Not a UBER long chapter. Important, though. You'll learn a bit more about poor Joseph Allen, and get to read the letter Queen was replying to in chapter 19.

I got so many new readers since last chapter. Thanks to Carovinee, MansonDoll, Nioba, and proxima for reviewing! ^.^

OMG! So, one of my amazing readers, xXdeathsangelXx, drew a picture of Queen! It's absolutely amazing! It's on , search for her username (GothicBandicoot) and one of her pictures should look familiar :D Thank you so much for drawing her, xXdeathsangelXx. I really loved the pic!

Question of the Chapter: What was your overall thought on my M chapters? Too much? Too little? Just right? Should there be more M chapters? Did I make a bad decision in even WRITING M chapters? Give me your opinion, please. It would be greatly appreciated. ^_^ Please and thank you!

Sounds like enough. Read, Enjoy, Review. Love you all! ^_^

ecto1B

WARNING: Rough language below

Chapter 25:

"Joseph"

Day 6 – 7:19:38

Pfc. Mckinley 'Queen' Front

Task Force 141

Encounter Base, Russia

The tent was freezing. Mckinley scooped up all the covers from her cot and wrapped them around her shoulders. As her teeth chattered mechanically, she began to rock back and forth, crossing her legs and shutting her eyes. Any way she could keep warm, she was going to do it. Goosebumps traced themselves down her arms and legs. Taking a second to glance at her clothes, she huffed angrily when she realized a thin U.S. Army tank top and cameo sweatpants were the items responsible for her freezing body. Ghost. Thanks. Somehow, he'd changed her clothes while she was sleeping… usually that would freak her out, but since she and Ghost had… sort of… done it, the freaked-out feeling was missing.

Mckinley glanced at her watch. Why the hell am I wearing a watch? What the fuck? It said 7:20. She sighed, yawned, and pulled the blankets tighter. I have 40 minutes until I'm supposed to be at the mess hall for breakfast. What the heck do I do?

The piles of papers on the table nearby popped into her mind. Why don't I read some more of the letters? Find out some more about Queen. Maybe even find a letter to her from Joseph Allen.

Keeping the blankets around her body for warmth, Mckinley stood from the cot and shuffled over to the table. She flicked on the lamp and sat on the chair, leaning over the table's edge to closely examine her reading choices. The letter she'd read yesterday was still lying on top of the stack, dotted with wet stains. She took it and moved it to the side, than began shuffling through the rest. Another handwritten sheet caught her eye…

Queen,

You heard right. I'm going undercover as one of Makarov's men. Strangely, I'm sort of excited. I haven't ever really done much to help with this Ultranationalist situation. I know you've been working your ass off with the task force, trying to keep things under wraps, but all I've really done help with the movement here in Afghanistan. I feel sort of useless compared to the adventures you seem to be doing.

You heard anything from your family lately? They must be worried sick about you. No one back home in Ithaca has bothered contacting me. I really don't think they know where to send letters, since I've been moving around a lot…

How's life at the base? All the guys treating you well? I bet you're flirted with often. No question as to why that is. But if any guy tries to make a move, tell me. I'll beat his ass to the ground.

I'm curious. I've heard rumors about a masked man in the task force. And they're not very good rumors, at that. Who is this guy? You feel safe around him at all? He sounds kind of screwy…

You hang in there. I'll see you soon. Be careful on all those crazy missions. Don't kill yourself trying to prove to those boys you're better than them, because we all know you are.

Love you,

Joseph Allen

More tears stung her eyes, but she shook them away. So this was the letter Queen had been replying to, before Joseph was killed. Through Joseph's letter, Mckinley could tell how much he'd loved Queen, how much he'd wanted to make sure she was safe at all times, how much he worried for her. Even in a letter, he'd sounded genuinely concerned.

Suddenly, the tent flap opened.

Why is it that every time I finish a letter, I get interrupted?

"Queen? You're up." It was MacTavish, looking more serious than usual. His blue eyes looked exhausted. "You sleep alright?"

Mckinley stood from the chair, flinging the blankets back onto the cot and walking over to speak with him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just feeling a bit weak…" She visibly shivered, then added, "And cold."

MacTavish—out of the blue—reached back and pulled his winter jacket from his arms. In a rather friendly gesture, he positioned the coat onto her shoulders to keep her warm. A smile formed on his lips.

"Well, put some more layers on," he instructed, "because you're needed at the briefing tent in five minutes. Shepherd's assigned us a new mission, and we need to go over our strategy." When she frowned, he said, "Breakfast will be served afterwards. This is an important mission. We're going to take out a nuclear missile."

A light bulb turned on in her head. Contingency.

"Five minutes?" She hugged the jacket's puffy, sewn shoulders to her body. Wasn't wake-up call in a half an hour? "But it's only—"

"Times change when a mission comes up," MacTavish interrupted her, raising his eyebrows suspiciously. "I thought you knew that."

She blinked. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry, sir."

He dipped his head, taking a step backwards into the snow. "Just checking. Five minutes."

"Yessir. Thanks for letting me borrow your jacket."

"No problem. See you in a few."

He disappeared into the foggy morning air, leaving Mckinley to stand there in his coat. She began wondering how she'd act when she saw Ghost that morning, and also wondering what she could possibly say to him to prove she'd relished in their late-night activities the day before… without letting anyone else know what sorts of lusty ventures they'd followed through with together.

ecto1B: (sigh) Dunn, what are you doing?

Dunn: I brought someone who can replace me for the suspenseful music. (motions to Ramirez)

Ramirez: Why am I here?

Dunn: To be ecto1B's slave.

Ramirez: But I already am Foley's slave!

(In distance) "RAMIREZ! WHITE HOUSE UNDER ATTACK! DEFEND BURGERTOWN!"

Ramirez: (groan) Coming... (walks away)

Dunn: (panicks) Ramirez is gone... oh shit.

DUNN DUNN DUNN!

ecto1B: Try as you may, you will always be my little slave, Dunn. ily though.

Dunn: Great... you love me, but you torture me.

ecto1B: I'm not the only one! The readers love you too! Readers! Tell Dunn you love him!