Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Washington DC

January 19^th 2015  0700 hours

Whoever the fuck said war was hell was probably smart. A lot fuckin smarter than me anyways. What the smart guy never said was it was fuckin simple. I mean 12 years. 6 deployments to Afghanistan and 3 to Iraq and I was only afraid twice. But somehow I was hella scared of meetin my new team. They had requested me when the saw my personnel jacket and how I did on the CIDSAC. They fuckin asked for me so what the fuck was I scared of? Max was now in business with her old supervisor and she wasnt scared.

I have a fuckin medal for bravery but my wife is so much braver than I am.

That mighta been the biggest shock of all. While we were plannin our wedding Victoria Chase had set up her own photojournalism business and offered Max a percentage to be her partner. It seemed to be goin well, and fuckin hypocrite that I was well I was hella glad Max was now safe behind a desk insteada behind a camera in a warzone.

 I mean we have our first drs appointment to see if her IVF took today, if those tests she took were right one of us should have a fuckin  safe job.

I walked into the CID office and felt underdressed as fuck when I saw all the suits. When I spoke to SSA Lucan he had said casual would be fine.

Motherfuckers hazin me already

I looked down at my green checked blouse open over a tank top, jeans and combat boots and felt fuckin embarrassed. Especially when a dude about my age in a well fitted suit that musta cost more than my fuckin truck stalked over to me.

“Hi there, Im Special Agent Lang, I am sorry this area is off limits to the public but I can see why security may have overlooked that in your case”

He looked me up and down like a dog lookin at a steak.

“Maybe you could tell me what brings you here over drinks? I know a very intimate...”

Gotta shut this dude the fuck down

“Dude Id rather suck on my sidearm than your fuckin cock”

“Arent you just full of charm”

“Beats bein full of shit, Im here for SSA Lucan”

He looked at me again

“And you are? aside from visual perfection of course”

This dude never turns it the fuck off

“Special Agent Chloe Price, and if I wasnt into chicks before I sure as fuck would be after talkin to you for 5 minutes”

A gruff, older voice interrupted us

“Lang save it for the god damn bar, you Price?”

I turned and saw an older guy with a grey beard glowering at the world.

Oh thank fuck hes dressed more casual than me

He was wearin a lumberjack shirt, jeans and fuckin cowboy boots

“Yes sir”

 I automatically came to attention

“Lose the sir Price. I work for a living. Im Supervisory Special Agent Jed Lucan but boss will do”

“Yes s... boss”

He took me into a small conference room.

“You aced every part of your CIDSAC Price, but I had to fight fuckin hard to get you here. Do you know why?”

“No boss”

“Your psych eval, you scraped a god damn pass, ‘anger management issues, slight PTSD, on occasion insubordinate, brave to the point of self destructive’.”

His lip twitched

“That being said Im the only one on this team outside you thats seen combat and mine was 40 years ago. I only got a year or 2 left and I wanted a combat veteran on the team before I leave”

He shook my hand and noted the ring on my left hand.

“You married Price?”

“Yeah, my wife will be in to see me later today if thats ok?  Shes got a Doctors appointment at 1000 hours to find out if the IVF worked, she promised to come and tell me if it was good news”

His face darkened

“Really then why the fuck are you here girl?”

“boss?”

“You should be with your wife holdin her hand, if I see you back here before 0730 tomorrow youre out a job”

His eyes twinkled

“Go to your wife Chloe, God knows we need some good news in this place from time to time”

“Thank you boss”

As I left he added

“Dont let me down Price, I stuck my neck out for you”

January 19^th 2015 0900 hours

I walked into our small house and snuck up behind Max

“Bwah”

She leapt in the air and turned around

“Chloe that is so not fucking funny, and what are you doing home already? Oh Chloe you didnt get in trouble at work did you?”

“Hey wheres the trust babe?  My boss said I was fired if I didnt spend today with you because of the docs. He seems hella nice but one of the agents kept tryin to flirt with me”

Max glared at me,

“Chloe if you were flirting back with her I will not be fucking happy”

“God no Max it was a dude, told him Id rather suck my sidearm than his di...”

“Chloe you cant say things like that”

Her face turned a fuckin adorable shade of scarlet and I stuck my tongue out at her.

“The tellin off might work better if you werent giggling babe”

She kissed me.

“I am glad you are here though, I was so nervous about going to doctors alone”

“Babe you took 3 fuckin tests, they were all positive  you hella did it, now come on we can take my truck”

“When this baby is born you better clean up your language, Im serious Chloe I dont want our babys first word to be hella or fuck”

I opened the truck door for her

“Oh come on babe thatd be hella fuckin cute”

“Chloe!!!!”

I showed off my shit eating grin and drove us to the doctors.

It was fuckin hotter than hell in the waiting room so I took my blouse/jacket off and sat in my tank top. About a minute later a nervous lookin young man wandered up towards the security guard, I casually stood up to stretch movin my body in front of Max and putting my hand close to the sig sauer p229 at my right hip, Max tried to reach for my hand but I shook my head gently ,watchin the exchange, hand hovering over my weapon.

Somethin looks fuckin off here

The 2 rent a cops strode towards me so I turned to them keepin myself between them and Max

“Miss we have to ask you to leave, the receptionist has been instructed to call the cops if you refuse, we dont allow armed bikers in here it is a hospital.

Motherfuckers, 1 look at my tattoos and how I dress and they think Im a criminal?

“Its Mrs and the Cops are already here, dumbass, Im Special Agent Price, Army CID”

“Whats that?”

“A fuckin federal agent for the US Army, Now are you two gonna fuck off out of my face?”

“Chloe,behave”

Max hissed at me so I moved my tank top so that they could see my badge.

“Im so sorry M’aam we just got reports of a firearm and...”

“Its cool, I was outta line as well bit nervous for this appointment”

The taller guard looked sympathetically at me.

“Im not surprised, my wife was shitting herself when she was waiting for confirmation she was pregnant, bet you cant wait to tell your husband. Trust me he will feel awful for missing it. I was workin as a firefighter at the time and couldnt get away. Part of the reason I took this job, much better hours”

“Thanks dude but its my wife here thats pregnant, I got lucky my boss let me away”

He started to stammer an apology

“Hey man its ok Im not offended just maybe dont assume in future, ya know what they say about assuming right?”

He gave me a warm smile

“Yup, hope it goes well for you two ladies, good luck”

“Thanks man”

Max looked at me proudly and kissed me hard,

“Im hella not complainin babe but what was that for?”

“For being nice and not embarrassing that poor guy”

40 minutes later we were back in my truck, all 3 of us.

Fuck me that feels hella good to say, 3 of us. Me and Max we’re gonna be great moms

We were both so happy we were singin along to the radio. I noticed a school trip walkin towards the park.

In about 6 years that will be our kid.

The distinctive sound of a mac 10 submachine gun woke me from my daydream. I saw a cop fall and 3 men in masks run towards the park from the bank they had obviously just robbed.

Running? Dumbasses forgot it was garbage day getaway car must be blocked in by the garbage tru...Fuck shit motherfucker never mind that those kids...

I tossed Max my phone making a snap decision

“Babe call Lucan tell him Im pursuing  3 men with automatic weapons on foot, tell him they are running towards a school trip”

“Chloe no, dont you fucking dare our baby needs you”

I leapt out of the truck and drew my sidearm moving onto the sidewalk

“FEDERAL AGENT, STOP, DROP THE WEAPONS AND TURN TOWARDS ME”

Hearing me shout they stopped running and began to turn towards me.

Gotta keep them away from the kids

Seeing they hadnt dropped their weapons I fired 8 rounds while they were turning. The 2 closest to me dropped dead.

2 down p229 holds 15 plus one chambered 8 rounds left

The third robber had fully turned and was raising his mac 10  I aimed at him and fired all 8 rounds into his body. I quickly changed magazines and scanned for other threats

Clear

I holstered my weapon as 2 police officers ran towards me weapons drawn

“Police Put your hands behind your head and get on the ground”

“Federal Agent I have been involved in a fatal shooting look at my left hip you will see my badge”

I kept my hands behind my head as they checked my badge number. While they were checking Lucan, Lang and an agent I hadnt met arrived tyres screeching.

“You two back off my agent, you ok Price?”

“Yeah those motherfuckers tried to rob a bank and were headin towards a school trip, had to fuckin intervene”

Lang looked at me in shock

“In 6 years Ive never fired my weapon at anyone, you killed 3 men in less than 24 hours. Have you ever heard of trying to deescalate and waiting for back up”

“Fuck you it was a clean shooting they coulda hurt those kids”

Max came running towards us as we argued and hugged me.

“Chloe dont you ever do anything that reckless again, I thought... I thought I had lost you before you even got to meet our baby”

I quickly introduced Max to Lang and Lucan.  The third agent stopped talkin to the cops and moved towards us.

“Im Special Agent Gabriel Chen. Youre Price right? I recognise you from your wedding photos think you served with my sister, Alex?”

We shook hands and Lucan explained the next steps.

“Take your wife home Chloe, The local leos will want to interview you. Il arrange a time for them to come to us tomorrow. Well done”

I took his advice and drove Max home. She sat in stony silence for the whole ride home.

Shit this isnt good .Shes really pissed at me.

Glossary

Army CID: Federal police for the army with both military and civilian special agents.

CIDSAC: Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent Course

 Leos: Law enforcement officer sometimes derogatory

PTSD: Post traumatic stress disorder, Chloes is a relatively mild case so doesnt stop her staying in army

Chapter Text

Washington DC 2015

January 20^th   0630 hours

I had been up for about 2 hours when Max came into the kitchen. I had been for a 2 mile run and done my morning push ups and sit ups and had my shower. I was making her favorite cheese and bacon omelette for breakfast to try and get out the fuckin hole I had somehow dug yesterday.  

Max gave me a fuckin death glare when she saw what I was cookin.

“Chloe if you think that will make me forget what you did yesterday you are a fucking idiot”

What I did? I fuckin stopped armed criminals from goin anywhere near an elementary school trip

“Its my job baby, they had shot a cop and were runnin towards kids. I had to fuckin do somethin”

“Chloe I need you, our baby needs you. A nicely folded flag doesnt replace a parent, you of all people should fucking know that”

Anger was fuckin coursin through my body.

Bitch, she fuckin went there?

I grabbed my keys and stormed out to my truck without a word.

“Chloe, babe Im so fucking sorry I shouldnt have said that”

I jumped in my truck and drove off, headin for work and deliberately ignoring my phone as it fuckin desperately rang.

Fuckin bitch. Bringin up my dad dyin to score points.

Not fair, shes scared. She just saw you in a gun fight and she has a fuckin point. That kids gonna need both its moms when it fuckin arrives. As fuckin Frank woulda said grow some ladyballs and fuckin talk to yer girl.

Fine but just to fuckin stop thinkin about Frank not cause ya know I was outta line.

I pulled over and picked up my phone.

“Chloe, thank god. Babe you cant storm off like that when we have a fight. Not anymore, there’s more than just us to think about now”

“I know Im sorry for fuckin runnin out, but what you said about my dad. It was fuckin outta line Max. I didnt trust myself to say anythin in case I made shit worse”

The phone crackled and Max took a deep breath down the line

“ I know. I shouldnt have brought up William, that was shitty. Im really sorry Chloe”

“Its ok baby, It was shitty but I hella overreacted runnin out like that. Its a bad fuckin habit, I...Im sorry I didnt kiss you goodbye. Its the first time since we got married I havent done that when one of us goes out”

Max half laughed,half sobbed into the phone melting my heart.

“Its ok babe, we can make up properly tonight, now go to work I dont want to make you late, but Chloe think about what I said ok, your life fucking matters as well please try not to be so reckless”

“Mmmm sounds like you want me to stick around a while”

I pretended to grumble

“Forever Chloe, I want you around forever, I love you”

“Love you too baby, see you tonight”

When I got into the office Lucan was waitin for me. He looked like a fuckin kid that had managed to rob santas sleigh on Christmas eve. Happy but with a wicked fuckin gleam in his eye.

“The DA says there is no need to question you Price, witness statements and both the bank CCTV and traffic cameras have confirmed what you told myself and the officers on scene. Im gonna partner you up with Chen today. You and Lang butt heads too much for my liking”

“Thanks Lucan. Lang was right though, I was a fuckin idiot yesterday, coulda got myself killed”

He put a powerful hand on my shoulder and looked me dead in the eye

“You could have, but you did the right thing Chloe, if they had reached that park we could have had a hostage situation with kids. No one wants that. Did you square it away with that pretty wife of yours?”

“Yeah had a bust up about it but I think we’re good now, she was just scared. Ive been in shit situations a few times since we met an it really fuckin scares her”

Hes hella fuckin grinning at me. Hes like a teenager trapped in an old mans body

“Its cause she loves you, If my ex wife had given that much of a shit, well she wouldnt be my ex. Grab a coffee, daily briefing is in 5”

When I got to my desk for the briefing Lang was standin at my computer. There was a slightly sour look on his face that I couldnt work out.

“Youre famous Price, I would normally offer to buy you a drink for getting the team good publicity from on high, gives me a chance to get the job when the old man retires, but not this time. I just lost the chance of a lifetime because of your heroics.”

There wasnt a fuckin trace of his usual flirtatious, almost smarmy persona. The dude was fuckin pissed.

“What the fuck are you talking about Lang?”

“Amber was supposed to be shadowing me, theres a new tv show being made about Army CID, I coulda had the chance to try out my moves on a real actress”

What the fuckin fuck?

“Vinh you are makin no fuckin sense dude. What the fuck is an amber?”

“Were you living under a rock last year?”

“Afghanistan so pretty fuckin much pop culture wise”

He grimaced

“War hero as well, I got no chance to impress her. Amber was a small time actress and model you know commercials that kinda thing. Then she married a superstar quarterback last January and bigger parts started coming in”

“Right and what the fuck has that to do with your opportunity?”

He looked so resigned I almost felt bad for the guy

“She was supposed to be shadowing me. You know learn how we act and talk. Little bit of jargon and procedures but after yesterday made the news she has asked specifically to shadow you”

Hella fuckin no. Waste of my fuckin time, fuckin moron that plays dress up for a livin

“Tell Lucan I said you can fuckin have her”

“Doesnt work that way Price, the director says we do what Amber wants”

Lucans gruff voice interrupted. I knew better than to argue with a superior usin that tone so I sat down and listened to his briefing.

January 20^th 1730 hours

I finished my scheduled range time and walked back to the bull pen to check my emails. I thought I might give Max a call and tell her about my new assignment.

Thank fuck its only for a couplea months. Dunno if my tempers right for dealin with an actress temperament. That was fuckin hard enough with Rachel in high school.

I had just sat down when Lucans voice got me up.

“Quittin time Price get on home now.”

I grinned and headed to my truck and headed for home. When I got in I had a hella amazing surprise waitin for me. Max was posed naked on our fuckin sofa. She crooked her finger at me, motioning me to come over. As I moved to obey she opened her legs and smiled.

Oh hella fuckin YES

Glossary

Army CID: Federal police for Army

DA: District Attorney

Chapter Text

Washington DC 2015

February 5th   0900 hours

I jabbed the speed bag moving my head from side to side with every fuckin blow. My alarm beeped to let me know my workout time was over.

Fuck time to meet that fuckin actress thats shadowin me. Need to remember to tell Max about that, she’ll think its hella funny.

I took a quick shower in the gym and headed back up to the bull pen. There was a blonde woman about Maxs height standin with her back to me at Lucans desk.

Must be Amber, huh thought she’d be fuckin taller. Vinh said she was a fuckin model before she got into actin. Mmm ass not bad but Maxs is hella nicer

“Price will be finishing up her workout, she wont be long. I have to say, Im not happy about any of this so you do everything she tells you and dont cause any disruptions. We clear on that?”

“Youre kinda rude ya know. Thats awesome, I need to tell the scriptwriters to make my characters boss a bit gruffer, grumpy silver foxes are hella sexy”

I know that voice... fuckin fuck fuck motherfuckin cunt.

“Thats not what my ex wife says. And take your hand off my god damn arm, Price there you are. This is...”

“Hello Rachel you look good”

I interrupted. Lucans forehead twitched. His eyes darkened like he was about to blow a fuckin fuse. I could have sworn at the time even his fuckin beard was angry. Rachel though she was thrilled. She smirked at me like she did when we were in highschool.

That fuckin take me to bed and it will change your life smirk that always got me so fuckin wet in the past. Funny how it does fuck all for me now

“Im flattered you recognised me from behind Chloe, although maybe not surprised. Not the first time youve seen me from behind while I was bending over a desk”

Fuckin fuck forgot what a fuckin flirt she was

“You two know each other?"

“Dated in high school boss, till she decided that monogamy was crampin her style”

My voice musta been a bit more fuckin bitter than I thought because Lucan almost dragged me into one of the empty rooms. The anger on his face earlier was gone. Concern or maybe fuckin pity was in its place.

“Chloe will this be ok? I can palm her off on Lang or if she demands a woman Im sure Agent Christenson could step up”

I really tried not to laugh

“Yeah if you want the army sued for sexual harassment Lang would be perfect. She’d have poor Taylor fetching her coffee and updating her social media in 20 minutes. Nah its gotta be me”

“Thank you Chloe. Is she always that...flirtatious”

This time he did make me fuckin laugh

“Nah boss. Sometimes shes fuckin asleep”

We went back to the bull pen to face the music.

Rachel seemed pissed that we left so I took her for a quick smoke before me and Gabe took her out to pick up a suspect in an ongoing murder investigation.

“Sooo Chloe you seeing anyone special?”

She was standing close, too fuckin close for my likin

“What da you care? Heard you were married to a football star. If ya must know Im married as well. Max is fuckin amazin, photographer so you two would probably get on”

She moved to kiss me and I pulled away

“Rachel what fuckin part of married you not gettin? We aint seen each other in over 10 fuckin years and what? Im just supposed to jump back in your bed?”

“Im married too ya know, come on Chloe you know I can do things that Max probably hasnt even heard of”

Not fuckin cool Rachel, not fuckin cool at all

“Rachel if Im gonna help you with gettin into character for this show the flirty shit has to stop. Im married, Im fuckin happy. I love my wife and she loves me”

Rachels face fell. I felt kinda bad, I didnt want to hurt her feelins but we werent 18 anymore. I was a different woman than the broken kid she had wrapped around her little finger

Ok she had me wrapped around at least 3 of her fingers most of the...

Dont even fuckin go there. You love Max, you are startin a family with her. Grow the fuck up.

“Ok Chloe I was just... God I dont know what I was thinking. Im sorry. You said Max was a photographer right?”

“Yeah a fuckin good one too”

“How about I take you both out for dinner tomorrow night. To thank you for your help and maybe I could put some work Maxs way. We need publicity photos for the show and she might just be perfect for the job”

I smiled to myself. That was the Rachel I used to know. Before the selfishness and the drugs took over. I thought maybe we had a chance at a new start. Maybe a friendship could work between us?

We finished our smokes in an almost fuckin friendly silence just in time for Agent Gabe Chen to walk passed us.

“Price lets roll, we got to pick up a suspect in the Captain Jackson case”

He barely looked at Rachel.

“You the actress? Stay in the fuckin car when we get there”

Not like Gabe to be so fuckin short with well anyone

I drove us to the suspects cheap hotel. Joseph “Joey the Greek” Greco was an enforcer for the fuckin mafia.

That was strange. There had never been a big mafia presence in Washington DC even in the hayday of organised crime. Still they had their fingers in a lotta fuckin pies an sometimes sent a guy or 2 over to intimidate the odd witness. From what we could tell Captain Jackson had seen somethin goin on and had been murdered tryin to stop it. Makin it a CID matter.

“Rachel stay in the fuckin car remember”

I told her as Gabe an I got out and headed towaed the hotel. Gabe got the keycard for Joeys room and we walked towards the elevator.

“Why do they call him the greek?”

I asked as we headed for the 4^th floor

“His last name. Greco. Its Italian for Greek. Fuck me Price not like you to care about somethin like that”

“Hey I like learnin shit, sue me”

We knocked hard on the door

“Federal Agents, open the fuckin door Joey”

Gabe yelled. No answer. He used the keycard to open the door and we burst in weapons drawn and moving quickly to either side to present a smaller target. We found ourselves starin down the fuckin business end of a colt 1911. Joeys eyes were lookin between us wonderin who to open fire on first.

“Put the gun down Joey. Army CID”

Gabe instructed

“Fuck you”

Hes not gonna fuckin listen, fuck it.

“Joey dont look at him. I know youre fuckin outnumbered here so do you. Youre wonderin if you can put my partner down then get that 45 around to me? Dont. Ya see to do that you gotta take those fuckin bug eyes off me. You do that even for a second and I promise I’ll kill you.”

Joey kept his eyes on me for about 30 seconds. I was just figurin the threat had done the job when they darted over to Gabe the 1911 risin to aim at him. As promised I raised my weapon and fired twice. As his body crumpled to the floor Gabe looked angrily at me.

“Jesus fuckin Christ. Price what the fuck is wrong with you? If you had just let me talk we could have brought him in for interrogation”

My own temper came to the surface. After all I had just saved his fuckin ass.

“He was pointing a weapon at us and started to fuckin aim after bein ordered to drop it, it was a clean fuckin shooting”

Gabe sighed

“I know, Im sorry Chlo. Im just fuckin on edge with that actress around. My girls been upset about about her comin. Come on you cant tell me Max isnt worried. It puts us at more risk”

“Dunno dude, never told her”

When he looked at me I could tell he was pissed.

“Fucking hell, you dont think your wife deserves to know if youre gonna be at more risk?”

“Nah no point worryin her. Shes been hella stressed about my job since we found out about the baby. I dont wanna make that worse for her”

I paused.

“I had been plannin to tell her tonight but ‘Amber’ is takin us for dinner tomorrow to meet her so might leave it as a surprise”

“You want my advice? Tell her first. You dont want her thinkin theres a reason you didnt mention the smoke show of an actress”

I thought about that

“ Yeah maybe youre right. We better call this in and get the body back to the morgue”

Gabe made the call and after lettin Rachel see the body bein collected we headed back to work.

February 5^th 1900 hours

“Babe, you know I love you right?”

I had just got home and was about to tell Max about my new assignment. After my talk with Gabe I was hella worried how it would go.

“Chloe whatever youve done, just tell me”

Max groaned. Which wasnt the start I was fuckin hopin for

“Well this actress started shadowing me today... I found out a couplea weeks ago that it was happenin but didnt want to worry you”

“And exactly why would I be worried? Chloe I love you and I trust you. I know you wouldnt try anything with her. Unless youre telling me that you dont trust yourself not to hit on her”

She answered me, a flirty smile playing on her lips.

Thats it. Thats the feelin Rachels smile used to give me.

“Well... she found out you were a photographer and asked us to dinner tomorrow. Thinks she might be able to get your company the contract for the promo pictures. Wasnt sure if itd be weird though”

“Thats lovely of her. Why would it be weird. Sure lets do it”

She was thrilled until I gave her the answer. This was what I was fuckin dreadin

“Remember Rachel that I dated in high school”

“The girl that cheated on you, the girl you nearly got yourself killed over”

Maxs eyes flashed like lightnin. She wasnt a fan of the ex that had either enabled or sometimes downright fuckin caused nearly every bad decision I made between the ages of 15 and 18.

“Well ... its her. Baby I swear I didnt know. Shes usin her last name as her only name. Il be honest she got a little flirty but I told her all about you. I promise”

Max pushed me roughly against the table.

“Max are you...”

She cut me off with an aggressive kiss pulling my leather jacket off and dropping it. My plaid blouse that I use as an overshirt was next, then my tank top and bra. Within 2 minutes my jeans were on the floor and her fingers were inside my panties. Makin me moan. She sucked my neck hard enough to leave a hickey while her fingers worked magic.

Holy motherfuckin shit

“I think I need to mark you all over for tomorrow Agent Price”

She purred

“I think your ex needs to see exactly what she let slip... through... her... fingers and just how happy I am about the fact that she made the mistake of letting you go.”

Fuck this is gonna be a good fuckin night. I love it when she takes control

Glossary

Army CID: Army Federal police made up of military and civilian agents. Deal with fedeeal crimes involving army personnel as either victims or perpetrators  

Chapter Text

Washington DC 2015

February 6th  1630  hours

I put my arms around Rachel from behind gently kicking her legs slightly apart with my foot. My hands moved along her arms as I corrected her stance. Satisfied I stepped back.

“Right thats fuckin better now fire at the target”

“You would only let me use an air pistol, What the fuck does it matter Chloe?”

I sighed, less than 24 hours in and my patience with my shadow was wearin hella fuckin thin. I had forgiven her for hittin on me after I told her I was married but she questioned everythin I fuckin told her.

Jesus fuckin Christ how did I date her for 3 years? And why was I pretty much suicidal for 12 after we broke up.

Because till Max you never let yourself heal. You thought you deserved to be cheated on and abandoned. But she could still be your friend if dinner with her and Max goes well tonight. You dont have many Friends left  from that time in your life.

“Rachel I only let you use an air pistol because you arent a fuckin agent or a soldier. I cant risk you fuckin up with a live weapon. They aint fuckin toys. And it matters cause you were sent here to make your show more realistic so the weapon needs to seem like a part of you.”

I think for a minute.

“Ya know what? Watch me. Ears and eyes on”

I tossed her ear defenders and safety glasses. When she was safe and watching I drew my weapon and emptied it into the target. I ejected the magazine and reloaded from a box of ammunition I had brought with us to the CID range. After inserting the magazine back into my weapon I holstered it.

Rachel was staring at me, biting her lip

“Ok I hella get it. Show me the stance again”

I put my arms back around her and showed her the right positionin yet again.

I could swear shes  grindin a little against me... Probably just nerves. I was clear I wasnt interested an she was cool with that.

“7 good for dinner with you and the ball and chain tonight Chloe?”

“1900 hours. And dont fuckin talk about Max like that”

She gave a half pout half smile.

“Ooh someones hella moody, must be love. What do you mean 1900 hours”

“I fuckin married her didnt I? And if youre playin a soldier 24 hour clock only”

This time she did pout. I forgot just how quickly a conversation with Rachel could go fuckin south. She huffed at me and fired her air pistol at her target.

Not great but she wont have to hit anythin just look like she knows how to hold it.

“I married Drew, whats love got to do with marriage? Its all about security Chloe”

“Fuck me thats hella fuckin cold”

She transformed in a second, the come fuck me smirk replacing the pout.

“Oh Id fuck you anytime you like... joke obviously”

She laughed and continued to shoot at her target.

About 40 bbs and maybe 6 hits later I took her to watch an interrogation.

“Listen to how Lang is talkin to the suspect. Hes bein nice an fuckin friendly, yeah?  So as soon as he leaves he will come in here an get me. Then Il go in alone and scare the shit out the cunt. Lang will overhear an pull me out with a behavior warnin. Gets the fuck to trust him”

“Huh so good cop bad cops really a thing?”

I grinned at her

“Its a fuckin cliche for a reason”

Vinh walked out of the interrogation room with fuck all as expected and snuck in to our side of the 2 way mirror.

“Amber. Even more beautiful today, when will you take up my offer of a night of drinking?”

“You are terrible agent Lang, I would love to, but I doubt my husband would approve”

“My loss Im sure, Youre up Price, remember dont actually hurt him, we want him in one piece for court. We dont all like to bring our suspects in in body bags”

“Yeah spin on this”

I flipped him off and went into the interrogation room.

“So Shane, my name is Special Agent Price. Ya know, I fuckin hate your fuckin kind. Fuckin every last one of you. You get a fuckin job as a janitor at a school for military kids an we get a call about one of those fuckin kids goin missin. When her dad is in the fuckin sandbox. That pisses me off Shane”

I paused briefly

“But do you know what pisses me off more Shane? That little girls blood was found in your fuckin car Shane.”

I casually switched the camera behind me off

“Wanna know what happens when little Shane pisses off Agent Price? She turns the fuckin cameras off and shows you what happens to cunts that harm little girls, you got exactly 30 fuckin seconds to talk Shane or I fuckin swear to you, you are gonna make a grab for me and I am goin to break your motherfuckin neck. We got an understandin Shane?”

The door flew open and Vinh walked in all fuckin tself righteous fury. He mighta been a total scum bag with women but as good cop he was fuckin amazin.

“Agent Price, what the hell are you doing with my suspect, if you have touched him Il have to report it this time”

“We’re just at the flirtin stage Lang but if this cunt doesnt talk we’re gonna get to the foreplay real fuckin soon. Hes a fuckin paedophile, he takes few falls down the stairs whos gonna fuckin care? You got 10 minutes to get him to talk then I come back an I start havin fun”

I walked out and back into the other side of the 2 way glass with Rachel.

“What did ya think?”

“Wow hes talking now. Chloe I know you dont wanna hear this but that was hella sexy”

“Rachel if were gonna try to be friends you need to drop the fuckin flirty shit. Im fuckin serious. I love Max and we’re startin a family. So can it ok”

She grimaced

“Fineee but you used to be more fun than this, what happened to the Chloe Price who would party all night”

“She grew the fuck up, now do ya promise to cut the flirty shit at dinner tonight or do I need to be workin late til you leave?”

“Fine I promise”

I gave her a genuine smile.

“ Thank you. We will see you at 1900”

February 6^th 1845 hours

Me and Max arrived early to meet Rachel. She had chosen a nice Italian place for dinner. It had been hard to leave the house when I saw the dress Max had chosen.

Short, tight and black. As she would say fuckin wowser.

I was a bit more fuckin casual in jeans an a plaid shirt. Rachel arrived wearin honestly very fuckin little. I saw Max tense when she saw her and squeezed my wifes thigh to show who looked fuckin better to me.

If this is her not bein fuckin flirty...

“Chloe great to see you. And you have to be Max, Im Rachel Amber but professionally just Amber”

“Max Caulfield-Price professionally but just Max Price to friends”

Rachel hugged her and me and ordered wine for the table.

“None for me, Im drivin”

“Really Chloe, the girl who used to keep driving weed in the glove box wont have a tiny glass of wine?”

Max grimaced, she hated stories about my past recklessness.

“Like  I said. I grew the fuck up”

“Spoilsport, looks like just us Maxine”

Maxs face darkened dangerously

“Just you. Im nearly 3 months pregnant”

“Chloe how could you not tell me? You said you were starting a family but not that it was at this stage”

Now Max was glaring at me.

What the fuck did I do?

Rachel kept talking

“You must be so worried about Chloe with your condition. I mean when I went on the ride along yesterday”

I shook my head desperately

“She had to shoot someone”

Motherfuckin fuck

“Chloe i.. is that true? Why wouldnt you tell me that you could have been killed yesterday?”

“You got enough to worry about with the baby. Im not gonna fuckin add to the stress babe thats not fair to you”

Max looked so fuckin disappointed.

“We will talk about this at home Chloe”

Rachel kindly changed the subject and we had a surprisinly nice dinner. She even took Maxs number and promised to call her with details of the promotional photo shoot she had mentioned to me. Max was kinda frosty with her though.

I found out why when we got in the truck

“Would you mind explaining to me why you came home from work smelling exactly like the perfume Rachel put on at the table tonight Chloe?”

“Because she has to be around me to learn the shit she needs to know for her part. You are outta line here Max. She was nothin but nice to you”

Max growled at me, fury written all over her beautiful face

“Or why when you were in the restroom she mentioned how lucky I was to spend every night in your arms because she had never felt safer than when they were around her teaching her to shoot?”

“Because I was correctin her fuckin stance. Babe Ive been ordered to teach her for her tv show. I gotta do it.”

