| Chapter Twenty-One |
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| During the last week of official training, Meredith tossed their schedule out the window and improvised. She changed their PT and runs to different times in the day just because she could. Monday, she took them through the close quarters battle simulation, freaking them out with the intensity of the situation as Seals ambushed them from all around, firing blanks. The whole experience left them shaking in their boots. Meredith crouched next to Brian as he sat on the ground with his arms around his knees and his head resting on his arms. “You okay?” She patted his back. “I can’t believe you did that to us.” He slowly raised his head and looked at her, fright fading from his eyes. “Now you have some idea what it’s like to be in a firefight. If it happens again, your body will remember it, and it won’t be so bad.” Meredith smiled at him before standing and checking on the other guys. The rest of them were shaken, but it didn’t take them long to recover. They were wary for the rest of the day, prepared to duck and cover if needed. When they got home that evening, Meredith was surprised to see that Irene hadn’t left to head back to the gallery. “What are you still doing here?” “Well, Kevin will be leaving soon, so I wanted to spend a little extra time with him. You don’t mind, do you?” Irene stared at her sister, not lying, but not telling her the whole truth either. “No, it’s okay. I was just curious.” She walked into the kitchen, expecting a cake since Irene was still around, but found nothing. She hadn’t expected anything from the guys, but she was really surprised that Irene hadn’t said a word or gotten her a card or even baked her a cake. They always did something for each other, even though they didn’t always get the chance to spend birthdays together. She’s never had the hots for a Backstreet Boy, either. Sighing, a bit of sadness and jealousy flickering through her heart, she pulled off her cammies and dropped them in a pile at the foot of her bed. The knock startled her. “Who is it?” “It’s me.” “C’mon in.” Irene opened the door and found Meredith lying on her bed dressed only in her undies. “AJ is out there moaning and groaning that he hasn’t been to McDonald’s in weeks. He says he has to go there tonight for dinner or he’s going to waste away into nothing.” Meredith started laughing. “God forbid he wastes away. Fans would have our heads if we let anything happen to him.” “Cool. I’ll tell him we’ll be ready in a few.” She slipped out of the room. Meredith laid on the bed for a few minutes, allowing herself the time to just breathe and realize that today was her 34th birthday. Standing, she walked to the closet to grab some clothes. As she passed her vanity, she stopped and looked in the mirror, executing a slow pirouette, then laughed. “Get over yourself, Merry.” Still laughing, she pulled on shorts and a t-shirt, then put on socks and laced up her sneakers. In event they’d have to make a fast getaway, she wanted to be able to run quickly to the Land Cruiser to escape rabid fans. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail as she walked towards the den. Entering the room, she found Howie, Brian, AJ, and Nick just sitting around. “Where are the others?” Nick shrugged, and Meredith turned around to head down the hall to find the missing persons. “What about this one?” Irene’s voice sounded like she was in a tunnel. “It looks good. They all looked good.” Kevin’s voice was much clearer, and Meredith found him sitting on Irene’s bed as she held up another shirt. “What are you doing?” She leaned against the doorjamb as her sister changed shirts. “Just trying to make sure I look good. I’m going to be seen with Backstreet Boys, I can’t look uncoiffed.” Meredith rolled her eyes. “Oh, give me a break. Let’s just go before AJ passes out from a lack of Quarter Pounders or something.” The three of them met the other four in the foyer where they divvied up riding assignments. Kevin grabbed the Porsche keys in one hand and one of Irene’s hands in the other, heading toward the garage before anyone else could say a word. Meredith shrugged and tossed the SUV keys to Howie as they made their way outside. As Nick watched Kevin back out of the garage, he looked at Meredith. “Why do you have the Honda in the garage and your Cruiser outside? Wouldn’t it make more sense the other way around?” She turned around in her seat after directing Howie to the McDonald’s they’d stopped at their first night. “I usually do, but with all of us, it’s just easier to use the Land Cruiser to get around. I hate having to move the cars around.” He nodded and sat back, bouncing his leg in time to the Marc Anthony CD that was playing. They pulled up at the restaurant and got out, and Meredith looked around to see if there were any teenage girls lurking around. Breathing a sigh of relief, she followed the guys inside, only to be greeted by several voices yelling “Surprise!”