Malcolm:

Malcolm sat in his office approving the forty plus applications for leave that had been submitted overnight. Harry had decided that keeping everyone in Hereford was not good for team well-being and decided to allow everyone to have a week off.

Not everyone was leaving the country. The SAS members were traveling to their homes in the country except for Mike, who decided to spend his time in the SAS barracks. "To each their own." Malcolm thought as he noticed that Nøkk was staying behind, Ryad was staying too since he was finally able to sleep through the night. His insomnia was just as bad as Monika's, but his was filled by grief and regret.

Malcolm looked up when a knock came from his open doorway. He quickly removed his glasses since he didn't like people knowing he needed reading glasses. "They could make the text on these forms bigger." He grumbled inwardly.

"You don't have to take them off. I'd rather think you look dignified with them on." Yumi said, dropping her bag in the doorway.

"You mean I look old." Malcolm said, rising from his desk. "You heading out, Captain?" Malcolm asked, getting a grimace from his friend.

Harry had decided to pick Yumi, Tiana, Jordan, and Gustave as team captains for the reworking of team Rainbow. Each team reports to their appointed captain, and the captain assigned them to squads to tackle missions together. Harry was slowly pulling the need of a director out of the program. "Maybe that'll mean I can get back into the field."

"You always said you're only as old as you feel, and yes, I'm leaving with Eliza, so I need to be quick. I know you aren't leaving, and I want to know if you would like to come with me to Japan?" Yumi asked, and Malcolm rubbed his growing stubble.

"I appreciate the invitation, but I need to take the time and learn this job if we're going to continue operating, I need to be sharp." Malcolm said, and he could see the disappointment in her eyes.

They had been there for each other as well as Jordan, Dominic, and Zofia since the split, and she saw this as him burying himself in his work.

"Okay, I know better than to argue. If you change your mind, please call me and I'll make the arrangements." Yumi said as Malcolm walked around the desk and embraced his friend.

"Will do. Make sure you send my love to your parents, and do enjoy your time away from here." Malcolm said as Yumi retrieved her bag, and they said their goodbyes.

Malcolm returned to his desk and was about to open get back to work when his Specter vibrated on his arm, notifying him to a message from Monika. She was working on a way for them to video call and phone call through the device since it's main parts were made from a smartphone.

"You busy?" She asked, and he quickly replied.

"Very, but I always have time for you. What's up?" He asked, grinning at his improvement in the use of the small keyboard.

"I have an update for you to install, I want to test the video call function if you have a minute." She said as an icon appeared in the top left.

Tapping it, it changed the screen to show. "Version 1.4.1 available for installation." Clicking the install button, he went back to approving leave requests until they were all gone.

Looking back at the device, he saw that the background hadn't changed, but a new icon with a camera lens was new beside the secure messaging portal.

Malcolm removed the device from his wrist and sat it on the desk facing him before he tapped the icon.

Daryll:

Daryll rubbed the sore muscles on his legs for what felt like the hundredth time today. Everything was healing fine and on schedule, but it wouldn't hurt if it healed faster.

Emma exited the bathroom, fully dressed, and ready to go to France with him. "You alright?" She asked as he tried to stand from the couch only to fall back.

"Just fine." Daryll said, finally making his stiff muscles work.

"Daryll, we don't need to go. We can stay." Emma said as he removed his shirt to grab a clean one. She just stared at him blankly. He remembered the first time she saw him shirtless and the look she gave to his tatoos.

"No, you planned this with your mother and father forever. You need to go." Daryll said as he put his new shirt on. Emma had planned a nice dinner with her parents to celebrate her engagement with Daryll and to start planning the wedding.

"You don't need to go if your wounds are gonna bother you. We're gonna be doing a lot of traveling, going to bridal shops and floral shops, and you can keep Malcolm company." Emma said, causing Daryll to squint.

"What do you mean keep him company? He's going home, isn't he?" Daryll asked, worried about his friend. Ever since Monika left, he had been more reserved, and Harry dropping the assistant director job on him didn't help.

"Yumi texted me and said she offered to take him to Japan if he wanted, and he said he'd rather stay and work. It's not good for him, besides, do you want to spend more time with your in-laws before the wedding?" She asked as he rubbed his chin, staring at her.

