Sorry this chapter is shorter than planned...and also later than anticipated. Issues with computers that a) need the PSI of a sledge hammer dropped from a third story window to add a space between words, b) are so ancient I have to wait for the words on the screen to catch up before I can type again or c) have a cursor that jumps erratically and deletes 2-3 paragraphs before I can even blink have cursed my ability to write this week. It may be after Thanksgiving before the next part is out (black Friday and hopefully a new computer at that time)
Anyhoo- no review responses tonight guys and gals, sorry. But know that I love you all! *air kisses*
Thanks to Nance for beta-reading!
The pen scratched across the paper and reverberated off the clipboard underneath. A deep breath was exhaled loudly. Gwaine blinked back the moisture that had yet to fall from his eyes. He couldn't cry...not yet. There were still too many things left to do.
Laney had been taking care of the worst part of it all...calling everyone...from the local Legion back up in Wyoming, which was Pops' favorite hangout before they moved, to dealing with the nearby Veteran Affairs to get the benefits in order. There were some specific individuals she had to call, and out of that list, she discovered at least two or three who were no longer around.
Groaning into her hands, she had grumbled, just before Gwaine left the house to go sign the transfer orders. "Getting old sucks!"
Leon was standing nearby and had snickered at the comment. Gwaine laughed as his friend was promptly was hit in the face with a flying kitchen towel.
Gwaine bit back a grin, recalling the banter that had erupted between the two over the aging versus immortality issue. He finished with the form, and handed it back to the man waiting next to a transport gurney.
"Everything looks in order, Major Dallon. I'm sorry for your loss." He said politely.
Gwaine nodded and watched as the rolling bed with the black body bag was placed in a waiting hearse. Once it had pulled away, heading to a mortuary his sister had chosen, he released another sigh. He still needed to make sure all the permits were in order for Pops to be buried on the ranch. Thankfully, Merlin's solution of using his borrowed plane was going to save a lot of hassle.
"Major Dallon, wait up!" He heard a feminine voice call out.
Gwaine turned and had to smile as the dark-haired doctor came jogging up to him.
"Hey, I tried to call you... You didn't answer your phone."
His eyes widened slightly. "Did you call from the Base?"
"Yes...Ah ha, you were avoiding anything to do with work." She concluded.
"Pretty much." He motioned towards the main parking lot, inviting her to join him for the walk.
"Well, you might be interested to know, Calden put in for his retirement early." Carolyn informed him as they went along.
Gwaine shook his head and let a sour chuckle escape his lips. "Well, there goes the only one on my team I can stand."
The hissing through her teeth, told him there was more news. He looked at her expectantly.
"After all the personnel changes on the team...incidents that took place before you were assigned to SG-18, Reeves is now facing an Officer Board Hearing...and Summer has been transferred to Area 51...security detail."
"Ouch!" Although Gwaine tried to sound disappointed, he obviously wasn't saddened or surprised by her news. "So...my sister may be right on the me getting 'fired.'"
Carolyn snickered, "Actually, both Colonel Mitchell and Colonel Reynolds of SG-3 have requested you."
He stopped and gave her a suspicious look. "You're serious? I mean, I knew about Mitchell...but Reynolds as well?"
"Yeah, one of his team members will be going on paternity leave with his wife soon. He'd like you to...at least temporarily...fill the spot."
Aside from SG-1, SG-3 had always been the other team that nearly all new recruits to the Base dreamed of being placed on. It also had one of the highest casualty rates, as they were involved in nearly every front line skirmish, and were called upon for battle zone extractions of other teams. The leadership had changed often through the years. The first commander was a Marine named Colonel Makepeace, who was part of the original team to go through the Stargate to Abydos, under Colonel Jack O'Neill, before the actual inception of the modern Stargate program.
Reynolds, the current commander, was a stand up guy. Although, Gwaine didn't know him very well personally, he had seen enough to recognize that he wouldn't have the same command issues he did with Reeves.
"That might be a good idea." Gwaine admitted, as they reached the Scout. The corner of his mouth lifted, "Are you working all day?"
"No, I get out of here in a couple of hours.
"Just thinking...maybe I could buy you that drink this evening?"
She nodded and smiled, "Sounds good. I'll give you a call when I get off."
(*~*~*~*)
"...I appreciate you taking the boys for few days." Laney said into the phone. She was surprised and grateful that her ex-husband was being so helpful with the situation. "We're planning on having the services up at the ranch on Saturday...if you could meet us up there with the kids..."
