#codmwfic

“Alright, you three are headed to the safehouse, while Soap and I are off to the boneyard.” Price said.

“Copy that.” you, Ghost and Roach responded in unison.

Price glanced at you, nodding. You needed to let Ghost and Roach know of your suspicions.

“Oi, mate. What’s between you and Captain Price?” Ghost asked you, raising his voice slightly.

You took a deep inhale and exhale. In spite of proving your capabilities, you were worried no one would believe you, because you were the newest member of the team. But you realized this was a matter of life and death, so there was no other choice.

“We have reasons to believe that Shepherd might betray us.” you answered.

Ghost and Roach were both taken back by it. They looked at each other, then looked back at you.

“That’s a bit random, don’t you think? He pointed us to Captain Price himself! We could never manage that without him.” Ghost said.

“Hold on, mate. Let him speak.” Roach vouched for you.

You were well aware that you had to make a case for yourself. It’s mostly about the chain of command in this field. Who could possibly believe a rookie over a flipping general? However…

“You know when Private Allen was shot, and the Russian Army retaliated?”

“Yeah.” they both answered in a deadpan way.

“Shepherd said “Makarov was one move ahead”, but it sounds too good to be true. How on earth could Makarov know about Allen’s true identity?”

“And when we were rescuing Captain Price, the fighter jets were still bombing early, despide Shepherd “promising” to stall them. He never did. He expected us to perish right then and there.”

Ghost turned around, shaking his head. Deep down, he had his suspicions as well, but he would often rationalize, by hoping there were reasons behind them. 

“So those bloody yanks were never on our side after all, eh?” Ghost asked solemnly.

You shook your head.

“Shepherd would do anything for glory, even if it means burning the country he swore to defend to the ground.” you said.

“He’s got a point. Even the yanks say he doesn’t care about ‘danger close’.” Roach said.

“So what’s your plan?” Ghost asked.

“Captain Price and I came up with an evac plan. Instead of heading to the original evac route, we head back to our arrival point, where Nikolai will secure our exfil.”

“Bloody hell!” Ghost took a deep breath of relief. He became more convinced that you were trustworthy..

“So that’s settled. I’ll be by the chopper.” Roach said, as he wandered off. 

This left you alone with Ghost. 

“If we were to fail, it wouldn’t be fair for you to not know anything about me.” he stated.

“I’m sorry for the way I acted. It’s just hard to imagine the ”top tier squad” was just a disposable pawn. I honestly thought we were more valued than that.” he added.

You were about to put your hand on his shoulder, but you stopped. He took your hand and placed it on his shoulder. He took off his balaclava, revealing himself to you.

“Shepherd was foolish to think of us as loose ends. Fortunately, we tied that one up.” you jokingly said.

Ghost couldn’t help but to chuckle. The thought of Shepherd’s “Grand Scheme” falling apart did sound liberating to him. He imagined being the one, the greatest spanner in the works. And he had you to thank for that. He wanted to say a few final words before the mission.

A year had passed

October 11th 2017. 

You gazed outside the hospital you work in, taking a deep breath as the view of construction filled the huge glass window. This was you're longest break for today, it's been ten minutes since someone last paged you and you found it bizarre. But who are you to complain? You're just doing your job, like your boyfriend who's somewhere out there in that building.

You smiled as you remembered him stepping back into the world, after his tragic injury from exactly one year ago. To which you didn't know most of the events that occurred, but you fully remembered how you were there to save his life.

There was some sort of war just by Hotel Lustig, you didn't care much as that day brought in waves of injured persons that the events outside the hospital were too unimportant. But you believed he was one of the persons who got injured by the blast, and it was something only you could fix. 

You took a deep breath, holding your emotions as you remember the first moment you met him. His face was almost lifeless, his pulse was faint but it was there. He had no ID but his uniform told you he was O-Pos.

"We're going to need lots of bags for this man. Hurry and contact the blood bank!" You instructed as you forcefully tore his shirt, which was originally white but now drowned in crimson and reeked of rust. A huge reopened fleshwound from a poorly made stitch, you evaluated. Maybe he didn't have the resources from when he first got operated and now it came back to haunt him. You expertly did your thing as the nurses behind you quickly assisted you, trying to impress you as they aspire to be part of the program. 

It took you almost two hours until the life slowly went back to his face. A face you have been staring at every chance you have. A face you hoped to see smile someday. Then there it was, a stable heartbeat. Nurses cheered around you as well as those watching from above. He lived.

"Doctor L/N!!" Someone called over the walkie talkie. You quickly snapped back to reality and replied with urgency. It's your boyfriend. He broke his arm while on construction.

You pushed the double doors open as soon as you reached the emergency room. You could spot him from afar as his haircut stood out from the crowd, a mohawk that you grew to love.

"John!"  You gasped and rushed to his aid, as the nurse secured the strap of his sling.

"Love! I'm glad to see you here." he grinned, almost looking proud at his injury. He looked like he just got a new tattoo or something. Far from the emotion of being hurt.

"What happened? Does it hurt?" you checked his chart, momentarily looking at him.

"Just a minor fall. That ladder was not as stable as it looked." he chuckled, his other hand held yours and you quickly looked at him in the eye. Lost in his cold blue orbs, your heart thumped as his eyes told you he was fine and how you looked beautiful in that outfit.

"What about your wound? Did it hurt after the fall?" You shook yourself off from his trance and unbuttoned his shirt, checking for signs of reopening.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Not here and not now, Love. Lot's of people are watching." he joked, you sigh at his attitude towards the situation. He was too chill about this.

"So, when will you be off?" he winked as he comfortably sat on he hospital bed, tapping the other side, inviting you to sit down.

"I'm actually off duty now." you reply as you accept his invitation and sunk your ass on the soft matress beside him, pulling the sky blue curtain inward, covering the two of you from the public eyes.

You slowly leaned on his strong shoulders, shoulders that you massaged after his recovery so he could stand up again, shoulders you leaned on when you were having trouble at work. You felt his arm wrap around you, his hands grazed through your coat as he slowly rubs it against your arm.

"Guess I'm driving home." you chuckled and he laughed, looking at you as he held your cheek. 

"Does my insurance cover my fees here?" he asked, breaking the vibe of whatever you were both feeling. 

"I'll check on it later. For now, let's take you home."

"Sounds good to me."

***

You slumped yourself on your side of the bed, leaning to a peacefully sleeping John MacTavish beside you. You stared at the scar on his chest as it rises and falls in sync with his breathing, your night music just before falling asleep. 

You remembered how you carefully stitched his wound, how you poured out your heart to save this person, a person who didn't mean to you the moment you saw him but now means the whole world to you. 

Putting your finger on his scar, you slowly traced its tracks across his chest, enjoying the feel of his skin. He snorted and slowly opened his eyes, smiling at the view.

"Hey you." he whispered, moving your hair behind your ear pulling you over for a kiss. You didn't hesitate but you were cautious, you were careful not to hit his injured arm. But all that focus began to fade away as your lips met his, tongues clashed in an epic battle of passion like two expert fencing athletes on a clash to see who's the best.

You gasped as you broke the kiss, panting and smiling as his blue eyes sparkled against the moonlight outside the window.

"It's been a year since I first saw you, my angel. Don't think that I forgot about that." he murmured. His Scottish accent sounded so well, you can't get enough of it, it's as if each word vibrated across your body.

You slowly lifted your leg and straddled on him, positioning your ass on a spot that's going to make him beg. He grunted softly as you detected the tone of lust from him. He was clearly enjoying the tease, so you raised your eyebrows at him and slowly shook your hips teasingly against him.