"You're fine with this?" Daryll asked, not believing it.

"I am one hundred percent certain, you would be bored anyways, have a guys week with Malcolm, do stupid guy stuff to get his mind off work, make him feel like he's still apart of the team and not just leading it." Emma said, picking her bag up and handing it to Daryll. "But first, carry my bag to the car."

Malcolm:

"You cut your hair." It wasn't a question but a fact and the first thing Monika said as her face appeared on the small screen. She loved his long hair, and truth be told, he missed it too.

"It was time, I was getting tired of combing the tangles out of it, I don't know how you do it with such fair hair as yours." Malcolm said, leaning back in his chair and smiling his biggest smile since she left.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Malcolm." She said, knowing that his flattery did get him into places. "So what can you tell me since I've been gone?"

Malcolm knew he had to be vague and hated it. This was his best friend, the woman he loved, and he had to think about the security of the unit. It didn't mean he didn't hate it. "Eli's dad is dying of cancer." She covered her mouth at the news.

"Did he go home?" Malcolm nodded, and she seemed to relax a little. "Can you tell him I'm very sorry?"

"Why the secrecy, Mon? Is Kali worried about info security?" Malcolm asked, and she shook her head.

"She claims it's a distraction, but everyone has been contacting people from outside the organization, so to hell with her." Malcolm grinned at her swearing. She rarely did just like him.

The sound of his recently closed door knocking caused him to look at the small window in the wooden door, and there was Erik with his face pressed against with his cheeks blown out to make a stupid puffer fish face.

Malcolm shook his head. "Hey, I got to go. Someone wants to talk to me, I love you, Monika." Malcolm said as she returned his words, and they disconnected. "Come in." Groaning at the abuse he knew he was gonna take.

Erik entered with Grace on his heels. She always grinned at the brotherly antics He and Erik got into, but they tended to get childish.

"Request permission to leave the plane, sir?" Erik asked with a half serious salute with his feet turn opposite directions.

"Permission granted, but leave the parachute for the other passengers. Your empty head is light enough to stop your fall." Malcolm said, rising from his seat again.

"You two are children." Grace said, adjusting her glasses. "Someone wanted to say goodbye." She nudged Erik's shoulder with hers, causing him to smile.

"Well, goodbye to the two of you, I hope you have a good trip." Malcolm said, clasping Erik's hand and pulling him into a big bear hug. "Go well, brother."

"I plan to." Erik said as Malcolm hugged Grace, and Erik headed to the door while Grace stood in the same spot. "You coming?"

"I'll catch up, I want to talk to Malcolm real quick." Grace said as Erik grabbed her bag as well and left the office. She stuck her head out of the door to make sure he had actually left before closing the door. "So."

"Oh God, please tell me you aren't having his kid?" Malcolm said dramatically, grabbing his heart and placing a hand on the edge of his desk. "That one reproducing, eww."

Grace just smiled and shook her head. "So he was taking a shower yesterday, and his phone rang, I grabbed his phone to answer it, thinking it was his parents, but the call ID read C.Chen, name ring any bells?"

Malcolm felt his stomach drop at the revelation. "Grace, I can't..." She held her hand up, stopping him.

"Please, you're his best friend. Just tell me if I should be worried if it's another woman." Malcolm realized what was going on.

"Has Erik told you what happened when he disappeared in Afghanistan?" Malcolm asked, and she shrugged.

"Bits and pieces, he says a lot of it is still classified at the highest levels." Grace said, and Malcolm felt uneasy.

"C.Chen is the name of the reporter that was attached to his team. Her name is Cindy, and she was grabbed during a mission, and the Unit wouldn't authorize the mission to go and find her." Malcolm said as Grace's eyes widened.

"That's why he went awol?" She asked, and Malcolm nodded. "That's around the same time you were arrested, right?" Malcolm nodded again.

"I can't say anymore, but Cindy reaches out to both of us, it seems. Let's just say she isn't attracted to any men. She's an editor for the New York Times now and calls me to vent every once in a while." Malcolm said, and Grace visibly relaxed.

"That does put me at ease Malcolm thank you, well I need to get going, or he's gonna get suspicious." Grace said, walking to the closed door.

