find a place or a time.

Jesselynn came around the other side of the cot and just stared at Roxanne, slightly bewildered by her foreign technique.

About thirty minutes later and a shot of painkiller, Roxanne had managed to calm the child. Now, all that she heard from her was a faint whimper from the pain of her burnt back.

"Please allow me to introduce myself…I'm a man of wealth and taste. I've been around for a long, long year. Uhm…Oh, stole many a man's soul and faith." Roxanne cooed the child being singing to her in a soft tone and a bright smile. The girl was obviously confused by what she was singing to, but appreciated it. Jesselynn was sure that she even spotted a tiny glimmer of a smile on the girl's exhausted face.

"Are you seriously singing Rolling Stones as a lullaby?" Jesselynn mockingly inquired though she chuckled at her friend's choice of lullabies.

Roxanne still smiled soothingly down at the little girl that was already fading off the sleep from the effects of the painkiller when she answered her. "Yeah, it's the only song I know the actual lyrics to right now. My Sonora loved Rolling Stones so I was always memorizing their lyrics."

Jesselynn was undoubtedly intrigued at her friend's interesting little girl. "Your Sonora just sounds like a barrel of fun."

Roxanne giggled as she reached out and tenderly placed a hand on the girl's cheek to further comfort her. Her heart warmed and the warmth spread throughout her entire being at the mention of her precious daughter. She thought the world of her baby girl and she would give anything if she could at least hear her voice. She treasured each and every letter that was sent and tears welled in her eyes at the thought of her little girl sitting in her new room at her grandmother's, writing those same letters that she read every single night.

"Yes, she is. She's the only thing I have left in this world. Don't take this wrong, but I'd sacrifice you if that meant she'd be safe." Roxanne chuckled as she smiled warmly at the little girl that finally drifted off into a deep slumber.

Jesselynn took a seat in one of the chairs that was set aside and watched Roxanne do a routine check on the girl and her condition. Jesselynn felt jealousy well up in her heart at her friend's words. As she grew older, she wished she could experience that kind of undying love. Yes, she had her brother, but what Roxanne and many others spoke of was completely different.

Then, there was the obvious that she didn't really want children. Not because she disliked them, but out of fear. She had never been the most patient person and she was guilty of dropping some responsibilities from time to time. She couldn't trust herself with that kind of responsibility. Roxanne was devoted on her daughter and there was such a genuine, beautiful connection between the two. She just wanted to feel wanted.

Justin wanted her in his life, but he would survive without her as well. She had heard many mothers over the years talk about how even though their children were grown and out of the house, the children were still so dependant on their parents. She wanted to understand that kind of bond. How could that kind of love be possible?

She remembered the way Justin used to, practically, worship the ground his nanny, Gloria, walked on. Since he had no memory of his mother, Gloria filled that maternal role very quickly. The feelings were mutual, for Gloria was absolutely devoted to the little toddler. She refused to work with anyone else though she knew how much she could use the extra money. They were absolutely inseparable.

She knew it was probably a selfish thought and never admitted it, but she always wondered why she couldn't have someone in her life that absolutely needed her. Whether it's for physical health or just an ear to listen to their problems. Was their something she had done in her life that prevented her from ever having unconditional love? The only closest thing she had to that was Justin.

She was stupid enough to think that she almost had it with Marcus. She knew her suffering with him wasn't entirely his fault. Yes, he abused her and there was nothing to justify it, but she was also in the blame because she never put the extra effort to escape it.

She was naïve enough to think that maybe by her loyalty and faithfulness, Marcus would change his ways and she'd actually get to live happily ever after like all those stories she read as a child. She thought if she just listened to him and did want he wanted her to do, she'd be an influence in his life. An influence to give up his drinking habits and actually love her.

But, she was wrong. She suffered almost ten years with him just to realize that they kind of love didn't exist anymore. Happy endings were only lies. If they were, her parents would still be with her. Her brother would've grown up without mental scars or a desire for Marcus' head on a silver platter. He would've kept his innocence much longer than what he did under Jesselynn's care. She brought him to Marcus' home and he ruined him. Any goodness and kindness was replaced with hate and vengeance.

Jesselynn sighed and bowed her head. She had made so many mistakes in her life. Well, it looks like she had her answer. Who in their mind would give her a child when she couldn't even take care of herself? She'd be a danger to a poor, innocent child. She couldn't do that again. She couldn't ruin another good person like that. She didn't want to suffer knowing that she destroyed someone again.

"Jess? You okay?"