"Are we really going this way?" he complained as his hand reached out to your hips, sliding below your shirt and letting his electric touch on your hip send shivers down your spine. His thumbs make its way just below your breasts, the tip of the big finger grazing the lower part of your left breast.

"Which way?" you asked teasingly as you feel his manhood slowly grow. You pull the string that held his sweatpants and ran your hands across his abs, feeling each bump, admiring his feel.

"This way." he smirked as he thrusted his hips upward, making you yelp in surprise. Looks like he's trying to turn back the tables which is something you always loved. Him in charge. The thought made your hairs rise, as you remembered all those times he did it in this apartment ; in the showers, in the kitchen, by the dining table oh and this exact bed.

One thing led into another until you found yourself on all fours, facing the wall as you whimpered in pain as his cock slowly slid on your wet opening. He once told you that he hated dogs, but that didn't stop him from using this position, but this time only one hand was tightly gripping your plump ass.

You let out short gasps as he picks up his pace, the creaking sound of the bed got louder and louder as his thrusts became faster and deeper. You moaned on his every thrust, mentally noting the feel of his whole manhood inside of you. How his tip interacted with your sensitive walls. How his groans and whispers of endearment enter your ear and go straight to your memory banks, a part of the brain you're supposed to know but now reduced to simpler terms because all you could think of right now is how much you love this man and how this sex is a message of both your feelings.

He pulled himself out as you both gasp, he quickly moved himself to your lips not letting you a chance to catch for air. You grabbed his hair and gripped it tight, tilting your head for a better angle. You could feel his tip poking at your entrance as he placed himself between your hips.

"Please John, show me how much you love me." you whispered, lustful intentions wrapped in your tone. You could feel him smirk just before he kisses you once again, his tongue doing marvelous wonders inside your mouth as his cock slowly enters inside you, slamming it hard making the bed creak.

You whimpered in surprise but as soon as he stopped, you gripped his back signaling him to keep doing it. You could feel his cast rest on your breasts as he picks up the pace once again, this time the bed was shaking dangerously, creaking loudly while doing so. You both ignored this as the loud clapping of your skin mixed with your collective grunts, groans and moans rung on your ears while your mind swirled in a pleasure filled moment.

With one final groan, he burst his load inside you, the hot rush of liquids fill your insides making you pant and smile. He looked at you, sweat trickled from his forehead, mouth open gasping for air. He chuckled and leaned back, as your bed suddenly snapped, sending you both a few inches lower.

Complete silence. You both realized what just happened and laughed. That was some wild fucking.

"Bloody hell, we broke the bed!" he muttered seductively while you were laughing almost losing air. 

"Resurgence"

"Alex"

CIA Warcom

Boracay Island, Philippines

Alex basked himself on the warm sandy beaches of the Philippines. He wasn't able to enjoy his vacation after the Nero mission, because he was sent immediately to Urzikstan and Verdansk immediately followed. And now that all of those were over, he now laid down on a beach chair and let the ocean breeze blow on his relaxed state.

Philippines was a nice country, the people were hospitable, the food was delicious and unique and the scenery was beyond amazing. Despite his metal leg, people still looked up at him the way they look at tourists and he was all of the hospitality and attention from his fellow Americans who are also on vacation to locals who were just amazed on how the leg works.

It's been a lot of months ever since Samantha forgot him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they'll meet again, that's why no matter many women try to show interest in him, he shrugs them off politely by pretending he has a girlfriend. A simple lie that he built for himself in hopes of a miracle of meeting her again.

He always brought her letter with him, some edges of it got burnt from the time he manually detonated a C4 explosive to destroy a gas factory, It was almost torn and faded, but he couldn't leave it somewhere safe. He wanted it to be with him wherever he goes. 

'Don't you dare forget about me'

His phone rang. He quickly fished it from a small pouch he bought that the locals made and immediately answered.

"This is Alex speaking." he chimed.

"I'm sorry to bother you at this time of day Alex, but I have a feeling you'd want to jump in on this." a British accent so familiar informed him over the other side of the line, It was none other than Captain John Price or Bravo Six, a comrade he once fought with back in Urzikstan.

"I'm all ears." he said, sitting up straight and letting his metal leg sink in the sand.

"Looks like your boy Nero is back on the grid. That Sneaky bastard kidnapped the Daughter of the Head of Defense, again." Price relayed.

Alex's heart thumped faster, his breathing became quick. He wished to meet her again but not like this. Not her being in harm's way all over again.

"Shit. Count me in. But.." he hesitated. He wanted to help but remembered he disobeyed CIA orders back in Urzikstan, making him unable to provide support.

"I've talked to Laswell. She's creating a special assignment for you."

"What does that mean?"

"It means welcome to the 141, Alex." Price said as he cut off the call, followed by a message regarding his departure to their base.

~

Alex can't help but worry about Samantha's condition. They've played with her memories multiple times and he thought that it would all be over after she decided to alter everything about them. Guess the enemy didn't know and they're still after her.

The soldier leaned on to the small circular glass pane as he looked at the clouds pass by. His hands were fidgeting each other while his non-metal foot bounced up and down at a fast rate. His seatmate, who happens to be a teenager, noticed his distracting leg movement but ignored it as rock music blasted from his ears. He was a completely different Alex right now and he believed that he'll be back to normal as soon as he sees Samantha safe and within his grasp.

When you have a heavy metal stick as a leg, customs is going to be the most annoying place in the world. Everyone looked at Alex as soon as he passes the metal detector and everyone else's eyes were on him. Of course with a few more safety checks and a whole lot of explaining, Alex was good to go. 

"So, you're the one they call Alex" the heavily British accented driver mused, breaking the silence of their ride to the 141 base. He was looking at him via the rearview mirror, chewing on what Alex hoped to be gum.

"Yep. That's me." he replied, turning to the view of the British streets which confused him a lot as it was the opposite of American or even Global streets.

"Heard they thought you were dead back there. In Georgia." he added. He was quite the chatterbox but CIA Agents are all about the information.

"Yeah. Tried to manually detonate the C4. After that… I just ran for my life." Alex answered, his head was realizing why he did it. What pushed him to think that he could make it out alive. Was it because it's for the greater good? The idea of freeing Farah's country from the harm of the gas? The idea of a chance to meet Samantha all over again? Or something he couldn't explain.

"Well, we're glad to have you back, Alex. But it's a shame it's no longer in the CIA." the driver waved as Alex opened the door and unloaded his stuff.

"As long as it's still about saving the world." he replied, making the driver smile. 

"That's what we do, right?" he agreed as he entered in his car leaving Alex in front a quiet gray building, the Task Force 141 Base, his new home.

Alex pushed the heavy doors open revealing a large hall, multiple round sofas were embedded to the ground and a huge staircase that split left and right greeted him. Multiple heads turned as he opened the said door and slowly walked his way to the nearest person who happened to be panting from exhaustion by the sofa. His metal leg clanked on his every step as the soldiers begin to recognize him. They smiled as soon as Alex's eyes met theirs and some even waved, Alex met them from several missions from the past, some were from the Demon Dogs and his previous designations, Delta Force.

"Where's the briefing room in this huge building?" he asked the soldier in a black t shirt drenched in sweat as he spun his towel trying to keep up with his breathing. He didn't speak but he nodded in acknowledgement and pointed to the hallway on the left. Alex left him a thanks and he walked his way to the direction where he pointed.

Just a few steps after the beginning of the hallway, the people from the main hall cheered and laughed, this made Alex turn around and he saw a young blonde man with spiky hair dash across him, he looked like he's on his way to your destination as well.