Her anger was gettin worse the longer we drove

“Chloe she wants to take us to a club before she leaves tomorrow. Shes bringing a friend who is a photographer to meet me. Apparently this friend is hiring. Did you even tell her that Victoria and I run a photography business?”

“Honestly I cant remember. Told her you were a photographer but not sure how much detail I went into”

She fuckin exploded like an IED

“And yet I find out from her that you were almost fucking killed?  That y... that you had to kill someone? Maybe you were too busy groping each other at the firing range to call and tell me that yourself?”

My own temper was reachin fuckin boilin point

“I fuckin told you already. I didnt want to worry you. Babe youre pregnant. You and that baby mean the fuckin world to me. No fuckin way I was riskin stressing you out”

“I... I believe you Chloe. I trust you with my fucking life, thats why I think the 2 of you should go to the club without me tomorrow. Theres no way I could be civil to her. Everything she said pissed me off”

Now I was fuckin shocked

“No fuckin way am I goin without you baby, itd be no fun. Il talk to her tomorrow about upsettin you though.”

Max started to cry

“I...Im so fucking sorry Chloe. I was probably oversensitive. It was the thing about being in your arms and the perfume. I... I think she wants to ruin our marriage”

“I dont care what she fuckin wants. She isnt gonna. Now get out my truck an into the house. I think you need fuckin reminded whos bed I come home to at night cause it sure as fuck isnt Rachels”

Holy fuckin shit is she flashing me? I could get fuckin used to jealous Max!!!!

Glossary

IED: Improvised Explosive Device

Chapter Text

Washington DC 2015

February 7^th   1700  hours

I sat at my desk tryin to sort through what Max had said last night. Was she right? Was my fuckin ex tryin to destroy my marriage. I didnt fuckin want to believe it.

Even if she is we’re rock fuckin solid. The amazing sex after we got home last night proves that much. Doesnt it?

I had been fuckin lucky as Rachel was spendin today doin interviews about her new show so no time for awkward conversations.

Max will be so fuckin happy. Only 3 more days and Rachels gone!!!

Yeah it had been shapin up to be a perfect fuckin day. Until

“Price, you served at camp Blackwell on your last deployment didnt you?

“Blackhell? Yeah boss its where I met Max”

Jesus fuckin Christ you hella sound like a teenager with your first crush.

I love my wife, fuckin sue me

“What did you think of Major Raymond Wells”

“Honestly? Could be a ball-less motherfucker but he cares about his people. Why?”

Lucan rolled his eyes good naturedly

“No need to sugarcoat it Chloe, I was asking because he was shot in Blackwell an hour ago. I want Lang and Chen to have the full picture before they go out there to investigate”

Hmm a trip away, if its only to investigate a few fuckin days, could solve the Rachel problem.

“How long will they be gone for?”

“A week, they leave tomorrow. They will just be bringing back evidence and the 2 suspects but there will be witnesses to question”

Gotta play this just right

“Boss Gabe was supposed to be takin Ethan to a hockey game this weekend, bondin with the stepson. Why dont I go with Vinh? I know how hard it can be bondin with step kids”

“You sure Price? What about Amber? She cant shadow you there.”

Ding Ding Ding boss man hella won a cookie

“Chen can teach her the computer nerd shit better than I can. Thats most of what shes got left. Im good with it boss”

“Ok sure Price, if thats what you want”

I was almost fuckin dancin

Max is gonna be so fuckin happy with me. Im hella the best fuckin wife in the history of wives.

Lucan was fuckin thrilled I volunteered, he even insisted I leave early to get my gear squared away. That suited me, meant I got to tell Max the good news quicker. I made sure to pick up everythin I needed and almost ran to my truck.

On the way home I stopped off for some cigarettes, roses, and some fizzy apple cider since Max couldnt drink.

Gotta celebrate my fuckin genius and Max cant drink right now.

I was burstin to tell someone so when I got stuck in traffic comin out of the store I called my mom.

“Chloe, you did what???”

“Max didnt like me trainin my ex for her new part so I solved the problem. Thats good right?”

I Could almost feel the terror and anger comin through the phone.

“No young lady, not good. You are spending a week in a god damn warzone just after your old commander was shot. How do you think I feel about that? How do you think Max will feel about that?

“But she said Rachel was tryin to ruin our marriage I thought she would be.... happy”

Mom sighed down the phone

“Do you ever think things through?  Do you realise how selfish you were being?”

“I thought it was romantic”

“Like you thought a god damn knife fight was romantic at 18? Like you thought almost getting expelled for having sex on the high school football field was romantic at 17? Like you thought me findin Rachel in your bed snorting cocaine with you was romantic at 16?”

“ok so I fuckin suck at romance”

Mom stopped telling me off.

“You arent a kid anymore Chloe, you are almost 32 and about to be a mother, use your head more sweetheart”

She was so pissed at me she didnt even say goodbye.  Still I knew in my heart Max was gonna be fuckin happy with me.

February 7^th 1900 hours

I had decided to make steaks on the grill for Max. I heard her car draw in just as I was putting them on a plate with fries and onion rings. Figured since we were celebratin I would go all out.  

“Baby I got great news”

“ You cooked? Thank you so much Chlo, I was dreading having to make dinner,I thought you were working late tonight because your shadow had promo interviews to do?”

I Put the plates on the table,

Might even need to reheat this if she wants ti show me how awesome I am

“Thats not happenin any more, I convinced Lucan to let Gabe deal with Rachel, ya know because she was makin you worry”

“God Chloe thats so sweet of you, how did you pull that off”

I Grinned like a fuckin idiot

Suck it mom, vindication!!!!

“It was so fuckin easy babe, Major Wells, he got shot and I volunteered to take Gabes place on the invesdtigation since I knew the area. Its only for a week and when I get back, Rachels hella gone”

“I dont like you being away for a week, but you do know him well, God its awful he got shot. I mean hes only been home about 8 months, what caused it do they think?”

My face darkened a little, maybe a fuckin lot.

“They think one of his guys was bein paid to smuggle drugs into Camp Blackhell. You know what he was like for knowin things. Well he confronted him and got shot”

“God Chloe thats terr... Chloe Price did you fucking say camp Blackwell? As in fucking Afghanistan?”

Ok shit... maybe mom wasnt fuckin wrong

“Y...yeah baby only for a week though. I thought youd be happy. Ya know keepin away from Rachel”

“I want to fucking slap you so badly right now. Chloe how could you? You know how happy I was that you transferred so you wouldnt have to go back there and risk your fucking life. How could you ignore that over a stupid argument? Do you have that little confidence in our marriage?”

I was fuckin stunned. It hadnt gone at all like I expected. Stupidly I tried again

“You said you were afraid Rachel would ruin our marriage”

“I fucking didnt. I told you thats what she was trying to do so that you would be careful around her. But of course you fucking overreacted and had the fucking nerve to think Id be happy about it. Fuck you Chloe”

She spat the fuckin words at me.

“Any time you like”

“Dont you even try to be fucking cute with me right now. How many times have I told you how important your life is? Babe you got to stop risking it. I need to call my mom and ask if she can stay with me for a few days. I cant be on my own if something happens to you. You can do what you want. You always fucking do anyway”

I walked up the stairs sadly and updated my last letter to Max in case I didnt make it back. Then I packed my gear and lay on our bed praying she would come up and trying not to cry.

Glossary

Squared away: neat and orderly. Or if about a person good at job

Chapter Text

Washington DC 2015

February 8^th  7 a.m.

I woke up startled. I was sure I just heard Chloes health hazard of a truck drive away. I better not have. Surely even if I couldnt bring myself to share a bed with her last night she wouldnt have left without saying goodbye. Not with where shes going.

She couldnt fucking think thats what Id want? Wowser Max, new fucking low. She might be a reckless ass at times but shes my reckless ass. She fucking wouldnt.

I ran down the stairs hoping I was wrong. She was gone. I ran to the bathroom and threw up.

Of course. Now my day is complete. First morning sickness. God fucking damn it. She didnt even have the courtesy or sense to send a text. This is not good.

I heard the door knock. And dragged myself away from the toilet to answer it. My business partner, Victoria Chase was standing in the doorway. No make up on and looking almost dishevelled by her standards.

I mean V in sweatpants didnt even think she owned casual clothes.

I tried to put a brave face on but she knew better.

“Dont Maxine, Chloe called me and asked me to come over. She said she had to go back there for a week and that you would need help so here I am... to help”

I didnt even correct the Maxine. I threw my arms around her and cried like a baby.

“S...she didnt fucking say goodbye. How could she not fucking say goodbye”

Before V could answer we heard the obnoxious sound of a phone camera turned up to fucking 11 clicking away.

“Chloe will hella love these pictures. I mean Im not a lawyer but having another woman in your arms the day your wife leaves for Afghanistan really is  impressively whorish. I actually love it but I doubt she will. A full color dear jane letter.”

Rachel glanced at Victoria

“Werent you the... help at my wedding? Low Max, super low I mean what a cliche”

Before I could defend myself I felt something change in V maybe her posture, Im not sure even now. There was an unpleasant smile on her face.

“Oh yes, you married the football player. What was your name again? Something...tacky. Bronze wasnt it?  Well Bronze”

“Its Amber”

Victoria continued as if she hadnt spoken.

“As I said Bronze. I think perhaps you should be more concerned about any compromising photos I might dig up on you. Because if you even fucking attempt to damage my friends marriage I will make it my fucking mission to destroy your life”

“Like you have that power”

“Sweetie I own a photojournalism company. If I decide to turn it from serious journalism to tabloid indiscretion pieces no one could stop me. Id also make more fucking money. Now be a good little girl and fuck off. The grown ups are trying to have a conversation.”

Welp, the bitch might be back. Im so glad shes on my side.

Victoria put her arm around me and took me back into my house, leaving Rachel spluttering in the street.

“H...how did she know Chloe asked you to come over and make sure I was ok? W...what if Chloe believes her?”

“She wont. Chloe was the one who told me to come here remember? She told me there was a letter for you in your bedroom”

I ran up the stairs and into our room. There was paper lying on my pillow. I grabbed it and began to read.

Hey babe, I looked in the spare room before I left. You were sleeping and looked hella fuckin cute. Couldnt make myself wake you. You need your fuckin sleep for growing that baby. Victoria is probably with you now, and if you were right maybe a special guest. Il explain when you call. Im sorry for fuckin up and not thinking about your feelings. Call me at 1800 if you wanna talk. Love you both.

Chloe xxxxx

I stormed downstairs.

“She wants me to call her at 6pm V. Should I do it? Im still so fucking angry with her for volunteering to go to Afghanistan”

“I saw how upset you were that you didnt get to say goodbye. You better fucking call her Max, she deserves that much, you know that she doesnt get to choose where she goes. Frankly Im surprised by your reaction”

The bitch she didnt tell Veronica that she asked to go. What the fuck is wrong with her?

“V she fucking volunteered. Without fucking telling me. I told her Rachel was trying to fuck our marriage up. She overreacted and asked to fucking go”

“You know Chloe, she acts first and thinks never. Its one of the things you love most about her”

I knew she was right. I still felt hurt but I knew who Chloe was. I had promised her forever. She deserved a phone call.

February 8^th 6 p.m.

I turned on my laptop and videocalled Chloe. She answered right away.

“Hi babe, its hella good to see you. Did you get my letter?”

“Yes Chloe. Victoria is here. Thank you for calling her.”

She grinned at me.

That stupid fucking sexy grin. She fucking knows I cant resist that

“Did Rachel come by?”

“Yes, how did you?... Chloe what the fuck did you do now?”

The shit eating grin was getting bigger

“I mighta told Rachel that I thought you were cheatin on me. Figured if you were right she’d tell me you were fuckin Victoria an if you were wrong she would try to stop anythin happenin. Got the photos she took soon as I got here. She was fuckin happy. Said that we could be together secretly now. She wanted me to leave you to be her dirty little secret”

“Chloe, you manipulated this whole fucking situation. You fucking used Victoria. That is a such a devious thing to do”

“It was Victorias idea. She said it was the best fuckin way to find out if Rachel could be trusted or not, she hella deserves the credit”

I smiled at her.

How have I already forgiven her?

“Chloe it makes no sense. Why didnt you just trust me?”

“I did... but Rachel... I wanted to believe my time with her meant somethin. It fuckin didnt to her. She just wanted me on her fuckin strings again. It hurt me babe. I wanted to be her fuckin friend and she just wanted to use me”

“I think I can understand that. You are on fucking thin ice about volunteering to go to Afghanistan, but we can work through it. No more big decisions without us talking it over first though.”

She breathed a huge sigh of relief.

She obviously thought I was leaving her. Because we had a fight. I need to be more careful with her heart in future. Take my own advice and actually talk problems through.

“I love you Max. Im a fuckin thoughtless cunt. Im sorry”

“Dont you fucking dare talk about my wife that way. I love you too babe. How is it there?”

“showers are still shitty. Cots fuckin lonely without you. We are starting the questioning tomorrow well later today I suppose but its gonna take 3 days to go through everyone, then another couple to bring the suspect back”

I quickly flashed her my breasts.

“Something to remind you what youre coming home to”

“Fuck, I wish I was there with you, I gotta go babe. I love you. Make sure Victoria makes you waffles.”

“Definitely, I love you too. Be safe and come home to me and our baby”

We hung up the call.

I love that reckless impulsive woman so fucking much it hurts

Glossary

Cot: bed

Chapter Text

Afghanistan  2015

 February 9^th 1300 hours

I was sittin on my cot. My hair messed up to fuck, scrapes and bruises on my face. My hands shook as I used my computer to videocall Max. The lit cigarette clamped between my teeth was calmin me a bit. But not enough, nowhere fuckin near enough.

“Hi Chloe, you realise its 1 a.m. here right, this better not be a booty call from Afghanistan”

“No... baby I had to see you. You gotta call Steph, there was a... a mortar attack. Its Alex, shes  expectant”

“You are fucking kidding, How can Alex be pregnant? The fucking bitch. I would never have thought she could cheat on Steph. And what does that have to do with a mortar attack”

Fuck forgot who I was talkin to

“Fuck Max no, expectant means shes wounded bad enough that shes expected to die”

“Jesus are you ok?”

“Yeah, bit shook up but Im not hurt baby”

I looked into her eyes and saw the fear there. It must have been fuckin terrifying for her. She didnt even notice the cigarette. I saw her leap naked out of bed and through a bathrobe on.

“Il call Steph right now. I love you babe. You fucking better stay safe and come home to me”

“Love you Max. If anythin happens to me...”

“Dont you fucking dare finish that thought”

She hung up, I hoped to call Steph and I got ready to go out to start my questioning.

I walked past Kates quarters and saw her comforting Dana and Juliet.

Fuck, those 3 were so close. They must be feelin so fuckin shit

I headed to Wells office to meet up with Lang he wasnt fuckin happy to see me.

“Price, what the fuck are you doing here? I know concussion when I see it, go find a medic”

“Almost sounds like you care Lang”

“No but your wife scares the shit out of me, I mean she must be crazy to put up with you dont want her all over this sweet ass because I let you die”

“Come on man, thats gross and Im hella good to work”

He glared at me, his eyes were fuckin nearly comin out his head.

“Now Price, Il deal with the interviews”

“Fine”

Fuck wastin the medics time

I Stormed off and headed to see Kate.

“Chloe, are you alright?

“Fuckin hell preacher not you as well”

“Choe, Ch....”

My head started to spin and I couldnt fuckin hear, I felt my body spin and all I could fuckin see was darkness.

February 9^th 2000 hours

I woke up in the medial tent. Imagine the worst fuckin hangover you ever fuckin had then times the feelin by 20 and you might get the fuckin idea. I rolled on my side desperately and threw up on the floor.  

Shit that was hella fuckin embarrassing.

I saw the one of the medics rush over to my cot and he started checkin my vision and hearing.

“This looks good Price but I cant clear you for duty for at least 72 hours, can you be trusted to stay in your quarters or do I need to sedate you and keep you here?”

He smiled gently to take the edge of his words

“Fine, Il rest can I get outta here now?”

I walked slowly back to my quarters. Captain Marsh had been waitin for me and she made sure I went and lay on my cot straight away. To her fuckin disgust I lit a cigarette and opened my laptop to look at the case files.

“Agent Price, you better be using that laptop to videocall your wife. Because I heard the medic say you had to rest”

“Im fuckin restin look, Im lyin down”

She grimaced

“Chloe, you have to take head injuries seriously”

“Not the first time I got my bell rung preacher lady, wont be the last either”

Her gaze turned to steel

“Chloe call Max now and tell her what happened. Do you really want her to find out from your boss, because it will be in Agent Langs report. Be sensible for the second time in your life”

“When was the first?”

“You know the answer to that, When you married Max”

That was hella smart

“Fine. Want to stay here and you can say hi?”

“ Chloe Im in the other cot for the next 72 hours. Do you think I trust you to rest?”

I grumbled a little, maybe a fuckin lot and called Max

“Chloe, not that its not fucking amazing to hear from you so soon, but is everythimg ok?”

“Yeah ba...”

Kates voice cut over mine

“Chloe has something to tell you, dont you Chloe?”

“Im good babe honest, its just a precaution, Im on 72 hour sick call. Got my bell rung pretty good in that mortar attack”

Max became serious right away

“ God Chloe why didnt you tell me before? Let me guess, you thought it was more important Steph had a friend with her when she heard about Alex?”

“Babe I was barely scratched, Alex is... is”

“Chloe, Alex is still alive. She will definitely be medically discharged but shes alive, Steph got the call an hour ago. Shes lost her left leg but she will be ok”

Kate chirped up yet again

“Thanks to you Chloe, you dragged her to safety while those mortars were still going off. It was the stupidest and bravest thing I ever saw”

If she thought that would cheer Max up, boy was she fuckin wrong.

“Y... you did what? Chloe you could have been killed, I cant decide if I want to kiss you or slap you right now. I mean Im so proud of you, but theres a tiny horrible part of me thats angry as well”

“Babe Im fine, do you think Id leave you or the precious cargo youre carryin?”

Kates face was a fuckin picture, It even got Max laughing.

“You mean, you two are going to have a baby? Im guessing it was planned with how happy Chloe seems?”

“Youre fuckin joki...”

I saw the smirk on her lips

“Of course I am, unless its the second coming it would be hard for it to be unplanned”

“ Thats pretty close to blasphemy there preacher”

“Not at all, after all God is all of our fathers”

She winked at Max

“Congratulations, you two will be great mums, have you told your families yet?”

“No Kate aside from Victoria,  Chloes cunt of an ex and her boss no one knows. We decided to tell our families next week”

Kate rolled her eyes

“Honestly your language is getting as bad as Chloes”

“Course it is Im a good bad influence”

We all laughed like it was the funniest thing in the fuckin world. Tension relief can do that.

“So, why is Chloes ex that horrible word?”

“She was tryin to split us up. Thats why I volunteered to come out here. Shes makin a tv show about Army CID and was shadowin me”

Kate shook her head

“That was a typically drastic solution Chloe”

“Seemed a good fuckin idea at the time, Id rather risk my life out here for a week than risk losin Max. Before you say anythin babe I know I wouldnta lost you but I got scared”

Kate smiled at my words

“She definitely sounds a... cunt to me”

Holy fuckin shit, Kate Marsh said Cunt. Thats gotta be a sign of the apocalypse or the fuckin rapture or somethin

 “She totally is Kate, Chloe are you 100% sure you are out of danger.”

“Yeah Kates stayin with me to make sure I follow docs orders babe”

“Good, I want daily fucking updates Chloe. And babe, Im so proud of you for saving Alex. Im sorry for being selfish earlier. Now I need to go to work, I promised V i would interview someone for a war photographer job with us today, love you babe”

I grinned

“Love you too. Have a good day”

I blew a kiss to the screen and we hung up.

That coulda been worse, Alex is alive and Max is proud of me. Not tellin her this but Im fuckin glad Kate made me make that call.

Glossary

Army CID: Army federal police witn both military and civilian special agents

Cot: bed

Expectant: Expected to die

Chapter Text

Afghanistan  2015

 February 11^th 0500 hours

The siren burst through the makeshit interrogation room, loud enough to wreck my fuckin ear drums. Vinh grabbed our primary suspect and ran towards what cover he could find. I snatched my carbine and ran behind him. I heard the crashes of mortars and the odd whine of a rocket almost drowned out by the shouted orders and the agonised screams. My eyes found a soldier lying on the ground. I could tell it was a woman, but only by her screams. I knew movin her was a bad idea and fuckin dangerous to me but I couldnt leave her to die. Instinct fuckin took over and I ran fom cover into that deadly 4^th of July display. I grabbed her screaming form and dragged her brutally fast along the ground. There had been no time to try to carry her. I felt my head swim. Jesus that one rang my bell good. Thank fuck it wasnt any closer. I got us into cover and saw Kate watchin. She ran over to me and we started to do what we could for the poor cunt in front of us. Her leg was a fuckin mess, there was blood on her side as well. I screamed for a medic. This was beyond my limited training, far fuckin beyond it. I looked at the soldier properly for the first time. Fuck. No. It was Alex Chen.

I woke up with a start.

Fuckin hell not the nightmares again... please. Its bad enough living that day once

Kate was already out of her cot and reading a book. Thst told me there was one positive. I hadnt been fuckin screaming. I forced a smile, or maybe a fuckin grimace onto my face.

“Mornin Preacher, no offence but prefer sharin a room with Max”

She looks at me with disappointment.

“I thought you had more respect for me than to pretend last night didnt happen Chloe. And dont make an inappropriate joke about how I phrased that. I know for a fact you had night terrors. I... I did too, or I would have if I had been brave enough to sleep. You dont have to talk but dont pretend youre fine”

“Uggghh, youre right Kate. I keep seeing Alexs face. The state of her leg. It happens every time I close my fuckin eyes. The worst fuckin part is. When I thought she was dyin, I was happy it wasnt me. What the fuck does that make me?”

Kate barely had to think about the answer

“It makes you human Chloe. You have a pregnant wife at home that you are desperate to get back to. It wasnt a malicious happiness that staff sergeant Chen was hurt. It was relief that you werent”

“But”

She cut me off

“Chloe, is Max a bad person for being grateful you werent maimed like Alex? Is Steph a bad person for the gratitude she must feel that Alex survived when others didnt? Because if your answer is no then why are you a bad person for appreciating being alive?”

I smiled. A warm, genuine smile for fuckin once instead of a cocky smirk or a shit eatin grin.

“Thanks Kate. I... I needed my fuckin ass kicked. Its been nearly a year an I still cant get used to the wantin to live shit”

“Write your wife a letter Chloe, I know you will be home before it will, but she deserves to see how much you love her written down. The kind of love you two have is once in a lifetime show her that. You arent the broken soldier I met 3 years ago, not anymore.  Shes changed you in the best possible way”

Shes fuckin right, I care about living now and its not a bad thing.

I took Kates advice and wrote a letter to Max.

February 11^th 1900 hours

I sat at the desk by my cot smoking a cigarette and sneaking a whiskey. I hid it in a coffee mug because I was pretty fuckin sure Kate would rat me out if she caught me drinkin with a concussion. Vinh had dropped me off 4 miniature bottles of bourbon and I was on the third.

Mmm painpills and whiskey dinner of fuckin champions.

I was startin to feel a good fuckin buzz when Kate walked in with her laptop.

“Chloe, I need to give my husband a call. Its our anniversary. Would you mind giving me about 30 minutes?”

“Phone sexsh?”

I slurred and started to giggle. As I have said before

I dont fuckin giggle

“Chloe have you been drinking?”

“No...ot much”

“Dont call Max in that state. Can I trust you alone if I go to my quarters for this call?”

I Smiled drunkenly

“yes mom”

Kate rolled her eyes angrily and stormed back to her quarters. Grinning to myself I poured the 4^th whiskey and started to fuck around on my laptop. I slammed back my drink and lit another cigarette.

Head feelin fucky, maybe I should lie down

I felt my stomach churn and ran outside puking my guts up.  Just as Kate came back around the corner, right into my path.

Fuck shit motherfuckin cunt. Ive just puked on Captain Marsh. Fuck

“That is disgusting Chloe. How much did you drink?”

“4 double Whiskeys and 3 painpills”

I Slurred

“Jesus”

“Nah just Chloeee”

“Chloe you know better than to drink on opiates. What happened”

I Smiled fuckin stupidly

“Fuckin bored”

Kate glared at me

“Chloe go to bed. Il videocall Max and tell her youre sick”

“I am pretty fuckin awesome”

“Not that kind of sick now go to bed”

I crawled into my cot grinning to myself my head was still spinnin but felt better after puking.

Kate might have got me outta trouble today. Need to grow up

Glossary

Cot: bed

Makeshit: Makeshift but of poor quality

Chapter Text

Afghanistan  2015

 February 12^th  0800 hours

I came back to my quarters after a hungover as fuck workout and shower. My head felt like I had been in a fight with both of the fuckin klitschko brothers at the same time. I groaned dramatically, collapsed on my cot and started to look through my emails.

1 from Max with a photo attachment nice

“Chloe I hope that moaning isnt what I think it is?”

“You really do have a dirty mind Preacher lady. Got a fuckin headache that would kill superman here”

“Good, you deserve it. You threw up on me last night and I still told Max you were ill. Honestly Chloe why would you drink with those pain meds?”

I thought about it for a while.

“Honestly, I needed tension release, Id usually rub one out but Im sharin quarters with a Preacher didnt feel right”

“Chloe, Im a woman as well as a preacher, If you need... alone time just ask. I know youre only here 1 more day but if you asked I wouldnt judge you”

She laughed softly

“Max thinks your headache took a turn for the worse. She wants a videocall with you today to make sure you are ok. I spoke with Agent Lang. He says you can use his videocall time to... well I wont tell you his exact words but hes happy for you to use his time to see Max”

“Yeah for a stuck up Perv hes got a good heart”

I smiled through my headache and videocalled Max.

“Hi babe, I have someone here that really wants to talk to you, can I let her talk first”

“Sure”

Stephs head appeared on screen. She looked grey but hopeful. Though with what she had been through no fuckin wonder.

“Chloe, Alex... I know what you did for her, Max told me everything. You saved my world and I dont even know how to thank you”

She started to cry, awful heart-breaking sobs.

“I’m... I’m a selfish bitch, Chloe. Im so glad you are both ok, but Im also fucking happy that Alex lost her leg. At least now she will never have to go back to war. I dont deserve her but I love her so much”

“Hey, what youre feelin its fuckin normal, at least thats what Kate told me. I thought you might blame me for her leg. Theres somethin I think you need to hear”

I stopped for a minute and looked at Max and Steph.

“I... I felt really shitty about what happened to Alex. I was blamin myself because I fuckin felt relieved it wasnt me. Kate tried to talk me through it but... I got drunk last night because I needed a release. I remembered somethin when I was drunk. Before Alex fainted she kept sayin your name Steph. You were all she was thinkin about when she thought she was fucked. Point is when you think thats it... its the person you love you wanna think about”

“What do you mean Chloe?”

Steph asked nervously

“If you were a shitty person she wouldnt have wasted what mighta been her last thoughts on you, trust me”

“thank you, that means more than you know”.

I Was grateful to help her, well until I saw Maxs face.

“You were drinking with a head injury? On the pain relief Kate told me you were on? Chloe are you trying to fucking kill yourself?”

“No, I just had a couplea whiskeys, ok maybe 4. I just wasnt thinkin clear, anyway I puked them up all over Kate so if ya think about it I didnt really drink them”

“Chloe, you saved my life, you saved Alexs life and Victorias. You value our lives. I just wish you would see that yours has worth and stop doing things that could hurt you”

I do value my life. I want to fuckin live. Maybe I need to find a different way to cope with shit.

“Im sorry. Youre right, it was fuckin stupid. Maybe when I get home we could start workin on ways for me to cope that are better for me? I know my life is worth somethin babe. I promise but yours is always gonna be more important to me and I wouldnt fuckin want that to change”

“As long as you take care of yourself I can live with that”

She smiled at me and I felt the shitty feelin in my head stop botherin me. It was like fuckin magic, I mean the pain was still there but it just didnt matter anymore. By the time the call ended I was ready to face the day.

February 12^th 1800 hours

Vinh was showin me the witness statements. Not that it fuckin mattered. Our only suspect had been killed by the mortar attack. My head was in such shit state that I hadnt even fuckin thought to ask. The fuckin good news was that the statements taken by Vinh while I was recovering and the evidence found before had been sent over proved he had been the shooter. Thank fuck we could close that case. I hoped there was an interesting one waiting for me when I got home

“You looking forward to going home Price?”

“My wife is pregnant and were tellin her parents who fuckin hate me when I get back, so Im thinkin I might be safer here”

“I would ask why they hate you, but Ive spent time with you, I get it”

“Dick”

He smiled and finished his coffee.

“I need to finish packing, cant wait to get home and tell all the girls about my heroic exploits in Afghanistan. I am so getting laid”

Jesus he has a one track mind

“great dude, you can be the greatest 10 second regret of some poor chicks life. Seriously though thanks for lettin me use your time to call Max”

He flipped me off with a smile and headed off to pack.

In a few hours Il have my wife in my arms. I cant fuckin wait

Glossary

Cot:bed

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.  2015

 February 14^th  0900 hours

I woke up with a start swingin my hand down to the tickling sensation on my leg.

Fuckin Camp Blackhell full of fuckin spiders. No change the...

“Oww, Chloe what the fuck? I was going to give you a nice wake up treat for valentines day and you slap my head?”

“Shit sorry babe, your hair tickled my leg and I woke up thinkin was in Afghanistan”

She gave a fuckin professional level pout at my answer.

“ Excuse me, who’s hair was tickling your thighs last week?”

“Spiders babe, fuckin quarters were lousy with em. The lie you spun Warren last year mighta been true this time around”

She giggled at the memory, I felt her teeth nip the inside of my thigh then her lips kissing the bite better.

“Sounds like I need to prove Im better than a spider, Happy Valentines day babe”

I felt her tongue exactly where I needed it most and gave a  needy whine.

God its hella fuckin good to be home

About an hour later after we had both eaten and been eaten we went downstairs for breakfast. It had been hella fuckin difficult to find a gift in the fuckin sandbox so I had begged my mom to book an appointment with the best tattooist in D.C. I was finally gonna take Max to get the tattoo I had designed for her when I thought I was going to die. A blue butterfly sat on a grey and white shaded polaroid camera. She had emailed me the booking and I had printed it off and put it inside a card for Max.

At this point Max was cooking what I was pretty sure would be by a long way the second best thing I had tasted this morning so I snuck the card out of the drawer I had hidden it in and crept up behind her.

I sucked her neck hard enough to leave a slight hickey.

“Happy Valentines day babe”

“Chloeee you cant be turned on again already”

She squealed.

“Well I had just been gonna give you your card, but ya know if youre offering...”

“You are insatiable today”

She kissed me hard then took the eggs and bacon out of the pan and put them onto our plates. When she was done I handed her the card. Her eyes lit up.

“Chloe, where did you get a to my wife card in Afghanistan?”

“Honestly? Kate brought a few cards for husbands and wives with her, soldiers away from home get hella sappy an sometimes forget to bring one if theyre away for Valentines or anniversaries, she did chew one guy out for askin for a wife and a girlfriend one though”

“Thats awful, his poor wife... Oh my god Chloe this is fucking amazing, thank you”

She kissed me really aggressively.

“Your card and gift is in the bedroom. Il grab it after breakfast”

“Sounds good babe, what time are your folks gettin here tomorrow? Mom and the stepfucker will be here about 10”

She grimaced

“About half 9, Chloe you really need to stop calling David your stepfucker, you get along fine with him”

“I promise Il stop when the baby is born. He can be step grandfucker then”

“I have no fucking idea why I love you so much, youre awful”

I grinned and we ate breakfast. When we finished eating Max gave me a card. She had also found a wife card and inside was tickets to the Washington Capitals for their game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

“Fuckin hell babe thank you.  This is gonna be amazeballs. Will that be your first hockey game?”