Roxanne's voice immediately snapped her from her pitiful trance and she stared at her, wide-eyed and heart thumping loudly against her rib cage. For a split second, she feared that Roxanne had some how read her mind and just discovered every secret that she kept locked in the back of her mind.

"Yeah? Um, yeah, I'm okay. Just…tired, y'know?" She finally answered as she rubbed the exhaustion from her face and licked her lips.

Now it was Roxanne's turn to sigh as she grabbed a chair and dragged it over beside her. Jesselynn's heart beat rapidly again as Roxanne seated herself comfortably beside her and took one of her hands.

"Jess, if you're still freaked out about what I said earlier, then I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you, you know that right? I just don't want to see you get hurt. You've been through a lot of shit, you deserve at least a coupla' days without some drama." She smiled affectionately at her friend and patted her hand gingerly.

Jesselynn glanced down at their hands that rested against Jesselynn's thigh. Roxanne's were warm and even a little sweaty from the humidity and it made her hands feel even more like ice. She knew her body was still under panic and stress, but she wished it would go away. Underneath her frozen skin, she felt like an inferno.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Trust me, I'm okay." She lied as she returned her friend's smile with fake expertise. She lost count how many times throughout her years that she had smiled when all she wanted to do was scream.

It was obvious that Roxanne saw right through her masquerade, but she said nothing more. If Jesselynn wanted to say something, she'd do it on her own time. It would be useless to force her.

Again, she sighed and pushed herself out of her chair. She was going to have to speak with Justin once he was able to return from the fight. Although she said nothing to her friend, all she could think about was Justin. She had just comforted Jesselynn, but her words settled nothing in the storm of her emotions.

She had to be honest with herself, she had no idea how she felt about Justin. There was no doubt that he was attractive. Those light green eyes framed by inky, long eyelashes seemed to melt her heart every time she found herself lost in them. She was tempted to ask if he wore some kind of eye make-up, but bit her tongue. It was stupid question, but it was the only thing that made sense to her. There's no way that someone, especially a man, could be born with such dark, long lashes.

She let herself sink into her secret, lustful thoughts as she went over the rest of his features. He had the same full, pink lips as his sister and a strong, chiseled jaw line. His stubble-beard and the scar that ran along his right cheekbone all proved his age, but the brilliant smile threw her off every time. When his features were set in a somber, solemn expression, he looked his age or even older. Yet, if he was with his buddies and flashed a smile she would think him to be just a teenager. She always found herself watching him from the corner of her eye as he wrestled with his comrades. On the fights or arm wrestling matches he would win, he would fly from his seat or the ground with balled fists in the airs, proclaiming victory for the entire base to know.

Before, she always found herself comparing him to her late husband, but lately she had been comparing him to what she wanted or was attracted to. While half of her was upset that she was beginning to recover and move on from her husband's death, the other half rejoiced. She could finally live her life again without the same guilt eating her every time she smiled. She was okay with being happy again and now all she wanted was to be happy with Justin.

Though she didn't know her exact feelings for the unique man, she knew that she was finally ready to try something new in their relationship. Well, more like push out of their friendship and press into a relationship. For years, she had felt that Justin offered more than just companionship as he said, but she had never tried to accept that clear fact. She had still been grieving over the absence of her husband. Now, she prayed she wasn't too late.

As she had mentioned, she knew Justin about four years now. No matter what, he was one of the dearest friends she ever had. Though she had many friends, including Jesselynn, there was something special about her friendship with Justin. While Jesselynn was always there to lend a hand and genuinely cared about her, she never followed up on her side of a conversation. She was unwilling to show her true feelings about something or someone, but that was different with Justin.

He was very open about his true feelings and he made you feel trusted with his deepest, darkest secrets. He made her feel important and she valued that in him. Though she loved Jesselynn like a sister, she would rather go to her brother for a deep conversation. Like she said, she loved her, but she was very one-sided and distant.

Roxanne growled at herself when she realized she let herself get distracted. Confronting Justin about her thoughts and feelings were needed for another time. Right now, she had orders from different people and she was losing track of focus.

Justin's upper lip curled as he released ammo into any NVA soldier that threatened to stand in his way. Justin's kill-count was getting higher the more he pushed on and he easily shed himself of the innocent, knuckle-headed teenager attitude. Now, he was soldier and he was acting like it. Even Woods could notice a change in the man as he took control of minor situations and took charge of recruits.

Now, they were pushing up the hill and trying to retake it as they fought around the friendly mortars raining down on them. Even his past training sessions didn't compare to how he was performing right now. He had always been wary of actually taking a man's life, but now it was different. He knew he shouldn't take pleasure in it, but he didn't feel remorse anymore, either. Admittedly, he feared for himself and what was going to happen to his conscience, but he ignored that for now. Finishing and completing the mission was the priority and everything would just have to wait.