"Excuse me! Sir!" he yelled and Alex immediately halted. The young man panted in front of him and took a few seconds to breathe before he countinued his words.

"I'm Gary Sanderson, and I was supposed to guide you to the briefing room. You must be Alex." he reached out a hand and Alex shook it, quietly making your way to the room.

The huge door slid open and they found themselves in a dimly lit room, a huge screen loomed just by the wall and chairs were placed around a long circular table. Alex could spot a few familiar faces, faces he once saw and fought alongside with in Verdansk. There was the balaclava boy, Ghost, the Mohawk Man, Soap, their Captain, John Price and a few big heads from the United States. There were also new faces like Gary, who was now discussing something with another new soldier, a female soldier who sat by Price and a few new more who were already sitting on the chairs. There's also someone missing, Kyle Garrick, he pondered where he was.

The former CIA quickly saw Gary rush to Price's seat and whispered something causing him to lean on his chair, stand up and walk to his side. 

"Glad to see you back in the fight, Alex." he muttered, patting Alex's shoulder.

"I won't skip out on this mission, this one's close to home." he replied, patting his back in return.

"Yeah, heard this was your last mission before the Russian Gas." 

"Yeah. It's a loose end on my side." Alex nodded, crossing his arms.

"Good thing Shepherd had some sense in him. Not unlike your CIA heads, huh?" 

Alex nodded. He remembered he did an illegal thing against the CIA, and that was siding with Farah's forces, who were reclassified as global terror groups at that time. He silently thanked he could still step back in the fight along with the good guys even after that event.

"Yeah. I might have to thank him soon enough." Alex murmured and Price guided him to the briefing which was about to start in a few minutes.

~

"Before we start our mission briefing, I'd like to welcome each and everyone of you to the 141. A group of the most elite warriors from around the world tasked to eliminate terrorist threats lurking in the shadows. One of which, goes by the name Nero…" General Shepherd's voice was deep and serious, while the screen showed a photo of the guy they're after. His face looked punchable, as manifested by the way Alex clenched his fists while he stared at his soulless eyes.

"… whose goal is still unknown. He poses a threat as he has been out in American soil, which we believe is the one behind the multiple missing and reappearing person cases across the country." he continued, eyeing Alex. He knew a little bit about the case, maybe because he read his report.

"Since he poses no evidence of terrorist activity as of now, we are assigned to rescue and locate the daughter of Richard Coleman, America's Head of National Defense. We don't know why she was kidnapped but we believed it is or ransom or threatening purposes." The general explained, pacing back and forth, his shadow covered the screen.

Alex wanted to say something. Something about the details surrounding the case. It was written on his report. But then again, maybe the general already knew about the alteration, and since Samantha doesn't remember any IP Address, it was no longer worth noting.

Samantha's face was projected on the screen. Alex's heart began to beat faster, she looked different now, a little chubbier, longer hair and her smile felt happier. It was heartbreaking that she got caught in the crossfire again. After all those efforts of making her life normal.

'If our paths would cross again, I hope you'll remember me the way I remembered you before I take this operation, A good memory that's supposed to last forever. '

'Don't you dare forget about me.'

Her words echoed in his mind, using the same voice she had when they were together. 

"I will save you again if I had to.." he promised to her mentally, as he tightened the clench he was already doing.

"Our intel reports that twelve hours ago, local informants spotted an unknown flying vehicle just by the Georgian Border, local authorities confirmed that this wasn't one of their aircraft and we believe it could be the getaway vehicle of Samantha Coleman and her captors… We are still looking on to this so for the meantime I want each and one of you to be fully alert and ready for deployment."

Everyone else fell silent. It meant they agreed at what the high ranking official said. A few more words were exchanged such as new additions to the team, aside from Alex. He didn't seem to focus much on the second part of the brief as his mind worried a lot about Samantha. If his instincts were right, she's probably sedated once again, taking a trip down her own memory lane.

"Run Through the Jungle"

Gary "Roach" Sanderson

Task Force 141

Task Force 141 - Mess Hall

Gary was almost done with his raccoon story when the PA system alerted them of an immediate briefing. Simon nodded to him and got up making his way to the briefing room. Gary also noticed the rest of his squad from earlier walk to the door, and was France crying on Alex? Much to his curiosity, he went to John who was still sitting by the chair.

"Anything you want to tell me, Soap?" he asked, patting his comrade's shoulder. 

"Bugger off, mate. Let's just go to the meeting." he replied, Roach couldn't tell if he was sad or disappointed or mad, but it may have something to deal with France crying.

"Whatever mate. I'm always here if you want to talk it out." he assured, and he was in fact true. It's been a month since the Task Force was created and Gary was the team's therapist, everybody's friend and ally no matter what. He always felt that he could feel everyone's emotions and believes he could be a sponge for someone who's unable to deal with the trauma. Ghost was one of his customers, he had a lot to deal with and Gary was always there for him.

"Few hours ago, our informants intercepted with a group of armed men on a safehouse near the borders of Germany. They told us that there was a man named Augustus who happens to be our step closer to Nero." Gary took note of the information General Shepherd relayed, his scribbles became faster as the General continued.

"We also received word that our hostage, Samantha Coleman is with them in one of these houses. We have to proceed with caution as this area may be rigged with traps or surrounded with tangos." he added.

"As for rules of engagement, fire only when fired upon. This is a local settlement and civilians may be anywhere. We don't want to create unnecessary civilian casualties just to retrieve a single person." he instructed. Gary took a quick survey of the room, everyone looked at the screen intently, he could see MacTavish's eyebrows furrowed in anger, France's eyes were downright sad and Alex, despite being a CIA agent, actually looked worried.

"As for assignments, I'll let your captain take the floor." Shepherd concluded and exited the area, Price then stepped forward and began briefing.

~

The silent chirping of the crickets echoed from the nearby forest. Gary took a cold exhale and leaned on the railings just outside their quarters. 

"Big day tomorrow, huh?" Ghost surprised Roach as he spoke.

"Yeah, it's been a long time since I spotted, but I still know the basics." Gary answered. He and Ghost were assigned for sniper support a few clicks away from the Alpha Team lead by Alex and the Bravo Team lead by Captain Price.

"Your math is good and fast?" Ghost asked, chuckling at the question. Gary inhaled before he answered the question.

"Yeah. Try me." he dared, glancing at the masked man.

"Suppose there's a target about 516 meters far, the wind is one half value." Ghost planned out the situation. Gary's gears started turning as he scratched his freshly shaven chin.

"Five degrees. Descending." he muttered. Ghost thought about it and agreed.

"Yeah. Your math is still on point." he mused laughing at him.

"What do you think Nero is up to? I mean it all doesn't add up. And what's with erasing memories?" Gary flooded the man with questions. Simon just pondered without saying any words.

"I dunno mate. I'm as baffled as you are." he replied, waving to Alex and France who were out on a late night walk.

"Say Gary, what's the deal with the new girl? One minute she looks tough as nuts then the second Soap comes in she's fucking crying?" Ghost rambled. Gary could feel a hint of jealousy but not entirely. It's as if he's mad and jealous at the same time.

"Well, we were too far from their table and I couldn't hear anything. Maybe they had an argument while Soap was out with her on the training room?" Gary speculated, he saw Simon's fists clench as he left his side.

"Eh. Not that I care anyway. Get some rest, spotter. Big day tomorrow." he remarked and went to his room.

"Yeah yeah." he replied waving at the two walking around the oval. They both waved back and Gary yelled good night to them before entering the quarters himself.