“Dad took me to one as a little kid but my first NHL one”

“Babe you will love it, might even get a fight if we’re lucky”

She glared at me

“Chloe youre a fucking army cop, dont dare start a fight at the match”

“I meant between the players babe, the seats you got are so fuckin good we might even see the teeth gettin knocked out”

Her eyes widened. Honestly it was fuckin adorable

“Chloe its hockey not boxing, they wouldnt”

“They hella would, its almost tradition with some teams”

I never saw eyes roll that fuckin much

February 14^th  1400 hours

We sat in the tattoo parlour waitin for Max to be called.

Looks more like a doctors office than the backstreet places I got my ink

“Max Caulfield-Price”

We stood up and walked into the studio. The tattooist spoke to me

“Photo of your design was sent to us. Its good work, you got a ton of ink, take it your girl designed it and wants to check that Ive copied it right?”

“Nah dude its her first tattoo, Valentines gift. My wife wanted me to hold her hand, that cool with you?”

He smiled and looked at Max

“All good, sorry for the mix up, where do you want it?”

“Inside of my thigh so only Chloe gets to see it. Would you mind adding the date 06/30/14? It was our wedding day”

“sure. You want a female artist with it being a kinda intimate area?”

Max thought for a minute

“No you seem professional, but thank you so much for asking”

He put the transfer on Maxs skin and began to work. Her hand gripped mine for the full 2 hours until the tattoo was done.

Max looked at it in the mirror.

“God its beautiful, thank you so much”

“No problem, your wifes already paid, rub this on it 3 times a day and keep it covered for 24 hours. Try to keep the sun off it for about a week as well”

He passed her a jar of antiseptic tattoo butter.

“Oh and with the area its in, be careful being intimate, its an open wound”

I laughed at the hella sexy blush that appeared by fuckin magic on her face and we headed home.

She was all fuckin over me when we got in the front door. I was so careful undressin her that she was gettin frustrated.

“Babe Im pregnant and just got a tattoo. Im not suddenly made of glass, take my fucking clothes off already”

I slowed almost to a fuckin stop, kissing every area I uncovered except the intimate ones, the frustrated noises were such a turn on to me. When my mouth finally grazed her nipple she almost came with anticipation, as my hand travelled lower I smirked at her.

“Babe did you like the pain from the tattoo?”

“Use your fucking teeth on me and find out”

I bit her nipple but she wasnt satisfied.

“Not there, Il give you a clue”

She took me by the hair and started to move my head downwards

Holy fuckin shit talk about the perfect Valentines day meal!!

Glossary

Sandbox: Middle East

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.  2015

 February 15^th  0930 hours

I was standin by the front door a cigarette burnin in my hand.

 Maxs folks are in our sittin room and her fuckin dad is pretendin  I dont exist in our fuckin house.

I could see how much it was hurtin Max and I was really tryin to be nice but he was strainin my fuckin patience. I jumped in Maxs car to pick up Mom and David from the airport and prayed I might get called in to work. Bein on call usually sucked but I woulda made an exception to avoid Maxs dad.

I saw mom and David standin at the front of the airport and waved them over.

“Chloe its great to see you. Maxs new car is beautiful. Sweetheart why the hell are you wearing your badge and gun?”

“Fuck mom slow down, Im wearin my badge and gun cause Im on call, its good to see you too... both of you I suppose and thanks but the car is a fuckin lame soccer mom mobile”

“Chloe watch your language please, have Maxs parents arrived yet? Id love to meet her dad since he couldnt make the wedding”

Jesus how the fuck does she make me feel like a teenage delinquent all over again?

“You didnt miss anythin Mom, hes a cunt”

“Chloe Elizabeth Price what did I just say about your language young lady?”

Im 32 in less than a month and she still fuckin calls me that?

“He hates me mom, he doesnt think Im good enough for Max cause of my fuckin job”

“Im sure he doesnt hate you sweetheart, he might have missed the wedding but he came today didnt he?”

I forced a smile, she was right, he did and he was going to be a grandad, maybe that would be enough for him to at least tolerate me.

The rest of the drive was slow but we finally made it to the house.

“You still got that piece of shit truck Chloe? You need a tetanus shot just lookin at it”

I grinned, David never did like my truck.

“Fuck you man, its a classic”

We walked laughing into the house, Maxs mom, Veronica and mom started catchin up right away.

How am I so fuckin abrupt when mom isnt and dad wasnt?

Ryan and David shook hands almost fuckin civilly and until Ryan saw the P229 on my hip things were almost fuckin lookin up.

“I told you Maxine. She wont even pick her parents up from the airport without carrying a gun, how can you be with someone like that?”

My mom and David both looked as fuckin angry as I felt. Even Vanessa was fuckin uncomfortable but that was nothin compared to Max. There was pure fuckin fury all over her face.

“Chloe is a CID agent. Shes on call today, she needs to be ready to go in at any time so when she leaves the house for anything she has to take her gun and her badge with her. Its her fucking job. I wish it wasnt, I wish she had a job that didnt put her in danger but I am so fucking proud of her for putting her life on the line for other people. You have no right to come into our home and insult my fucking wife”

Ryan was startin to lose it himself and I could see tension on David that I hadnt seen since he caught me with weed the day after I got suspended from school the first time.

Glad that fuckin look aint for me this time

“I watch the damn news Maxine. She killed 3 people less than a month ago and youre so blind you still defend her”

“I was fucking there, she risked her life to stop 3 bank robbers from putting a school trip in danger”

David put his hand on my shoulder

“Sounds to me like the right people died that day, Ive known Chloe since she was 15 years old. She was a difficult teenager but I couldnt be prouder of the woman shes become. If you want to insult her under her own roof you and me got a problem”

Fuck Davids proud of me? Kinda nice to hear even if teenage me would hella kick my ass for sayin that. Fuck it I could take her.

“Vanessa we’re leaving Maxine is obviously not willing to be reasonable”

“Im fucking pregnant you... cunt. Thats why we asked all of you here. To t... tell you the good news but you cant be happy for me dad so get the fuck out of my house!”

I could see the tears in her eyes and pulled her into a hug. Holding her close to me and gently kissing her forehead. Ryan stormed out angrily but to her credit Vanessa stayed.

“Congratulations both of you, I want you to know if it comes to a choice between him or you Maxine, you win every time. I love you and you are both going to be great Moms”

My Mom as usual was insanely fuckin excited

“Thats great news honey, how far along are you? Have you got furniture built for the baby’s room yet? Remember to child proof the house, Chloe was a fiend for the cleaning cupboard and medicine cabinet”

Max smiled tearfully

“Thanks Mom. Im just over 3 months pregnant Joyce but we only found out for sure last month. We havent sorted the baby’s room yet but we had hoped you and mom would come shopping with us tomorrow to show us what we need, we also hoped David might show us how to childproof the house. Chloe told me hes pretty good with security stuff.”

“Of course we will we can go and pick the stuff up and then go for lunch, have a girls day. David can stay here and start the child proofing”

David looked hella relieved, no wonder. A shoppin trip with my Mom is a visit to a special part of fuckin hell and from what Max told me about her wedding dress shopping Vanessa is even worse. Still baby shopping might be kinda cool.

We all agreed to meet tomorrow at 0800 to get started. Mom and David would head to their hotel and Vanessa would crash in our spare room which would soon be a nursery.

God Im so fuckin lucky to have this family... even David.

Glossary

CID: Army federal police. Agents can either be military like Chloe or civilian like Vinh

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.  2015

 February 16^th  0730 hours

I was fresh from a shared shower with Max and tryin not to think about the cigarettes in my jacket pocket. With the baby on the way I was really tryin hard to cut down and fuckin eventually quit. I was half dressed, my wet hair tickling my shoulders when I heard my phone buzz.

“Hey Steph, How are ya? Alex must be back in the states soon. I mean I know just to a hospital here but at least you can visit. Think Max has a nurse outfit you can wear”

Who am I kiddin? I know she does.

“Thats what Im calling for Chloe, about Alex not the nurse outfit. She got back yesterday, I visited her in the hospital for a late Valentines day surprise and...Chloe she wasnt herself”

“Itl take time, she aint exactly her whole self Steph. Shes 3/4s of herself”

“What the fuck is wrong with you? not fucking funny. Im worried about her. Really worried and youre making amputation jokes?”

Shit forgot I was speakin to a civilian

“Sorry, black humor, kinda how we cope. Me and Max are goin shoppin for the babys room this mornin. Want us to meet you after and we’ll try to cheer her up together?”

“That would be amazing. Almost makes up for you being a massive dick earlier”

She half laughed, half cried over the phone

“meet about 4?”

“Yeah Steph no problem, gotta go finish gettin dressed now we’re headin out in 30.”

We hung up the call and Max poked her head out of the tiny en suite shower room.

“Chloe, when you said about someone only being 3/4s of herself, you better not have been talking about Alex losing her leg”

“It was just a fuckin joke babe, said we’d go and see her with Steph today”

“Only if youre planning to be nice to her babe, shes been through enough without you screwing  with her”

I frowned, it was odd Alex was back and it was me Steph called and not Max. We get on pretty well but Max is usually the one she calls with good news.

Maybe she doesnt think fussin and kindness is what Alex needs right now?

“Max shes still Alex, shes probably had enough of people treatin her with kid fuckin gloves. I know I would be pissed about it by now”

“Nice Chloe, or il ask Joyce for baby pictures and embarrassing stories”

How is it even blackmail looks hella cute on her ?

My mom and David arrived and we waited for Vanessa to finish her coffee. Max watched jealously, the no caffeine part of pregnancy was hittin fuckin hard. Id even stopped takin coffee before I got to work to make it easier on her.

We went to the shops and picked up all the baby stuff we needed then went for a steak lunch.

Not a bad fuckin morning

February 16^th 1700 hours

We picked Steph up after the shopping trip. She looked fuckin grey. Like she hadnt slept in 6 months. I knew the look. Fuck I had it myself when I came back from my first deployment in Iraq.

 “Chloe, what I said earlier, I meant it. She isnt herself. She wont talk to me, and when I saw her earlier, she was at the nurses station. I think... I think shes fallen for one of the nurses”

 “Dont be fuckin stupid, she loves you, probably just exercisin the good leg”

 She looked at me. Her eyes were wet

 “Can you go in alone please Chloe, shes so awful to me just now. All she does is insult me, she fucking threatened to hit me if I didnt leave yesterday, Ive never been scared of her before”

 I was fuckin stunned, Alex wasnt violent, not outside the ring. Max though there was a cold disgust on her face.

 “She threatned to hit you? Are you fucking cereal? Steph you need to think seriously about this relationship”

 “Its fine, she doesnt know what shes saying right now”

 Max was ready to continue the argument so I took one hand off the wheel and squeezed her thigh, shakin my head as discretely as I fuckin could.

 “This is Alex and Stephs fuckin business babe”

 I whispered. She didnt seem fuckin happy but kept quiet.

 When we reached the hospital Max picked up coffee for Steph and an orange juice for me and her.

Deliberately not gettin somethin for Alex. Shes pissed about what Steph told us.

 I walked into Alexs room in the hospital. Since Steph had asked me to come in alone, I had left her sitting or more fuckin accurately pacing outside the door with Max. When I got to the side of the bed Alex could barely fuckin look at me.

 “Why the fuck did you do it Chloe? Why did you drag me outta range? Now Stephs stuck with a fuckin cripple to take care of, Ive lost my job and she doesn’t even get the full SGLI payout. What fuckin use am I now?”

 My hearts fuckin breakin for her, but nice aint gonna fuckin get this done

 “Fuck you, never took you for a coward Chen”

 I grabbed her head and turned it towards the door

 “Your fuckin wife is out there breakin her fuckin heart because you wont fuckin look at her, You fuckin threatened her Alex.  I know the look on your face, I saw it in the mirror for 12 fuckin years.”

 She glared at me, real fuckin hate blazin in her eyes as I continued

 “And I know you got medic trainin. Alex I know you stole somethin from the nurses station. Steph thinks you mighta been tryin to fuck a nurse but I know better.  You plannin to off yourself?”

 “Fuck you, Whats it got to do with you? Get the fuck out of here”

 I was gettin angry, really fuckin angry

 “whatever you took, fuckin give me it. Someone could lose their job you selfish cunt. Now Alex or I swear Il search you and the room.”

 She slid her hand inside the pillow cover and brought out a syringe. She handed it over, anger makin her hand shake.

 “I wont tell Steph about this but sort your fuckin self out, youre a fuckin disgrace to yourself right now”

 I stormed out of her room and handed Steph the syringe, it was filled with air.

 “She was plannin to inject that. You said she gets home tomorrow? I didnt tell you this but does she keep a gun in the house?”

 “y...yes  what should I do?”

 “We’ll stop at your place, she aint been discharged from the army yet so I have the authority to take her weapon for her own safety”

 We drove Steph home and I walked into her and Alexs home. There was photos of the 2 of them on every wall.

 And I thought me an Max were sappy with pictures

 Steph handed me a browning hi power and an AR 15 hunting rifle.

 “This it? She got a knife outside of your kitchen ones, this is fuckin important. I wont tell anyone Im takin this stuff but if she doesnt shape up Il need to make it official. If I do she will lose her firearm licence”

 Steph handed me a switchblade and a hunting knife. I put the weapons into the carriers and we took them out to Maxs car. We both gave Steph a hug and we drove back to our place.

 “Chloe was Alex really going to...”

 “Yeah, cant blame her, if I lost my leg I wouldnt want to be a fuckin burden on you.”

 “Babe you would never be a burden, I wouldnt care if you lost a leg or an arm or were paralysed completely, I would still want you”

 I smiled at her and quickly kissed her.

 I dont know what the fuck I did to deserve this woman

 Glossary

SGLI: Low cost life insurance policy up to the value of up to $400 000 in 2014. I believe it is up to $500 000 now which pays out to DD93 beneficiaries if the soldier is killed and dependant on policy chosen to the soldier if critically injured. Alexs policy pays significantly less for injury

Chapter Text

Washington D.C 

February 18^th  2015 1900 hours

I was sat with Max. In Capital 1 Arena. Waitin for the players to skate out.

Im seein them live. The fuckin flyers. I aint seen them live since dad died

I was wearin an old flyers jersey of dads. From the 74 stanley cup. Max had a new one but this one means too much to me.

Dad worshipped that team

We watched as the teams came out and cheered for the opening face off. Max looked like a kid, those beautiful eyes were like saucers when she she saw a player checked fuckin brutally into the boards. She clutched my hand.

“This is so exciting, its brutal but I cant look away”

“Just wait babe, see the 2 big guys on each bench? Wait til they come on”

After 9 minutes and about the same number of shift changes there was a flyers goal.

I jumped up fuckin screamin and max kissed me with an insane amounta passion for a public place. I looked and saw the two big guys nod to each other at the face off.

“Watch this babe, its fuckin awesome”

She stared intently at the ice. As soon as the puck dropped they skated towards each other and dropped their gloves. They grabbed each other and started to punch.

“Chloe this is savage, its amazing but savage. I take it they will be banned for this?”

“Nah babe 5 minute penalty thats all”

She looked at me almost fuckin shyly

“Kiss me”

I Kissed her gently but she pressed aggressively against me and deepened the kiss.

Holy fuckin shit is hockey a turn on for her?

“Babe, no judgement, but is this turnin you on?”

“The game no, the fight definitely not, the fact that my wife insisted on driving and is watching it with me drinking a diet soda instead of alcohol because Im pregnant, definitely”

Im blushing, she made me fuckin blush

At the end of the first period I got us some more sodas and a hot dog each, well 1 for me and 2 for Max if Im really honest. The little one was doin a fuckin number on her appetite at that point, though she still fuckin hates to be reminded of it.

The second period passed too fuckin quickly, we were 2-1 fuckin down by the end of it and the crowd was gettin hella fuckin restless. It didnt help that Max was antsy as fuck by this point and wouldnt stop kissing and nuzzling into me.

God the things she was whisperin would make a fuckin sailor(or in this case a soldier) blush like a fuckin nun

“Hands babe, the last thing I need is a fuckin public indecency charge, cop remember?”

She moved her hands to a more suitable fuckin location but licked my neck with a smile that was almost fuckin feral.

“As soon as we get home I need your fucking tongue in me”

She said that just loud enough for people to maybe hear.

“In every room in the house babe, but only if you behave til we get there”

She pouted so fuckin sexily at me I nearly broke right there

“Spoilsport, give me a kiss before the teams come back out”

I Kissed her, feeling her teeth nip my tongue almost painfully.

God shes doin this on purpose.

“Is that behavin Max?”

“Mmmhm it is if I want spanked”

I discretely squeezed her ass hard and felt her moan as we kissed again.

If I knew me not drinkin did this to her Ida gone teetotal the day we met

All too soon my personal interval entertainment was over and the players took to the ice for the final period.

With around 5 minutes left the flyers scored to equalise.

Looks like we’re headin for overtime.

“Will they fight again Chloe”

“Be stupid to, tied game they wont wanna lose the players, but anythins fuckin possible if theres a bad hit”

For 4 minutes the puck was bein kept away from either goal tender then with about 30 seconds to go the flyers fuckin scored.

I jumped up. Fuckin delighted especially with the final line change. Then it fuckin happened a huge illegal hit from behind, before the fuckin officials could do anythin the gloves of the hitter and the flyers enforcer had hit the ice and they were fuckin poundin each other.

Talk about a self policing sport

I saw the capitals player hit the ice and drag himself up as they were both escorted to the penalty box. Only for 19 seconds but still, what a fuckin end to the game it was.

A 3-2 win and 2 fights won. Hella great Valentines gift Max thought of

She took my hand at the end and dragged me to her car. Since the pregnancy she wouldnt set foot in my truck

Calls it a fuckin health hazard. The rust is fuckin character

Her tongue was in my mouth before I could even start drivin. When she finally let me breathe I took off drivin as fast as I safely could.  Not fast enough for my wife though. Her fingers were workin inside her jeans the whole way home. She wasnt bein quiet about it either.

When we arrived in our driveway she slipped her fingers into my mouth and after I had licked her sweetness from them she dragged me into the house.

It was gonna be a hella good fuckin night

Glossary

Enforcer: unofficial ice hockey position. Essentially the bodyguard for the skillful players. A goon in lower leagues but most nhl level tough guys can play.

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.

March  9^th   2015 1600 hours

I knelt almost shell shocked lookin at the bloody mess that use to be a fuckin human being, somethin close to a friend even if our differences made a fuckin friendship impossible. As the emts took his body away my brain reflected on what brought us to this fuckin place. To what killed my almost friend.

Lucan had told me to call someone to let them know I was safe.  This was somethin I couldnt tell Max.Not now , maybe Not ever. My wife was too fuckin precious to me to bring into this fuckin shitstorm.

 Fingers tremblin I dialled the one number that just might be able to help. I knew she only got back from Afghanistan yesterday but all differences aside she was my friend.

“Kate... can we talk...  its fuckin bad.... really fuckin bad”

“Jesus Chloe, its all over the news, the agent who was killed, was it one of yours?”

My almost stunned silence probably already gave her the answer.

“Give me 2 minutes. Im calling Max on the landline. She needs to know youre safe then we can talk”

I Nodded dumbly into the phone forgettin she couldnt fuckin see me.

How many more explosions have I got in me? My fuckin bell cant take bein rung too many more times

I heard bits of the conversation to Max.

“Shes talking to me on my cell right now.”

I felt a hand on my shoulder, almost but not fuckin quite comforting

“Someone has to tell Charlotte, Im gonna go round there just now, you know his sister dont you? Alex I think?”

I spun as if I had been fuckin shot

Alex, shes been through so fuckin much and now this. Steph was just startin to help her put the pieces back together. You selfish cunt thinkin just of how it fuckin affects you. I gotta fuckin lash out

“Yeah Lang, sendin you to talk to the grievin widow. Great fuckin plan. Will you wait more than 5 minutes before you try and fuck her?”

I saw anger and hurt flash on his face

“You really think fucking nothing of me dont you Price?”

Before he could continue I heard a shocked gasp coming from the phone

“Chloe how dare you? Agent Lang must be hurting as well. Who was it?”

“Gabe Chen, Alexs brother”

“God that family. They cant catch a break just now, Il pray for them. Now tell me what you can”

We had an anonymous call about a bomb threat. It had come to us as the secretary of the army was the intended target. We raced to the location given. Vinh Lang and Jed Lucan were searchin the North an West side, Gabe Chen an me took South and East. I saw a young woman maybe 19, a kid really tryin to escape the scene. I chased her and managed to make the arrest. She never even fuckin fought me, just grinned like the fuckin joker ya know from the batman movies? It was the fuckin grin that told me somethin was wrong. I heard Chen on the radio

“I got it, calling eod techs i...”

The blast was fuckin huge. My ears were fuckin ringin,  The bitch was just smilin, I felt my weapon raise almost on its own

“Price, are you ok? Chloe”

Lucans voice brought me back to my fuckin senses. I couldnt murder this cunt. I grabbed her by the fuckin neck and dragged her to the vehicles.

“Give me one fuckin reason, just one and youre fuckin dead”

She just kept grinning, creepy bitch never even fuckin spoke... not a fuckin word. We all knew we couldnt get into the building. Chen had been standin beside the bomb. We might leave no one behind but riskin the livin for the dead just gets more people dead. He wouldnta wanted that.

Took about 3 hours for the buildin to be safe enough to enter an I found what was left of my partner.

“Theyre gonna need sandbags to weigh out his fuckin coffin Kate. I shoulda killed that cunt”

“Dont you even think that Chloe, Youre a soldier, not a murderer”

“Alex, she wont cope with this Kate, not with the leg. No one fuckin could”

Kate spoke kindly, her earlier anger or maybe fuckin disappointment in me forgotten or at least forgiven

“Give your supervisor my number. Il go with him to see Alex, a friend should be there and forgive me Chloe, but you are in no state. Go home and kiss your wife, let her heal you”

“Thanks Kate, sorry you had to hear what I said to Vinh.”

“Its not me thats owed an apology about that Chloe. Your feelings arent an excuse to insult other people”

She knows as well as I do thats not fuckin happenin

We hung up and I gave Lucan her number. He was so fuckin grateful, I could see tears threatenin.

I took the crazy bitch back to interrogation. She confessed to everythin but gave no fuckin reason for the bombing except

“Always wanted to kill a fucking fed”

Fuck it. The lethal injection wont give a fuck about her reasons. Neither do I.

I jumped in my truck and drove home to Max. There was a strange truck, a new 5 door blue ford f150 in the driveway. My body tensed and I drew my sidearm, I moved around to the back door and opened it quietly. I began to clear the rooms slowly until Max came down the stairs.

She was comin out our fuckin bedroom. Who the fuck is here with her?

I holstered my weapon.

“Everythin ok babe?”

“Chloe, thank God youre safe. Kate shouldnt have been the one to call me but I... I dont fucking care all thst matters is youre alive.”

She still loves me, I wish I had come home later, if shes cheating I dont wanna know

“So I got some news yesterday Chloe. I earned $500 000 for my Afghanistan war photographs. The ones Jefferson didnt want. Most goes into the business. But”

She paused

“Please... dont hate me Chloe”

Has she got a high price fuckin escort up there, when she didnt know if I was alive? Il try to get past whatever it is. I love her and that baby needs us both

 “I know how much you love that fucking health hazard you drive, but Chloe its not safe for a baby. There isnt even a back seat for God sake. So... for your birthday, I got you a new truck. Its outside”

She bought me a new truck... I thought the worst. Gotta be the concussion. I know better than to doubt her.

“Babe, I love you, and I love our baby. The truck, its just a truck. You were right, we need both cars to be baby safe. Thank you, for doing what I couldnt.”

She smiled.

“No test driving until tomorrow. You shouldnt have driven home. I ordered Pizza, You are going to take a shower and wait for me to bring it to the bedroom.”

New truck and Pizza in bed, I dont deserve this fuckin woman

Glossary

Bell rung: head injury caused by explosion, usually causing concussion

Sandbags: false weight added to coffin so that families can bury loved ones without knowing how little remains after death in an explosion

Chapter Text

Washinngton D.C.

March  11^th    2015 0800 hours

I sat at my desk studyin a case, the coffee in front of me was strong and bitter, the flavor made a little fuckin strange by the gum I was chewin.

Tryin to wean yourself off an 18 year cigarette habit is no fuckin joke.

18 years. Fuck. It was my 32^nd birthday. People always told me I looked younger. Apart from my eyes, there was a haunted wariness to them that aged me a bit. I also wasnt in the best humor. The closest thing I had to a friend at work had been killed 2 days ago and his replacement was transferrin in on my fuckin birthday. Add to that, my wife had the morning sickness from hell that mornin so she wasnt able to relieve my fuckin stress. So I sat, pissed off, horny and gettin nowhere fast on the case. A good lookin blonde with legs that never fuckin stopped came up to my desk. I noticed the stylishly tight blue pantsuit that made her eyes pop right away.

Good thing Im happily married, at one point in my life she woulda been near the fuckin top of my to do list, mighta even made the number 1 slot.

“Im looking for Agent Lucan, or failing that, Lang or Price. Do you know where I can find one of them?”

I forced a smile

“You already have. Im Chloe Price. You the probationer?”

“No, just new to this team. Taylor Christensen”

That name I had heard before. She had been the bodyguard for the director when I joined. Lucan had even offered to get her to take my place teaching a certain actress how to act like a fed. I ignored the hand being held out to me.

“Theres a desk on my left. Stow your fuckin gear there”

“Thank you Chloe, I love how casually you dress, didnt know that was an option”

“Is if you dont give a fuck”

God I hella needed a fuckin smoke

Lang bounded up to Taylors new desk, like a puppy, not the cute kind, the horny kind you almost wanna kick for humpin your leg.

“Taylor, its been a long time, technically you are supposed to be partnered with Price, but I could pull rank and have you assigned to me. Not sure you want to work with Dirty Harriet”

“Dirty Harriet?”

He smiled, it was almost fuckin complimentary

“like the Clint Eastwood movie, Chloe isnt one for taking suspects in alive, unless theres no other way, she likes to save the taxpayer the expense of a trial”

“Fuck you dude, every shoot was justified, I had been gonna apologise for the shit I said when Chen died but you can shove that up your ass now”

Taylor rolled her eyes at the semi friendly insults and looked both of us over

“Think Il stick with Chloe, her dress sense is better”

Vinh Lang put his hand over his heart and pretended to be shot

“ahhh, really hitting me where it hurts, youre going to fit right in with this team”

Taylor and I laughed at his antics. You could say a lot of bad shit about Agent Vinh Lang, hell I usually fuckin did but the guy was funny. Taylor grabbed a pack of Marlboros from her purse.

“I need a smoke, anyone want”

Fuck it, its my birthday. Im allowed a treat.

“Sure”

I grabbed the pack of Lucky Strike that was hidden in my desk and followed her outside.

I felt the tension leave my body as I inhaled the smoke until Taylor looked at me.

“Was that true? What Vinh said?”

“I mean sorta, I do have a few shootings against my name, but not by choice. I just dont fuckin hesitate if it needs done. I got a pregnant wife that I wanna get home to every night”

“I thought you might prefer women, didnt want to ask though”

I grinned

“Dont ask, Dont tells long gone. Im an open fuckin book since 2011, how bout you? And Im not hittin on you, happily married”

“I like both, I mean I just ended things with a guy but my longest relationship was a woman”

We finished our smokes and headed back inside. I showed Taylor the case we were lookin into. A death in training for special operations.

“Nothin fuckin in it but the guys family wanted it investigated. Its goin nowhere”

“They deserve closure Chloe, this is just as important as catching the bad guy you know”

Is it fuck. God damn waste of time, people die in special ops trainin it happens, just gotta accept the risk of the job

“I got a friend you would get along with. Hopelessly fuckin idealistic preacher. But probably the nicest girl I ever met, even puts up with my shitty fuckin attitude”

“Nicer than your wife?”

Her tone was teasing rather than cruel

“Its close”

“Thats a good answer, just ambiguous enough to stop me asking more questions”

“Listen with you goin through a break up you might not want to, but we’re goin out tonight for my birthday, if you want a few drinks youre welcome to join”

She smiled

“Thank you Chloe, that means a lot to be asked on my first day.”

With that arranged Taylor contacted the dead soldiers wife and confirmed accidental death.

March 11^th 2100 hours

I was sat in a bar, Max was nuzzling into me, almost draped across my lap, she was bein hella touchy feely since Taylor arrived. Kate brought some drinks from the bar, a scotch for herself, red wine for Taylor, a large bourbon for me and a virgin cosmo for Max.

“So Taylor, what do you think of working with Chloe?”

“Your wifes great Max but her language isnt always the most appropriate.”

Max and Kate snorted into their drinks.

Ever feel like youre bein ganged up on?

“That reminds me, Chloe did you ever apologise to Vinh? You were cruel when Gabe died”

“I was gonna Kate, then he called me Dirty Harriet so I told him to shove it up his fuckin ass”

I Thought it was major lecture time, then Kates face turned hella fuckin red. Victoria Chase walked into the bar wearin, well pretty much nothin. Her dress was slit high at the thigh and super low at the top and the material was almost see through. I saw Taylor hide a gulp, her eyes wide.

“Hi girls, who’s this? Never mind shes super cute.”

She sat down very close to a delighted Taylor, ‘accidentally’ giving a blushing Kate full view down the front of her dress.

She coulda worn underwear, poor Kate doesnt know where to look. Taylors lovin it though

Victoria stole a sip from Taylors wine and put an arm around her.

“Im going to get some shots, help me carry them back sweetie? Victoria Chase by the way. And you are?”

“Taylor... Christensen?”

“Sweetie are you asking me or telling me?”

She grabbed Taylors hand and led her to the bar.

If I didnt know better Id say that look on Kates face was fuckin fury. Whats got into her?

It only took 2 hours  to find out I was right, the look was definitely anger and it got worse when Victoria decided after around 8 shots that there were nowhere near enough tongues in Taylors mouth and that she had to add a fuckin extra one.

“Victoria,I...  Im not ready for a relationship”

“Who wants a relationship Taylor, its just sex sweetie”

Taylor almost purred with fuckin pleasure

“Your place or mine?”

Kate stormed to the bathroom and didnt come out until she was sure they were gone. Her eyes were red.

She might be religious but she did our wedding, she has no problem with people bein gay. Weird V and Taylor havin a one offs botherin her.

“You good Preacher Lady?”

“I... Im not good at all. I havent told anyone why I chose to stay in D.C. after my last deployment. Always skirted around it.”

“So talk. I had a good teacher for the shrink shit”

She looked at me

“I married such a good man. But I... I was never truly happy. I never knew why... then I realised... Im... Chloe Im a lesbian”

“Fuck. You know that means we cant be friends right? You were the token straight girl in the group”

She laughed through her tears,

Fuck she must be down if my shitty joke got a laugh

“So why did V and Taylor makin out bother you? Shit were you plannin a move on Taylor?

“My divorce isnt finalised. I couldnt date anyone in good conscience until it is... it... wasnt Taylor who upset me. Well it was but its because... because”

She broke down in half drunk sobs

“Kate, do you... like Victoria? As more than friends I mean?”

“YES”

Well holy fuckin shit

Glossary

Probationer/probationary agent: trainee federal agent

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.

June  10^th     2015  1400 hours

I was in the small back yard settin up the grill. The charcoal bag had burst which was a pain in the ass but I had finally got everythin set up perfect. Max was in the kitchen preppin chicken and burgers, she would do the salad when our guests arrived.