While listening, she jotted down a few notes on a tablet of yellow paper. She glanced up at the tall blond man and rolled her eyes, silently venting her frustrations. As per usual for her ex-husband, what started out well, turned sour as the conversation continued, "Can you at least have them back here by Thursday, then? Would that be too much to ask of you?"
"I don't care what she thinks. They aren't her kids! They will be going to Boyd's funeral with us, even if I have to send a Strike Force after you.
"...Fine. You want to deal with my brother when he's pissed off, then it's your own ass. I would hate for my kids to lose their father, but ya know...accidents happen."
"...Yeah, okay. I'll see you on Thursday. Thanks." She hung up the phone, and folded herself over her arms on the table with a groan.
Strong hands came to rest firmly on her shoulders. Laney moaned in approval as they started to knead against the hardened knots. Feeling his face close to hers, she stiffened slightly.
"I know plenty of techniques to help with stress relief." His accented voice was husky and seductive.
"I'm sure you do, but I'm really not in a position to want anything that might resemble something like a relationship."
His thumbs rubbed circles on her shoulder blades. "Who said anything about a relationship? I'm simply offering a way to relax, as two consenting adults."
"No strings attached?" Her eyebrow rose, intrigued.
"None at all." His breath was hot and moist, close to her earlobe.
She tipped her head to the side, as he swept her hair off her neck and kissed her pulse. It had been years since she had been with a man, and although she barely knew Leon, what he was offering was extremely tempting...until she heard the front door open. Snapping back to herself, she was thankful that Leon also had the decency to move away, just before her brother came into the kitchen.
"Hey, how was your date?" Laney asked, focusing on the list in front of her of things that still needed taking care of.
"Good..." Gwaine paused. She could see his eyes narrowing, as he looked back and forth, between her and Leon. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah...other than my ex being a jackass."
"Uh huh..." He stared at Leon for a moment, before turning away and shaking his head. "Got a call from Merlin, when they got to New York. They were going to grab some dinner while the plane was getting refueled, then head on out this way. He said they'd just get a hotel after they land, and call us tomorrow for breakfast, or lunch, or something. But, it's all in order, for him to use the plane to transport Pops and us."
Laney breathed a sigh of relief and drew a line through one of the items on the paper.
"You sure you're okay, sis?" She shifted slightly, as his chocolate brown eyes bore into her expectantly.
"Fine." She said with a complete air of innocence. "I may have to have you guys go all Special Forces to make sure the kids make it to the service with us...but we'll wait until Thursday to determine that."
"Alright..." Laney was able to tell he wasn't fully sold, but he was going to let it slide for the time being. "I'm going to go grab a shower and hit the sack." He sent one last suspicious glance between his sister and his friend, before heading towards the stairs.
Laney released a breath and turned towards Leon. "Thanks...I dated one of his friends in college and it didn't turn out well. Since then, he's been rather overprotective of the boundary between me and his buddies."
Leon shrugged, a smirk played across his face. "Anytime you wish to continue, just let me know."
Her eyes sparkled, she felt like a teenager plotting to sneak around behind her parents back. "Oh, trust me, Spaceboy, I will...Have no worries about that. But...my kids can NOT know. The last thing I need is for Randy to go running to his dad, squealing something like...'Mom's dating a space pirate!'...Or some such shit."
(*~*~*~*)
Sweat poured off his body. His shirt clung to his upper body like a second skin. The practice sword in his hand took a few moments to initially adjust to, but once he did, the movements came naturally. After essentially weeks of not training due to his injury after Camlann and the fact that they remained constantly busy since he was healed, Arthur was feeling the strain.
Gwaine's friend, Cameron Mitchell, had come over to see if Gwaine needed anything. He was surprised to see Arthur not only there, but up and about in general. He had made an offhanded comment about their first meeting, and that in turn had become a verbal sparring match. Arthur, feeling no small amount of frustration, finally challenged the Air Force Colonel to a rematch.
Daniel Jackson, who had come along, shook his head and muttered an 'I told you so,' when Arthur successfully laid Cameron flat on his back on the dry Colorado soil.
Gwaine couldn't resist the opportunity to refer to his long time friend as a damsel, and decided to offer his own challenge to save his buddy's honor.
Loud, ear-splitting music poured from speakers facing out through open windows. Percival commented on how the noise was something he might never get used to...Gwaine had argued that the 'noise' was called Rock-n-Roll. The large, blond knight shook his head and Merlin offered to put on different music. Pursing his lips, and sharing a glance with Leon, Percival wasn't sure which was worse. The stuff that Merlin played was just as incomprehensible as the Rock, but was called Dubstep...or something like that. Either way, he was certain his ears would never heal.
