Have you ever had a feeling
That we're not alone?
Hold to call the feeling senile
They unearth more
Going down the dusty roads
We are cold and see-through

-M83 ~ I Need You

The next morning, Hesh woke up in the early hours of the day. His internal alarm went off and was telling him it was time to get up. He knew he had to, but he didn't want to. He was so comfortable. The most comfortable he's ever been. The bed was warm and soft and Alex was sleeping peacefully next to him, her breathing soft and even. Wait a second. Alex? Looking at her, the previous night's occurrences came back to him. Her holding onto him while he cried and then falling asleep with her cuddled close to him. A small smile formed on his face as he brushed her hair out of her face. She had her head next to his shoulder and an arm across his stomach holding him close to her.

Hesh knew he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep so he laid awake next to Alex with an arm wrapped around her and ran his fingertips up and down her back gently. He stared at the ceiling and found himself getting lost in thought about everything that has happened so far. All the missions, near death experiences, and encounters with Rorke brought them to where they were right now. Elias was dead. Nothing was going to change that. Hesh would miss him, he was not only his father, but the only other blood family he had other than Logan. Elias taught them everything they knew and was there every step of the way through their training. It seemed like it was just yesterday than he and Logan were in San Diego listening to their dad talk about the Ghosts and how they came to be who they were. At the time, Hesh didn't believe the stories, but now he was part of something he didn't think was real. Logan had a bit more faith and belief in the stories than Hesh due to his much more open mind. It was another trait that Logan inherited from Elias whereas Hesh got his mother's need to see the physical evidence to believe something.

Letting out a breath, Hesh thought about his brother. When they lost their mom, he didn't cope well. They were still young at the time, but Hesh still managed to cope better than his brother. Hesh worried Logan would fall into something that he wouldn't be able to pull himself out of with Elias dying. Hesh would get closure from ending Rorke's life, but would Logan be able to get past it?

Alex moving slightly broke Hesh's thoughts. She tightened her arm around him and nuzzled her face into his shoulder. Hesh couldn't fight off the smile forming on his face. When he first got there, Alex was so closed off and refused to accept him and Logan as part of the team. Now she was so different. She was so open and happy most of the time, despite everything that was happening. Hesh didn't know what changed her, but whatever it was, he was grateful for it. When they first met, he thought she'd never want anything to do with him, let alone wake up with her in the same bed.

Looking at the clock, Hesh realized it was now a little after seven in the morning and they had to get up. "Alex." He said quietly, shaking her gently. She tightened her grip around him before bringing her hands to her eyes to rub the sleepiness from them. He watched her for a moment until she opened her eyes and met his. "Good morning…" she said in a groggy voice.

"Morning." Hesh replied.

Her hair was tangled and stringy and she had small bags under eyes, but Hesh still thought she looked beautiful. Alex saw him staring and chuckled. "I know, I look awful in the morning." She told him. He shook his head. "No you don't." She looked at him and saw he wasn't joking. He leaned his head down and kissed her gently. "But you do have morning breath." He teased as he pulled away. Alex smiled and playfully pushed him away to sit up, but Hesh pulled her back down in the sheets. She laughed as he pulled her under him and kissed her again. She ran her hands across his back and smiled as he kissed her. After a few seconds, she was the one to break the kiss off so she could look at him. "Are you alright?" she asked as she remembered how upset he was last night. He brushed her hair down and broke eye contact. He wasn't okay, he just lost his dad, but he had to keep moving forward. He knew that's what his dad would want.

"I'm fine." Hesh told her, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Wanna go pick our brothers up at the infirmary?"

"Yes. That is if Merrick hasn't killed a doctor yet." Hesh laughed and stood up, pulling Alex up with him.

OOOOO

After getting dressed and going through their individual morning routines, Hesh and Alex walked to the infirmary together. Logan had just woken up and was sitting on the edge of his bed while Merrick listened to the doctor tell him to take an easy. Alex could tell Merrick was annoyed and Logan was watching and chuckled at the scene.

"I'll make sure he takes and easy, Doc." Alex spoke up, alerting Logan and Merrick of her and Hesh's presence.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes." Merrick teased.

"Well he sounds fine to me."

Hesh laughed next to her and went over to his brother. "You alright?" he asked Logan.

"Are you?" Logan retorted.

"I'm good."

"Then that makes two of us."

"Alright now that we're all fine, we have some work to do." Merrick interjected. Alex then remembered the letters she found in Elias's office. Now that Logan and Merrick were in the clear, now was a good time to do the small ceremony she thought out in her head. "Before we do that…" she said to her brother. "There's something else we have to do."

"What?" Merrick asked.

"Can you get everyone outside on the deck?"

"For?"

"You will see."

Before Merrick could object, Alex zipped out of the infirmary and back to her room where she had the letters. "She's up to something." Merrick said.

"Is that out of the ordinary?" Logan questioned.

"No, she always is."