I wasnt allowed to touch the salad because

“ marshmallow salad is not a salad Chloe, how will we get our kid to eat vegetables with you as an example?”

Or

“Hard cider doesnt count as fruit because its made from apples Chloe”

Ya know depending on her mood.

I wandered back inside and immediately started to kiss Maxs neck, my hands found the bump on her belly and I felt our baby move. This was heaven to me, had been since the first time I felt it.

Like my whole world could fit inside my arms

Max was gasping, lately my mouth anywhere near her neck caused amazin reactions, even more amazin than before.

“Chloe... please... we... dont have time for...”

“We hella got time”

I lifted her onto the counter and started to unbutton her jeans. Just as the maternity  jeans came down I heard a firm knock.

Motherfuckin fuck shit cunt

“told you, go and answer the door babe”

Groaning all the way to the door I plastered a smile on my face and opened it. Mom and David were fuckin early... of course. David’s like me that way. On time is fuckin late, the army drums it into you one way or another. He gives me a kind smile.

“Thought we should be early. We figured Joyce could give Max a hand, let her get some rest, from what I hear bein 7 months pregnants no joke. Thought I could take over the grill as well”

He said the last bit softly, he knew the struggles I had with the smell of barbecue. He was the only person I ever told. The only one who would really fuckin understand.

PTSD is fuckin shit.

“Thanks David, that’d be great.”

My mom hugged me, happiness fightin vague irritation in her eyes.

“Chloe, I saw the trial for the bomber who killed your friend was yesterday, she never gave a reason the news said. Why did she do it?”

“Shes fuckin nuts mom, sometimes crazy just gotta crazy ya know? Real police works not like on tv, sometimes you never fuckin know the why”

She huffed at my language and almost ran to see Max. While I answered a much softer knock, it was almost fuckin hesitant.

“Hi Chloe, Alex... wouldnt come but... I needed to get out of the house. Is it ok me coming myself?”

My cops eye saw her adjust the sleeve of her shirt to cover some bruisin on her arm.

“Sure Steph, everythin cool? Not heard from you guys in a minute”

She looked like she was gonna break down but never would, not to me.

“Max is in the sittin room, maybe you could do me a favor an keep her company while I help David with the grill?”

She tells Max everythin. She needs that chance before everyone else arrives. Bet thats why she came early.

I watched Steph sit close to Max and took the meat out to David.

About an hour later my partner Taylor had arrived. The stunning blonde was sat by Max and Steph nodding at parts of the conversation, occasionally offering a quiet suggestion or a comforting touch on Stephs arm. Steph in particular was hangin on her every word of advice.

I heard one of the final 2 knocks I was expectin. Kate or Victoria?

God I was dreadin this.

3 months ago on my birthday Victoria and Taylor had a drunken one night stand. This had pissed Kate off enough to finally tell me she was getting a divorce from her husband because she realised she had feelings for Victoria.

I hope its not too much, Im not sure if Kates been around V since that night.

I answered the door and was pleasantly surprised, our last 2 guests had arrived at the same time and were currently joined at the fuckin lips.

“So... guessin you two talked since my birthday?”

Victoria raised an eyebrow

“Talked?... not extensively, wait we did have one conversation but I just cant remember what it was about, can you Katie?”

Kates smile coulda powered a fuckin city, her hand slyly gropin Victorias ass, under her skirt

“cant have been anything too important then can it?”

I pretended not to notice her hands position

“So the divorce is workin out then Kate? Though the no sex before marriage must be killin you right now, new relationship an all?”

Max glared at me, her patented ‘you’ll pay for that later’ glare but Kate gave an almost fuckin indecent smile

“Last time I checked divorce comes after marriage Chloe so any sex  I may be having by definition couldnt be before marriage now could it?”

Max looked stunned

“You mean... you two?”

“Preacher Ladys gettin some babe”

Max slapped my shoulder for bein inappropriate but Victoria smugly added

“Every night for 2 months”

Kates smile changed when she saw Taylor sitting beside Steph, it was now a little smug, almost possesive, definitely not Katelike. A victory smile.

“She does realise Steph is married right?”

“Come on  Katie, theyre only talking. You dont want to cause an argument, be nice”

 I laughed at the mental image of Kate starting any sort of fight (and at the fuckin insanity of Victoria Chase tellin Kate Marsh off for bein cruel). Still I couldnt help notice Taylor gently squeezing Stephs hand, and softly yet professionally checking the bruised area on her arm she tried so hard to hide.

I moved closer as discretely as I could.

“You have to tell Chloe how bad it is Steph, she cares about both of you, she can help”

“I... I know youre right Agent Christensen but... shes Alexs friend, what if... fuck, could you... give me a hug?”

Taylor wrapped her arms around Steph with no hesitation

I could swear I heard Kate snort in the other room

“Its ok, its all gonna be ok, youre safe here Steph. I promise, you want me to go get Max? You can tell her what you just told me. Im sure she will help you find the words to tell Chloe what happened. Alex needs tough love right now and Chloe is good at that”

Shit. She’s obviously scared to tell me somethin, better be somewhere else til she feels safe enough to talk

I pretended not to hear the conversation and grabbed a beer from the kitchen.

By the time we had eaten Steph was ready to talk.

“Chloe could we go for a cigarette?”

I saw Max nod

Jesus it must be fuckin serious if Max is encouragin me to smoke

I took Steph out back and lit us both a cigarette.

“Chloe, its Alex... shes drinking all the time, shes not a... nice drunk, not any more. Its got worse since Gabe died”

She drank the triple vodka and coke she brought out with her as if it was a shot.

Findin the courage to continue askin for help... been there  dont push her

“I found this yesterday, hidden in our bedroom”

She handed me a bottle of oxy.

“Its not prescription Chloe, at least not ours, when I said I was coming here without her... Chloe I swear I didnt, I wouldnt but she accused me of fucking Max”

“Take it easy, I know you didnt. Is that everythin?  I gotta know if Im gonna help you properly”

“Before I left, she grabbed my arm... it hurt Chloe, but the worst part was, she called me a cheating fucking whore”

I was fuckin stunned. Alex had always been caring. Too caring maybe. She had tried to kill herself when she lost her leg so that she wouldn’t ruin the girl crying in front of me’s life. I couldnt believe that loving woman was capable of abuse but I knew in my heart that every word was fuckin true.

I poured Steph another drink from the expensive brandy that had been magically left outside,

That had to be Max, she knew what was comin

Steph gulped it down like she was dying of thirst.  There was fear in her eyes, real fuckin fear.

“For... now can we keep this between the people who already know? Im... Im not ready to give up on her”

“Of course, Its your call Steph but if she hurts you physically you gotta swear to call me. I mean the second it fuckin happens, You want to stay with us tonight?”

“N... no Taylor is too fucking drunk to drive and she lives on the way to my place. Il drive her home then go talk to Alex”

I glared at her

“You’ve had at least 3 vodkas and now a triple brandy, you’re driving nowhere. If you gotta go home why don’t you two share a cab? Neither one of you is fit to drive”

“Thank you... for believing me Chloe... Alex said you wouldnt”

We went back inside and I saw her take Taylors hand under the table.

Are they...?

Nah Max always says Steph is huggy with friends, she just needs comfort

Later I saw them climb into a cab together, Taylor had her arm wrapped around Steph’s shoulder.

Even with both of them drunk shes trying to comfort her. Its how Alex used to treat her. I hella hope that’s all it is.

Glossary

PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, ranges in severity. Chloe has a mild case allowing her to continue her military career

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.  2015

 June 12^th  0730 hours

I lay in bed with Max, my hand exploring her stomach, the baby was kickin about 20 minutes ago and I was desperate to feel it again. She was gettin a bit pissed off that my hand wasnt movin higher or lower but for once I was naked with my wife and wasnt thinkin about sex.

“Chloe... please put your hand somewhere el...”

I was about to reluctantly obey her orders when I heard my phone ring. I grabbed it as it could have been work

“WHAT”

“Chloe.... is that you?... its Alex, I... I drove her away, Steph I mean. She stayed out all night two nights ago and I... saw  marks on her when she was taking a shower. She told me she was with you guys and stayed over... please tell me that’s true, That there’s another explanation for the scratch marks”

I felt my fuckin heart stop,  it was partly true, Steph had come over for barbecue to get away from Alex’s negative attitude about therapy for losin her leg and the insults and borderline violence she had inflicted on Steph after Gabe was turned to pink mist.

She had shared a cab home with Taylor Christensen, the agent who had replaced Gabe.

Fuckin cunt motherfuckin fuck, did Steph really bang someone else? The girl who took Alexs dead brothers job?

“Il be at yours in 30, we’ll talk there”

I Heard sobs over the phone, they were hella heartbreakin. I could barely understand her when she next spoke

“You already told me. Its my fault, its all my fuckin fault, I treated her like shit since the fuckin leg... and after Gabe I got worse”

I wanted to comfort her, but I couldn’t fuckin argue with that, she had been borderline abusive since she lost her brother and her leg.

“Im comin over, don’t do anythin fuckin stupid Alex”

I Jumped out of bed and threw clothes on.

“Steph fucked Taylor, I gotta go see Alex.”

Max snorted, it was fuckin obvious where her sympathies lay.

“I cant blame her, Taylor was being very protective and sympathetic. Alex has been an abusive fucking bitch recently”

“Good to hear my wife takes cheating so fuckin seriously, She coulda left her before jumpin into bed with the first girl who smiled at her”

Max glared at me, eyes flashing

“Not fucking fair Chloe, Steph has been treated awfully, you saw the fucking state of her at that barbecue. She was fucking terrified to go home. Can you look me in the eyes and say Taylor would ever make her feel scared and... and fucking worthless, like she deserved to be hurt?”

I Thought as I dressed.

“No, she wouldn’t. The Alex I knew wouldn’t have either though”

“Want me to come babe? I’m pissed as hell at Alex but Il go to support you”

“Yeah that’d be amazeballs, could you take Steph somewhere safe while I talk to Alex?”

She dressed quickly and we drove to Alex and Steph’s house. Alex was in the sittin room, a bottle of whiskey in her right hand and an unregistered .38 in her left.

This is not fuckin good.

I pushed Max behind me, hand hovering over the P229 at my hip.

Please God, don’t let her fuckin make me

“Alex... Its Chloe, gonna need to ask you to put the weapon down.”

“Dunt worry, nont for you”

And she’s fuckin wasted. Just fuckin perfect

“I don’t care who its for Staff Sergeant, put the gun down, now”

“Fuck you, fuhun shit me”

Even better, wasted, armed and fuckin suicidal I brought my pregnant fuckin wife here

“Max stay the fuck behind me”

I drew my weapon fuckin reluctantly

“Alex, wheres Steph”

“Bedmoon, where whores blong”

Sounds like she aint blamin herself anymore

“Can I send Max in to check on her, then we can talk?”

“Prolly fucked her oo”

Max started forward

“You fucking bitch Alex, losing your leg doesn’t give you the right to be a cunt to everyone. I saw Steph’s fucking arm”

“Max get the fuck into the bedroom now, she’s got a gun and she’s wasted, you’re makin it worse babe, let me do my job”

She huffed and stormed into the bedroom, I could hear Steph crying inside.

“Alex its just us now, can you put the gun down?”

“Eed it Chloe lorry”

“Why do you need it”

She sobbed, it sounded like a wounded animal

“Take way pain”

“Alex you are scarin the fuckin shit outta me, both our fuckin wives are hidin in another room in case we kill each other now put the fuckin gun on the floor.”

She raised the bottle mockingly

“Neeed iiiit”

Shes fuckin singin at me. About killin herself, Jesus this is hella fucked up

She took a long pull of the bottle. I saw a chance, a fuckin slim one, but a chance

“Any chance of a drink? If Im gonna have to watch a friend blow her own fuckin brains out, I cant bear it sober”

She held out the bottle, I walked over and as I reached to take it I leaped on top of her and desperately twisted the gun away from our bodies. I heard the crash of the .38  and aggressively smashed her hand on the ground.

6 fuckin times, Jesus she’s fuckin strong

When she let go I pushed the weapon away and smashed my elbow brutally into her solar plexus to stun her. As I stood I kicked her crutches as far away as I could

“Stay on the fuckin floor. Do not fuckin move Alex”

Max and Steph musta raced through when they heard the shot because when I turned to lift the revolver they were standing at the door lookin fuckin terrified.

“Babe Im calling for back up, take Steph to our place and make sure she’s safe”

As soon as they left I helped Alex up and sat her in the chair

“Alex I need to call this in , you’re a fuckin danger to yourself. You had an unlicensed firearm, you were plannin to kill yourself. You’re my friend Alex, let me help you... please”

“You wanna hell me? Give gun back weave me lone, only 5 miness”

“This aint just booze Alex, what the fuck else did you take?”

She laughed hysterically at the question

“Nuhin toady”

“how about other days Alex?”

She stopped laughing and looked as proud as it was fuckin possible to look with eyes rimmed with fuckin tears.

“speedballs, shhh dont tell, friends a cop”

“Jesus Alex, Heroin? What the fuck is wrong with you? For a speedball you gotta be injectin, right?”

“Good medicine, no pain then in heeere”

She tapped the side of her head.

“Im gonna give you a choice Alex, therapy or fuckin jail?”

“Want Steph, need to tell her... shes a fuckin whore”

I glared at her. This wasnt the Alex who stood beside me on my wedding day, that woman had been kind. Caring enough to fight a boxing match with me for hurting Juliet, adult enough to admit she had been wrong about me and Saffi. This was a selfish vindictive mess. I understood why. Losin her leg, then the only blood family she had in the world would fuck anyone up but I had to try and help. I owed her that.

“Right now you dont deserve to see Steph, Alex you have treated her like fuckin garbage for months. I aint sayin its right but Taylor was nicer to her in 5 minutes than you have been in nearly 5 months. But Im here and this can go one of 2 ways. I call in the cops or I try to help you.”

She glared at me

“Dont need help, need my gun, knife would do”

Sighing I took out my phone and called Kate.

Within 30 minutes I had packed a bag for Alex and we were in my truck on the way to Kates apartment.

Jesus fuckin Christ please give her the courage to come back to us

Glossary

Turned to Pink Mist: term for body that has been destroyed by explosion or heavy machine gun fire

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.  2015

 June 13th  0830 hours

“Did you do it Steph? Did you fuck Taylor behind your wife’s back?”

I was fuckin furious, not necessarily because of the affair, they could handle that shit between themselves but because the fallout put my wife and almost more importantly my unborn child in danger.

Fuck if I coulda turned back time in that room, I woulda let that mortar strike turn Alex to pink mist in a fuckin heartbeat to stop the slightest danger to  Max.

Ok ‘Cher’ stop thinkin about the past you need to know if Alex is just paranoid

“Chloe Elisabeth Price knock it off, Steph’s a friend going through a tough time not a fucking murder suspect”

“Its ok Max... I deserve it, Alex was right... she was right about me, I’m a fucking whore, its a lousy excuse but it felt so nice to be... wanted, to just have someone hold me and tell me everything was gonna be ok, that she would... help me”

Taylor would definitely help her, fuck she would protect anyone in danger with her life if she had to. Alex is a friend an I want her to get better but maybe I’m on the wrong sidea this one.

With an effort I controlled my temper at Max’s interruption

“Nah Max is right Steph. You told me how fuckin bad it was an I let you go back there, no wonder you needed any comfort you could find first. Has she ever done anythin like that before, the booze an suicide thing I mean?”

“W...whenever she drinks she talks about killing herself, but thats the first time I thought she might do it... because of me. I could have killed her”

I pulled Steph into a hug , I knew or maybe fuckin hoped that Max wouldnt mind

“That shit was on fuckin Alex not you. I took her to Kates yesterday to dry out. Until she gets help I would advise keeping away from her.”

“I love her, maybe I always will but... right now I never want to see her again”

I felt my insides churn

If Alex and Steph cant make marriage work, what chance does a fuck up like me have? I gotta keep puttin the work in

“What happened with Taylor, was it supposed to be a one time thing?”

The guilt on Steph’s face was heartbreakin

“I... I hope not, but its up to her, I come with a shit load of baggage. She could... she could do much better”

“If you care about someone nobody’s better for you than that person Steph. We all got baggage, it wont matter to the right girl, she’ll help you carry it. You just gotta decide if Taylor’s that girl for you, it aint just up to her”

“I know Kate will think its wrong while I’m still married but I... Im open to finding out”

Max squeezed her hand

“It doesn’t matter what Kate thinks. Doesn’t matter what any of us think. It only matters what you and Taylor want”

“Alex... she...”

“Alex gave up any right she had to an opinion the day she put those bruises on your arms”

To my own fuckin surprise I nodded at Max’s words

“Want me to check if she wants you to call her?”

“Alex?... I told you I don’t want to see her”

“I meant Taylor”

Steph’s face changed completely. I hadnt seen it so happy since she found out Alex was still alive.

“Y...you’re Alex’s friend, why would you help me like that”

To buy time to think I walked over to Max and felt my baby kick.

“Because if my daughter’s partner treated her the way Alex has been fuckin treatin you, Id want someone to help her. Alex is goin through a shitty fuckin time and Il be there for her, but if you let me Il be there for you as well”

“You are a much kinder person than you pretend to be Chloe Price.”

“Dont tell Lang, got a reputation to fuckin keep up”

Max started to make breakfast/dinner.  I was on nights for the week an it was majorly fuckin with my ability to name a meal.

“Straight to bed after you eat babe. I don’t want you driving to work tired”

I loved the almost bossy protective instincts pregnancy had brought out in her

“Maybe you should come with me, make sure I sleep?”

“I wish. I need to see V first thing. Our head of security is going to the police academy in 6 months so we need to discuss a replacement. Unless you fancy leaving the army and working in the private sector?”

I grinned

“Much as sleepin my way to the top sounds fun 9 to 5s just aint for me babe”

Her laugh has got even sexier since the baby, or is that just me?

June 13^th 2200 hours

I sat in the shitty stake out car with Taylor, we were both dressed fuckin casually even by my usual fuckin standards. Two hours in and I still hadn’t found a way to bring up what I wanted to talk about.

For fuck sake girl, rip off the fuckin bandaid

“So you an Steph?”

“I know what you’re going to say Chloe, but keep the fuck out of it. Your friend has been treating her like shit. Look I know she’s married and I know its fuckin wrong”

She glanced at me, hopin for a reaction, probably expected more than the raised eyebrow she got

“Steph deserves to be happy, and if I’m luckier than I deserve to be, maybe I got the chance to make her happy. I... cant back away from that. If she wants me I’m there”

I laughed, hard, really fuckin hard

“Ya know I was just gonna ask if it was ok if Steph called you. She thought it mighta just been a one night thing for you an was nervous makin a move”

“So I went through all that for nothing? What about Alex, I don’t want to be a regret”

I put my hand on her shoulder,

“Its her place to tell you that, not mine but if you’re interested call her. She’s gonna be on my sofa mopin for fuckin months otherwise, tryin to get the courage to call you”

“Shes sleeping on your sofa. Wait she left Alex? She shouldnt be on a sofa. I got a spare room its hers as long as she wants it. I... I  promise I wouldnt pressure her to sleep with me again until shes ready”

I Laughed again

“Im not her fuckin mom Taylor. Shes like a year older than me. If thats what you want, ask her. Come on we better get focussed on work”

How do Max an Kate do this all the time? Bein nice is hard fuckin work

Glossary

Turned to Pink Mist: effect an explosion or machine gun fire has on human body

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.

June  14^th     2015  1030 hours

It was horrible to see a friend in the state she was in. When Chloe brought her to me she was a shell of the woman we both knew. At a time like this I always asked God for help and when I was really lucky he let me reach people I was nowhere near a good enough psychologist to help. This time he was silent. Maybe the guilt in my head for not seeing the self destruction of a human being I deeply cared about was drowning out his voice. My punishment for being too wrapped up in my own happy new relationship to see my friends were destroying each other.

Maybe my family was right, maybe I am a bad person. After all my marriage vows were til death us do part, not til I realise I prefer women.

I knew the bare bones of what had happened from Chloe. In her words

“Ok Preacher Lady, Alex has been abusin booze, drugs an her fuckin wife since she lost her leg an her brother turned to fuckin pink mist. Steph banged Taylor for comfort then Alex got wasted an tried to off herself can ya fix her?”

Such a simple question but unfortunately not one with a good answer. Alex was slowly detoxing from heroin and alcohol withdrawal and I wouldn’t push her too quickly. I heard my front door open and my girlfriend (I will never tire of describing her as that) Victoria walked towards me.

“Katie I have some news... I hope its good... Shit I hope I didn’t overstep, its hard to know the boundaries after just a couple of months”

“If it was done out of kindness I’m sure you didn’t overstep”

“I made a few calls, I got Alex into rehab if she wants. Best one in the state. I also thought about speaking to Max about hiring her as head of security for our offices if she takes the rehab. We need one and Alex needs to see she’s still useful”

Thank you God for sending me this woman. I asked you how to help  Alex and you had already sent the answer to me.

“Will Max be ok with that? She’s fucking pissed at Alex”

“You’ve been spending too much time with Chloe, Katie swearing twice in one sentence. You have to help Alex. Its your job and the way I see it my job is to make your life easier, if getting Alex back to her old self does that. I’m all in”

I could feel my cheeks burn. Thinking about Alex made me think about Steph, which made me think about Taylor. Which made me think about Taylor in bed with my Victoria.

“Victoria was Taylor... was it better with Taylor than me? I have no experience... with another woman except what we’ve been doing””

“You want the whole truth right? Taylor was great but it was one night stand great. What we have Katie, that’s relationship great and its so much better it doesn’t end with the sex with you, the sex is a way to get closer to you”

The burning on my cheeks got worse. My aunt would say it was a warning from God. That he was showing me how it would feel to burn for all eternity but as a Preacher with a masters in theology and a doctorate in Psychology I cannot conceive of a God of love punishing people for who they love.

If he truly is our father and condemns his children for loving then as Chloe would say he is a fuckin deadbeat dad.

I was both proud and ashamed of the blasphemous thoughts so I did the one thing I had learned would calm my over thinking. I kissed Victoria softly. It was barely more than a peck on her lips but it made me feel that with her there to catch me when I fell nothing in this world could stop me.

                                          ~

June 14^th  1800 hours

“You know Max, when we were talking yesterday about a new head of security I had an idea”

She looked up from the c.v. she had been intently studying for the last few minutes and huffed

“Wish you had said something earlier V, these Cvs are a joke. Retail security guards and bouncers”

“I was thinking ex military? Alex has been accepted into rehab, if she agrees I thought we could offer her the job. It might give her a purpose again”

The last time she looked at me like that was in Chloe’s quarters in Afghanistan. She slapped me then

“Are you fucking cereal V? Do you even care what she did to Steph? Or that she threatened my wife with a fucking gun?”

“She was trying to force Chloe to kill her, and she has been through a rough time. Everyone deserves a chance to turn her life around”

She stared at me like I had grown a second head.(Which would destroy humanity if it looked as good as the original)

“Ok who are you? And what the fuck have you done with Victoria Chase? You sound like Kate, guess you are what you eat has some truth in it huh?”

“Does that make Chloe 5”3 and pregnant?”

I shot back

“Fine V if she sticks with rehab she can have an interview but we both have to agree she’s the right fit, sound fair?”

I smiled, Max was too nice to turn down a friend who needed a chance.

If Katie can just convince Alex she is worth helping maybe I can make up for my own past behaviors

Glossary

Turned to Pink Mist: effect an explosion or machine gun fire has on human body

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.

June 17^th 1400 hours

“Ever been to college Price?”

“No boss”

Lucan looked at me and almost fuckin smiled

“Need two female agents for bodyguarding work at Caledon. A Student there witnessed the murder of an army sergeant. The Trial is in 2 weeks and she needs babysitters. If you agree you’re gonna be one of them”

I thought for a minute.

“2 weeks extra leave when Max has the baby an I’m in”

“Done”

That Was how the worst two weeks of my fuckin life started. With my life, that’s sayin a fuckin lot, Since I turned 18 I’ve been shot, stabbed and also come within half a cunt hair of bein blown up 3 fuckin times. The army was the cause of most of that shit. I could cope with all that.

It was the fuckin boredom I could never stand. You can shoot, stab or bomb me but never fuckin bore me. Bored Chloe makes bad decisions, like sayin yes to bodyguarding a witness on a college campus.

Hella fuckin stupid thing to agree to.

Caledon was and is a liberal arts college in Vermont. My wife,  Max  got her degree there. Her dad was a fuckin guest professor there. That shoulda put me off.  A war veteran aint what he wanted for a daughter in law. The two extra weeks leave though. That would be a fuckin god send for 2 new moms. I decided to call Max with the good news.

“Chloe please tell me you are still getting home on time tonight. Steph wants to have a d and d night to thank us before she moves to Taylors”

Jesus d and d, teenage Chloe would hella abuse me for even thinkin about playin it. Too worried what Rachel mighta thought. God I was a fuckin asshole then

“Cool , never played. Il be home on time babe. Got 2 weeks extra leave after we have the baby. Does mean I gotta go away for a couplea weeks though. Volunteered right away, it was a hella sweet offer”

“If the next fucking words out of your mouth are you volunteered to go back to Afghanistan don’t bother coming home.”

Fuck she’s still hella pissed about that

“Worse babe, fuckin Caledon”

“Wowser, Chloe I’m so sorry you have to spend time in a top university instead of being shot at”

Knowing she couldn’t see to yell at me I grinned my fuckin head off

“I know all those fuckin arty hipsters, how am I meant to cope without fuckin shootin one of them”

“I can hear you smiling, thin fucking ice Chloe. I’m am arty hipster.”

“Mmm I know. You worried Il find a younger Max?”

She laughed confidently. It made me so fuckin happy she was that secure in how I felt about her.

“Not at all, no way a college student could make you cum the way I can”

“Babe you realise I’m on speaker phone an Vinhs desk just raised almost half an inch?”

“You fucking brat that better not be true”

I laughed at the worry in her voice and hung up the call.

June 17^th 1930 hours

I sat on the floor in the sitting room waitin for my turn. The game was confusing as fuck but kinda fun. I got to chop my way through ogres, dragons, weird chicken/snake hybrid fuckers that my character loved to eat an if I fucked up Max’s character was a fuckin time wizard. A high enough roll and she could turn time back to stop me dyin an give advice on how to win the fight. So far it had worked like 10 fuckin times.

Gotta wish life was that fuckin easy to reset.

“Chloe, Im not bringing you back to life if you bite another dragon. Steph’s told you twice the scales are poisonous”

“Its a baby dragon, how strong can the poison be babe?”

She glared at me

“Chloe just use the armored boots, or your fucking sword please”

Damn she hella takes this seriously

“Fine, can I at least steal its scales for armor?”

“Chloe”

I took the hint and tried to stab baby dragon. Steph cackled in a evil fuckin way.

“Your attack misses and grazes the sleeping mother dragon. She is pissed”

“Umm Max can you charm her usin magic or shit?”

Max patted me on the shoulder

“You tried to kill her baby to steal her gold. This fight is all you babe”

“Traitor”

I tried my best to fight the dragon alone. I managed to kill it but

“The dragon has acid for blood, the treasure is melting. Molten gold pours towards you and the exit is blocked by the dragons body”

Max tried to turn back time but her roll was shitty.

“You both die horrible deaths as gold plated adventurers”

“Fuck, Steph that was kinda fun. Glad it was you punchin the d and d V card”

Max looked at me, she was trying her best to look pissed but the twinkle in her eye told me her real fuckin feelings

“Chloe can’t you just thank her like a normal person?, without the innuendo?”

I stuck my tongue out like a kid

“Thanks Steph”

“No thank you to both of you for letting me stay. Hope Taylor’s spare bed is as comfy as that sofa”

I snorted into my coke

God I hella fuckin miss beer, once Max has this baby an I dont have to not drink to be a supportive wife I’m totally gonna have a beer bath

“Yeah like any of us believe you’re gonna be sleepin in the spare room”

“Chloe you realise with Steph leaving tonight and you not going to Caledon for 2 days the sofa would be available for you to sleep on?”

My wife gave me this horrible fuckin news in the sweetest voice possible

“Ok, sorry Steph. You will totally be sleepin in the spare room of your new girls place”

“Thank you for clearing that up babe”

Max smiled.

“Now why dont we help Steph pack this away. She told me Taylor is cooking for her and she wants to be there for 10. Then maybe we could ‘eat’ in bed”

I Mighta just got burned up by molten gold but thats gonna be so much fuckin hotter

Glossary

Leave: Paid Vacation days

Chapter Text

Caledon College, Lakeport: Vt

June 19^th 1800 hours

After 10 fuckin hours drivin. (Well 5 drivin an 5 sleeping while Taylor drove to be honest) we had arrived at Caledon. Me and Taylor walked to President Teller’s office. Owen Teller was not fuckin happy to see us and didn’t bother to hide it.

“So you’re the two army cops they sent, really I see no need we have our own campus police, they are more than adequate. I’m sure you ladies have had a wasted journey”

I scoffed in his fuckin face at that

“Ya think? Cause I just fuckin drove straight onto campus then walked into your office without bein fuckin challenged once by your god damn rent a cops”

“Chloe cool it. There’s no need to make enemies right off the bat”

Taylor tried to warn me and offered her hand to President Teller.

“I take it you are the commanding officer here Miss...?

“Special Agent Christensen, this is my partner, Special Agent Price. Who actually has seniority within our team but I have extensive experience in close protection so I am lead agent on this occasion”

He smiled warmly at her. Not for the first time I envied Taylors ability to charm people.

“We need a room as close as fuckin possible to Miss Wagner’s room”

He raised an eyebrow at me.

“Only one room?”

“Don’t get a fuckin hard on over it, one of us will be sleepin one of us guarding the principal”

“Special Agent Price that’s enough. Now president Teller if you would introduce us to Miss Wagner and show us our room I would appreciate it”

When he left to escort the girl in Taylor grinned at me

“Sorry Chlo he needs to be willing to work with one of us”

The douche bag in chief brought in  a pretty cute girl

“Ladies this is Courtney Wagner. Miss Wagner these are Special Agents Christensen and Price Army CID. They are here to protect you until you testify at the trial”

“Oh my God... are you, like real cops? That’s totally awesome”

“Oh my God... are you like, a real dumbass? cause that’s totally not”

“Agent Christensen could you ask your partner to treat my student with some respect”

Taylor smiled to take the edge off her words

“Sorry President Teller but Chloe barely respects our boss much less a 21 year old kid”

He growled at that

“Then exactly why was she sent here?”

“6 tours of Afghanistan, 3 of Iraq. She shoots expert with both rifle and sidearm, good with a knife and her fists when she has to be. Also, 2 purple hearts, a bronze star with combat v and a silver star. That’s why she’s here. Not for her winning personality”

His face showed a little shock at Taylors answer.

“That many times in a warzone? She doesn’t... I mean she wont get violent on my campus will she?”

“You fuckin pri...”

Taylor smoothly cut me off

“Mr Teller I find that extremely offensive. My partner has risked her life multiple times for her country. Now if you would kindly show us to our room”

He handed us two key cards.

“Miss Wagner will show you. You will be in the room next to her. Now I have work to do”

“Come on you two. This is going to be so totally awesome. We can have so much fun”

I hid a snort of laughter

“Yeah we can braid each others hair and totally crush on the football team. Jesus, grow the fuck up. We’re here to keep you alive not be bffs”

“I’m so sorry but its just like I’m 21. Lighten up”

Fuck me at her age I had killed at least once and deployed twice. She’s a fuckin Child.  I’m really gonna have to embrace the suck on this one.