. Meredith turned to Irene. “You didn’t forget.” “Of course not, but I couldn’t ruin the surprise, could I?” She hugged her older sister, happy that she wasn’t too upset with the deception. Meredith made the rounds of friends who’d shown up to celebrate with her, laughing and hugging people. When a young man came out carrying the party favors, she smiled at him. “Happy birthday.” He handed her a party hat. “Thank you. I think.” Meredith looked at the pink paper hat, then at the people standing around her. “You’ve got to wear the hat.” AJ pulled the elastic down and slipped it on her head before she could protest. “If I’ve got to wear it, you’ve got to wear it.” Meredith put one on AJ, then passed them out to everyone else. The orders for food were put in, and Meredith sat down to open presents while it was being cooked. She picked up an envelope, recognizing her mother’s handwriting. “I wondered where this disappeared to.” Irene smiled as her sister opened the card, read the front, laughed at the inscription on the inside, then glanced at the check. “Right size and color.” “Isn’t it always?” They grinned at each other before she picked up the next package. Looking at the wrapping, she knew exactly who had given it to her. Unwrapping it and opening the box, her eyes got wide as she stroked the material. The nightgown was so delicate it felt like rose petals, and Meredith leaned over to hug Irene. “Thank you.” “Enjoy it.” The sisters shared a knowing glance before Meredith set the box aside. AJ got a peek as the box top was closed, and his mind was immediately filled with the image of Meredith wearing the gown. Shaking his head to clear the thought before he got himself into trouble, he watched as she opened the gift from Tony and Theresa. Meredith carefully lifted the crystal vase out of the box. “It’s gorgeous. Thank you so much.” She hugged them both and gave the baby a kiss. Arianna handed her a carefully wrapped package. Meredith opened it to find a candy dish painted bright purple. Arianna leaned against Meredith as the woman examined it. “I made it in art class.” “I love it. I think it will look fantastic sitting on my desk at work. What do you think?” The little girl nodded as she wrapped her arms around Meredith’s neck. “Happy birthday, Miss Merry. I love you.” “I love you, too, sweetie.” Tony handed her another gift, and she looked at him strangely. “It’s from Papa. He couldn’t be here, and he wanted to make sure you got it.” She opened the box to find a black lace shawl made by hand. Holding it up, she laid it over her hands to show off the incredible detail. “Tell Giuseppe, thank you so much. It’s breathtaking.” “Aunt Margarete made it.” Meredith hugged the whole family again. “Tell Margarete thank you as well.” They smiled at her as she moved on to Becky’s gift. Her aide gave her a pair of gold hoop earrings, and Meredith hugged the young woman, thanking her for coming to the party. She smiled before slipping back into the crowd. She finished going through the other gifts before she was left with just the guys. Howie sat down next to her and handed her his box. She opened it carefully. “D, this is beautiful.” She slowly pulled out each candle, taking a moment to smell them before passing them around the group. She rifled through the various containers of bath salts, lotions, and aromatherapy oils, turning them over to read their ingredients. She motioned him closer and then hugged him. “I thought you deserved some pampering.” Howie smiled at her. Kevin’s gift was next, and Meredith opened the box to find a St. Francis of Paola medal dangling from a gold chain. She looked up at him, smiling, and he shrugged. “I heard he’s the patron saint of naval officers and sailors.” Kevin received his hug and stepped aside for Brian, who handed Meredith his gift and bounced on his toes. When she opened the box, she laughed loudly before pulling out the small stuffed Veggie Tales characters and the Larry Boy t-shirt. “Arianna helped me pick them out.” He smiled at her reaction as she also pulled out the videos she didn’t have and some sing-along CDs. Meredith put everything back in the box and passed it around. She pulled Brian into a hug and hummed a couple of bars of the “bunny” song in his ear. He laughed when they separated. Nick came forward carrying a large box, and Meredith wondered what he could have gotten her. She opened it carefully, feeling its weight, and folded back the tissue to reveal a 10 by 16 drawing framed in ornate silver. He’d only used a dark pencil to create the picture, but Meredith caught her breath at the expression he’d drawn. Her head was tilted, resting on one hand, but her face stared straight at her. He’d put a slight smile on her lips, as if she were struggling to hold in the laugher, and he’d filled her eyes with a loving expression---an expression she’d only recently realized she used towards him. Her fingers caressed the glass as she stared at it. “Do you like it?” She heard the worry in his