The aroma of cooking meat wafted from the nearby grill. Laney and Merlin argued over the best method to cook the strips of beef and bone. At the same time, the warlock was carrying on a second conversation with Dr. Jackson. Merlin tried to wrap his mind around the alien twists of his own legend.
Gwen found herself hissing and wincing with each blow, instinctively fearful of seeing her husband potentially getting injured. Martha's hand was aching from her friend squeezing it with each clash. Aurie bounced at the bottom of the steps, obviously enjoying the sounds and atmosphere.
Leon roared with laughter, watching his friends execute the dance of steel and sinew. He clapped Percival on the shoulder, when Gwaine and Arthur, evenly matched, finally decided to call a truce. The two tall men took their turn at sparring. It felt like a piece of home for Percival, after the many months of trying to adjust to this new world.
"Who's the blond guy with the curls?" Cameron asked Gwaine, as he passed his friend a cold beer.
"Leon?" Gwaine questioned.
"Well, yeah. You told me his name, but where'd he come from?"
"Long story." Was all that Gwaine offered, "I'll tell ya later. Right now, just know, he's one of us and I trust him...maybe more than I trust you." He added with a teasing smirk.
"Ouch, dude!" Cameron shoved Gwaine's shoulder, and the two were soon wrestling like young boys.
Laney began yelling and scolding them both; threatening to turn on the hose. Merlin snickered and rolled his eyes.
"You think you can do better?" Arthur asked his friend.
Merlin simply shrugged and didn't answer, trying to obviously stay out of the horseplay and fighting.
The former king wasn't about to let the man off so easy. "No, seriously, Merlin, do you?" He said, adding emphasis on the first syllable of his friend's name.
The rest of the group began to pause and turn towards the two men, as Arthur's voice carried clearly across the yard.
"Arthur...I really..."
Holding up his hand to stop any excuses. "What? Are you still too much of a girl to fight, Merlin? I can understand how, without your magic, you might not be able to hold your own."
Merlin scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I seemed to do just fine with the Paintball the other day."
"Ah, but Leon was with you, and he's been trained since childhood on how to properly handle weapons, and fight in close combat."
"Arthur, Merlin held his own..." Leon began to explain, but was cut off by a look from Arthur. The knight had witnessed, more than the others, the stealth and grace with which Merlin had moved through the forest that day. He realized, however, that Arthur obviously had seen it as well, and was baiting the dark-haired warlock.
"Even without my magic, you lot wouldn't stand a chance."
Arthur crowed, full of arrogance. "Is that so? Well, then this...I need to see."
Merlin held up his hands. He knew Arthur was trying to push him into a corner. "That's alright, I really don't want to..."
"...to what...get hurt...show us how much of a pansy you are? Come on, Merrl-lin...Prove to me you're not the little girl anymore." Arthur had a brief inkling that he might have pushed a bit too far, when he barely heard Martha mutter an expression of 'Oh, dear God' behind him.
"Will it seriously make you happy, to see me take you all down?" There was no arrogance in his voice. Merlin's question was asked as a simple matter of fact.
Arthur forced a smile, his challenge filling his eyes, staring into those of his best friend. He then felt his breath freeze in his throat, when Merlin's eyes darkened and narrowed. There was a sudden stillness surrounding them, almost as if the entire Earth was holding its breath, waiting for Merlin's response.
The warlock finally nodded slowly, almost more of a bow of acceptance. "I won't use any magic." He set down his drink, and took off his shoes and socks.
Arthur raised an eyebrow and glanced at the other men. "You realize one of us might step on your bare toes?"
Merlin simply shrugged and made his way, calmly, out into the center of the yard. "You guys can all use swords or sticks, or whatever you can find."
"What about you?"
"Oh, I'm still horrible with a sword." Merlin made a disgusted face. "Now, a bare-fisted, hand-to-hand style against opponents with weapons...that's another story."
"How long did you say you lived in the Far East?" Gwaine asked warily.
Merlin paused to think about it, while casually unbuttoning the cuffs of his sleeves and rolling them up past his elbows. "...About eighty years in Shanghai. Another few decades after that, in a Shao-lin Monastery near the Tibetan border. Why?"
"Oh, frack...We are all sooooo bloody dead!" The roguish man roared.
Arthur swallowed against a hard lump in his throat. Gwaine's words, accompanied by the know-it-all smirk from Dr. Jackson, left him questioning his own motives. Cameron's following statement left him with a chill, unlike any the former king had ever known. Arthur may not have understood the reference, but the meaning was utterly clear.
"He is gonna skadoosh all our asses into oblivion..."[1]
[1] Kung Fu Panda (just couldn't help myself LOL)