Gary plopped on his bed and closed his eyes. He was actually nervous enough that he could hear his own heartbeat, he took deep breaths and lulled himself to sleep. He wanted to see to it that they save the hostage tomorrow and a perfect sleep is what he could contribute right now.

GERMANY

0458H

Gary hated the ghillie suits. It was heavy, uncomfortable and animals sometimes land on you, but it does the job well. Treading the dense forestry just above the safehouse, Gary and Simon head out to look for a perfect spot.

"This one's got a view of the houses." Ghost whispered, signaling Roach to move forward.

"This is Echo Three One, we've cleared the two houses on the right, all empty. Over." Alex reported over their comms.

"Bravo Six copies that and the two houses here are also clear." Price reported.

"Looks like it's going to be the one on the far side." Soap concluded.

"I've got eyes on the safehouse. There's no activity on all windows. Proceed with caution." Ghost reported.

"Rog." Price replied.

"Copy that, eye in the sky." Alex replied.

Gary put out his spotting scope and placed his eye behind the lens.

"I've got my eyes on them, Ghosty. Alpha Team is on its way." he whispered.

Ghost rolled some knobs on his sniper making a soft clicking sound as he spins it.

"Don't call me that, Bug. I have eyes on Bravo Team. Still no movement from the safehouse." 

"This is Alpha Team, approaching the left side of the safehouse."

"Bravo Team is Oscar Mike as well."

"Roach, did you see that?" Ghost whispered.

"Yeah. The winds are shifting." Gary noted, sticking out a tool that detects wind speed.

"Three Fourths value at 400 meters. 15 miles per hour. Adjust to 15.3" he informed, calculating on Ghosts still shoulder with a pen. Decimals are too dangerous to calculate mentally. Ghost's sniper clicked once again to adjust with the wind, he took a deep breath and his targets stabilized once again.

Leaves rustled behind them, Roach quickly held on his rifle and slowly turned back to check if it was an animal. Nothing, but before turning back on his scope, he saw a black figure from the corner of his eye.

"Bollocks. We've got movement on our Six." Roach reported. 

"Remember our ROE, Roach. Fire only when fired upon." Price reminded.

"I'll take care of it from here. You go check on that." Ghost said as he turned back to his scope.

"Roger that. Be safe." Roach quickly ran to the direction if the rustling.

He couldn't make out much of the figure, but he was sure enough it was human. He tried to look for areas where the leaves were disturbed but with the wind picking up, he was clueless. Then there it was again, movement. He quickly dashed to it's direction, not wanting to get lost again. His boots slapped the fresh soil as he made his wauy to a clearing.

'Left, right then left by the rocks.' Gary mentally noted his each turn so he could easily remember but when he's chasing someone whom he felt like it doesn't know where it goes, then it's a whole different story.  

Gary was alone in the windy forest, in pursuit of a person who's out on the woods at five in the morning. He wanted to go back but there's something that bothered him and convinced him to keep chasing it.

"Roach, you okay? They're almost in the safehouse." Ghost pointed out.

"Yeah haaaah… I'm still haaaah… hot on its trail." Gary panted. He suddenly turned when he heard a yelp.

"It's a girl. It might be our hostage." he radioed and followed the direction of the sound.

Soft sobs and English curse words could be heard from where Gary emerged. This alerted the injured female and she plead at the British solider.

"Please. I'm not an enemy. I'm I'm- I don't know who I am or where I am… Please. Don't hurt me." She was an American girl, possibly around 20-30 years old and had blonde hair wearing a black tank top and grey sweatpants, there were a few bruises on her arms and she was threatening him with a stick.

"Maam, put down your weapon and calm down. I will not hurt you." he dropped his weapon slowly on the ground stepped forward, his hands both raised.

"Good good. I need help." she whimpered, looking at her sprained ankle.

Gary immediately took his ghillie off and ripped a piece of his sleeves to wrap around the sprain, treating it with something from his medical kit.

"There you go… You're feeling better now? Maam?" Gary accommodated. The unknown blonde nodded in agreement.

"So.. you don't know who you are?" Gary asked.

"All I know is that I'm with another girl, Brunette." she added.

"I located the one out on the woods. She's American but I can't ID her. She's about 20 - 30 years old, short blonde hair." Gary informed.

"Is that Maxine?" Alex and France simultaneously replied over comms.

"Excuse me. Do you go by Maxine?" Gary asked politely. The girl quickly covered her ears and screamed.

"Aaaaaah! My head hurts!" She yelled. Gary was quick enough to cover her mouth as soon as she opened it as to not give away their presence.

"I don't know if that's a yes or a no guys. But that definitely is a reaction." Gary said over the comms. He assisted "Maxine" and lifted her up as he tries to get back to Ghost.

"Thick trees everywhere. Any Idea where you are Ghost?" he asked over the secure radio.

"I'm at the same spot I've been since we got here. Can't you retrace your steps?" he replied.

"I could try." he muttered, carrying an unconscious woman on his shoulders across the jungle.

"Reunited"

John 'Soap' MacTavish

Task Force 141

Task Force 141 Base - Infirmary

Soap grunted at the initial moment he felt consciousness. The faint tune of the radio started to fill his ears followed by soft hushes from within the room.

If I lay here… If I just lay here…

Sharp pain struck his abdomen as he tried to get up, making him wince ang grunt loud enough that the two ladies beside him noticed. He shot a pained glare at them and breathed heavily.

"Look who finally decided to get up." The pale brunette greeted him with a soft smile. This was Samantha, the Daughter of America's Head of Defense, she really looked different from her photos from the briefing and Soap thought maybe it's the continuous days of being unconscious draining her out.

"Hm." Soap muttered as he laid back on his bed. He wasn't strong enough to fully get up yet and it frustrated him that he let out a heavy sigh. He rolled his eyes to France who was giggled beside him. Guess she found his misery satisfying.

"What's funny?" he finally gave in and asked.

"Oh nothing. It's just no matter how fast we ran the bullets will always be faster, huh?" she joked, but there was a hint of grief on her tone, something Soap knew and realized just then. It was unfair, it was the harsh reality. They were both considered fit for those conditions but they were the ones who sustained most injuries.

"Heh." Soap chuckled and leaned to face Maxine. She had a few stitches on her forehead an bandages wrapped most of her arm. Her smile was warm and welcoming, but Soap knew what's hidden underneath. Samantha wore the same smile but hers was just happy to be away from her captors.

"So I assume your British, like the rest of the people here?" Samantha asked Soap.

"What made you ask that?" He replied, curious as to her assumptions.

"You sound different than the doctors and nurses around here. I was just curious." She replied almost intimidated.

"Don't mind him, Samantha. He's just grumpy he got injured because he thinks he's so good at everything." France mocked and they both giggled.

"So you two got something going on? I may have lost my memory but not my senses." She winked. France fell silent and Soap immediately replied.

"It's Scottish, Maam and no. We do not have something. If anything it's rivals. She wants to be better than me."

"Oh. I knew that accent stands out among the others!" she mused. Soap turned his attention to the glass window as Alex and General Shepherd passed by discussing something. Samantha caught up with his behavior and looked as well.

"Shit!" She cursed, loud enough to get the two's attention.

"What's wrong?" France asked, holding her arm.

"That guy… his face… looked familiar." she whispered, her hands covered her hands almost scared. 

"Oh him? General Shepherd. Basically our boss. Why, you met him?" France replied calmly.

"No.. those arm tattooes. I swear I saw those before… they're very familiar." she spoke softly. Soap and France turned to each other and nodded, agreeing not to force her too much on remembering things.