voice that he’d done something stupid. Meredith looked up, a shimmer of tears in her eyes. She clutched the frame to her chest and wrapped her free arm around his waist, sniffling a bit as she buried her head in his chest. “Thank you, munchkin.” He was the only one to hear her words, and he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. “You’re very welcome, Mom.” Pulling back, she turned to face everyone and showed them her portrait. People ooh’d and aah’d over it, complimenting Nick on the artwork and his ability to capture Meredith’s expressions. Nick got a little embarrassed at the constant praise and turned in desperation to the last man with a gift. AJ just laughed. “My turn.” He handed Meredith a box, and she looked at him for a moment before opening it. Looking inside, she couldn’t help laughing as she lifted out a white suede cowboy hat with black spots. “It matches your black leather outfit.” He smiled in satisfaction as he set it on her head. The rest of the guests laughed at his choice. The food started coming out of the kitchen, and everyone settled down to eat. After French fries were shared and hamburgers eaten, the manager brought out the spice cake Irene had made, the caramel frosting decorated in lighted candles. The birthday song echoed through the room, and Meredith blew out all of the candles in one breath, prompting a round of applause. She turned to Irene and hugged her. “It’s a good thing you didn’t forget the cake.” Irene smiled at her as she started to slice and serve it. When everyone finished dessert, Arianna dragged Meredith out to Playland. Before the older woman left the table, she grabbed AJ, who grabbed Irene, who grabbed Kevin, who grabbed Brian, who grabbed Nick, who grabbed Howie. There was a chain of people heading out to play, and people wandered through both areas as everyone laughed and had a good time. Arianna climbed through the tunnels, with AJ and Howie right behind her. Nick and Brian started playing in the ball pit, tossing the brightly colored balls at each other and people who happened to walk by. Irene slid down the slide into Kevin’s arms before she dragged him up into the tunnels. Meredith climbed around in there as well, abruptly coming face to face with AJ as they met at an intersection. They stared at each other for several moments before he took an envelope out of his back pocket and slid towards her. Meredith tucked it into her back pocket just as Arianna yelled from behind her for the woman to move. Meredith grinned before heading off into another tunnel. AJ watched her go, Arianna close behind, then headed in the opposite direction. By the end of the night, most everyone ended up in the ball pit, beaning each other with balls. The manager reluctantly told them he needed to close, and Meredith thanked everyone as they left. When it was just the seven of them, they helped her gather gifts and load them into the Land Cruiser. A weary, happy group made its way home. Gifts were deposited on the kitchen table so that Meredith could go through them and send out thank-you notes. As people left the room to head for bed, she hugged them and thanked them again for the party and the presents. Before turning out the light and heading to her room, she picked up the box the containing Nick’s portrait. Meredith carried it to her room, setting the framed drawing on her dresser. She pulled the envelope from her pocket, slipping her finger under the edge to open it. Pulling out the sheet of parchment, she scanned the words, biting her lip at the emotion so carefully set down on paper. The sound of your heart beating a sensuous rhythm that calls to me in a never-ending song. Your hands...warm and gentle...caressing me with the familiarity that comes only by years of loving attention. You know how to touch me, finding the dark places that set me on fire. How you love to watch the emotions race across my face as you lead me farther into this place of pleasure. The warm rush of your breath as you claim every part of my body with your kiss. The heat of your body...the slow, seductive friction of skin against skin. Tasting the passion that still lingers in the air...tasting it on your skin. Glances with hooded eyes an awareness of the fire that is always smoldering beneath the surface... waiting only for a spark. Intertwined fingers...legs... as the weight of your body presses me into dampened sheets. Hearts beat in timeone to anothera perfect match. Breathing in each other... filling the other with all of our secret fantasies and desires. The ache that constantly surges and fades as seconds go by. I can never get enough of you--- your taste, your touch, your smell. You exist in everything... my heart, my dreams, in the secret prt of me. I will never let you go. When she closed her eyes, she could feel AJ’s breath against her lips, the soft slide of his fingers on her body, the warmth of his mouth on her skin. The words he’d written made her ache, and she settled into her bed wishing