Chapter 18: Medal of Honor (Conclusion)

Richard sat at his kitchen table, reading Toni's report for the fourth time. He had read it once at the hospital at the back end of his recovery and twice on the twelve hour flight back to the states, along with other applicable reports he had managed to get his hands on. When he had yelled for everybody to get down after seeing the group of enemy soldiers train their weapons on their position Roy, O'Malley and the remaining Marines were trying to help the wounded Marine, a Mr. Donald Franklin, in the center of the room. Toni was off to the side checking the perimeter, just barely out of the line of fire. With Richard just below and Toni just to the side the other soldiers were shredded to pieces by the enemy fire, none survived.

Toni sat down across from Richard with a cup of coffee. "Rich you've been reading that thing over and over... It isn't going to change."

"Just trying to get a full understanding is all" Richard replied without taking his eyes off the paper.

"There isn't much to understand" Rachael said, sitting down also with a cup of coffee, "they didn't get down fast enough... That's it."

"Or I didn't recognize the threat fast enough" Richard suggested.

Rachael stared at him, concern painted all over her face. "Don't think like that... You didn't do anything wrong... It wasn't your fault."

"Rich..." Toni began, "I was the leader out there, it was my responsibility."

"It was my idea."

"And I could have overridden you... People die in war... We can't blame ourselves because the pieces fall where they do, things just happen" Toni said.

Richard put the papers down and sighed, "it's one thing to lose people... It's even one thing to make a decision that leads to their deaths... But it's something else when you have seven men go down at once in the eleventh hour... And you can't even give any of them open-casket funerals."

The trio paused, Toni closing her eyes, she thought she had gotten past the grief, but she attended each of those closed-casket funerals and had to endure comforting parents, siblings, wives, girlfriends, small children and in one case a fiancé who had found out only the day before the incident she was pregnant and hadn't even told the father yet, who would never see their son, brother, husband, boyfriend or father again. It hit home with her more than she realized at the time. "We can't dwell on it... We need to move on."

"She's right..." Rachael said, "I miss Karen every day, but she wouldn't want it to consume me... And I know Roy wouldn't want that for you either..."

Richard looked up, looking Rachael square in the eye. It was a long pause of awkward silence before he nodded and spoke, "you're right."

Another long pause of awkward silence passed before Rachael spoke again. "Rich... Have you thought about getting out?"

Richard looked at her, confused, "what do you mean?"

"Getting out of the military... Retiring."

"Why would I want to do that?" Richard queried, "I'm able-bodied, fully capable, why would I want to just quit?"

"The mission is over, I'm out once my contract is up" Toni said.

"I am too... It's time to help people closer to home" Rachael added.

"You could go into law enforcement... Or private security, you'd still be helping people" Toni suggested.

Richard found a spot on the table and stared at it, the idea was temping, though he still felt his skills were more suited for the theater of war. "Something to think about" he said.

Rachael and Toni nodded. "So when does the flight leave?" Rachael asked.

"One o'clock" Toni replied, "are you excited Rich?"

Richard looked at Toni, a blank expression on his face for a moment, then a smile, "you bet."

"You know only like four or five Navy SEALs have ever been awarded the Medal of Honor? You're about to join an exclusive group" Rachael said excitedly.

"It's an accomplishment, something I doubt I'll be able to replicate in the future..."

Rachael laughed sarcastically, "hopefully you won't have to."

"Well don't get your ass shot down again" Toni quipped.

"Oh... Fuck you" Rachael said with a laugh.

"Yeah if that happened again I'm not sure I'd go after you again, 'cause obviously you didn't learn the first time" Richard joked.

Rachael looked at him with her eyes wide and jaw agape, she smacked Richard jokingly. "I'll remember that next time you walk into a wall of gunfire!"

The three laughed, it was good times with plenty of reason to celebrate. Their light moment was interrupted by Richard's phone, caller ID showed it was Victor. "Master Chief" Richard greeted.

"Hey Rich, how you adjusting to life back home?" Victor asked.

"Hard to say, only been home a day."

"True that" Victor said, "how's your recovery coming?"

"Still using the cane for some extra balance, about ninety-five percent I'd say" Richard said, "how's everybody else?"

"Well you know everybody just had minor injuries, Gonzalez is still waiting on his leg to heal up but he'll be fine."

"That's good to know" Richard said.

"It is" Victor agreed, "I just landed in DC and I'll be at your ceremony tomorrow, when are you flying in?"

"We'll be in this afternoon."

"Can catch some dinner if you want, I know a real nice Italian restaurant in town" Victor offered.

Richard looked at his two female visitors, he knew at least one of them would appreciate Italian food. "That sounds good, I'll call you when we land."

Richard was used to big airplanes, large widebodies that actually had some level of comfort in coach. The small by comparison Airbus A319 sat only one-hundred twenty-four people and felt like a cattle car, he swore the first class seats in it were the same size as the coach seats on the widebodies he knew so well as he walked past them disembarking. As promised, he notified Victor of their arrival, he said he would pick them up in two hours.

Toni opted for her own room, leaving Richard and Rachael by themselves in another. Richard didn't even bother unpacking, he only took his shoes off and laid down on the bed closest to the bathroom and grabbed the TV remote. "Planning to watch anything good?" Rachael asked.

"Nah, but who knows, maybe I'll find something" Richard replied.

Rachael nodded, "well, I guess I'll get ready then."