"Arm tattoes are the new thing now. I could get one myself anytime you know." Soap informed, trying to divert attention.

"Really? It won't look good on you. You got noodle arms." France retorted, mocking the Scotsman. This seemed to work as Samantha turned to them and laughed.

"You two are the worst liars." she giggled. Soap didn't mind this but he was glad that Samantha was okay.

Time passed by and Soap continued conversing to the two ladies, sharing thoughts and ideas on each other. For someone who's memory had been played with, Samantha recalls quite well. Her descriptions were very detailed up to the last dot. Soap wondered why this was the case and decided to consult Alex when he had the chance.

When it comes to talking, the girls really took their time, they were discussing a lot of things and Soap wasn't able to catch up with them.

"So, Why France? Is it because of the city?" Samantha asked. Soap gulped as he knew it would be asked to him next.

"It's actually short for Francine." She smiled, Soap just stared at her. 

"What about you, tough guy?" Samantha asked as MacTavish snapped back to reality.

"Got beef with someone back at the parachute regiment. Threw a bar of soap straight into his eye." he muttered, almost embarrassed.

"Quite the marksman…" France mused jokingly.

"Oh, bug off. Bet you can't do it square in the eye at a far distance." he boasted, finally getting up.

"I could try. Why don't you stand there so we can test it out." she retorted and Soap just rolled his eyes at her, convincing himself that arguing with her is a waste of time.

The doors slowly opened and a short blonde girl on a wheelchair was being pushed by a nurse. Everyone turned their heads towards the door and Soap noticed France's soft sobs.

"Maxine… I finally found you." she cried. Maxine just sat still, her eyes were open but it felt like she was looking at the vast nothingness.

"She's still recovering her memory lapses. She could hear you and see you but while her brain is still repairing itself, you couldn't expect any response from her." The nurse added and set her on the bed beside Samantha's.

"Sleep restores most minor brain damages we have. So I advise you to do it as well." the nurse patted Samantha and she nodded as the nurse made it's way out.

"How do you know her?" Soap asked, breaking the silence that occured since Maxine entered.

"She's my roommate." Samantha replied in unison to France's "She's my sister."

The girls turned to each other and started crying. Soap just sat there in awe, knowing nothing about calming the situation down.

"I'm sorry I dragged her into this." Samantha sniffled, wanting to hug France.

"You don't have to… It's not your fault." France replied.

~

The rest of the squad arrived when they were permitted to visit the infirmary, except for Price, who was busy about another upcoming move from Nero. In a small room, on a huge circle like formation. Alex was by the door, crossing his arms and staring momentarily at Samantha and turning back to the squad when she turns to him. Soap was aware they had a past mission together but something happened that made him act that way, another reason why he wanted to talk to him.

Ghost and Roach sat by the sofa, finally addressing his raccon story to the group.

"And so there I was by the dumpster. Spreading my arms establishing dominance toward him." Gary narrated, spreading his arms like that of his story.

"It's all over now Rocky Raccoon. I have you cornered. Now give me back my watch! I yelled and you know what happens next? The raccoon actually dropped my watch and scurried back to the forest! Isn't that amazing!" Gary continued adding sound effects and ambiance in the story. He was always the jolly one in the group. He turned to the girls who were laughing along Roach's story while Ghost and Alex forced themselves not to chuckle.

"What's the value of that watch?" Samantha asked.

"Oh about a few hundred British pounds." 

"No no. The sentimental value. The memories it holds. Why is it important to you?" She corrected. Soap caught Alex staring at her intently, his fists were gripping some sort of pendant.

"My mother gave it to me when I left home and joined the force. She said time is golden and I have to enjoy every second of it." he replied showing his watch to the group.

"Aww.. Roach.." France sniffed and Soap rolled his eyes. It wasn't that sad. He thought.

"Well, your Mum's right." Ghost patted Roach's back and he smiled.

The PA Systems rang again and alerted their little group. It announced about another briefing with the exception of those injured and Alex. Ghost and Roach bid their goodbyes at the remaining people, and they waved back except for Maxine who was still asleep.

As soon as the door closed the atmosphere began to shift as Alex slowly walks toward Samantha. Soap and France quietly trailed their eyes at the event and observed intently.

"You!" Samantha finally yelled and slapped Alex as soon as he was reachable.

"Ow! What gives!" he hissed in pain, rubbing his red cheeks.

"You were that creep I met by my apartment! What are you doing here!" she grabbed a pillow and gestured to hit the man. France tried to calm her.

"That's Alex. One of our allies." She whispered softly.

"Alex? Hmmm. Yeah. He looked like that creep who chased me to the supermarket. But that creep had longer hair and complete legs." she noted, calming herself down and lowering his weapon.

"That was actually me. Samantha." he muttered. Soap and France sat quietly as the drama began to unfold.

"You dropped this. That's why I chased you to give it back." Alex handed her a golden pendant. Samantha quickly recognized the thing and held it tight. 

"Daddy's gift." she sighed.

"You dropped it when you were walking home." Alex added and looked down on the floor.

"Thanks, Alex. I'm sorry if I slapped you." She smiled at him and Alex stared back. It was quite long and France whispered to Soap that "things are heating up'. Do these two have some history or something? Like Romantically? Cause, I can sense it." 

Soap shrugged her idea and looked back at Alex who was now leaving.

"It's okay, Maam. Afterall, I'm just nothing but a complete stranger to you." he smiled and closed the door shut, leaving the four of them in silence.

"A SurPRICE Visit"

Gary 'Roach' Sanderson

Task Force 141

400 meters outside Augustus' Mountain Base

Germany

The winds were picking up when they landed and Roach flew about a few more meters away from Price.

"This EMP blast is messing with my signals. Captain, can you find Roach?" Ghost spoke over comms, his voice crumbled over the static.

"He landed not too far from me. Come on boy, let's get a head on." Price replied to Ghost as he helped Gary get up and untangle himself from his mess. Gary nodded and followed his Captain into the edge of the mountain.

"There it is. Augustus' base." he mused as Gary scoped through his supressed silencer. Trucks were leaving the area filled with armed hostiles.

"Ghost, you see this? They're leaving the hive." Price informed the recon man.

"Aye, sir. Looks like they're headed to Alex's direction. If we time this right you'll have less people inside there." he replied. Gary wondered why they were leaving. It didn't make sense to back-up an already reclaimed base back at Alex's.

"Let's go Roach. I'll take the one on the left tower, you take the one on the right. I'm currently spotting four Tangos by the gate. Fire when ready." Price instructed. Roach took a deep breath to steady his sights, quickly pulling the trigger once the crosshairs aligned with their heads.

"Good kill. Your sniper skills are improving, Sargeant." Price mused as he signaled them to move forward. For a Captain who's left him a solid first impression as a strict angryman, Roach didn't expect the kind words from him. It almost felt overwhelming.

"You go ahead and take what's important inside that guardhouse. I'll cover you from this position." he commanded and Gary sprung safely into action, switching to his suppressed pistol and into the guardhouse.

It was simple, a few cameras, some photos of people who they let in and a few map layouts. Gary quickly snapped all of them for Ghost to see. Roach also grabbed the radio and placed it near his ear. Gary set his sights on an AK-47 lying on the ground.

"Roach, be careful when using unsuppressed weapons. It might reveal our existence." Price muttered to which he nodded. It just made sense.

"Jäeger, kopierst du?" the radio muttered. Roach's German wasn't on point and any non-reply from the other end would result in an investigation.