The Walker brothers chuckled. "Well let's get everyone on the deck then." Hesh said as Logan stood up. The brothers walked out of the room together, Hesh's arm around Logan's shoulders. Merrick watched as the brothers left the infirmary. He now knew something was going on between Hesh and Alex. They walked in the infirmary together at eight in the morning and Alex could never get up this early by herself.

About twenty minutes later, everyone was gathered out on the deck. Keegan, Logan, Hesh, Merrick, and Kick and Neptune who got to the carrier earlier in the morning. Kick and Neptune both gave Hesh and Logan a hug when they saw them. They were struggling with the loss of Elias and couldn't imagine how it felt to lose a parent to someone like Rorke.

Alex got to the deck last, the letters tucked in her pants hidden by her shirt. "Why did you have us all out here?" Keegan immediately asked her. "If you would shut up, I'll get there." Alex replied as she pulled the letters out. "Yesterday I cleared out Elias's office and found these." She began. "They're letters, addressed to all of us. I wanted to wait until we were all here to give them out and now that we're here, I figured we could take the time to have a small ceremony for Elias." Alex scanned the faces of her team for a brief moment and saw all their expressions changed. "Elias wrote these the day we found out about Rorke when we were in No Man's Land. Part of him really believed he wouldn't see the end of this war, but he wanted to make sure we all knew what he wanted us to know. I can tell you already he is probably going to tell me how stubborn and naïve I was and tell Keegan how quiet and closed off he was. I know that because Elias always made sure we knew what he thought of us. No secrets, no lies, no bullshit. That's just who he was." Scanning the faces of the team again, Alex saw Hesh and Logan fighting off tears and Merrick was staring at the ground. "Back in Vegas, I saw Elias in the hallway. I couldn't just… I couldn't just leave him there. I gave him a Ghost's burial or at least put him face down facing California with a weapon beside him. Maybe it helps a little knowing that I don't know, but what matters is Rorke. He acts like he can outsmart us and is the smartest, smuggest bastard to walk tis Earth, but he probably just pulled the world's stupidest move. He killed one of us. He has a whole team of Ghosts pissed off and out for his blood so he won't be seeing the end of this war either. In fact he started his own when he killed Elias and he has no idea what he just started." Looking at the team again, Alex saw Hesh and Logan had their heads up and the others had a look of determination of their faces. Keegan met her eyes and silently told her that she was saying all the right things. "In less than three days we'll be in Federation territory and we are going to fight like we've never fought before. It's time that this stalemate comes to a close for good."

Alex finally stopped talking and looked at the letters in her hand. Walking over to Hesh and Logan, she handed them their envelopes that were the first two. Then she handed the others theirs. "We read these individually." Merrick spoke up. "We read them and then we make out plan to end this war."

After saying that, the team parted ways to read their letter. Before Logan left he went over to Alex and hugged her. She hugged him back tight. "Thank you." He said. Alex smiled. "Don't mention it." she replied. Logan pulled away. "It does help. Knowing that you did what you did."

Logan then walked inside and Alex remained on the deck and stared at the envelope in her hands. A few minutes passed before she opened it and pulled out the papers inside.

Alexandra-

If you're reading this, then it means I'm gone. I guess Rorke got the better of me. I had a feeling it would happen one way or another. That's not important though and not the point of this letter. I'm sitting in my office as I'm writing this for you. I just finished looking at the field report of your first mission as a Ghost. It's only been a few years since I met you and you have changed so much. When Merrick first asked me to evaluate you and run you through the tests, I almost didn't. I didn't think you had what it took to be a Ghost. But I did because everyone deserves a chance. From day one as a Ghost, you kept on proving me wrong. You had everything it took to be a Ghost. The skills, the dedication, and most important, the loyalty. It's your best quality. It balances out for your extreme stubbornness and naiveness.

I had my doubts about you Alex, I really did, but now I can't believe I ever did. You're strong, both emotionally and physically. I knew all of your brothers and I knew how close you were with Ian, James, and Stephan. Losing them was no easy thing for you to go through and I knew you deserved the chance to get to know the brother you never knew growing up.

The point for this letter is for you to hear some final advice from me. I know losing your brothers was hard and made you more closed off, almost as closed off as Keegan, but you can't do that Alex. There are people in the world who still care about you. This team cares about you. Hesh and Logan are part of the team now. Don't cut them out and give them a chance. By the time you read this, maybe you already have, so this is just a reminder to let people in. Death is a part of life and losing people is always going to hurt. Pushing them away won't do anything.

That's all I want to tell you. Keep fighting Alex. I know you'll see the end of this war; you and the others I'll make sure I watch you guys from the other side. Make sure Rorke meets his end, too. Promise me that. And promise to watch out for my boys. Logan and David were the last two things in this world I had. They are my sons. Keep an eye on them for me.

You were like a daughter to me, Alexandra. Never give up. You aren't alone in this world.

Also, make sure Merrick doesn't fuck up when he takes over my spot.

-Elias

Alex read and reread the letter again after finishing it the first time. First she laughed at the last line and then fell to her knees. Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away. "I promise." She said.