June 19^th 2100 hours

“Like thank you so much for coming her with me tonight. I totally thought you wouldn’t let me go out. But its comedy night and its...”

“Let me guess, totally fuckin awesome?”

She’s smilin, who says I cant make friends, oh yeah. Everyone who’s met me

We walked towards the door of the Snapping Turtle bar. My eyes scanning the area for any threats. A group of young men stood smokin near the door. I put my hand on Miss Wagner’s shoulder to guide her around, rather than through them.

“Look guys, lesbian alert. How bout you girls put on a show for us?”

If he’d been just a bit more sober he mighta caught the dangerous look in my eye, or the confident smile that started to play on my lips.

“One chance, needle dick, move”

“Come on you’re hot , she’s hot, I’m...”

While he was talking he moved towards Miss Wagner.

Bad fuckin call dickhead

My hand came off her shoulder in less than a second, my fist launching a brutal uppercut into his gut. I threw him onto the ground just as the fuckin door opened.

Rent a cop, fuckin great.

“We have a zero tolerance policy towards fighting, if you don’t leave Il call the cops... shit”

She saw the P229 on my hip and started to reach for her tazer

“Don’t bother. Cops are here. Special Agent Price. Army CID. I’m here on close protection duty and that asshole interfered with my principal”

I showed my badge to her. Her face crinkled with confusion.

“Army CID? What’s that?”

Why the fuck has no one ever heard of us?

“Federal Police for the US Army. So you gonna let us in?”

She grudgingly stepped aside. When we got in Courtney headed straight for the bar.

“4 shots of tequila and 2 cosmos please. Amanda, tonight is totally going to be awesome, when do you start your act”

No way its the same Amanda I saw too much of on Maxs laptop last year. Lotsa chicks called Amanda, right?

I looked up to order a coke.

“Chloe... Chloe Price?”

Well shit.

“Hey Amanda, almost didn’t recognise you with your clothes on”

“Come on Chloe, it was a year ago. She chose you, let it go”

Miss Wagner’s face lit up

“ooh were you two like together before you got old?”

“I’m fuckin 32 and fuck no. We were both lookin to date the same girl last year though”

Amanda smiled

“How is Max?”

“Married her. Be a year on the 30^th”

“That was quick, you didn’t knock her up did you?”

This chick has a weird sense of humor. Kinda like it now she aint naked on Max’s laptop

“We do have a baby due in 2 months but science gets the credit for that”

Amanda laughed.

“Thought Courtney was your new girl?”

“Thats work, can I get a coke”

Courtney Wagner groped around in her tiny purse.

“I totally got some coke here somewhere Agent Price we can take it in the bathroom”

“I’m a cop you fuckin dumbass. Give me that”

I took the drugs from her and slipped them into my pocket.

“You, with me. We’re goin back to your dorm to decide what to do with this. Its Agent Christensen’s call”

What kind of fuckin idiot offers someone she knows is a cop cocaine? This is gonna be a long fuckin 2 weeks.

Glossary

Army CID: Federal police for US Army. Agents can be military like Chloe or civilian like Vinh.

Bronze Star with V: 4^th highest medal for Valor in combat from US Military

Principal: Person a bodyguard is protecting

Purple Heart: Awarded to US military service members wounded or killed in the line of duty

Silver Star: Third highest medal the US military awards for Valor in combat. Behind the Distinguished Service Cross and the Medal of Honor.

Chapter Text

Caledon College, Lakeport: Vt 

June 25^th  2015  0600 hours

I woke up naked, enjoying the feel of the warm body beside me, my hands started to explore it in a lot of fuckin detail until I heard Taylor battering on the door.

“Chloe I’m not fucking covering for you with Max if you got a woman in there. I’m sure I heard you fucking last night”

The woman in question groaned and woke up.

Shit is she coming in?

Taylor had obviously remembered her key card as the door flew open, my girl hid herself under as many blankets as she could find.

“Chloe for fuck sake, how could you do this to Max? I know with the Steph shit I cant talk but you two are happy and she’s fucking pregnant. You are going to call her right now and fucking beg for forgiveness”

Max’s head peeked out from the endless fuckin blankets.

“Sorry Taylor. I came to see my dad yesterday and since Chloe was off last night we couldn’t resist. Its nice to know that if she was doing anything you would tell me though”

“You could have told me before I barged in Chloe. You better shower and get ready. In an hour its my turn to sleep. You gotta guard  Courtney on a 2 mile run then at the gym. Hope Max didn’t tire you out too much”

I smiled, a fuckin smug, self satisfied smile

“Nah I can keep up.”

After my shower Max went for breakfast with her dad and I knocked on Courtney’s door.

“Oh my God you were, like so loud last night. Who were you with? Amanda?”

“You realise Im fuckin married right?”

She thought for a couple of minutes

Looks like hard fuckin work for her

“Its like ok though, you didn’t cheat. My boyfriend told me that different area codes totally don’t count”

Jesus Christ is she really this fuckin dumb?

“One, your boyfriend is a fuckin douche, dump his sorry ass. Two it was my wife that was with me last night. Three its none of your fuckin business. Now am I takin you to gym first or for your run?”

“Run I think”

I shook a cigarette out of my pack as we left the dorms. I was in camo trousers and a US Army tshirt, Courtney was wearin stupidly fuckin tight leggings and a top that showed more than it fuckin covered.

At least runnin behind her wont be a chore. Bein married doesnt meant I cant enjoy the view

As we ran to the gym we passed a pawn shop I looked in the window and saw a gerber 06 automatic lock knife. Just like the one always in my back pocket.

40 bucks. Insanely cheap

I almost dragged Courtney inside.

“Il take the gerber in the window.”

He gave me the knife and I forked over the $40. I slipped it in my pocket.

“Knife’s for you. Just in case. Always keep it in your back fuckin pocket. Il teach you how to use it. So will Taylor. In future when you jog wear somethin with pockets. Never leave home without at least a fuckin knife”

“Oh my god I totally knew we were going to be friends.”

“Nah best way to protect someone long term. Teach them to protect themselves. You only got us for 1 more week then the Marshalls for the length of the trial”

She looked at me. It was as if a lightbulb finally switched on in her fuckin head.

“A...am I really in danger Agent Price”

How the fuck did she get into college?

“You got 2 agents babysittin you. So yeah the dangers fuckin real. One other thing. If me or Taylor find drugs in your room or on you again we will fuckin arrest you”

“I promise you wont”

There wasnt a trace of the ditsy persona. I wondered if it was an act.

If it is she should get a fuckin Oscar. Why would anyone act that fuckin dumb? Somethin to think about

June 25^th 1900 hours

“Chloe Elizabeth Price, this water is fucking freezing. I assumed you knew how to fucking row.”

“Army babe, not a fuckin squid and it woulda been fine if me rowin didn’t turn you on so much”

I climbed into the row boat and hauled Max in. While I was rowin us back to shore Max shivered. I felt guilty as fuck. It had been my idea to borrow the boat from Amanda, my idea to take my pregnant wife for a romantic river trip. Ok it was her idea to try to get fuckin handsy in the boat, but I didn’t fuckin try to stop her.

As soon as we were on dry land I drove Max back to the dorms and put her in a hot shower.

While she was heating up I made her a hot chocolate. Just before she came out of the shower I heard a knock on the door. Courtney stood in my doorway with a Pizza.

“You guys totally looked wet and cold when I saw you coming into the dorms. This might like warm you up. Getting colds totally not good when you get old”

“Thanks. You do know Im only 11 years older than you?”

“No way, you act so totally old I thought you were like lying about being 32”

I dont even want to think about how old this dumbass thinks I am. Still the pizza was a nice gesture

“Oh and thank you for the knife Agent Price. Il totally practice with it like you told me”

When Max came out of the shower we ate pizza and and other things in bed

At least Ive had a couplea good fuckin nights this week. Wish I could shake the feelin I’m missin somethin obvious.

Glossary

Squid: sailor in US Navy. Slightly derogatory

Chapter Text

Caledon College, Lakeport: Vt 

June 26^th  2015  0930 hours

Bored, Bored, Bored, Fuckin BORED

I had no fuckin idea how the students put up with it. Professor Colmenero was dronin the fuck on about a play by a dude that had been dead for a few hundred fuckin years.

Give me a good fuckin car chase or better yet Blade Runner over Shakespeare any day. There was that one play with Rachel, never really understood it but was kinda fun ad libbin with my girlfriend at 16.

“So what makes Romeo and Juliet the greatest love story of our time? Is it the tragedy, the suspense, the subversion of families expectations?”

I scoffed probably a bit too loudly because his arrogant fuckin gaze was on me.

“Our guest from the military disagrees? Maybe you could share your insights with all of us? I’m sure they are... fascinating”

I knew the ice was fuckin thin. Taylor had warned me on day 1 not to make enemies since we had to work with these assholes. But he did ask.

“In modern terms aint  it just a story about 2 horny 14 year old gang bangers that get married illegally an off themselves when it goes to fuckin rat shit? Star crossed lovers? Was horny dumbasses taken?”

The students started to laugh.

Huh guess the professor aint as popular as he thinks

“I would challenge you to find a better act of love than the final scene they share you can almost taste the passion”

“Easy. Dude its called eatin her out. That’s how to taste the passion, not drinking poison”

I knew I was lucky Taylor wasnt here. She would be fuckin furious with me. To say nothing of Max. She loved Romeo and Juliet though that may have had more to do with Claire Danes than the story.

“Agent Price that is wildly inappropriate for an academic setting. You are not in a warzone, I will be lodging a complaint with your superiors”

“Hey everyone here is over 18. What’s the problem?”

When we left to go to Courtney’s next lecture. The one I was really dreadin, she was almost skipping with fuckin excitement

“Oh my God you totally owned him there Agent Price. All campus will be talking about it for like months, Don’t worry, Professor Caulfield wont try to embarrass you. He’s way nicer”

“Nah not to me he wont be. He’s my fucker in law”

“You’re married to Professor Caulfield’s daughter? The war photographer?”

I laughed

“Yeah, we met in the Sandbox”

“That is so cute that you’ve know your wife since kindergarten”

Be nice, Be fuckin nice. Not her fault you used a military term.

“The Sandbox is the Middle East. We met in Afghanistan”

“Seriously, that is like so romantic. Going to war and finding love”

This time my laugh was bitter.

“Tell Ryan Caulfield that. He thinks Max is wastin her life with me”

We walked into the lecture room. In all fuckin fairness to Ryan I didn’t understand a fuckin word he said but he could definitely keep his students interested in psychology.

So bored, don’t fuckin fidget Chloe. He already hates you

“Professor Caulfield. Agent Price told me she met her wife in Afghanistan. Isn’t that like so romantic. It shows how important love is in the human brain that we can find it like anywhere”

Fuck. I didn’t think the dumbass would take me literally.

“Maybe less romantic than you think. It could be seen as a professional soldier taking advantage of a young woman who was scared and out of her depths”

Motherfucker

“Hey I let her set the pace for everythin, except the proposal. That was all me. She even made me the main subject of her photographs. How I was dealin with the war and shit. That sound like someone out of her depths or someone fuckin good at her job who fell in love?”

My temper was wearin fuckin thin. I didn’t care what he thinks of me, questioning how Max feels about me and how I feel about her, that was a different fuckin story.

“Yes falling in love with a professional killer certainly seems like a rational thing to do. Her parents must be so... disappointed in her choices”

“Her dad definitely fuckin is. Good thing his opinion on it means fuck all to either of us. Funny thing is. If I was the kinda girl he thinks I am. I woulda buried the cunt by now, but I’m not. I’m just Chloe, the girl his daughter fell in love with. Its Chloe Price she loves. Not Staff Sergeant Price or Special Agent Price.”

He was still glaring at me when we left the lecture.

We’re never gonna see eye to eye but I can live with that

June 26^th 1900 hours

“Chloe, why the fuck did I wake up to an email that you had been causing problems at the girl we’re providing protection for’s lectures? Something about inappropriate comments?”

I was furious. Fuckin pathetic to complain over an argument.

“Taylor all I said was...”

“I dont care, Chloe I told you not to make enemies for no reason. We do not need the faculty making our job harder. It was a great idea getting that knife for Courtney though. Let her feel more confident”

That did surprise me. Although from the way Courtney spoke after I gave her the knife I reckoned makin her practice wouldn’t be a problem.

“Fine, Il try to be less of a dick.”

The look on her face said she didn’t believe me, I wondered if Courtney was right and the students would all be talkin about me actin out in the lectures. Part of me. The part that was still a blue haired punk at heart I reckon really hoped it was.

Only one more week an I never need to go near a fuckin school again. Cant fuckin wait

Glossary

Sandbox: Middle East. In this case Afghanistan

Chapter Text

Caledon College, Lakeport: Vt 

July 1^st 2015  1130 hours

My tank top was clingin to me as we circled each other. Lookin desperately for a fuckin opening. My left hand grabbed as my right thrust forward. Shit, I was off balance my opponent pulled me onto her weapon an I felt it strike my chest, right on my fuckin heart.

“Oh my God, I like totally got you. I thought you said the tank top would be harder cause it had like no sleeves to grab”

Courtney had really come on with her self defence in the last week. This was the first time she had fuckin taken me sparring with training knives.

She deserves the moment, dumbass fuckin earned it.

“Room for fuckin improvement but close to perfect”

She beamed at me, then saw the scars on my arm

“Oh my God Agent Price, where did you get the scars”

“My wife, she likes it rough”

She looked shocked. The valley girl persona almost disappeared

“If she’s  hurting you, you should tell the cops. Like the other cops, the ones that aren’t you”

“Chill Im hella joking. Overall I spent nearly 5 years in a fuckin warzone. Got wounded a couplea times. The one on my arm though was teenage shit I’m not proud of”

She seemed to deflate almost at once

“You like really did shit like this for real? You have a pregnant wife at home, why are you here, risking your life to protect me? You could get a safe job”

“Who’d catch the fuckin bad guys if I did that? Started out I was here for a job, but it makes it easier to be lookin after a nice kid.”

Shit I sound old no wonder this good hearted dumbass doesn’t believe my age

“ You got a good heart but if you listen to nothin else listen to this. Smart is fuckin sexy”

I tapped her forehead.

“Use this, think before you speak and most fuckin important. Be the best fuckin you that you can, then you’ll get a guy that’s worth havin instead of Mr different area codes”

Warren woulda been perfect for her. He would be if he hadn’t fuckin died savin my life. Jesus its been months since I thought of that... of him. The lieutenant I had trained up like fattenin a fuckin lamb for slaughter.

I shook my head to get rid of the shitty thoughts.

“Come on, we better get back to cam...”

She was frozen on the spot, staring at a guy with his back to us. A pretty cool tattoo of praying hands in the colors of the Mexican flag on the back of his neck.

“Ag... Agent Price, that guy, he was with the man I’m testifying against. He gave him the gun, Id know the stance and that tattoo anywhere”

I took out my phone and called Taylor.

“Hey Taylor, Me and C are at the gym. Told ya you shoulda come. We’re lookin at this super cute guy right now. He’s just your type. Yeah totally, he’s mexican, looks like a total bodybuilder, he even has a tattoo of praying hands on his neck. I know your mom likes the Christian look so he could totally meet your parents. Bet ya wish you came now, lazy”

“So you want me to come to the gym in town cause Courtney thinks a Mexican with a tattoo on his neck was an accomplice to the murder case she testifies at? Il be there in 10. Sending description to Lucan now”

“You’re hella the best Taylor, see you soon”

The guy musta had a sense we were watchin him because he turned. I saw a bulge under the track jacket he wore that told me he was fuckin armed. I slowly lifted my tank top as he looked away and checked the P229 in the concealed carry holster at my hip. As Taylor walked in I was keeping my body between Courtney and the suspect tryin to look like we were lustin about the gym bros.

Taylor walked towards us with a bounce in her step. As soon as she gave Courtney a hello hug I whispered

“Get her the fuck outta here?”

“What are you planning Chlo?”

I grinned.

“Il think of somethin”

They walked out arm in arm, Taylor pointing and giggling at all the guys she saw

Smart, makin sure people are watchin and that she can see everyone

I saw the suspect lie down on the weight bench and walked over to him. This was gonna be dangerous however you fuckin cut it. But at least Taylor had the principal safely in the vehicle. I muttered a quick apology to Max for the risk I was about to take and quickly drew my weapon, makin sure a wall was at my 6 to avoid someone ambushin me

“Federal Agent, stand up fuckin slowly and put your hands behind your head”

I saw his eyes flick to the bulge under his jacket as he stood.

“Don’t, if you make a move for your weapon I will fuckin kill you”

I heard the door to the gym open and as I saw uniformed police walk in I raised my badge.

“Special Agent Price. Army CID. This man is a suspect in a murder case. Can you take him in and my boss will arrange a prisoner transfer?”

The local leos were suspicious of me

“Where’s your back up?”

“We’re hear on close protection duty. She’s outside with our principal.”

I gave our vehicle registration number and one of the locals went out to check.

“She’s telling the truth”

They took my prisoner away and I left the gym and headed to our vehicle.

If this goes well, they might not need Courtney’s testimony. Would make her life much fuckin safer.

July 1^st 2100 hours

“I heard what you did Chloe. What the fuck is wrong with you? You knew Taylor would contact the local police. Why the fuck did you get involved?”

Lucan was fuckin furious. I knew that wasnt good

“I had to make sure he had no friends in there. If he had and the locals came in woulda been a fuckin blood bath”

“So you risked your life to stop that? For fuck sake Chloe there was no need. Were you wearing body armor at least?”

I started to feel guilty

“No boss”

“If the director asks, you were. Il make sure Christensen knows the story. Officially you are one misstep away from suspension. Unofficially Price well fuckin done, if he talks its a slam dunk. You have to bring Miss Wagner to DC and hand her over to the Marshalls. Trial starts day after as you know”

I Smiled.

Only a few hours left in this shithole

Glossary

Army CID: US Army federal police. Agents can be military like Chloe or civilian like Vinh

Local Leos: local law enforcement. Sometimes derogatory

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.

July 7^th 2015 1400 hours

I stood over the corpse on the autopsy table. Dr Moses Murphy was doin his thing, whatever the fuck that was.

I got the shit end of the stick on this one. Fuckin punishment for not wearin my vest when I was guardin Courtney. Still at least I'm home now.

“So doc was it murder?”

He rolled his eyes and huffed at me

“Chloe he was beaten and then shot 11 times. It would be a strange way to commit suicide”

“So cause of death?”

“If you want me to guess multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. However at least 2 were post-mortem and there is blunt force trauma to the occipital so I cant be specific until I perform the full autopsy”

Jesus why cant nerds give a straight fuckin answer

“Did you at least get confirmation of his id?”

“Tattoos and dental records are a match for first sergeant Logan Robertson. Guy was a rock star. 5 tours of Iraq, 6 of Afghanistan some heavily redacted. Agents Lang and Christensen are notifying next of kin”

Shit. Gotta be special operations

“Both of them to inform next of kin? Seems overkill”

“Had 2 addresses on file for him so Lucan sent one to each to be sure”

My cell phone rang

“Price”

“Chloe you need to see this right now”

I raced from basement to bullpen to see what Vinh was so hot under the collar about. The first thing I saw was a hot as fuck brunette bein pushed into a chair by Taylor. A red haired chick that was just as much of a fuckin smokeshow was holdin her head, like someone had tried to tear her fuckin hair out.

Vinh was at his desk tryin desperately to keep a straight face. He was failin fuckin badly.

“The redhead is Robertson’s fiancée”

“And the brunette?”

“His wife”

He answered grinnin like a fuckin maniac.

“Obviously never heard that bigamy and monogamy are the same thing. Too many wives”

“Jesus Lang even I think that’s fuckin tactless. Come on they both just lost a fuckin partner”

Taylor strode over to us, her pretty face had a disgusted look on it. She had obviously heard Vinh jokin around, which meant the next of kin(s) probably had as well

Shit

“You really think this is fucking funny? Those women have both lost a loved one that they just found out was lying to them both. The wife has 2 children under 5 and the fiancée is pregnant. Thank God Chloe had some sympathy”

Weird that was nice, but the surprise was kinda hurtful

“Hey don’t take it out on me just cause you’re living with a married woman and feeling guilty, too close to home Christensen?”

“Out of order Vinh, Taylor and Steph didn’t lie to anyone, Steph’s marriage was falling apart for other fuckin reasons and I say that as her wife’s friend. Il talk to the fiancée, you want the wife Taylor?”

“sure, her name’s Riley Lethe”

She was still lookin at Vinh  like he was an asshole. Fuck it she was probably right, but objectively it didnt fuckin matter. We had to find the killer. Carefully hiding my feelings I walked towards the fiancée.

“Miss Lethe, I’m Special Agent Price, I need to ask you a few questions if that’s ok?”

“Will it help catch whoever killed Logan? Though I bet it was that crazy fucking bitch  there’s just no way my Logan was married”

“Miss Lethe he was married for 8 years, are you tellin me he never had to leave suddenly, without any explanation? Maybe an unusual amount of time away?”

She looked at me, her face a battlefield between love and disbelief.

“He was in Delta, do you know what that means Agent Price? of course he was away a lot”

“Look I gotta ask, where were you yesterday between 1400 hours and 1800 hours?”

She started fuckin hyperventilating

Shit this cant be good for the baby

“I... I was at... work, my grandmother’s flower shop”

“Can anyone confirm that?”

“My grandmother, maybe but she...she has Alzheimer’s so maybe not... God do you think I did this?”

I decided to be honest  with her.

“Honestly, no I cant see it, but I gotta check”

I handed her my card

“If you remember anythin strange give me a call. Before I forget. Do you own a firearm Miss Lethe?”

“No, Logan did but he always carried it with him”

Strange, no weapon was found with the body, maybe the killer took it

“Thank you, you can head home whenever you like. Just let us know if you plan on going anywhere out of state ok?”

She nodded dumbly, obviously still in shock. I regretted she mighta heard Langs dumb joke about her situation but his ability to turn every situation into a joke is never gonna fuckin change

July 7^th 1900 hours

“Babe, you will never guess the case I caught today. Fuckin special ops guy got offed. When his addresses were visited turns out he had a wife and 2 kids and a fuckin pregnant fiancée, fuckin Vinh made a joke about bigamy and monogamy bein the same. In front of the women”

Max looked at me, her face crumpling into almost helpless laughter

“was it the both mean too many wives one, V told that joke at my bachelorette party, it was kind of funny”

“Good to know what my wife thinks about marriage”

I was kinda fuckin hurt. My wife thinkin a joke about any sort of marriage being to many wives was funny hurt . That and the fact that Max didnt seem bothered the joke was made where the families could hear pissed me off

“I mean fuckin hell babe, those chicks probably heard him”

“I know but in a different setting the joke is funny. He should just have made it in private.”

I huffed loudly

“Chloe stop. It doesnt mean I dont love you or love being married to you. Its a joke, I find it funny because its not true”

I looked at her. I always found it hard to atay mad at Max but this time I wasnt fuckin happy with her. Without another word I stormed out to the back yard and lit a cigarette.

Since when do I get this fuckin upset by inappropriate fuckin jokes?

Glossary

Delta: 1^st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta: United States Army Special Operations force. Specialising in hostage rescue, reconnaissance, Counter terrorism and Direct Action against the enemy.

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.

July 8^th 2015 0800 hours

I woke up with Max holding me. Her face nuzzled into my neck. After our fight the night before I didn’t hear her come to bed. I should have got up but I fuckin put it off. It felt hella nice just to be held. To feel loved.

“Mmm Chloe, I’m sorry for pissing you off last night, I know the joke was in bad taste but I didn’t think you would be that upset by it”

“It’s ok babe. I shouldn’t have fuckin stormed out”

She kissed my neck. Then nipped it with her teeth

“Or smoked, you shouldn’t have smoked, why did the joke upset you? You’ve laughed at way worse?”

How do I explain this? Maybe...

“Because I... wouldn’t blame you if you wished you didn’t marry me. You got your own business. Fuck you’re really fuckin good at somethin. I’m not”

“Wowser, where has this come from babe? I love you, you fucking idiot. We’re having a baby together Chloe. You need to tell me where the fuck this came from because it wasnt just from a fucking joke”

I thought hard and for a long time. The worry on her face, I could almost smell and taste it.

Nice work, genius she’s blamin herself for you bein a fuck up now.

“At Caledon. I had to take Courtney. That’s the girl I was protectin, to lectures. In one of them... your dad was the professor”

Her face turned dangerous. She looked like a fuckin storm. The kind that in the old days people woulda made a human sacrifice to make the storm Gods happy so it wouldn’t destroy them.

“Go on”

“Courtney told him our story. My fault, but she thought she could make him see it was romantic. She is a fuckin dumbass but in a kind way”

The storm on her face was gettin worse. Much fuckin worse.

“What the fuck did he do?”

“He said... you only wanted me because I took advantage of you when you were stressed and scared”

She threw herself out of bed, without even bothering to dress and grabbed her phone.

“What the fuck did you say to my wife? No I will not watch my fucking language, Chloe has never fucking once taken advantage of me dad. If you ever fucking say anything like that again then don’t bother contacting me”

Is it bad I wish I could hear him? Fuck it I don’t care. She loves me.

Max climbed back into bed and kissed me.

“Better?”

“mmm maybe one more”

She kissed me again. I jumped in the shower to get ready. Max had a scan this morning and I had taken a personal day to take her.

“Yes Lucan, of course Il tell her. Tomorrow at 10? Thank you.”

Wonder what that’s about

“Chloe Elizabeth Price. Why have you got a disciplinary hearing tomorrow?”

She stormed into the bathroom

Motherfuckin shit fuck cunt

“Umm I... well I kinda maybe... wasnt wearin body armor on the close protection job”

“Are you fucking shitting me Chloe? Why not?”

Gotta be honest. I promised never to lie to her

“I was trainin Courtney in self defemce. Wearin the vest in the gym woulda given me away”

“That was a fucking stupid risk to take Chloe. You could have been fucking killed. Is that all? Remember your promise”

“There was a complaint about me sayin shit to one of the professors. Not your dad I dont think”

She took a deep breath and kissed me

“Thank you for being honest with me babe. I’m pissed at you but I get it. You were trying to keep someone else safe”

I grinned and pulled her into the shower with me.

This was turnin into a good fuckin morning

July 8^th 1100 hours

We sat in my truck waitin for my mom to pick up her phone. The OBGYN was really fuckin happy with how the pregnancy was goin an I was burstin with pride and fuckin desperate to tell someone. I couldnt fuckin believe that in 5 weeks we would be moms.

“Chloe is everything ok? Is it the baby”

Seriously its not that rare for me to call her...anymore

“Yeah its all great. They think we will be parents in 5 weeks. Also we changed our minds. We know. We’re havin a daughter mom”

I could hear her cryin over the phone and felt my own eyes prickle with fuckin tears. Max squeezed my thigh and kissed my cheek.

“We are so excited Joyce. You can tell David but keep it quiet other than him. Im not telling my parents, mom really wants to be surprised”

“How about your dad”

Max’s voice caught

“I’m not speaking to him just now. He was fucking awful to Chloe again”

“God I’m sorry Max, but lets think about the happy things have you got the nursery set up or thought of any names”

“yeah the nursery is finished. For names we aren’t sure yet but Chloe ordered a book of names so we will definitely let you know”

I smiled, the tears that threatened were gone now I felt full of life. That gave me an idea.

“Babe, I heard somewhere that the name Eva means life. What about that? Ya know cause meetin you made me want to keep mine?”

Shit I forgot my mom was still on speaker

“Chloe what do you mean? Answer me now young lady”

“Nothin mom”

Max glared at me, the glare that said do not fuck around. I sighed

“For a long time after Rachel cheated I wanted to die. I even tried but couldn’t go through with it. So I joined the army and took as many deployments as I could. Figured one time I was gonna get lucky”

“Chloe that’s an awful thing to say. How could you even think like that? To throw your life away because your high school girlfriend turned out to be a bitch. Why its the most selfish, immature... Fuckin stupid thing I’ve heard you say”

She barely paused for breath

“I would have understood for a year or so, but you say you only stopped wanting to... fuckin kill yourself when you met Max. 13 fuckin years Chloe. 13 and you never told me, not once. And I asked”

The anger left her voice almost as soon as it came

“You know what, it doesn’t matter. All I care about is that my daughter isn’t suicidal any more. But if those feelings come again, young lady you better pick that phone up”

I breathed a sigh of relief when Max changed the subject

“Eva, I like it. We just named our daughter babe”

“We hella fuckin did”

Mom huffed

“Watch your language Chloe, you are going to be a mother soon”

“Sorry mom, we do need to go now so I can drive. Love you”

When we arrived at our house and headed inside something went off like a thousand IEDs in my head

A Mother. A fuckin mother, I think I know what the fuck happened

Glossary

IED: Improvised Explosive device. Basically a home made bomb

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.

July 9^th 2015 0700 hours

“Doc was it the fuckin bullets or the head injury that killed First Sergeant Robertson?”

Dr Moses Murphy looked up from a Styrofoam cup. For anyone else at 0700 hours this would be fuckin coffee. For the doc only hot chocolate with about 400 fuckin marshmallows would do. My bile bitter black coffee horrified him as much then as it does now.

“That coffee is an ulcer waiting to happen Chloe”

He glared at my stanley travel mug with unreasonable fuckin annoyance and double checked his report findins with a fuckin sigh that belonged on Broadway.

“The blunt force trauma to the occipital was perimortem but I am confident that the gunshot wounds were the cause of death. The head injury looks like he hit his head violently, my estimate is he fell hard trying to escape his killer after the non fatal shot. It will be of small comfort to the Staff Sergeant but I think he died unconscious ”

“Thanks Moses, would explain why he didn’t defend himself. Also backs up what I’m fuckin thinkin”

He frowned a little

“What are you thinking Chloe?”

“I’m thinkin about what I’d do if I found out my daughters fiancée was already married”

“God, you don’t think?”

My face was ice cold

“I’m hella gonna check Doc”

I left the autopsy room and headed for my desk at the bullpen. I gotta admit, I had bad intentions, I still had that pack of Lucky Strike in my desk and was desperate for a fuckin smoke.

1 smoke in 4 days is nowhere fuckin near enough

“You’re early Price. Good. The director has some free time. She said to bring you up as soon as you got here.

Shit. I thought I had a couplea hours to check my theory. Director Jacobs needs a fuckin reason not to suspend me.

Groaning visibly I followed Lucan up the stairs to discover my fate.

Army CID Director Diane Jacobs was a complicated woman. I had worked in the same office as her for nearly 6 months and had barely seen her. Lucan had warned me that while she seemed kind, even harmless there was a deadly streak of ruthlessness under the surface that came out in times of fuckin stress. Which I figured fuckin explained why she was Director of a joint military and federal agency at the age of 43.

Aside from the presidential picture that seemed to be obligatory in these kind of offices the only photographs or artwork had been commissioned from 6 year olds.  

Must be her niece and nephew. She’s got no kids

“Agent Price. Thank you for coming. I hear you’ve been making a name for yourself. Cocky, reckless and far too willing to solve problems with a 9mm instead of using your de-escalation training”

I opened my mouth to argue but she held her finger up and continued

“However Agent Christensen likes working with you and I learned to trust her judgement when she was assigned to be my close protection officer. Which nicely brings us to why you’re here”

“Yes Ma’am”

I was stood at perfect attention, a look of mild confusion on my face. The standard fuckin look of pretend innocence a senior NCO gives an officer who is about to tear her a fuckin new one.