"Ja, alles klar." he replied, trying to replicate the accent. There was no more reply on the other side which meant Gary actually nailed his reply.

"Captain, behind that door is heavily guarded. I suggest a reroute to the back door just a few meters east of your position. This isn't Augustus' base, it's a remote research facility studying plant life by the border and he seemed to take it over." Ghost informed after gathering the photos, Gary waited on the edge of the wall covering his Captain's six. The duo proceeded as suggested and climbed over an unguarded fence.

"We're at a greenhouse. Labeled 6." Price whispered.

"Do you see any cameras?" Ghost asked.

"Yeah. Looking at the plants." he muttered.

"Circle around it and find cover behind the safehouse labeled 5. If my German is correct, the central area should have 2 scientists on their way in there." Ghost informed.

"Right on schedule." Price nodded to Roach as they both knocked them down quietly and non-lethally as they were civilians. Gary quickly slung his weapon and hid it behind the huge white lab coat the both of them now wore.

"Keep your weapons hidden, until I say so. Okay?" Price said as he pulled the bodies somewhere hidden. Gary nodded as they confidently waltzed inside the base, using their fake ids pinned on their coats for entry.

Gary watched a lot of sci-fi fics and most of them depicted labs as white walled, glass-divided rooms with hundreds of scientists working on some random machineries. Except here, it's plants. It seemed normal as if they infiltrated the wrong base. Price seemed to worry too, his steps were further apart and he seemed to be in a hurry. They were losing hope on a lead, until one armed guard, different from those outside started climbing up the stairs.

"Finally. Some good news." Price muttered as they made their way up the stairs.

"Authorized personnel only." an armed guard stood by the steps blocking the duos way. It was too crowded and too risky to engage him and press through and they both needed a new plan.

"Es tut mir leid." Gary replied as he pulled Price to the restrooms.

"It's no use. We can't go guns ablazing right here." he noted to his Captain.

"Bollocks." he cursed.

"We need a diversion." He added.

"Way ahead of you, Sir." Gary smirked and showed him his c4 trigger, pushed it and an explosion followed.

"Nice. By the guard house?" Price asked while they waited for reinforcements to assist the blast.

"Yeah."

"Quick thinking lad. I like that."

Several armed men came rushing down the stairs, yelling in a different language, all going to the exit. They stomped to the stairs and carefully breached the second floor of the building, shooting armed tangos using suppressed weapons. They had to act fast and stomp on their comms as soon as they're down so that the others outside will not fall back.

Ten guards were left behind to protect the second floor, and with the help of stealth, Gary and Price took them out smoothly. All that's left are the intel waiting to be harvested.

Gary snapped all possible evidence, every nook and cranny was investigated while Price tapped his heavy fingers on the keyboard.

"Looks like they're going large. They're planting something by the major cities cell towers. Here's one in Berlin." he muttered, printing a copy of the blueprints.

"Price! R-ch" Ghost's static crackled across their comms.

"Th- found- guards!

Get. Out. There. NOW." he added.

"Kill every civilian in there. That will let our little friends out of the shadows. I know they're after us…" a menacing voice said over Roach's stolen receiver.

"Shite. They're killing civvies." Gary said, worried.

"I'm sorry Roach. But we can't save them. It's a trap. Now protect that camera and let's get the fuck out of here." Price consoled as they continued pressing on toward the exit.

Screaming people followed by gunshots echoed across the white halls of the research facility, Gary didn't want to look back, Gary didn't want to hear any more screaming but it was all around him. Whoever commanded this act to be done must be eradicated from this world.

LOCAL MILITIA SETTLEMENT

Alex greeted the duo as soon as they stepped inside the village. It felt lively as everyone was celebrating their victory.

"Captain." Alex nodded and Price returned the gesture with a handshake.

"This is Blitz. Their leader." he added, introducing the man to Price.

"Thank you for helping us." Price acknowledged.

"No. Thank you for helping us. You have good men fighting for a good cause." he remarked, nodding at Alex and Gary. Gary also got acquainted with the leader, exchanged a few words and got offered soup.

"Tough day, huh?" Alex nudged over Gary, who's still sad about the situation earlier.

"You and me, both." Gary muttered as Alex patted his shoulder.

"We'll get him soon enough, Roach. Justice will be served." Alex consoled as Gary took a deep sigh.

"They're planting EMP bombs on major cell towers. Maybe incorporating it with them to perform large scale blasts." Gary pondered, taking a sip off the delicious soup.

"Yeah. That's our go signal. It's now a terror activity. Imagine a day without communication. International trade would crumble." Alex explained to which Gary nodded in agreement.

"Global cripple. People's minds get hurt, Economy gets hurt and we aren't focused enough to defend ourselves."

"That's what he's up to." Gary finished.

"And we have to stop it. Whatever It Takes." Alex looked at Gary with determination, that kind of pep talk that makes him a little less sad.

"Yeah." Gary agreed.

~

Another briefing, but this time, it was going somewhere. Operation Burn, the task is to eliminate Nero and all his allies, if possible. Funny enough, the real Nero burned everyone else. Whoever thought of this name was smart enough to connect the dots.

There's another person added to the team, the redhead leather jacket agent, Alexandra Ryder. An interpol agent tasked to destroy all traces of said EMP machinery. She looks tough, acts tough and basically is tough. France seemed to be going along well with her. That's a bonus for alliances such as these.

"So, I heard Price noted your sniper improvement." Ghost nudged.

"Yeah. Thanks Simon. Your training sucks but it helped a lot." Gary complimented.

"Tried talking to France and the new girl today." Ghost reported. Gary turned to him, clearly interested about his story.

"It was actually good. They're both intimidated by the mask and that's why they can't initiate conversation with me. But the talk went pretty well so I guess you needed to update your scoreboard or something." He muttered.

Gary chuckled. "That's one step towards her."

"I'll let the Interpol handle Berlin. Since it involves just the weapon, as for other news. I think it's time to transfer our two hostages back to the USA." Gary quickly turned his head back to the screen. No. It can't be. He had to stop this decision.

"With all due respect sir. I do not agree with this!" Gary stood up and all eyes were on him. He's still concerned about the welfare of the two plus he didn't want Maxine to leave. Not yet.

"I've read the report on their case sir. And it's not that I don't trust the system there but what if there's still another one in there with ties to Nero. He was able to slip by under our noses once or more times than that but let's consider the possibilities here." Gary explained as he looked around. Alex seemed to agree with him.

Shepherd let out a soft sigh.

"We'll discuss this possibility Sgt. Sanderson. You can sit down now." he said and resumed briefing.

"Brave move you did there, soldier." Ghost remarked as Gary let out a sigh. He wasn't sure on he's really concerned, the IP Address being extracted from Samantha or Maxine's smile that he will be missing if she left.

Next Chapter : The Heart Knows what the Brain doesn't

Notification Squad, my beloved

F.N.G.

John "Soap" MacTavish

Task Force 141

Task Force 141 Headquarters - Briefing Room

Nero. 

This was John's first official target after being moved to the 141. He was excited and terrified at the same time. He wanted to run another round at the Obstacle Course right after this brief. He wanted to be 100% fit for this job. He learned a lot at Verdansk and realized that he always had to be ready for the worst.

The briefing ended with Captain Price calling him over. John easily followed the British Captain as they huddled for a small discussion.

"Hey lad. Heard you're beating everyone's records in the training room." Price chuckled and tapped his shoulder, his thick moustache wiggled on his every word.

"Anything to get me in top shape, Sir." he humbly replied, grinning a little at the praise he gave him.