"Keep pushing!" Woods hollered over the sound of gunfire, the booming of mortars exploding around them, and the shrieks of alarm, panic, and fear of the others around him.

They were nearing the top of the hill and had cleared out the NVA that had been scattered amongst the hill. Justin couldn't help but feel pride of himself and his group. With each extra effort, they were reeling in another win for the base. It may never be noticed by anybody but those soldiers fighting today, but he took pride in the fact that his first real fight had been a success.

Mason ran ahead of him and he provided extra support to those that were ahead of him. Though, that didn't last long as a wild mortar exploded right in front of them.

Mason was flung some feet back and tried to recover from shellshock.

The same happened to Justin as his knees gave in and he tumbled to the ground. Dirt and rocks flew around him and he felt a bullet pierce his skin from, what he guessed, a NVA soldier trying to kill him when he was at his weakest.

Someone behind him took him out and hissed at scalding pain below his shoulder. He clutched at his wound and ground his teeth, forcing himself to stay awake. From the impact of the explosion and the unbearable pain he was in, he was threatened with unconsciousness. He nearly gave in until he saw Woods approach a NVA soldier through blurry vision.

Some NVA soldiers had pushed through and were waiting for the soldiers as they were either injured or recovering from the effects of their close call. Some of the men he had just fought beside were mowed down and Woods was quick in defending them.

One NVA made the mistake of having his back on Woods and Justin grinned as Woods rushed behind him, gun raised. He was going to get what he deserved for killing those men, his friends, until Woods suddenly stopped.

The grin immediately faded from view and was replaced with panic and fear. What was he doing? Surely Sergeant Woods wasn't having second thoughts. He didn't understand until his head snapped down to his gun.

It was jammed and he set on fixing it. He'd be lying to say that panic didn't cross his commander's face as he furiously pulled against the lever, but it refused to budge. His head snapped back up to the NVA just in time for the soldier to attack him with the butt of his gun.

Now, it was Justin's turn to panic. He felt cold and the only thing he could was the beating of his frantic heart in his ears. Woods collapsed to the ground and tried to recover quickly from the harsh blow. Justin's breath was shallow as the NVA hovered over his commander with a sneer plastered on his face. He obviously thought it was rather humorous.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Justin verbally cursed himself, the NVA soldier, and the situation as he looked around him for some kind of weapon. He looked back and saw Mason still recovering from shellshock, furious that he hadn't already, and spotted the Python just in front of him.

Adrenaline rushed through his entire being and the pain from his recent wound went unnoticed as he reached out for the weapon, spun back to the scene before him, and didn't even allow himself to aim properly.

The next thing he remembered was the sound of a bullet escaping a barrel and sharp ringing in his ears. The kick of the weapon ignited larger flames of pain throughout his arm and he tossed it to the ground as though it would make the pain go away once he no longer had contact with it.

His focus was solely on Woods as he slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He had obviously been expecting the sound of a bullet would be his final sound until he spotted Justin tossing the weapon away.

Justin was a ghastly shade of white and panic shone on his face. There was no telling what this up-close-and-personal experience did to him, but that could be settled later. He nodded his appreciation when he realized that that seemingly knuckle-headed fresh meat just saved his life.

Justin gulped and did his best to return Woods' nod and remembered the pain in his shoulder. He sat up and took a moment to examine it. It was okay, for now. He could still fight. Which was a good thing; they still had a lot to do before they could call it a day.

Mason finally recovered from his shellshock and was beside him. He patted his good shoulder and offered a hand. Justin nodded his appreciation and accepted the offer. Mason grinned at him for a moment and slapped the back of his hand gingerly like Woods had done earlier before.

"Nice shootin', kid." He complimented with a grin and was off again.

Justin didn't have enough time to reply as he gathered himself and was up and off with the others.

Here I am again! So, what do you guys think of this? Do you guys like the change in the mission with Justin killing the NVA that was trying to kill Woods instead of Mason? I hope so because I have something planned in later chapters for this. Actually, I plan for it to play a big role between Woods and Justin. So, I hope you guys liked it. Once again, I'm open to all feedback (please try to be helpful though, I would appreciate it) and ideas :)

Creative Question: What do you think will happen to Justin since he is obviously changing? Will this change in him affect his relationships between Jesselynn and Roxanne?

Anyway, I think that's it for me. Please, review for you guys make my day when you do! Thanks so much for reading! Have an awesome day!