"The Intel operator getting paranoid? Never, you have a good trip." Malcolm said, sitting back in his chair, and a minute after Grace closed the door, it flew back open. Reacting quickly, he drew his 93r from a magnetic mount under his desk and aimed at the doorway.

Daryll:

"Whassup." Daryll saw the pistol and quickly pushed Harry back. He had run into Harry outside, and they were both heading to the same place. "Blue, Blue!"

He had kicked the door in, and the knob was now stuck in the drywall, and very pissed off Malcolm was standing in the doorway.

"Impulsive and brash, your commanding officer was right about that one, Daryll." Harry said as he walked around Malcolm, who proceeded to give him the verbal ass chewing a senior non-commisioned officer could only give.

"Why do you have your sidearm mounted under your desk?" Daryll asked, knowing how weak his argument sounded.

"If I'm gonna be in an enclosed space, I'm gonna be armed." Malcolm said as Harry reappeared, carrying a laptop. "Where you going with that?"

"Giving it to the base, Commander, you aren't working. You're taking time off like everyone else." Harry said as he interrupted Malcolm's counterargument. "Plus, you have been locked out of the administration systems, and only I can release those." Daryll chuckled.

"Mandatory fun week, I love it." Malcolm stared down at him.

"Aren't you supposed to be heading to France?" Daryll just shrugged.

"Orders from my higher ups to keep you company. I'm apparently too wounded for shopping." Harry rolled his eyes at the twos shenanigans.

"You two have fun, and I'll see you in a week. Feel free to use the lounge. It's being restocked." Harry said, turning and walking away.

"Send our best to the missus and your boy." Daryll said as the two of them just stood in the middle of the lobby.

"Rifle range?" Malcolm asked, pulling his office door closed and locking it.

"I need to go put on long pants, but sure, I'm down." Daryll said as they went their separate ways with plans to rendezvous in twenty minutes.

Malcolm:

Malcolm laying on his shooting mat tucked in behind his MK11 and scoping in to the human shaped target almost six hundred yards out. He could feel like he was back in the Regiment, but instead of an equally skilled Ranger beside him, he had Daryll, who was in his own right, a highly skilled soldier, but the chewing sounds coming from his mouth were more annoying than distraction.

"Gum?" Daryll asked, offering the plastic container to Malcolm. Malcolm relented and popped one of the spearmint flavored cubes into his mouth. The act of chewing gum did increase your focus on your task, unlike what your high school teachers told you.

"Range is six sixty, and the wind is barely blowing to even pick up on my scopes instruments." Malcolm said, adjusting his range and flipping on the cross hair illuminator before turning it back off. He hadn't fired his weapon in a week, which was a sin in itself, and he needed to make sure everything did work.

"Think you can punch it?" Daryll asked, and Malcolm turned his head for the first time to look at the man. Daryll had his spotter scope raised on its tripod so high that he could use a chair to keep help with not straining his wounds.

Malcolm shook his head and flicked the fire selector from safe to semi, sucking in a breath and exhaling half of it he rested the crosshairs just above the swinging plate in the center of the face and fired. They were shooting unsupressed, and the muzzle break sent dust flying everywhere in two directions.

"Hit." Malcolm said after putting his rifle back on safe before rolling onto his side to stare at Daryll. "Think you can punch it?" Malcolm asked, and Daryll held his arm out for the rifle.

"Please, sir, may I take a turn on your weapon." Daryll asked in a mocking British accent.

Malcolm picked up his rifle and sat it on one of the firing tables beside Daryll. "Oh, please do my good man." Malcolm responded with an even snobbish accent."

Daryll got behind the rifle, and Malcolm got on the scope. "You're too kind old chap." Daryll had fired his rifle with his scope before and argued that it was too complicated for the job. The Marine unsafed the weapon and copied Malcolm's breathing method before firing.

Malcolm shook his head from the spotters scope. "Hit." He looked at Daryll and noticed that he was clenching his teeth, and veins were bulging in his neck. "How's your pain?"

"My pains fine." Daryll lied horribly. "I'm more furious at Jack Estrada for rigging a grenade in our base."

"You don't know it's him. It could've been James." Malcolm said, realizing that he was implicating everyone who left, including Monika.

"What does Monika think?" Daryll asked as he stood and handed Malcolm his rifle before grabbing his Scar from its padded case.