“Any idea why local law enforcement reports clearly state you were not wearing body armor when they arrived on scene at the gym? As you know it is standard protocol on all close protection assignments that body armor is worn at all times while on duty”

“None Ma’am. I follow important protocol to the letter. Ask Agent Christensen Ma’am”

She smiled slightly at the evasion

“Agent Christensen claims you were wearing your concealed body armor. Is that true”

“Must be Ma’am, Agent Christensen wouldn’t lie Ma’am”

Thank you Taylor

“That’s what I thought Agent Price. But you understand I had to follow this up. I’m glad you follow important protocols. But”

This time the smile was warm

“Maybe get better at judging which ones actually are important. To stop your partner having to... explain the error. You can leave now Agent. I believe you have work to do”

Holy fuckin shit she knows Taylor lied and doesn’t care. This time. Better take her advice

I smiled as I walked out of the office

No fuckin unpaid suspension for this girl!!!!

July 9^th 1400 hours

After spendin hours puttin my case together me and Taylor walked in to Lethe Flowers to make our arrest. An older woman, probably mid sixties was standing behind the counter.

“Eleanor Lethe?”

“Yes”

“I’m Agent Price and this is Agent Christensen, Army CID. We need to talk to you about Logan Robertson”

Her face fell for a second. But only a second

Id hate to play poker with her

Riley Lethe came in from the back of the store. My hand dropped to my hip, hovering over my weapon.

“Agent Price. Did you find out who killed Logan?”

“I think we did. Does your grandmother own a firearm?”

She gave me a confused look

“Yes... my granddads old 1911 from Vietnam”

She fuckin reloaded. Jesus

“Caliber fits. Where was your grandmother on July 6^th between 1400 and 1800 hours”

“She was...I don’t know she left work at 1”

Eleanor Lethe smiled.

“I did it for you dear. His wife came in for flowers for their anniversary. I had to put their wedding photo on the bouquet. So I went to Logan’s cabin and I shot him. He fell after the first shot so when he was on the ground I shot again. When the gun clicked I reloaded and kept firing”

I Looked at her

“Mrs Lethe. I need to read you your rights and have you write this down”

“Oh of course dear. He got what he deserved and in prison they will help me with my Alzheimer’s for free”

I read her her rights and we took her into the office to write and sign her confession.

Fuck me. A special ops soldier killed by a woman in her sixties with Altzheimers. The press will fuckin love this

Glossary

NCO: Non Commissioned Officer, Senior enlisted rank in military

9mm: Caliber of Chloe’s weapon

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.

July 11^th 2015 1300 hours

I was sittin eating lunch with Max. We had gone to a old style diner that kinda reminded me of my moms place in Arcadia Bay.

Fuck I gotta take Max there when the baby’s born. She would fuckin love the two whales bacon omelette.

I was about half way through my burger when my wife decided to ask me for a fuckin big favor.

“Babe our new intern wants to interview you. She says an exclusive on the ‘Granny Oakley’ case would be great experience for her. Would that be ok?”

My eyes met hers, I was tryin fuckin hard not to laugh.

“Granny fuckin Oakley?”

“Loretta, our intern came up with the name. Started a bidding war from all the big news companies for the rights to it”

This time my face was about as straight as I was. I knew Vinh would fuckin love the publicity for the team. Lucan probably not so much.

“Il ask Lucan babe. The interview would need to be after the trial though. Cant talk about the case until then”

“Fiiiine obey the law. Before I forget V wants to visit tonight, is that good for you?”

I took another bite of my bacon double cheese as Max swiped a handful of my fries.

“Mm tonight’s great for me. Be good to hear how Alex is doin in rehab”

“I was thinking we could invite Steph and Taylor as well, have a girls night before the baby’s born”

I Smiled at her as she wolfed down the rest of my fries

“That sounds great babe. About 2000 hours”

“That’s 8 right?”

My eyes rolled

“Yeah. I gotta get back to work”

I kissed her and headed back to my case

July 11^th 2015 2100 hours

I was late, an hour fuckin late. The only good thing was Taylor was as well. We had been stuck doin paperwork on what we were now all calling the Granny Oakley case.

At least I got good news for Max. Lucan okayed the exclusive for Loretta.

Taylor lit a cigarette in the driveway and offered me one. I gratefully lit it and felt the familiar relaxation course through me.

Almost as good as sex...almost

After our smoke I destroyed the evidence of my crime by sticking a couplea sticks of gum in my mouth and we headed in to face the music for bein late.

“Chloooe the pizza is freezing what kept you?”

“Paperwork babe. Loretta is gettin that exclusive interview though”

She kissed me deeply and handed me a slice of meatlovers. Steph was talkin rapid fire about d and d to V and Kate

“I always wanted to play, but my mom said it was satanic so I never got the chance”

“We can definitely sort a game Kate. Aside from Chloe dying every 5 minutes her and Max had a great time playing”

Victoria looked nervous. I figured her high school experience was more makin d and d players lives hell than ever playin the game. She woulda been too busy bein the queen bitch.

Hell I cant talk. I was too busy bein a fuckin burnout

After meeting Steph it fuckin shamed me to think of the jokes me and Rachel made about... well every kid in school that wasnt drinkin or druggin their brains out.

“Yeah it was fun. You’d love it V. You could be a literal fuckin queen if you wanted”

She thought for a minute.

“We could arrange a game for Maxs birthday. Guessing bar crawl is out since you two will have a baby by then”

Steph pounced on the opportunity.

“Il email you all character sheets. We can have fsntasy decorations and use a cauldron for a cocktail bowl. It will look like a magic potion”

Taylor snuck over and kissed her into silence. All pretence of Steph sleepin in the spare room seemed to be gone.

Good to get it out in the open, still how will Alex take this when she gets outta rehab?

“Sure beautiful, I can wear that princess dress you been desperate to see me in.”

Steph snuggled into her touch with a look of dreamy satisfaction on her face.

“Mmmmm If I can be your rescuer when we get home... definitely”

I Saw Kate head for the kitchen for more pizza and discretely followed

“How is Alex doin in rehab? She better be goin balls to the wall with it”

“According to what they are allowed to tell me, she’s almost back to her old self. She hates herself for how she treated Steph though. She... she knows about Taylor but from the letter she wrote me she understands”

I felt relief fuckin wash over me. Maybe Alex was gonna be ok.

“How bout you an V Preacher Lady? She still makin you praise god every night?”

“That may be the most blasphemous thing you have ever said, but yes I am saying his name for reasons other than prayer most nights. Although she prefers when I scream her name. You know V, she hates sharing credit”

Kate was blushing, but it was a strange blush. Almost fuckin proud.

“To be honest I have found being in bed with her very like my relationship with God. I’m either on my knees worshiping her or praising her for the wonders she does with her hands.”

“You’re gonna make me blush Preacher Lady, come on. Lets get back to our girls before they send a fuckin search party”

The night ended too soon. After our guests left I started to clear up the empty pizza boxes. Until Max grabbed my ass and turned me into a brain fryin kiss.

Pretty soon she was on the sofa and I was on my knees worshipping her.

If this is what prayer feels like I hella wish Id been a preacher myself.

Glossary

Balls to the wall: to go all out

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.

August 15^th 2015  1430 hours

 I was sitting with Max when it happened, my girlfriend (I suppose technically my live in affair partner) Taylor had asked me to pick up some movies Chloe said she could borrow.

Thank God she did because Max’s waters broke. I have to be honest, I was not the most calm Ive ever been. I called Taylor on the way to the car. God, I know I shoulda called Chloe, but Taylor was obviously on my speed dial.

“God damnit Taylor, pick the fucking phone up. This is no time for your woman of mystery routine”

I helped Max into my car. So embarrassing. It was a mess. A typical musicians car, old gig flyers, empty cigarette packs, half written songs, some d and d character sheets and empty soda cans littered the back seat. Alex always made sure it was clean but since...

No don’t fucking dare make today about you, get your friend to the hospital and somehow get a hold of her wife. Your friend fucking needs you

“Chloe isnt fucking answering, Steph I need her with me”

“Neither’s Taylor, gotta be a work thing. Il call Kate and see if she can swing by the office.”

Before I finished speaking Max was starting to groan. I quickly put my phone on hands free and called Kate as I drove.

“hey Kate no time for small talk. Can you get to the CID office. Max is in labor, we cant get hold of Chloe or Taylor. I’m taking her to hospital”

“Jesus, Il call Lucan right now if he doesn’t answer Il head straight there”

She hung up right away, I really hoped to get hold of Lucan and I hit the gas to reach the hospital. Took about 40 minutes but we were fucking there at least. I half carried her inside.

“She’s having a fucking baby. Its early, can someone please help me”

The sheer damn terror in my voice must have communicated itself because a dude in scrubs raced over and helped Max into a wheelchair. He took us to a room in obstetrics and I filled out Max’s insurance information while we waited.

My God this is going to be a long wait.

                                                   ~

August 15^th 1500 hours

“Fuckin shitty day Taylor. A week til my fuckin leave kicks in and my baby is born and Lucan sends us to the ass end of nowhere to take witness statements. You even got fuckin cell reception?”

She rolled her eyes at me, Id been makin the same complaints for the entire time we were driving.

Great job Chloe piss off  your partner, great fuckin idea

“I told you already, no hang on Chlo, 1 ba...”

Her fuckin phone blew up with noise. 3 text messages at least and a ton of missed call tones. Somethins gone to fuckin rat shit. I just hoped we weren’t getting the blame. I saw Taylors face change.

“Chlo, we need to head back now, it’s Max, she’s in labor”

“Fuck”

“Pull over Chlo, I’m driving back you are in no state”

I wanted to argue, I hella wanted to fuckin argue but she was right. I was too scared and fuckin excited to drive. Or even think when I heard the news. So I pulled over and we switched seats. Taylor put the fuckin lights on and we sped to the hospital.

It was all goin really fuckin well until we hit traffic. Serious fuckin traffic, the kind you always fuckin hit in D.C. at just the wrong fuckin time. I was tryin to call Steph to see how shit was goin with Max but there was no fuckin answer.

“Its a fucking hospital Chlo that’s why Steph cant answer. don’t worry”

I grabbed Taylors Marlboros from the dashboard and lit one. I felt the nicotine sooth my nerves as Taylor started moving again. The lights were blaring when we reached the hospital and I jumped out of the sedan and raced inside.

I ran to reception and the guy behind the desk looked at me. I musta looked fuckin nuts.

“I need Max Caulfield-Price’s room now”

“Are you family, Miss, I can only give that information to family”

I Glared at him

“I’m her fuckin wife now tell me where she is”

“Her wife is with her already. She brought her in”

Fuck it

I showed him my badge

“I need to get to her right the fuck now, federal agent”

“Shit ok down the corridor to your right, first room on your left”

I ran as fast as I could to my wife.

Fuck knows what he thinks is happenin but I dont give a fuck

I grabbed a chair and sat by Max, holdin her hand

“Babe are you ok? What’s the doctor saying”

“Thank God you’re here babe. I... couldn’t do this without you”

I kissed her gently and put my arm around her. I was feelin really shitty.

I shoulda been here the whole time

“Thanks Steph. I owe you big fuckin time for this”

“You saved Alexs life twice and introduced me to Taylor. Think I still owe you, Il leave you both to it. Call me when the baby comes”

She gave us our privacy as the OBGYN walked in.

August 15^th 1800 hours

I was stretched out on the bed beside Max. My arm around her as she nursed our daughter. I was lookin at her with somethin close to worship in my eyes.

She’s given me the fuckin world today. I always thought I couldn’t love anyone as much as I love Max but now there are two people in the world I would happily give my life for.

I kissed Max and kissed Eva on her forehead.

God she’s hella fuckin  tiny

“Babe I’m gonna call your parents and my mom and David. Don’t go anywhere”

“Don’t worry, I never want to put her down”

I took out my phone and made the calls.

Even includin my wedding day and passin out of boot camp, this is hella the best fuckin day of my whole life

Glossary

Boot Camp: Army basic training.

CID: Army federal police. Agents are made up of soldiers like Chloe and civilia

Chapter Text

Arcadia Bay OR  2015

August 22^nd   1730 hours

We passed the Welcome to Arcadia Bay sign less than five minutes ago. My wife was fast asleep, drooling like fuck on her seatbelt. Our daughter was in the back seat of my truck, dozing in her car seat. This was Max’s first visit to my home town, gotta admit that was by fuckin design. Place is a fuckin shithole.

Still my mon and the step grandfucker really want to meet Eva. Cant fault em for that

As if my thoughts had summoned her like fuckin Beetlejuice my daughter, Eva Price woke up. Her little lungs filled and the cries drowned out the quiet music comin over the radio. Max woke instantly and spoke soothingly to her as I pulled over.

She unclipped the little demon and sat in the back to feed her. Soon all was right in my daughters tiny world. She burped as a fuckin thank you and went right back to sleep. Max plugged her back into her seat and we drove on to my Moms place. My old home.

Shit, my old bedroom, we’ll be sleepin in there. The posters on the wall... the magazines hidden under my mattress... fuck

Max knocked on the door while I lifted Eva out of the truck, seat and all.

“Hey Max, Hey Chloe, your mom is still at work come on in... does the shrimp need anythin?”

I Groaned as fuckin theatrically as I could.

“She hella needs changed David. If you promise not to tell Max about the truck thing Il go do that just now”

Max looked fuckin intrigued

“The truck thing?, David I need to hear this”

When I was done changing the diaper I took Eva back to the sitting room and passed her to David so that he could hold her for the first time. He had never fuckin held a baby before so I positioned her in his arms. I couldn’t help but notice Max was tryin not to laugh since I got back.

“You asshole. You fuckin told her”

“Chloe, watch your language young lady, the baby will hear you”

My moms voice came from the doorway. I almost laughed as she continued.

“Why don’t you and Max go up to your room and start unpacking? Give us some time with our granddaughter”

That sounds hella fuckin good

I took my ruck and Max’s case and showed her upstairs to our room. As soon as she saw the posters of half naked girls on the walls lounging fuckin provocatively over bikes, cars and trucks she snorted back laughter.

“Chloooe your bedroom when you were a teenager looks like a mechanics garage. How did it take your mom so long to realise you were into girls?”

I Smiled. That always confused the fuck outta me as well. So it was nice to have Max agree. What wasnt nice was when she decided to move my mattress.

“Chloe, what the fuck?”

The magazines... shit

“Honest babe, they were Rachel’s she just kept them here so her friends wouldnt find them”

“Next you will be telling me you only bought them for the articles. I mean Jesus Christ Chloe... Teen people and Teen Beat. And I thought you were a punk as a kid”

My face turned bright fuckin red, of course she fuckin found them. I saw her snap pictures on her phone.

“These are so being sent to Kate and Steph”

FUCK

August 22^nd 2000 hours

My truck sat outside American Rust. Max was photographing the fuck outta my old hiding place. I saw the writing on the wall.

“Chloe was here”

And underneath

“Rachel was here”

I smiled at one of my few happy teenage memories. Then an idea came to me. I went into Max’s Camera Bag and handed her a marker.

“You been here too babe. Add your name”

“Really? It wouldnt be weird?”

“Be weirder if you didnt”

She smiled and within seconds

“Max was here”

Was written under our names. She took a picture of me standin beside it and was just finding her next angle for a shot of my home away from hell when I heard the unmistakable crack of a .22.

MY hand flew to my P229 and I took my badge from my pocket and clipped it to my belt.

“Wait here. I mean it Max. No fuckin excuses”

“Babe you’re on leave you don’t have to...”

I kissed her quickly

“Its my job. Someone could be hurt”

I Walked carefully towards the sound of the shot. My eyes scanning the kill zone I was about to walk into.  I saw him. His back was to me and the smashed bottles in front of him showed his target practice. His greasy hair showed from under his hat.

“Hello Frank”

“Chloe Price. Whats it been? 15 years?”

“14, just after my 18^th birthday. I caught you fuckin my girl”

He stroked the scar runnin through his beard. A legacy of my fuckin knife.

“I remember every time I look in the mirror. You uglied me up good you crazy bitch. You gonna off me?”

He pointed at the weapon in my hands. Then looked in shock at the badge on my hip.

“Chloey Price, a fuckin fed, that I didnt expect. Figured you for dead in an alley with a needle in your  arm”

He slipped the .22 into his jacket

“you here for me?”

“Nah, you’re way too fuckin small time”

He laughed, a hearty almost friendly sound

“The fuckin ladyballs on you. Talkin to me like that in my own town”

I lowered my weapon as I heard a gasp behind me

“Chloe who is this?”

For fuck sake what is it with her and not stayin safe?

“Max this is Frank Bowers. Frank this is Max”

“Id do her if yer askin”

“Watch it Frank, your packin, I could drop you right now and do the fuckin world a favor”

Max looked at me. Disapproval was radiatin from every bit of her

“Chloe thats not you anymore dont let him drag you back down to that scared, violent girl.”

She’s right this loser’s not worth it. Rachel wasnt fuckin worth it

“Get gone Frank before I fuckin forget myself”

I smiled as he climbed into the dirty RV. I had faced down one of my demons and I was still me.

“Baby. Tell me about that night, if you can. You need to get it out in the open. I swear I wont judge”

I Hesitated. I couldnt bear her seeing the girl I was then. I didnt want to fuckin know that girl. A selfish burnout who thought she knew a secret every other cunt was too dumb to work out. But this was Max

She loves me. She deserves the full story. Here goes nothin

                                  *********

Arcadia bay. OR

The Old Lumber Mill

May 12^th  2001  2330 hours

The 10 bucks was rolled into a neat fuckin tube it felt light as air in my hand as the coke hit my brain. Thats fuckin hella good shit was all I could think. I knew I needed to find Rachel. Combined with the 2 pills I had taken the coke was havin predictable results. I was wet as fuck. I stormed past the fuckin partygoers to find and fuck my girl. I think I was callin her name but fuck knows coulda been someone else. And then I saw it. My fuckin girl bouncin up and down on Franks fuckin dick. Someone screamed, maybe fuckin me maybe whoever saw the lock knife that appeared from my back pocket.

“You motherfuckin cunt. Your fuckin dead bowers”

God I can still hear his fuckin laugh as a switchblade came from his dirty leather jacket. We fuckin circled each other like wolves until I felt his blade catch my arm. It cut through my own jacket and slashed a cut down my left arm. I didnt fuckin care. He was in my reach. The gerber in my hand flashed. It caught him just under his eye and scored the entire side of his face. I saw the cunt back off and my friend Justin grabbed me an dragged me outta there kickin and fuckin screaming.

Arcadia Bay OR

August 22^nd 2100 hours

“So now you know babe. The full story... if you dont want someone like me around you and Eva I... I understand”

I felt her fuckin rush me. Her tongue fightin mine as we kissed.

“God no. Chloe it just proves how far you’ve come. You’re not that girl anymore. You’re the bravest woman I’ve ever met. I love you”

God I’m the luckiest woman in the fuckin world

Glossary

Fed: Federal Agent. Usually derogatory

Chapter Text

Arcadia Bay OR  2015

 August 23^rd   0430 hours

I jerked awake. The noise was like big voice announcin a fuckin mortar attack. Eva was fuckin telling us she needed changing. I disentangled myself from the human limpet I married

How the fuck is she still asleep?

And picked our baby up, bouncing her gently in my arms

“Shhh mommy’s got you. We need to be quiet and let mama sleep ok?”

Eva showed me just what she thought of my orders by spittin up all over my shoulder just before I could put her on the fuckin changin table. I grinned in the desperate, sleep deprived way new parents have and got her diaper changed.

“Il hella remember this when you bring someone home to meet us for the first time. Ya know that’s not allowed till you’re about 45 right?”

“mmm Chloe, what did I tell you about saying hella in front of Eva?”

I laughed gently. Only my fuckin wife could sleep through a screamin baby and wake up because of a muttered fuckin ‘hella’.

“That its super cute and I should do it all the fuckin time?”

“Yes except I think my exact words were don’t say it”

I kissed our daughters forehead. She always smelled of milk and baby powder. It was becomin one of my all time favorite smells. I put her back in her travel cot and took off the t shirt that she had spit up on, climbing into bed with Max.

“No fair, you’re half naked and you know its still a couple of days before you can eat me again”

I slipped my arms around her and kissed her earlobe gently

“2 more days... how can I fuckin cope. Maybe I should find another woman to take the edge off”

She elbowed me jokingly in the guts.

“You are so lucky I know you’re joking Chloe”

I kissed her and we went back to sleep.

August 23^rd  0900 hours

“David do you mind watchin Eva for a couplea hours? I was thinkin of takin Max to 2 Whales for breakfast today. She’s desperate to try the bacon omelette”

He smiled at me and put down his paper. He looked thrilled that I would trust him to take care of one of the two most precious things in my life.

“Teach me how to change a diaper and get Max to leave some milk and no problem. Il tell her war stories about her mommy as a teenager shes gonna love it”

Thank fuck my daughter is only a week old. She doesn’t need to learn the shit I got up to. Come to that, neither does my wife.

After countless demonstrations on how to change a diaper and how to feed a baby just right and a few tears from Max at the goodbye.(Ok ok I hella cried as well) We set off for 2 Whales. I parked up outside and noticed Franks rusted to shit RV.

Fuck

I checked the P229 in the concealed carry holster on my hip and the back up s and w bodyguard revolver at my ankle, I then made sure my badge was in my pocket in case of awkward questions.

“Chloe its a diner not a foot patrol in Afghanistan, do you really need the weapons?”

“That’s Franks RV, after yesterday, maybe”

Max turned white. There was fear on her face

“Maybe we should go back?”

“Babe I’m a cop, I cant hide from a low level drug dealer like a scared kid, and there’s a local cop car parked up. You’re good here. I promise”

She smiled a little, a fuckin nervous smile but better than the fear of two minutes ago.

“OK I trust you”

We walked inside, my arm around her waist, As soon as we opened the door an old ‘friend’ called out a greeting.

“Chloe Price. Hope you cleaned up your act over the last few years.”

“Officer... sorry sergeant Berry. Long time no see. You still better at huntin donuts than suspects?”

Max gave me a glare, the one that said ‘be nice’ without any words.

“Caught you spray painting enough times. Never could bring myself to charge you. Artwork was too good. What you doin with yourself now”

I laughed and took my badge from my pocket.

“No shit. Army fed? Hey donuts are on me”

“Yeah I technically fuckin outrank you as well. Staff Sergeant and federal Agent”

He saluted good naturedly then looked at Max with a questioning smile

“You gonna introduce your girl to an old cop?”

“Max Caulfield-Price this is Sergeant Anderson Berry. Sergeant this is my wife Max”

They shook hands, both looked pretty happy to meet each other

“Il let you get on. Cant stand in the way of someone gettin a 2 whales breakfast. Chloe one cop to another. Frank Bowers, he’s not the same low life he was. He’s moved up in the world. Be careful of him.”

“Thanks man. Il watch out”

We sat down and ordered 2 bacon omelettes with hash browns on the side. My mom was pretty quiet takin the order but she was back to herself by the time she brought the food.

“Hope you enjoy sweetheart. I hear you went to American Rust yesterday. Did you know the truck Chloe just got rid of came from there?”

Max looked fascinated so my mom continued

“ she found it there and managed to get it running. I suppose technically she stole it”

“Bad Chloe, you told me that truck cost you $2000. What happened to never lying to me?”

I ate some hash browns to buy time

“It did. Had to pay 2 gees to get the floor replaced and a new set of keys. Was drivin it usin a screwdriver as a key for like 4 months.”

That revelation got me

“Chloe Elizabeth Price  that was really dangerous, what tje hell was wrong with you?”

In each ear. One from my mom and one from my wife.

“Hey I survived didn’t I? How’s the food babe?”

“Amazing. So good I’ll let you off with changing the subject.”

We all laughed quietly together and finished our breakfast

I’m strangely sad we need to fuckin go home in a couplea days. Max can even make Arcadia Bay worth bein in for me. God I love her.

Glossary

Big Voice: loudspeaker system used on base for warnings and urgent announcements

Chapter Text

Washington D.C. 2015

September  18^th   530 pm give or take

Taylor was walking in the door. She looked completely shaken up. Her eyeliner was smeared from crying. I stopped working on the song I was writing and raced over to her, my arms fit perfectly around her.

It feels so different to holding Alex. There I was always the one being protected, like she was afraid to show any vulnerability, even to me, maybe especially to me

Taylor clung tightly to me, I was almost afraid to ask the question but knew in my heart I needed to

“What’s wrong? I’m sure we can sort it out if we work together”

I suddenly remembered how dangerous her job could be

“Shit Taylor, no one’s dead are they? Is Chloe ok?”

“No, I just... I knew we had an expiry date but... now its here, Alex gets out of rehab tomorrow”

I felt my heart shatter.

She doesn’t want me anymore. She’s upset because I might not want to leave

“I... I understand, I’ll start packing. You don’t need to be upset. I wont make it hard for you”

Taylor looked at me like she had never seen me before. The sadness was leaving to be replaced with shock and maybe even anger. She moved out of my arms and lit a cigarette.

“Wait, you think I want you to go? What the fuck Steph? I thought that you would want to give your marriage another shot with Alex being sober now.”

How could she think that. She’s always so confident. How can she not trust that I chose her?

I stole one of her cigarettes and looked right back at her. Staring her down. She looked away first which I have to admit I was proud of.

“You really think I would just walk away from you? Walk away from us? What did you think that you were just a fling for a month or two until my real life came back?”

Now I was crying. My feelings were completely shredded. I poked her hard in the chest. Maybe harder than I meant to

“You fucking bitch. You really think that’s who I am? That I would ever treat anyone like that. Maybe you don’t know me at all. Wait is that all I was to you?”

“Of course not but I thought...”

I Cut her off angrily

“You didn’t think Taylor, maybe try listening to me when I tell you how I feel. I think I've fallen in love with you. But if you want to throw that away I cant stop you”

She grabbed me and kissed me. It was a desperate kiss, all tongue and teeth but maybe what we both needed.

She tastes of cigarettes and... whiskey. Oh hell fucking no

“Taylor how did you get home?”

“Chloe gave me a ride. I might have had a few drinks to give me courage”

“Thank God I thought you drove. Was Chloe sober?”

Taylor looked a little guilty. She knows my feelings about driving after drinking. Hypocritical I know, after wanting to drive her home after that barbecue but in my defence my head was in all the wrong places then.

“She had a bottle of beer but that was all”

“Ok go and get changed. We never really had a first date where it was just the two of us so I’m taking you out for dinner.”

Taylor gave me her most heart melting smile and pushed me onto the sofa

“We could... or we could eat out right here then go to a movie”

Ok that’s a much better idea... fuck that feels... fuck

                 ~

September 18^th  2200 hours

I packed my ruck for leaving rehab for the last time.

Two months. Two whole fuckin months since my last drink. 8 weeks since I last chased or shot up. Wonder if the need will always be there or not?

It had been a long hard two months. Sweating the poison out of my system sometimes felt like it was gonna kill me. Sometimes I didn’t even wish it would.

Shit, maybe that’s as good as it gets. Not wanting to die. Aint that a happy thought?

My prosthetic leg still felt off but I was getting used to it. Wouldn’t be floatin round the ring again any time soon but screw it I could fuckin deal .

Like I would have to deal with my wife living with another fuckin woman. I was really trying to be happy for her. She deserved better than how I treated her when I was high but it still felt fuckin shitty.

Maybe if the interview with Victoria and Max goes well and I get back to being the old Alex I can earn this goddamn second chance.

Looking at the good sorta kinda helped me. Sure as hell beat embracing the suck. I had great friends in Chloe and Kate, a shot at a new friend in Victoria a (probably soon to be ex) wife who gave enough of a shit to write to me and make sure rehab was going well and even to tell me gently about her new relationship so that it wasnt a kick in the tits to me. I even had some sort of relationship with Max. I wasnt sure that could be called a friendship anymore, I had been a cunt to her friend but she was willing to risk somethin and give me a shot for a job.

All in all I had a better support network than most of the poor bastards here and I came to damn close to selfishly detonating it when I self destructed.

 I heard my door knock bringing me out of my positive thinking list.

“Alex, you needing money when you get out?”

Of course. Nathan Fuckin Prescott. Son of a general and general pain in my ass.

“Why, what fuckin scam you got going?”

He smiled. A sickly, fucked up smile.

“I get out end of the month and I got a business all set up. I got a secure pipeline bringing heroin in from the middle east and need some muscle. Got a couple of soldiers doing it for me but need some extra”

Shit crime involving soldiers. This could be right up Chloe’s alley with army CID and all.

I gave a tough girl smirk. Same one I gave Chloe in ring.

The one Steph never could resist.

“Sure. I got a friend who would definitely be interested. She just got out. Real fuckin squared away, she’d kill you as easy as you take a piss. There room for two?”

“Two beats one. $2000 a week? For you. $1000 for her until she proves herself”

I laughed.

“Think I can make that work”

“Meet me outside here on September 28^th and you can start, both of you”

I nodded and motioned with my head to show one of the councillors was coming towards us. He got the hint.

Goddamn brain donor. 

“Good luck Alex, stay Clean”

We shook hands and he left. I finished packing and lay on my cot.

Jesus that handshake made me feel like I need a fuckin shower.  How does a General raise  a fuck up like Nathan? Still Chloe will be interested in that conversation and I owe her my fuckin life. Shit more important I reckon I owe her Steph’s life.

Glossary

Cot: Bed

Embracing the suck: life is shit get on with it

Ruck: Army issue backpack

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.

September 21^st 2015 1130 hours

It was Max’s 31st  birthday. I was lucky this year and had the 21^st and 22^nd off so I was able to do most of the set up for the d and d party we had arranged.

The set up was a fuckin nightmare. Steph had found a shit ton of medieval and fantasy style costumes and decorations which all had to be set up in the room Max used as a home office. None of this was a problem. The big fuckin problem was that this party was a surprise. I had  never thrown a surprise party before and it had to be done in the home of the birthday girl makin it hella fuckin hard.

Our friend Kate made it less of an impossible job by takin my wife out for tea in the mornin, gave me some time to set up.

“Lookin hella fuckin good, what do you think?”

Eva’s lip trembled in her bouncer a sure fuckin sign the waterworks were about to start.

“Everyone’s a critic huh? Come on lets get you fed”

I tickled her belly and carried her down the stairs.

“Mommy’s just gonna warm the milk Mama pumped for you. Hey don’t gimme that look it would taste hella nasty cold”

Maybe I do need to watch my swearin more around our daughter. My voice does seem to calm her though so fuck it

I heard my phone ring as I fed my daughter and quickly put it on speaker.

“Alex its fuckin great to hear from you. How was rehab?”

“Detox made gettin blowed up look like a picnic, but I can deal. Listen Chlo... I’m sorry about... that day...when”

The guilt in her voice sounded amazeballs to me. Much better than the wasted desperation the last time we spoke.

“Its cool Alex, I’m just happy you got clean. You callin to be a whiny little bitch about the past or to buy me a beer for savin your sorry ass again?”

Alex laughed. It sounded like relief, I wasnt surprised. My words might have sounded harsh but in military speak it meant ‘We’re good’.

“Hey I got a great ass. Think I can do one better than a beer. One of the guys in rehab. He offered me a job. He’s using soldiers and vets to smuggle shit into the states. He says its drugs but I’m not sure on that”

She paused

“Figured with it being a crime involving the army it would be right up your street. He wants me to pick him up from rehab next week. Thought you might be able to bring it to your boss”

Holy fuckin shit. If this is what I think it is, I could be a fuckin superstar to Lucan

“That’s great Alex. Il pick you up the day after tomorrow at 0700 and bring you into CID. You can tell my boss all about it”

“Sure, sounds good. Bring baby pictures. I gotta see evidence of Chloe Price as a mommy”

I laughed with her

“Got a fuck ton on my phone. See ya soon Alex”

I finished feeding Eva and settled her down for her nap.