"I got a little task for you. See that girl over there?" he pointed toward a soldier in uniform by the chairs, her straight black hair fell as she took off her baseball hat.

"Aye. What about her." John questioned, his eyes focused on the subject hand.

"General Shepherd wants her in at the last minute. Just make sure she's ready for tomorrow." Price whispered as he quietly left and made his way toward the other members.

"Is she-" John leaned and realized Price already left. 

"Bloody Great." he muttered as he crossed his arms, Price already left. 

John joined the rest of the team involved in the Nero case as they walked a straight line across the hallway, each slowly dispersing to wherever they were needed to be, until such time that the only ones left were Gary or Roach, Alex, the CIA from Verdansk who lost his leg in a fight somewhere, and the new girl.

"Soap?" Gary called. The fellow ex-sergeant looked at him as if he wanted to ask a favor.

"Whatcha got there Roach?" Soap replied, his accent articulated each word quickly.

"I've got my hands full escorting Alex to his quarters. Do you mind sending France here to the training grounds? Price told me you were going that way, anyway." Gary asked politely, scratching the back of his head.

Soap nodded. He's going to help her train anyway, so that's two birds in one stone.

"Aye. I'll take care of her." Soap spoke quickly, nodding at the two as they make their way to their destination. 

"Cool guy huh, wonder what happened to his leg." France mused. Soap rolled his eyes toward her not tilting his head.

"Heard he had to manually detonate a chain of c4 charges. Everyone initially thought he died due to the explosion." Soap replied as he gestured her to follow him to the training area, whose entrance was at the far side of the building.

The walk was too quiet but Soap was sure she's following. Her footsteps echoed the halls right after his steps. He wasn't the best at meeting people but he tried his best to get comfortable, she's going to be a teammate after all.

"So, what's your deal here?" he spoke, his voice echoed across the empty halls.

"What?" she replied.

"You heard me." was all he said.

"Stealth tactics and close combat." She muttered. MacTavish raised his eyes and nodded in acknowledgement. 

"Hmm. We're going to be playing in an open field soon. What made Shepherd think you're up for this?" his question was out of sheer curiosity but the female soldier furrowed her brows and took it differently.

"Maybe he thinks I'm that good." she retorted, emphasizing the word 'that'. 

Soap stopped on his tracks and turned to her, 

at this angle she could only see his left eye, noting the scar that ran across his eyebrows down to his upper cheek.

"Then why are we heading to the training room? You could just take a rest or something. Relax that best condition of yours." he complained. France stared at her angrily, his overall attitude towards her was questionable, and she expected Gary's words were true, guess he lied or he was wrong.

"Formality." she said, her voice felt it was holding back emotion.

"Aye. Then let's go." John turned back and continued walking to the training area. His mind was silently tracking her steps is she's still following. He couldn't help but sigh at the attitude he showed earlier, but what can he say? He wasn't good at people and it's something he wished to improve on here at the 141.

~

"Switching to your sidearm is faster than reloading." he muttered over France who was halfway through the course. He couldn't see it but he felt her roll her eyes as if saying, "I know that already." as she coursed through the area, shooting enemies and evading civilians. When she said she was great at stealth and close combat, she wasn't lying. Soap noticed how she smoothly maneuvered through the area, she knew which walls to hug, which enemies needed to be killed first to allow space and which spots would be the weakest and easiest to breach through. Soap was utterly impressed by her skills and now realized why Shepherd insisted on adding her last minute. This lass got some skill.

"1 minute and forty three seconds. Pretty good for your first." Soap mused noting her time.

"Let's-"

"Wait." she panted, catching her breath and looked at the board.

"I wanna go again." she exhaled. Soap turned his head in confusion.

"Okay. Then ready up." he casually instructed her as she made her way back to the start of the course.

"I'm never leaving this place until I get to that top spot." she waved and jogged to the start of the course. MacTavish chuckled.

"You could try." he boasted, but she was far enough for her to hear him. And that was what he intended.

Second try. Soap noticed a sudden spike in her efforts clearing the first area in as early as twenty seconds. Soap actually felt nervous, he wasn't rooting for her to beat him but at the same time he wanted her to… A little competition wouldn't hurt. He thought to himself

"Stop." she panted.

"Forty-five." He muttered, trying not to sound impressed.

"Another one." she panted.

"You sure? Don't over exert yourself." he replied.

"Just give me water." France demanded, lowering her rifle on the desk. Soap turned to her and nodded.

"Fine. It's over there. I'll bring you there." 

"Great." 

"What did you do to get that record? I tried it twice and I can't find a quicker route without taking a lot of time." she asked as she placed the cup on the desk.

"I could show you, because I can't put it into words." he muttered. France always found his words boastful, maybe because she didn't really like this guy's general attitude or maybe she expected a different John.

"Yeah? The master shows me a live demo?" she mused jokingly. She wanted to get into his nerves, if he's going to behave that way towards her then she isn't backing out without a fight.

"More like, the master teaches you how to ace this course. There's a pen and paper over there if you want to take notes." he winked and ran to the course. France crossed her arms and watched the Scottish soldier take the course. It was impressive, he was quick on his feet and accurate on his shots, never wasting a single second to think what's next. He finished the first part in under 10 seconds, France's jaw wanted to drop but she forced herself not to. She still had a lot of time to beat that record, and she isn't going to stop until she made it to the top.

Thirty-four seconds was all he took to finish the course. He didn't huff or show signs of exhaustion, France only noticed a faster rise and fall of his chest. 

"So, how did I go?" Soap placed his rifle on the table in front of her.

"It was good. You're actually fast. If you give me enough time, I'll beat you and rise on the top of that list." she said proudly.

You got yourself a deal." he chuckled, leaving his hand open for a handshake, a sign of promise. She smiled sarcastically and walked out of the training area, something Soap never expected from her. 

"Finally, some good competition within the base." he muttered as he picked up the rifles, unloaded them and placed them back on the armory. They didn't finish the whole training course protocol, but it's a simple thing to lie about to Price when he asks for it soon.

It was lunchtime when John finally spotted his new found rival. She sat on the usually empty table, which was now occupied by her and Alex, 141's FNGs. A Fucking New Guy and A Fucking New Gal. He lifted his tray and went straight to their table. Gary stopped his funny raccoon story and watched his fellow comrade leave their table and move to the new ones. Ghost didn't mind the move, he didn't mind anyone's affairs anyway. He just sat there and continued chewing on his food while listening to Gary's hometown shenanigans.

"Hey Alex. Do you mind if I sit here?" Soap smiled and asked the former CIA. Alex nodded in agreement and tapped his shoulder. It was a long time since they once saw each other and Alex noted the changes he had been through.

"Whoa MacTavish, impressive gains you had there. Almost didn't recognize you." Alex greeted. MacTavish sat down and placed his tray containing a single red apple.

"Verdansk taught me that I needed to be better." he muttered eyeing at the new gal who wasn't even looking at them.

"You're looking pretty fine yourself!" Soap laughed at Alex's new tan, something he wasn't aware he had.

"Yeah. This is what happens when you miss the beach so much." he scratched his head, laughing.

"So… Nero. I heard you already acquainted yourself to him." Soap informed, Alex turned to him.

"Not directly, but my previous case was about him."

"What's his deal? Intel says it's not classified as terror activity yet. Why are we after him?"

"He's got large connections to the CIA with a serum capable of deleting, altering and extracting memories. Multiple people are already reported missing and reappearing in a trance state and they think it's in preparation for a global threat." France accidentally scraped her fork causing the two to turn to her. What they saw was France, looking down on her plate, tears slowly falling, her hands gripped the utensils tightly ready to be used as weapons.

