I know I have been updating my stories a lot these, but it has snowed SO MUCH these past few days so I have had school cancelled and there isn't a lot else I can do with my free time but twiddle my thumbs and write fan fiction so, just in case you have been getting a lot of story alerts on my updates now you know why.

OOOOO

On the helicopter ride back to the aircraft carrier where the Ghosts were living for the time being, Elias told Hesh and Logan about the mission in South America twelve years ago where Elias had to drop Rorke from a helicopter to save the rest of his team. Alex has heard the story many times since she was brought onto the Ghosts so she ended up drifting off to sleep for the duration of the helicopter ride. She was woken up a couple of hours later by Merrick whose shoulder she fell asleep on.

"Come on little sister." He said as they stood up. "Let's get inside."

Alex followed her brother out of the helicopter and the rest of the Ghost team wasn't far behind. Night had fallen and the dark sky was filled with bright, twinkling stars. Alex looked up at the sky as she and the others walked towards the entrance, a small smile playing on her face as she walked inside. Watching the stars was always something she liked doing. Things were almost…calm for a minute.

Once inside Keegan disappeared to his room. He was still upset about Ajax. Hesh and Logan stuck with their father and Alex was ready to head to her own room for a shower and sleep, but Merrick's voice stopped her. "Alex, would you show Hesh and Logan where they'll be staying?" he asked. "I have to speak with Elias." Alex turned around and looked at him with sleepy eyes. At first she was going to argue, but she knew it was pointless and would be childish. "Okay…follow me." she said to the Walker brothers, jerking her head down the hall.

Hesh followed the red head down the hall as she led them to the living quarters. She hasn't spoken much since they got on the helicopter back in Los Angeles and Hesh felt pretty stupid for the whole, "You're a woman?" comment. But he was pretty surprised when she pulled off the mask. For the whole time in San Diego he thought Alex was a guy. She had the attitude, the demeanor, and the way she acted in the field…she was fearless. A good trait to have, but sometimes being fearless could leave to carelessness.

When Hesh was able to get a good look at her, which was when she was sleeping on the helicopter, he would be lying if he said he didn't find her attractive. She had dark reddish-brown and deep blue eyes that matched her skin tone which was slightly pale, but not too pale. Her face was slim, but she had a more visible jawline. With her gear on, Hesh didn't know what kind of figure she had, but he knew she had to be in good shape if she was a Ghost. She didn't resemble Merrick a lot with his brown eyes and brown hair he would have if he wasn't bald, but their facial features were similar.

"Okay this is where you two are bunking." Alex told the brothers, breaking Hesh's thoughts. "Keegan, Merrick, and I are just down the hall and your dad is on the second deck. If you need me, don't. Find someone else to need." Alex told the brothers. She went to turn around, but Hesh's voice stopped her. "I'm sorry if I offended you earlier…" Hesh apologized to her "…or showed you disrespect, but it is just a little surprising to see a woman here." Alex eyed him for a moment. "You didn't offend me." she told him firmly. "And we're the same rank so even if you did disrespect me which you didn't, it wouldn't matter. I'm used to the whole, "Oh you're a woman on an elite squadron?" thing. But allow me to make one thing perfectly clear to you Hesh…you may have passed your father's tests, but you have to prove yourself as a Ghost. It's more than how well you can shoot a gun or throw a knife…it's how far you would go to do what's right." With that said, Alex turned around and walked down the room.

Hesh watched Alex as she disappeared into her room when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Logan's. "I think she likes you." He teased as he slipped into the room. Hesh followed him into their room and flopped onto his bed, already mentally retracting his thoughts of finding her attractive since her personality needed some work. Now it was pretty obvious that she was Merrick's sister.

OOOOO

The next morning, Hesh walked into the command room where his father stood with Merrick and Keegan, but no Alex which Logan asked about. Before anyone could answer, she walked in. Hesh turned at the sound of the door opening and his eyes widened a little. When he was with her yesterday, she had dirt and filth on her skin, her tangled hair was pulled onto a bun, and she had her mission gear on. Now she was dressed in grey cargo pants and a black t-shirt on with her dog tags hanging around her neck and her hair was down. Her skin was clean without a single trace of dirt on it and she looked a lot different from yesterday.

Alex walked over and took her spot next to Merrick and leaned against the table. "So what do we do about Rorke?" she asked. "If he knows how we operate then he probably sees this like a chess game except he's expecting our next move."

"That's why we're going to find him before he finds us." Elias explained. "There's a man in Caracas who knows where he sleeps. Victor Ramos. He heads up R&D for the Fed. Few men get close enough to call a man like Rorke "friend". Ramos is one. To find Rorke, we're going back to Caracas, where this all started."

"Who's going?" Merrick questioned. That was always his immediate question when there was a new mission.

"Hesh? Logan? Do you think you can handle this one?" Elias asked his sons.

"Absolutely." Logan answered.

"Good to hear because I am sending you with Keegan and Alex."

"Wait a second." Merrick interjected.

"Merrick." Alex said under breath. "May I speak to you for a moment?" Alex looked at Elias who simply nodded. Alex pulled Merrick to the other side of the room so the others couldn't hear them before she went off on Merrick. "Are we gonna go through this again?" she asked him.

"I don't like you going on missions by without me." Merrick reminded her. "Not where I can't look out for you."

"Merrick for the first seventeen years of my life I was trained to be in the military and for the past ten I've been an active soldier."

"You are also my sister. My only family I have left."

"And an active soldier on duty who has a job I have to do. You brought me on this team because you knew I had the capability of doing this."

Keegan fell silent for a moment. "Merrick I love you more than anything else in the world…but you can't protect me from everything." Alex said softly. Merrick looked at her before letting out a breath. "I have only had you around for three years." He reminded her. "I know you can handle this, but I am still you're older brother and I am allowed to worry." Alex chuckled. "I know. And you are going to have me around for a lot longer, too." Merrick gave her a half smile as the two went back over to the others.

"Keegan if you let a single Fed get ten feet from her and she comes back with so much as a scratch…" Merrick began, but Alex and Elias's laugh stopped him. "She'll be fine Merrick." Elias informed his friend. Alex smiled and looked over at Hesh who had a smile on his face and Alex realized something…he had a nice smile.

Mixed feelings about this chapter. I always try hard not to make a Mary-Sue out of my OCs, so don't hate Alex because of her bitchy-ness. Anyway, please review/follow/favorite all you lovelies!