he were there. **BsB**BsB**BsB** On Tuesday, after lunch, she gathered them together in her office and told them they would be participating in night maneuvers, and that they were going home to get some rest before they reported back to the base for the evening’s entertainment. Meredith urged them to get some sleep, and she headed for her room to take her own advice. Setting her clock, she climbed into bed and took several deep breaths, relaxing her body so she could nap. Two hours later, she heard the knock on her door and rolled over, careful to keep her body covered in a sheet. “Come in.” AJ appeared in her doorway, smiling as he took in her flushed face. “Time to rise and shine.” She shook her head at him. “You’re awfully chipper.” “Power naps will do that.” “Everyone else up?” Reaching down to the foot of the bed, she grabbed her t-shirt and pulled it on. AJ caught a glimpse of pale skin between the curls that hung over her shoulder, and he was distracted by the beauty in the contrasting colors. “AJ?” “What?” He looked up into her eyes and saw the laughter. Blushing a bit, he smiled at her. “Yeah, everyone’s up.” She stood up, heading for the bathroom. “Tell them to put on their black cammies, please.” “Will do.” He turned and left the room, the grin on his face widening. She met them in the kitchen, padding into the room with bare feet, hair down, and clothes untucked. “Everybody sleep well?” Five heads nodded and she smiled. “Good. It’s gonna be a long night.” They had a quiet dinner before they finished getting ready. They gathered their bags and headed for the Land Cruiser---silent---as if in preparation for the evening’s activities. When they got to the base, the guys were surprised at how different it appeared when the normal hustle and bustle of day had given way to the calmness of night. Parking, she got out of the vehicle and motioned for everyone to join her at the back. She handed out night goggles and small jars of black paint to cover their faces. They streaked their skin with the makeup to cut down on the reflection of the moon, then covered their heads to further prevent detection. Team 2 appeared out of the darkness, scaring them all. “You enjoy doing that, don’t you, Hawkins?” Meredith stared at the man who was grinning broadly. “Hell, yeah. It’s one of the highlights of my day.” Seal Team 7 had been pulled into the mix to act as the prey. The Backstreet Boys hooked up with their respective counterparts to learn a brief lesson in the fine art of tracking and neutralizing an enemy target in the dark. By the time dawn rolled around, they were dirty, sweaty, achy, and smiling like madmen. Meredith looked at her team and laughed as they joked around with Team 2 and Team 7. Curran appeared at her elbow, smiling broadly. “You know, they’re not too bad for a bunch of sillies.” “You think?” She looked over at her friend. “Yeah. Carter just might have what it takes if he decides to quit singing for a living and get a real job.” “I’ll tell him you said that.” Meredith nudged the man standing next to her before calling out to her team. “Hey, guys. Time to head home and get some shut eye before we’re due back here this afternoon.” The three groups waved goodbye before heading in different directions. Meredith got everyone home, and the six people showered and changed clothes before grabbing something to eat and heading off to bed. At noon, she rolled out of bed and pulled on her regular cammies before heading to the kitchen for some coffee. Brian was already there, cradling a cup in his hands, He sat there, eyes closed, and hummed quietly. Meredith grabbed a cup and poured some coffee for herself, joining him at the table. She recognized the hymn and began to hum as well, surprising the young man sitting beside her. Brian opened his eyes to look at her as he began to sing. She joined him, and they finished the verse and chorus. “You look surprised.” “It’s not a well-known hymn.” He took a sip of coffee. “We sing it in church on occasion.” She followed his lead, sipping her own coffee. An eyebrow raised. “Why haven’t you gone since we’ve been here? Some of us would have gone with you, you know.” Meredith grinned. “I know. Sometimes I’m there every week, sometimes I’m not. Are you the type who’s there every time the door opens?” Brian shook his head. “Not with my schedule. I do enjoy the company though.” She rubbed the edge of her cup with a finger as she thought about it. “Me, too. Until the politics kick in, and everybody starts choosing sides. Besides, I subscribe to the principle of ‘if two or more are gathered in My name’…” “Which means you have church pretty much everywhere you go.” Brian finished the thought for her. Meredith grinned, stood up, and moved to the refrigerator to check out the contents. “Want anything?” He joined her at the open door, and they looked inside to see if anything was appealing. Nick appeared behind them, staring into the refrigerator, and the three of them huddled around the appliance