"You okay, lass?" Soap finally broke the silence.

"Ttthey.. " she sobbed, her sentence was cut off as she started to catch up with her breathing.

"There there…" Alex immediately rushed to her side to console her. Soap tried to reach out to her hand but she quickly retreated it to her pockets.

"They took my sister… and they're going to pay." she spoke softly, continuing her tears. It must be rough to have someone you hold dear get taken away. Soap thought.

"I lost someone too…" Alex whispered, France leaned on him and released her emotions. She found someone she could relate to. Soap realized that Alex may have lied just to console her, making him the second person who's willing to lie for her sake. 

In the middle of all the chaos of the 141 cafeteria, the PA system alarmed the people involved on the Nero case to immediately report to the briefing room.

"Looks like the informants found something." Alex stated.

XI - Alex

The long walk toward the highest point of the forest was quiet and awkward. Guess that happens after the first time couples do it and Alex assumed she was just adjusting. She did tell him it was quite a while since she done it. So he did what's best to keep the awkwarness at minimum by initiating conversation.

"Samantha, you've been umm... quiet since we left. Is there any problem? Are you hurt?" Alex finally asked, scratching his chin while doing so.

Samantha quickly turned to her side as Alex turned his head on her.

"I'm fine, Alex. It's just... I'm just thinking about things..." she trailed off, touching some leaves as they walked.

Alex turned his head back to the path and sighed. When a woman thinks about something, it goes a lot more way back, someone from the CIA once told him that they're expert history seekers and Alex thought maybe it's something he said way back. And they always converse back in the safehouse.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Alex asked, picking up a flat rock, pretending it's a penny. Samantha chuckled and grabbed the 'penny', looking at him with utmost adoration. This guy may be all tough looking, but he's actually a caring person, it makes it harder for her to move on once it's all over.

"Fine, I'll bite." she replied, gripping the penny tight.

"What would happen to us when this is all over?" She asked. Alex stopped in his tracks and turned to her.

"You mean us? Right? This thing we're having?" he clarified, pointing to the both of them.

"Well, I'm bound to take a break after this mission. I was actually planning to ask you out on a vacation, if that's okay with you." He replied, the tone of his voice sounded shy as he scratched the back of his head, avoiding eye contact.

Silence.

Alex patiently waited for her response, hoping she'd say yes as they continued on the trail. He started to feel nervous as the general consensus running in his thoughts is going to be a solid 'NO'.

Alex leaned on a huge tree atop the highest possible vantage point, exhaling away the exhaustion. He then felt her smooth arms wrapped around him, and her face buried on his back.

"I know you want this to work..." She croaked.

"... and I know in my heart that I do too..." She sobbed.

"...but I can't live loving you with worry in my heart..." Alex grabbed her hand and locked his on hers.

"... and I don't want to be the reason that you'll stop saving the world. I know you want that. It's your job to. It's what you built your whole life to become..." Tears started falling again. Alex sighed and turned back as he wrapped his arms around her tight.

"I'd love to make it work between us. I know you could feel that." He assured, rubbing her back and resting his chin on her head.

"... I love you, Alex. I really do... but if you're still in the line of fire after all this then I can't handle it. The feeling of anxiousness, the constant question if you'll ever come back in one piece. Not after what I've experienced before." Alex sighed. She made sense and he respected it. She's been through a lot moving on from his ex who died in an accident, and considering Alex's line of work, he's just going to make her worry.

He couldn't fight the tears as the realization set in. He could feel his knees weaken and they both slowly knelt and cried. Even though the CIA trained Alex on suppressing emotion, he couldn't help but feel a love that's not meant to be. But then again, they both knew this was bound to happen, they both agreed to feel the pain of goodbye, but they never knew it would hurt this bad.

"I love you too." He whispered as she looked up to him.

"Let's go. I still have to escort you to safety." He smiled, his eyes were still red from the tears, but no matter what, Samantha swore to herself that she's never going to forget his longing stare.

~

Alex pointed at the looming building not too far from them, civilization a glimmer of hope sparkled in his eyes. He noted that they were both hungry and the thick forestry wasn't able to provide food. They'll have to reach there soon before they run out of energy.

"Just a few more clicks - er.. yards." he turned to Samantha, who's hands are already on her knees and panting heavily.

"Can we take a break? I'm really exhausted." she whined, Alex quickly lifted her on his back causing her to yelp in surprise.

"You're okay with this?" He asked, letting out a little chuckle.

"Won't you get tired? I'm kinda heavy, you know."

"You're making me look like I'm not a soldier! Just trust me, okay?" he remarked as they continued their trail to the nearby village.

"If you insist." She pouted, comfortably leaning her body on Alex. Leaves rustled as they forged their own path to the tall building Alex saw by the hilltop. Samantha took this time to enjoy the quiet hum of the forest mixed with Alex's breathing.

"What about you? What would you do when all of this is over?" He asked, breaking the silence. She chuckled at the question, then silence followed.

"I'm for sure be back in that big house again, like a caged bird yearning for freedom." she said, looking up at the sky as a flock of birds pass by opposite the slow movement of the clouds.

"It took me years to fight for that freedom only to be stripped away from me... Sometimes, I wish I wasn't born with a very important person as a parent. It sucks." she sighed, leaning back to Alex, savoring the last moments she could do it to him. As promised, once she is home safe, their little getaway romance will all be over.

Alex slightly turned his head to her, smiling as he felt her breathing slowed down. He let her take this moment to rest for a while. The forest has exhausted them physically, mentally and romantically, and Alex was more than willing to carry her out of this place.

"Hey sleepyhead." Alex nudged her as she slowly woke up, panicking as she wiped off her drooling mouth.

"I hope whatever you're dreaming of was drool-worthy." he winked at her, making her blush in embarrassment.

"Well, maybe it wasn't you. So don't be too cocky." She retorted, looking around.

"Where are we?"

"In a small local town somewhere in Brazil. Based on the Portuguese people and the kids playing soccer, or uh.. Football." he replied, pointing his thumbs by the children.

"Wish we had money. I'm so hungry, I could smell everything in here." the CIA Agent looked at her with worry. Samantha looked down in dissappointment and soon realized that she might solve their problem.

"Here. Find someone who could buy this." She handed him her pendant. At first, Alex hesitated, insisting that she doesn't have to do it but his mind soon changed as he heard her stomach growl like a lion.

"Come on. Let's get you something to eat." Alex grabbed her hand as they ventured the crowded marketplace. Samantha was really impressed on how Alex was able to quickly communicate and understand the people. One person led them to another as they finally made their way to a pawnshop. Then the next thing she knew they were already booked into a small inn and was seated on it's ground floor's mini restaurant.

Alex gave a thumbs up at the chef as he served the final meal missing from their order. Samantha was clearly amazed on how Alex managed to whip up a feast from just a piece of rock hanging on her neck. She smiled as she saw Alex hungrily scarfed down his order, and started eating on her own.

"We actually got a few extra more Brazilian Real to buy some clothes. Whatever that was in thay necklace was worth a lot." He looked at her, rice stuck on his moustache. Samantha laughed as she picked up the piece of grain from his face.

"It was a gift from my Father. Figured it would come in handy when the time comes. I'm actually happy I wore it before all of this. I wanted to get rid of it while we were on the ocean. So I guess it's a win-win for me." She replied, continuing her food.

"Let's not talk about this. Okay?" she added just before Alex could open his mouth. He then nodded and respected her privacy.