This party is gonna be hella fuckin great. Max will love it

September 21^st  2200 hours

It felt hella fuckin weird bein the couple with the least pda forfeits. Taylor and Steph were all kindsa handsy with each other. Even Kate and V weren’t far fuckin behind. I was almost feelin left out what with me and Max takin turns to check on Eva there wasnt much time for gettin hands on.

“Taylor you lose 5 off your next roll. I saw you grab Steph’s ass”

Steph grinned

“Dungeon master says its allowed”

“Come on, you took 5 off Kate for sitting on my lap”

Max was lovin the good natured arguing but all I could think about was the gift I had for her. I had decided to give it to her when we were alone since it was kinda fuckin personal.

My character had sadly fuckin died again thanks to a potion mix up but Kate and Taylor were still trying to help Max save the village from the ogres. Fuck it.

I snuck outta the d and d room and checked on Eva. She was fast asleep, so I went downstairs and grabbed a beer and Max’s gift. When I went back upstairs the game was over. My wife kissed me hard.

“We won babe. We completed the quest”

She’s so fuckin happy. Fuck it I need to give her this now

I Handed her the box almost shyly.  I wanted her day to be perfect so bad. She opened the card first and her breath caught in her fuckin throat.

“Oh my god Chloe... you... I cant believe you did this”

I had got a trip to London for us and Eva for the start of next year.

“You like it? Really?”

“I’ve always wanted to see London. God all the historical sites  to photograph, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London”

I smiled, I gotta admit I was relieved, I hadnt been sure about a long flight with Eva but Max was thrilled. She opened the box next and with no fuckin warning started to cry.

“Chloe, I cant take this. I know how much it means to you”

She lifted my dad’s old polaroid camera out the box. The one that took our first couple selfie in the sandbox.

“Come on babe. Dad would be pissed if it never got used. Now it can be used awesomely. He would have loved you takin photos of our family with it.”

I heard a sniff coming from V of all fuckin people

“That is so romantic Chloe. How the hell am I going to top that for Kates birthday?”

I saw a grin spread over Steph’s face

“We all got our work cut out now. Thanks for that Chlo. Come on guys, games over. Lets leave these two alone to take dirty pictures”

Even Kate smiled at that and we were soon alone. Max dried her eyes and took my hand, leadin me into our bedroom. She slipped into our little en suite and it was my turn to be surprised when she came out, wearin the tiniest lingerie I had ever seen.

“Come on Chloe. Start using my new camera, I’ve always wondered what it felt like from the other side of the lens”

She climbed on the bed and moved into a hella seductive pose.

And I thought today was her birthday not mine.

Glossary

Sandbox: Middle East, in this case Afghanistan

Chapter Text

Washington D.C. 2015

 September  23^rd   0730 hours

Alex was sat in front of Lucan. He had a look in his eyes that said he couldn’t believe his fuckin luck. There had been whispers of a smuggling ring bringin back priceless fuckin artifacts from the sandbox. It was a fuckin longshot all right but if Prescott was lying to Alex about smuggling drugs it could be the fuckin break we needed.  

“So I told the asshole I had a friend just out the army that could work with us when he offered me the job, has to be a woman though I said she. He did agree though. Gee a week for her, double for me”

“So if I agree to send an agent undercover it has to be Price or Christensen?”

Taylor seemed real fuckin pissed by this information.

“Should be me and Chloe. Alex can make an excuse why she cant take the job.  We cant put a civilian in danger”

“Fuck you blondie I served 14 fuckin years, I aint a goddamn civilian”

God just have a fuckin strap measurin contest already. This is fuckin obviously about Steph

Taylor tried again, more gently this time

“Alex you have one leg, you barely been sober two months. I don’t want your death on my conscience. Neither does Chloe.”

Time to speak up

“Might have the answer to that. When he pays us, I count the cash, get pissed Alex has more and force her  outta the job at gunpoint. I get some fuckin cred as a psycho and Alex is outta danger”

“I still don’t like it. You got a wife and kid Chlo. Let me go”

Lucan growled at the constant fuckin interruptions

“I’ll decide who goes. Miss Chen knows Agent Price. The cover will be less of a stretch. Chloe you’re spartacus in this one. Sorry. You’ll need a cover ID. Speak to Washington. She will have one made up”

“Yes boss. I cant look like a cop or a soldier. Need permission to change my appearance outside regulation.”

He smiled.

“Do what you gotta do Price. I trust you”

He might regret that when he sees what I got planned. This is gonna be hella fuckin fun... I mean really dangerous and I’m takin it super seriously

September 23^rd 1200 hours

I left the hairdresser with my hair styled into an inverted bob. I had also dyed it, call it nostalgia for my fuckin punk days but I looked hella fuckin hot with green hair. I couldn’t wait for Max to see it but first I needed to get my new ID.

When I got to the office I kept my beanie on to hide the new hair and went straight to Agent Washington.

“You got somethin for me Diamond?”

She handed me an envelope.

“Details of your alias. I just need a photo of you and I’ll make up the ID documents. You’ll have them on the 27^th. Lucan says til then your only job is learning everything in there. What name do you want?”

I thought for a minute

“Elizabeth Madsen. My middle name an my stepfuckers name”

I took my beanie off and Diamond gasped

“Nice hair Agent Price.”

She took my photograph for Elizabeth’s driving licence and passport and I headed home to learn my alias life story.

September 23^rd 1400 hours

“You’re home early babe... Oh my fucking God Chloooe what did you do to your hair. Lucan will suspend you for that”

Max had been feeding Eva when I got home but seeing my hair was green had hella blown her mind.

“Hey you yell at me for swearin in front of Eva Mrs Dirty mouth”

“Don’t change the subject Chloe, what the hell is with the hair?”

Great I was fuckin dreading telling her this

“Babe I swear I didnt volunteer for this but...”

“Volunteer for fucking what Chloe?”

Her voice was so dangerous that even Eva sensed it and started to fuss.

“umm well I’ve been ordered to go undercover to get evidence on a smuggling ring. Should only be a couplea months babe”

“Chloe Elizabeth Price promise me right now that you didn’t ask for this. You have a fucking family in case you forgot.”

“Babe I swear. I did come up with the way to get our informant out but I didn’t ask to be the undercover Agent”

She smiled sadly. She knew it could come someday. Me being ordered to risk my life again.

“Ok babe, how long do we have? Until you have to go?”

“5 days. I’m at home for all of them learnin my alias so I got time with you and Eva”

She leaned over and kissed me tenderly.

“We better make the most of it. How about I go for a shower and you and Eva can have some time together? Then we can all spend time together as a family”

“That sounds perfect babe”

It really does. How the fuck can I bear leavin them for two months

Max went for a shower and I snuggled with our baby while I read the file.

“So Eva, mommy’s new name is Elizabeth Madsen. Other than honorable discharge, Suspected of murder and theft of military equipment. Discharge date 08/15/14, you know what date that is? That’s your birthday but the year before you were born.”

I Kept reading

“Also suspected of assault and two attempted murders. God hope Mama likes bad girls or there’s hella gonna be a divorce in my future”

“If the bad girl is you she does. Don’t you worry about that . Maybe she will show you just how much at bed time tonight”

Max had somehow snuck up on us

I swear shes part fuckin ninja

We spent fuckin hours just spendin time together as a family.  Before I met Max I woulda thought the domestic shit was hell on earth. Now it was some of my happiest times.

Well bedtime sounds like it will be pretty fuckin happy as well but I’m only human so I reckon the point hella fuckin stands. Suddenly my cocky attitude from earlier today was gone and I was taking this super fuckin serious

Glossary

Sandbox: Middle East. In this case Iraq and Afghanistan

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.

September 28^th 2015 Freedom time

I had spent too fucking long waiting. No wonder they were both discharged, my father always said the army taught punctuality. It was definitely important in military school. When that crazy dyke with the green hair came with Alex to pick me up they were 30 minutes fucking late.

“You should make sure to be on time for me next time”

I ordered, the bitch in the drivers seat looked at me like I was dog shit she fucking stepped in

“Either get the fuck in or go fuck yourself, aint waitin for your ass all day”

I’m her boss, she cant talk to me like that. Besides they are the ones that were late, probably finger fucking each other in an alleyway or something.

I was so fucking angry I slammed the door when I climbed into the piece of crap ford they came to pick me up in.

“You damage my fuckin door an you’re payin for it. You got me?”

Alex tried to calm the other girl down

“Come on Liz, be cool its a gee a week, where else you gonna get that?”

“Could just kill the cunt an take the money from his fuckin corpse”

What the fuck was Alex thinking bringing this animal in? Everything about her screams barely contained violence.

“Th... then you only get one weeks pay, I’m offering steady work”

“Ok shithead, show me the fuckin money”

I took two envelopes from my pocket and handed one to each woman. Green hair insisted on counting in the fuckin car. She seemed happy until Alex did the same.

“You tryin to fuck me, bitch? You said one a week, you got hella more cash there than that”

Before Alex could answer a revolver appeared from nowhere in her friends hand.

“gimme the fuckin envelope an get the fuck outta my car”

“Liz it’s a...  ahhh. fuckin crazy bitch”

Alex had tried to explain the deal until the pistol thumped into her head. The psycho she had brought with her dragged her out of the car by her fucking hair then threw her on the ground and took the prosthetic leg off. She was laughing as she put it under the front tyre and drove over it  leaving her so called friend for fucking dead.

“Now its three gees a week for me. We doin bidness or what?”

I couldn’t deny someone with that propensity for extreme violence with such little provocation could be useful in my line of work. So I tried to keep myself from stammering as I agreed.

“I...I guess we’re in business”

“Hella smart fuckin call. So where am I droppin you. And who do I gotta kill for  three a week?”

What the fuck have I got myself into? Why did I agree to work with this monster? I just hope she scares my associates as much as she scares me.

             ~

September 28^th   1700 hours

I dropped Nathan at his place and took out my burner. I couldnt fuckin risk sayin too much so I was as brief as fuckin possible

“Hey babe, that junky bitch lied to me about the cash. Gettin 3 a week from rehab boy. Fuck knows what the fuckin job is but that cash is hella burnin a hole in my pocket. Wanna go to the fair?”

Taylor’s voice came over the phone

“Jesus Liz $3000? Sure the fair sounds great. We can go on the wheel like our first date. Pick me up in 30?”

I picked her up from outside the agreed on dive bar and drove her to the fair. I was hella happy I took precautions over the phone when I noticed a black sedan and also a silver pick up with tinted windows followin us. I checked the cheap .38 at my hip and we parked up and started to walk toward the wheel. I paid for two tickets and we got on, trying to act like a fuckin couple.

“Taylor good news is I’m in bad news is there’s a cop an someone else followin us. Take this”

I slipped her my weapon as we pretended to make out on the wheel. The minute we fuckin stepped off it I heard a mans voice.

“Police, Ms Madsen lock your fingers and place your hands behind your head. Then lie flat on the ground”

I complied, no other fuckin way to keep my cover.

“Babe call my fuckin lawyer... I’ll be out in an hour you fuckin cunt”

I growled at the detective as he searched me.

“No weapon other than a knife in your back pocket. You’re coming to the station with me on suspicion of attempted murder. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before we ask you any questions. You have the right to have a lawyer with you during questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. If you decide to answer questions now without a lawyer present, you have the right to stop answering at any time.”

“Yeah fuck you dude. Fuckin eat me”

He drove me to the police station and took me straight to interrogation. He was nervous as fuck about somethin.

“My name is Detective Alderman.”

“Fuck you, get me my lawyer”

“Ms Marsden we know you are an associate of Nathan Prescott. We know about you assaulting Mrs Chen in a car Mr Prescott was in.”

I kept staring at the prick. God I hella wanted to tear his fuckin head off. Less than 8 hours into an undercover op and this fuckin piece of shit coulda blown it. I was fuckin pissed.

“Get me my fuckin lawyer asshole. You got shit on me or I wouldnt still be gettin questioned by the monkey. The fuckin organ grinder would be here already”

I heard the door of the interview room pull open so fast I was fuckin worried about its hinges. Jed Lucan stood in front of us, face a mask of controlled fuckin fury.

“Detective, a word in private”

“You my lawyer? What the fuck happened to my usual chick? No offence but shes way better to look at”

He looked at me the way a senior cop always looks at a suspect.

“Shut your mouth. I need a word with my partner in private”

Alderman looked as confused as I fuckin felt. But he went along with it and the two left me alone. Soon Lucan was back alone.

“You got lucky Madsen. The witness cant ID you and the victim wont. You’re free to go. I’ll walk you out. Think your girl is waitin for you”

He handed me my jacket and knife as we walked out.

“Detective Alderman thinks Army CID is following you. Your cover is intact. We can pull you out though. Its up to you”

I knew there was only one way to answer

“Fuck you. Told your partner Id be out in an hour.”

I walked to my car and jumped in beside Taylor

“Take me home babe, I got work in the mornin”

She laughed and we drove off.

Jesus fuckin Christ. This better get easier. Dont want to make Max a fuckin widow.

Glossary

Army CID: Army federal police

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.

October 11^th  2015 1430 hours

I was drivin Nathan to another fuckin meetin. Nearly 3 weeks in and fuck all to report.

Im putting my fuckin life on the line for this? To be an overpaid fuckin lyft?

I knew I needed to get into his inner circle fast but fucked if I knew how. He thought I was a total psycho which on paper was what he needed but maybe the reality of workin with a loose cannon was less useful. Maybe if I showed the pissed off side less?

“So boss when do I get to do somethin besides fuckin drive?”

“You already are. You’re here to guard me.”

Progress I guess from lyft driver to babysitter

“My girls havin a party tonight. Can you get anythin to... liven it up boss?”

“What kind of party?”

“Couplea friends from the fancy arts college she went to I think. You and Zach if you wanna join”

I wasnt rushin things. Honestly the decision had come from the top. Nathan had to feel closer to me and a party invite could do that. It would mean burnin Vinh from bein used as any sort of surveillance but someone thought it was worth it.

 Not sure I fuckin agree but who cares what the cunt riskin her fuckin life thinks?

“Actually sounds fun. No offence but I havent had much intellectually stimulating conversation for a while”

“None taken, tonight at 7?”

God it was hella hard to avoid 24 hour time

“Sure, I’ll let Zach know”

I nodded, tryin not to look too pleased with myself. Taylor will have her cover apartment set up for the party by then. I knew her cover was Alyssa Anderson and Vinh was Reggie Kagan but I wasnt supposed to have met the final guest so she would be a surprise. To keep my reaction genuine. I knew she was from the CIA though.

I hate working with those cunts. They fuckin love betting our lives but hate riskin their own fuckin asses.

We pulled in to Nathans meeting. I saw Zach waiting outside.

“Wait at the door Liz. Make sure we weren’t followed”

I nodded and lounged on the steps smoking a cigarette.  

At the end of the meeting I drove Nathan home and gave him the fake address for the party. My next task was much more fuckin fun. I had to head to said fuckin address and sit around for 3 fuckin hours until the ‘guests’ showed up.

Fuck I miss my fuckin family. Will Eva even remember me in 2 months? Will the lack of contact damage my fuckin marriage? Will I even fuckin live to see them again or just be another flag shrouded coffin? Fuck it cant change it stop worryin.

October 11^th 2000 hours

I stood apart from Alyssa and Reggie the fuckin snipin from him about me bein a loser and a criminal was too much right now. At least thats what Nathan should think. My real fuckin issue was the third guest. A fuckin CIA agent whose career should have ended in Afghanistan for setting her superior up on a drug charge. Agent Safi Llewellyn Fayyad . Cover name Maya. Pain in my fuckin ass.

She walked over to me

“So Alyssa says you are a bodyguard. That must be exciting. Although the guy you work for looks like an asshole”

Translation: Why the fuck do you not have anything concrete on this asshole yet?

“Its borin as fuck mostly just drivin to be honest”

Translation: He keeps me away from anythin that could mean jailtime.

“Is it serious with you two?”

Translation: Taylor has been pulled onto another job so fuck your support network to keep you sane

“I hope so”

Translation: Fuck you, don’t leave me in the fuckin wind

“Liz, lets be honest. You’re a violent thug, she can do better”

Translation: Cover ending. Mya is taking Alyssa away from this shitty life so fake cheating to be discovered at party. Only way to free Taylor up for new assignment... sorry and fuck you

“Fuck you Maya”

Translation: Fuck you Safi

“Liz that isn’t on, Maya is my friend”

“Fuckin friend Alyssa? You think I’m fuckin blind? How long you been fuckin your friend behind my back?”

They both tried not to smile. A smile that said well done for realising what we’re going for Chloe.

“Liz, Im so sorry. I tried to tell you, but the guests arrived early”

Translation: Nathan arrived early so we couldn’t fill you in

“Fuck you both. Fuckin cunts.”

I shoved ‘Alyssa’ hard. ‘Maya’ tried to to get between us, giving me the excuse to throw a genuine and brutal punch into her head.

I stormed Outta the apartment, hopin Nathan and Zach would follow.

As soon as they came out I turned as if to go back in, drawin the cheap revolver hidden behind my back. Zach grabbed me and pulled me away.

“Cool it Liz. Aint gonna do you any good to kill the bitches. They aint worth a fuckin life sentence”

“You’re fuckin right. I hella wanna smoke both of them though”

Nathan put a hand on my shoulder.

“You did well controlling yourself in there. Maybe a step up at work would help? We have a shipment coming in next month. I’ll bring you along. You earned it”

“Thank you boss. I’ll make sure you dont regret the trust”

I Couldn’t fuckin believe it. After weeks of undercover work a fake break up was all it took to get into the inner fuckin circle. I couldn’t help but feel kinda fuckin cheated. All that hard work gettin close and it was a fuckin lucky coincidence that Taylor had to work another case that got me my hand up. 

Fuckin funny how life works out. I’ve lost my tether to my real life but the case is now not a fuckin total loss. I guess you really do gotta take the good with the fuckin bad sometimes.

Glossary:

Smoke : Kill

Chapter Text

Washington D.C.

November 8^th  2015 1600 hours

My hands shook fuckin violently. Lookin at myself in the mirror was a fuckin cunt so I had covered it with a towel. I was keepin the drapes shut as well. Fuckin paranoia maybe but Zach use to be a sniper and that’s how he would take me out if Nathan thought there was a fuckin problem. I was strugglin to light my cigarette with the shakin hands but I finally got it.

The burn of it hit the back of my throat an I felt the nicotine do its work. My hands still shook but givin them somethin to do had helped.

Come on girl, no way you’re blown. What the fucks got into you?

I had been strugglin like fuck since Taylor changed assignments. Livin a lie every fuckin day when the penalty for discovery was death was fuckin hard enough. Doin it with my only support bein a monthly check in was killin me. My fuckin heart was constantly racin.

I don’t even want to fuckin think about what my blood pressure must be doin right now.

On top of the work related stress I hadnt seen my wife, Max or my daughter, Eva in over a month. I knew Eva wouldn’t remember me when I came home. That was heartbreakin. Still at least if the worst happened she wouldn’t miss me.

I took the small recording device from my boot. It joined my weapon stashed in a hidin place inside the wall.

 Just in time as I heard my door smash open and I was roughly thrown onto the ground. Detective Alderman smiled down at me.

“We got you this time. Maya Okada was shot yesterday. We had your girls house bugged. We heard what she did to you”

Shit Safi was shot?

I quickly put on a neutral face. I needed to keep my cover at all costs.

“So someone did me a fuckin favor. I didn’t fuckin kill the bitch”

He read me my rights in a smug fuckin voice. And snapped the cuffs on me, draggin me out to the street and smilin at the other cops he brought with him. Soon I was back in interrogation.

“Come on Liz. Crime of Passion. Just tell me what happened”

“When was the bitch shot?”

He smiled, the coldest fuckin smile I had ever seen.

“Last night at 7:30”

“I was in a bar drownin my sorrows. The Grand Central. You can fuckin check.”

He slammed his hand on the table.

“Maybe you were but I can make sure nobody remembers seeing you there. You and your boss are a fuckin cancer. You need to be cut out”

Stupid Motherfucker. He could blow my cover to pieces.

“I want my fuckin lawyer. Number is in my wallet. Business card. Its also in my head so none of this couldn’t find it shit”

I was dragged back to holding to wait. About am hour passed and Diamond walked arrogantly into the holding area.

“My name is Miss Galloway. I’m Miss Madsen’s attorney. We need a private room”

I was let out and taken to a private room.

“Fuck all you motherfuckers”

I yelled as the cops left.

“They cant listen or record here Chloe. You know that. Cool down.  Safi was shot yesterday. She had to give her cover name at the hospital. You got an alibi or do we need to pull you out?”

Holy fuckin shit. It felt good to hear my name again.

“I was at the Grand Central. Plenty witnesses. But Alderman says he can pressure them into not seein me. Cunt should lose his badge”

“Lucan will make sure of it. Chloe, I’m calling this operation. Its too dangerous if Alderman really is a loose cannon. Do you know the date of the shipment?”

I grinned.

“I bugged Nathans office. The bug is in my hiding place. Dates are on it. November 16^th. He wont change it. Doesn’t know I know”

“Ok we will send Lucan to get you. You will be taken to federal court. As far as Nathan is concerned you will be uncooperative and will not make bail. Officially you will be locked up and in the hole so no visitors.”

She smiled.

“You’re going home Chloe”

“Cant say I’m unhappy but Alderman turned this into a fuckin clusterfuck. He coulda got me killed”

She took my hand.

“It’s ok Chloe. Lucan will demand to search Liz’s place and find an unregistered weapon used in the murder of a CID agent. Your cover will be safe even after this is all over”

“Shoot Liz while escaping. Put it on the news. Nathan wont worry I talked then”

I Loved how we spoke of my cover ID as a separate person. Let me remember for a few minutes who I really was.

All too soon I was Liz again for the last time. I was taken back to holding and waited for Lucan to arrive. When I saw him there was hate on his face.

“You never even knew we were on to you Madsen. I’m not a local cop. My name is Jed Lucan. Army CID. We found your prints on a weapon that killed one of our Agents. I’ll see to it you get the needle for this. Let the murderous bitch out. She’s coming with me”

As soon as we got in the car his body language hella changed.

“Well done Chloe. Max is at our office waiting for you. I got the recording device. We got Prescott cold.”

When we reached the office I saw on tv that I had been shot and killed trying to escape from the Army CID office. I saw Max and ran to her. Kissing her with all the passion of the lost weeks. I couldn’t wait to get home and see my daughter and make love to my wife.  

My name is Special Agent Chloe Elizabeth Price. My wife is Max Caulfield Price and my daughter is Eva Price. My parents are Joyce and William and my stepfucker is David Madsen. Its fuckin good to be ME.

Glossary

Army CID: Army federal police. Agents can be military like Chloe or civilian like Vinh

Clusterfuck: Everything going wrong at once

Chapter Text

Washington D.C. 2015

November 16^th 2015  1730 hours

I was sittin in the fuckin van outside the old warehouse where the deal was goin down. The deal my undercover work had helped to uncover.

And they leave me in the fuckin van?

I spoke into my radio mic

“Why have I gotta stay in the fuckin van? Id be more use out there”

“They know your face Chloe. They think you’re dead. Do you want them to be looking for you. To put Max and Eva in danger?”

Lucan sounded pissed and I knew fuckin better than to argue. So I sat in the fuckin van. In my heart I knew he was right. The risk of being seen could put my family in danger. I’ve just never been good at fuckin waiting. Not when there was a fight to run towards.

It only got harder when I heard weapons firing. My team was in danger and I had to sit in the van like a fuckin kid. Almost unconsciously my fingers stroked the p229 on my hip. As if I could get involved by willpower alone. Taylor’s voice came through my earpiece.

“Control We need three ambulances, two suspects down with multiple GSWs neither breathing and one agent down, single GSW to the neck. Breathing but expectant”

Shit who the fuck is down? Taylor is good so it must be Lucan or Lang. Fuck. Fuck, motherfuckin cunt shit FUCK.

“Who’s down?”

My voice sounded far away even to my own ears.

“Lucan, he’s gone Chloe.”

The boss. The reason I got chosen for this team. Dead in a fuckin warehouse because I wasn’t there to protect his six.

“Did we at least get fuckin Prescott?”

“He wasnt fucking there. Zach Riggins is dead and whoever the meet was with. No ID on him as yet. Prescott never showed”

It was all for fuckin nothin?

When the ambulances arrived Taylor and Lang came back to the van. They were fuckin shook. I could see tears bein hidden in their eyes.

“Cant believe the old man is gone”

Vinh’s voice cracked. He wasnt fuckin alone. I couldn’t fuckin believe it either. Jed Lucan had been put in with the foundations.  Literally. When he joined it was still Criminal Investigation Command. 32 years as a Special Agent . As long as I had been alive.

“He woulda fuckin hated retirement anyway. Can you see the old bastard playin golf or fishin?”

My callousness shocked both of them. Neither had seen combat and the often cold black humor was new to them both.

Tough shit cryin aint gonna get the job done.

“Come on. We gotta get back to the office. We got a cunt to fuckin hunt”

“How can you be so fucking cold Chloe? Someone died. Were you like this when ot was Gabe?”

I Wasnt because the job was over when he died.

“We had the bastard that caused that one. I aint lettin Prescott get away to spare your feelins Taylor. You want to let the boss die for fuckin nothin? Plenty of time to grieve when the jobs done. I promise he wont be any less fuckin dead”

“You cold hearted bitch”

Lang grabbed Taylor as she flew at me. Fists raised.

“She’s right Taylor. I don’t like it either but it’s what the boss would want”

“Ok but keep her the fuck away from me”

We drove back to the office to regroup and to get a warrant to arrest Nathan. Taylor was laser focussed but wouldn’t look at me. While she worked Vinh pulled me to one side.

“I know what you did there Chloe. She needed something to focus on. So you made her blame you.”

“Was it that fuckin obvious?”

He smiled sadly at me

“It was to me. You do realise that when you make yourself the bad guy for someone they usually hate you after?”

I thought for a minute. Taylor was my partner and my closest friend. Losin her would be tough.

“If it gets the job done and keeps her focussed I can fuckin live with it. When we pick Prescott up if she aint focussed she could die”

He nodded at me. Somethin like respect in his eyes for the first time since I had known him.

“You should put in for Lucan’s job. I’m not ruthless enough and Taylor, well she cares too much. I think that’s why he brought you in. He knew Gabe didnt want the job after he retired and I couldn’t do it.”

Was that true. Was that what Lucan meant when he said he needed me on the team because he was retiring soon?

“Thanks Vinh”

We went back to work until we got a call none of us expected. Nathan Prescott had voluntarily surrendered himself to the MPD for questioning. Since I took the call I told Vinh and Taylor.

“Prescott’s in custody. We can fuckin stop for the night. Let’s get the fuck outta here. We need to drink to Lucan. I’m buyin”

Taylor’s face was a mask of fury.

“You think drinking to him undoes you not caring about his death?”

“We had a fuckin job to do. Jobs done. Now we can grieve him. This is how we say goodbye”

She looked mutinous but she did follow us to the bar. On the way I called Max.

“You’re gonna need to pick me uo at the bar we went to for my birthday. Jed Lucan was killed today. Bring Steph. Taylor aint takin it well, she’s gonna need her girl to support her”

“God, are you ok Chloe? I’ll call V and ask her and Kate to come over and watch Eva. Give me an hour. I’ll call and ask Steph to head over now though”

I was grateful that she was so willing to help. Probably more grateful than I’ve ever told her.

“I can bear it babe. I love you, see you soon”

Tonight will be rough. Thank fuck I have Max coming to help me through it. I hope Steph helps Taylor as much. Tomorrow we have an asshole to fry.

Glossary

Expectant: Expected to die

GSW: Gunshot Wounds

Not Breathing: Dead but unable to be pronounced until medical staff arrive

Chapter Text

Washington D.C. 2015

November 18^th 2015  0930 hours

I was sat in Max’s company office. A blonde girl maybe ten years younger than me was settin up audio equipment for my interview about what the media was callin the Granny Oakley case.

“Agent Price, I’m Loretta Rice, I will be conducting this interview. I will be recording you if that’s ok, makes it easier to remember for me”

“You know what you’re fuckin doin I guess.”

She smiled at me. Confidence was pourin outta her. I couldn’t help but fuckin wonder if it was earned or not what with her bein an intern.

“In your own words tell me what happened”

About an hour later I was done with my story. She was fuckin thrilled.

Could be her ticket to a fuck ton of job offers.

“So the old lady confessed? Just like that?”

“Yeah that fuckin easy. She fuckin hated First Sergeant Robertson for what he did to her granddaughter”

Loretta gave me a puzzled expression. I wasnt sure I liked where this was headed

“And you believed her? Why was that, I mean a grandmother overpowering a decorated special forces soldier seems unlikely”

“Special Operations. Special forces is green berets. He was Delta so special operations. She knew shit only the killer coulda known, like him hittin his head. It was open and fuckin shut once we found the murder weapon in her home”

She smiled again, it really changed her fuckin face for the better then hit me with her next question.

“Do you think it was right that she was sentenced to death Agent Price?”

“That aint for me to say. My job is to catch em not judge em. If you’re askin do I support the death penalty for murdering soldiers then the answer is yes”

She seemed kinda fuckin surprised by my bluntness. But from the twinkle in her eye it was in a good way.

“What about the people who believe execution is vengeance rather than justice?”

“They’re entitled to their fuckin opinion. That’s one of the things we sign up to defend. I figure its good to live someplace where different opinions are valued”

Loretta switched off her recording device. A laugh that she had obviously been fuckin hidin finally makin an appearance.

“That was amazing. I thought for sure I would trip you up there. You are much smarter than you pretend to be, no offence”

I Grinned to show there was none taken.

“Yeah, I’ve heard that a couplea times. You interviewin anyone else for this story?”

“Just you and his two lovers”

That’s gonna be fun for her

“I’d keep them apart, they’re both pretty fiery”  

She laughed again, then gave me an almost fuckin conspiratorial look.

“One other thing?  The new head of security here, Miss Chase says you two are friends. What’s her deal? She’s hot”

I thought for a minute, I wanted to make sure I didn’t fuck up.

“Alex is good people. She’s been through a hella fuckin bad time the last few months... wait how old are you?”

“I’m 24 so not much younger than her, only about eight years”

How much should I tell her? This aint my place

“She was wounded badly and a few weeks later her brother was killed. It hit her fuckin hard. Ended up ruinin her marriage. Anytgin else you want to know, you gotta ask her. Its not my story to tell”

“Thanks Chloe. I’ll talk to her”

November 18^th  1900 hours

I had just put Eva to bed when I heard her cry through the baby monitor.

 Wowser she can be loud. Sometimes I would swear she is biologically related to Chloe with the loudness.

I climbed the steps again tiredly. It was surprising how tiring being at home with a baby all day could be. I was almost looking forward to going back to work.

“Shh it’s ok baby, what’s wrong?”

I rocked her gently and kissed her head. The minute I picked her up the crying stopped.

“You little faker, you just wanted more attention didn’t you? Ok five more minutes”

Eva gurgled happily, already half asleep in my arms. I hoped Chloe wouldn’t be long since she had come back from working undercover Eva had been strange around her and I knew it broke her heart.

She really wanted to be here for bedtime. Maybe I’ll try to keep the monster awake a few extra minutes.

The thought had barely entered my head when I heard the front door quietly shut and Chloe softly walking up the stairs. She smiled when she saw us. A smile that promised she would love both of us forever.

I felt her arms slide around me, her hand stroking Eva’s face lovingly.

God I had missed this when she was away. Cuddles with my wife and daughter might just be the greatest thing in my world.