"For dinner?" Richard asked, "Vic's not going to be here for another hour and a half at least." Rachael smiled smugly at Richard as she disappeared into the bathroom, her small suitcase in tow. Richard shrugged, "women." He flipped through the channels, every news station was going on and on about the war doing recaps and simulations, interviews and slapped-together documentaries, it seemed like every other station was doing old war movies except for HBO which had Bill Mahar's talk show on where he was ranting about how the US Military committed a genocide against "innocent Muslims." He finally found a channel showing reruns of the old Batman cartoon from the nineties.

Rachael emerged from the bathroom, not that Richard noticed. "Chief" she said quietly. Richard turned to her and his eyes went wide, she was wearing a purple G-string and matching triangle top that only covered her nipples, offering no actual support for her breasts, not that she needed it. She slowly walked over to Richard, "I owe you" she said as she got on the bed, straddling him. He was speechless, if there was anything further away from his mind he couldn't think of it. She leaned forward and gave his left ear a light nibble, "don't think... Just go with it" she whispered.

Richard hesitated, but he put his hands on her hips, feeling her warm body. She pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his amazingly chiseled chest and stomach, tossed it aside and leaned forward again, encouraging skin-to-skin contact. Eventually she sat back up and removed her bra, then began undoing Richards pants. He sat up, putting his arms around her body and locked lips with her. Things go heavier, Richard spun them over so Rachael was on her back, her shoulder-length hair sprawled about as he stood up and removed his pants, he returned his lips to hers as he fondled her firm breasts. Eventually he moved his hands down and gripped the small sides of her panties, pulling them off her. He stepped to the edge of the bed and pulled her closer, then gently slid himself into her. He leaned forward and began to kiss her again, she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his back as he pumped in and out of her. Eventually he stopped and picked her up, turned around and sat back down on the bed, he gripped her buttocks and lifted and lowered her along his rock hard shaft. Eventually Rachael pulled her mouth away and buried her face in Richards left shoulder, her grip on him tightening as Richard increased the pace. Both of them started breathing heavier as the minutes passed. Before long, Richard could feel Rachael's vaginal walls spasm as she pulled her head back "oh my God!" She exclaimed as Richard increased his pace even more. She began to tremble as the pleasure was almost too much, only seconds later did Richard finish with a long moan.

The two were sweating profusely and breathing heavy, Rachael more so than Richard, as they laid down on the bed, she rolled to his side. "That was... Amazing..." Richard said.

Rachael smiled, "You're amazing..."

The two turned their heads to look at each other in almost perfect symmetry, Rachael put her hand on Richard's, "I hate to ruin the moment..." Richard began, "but we really do need to get ready, we have an hour if we're lucky."

Rachael nodded and got up, heading for the bathroom, she stopped right before entering and looked at Richard who was still laying on the bed. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"You just got me all sweaty and gross... You going to just lay there or are you going to clean me up?" She asked before disappearing into the bathroom. Richard could hear her turn the shower water on, he smiled as he got up and walked into the bathroom.

Of all the stressful situations Richard had experienced in his life, this one took the cake. He stood behind and to the left of the President as he spoke about the details, if they could be called that, of the mission he was being honored for. "Chief Grayson, thinking only of his fellow soldiers, rushed into enemy territory..." It took serious willpower for Richard to not roll his eyes, he knew they were already well into enemy territory long before the helo went down. He waited patiently, scanning the audience as the President spoke. He saw Rachael sitting next to her parents, Victor sitting just behind them and Toni off to the side. It was awkward for him to say the least. "And it is because of that bravery that I am proud to present the Medal of Honor to you Chief Grayson..." The President said before turning from the podium and walking towards Richard. He got behind him and put the Medal around his neck, "meet me in the Oval Office after this" he whispered just before walking back in front of Richard. "Secret Service knows you're coming" he whispered as he shook his hand, Richard only nodded, unsure what to expect.

The photo op ended and Richard's friends appeared confused when he followed the President instead of taking the main exit. As the two men walked into the Oval Office Richard couldn't help but be bewildered, not only was he killing himself wondering what the President wanted, but room he was in added to the shock factor exponentially. "You wanted to see me sir?"

"Yes... Very much so Chief..." The President began, "I've read your file, you have an amazing service record." Richard blinked. "Someone with your skills, experience and resolve is just the kind of person I'm looking for for a project I'm putting together..."

"Project?"

"Yes, unfortunately I can't get into much detail, but I can tell you it's something right up your alley."

Richard blinked again, "I'm not sure I follow sir..."

The President smiled, "well that's to be expected... The short version is I need someone like you to lead a task force, it's outside the military and is completely black, classified as top secret." He pulled a folder out of his desk, "all the details are in here... But I can't give it to you unless you're on board."

Richard sighed, "with all due respect sir, I need more to go on if I'm going to agree to anything... But truth be told I'm thinking it's time to get out of the military anyway..."

The President shifted in his seat, "I understand where you're coming from Chief and I respect that... But I also know what kind of person you are, you want to help people, make a difference in the world, take down the bad guy... And I can promise you that this is an opportunity to do that."

"I don't know sir, I really just think it's time to hang up the rifle and go back to being a civilian."

The President looked disappointed. "Chief I really would like you to reconsider... The world needs more Richard Grayson's and it needs them to do what they do best..." He stood up and picked up the folder, holding it out for Richard to take, "don't let your talents go to waste."

Richard looked at the folder, then turned his eyes to the President, then back to the folder. A long pause passed before he grabbed it.

Well, I certainly hope everybody enjoyed my little story, and yes I do have a sequel in mind if people are interested, let me know what you all thought!