as if they’d just discovered fire. “What are you doing?” Howie stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching the people in front of him. As if connected by a string, all three turned their heads and looked at him at the same time. He raised an eyebrow as they turned back to look at the food. “Oh my God. That’s scary.” He sat down at the kitchen table. “What’s scary?” Kevin entered the kitchen, veering toward the coffee pot to grab a cup. Howie just pointed at Meredith, Brian, and Nick. Kevin looked at the trio. “What are you doing, guys?” They turned towards him, still moving in unison, and he stepped back. “*That* is freaky.” “Somebody talking about me?” AJ walked into the kitchen and sat down next to Howie. Kevin walked over to join them. “We’re talking about the Terror Trio.” He motioned towards the three people who were still staring into the refrigerator, a quiet conversation being conducted among the three. “What’s going on?” Howie and Kevin looked at each other, then Howie looked at the group. “Think they’ll do it again?” Kevin shrugged. “Dunno. Give it a try.” AJ watched as Howie called out to the other three. “What’s for lunch?” Still in unison, Meredith, Brian, and Nick turned their heads to face the three men at the table. AJ’s eyes widened. “They’ve been possessed by the refrigerator people.” “What are you talking about?” Meredith straightened up as she pulled out the lunch meat. “You have no clue how weird you looked, do you?” Kevin shook his head. “We’re weird?” Brian grabbed the condiments and passed some to Nick before straightening and closing the door with his hip as he carried some lettuce and tomatoes. “Never mind. It’s something you’d have to see to believe.” Howie waved the whole topic away. He refocused on Meredith. “What time do we have to be at the base?” She looked up at the clock. “We need to be there by 1400. I’ve got us scheduled for the range, and we need to take another leap off the tower.” Brian grimaced as he made his sandwich. “I’ll be glad when we don’t have to do that anymore.” “Just a little while longer, Brian, then you’ll be free from my reign of terror.” Meredith bobbed her eyebrows a couple of times as she looked at the young man standing next to her. The guys laughed as they prepared their lunches and sat down at the table to eat. When they returned to the base that afternoon, they spent so much time at the range Meredith postponed their tower jumps to the next morning. Brian groaned at the thought of worrying over the jumps until they actually did them. She just shook her head as she returned their weapons to the armory at the end of their session. She understood his fear, shared it even, but this was something he’d have to deal with on his own. She tried to keep his mind off it for the rest of the day. Brian understood what she was doing, and he appreciated it. For the most part, she succeeded, and he only thought about the tower a few times. Thursday morning, she decided to get the jumps out of the way the first thing in order to keep Brian from completely losing his mind. When they got to the top, she asked him if he wanted to wait until the end, and he nodded. She sent everyone else through, leaving just herself, Leary, and Brian. “Déjà vu.” She smiled at Leary before turning to face Brian. “You ready to do this, Littrell?” He nodded slowly, his face pale, but he wasn’t hugging the back wall like he had the first time. “Want me to go down first, or would you like that honor?” He looked at her. “You go first. I want to hear you whine to Leary.” Meredith rolled her eyes and strapped on her gear. She opened her mouth, and Leary cut her off. “For the one million and second time, you never know when you’re going to be in the position where you have to jump.” She pressed her lips together and stared at him, ignoring Brian’s laughter behind her. Grabbing hold of the hand strap, she leaped into the air and flew down the wire, landing on the airbag and stumbling to her knees. Twelve pairs of hands reached out to help her, and she pushed them all away as she struggled off the mat. Stepping back, she pulled off her helmet, tossing it to the ground and dropping her gloves inside. Looking at Kevin, she sighed. “Littrell didn’t see that, did he?” Kevin looked toward the top of the tower and saw Brian just approaching Leary. “I don’t think so. He’s just getting geared up now.” He looked back at her. “Are you okay?” “I’ll be fine. I just hate that exercise.” Meredith wiped her brow and turned to watch as Brian sailed down the wire to land on the airbag. He clamored off it and took off his gear, setting it down beside Meredith’s. He smiled and shook himself. “We don’t have to do that anymore, do we?” “Not unless some idiot decides it’s part of the war games.” She picked up her gear and deposited it in the bin at the base of the tower stairs. Brian gulped at the idea, hoping no one got any bright ideas in that direction. |
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