I felt her lips brush my neck then the arms around me were gone as she walked in front of me and kissed Eva on the head.

“Can I?”

The shy way she asked almost made me cry. She had only been home ten days and was still tiptoeing around me. In my worse moments I worried that maybe she didn’t feel welcome in her own home.

I leaned in for a kiss and handed her the precious bundle.

“Babe she’s your daughter as well, you don’t  need to ask permission when you want to hold her”

She kissed me tenderly, holding Eva so gently and protectively that my heart skipped several beats.

“I’m never gonna let anythin happen to her Max. I swear it. You two matter more than anythin else in the world to me”

She gently put Eva into her crib and held me in her arms. If I hadn’t known better I would have sworn she was crying.

“Chloe, are you ok babe? You know you can talk to me”

She took my hand and led me to our bedroom. There was a bouquet of roses sat by my side of the bed

“I know its late babe but with all the shit this year we never got to have a wedding anniversary”

“That was a few months ago babe. You were in Caledon bodyguarding. It’s ok”

She took a small box from her jeans pocket.

“Its not ok. I should have made time after to show how important you are to me. From now on you and Eva come first”

She handed me the box. There was a bracelet inside with three charms on it. A camera for me, a baby bottle for Eva and a sheriffs star for her.

“They didn’t do one of a modern police badge”

She grinned at me.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it Chloe, thank you”

I grabbed her into a heated kiss and pushed her onto the bed.

If this is our anniversary do over better make it count.

Glossary

Delta: 1^st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta: United States Army Special Operations force. Specialising in hostage rescue, reconnaissance, Counter terrorism and Direct Action against the enemy

Chapter Text

Washington D.C. 2015

November 19^th 2015  0830 hours

My anger was quickly reaching explosive levels. Three days ago my boss was murdered, then a woman I thought of as a friend had shown me new meanings to the word heartless.

How could she make such cruel jokes about a friend dying? It meant fucking nothing to her that he was gone. And then we were supposed to drink to his memort like nothing happened? Fuck that and fuck her.

To make matters worse if they could even get worse, my girlfriend Steph took her fucking side.

“Chloe can be tough Taylor but she isn’t cruel, she must have had a reason to act like that”

Bitch. I needed support... no  this isn’t Steph’s fault. Don’t go there. After Alex she deserves better than to be treated badly because my life is a mess.

All of that wasnt the worst though, the worst had just happened, Chloe fucking Price storming into the bullpen like a hurricane.

“The fuckin cunts, they fuckin let Prescott out on fuckin bail. We gotta make sure this is fuckin air tight. That cunt doesn’t get to walk”

It was a foul mouthed tirade, even from her, in spite of myself I felt sorry for her. She had risked her life undercover for this. Lucan had lost his. I couldn’t deny a part of me was happy. Chloe was showing emotion about the situation. Far better than the coldness of before.

 She nodded at me, almost but not quite enough of an apology.  

“Chloe its done, no jury can ignore the evidence you brought. Let the bastard enjoy his last days of freedom. We have him”

It was the kindest thing I had said to her in days. In all honesty it was pretty much the only thing. It did seem to do the trick though or at least it made her smile a little.

Baby steps but every rebuild needs to start somewhere.

“Listen Taylor, I was outta line when Lucan died. I was tryin to keep your head in the game and I’m not sorry for that but I shoulda explained after. You deserved better”

“Thanks Chloe, that means a lot, Steph told me there would be a reason”

We smiled almost uncertainly at each other and started back to work. At least until Vinh gave us the news we had all been dreading. Who was  going to be in the running to replace Lucan.

“I hear Jacobs has 3 agents who she wants to interview.”

My heart sank. Director Jacobs really liked me. It felt almost inevitable I would be one of them and I really didn’t want the job.

She knows me. Maybe she knows that I wouldn’t want it. Please know that.

“Only one name from this office, apparently the other 2 are from LA and New York. Haven’t heard their names yet buuut they are up against you Chloe”

Oh thank fucking God. Its not me

“Congratulations Chloe. You’re pretty much doing the job just now, if you need any help preparing I’m here”

She looked uncertain. Not a look I was used to seeing from her.

“Sorry Vinh I know you got more time here than I do”

He smiled at her, a genuine smile, not flirty at all.

“I don’t want the job Chloe, not anymore. You would be great at it. We both know Lucan would have chosen you”

“Vinh’s right. You would be great at it. And I’m not just saying that because I don’t want it”

She gave us both a sad smile. Her face betraying slight surprise that we were both supporting her.

“Thank you. Both of you. If I do get it can I ask you both to stay on the team? Not sure if I could fuckin do it without you two. We make a hella fuckin good team”

We both nodded to her.

Of course we would stay. We both know she would sacrifice her life for ours and we would do the same for her.

The phone on her desk rang insistently, she picked up, mild irritation at the moment being interrupted showed on her face.

“Price, go ahead. Yes director I would. 1300 hours? Of course ma’am. Thank you for the confidence in me”

We looked to her expectantly.

“New York is out. My interview is later today. Should know by 1800 hours.”

One way or the other we got a new boss tomorrow

November 19^th 2015  1830 hours

I waited for the call that could change my fuckin professional life. I knew I shoulda heard by now but I was still hopeful as I drove home to my family. I was just getting outta my truck when my phone rang.

“Price”

“Supervisory Special Agent Price this is Director Jacobs I’m just calling you to tell you personally the job is yours. Congratulations Chloe”

It felt fuckin strange hearin my new rank for the first time. I was fuckin thrilled.

“Thank you ma’am I wont let you down”

“I know that Chloe. Agent Lucan believed in you and I always trusted him. Now go and tell your wife the good news”

When she hung up I raced through my front door like a fuckin kid on Christmas mornin. Max looked at my excited face and smirked after I kissed her.

“Chloeee you need to wait until we put Eva to bed”

She grumbled at me good naturedly.

“I got it babe. I’m the new SSA. I start tomorrow”

She pulled me into a heated kiss. Completely ignoring Eva’s angry noises about her dinner bein interrupted.

“Well done babe. That’s awesome. You really deserve this”

She passed me Eva and her bottle, lettin me feed our daughter before bed. It was little things like that I loved about her. She was helpin me make up for the lost months of mommy daughter time. It honestly meant the fuckin world to me. After her meal I changed her diaper and put my daughter to bed. Max was waitin when I came down the stairs. My eyes widened, she was completely fuckin naked. Grinning my patented shit eatin grin I almost ran to her to celebrate... all fuckin night.

 Bein with my family is hella fuckin awesome. How did I get so fuckin lucky?

Glossary

SSA: Supervisory Special Agent. Team leader for federal agencies.

Chapter Text

Washington D.C. 2015

November 20^th 2015  0730 hours

I read through my emails in the bullpen, cold fuckin fury nearly consumin me. My first job as SSA was to release all details of Nathan Prescott’s case to his defence team. Most of it would be handled by the DA but they needed me to give them the name of the undercover agent. My fuckin name. Not my full name just my initials and badge number but enough that I really didn’t want to hand it over. Sighing aggressively I put together the paperwork and had it sent over.

Fuckin stupid, they shouldn’t have any of my details. Hella not fuckin safe.

My fury was so intense that I almost missed another vey fuckin important email. From the tv studio that was making the show about Army CID starring my fuckin ex. It had been picked up and the show started tomorrow. The Thanks were fuckin flowery and over the top to my eyes but I forwarded it to Vinh knowin how much he would love it.

Maybe I should have him and Taylor over to watch it? Bit of team bondin since I’m the new boss an all.

“SSA Price?”

Dr Moses Murphy broke me outta my thoughts with a face too fuckin disgustingly cheerful for my likin.

“Congratulations Chloe, I heard you got the job. How does it feel to run a team?”

“Fuckin strange Doc. I mean I’m happy but that makes me a cunt because Lucan dyin gave me the openin”

He grimaced a little at my language

“Chloe, you need to be careful how you speak now. You might have to talk to government officials you know”

“Fuck em. Should have more to worry about than if I curse too fuckin much.”

He smiled and made his way down to the morgue. Taylor came towards me a small box in her hands.

“Boss Steph insisted on getting a congratulations cake, can I sit it on your desk?”

“That’s really nice Taylor. Yeah sit it on my desk. Listen, you know the cop show that’s bein made about CID? It starts tomorrow. Thought you an Steph might wanna come over and watch? Askin Vinh as well”

Taylor gave a knowin grin

“Sounds fun. On a scale of 1 to 10 how stupidly unrealistic is it going to be”

“Considerin the lead couldn’t hold a sidearm right and hated 24 hour time gonna guess a 10”

Taylor gave a snort of laughter then suddenly remembered.

“She was shadowing you before you got sent to Afghanistan wasnt she? God its going to be r rated for language isn’t it?”

“Don’t be a cunt Taylor I don’t swear that fuckin much”

She smiled and gave a hella theatrical groan

“Its going to be a modern version of deadwood, cunt and fuck every second word in the script, with a few hella’s added in”

“Do you want a month of desk duty? cause I can hella make that fuckin happen”

I growled doin my best Ian Mcshane impression which even I have to admit was hella fuckin shit.

“No boss, you talk like a preacher. Honest.  although Steph would love me not doing field work.”

We grinned at each other and got down to business.

“You seen Vinh? Hes never fuckin lat...”

“Sorry boss had car trouble, goddamn flat tire, wont happen again”

His voice carried from the elevator. And I glanced over. His expensive suit was covered in oil from the tire change.

“No problem dude. You’re never late. Just invited Taylor to come to mine tomorrow to watch a certain fuckin cop show. Wanna join us? Plus ones welcome both of you”

“Sure why not. Thanks for the offer.”

Now for the bad news

“You both know we need a new team member? Well we are gettin a probationary agent as of next week. When I know who Ill let you both know ok. Vinh this should go without fuckin sayin but it will be someone fresh outta college. No hittin on them”

“Always got to ruin my fun. Can I still hit on Diamond”

I Grinned

“She said she’d shoot you next time so yeah right now would be good”

He laughed good naturedly

“Fiiiine I’ll behave.”

I heard my phone ring and moved to answer

“SSA Price, yes ma’am who did you choose? Me, ok I’ll come up now”

I hung up and headed to the directors office. She had a file in front of her and was reading through it. When I entered she passed it to me.

“He would be my choice. A little older than the usual probies but with his name well I understand if you don’t want him. Your call Chloe”

I scanned the file, the dude sounded fuckin perfect. Ex ranger lookin to get into police work, insane CIDSAC scores. Then I saw it. His name, Ryan Lucan.

“Fuck ma’am is he anythin to...”

“His son. Jed never talked much about him in the office but if you knew him outside of work it was all he talked about. Ryan and football”  

I took in the new information and smiled slightly.

“I’d need to treat him like any other probie. He’s got no police experience so cant get the pass I got”

“Obviously”

My smile widened

“In that case he’s in. I owe it to Jed to give him a shot”

“I’ll let him know. Thank you Chloe”

I headed back to the bullpen and started to work.

November 20^th 2000 hours

I arrived back home and pulled Max into a kiss. I couldnt wait to tell her we were havin visitors tomorrow.

“Babe, the TV show I was coachin Rachel for. It comes on tomorrow. Vinh and Taylor are comin to watch it. Do you want to invite V and Kate? Woulda said Alex as well but Steph might come and not sure how either of them would feel about that.”

“That sounds good babe but I might go into the other room while its on and put Eva to bed. Not sure I can fucking look at her face”

I’m a thoughtless bitch

“Shit I never thought”

“On the other hand it could be fun, I mean you chose me over an actress. That’s a pretty good confidence boost. I’ll let V know and check with Steph and Alex if they are ok with both of them being there”

That was one choice that wasnt even a fuckin choice. I would choose Max over any woman in the fuckin world.

Glossary

Army CID: Army Federal police agents can be military like Chloe or civilian like Vinh

CIDSAC: Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent Course

 Probie: Probationary Special Agent

SSA: Supervisory Special Agent: team leader

CIDSAC: Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent Course

Chapter Text

Washington D.C. 2015

November 21^st  2015  2030 hours

We were crammed into our sittin room waitin for the show to fuckin start. I was samplin some of the scotch Kate had brought over with everyone except Alex for obvious reasons and Max. Who looked like she had somethin on her mind.

“Chloe. You know in February when we go to London for two weeks? I booked us two nights in Paris on the way home. I thought its memories we will always have you know. Us with our baby in the most romantic city in the world”

I couldn’t fuckin resist with the ‘always have Paris.’ Blame the whisky or maybe I am just that much of an asshole but I grinned and raised my glass to her

“Here’s lookin at you, kid”

Everyone started to laugh, except Max

“Sorry... what?”

“You said Paris was a memory we would always have. Like in Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart always said ‘Here’s lookin at you, kid to Ingrid Bergmann in that movie”

“Never seen it babe, sorry”

Kate looked genuinely shocked, so did Steph and Taylor. Victoria and Alex both looked mildly surprised by the admission that a hipster hadn’t seen an old movie. Their reactions were nothin to Vinhs though.

“Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn if you’ve seen it. We’re here to watch tv not quote old movies.”

Max gave me a look of betrayal when I laughed at what she obviously took to be his cruel fuckin words.

“Seriously Chloe its not funny.”

She glared at him

“You better apologise for talking to me like that in my house you fucking dick”

Shit

“Babe it’s from Gone With The Wind he was hella jokin, at least he better fuckin be”

“Ok maybe next time we have a classic movie night”

I grinned at her and refilled my glass. From my bourbon this time.

 Much better than scotch.

Soon we were ready to watch the show. Not without a warning from Taylor though. She tossed Kate a set of ear defenders

“You better put these on Kate. Chloe taught the lead how to act like one of us. Could be really a lot of swearing”

Kate smirked knowingly at her.

“Nothing worse than Victoria says in bed I bet”

Steph pinched Taylors arm with a cheeky grin

“Don’t you dare say anything about that topic”

Soon we were watchin Rachel or Amber I suppose arguin with an actor with salt and pepper hair who’s face I vaguely knew.

************************************

“Boss you gotta take me off fuckin desk duty. Its drivin me crazy”

“Not a long drive for you Kari. Look you’re a great agent but your mouth gets you in trouble. Think of this as a chance to work on yourself”

She stormed off, the impossibly high heels clicking on the floor as she sat at her desk. With a face so thundery it woulda given Thor a hard on.  Finally she left the office and grabbed coffee and a burger from a nearby bar called the Black Lantern. A couplea guys about her age came to join her wearin expensive lookin suits.

“Kari you really need to dress better. I mean the highheeled boots are great but come on jeans and a tanktop with an overshirt. Its just tacky”

“Fuck you Lee. I like how I fuckin dress.”

She gave a fuckin dramatic pause

“But if it means that much to you.How bout you take me along to bring Johnny in and I’ll wear a fuckin pantsuit tomorrow”

The two men nodded to each other.

The show continued in the same fuckin way until the end. Rachel as Kari shot the main suspect and was facin an investigation. When it finished I grinned.

“I got 8 how many fuckin mistakes did you and Vinh find Taylor?”

Taylor grinned

“Who cares? Amber is soooo fucking hot, I bet she is great in be...”

Steph glared at her and snapped

“Really Taylor? Chloe’s ex and in front of me? That’s... Classy”

“Come on Steph she is hot... wait, boss you banged her? Weren’t you married to Max when you met her?”

I grimaced. The memories of datin Rachel weren’t exactly happy.

Shit I had happier memories in the sandbox. Safer fuckin ones too.

“In high school. I fuckin dated her in high school. Drop it Taylor”

Steph squeezed her hand. Letting her know this was a sore subject. I figured Max told her the full story when I was in Afghanistan and Alex was wounded. She took the hint.

“I think we should get you home Taylor. You need reminding where your heart belongs and I know just how to remind you”

Maybe I imagined it but I thought I saw a grimace cross Alex’s face though even now I couldn’t swear to it.

Steph turned to her, a proud smile on her lips.

“Alex, it was really good to see how seriously you are taking being sober. Honestly I’m glad for you that its sticking.”

“Than...”

I heard the door knock and went to answer it, I was Sorta pleasantly surprised to see Loretta behind it.

“Hey Agent Price I’m here to pick up Alex... shoot did that sound as much like a prom date thing to you as it did to me?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her embarrassment.

“Sorta, but coulda been fuckin worse. Yo Alex your date’s here”

Loretta blushed prettily until she saw the whisky bottle on the table, partnered with my bourbon and god knows how many beers.

“Jesus, you guys drank in front of her? She’s in recovery you fucking assholes.”

That took guts to say. Two of these assholes are her employers

She pushed past me and put her arm around Alex. Glarin at the fuckin room.

“I’m good Lor. I can deal with people havin a few. Not their fault I cant drink anymore”

Victoria looked at Loretta with somethin kinda like respect in her eyes.

“No Alex, Loretta’s right. Maybe you can ‘deal’ but we’re your friends and we shouldn’t have put you in that position without asking you. We were assholes, I’m sorry”

I definitely didnt miss the look of lustful pride crossin Kates face at Victoria’s words.

Two deadly sins in one for Preacher Lady. Hella nice. I really am a fuckin good bad influence on people.

Max gave a sheepish look,

“Me too Alex. It was shitty, oh Loretta, I watched your interview with Chloe. You did a great job. Victoria and I would love to offer you a position at the end of your internship”

Loretta looked like she was strugglin to contain her excitement as she took Alex’s hand and helped her to the door. We all felt happy for the two of them. Even Steph seemed to be on board if her smile was anythin to go by.  

Soon it was just me and Max. We cleaned up the mess from the get together and checked on our sleeping daughter on the way to bed.

The show wasnt bad but the real win was spendin time with my friends and family. All in all, life is hella fuckin good right now

Glossary

Sandbox: Middle East

Chapter Text

Washington D.C

November 25^th 2015  0700 hours

I was hella fuckin nervous as I drove into work. Our new probationary agent was arrivin and on top of that Nathan fuckin Prescott was out on bail. His defence team knew an undercover agent with my initials was the main fuckin witness against him. Not information they should share with the bastard but as we all know lawyers can be slippery fucks and I didn’t trust them with my life.

Fuck it. Bastard can only kill me once.

I took my hands off the wheel and lit a cigarette, grinnin as my mind wandered to the look Max would give me for smokin. Maybe I was an asshole but I always thought my wife was at her fuckin sexiest when she was pissed. I was still smilin a little when I reached the office, that was until I saw Director Jacobs waitin at my desk, her face a sickly almost ashy white.

“Agent Price, Mr Prescott’s attorney has demanded to know your full name in the run up to his trial. The prosecutor tried to shut it down but the judge has agreed”

Motherfucker

“Fuck, Ma’am does he know that could get me fuckin killed? Aint exactly hard to find an address from a name”

“Im sorry Chloe.”

Her voice was gentle but fuckin resigned.

“By end of day today I have an obligation to turn the information over. I  will delay as long as possible to let you put measures in place. Take your team and do that today. Your family’s safety is our highest priority”

“Thank you ma’am”

Before my team even arrived my phone was in my hand and was callin Max. She answered fast but not fast enough to stop my heart beatin faster. I skipped all the fuckin pleasantries and got straight to business.

“Babe go nowhere from now on without me or when you’re at work Alex with you. Prescott will have my full name by the end of the day... I dont know what the bastard is capable of”

“Chloe... will you be safe? If he knows your name he could...”

I Hella fuckin hope it is me he comes after. Not my wife and baby.

“I’ll be fine babe. Top drawer on my sidea the bed, go to it and unlock it. Keys on the dresser.”

She did as I said and had soon found what she was lookin for. A smith and wesson model 10 snub nose.

“Keep it in your purse babe just in case. We will rush a concealed carry permit through for you today. I gotta go, we’ll be over in a hour to add some security precautions to the house. We don’t rate close protection til a threat is made. I love you”

“Love you too Chloe”

There was a tremble in her voice. I felt awful that I had scared her but she deserved to know the truth. Maybe its true that everybody lies but I never have to her.

I quickly called Taylor and Vinh and told them to head straight to my house. The faster we got my home secure the better. I smiled fuckin nervously and settled in my chair to wait for our new probationary agent, Ryan Lucan. Son of my recently murdered boss.

I didn’t have long to wait, within five minutes he was coming outta the elevator, his walk and bearing screamin a high fuckin level of confidence in his abilities.  I nodded briefly to myself and called him over.

“Lucan turn around, we’re goin on a field trip.”

He looked kinda puzzled but turned and we headed to one of the character free black sedans they make us drive on official business.

“Ma’am do you mind if I ask where to?”

“Boss not ma’am only the director is ma’am. And my place”

He looked a little uncomfortable.

“Uh boss... I’m sure you’re great and all but I’m kinda seeing someone”

I grinned at the discomfort that was oozin outta him.

“I’m not tryin to fuck you, I prefer chicks, might be an asshole lookin to kill me before his trial. I need to make sure my home is secure. The rest of the team is meetin us there”

He looked so fuckin embarrassed that I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

When we arrived at my house I saw Vinh casually standing by the door and guessed Taylor was inside judging by her car in the driveway.

“You were a sniper in the Rangers Right?”

Ryan tensed a little at the question then nodded

“Were you any good?”

Another nod was the answer. This one curt, almost but not quite offended. I took some binos from the glove box and handed them to him.

“Find the best overwatch post to shoot into my house from. I’m gonna be movin the blinds and curtains. Tell me when you cant see in.”

“What distance can he kill from? The guy after you”

Good fuckin question

“Nathan couldn’t from any distance as far as I fuckin know. He’d wanna be too close to miss. His man thst got dropped was a sniper though so he mighta hired another one. Assume a mile probie”

“What was his name. The dead guy?”

“Zach Riggins”

He looked stunned

“I knew the bastard. He was nearly as good as me. Better in the right conditions. I’ll go for 2500 metres. Got to assume he hired someone that good. But those binos wont cut it. Let me go home and get my scope. I’ll need to glass it right”

“Do what you gotta do. You’re the expert”  

I tossed him the keys and went into the house.

Max ran to me as I entered, throwin her arms around me and kissing me deep and scared.

“Chloe is it really this dangerous?”

“I want you and Eva to be safe babe. Honestly I’m probably bein hella paranoid but better safe than sorry”

I paused for a beat the continued

“If I thought it was a high chance you would already be on the way to fuckin Arcadia Bay with Eva. I wouldn’t take a chance with your lives”

“You fucking would with yours though. I notice you didn’t say you would be coming with us”

I pointed at a jar with a few coins in it. Max had been trying to make me watch my swearin in front of Eva by introducin a swear jar. It had been there a fuckin day and had cost me 15 bucks already.

“Dollar for the swear jar babe”

“Chloe Elizabeth Price dont even think about changing the subject”

She grumbled as she put the bill into the jar. Luckily Ryan Lucan’s voice in my ear saved me from answerin.

“Boss your gonna want blackout blinds, those windows are a shooters wet dream, tilt the blinds to the left and pull the curtains in the sittin room that will do for now but send Taylor or Vinh for blackouts for every fuckin room”

“Thanks probie. You did good”

Soon the blackout blinds were up and Max was a little less panicked. I kissed her and let her drive to work with Eva after checkin thoroughly under her car.

They are my whole fuckin world. If that bastard tries anythin I’ll fuckin kill him... note to self get an uvi mirror to make checkin under car easier. 

Glossary

Glass: Check Target through sniper or spotter scope

Overwatch Post: Sniper position

Probie: Probationary Agent

Uvi mirror: Under Vehicle Inspection mirror. Used to search for car bombs

Chapter Text

Washington D.C

November 28^th 2015  1100 hours

It was a fuckin shitty start to the day four hours fuckin wasted lookin into Prescott’s business interests with nothin to show for it. About the only good thing was there had been no threats to my life since his lawyer was given my name. It gave me hope that maybe he hadn’t shared it with Nathan. The frustration was boilin over so I got up and grabbed the pack of lucky strike from my desk and stormed out for a smoke, slammin the door as I left.

I was about half way down my third cigarette when Vinh almost fuckin danced towards me.

“Boss, I think I got something. Its not much but there’s a transfer from one of the accounts in Nathan Prescott’s name to an account Homeland Security have flagged under the terrorism watch list.”

He hesitated a second. I fuckin knew right away there was a problem.

“We don’t have the clearance to look into it boss... I know you dont like her but I called Safi. She’s going to pull some strings with the CIA to get us what we need”

“That easy huh?”

A guilty but kinda fuckin smug look was starin back at me.

“I’ve been fucking her since that undercover party. She likes me so I figured she might help”

“Im cool with pimpin you out for intel if it gets the bastard. That’s good work dude. Let me know when she comes back to you”

He grinned and checked his watch.

Dude makes less than I do how the fuck does he afford a rolex?

He musta seen me lookin at his wrist because the fuckin grin got wider.

“Its a copy boss. Check the second hand. It ticks. On a real one it sweeps. I can get you one for fifty bucks if you like”

I took a fifty from my wallet and handed it over.

“Prefer my G shock but it might be a good gift for my stepfucker, he loves watches. Grab me one will ya”

“Sure, I’ll have it for you tomorrow morning... hold on, its Safi. I got to take this boss”

We walked back to the office while he was on the call.

“That’s great Safi, tomorrow afternoon. I owe you one”

He turned to me

“We’ll have everything we need tomorrow afternoon. He’s going to die in prison Chloe”

I could feel the relief coursin through me. I knew there was no way Nathan had the contacts to hurt me from prison and this would have his bail revoked the minute we got it to a judge. The smile on my face was real.

“Thanks Vinh. You mighta saved my life today”

He shook my hand and we went back to work.

November 28^th    1800 hours

I was still smilin on the drive home. I knew Max was gonna be late, she had taken Eva to work with her and had been told not to come home until I told her the house was secure. I stopped at a 24 hour liquor store on the way home and picked up a good bottle of bourbon.

Me and Max have earned a few drinks tonight. Maybe I’ll order us a pizza as well we can make a night of it.

I parked up in the driveway and got outta the truck, my hands fumblin for my keys. I found them and took a quick look around the front and back yards to make sure nothin looked off.

“All good outside”

I muttered to myself as I put my key in the lock. I carefully opened the door and walked through to take a look. As I turned to check my six i felt a sharp fuckin prick on my neck. The bourbon bottle smashed to the ground as my hand flew to the p229 on my hip but I knew in my heart it was too fuckin late. My vision blurred and my body started to fuckin shake. My hands felt like they weighed a fuckin ton and the half drawn weapon hit the ground. I dimly saw it being kicked away and felt hands under my arms as I was dragged towards the stairs.

Shit this is hella fuckin bad. Am I about to....

I couldn’t even finish the thought as my head swam and my vision turned fuckin black.

            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My cell was silent. Chloe should have called thirty minutes ago at least. I knew I should do what she asked and wait for Alex to drive me home but I was getting really scared. Chloe was never late. Not without calling anyway. I put Eva in her car seat and drove to Steph’s place.

It was a massive relief to see Taylor wasnt home yet.

 Maybe it was just a case of Chloe working late and forgetting to call. If it was I will be pissed but at least I would know she was safe.

“Max, its great to see you, shit are you ok?”

The fear on my face must have been so obvious when she asked.

“Yeah. I want to surprise Chloe with a romantic night. Can you watch Eva?”

She grinned at me.

“Sure, sounds like Chloe’s in for a fun night.”

She helped me unpack Eva’s overnight things that Chloe insisted stayed in my car in case of an emergency. I kissed Eva goodbye and drove towards my home.

My heart almost stopped when I saw Chloe’s truck was already outside. I tried to call her twice vut it went straight to voicemail. Fear gripping me I took the revolver from my purse and quietly opened the door.

Glossary

Check my six: look behind

Chapter Text

Washington D.C

November 28^th 2015  1900 hours

The psycho fuck was staring at me. My arms were tightly tied behind my back in the en suite bathroom, the chair he had dragged from the bedroom was bruisin my spine. He was really startin to scare me. Lookin in  the mirror and talkin to himself, I was grateful Max and Eva weren’t home when he broke in.

“Its cool Nathan, dont stress, you’re ok bro. Count to 3 and dont be scared. You can own this city. If you wanted you could... blow it up. You’re the fuckin boss”

This cunt has about fifty different major brain malfunctions. I. Am. Fucked. But at least this way I’m the only one that dies. My family are safe.

I desperately tried to think of a way out of the situation, I figured I had been in tighter spots even if I couldn’t fuckin think of one.

“So my testimony and the bug I planted are all thats provin you’re a dealer? You got hella cash we could work somethin out, I mean come on dude, I’m army CID.  You kill a fed and you end up strapped to a table gettin pumped full of fuckin chemicals”

“Hella cash? That’s my family not me”

I smiled, maybe I could get through to this fuckin brain donor

“Your respectable family will help me out. General Prescott wont want the scandal. He’ll pay my price”

Spit flew from his fuckin mouth when I mentioned his family.

Great tied to a fuckin chair in a bathroom by a psycho with fuckin daddy issues this shit keeps gettin better and fuckin better.

“Leave them out of this bitch.”

He waved the gun in my face, snarling and screamin at me like a wounded fuckin animal.

“You dont know who I am or who the fuck you’re messing with”

“Come on man put that fuckin thing down”

The weapon smashed into my head and I spat out blood. His face looked like somethin from a horror movie, almost like he was possessed.

“Dont ever tell me what to do. I’m so sick of people trying to control me”

Gotta find the right button to push if I wanna live. Not his family, maybe self preservation. He slowed down a beat when I mentioned the fuckin death penalty.

“Nathan I told ya. You’re gonna get into hella more trouble for this than the drugs. We can work somethin out. Just lower your weapon”

He slapped the side of his head with his weapon. Normally his poor trigger discipline would have pissed me the fuck off but it would have ended my problems if the cunt had accidentally shot himself so I silently prayed he kept it pressed at his head and not mine. Then he looked into my eyes. It fuckin creeped me out more than anythin that had happened so far.

 The way he looked at me was almost like a lover, like Max carressin me with her eyes when we made love only difference bein death was in his fuckin stare not passion.

This creeps eyes will not be my last fuckin memory I dont care if he thinks hes broken me.

I looked away from him fixin my gaze on a selfie Max had hung on the medicine cabinet of me and her holdin Eva. It was the day we took her home from the hospital. Also known as the happiest fuckin day of my life.

Thats better, if he kills me now my last sight on earth will be my family.

I barely heard the brutal words he half screamed at me through gritted fuckin teeth.

“Even your name was a fuckin lie. Does anyone really know the real you? Is it Liz or Chloe?”

He seemed to think about his own question for way to fuckin long when I didnt answer. Then the pathetic, betrayed anger took over again

“No one would ever even miss your punk ass would they?”

Flecks of his spit were soakin the side of my face but no way was I givin the cunt the satisfaction of lookin at him. If these were my last seconds on earth he had wasted enough of them. This was my time to remember.

Wherever I ended up after this. In whatever reality. Max and Eva, those precious moments I shared with them were what was real. They would always be ours. No one could take those. Especially not some wannabe tough guy with a gun. I was ready.

God fuckin damn it. Either shoot me or get the fuck outta my house. Jesus listenin to the self pity is almost makin me long for a bullet in the fuckin head. Poor whiny fuckin rich boy.  Fuck he makes me sick.

From the corner of my eye I saw him steel himself. It had felt like a lifetime since he last spoke but it was probably only thirty seconds, a minute tops. He spat viciously on me and extended his arm. I focussed on the picture of my family and thought of how loved I was. How my life in some small way had mattered.

I heard the shot and my body braced itself for the impact that would end my life.

Even knowin how it ends, with me bleedin out on a bathroom floor I wouldnt change a fuckin thing. I wouldn’t trade my time with Max for 100 years with anyone else.

Glossary

Army CID: US Army federal police.