"Haven't said anything about anything going on since she left, except for Eli's situation. She would tell me if she knew." Malcolm said as Daryll seated his mag and began firing at targets from different ranges.

"Man, I don't know what to think. This whole split situation has got everyone looking over their shoulders. Maybe the unit needs to be retired." Daryll said as they were leaving the range an hour later.

Malcolm crinkled his nose. "What would you do if the unit was dissolved?" Malcolm asked as they entered the armory.

"Might try my hand at OCS (Officer Canidate School). I still have almost ten years left until I hit my twenty years." Daryll said, and Malcolm chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"Never would have guessed that you would want to be an officer." Malcolm said as they went through the process of stowing their gear.

"Harry thinks I'd be a good leader." Daryll said as he rubbed his sore thighs.

"No argument from me. So what movie are we gonna watch in the lounge?" Malcolm asked as they exited the armory and headed to the lounge.

Daryll:

The rest of the week flew by as Daryll and Malcolm combed the entire base, trying to find things to do. The most fun was visiting the famous clocktower and taking the time to read the list of names of the fallen SAS operators who gave their lives during the wars of the 20th century.

What Daryll hadn't told anyone on base was that he was sneaking off to take some of Doc's miracle healing injections. He had a feeling Malcolm knew when he joined him on Friday for his early morning run around the base.

Saturday evening, they were relaxing in the lounge after dinner and a long conversation with Monika on Malcolm's new wrist computer. They were halfway through the return of the king when Malcolm's phone began ringing. Daryll was curled on a couch with a beer bottle in his right hand.

"Hey Yumi." Malcolm said as he turned the TV volume down and turned the subtitles on. For several seconds, everything was normal until Malcolm slammed the recliner shut.

"Are you secure? And this friend of yours is sure it was NightHaven ammunition?" Daryll got to his feet and made eye contact with his friend, who had turned back into the CSM that he always was. "Stay secure, I'll have a team sent your way as soon as I can." Malcolm pocketed his phone and looked down at his wrist computer. He ripped the device off his arm and put it in one of his cargo pockets.

"What is it?" Daryll asked as Malcolm made his way to a red corded phone that hung by the door of the lounge. Picking up the receiver and placing it to his ear, he began reciting an alphanumeric code of about forty characters before he went back to speaking in English.

"All Rainbow operators be advised, you are to RTB (return to base) as soon as possible. If you have had any contact with any NightHaven personnel, you are to cease contact immediately. We are currently tasked. More details will follow Malcolm out." Malcolm hung the phone up and twisted his head to face Daryll as they began to jog down the hall from the lounge.

Malcolm:

"Yumi was approached by an old friend whose employer was assassinated in Japan. The friend took shell casings from the scene and presented them to Yumi since NightHaven used to work for us." Malcolm said as he and Daryll ran through the courtyard towards the Rainbow TOC (tactical operations center).

"So we're sending a team to investigate?" Daryll asked as Malcolm nodded and buzzed them inside. When they got to the nerve center of the TOC, they weren't alone, Mike, Nøkk, and Ryad were booting stations on.

"Give us the breakdown." Mike said, and Malcolm relayed the information as he keyed his credentials into the main terminal.

"I can help track, just say the word." Ryad said, and Malcolm nodded.

"I was about to recommend you and Mike. Go get jocked up and stand by." Malcolm said as the two operators ran out of the room. "Nøkk you take the communications station and get Yumi on a secure line."

"Got it, boss." Nøkk said as Malcolm tried to see where the hell Harry was.

"I'm going with the strike team." Daryll said, starting to move towards the door before Malcolm stopped him.

"No, you're not Daryll. I have another job for you." Malcolm said as Harry himself walked through the door. Both operators looked at Harry, who just nodded at Malcolm. "You're going to verify that everyone who comes back into the wire isn't wearing a listening device." Malcolm reached into his pocket and handed Daryll his Specter.

"How do you know this wasn't a listening device?" Daryll said, pointing at the wrist computer. It was at this time that Harry chimed in.

"Monika is acting as our inside source at NightHaven. If there's one thing about her, that's absolute. It's her love for that man." Harry said, pointing at Malcolm.

Everyone looked at Malcolm as his phone rang for the first time. Malcolm shook his head at the screen and answered the phone.

"You have good timing. How quick can you get to Japan?"