Chapter Text
Base was always bustling after a mission of this size. Men and women rushing to medical, recruits running around to handle errands for their sergeants, and of course, the 141's infamous Lieutenant Ghost Riley buried under a pile of paperwork.
He wasn't too mad about it, knowing Price had it worse, but no one liked having to do all this after all the hell they go through on the field. All he really wanted was a shower longer than five minutes and an uninterrupted nap.
Johnny was here a little bit ago, offering to help. Ghost sent him off, too overestimated to deal with the other man, though now he was wishing he'd let him stay. Maybe then he'd have gotten more done, made more progress towards the much needed rest he was craving. A soft knock on the door sets his nerve on edge, but he calls for whoever it is to come in.
He doesn't look up, his eyes focused completely on the papers in front of him. Perhaps if he was rude enough, they'd just go away and bother someone else.
"What do you want?" He growls at the still unseen soldier. There is a moment of silence, then the lock on his door clicks. That gets his full attention. His head snapped up, eyes finding the person immediately.
All the air is shoved from his lungs at the sight of her standing across from his desk; arms crossed, lips turned down into a frown, and wearing a uniform that definitely wasn't hers.
What was she doing here?
-
There were few people in the world who Ghost truly trusted. Most of them were in the 141. But there were some on the outside. People he's known for a long time. The family he made after his was murdered.
The family he kept hidden from everyone to keep them safe.
She shouldn't be here.
"I've been calling you for days." Your voice is filled with frustration and disappointment.
"I've been working. I've only just gotten back."
"I called you sixteen times! "
"You know I don't use my phone while on duty."
"You didn't think to text me or something when you got back?"
"I haven't been back that long."
"When did you get in?"
"I don't-"
"When, Simon?"
You were one of the only people in the world that could say his name so easily like that.
"...48 hours ago."
"Oh, so, you got back before I decided to fly all the way out here. You had at least 36 hours to respond to me and you didn't."
You had him there. Your plethora of missed called hadn't gone unnoticed, he'd just assumed it was nothing, or that you'd gotten a hold of someone else to help with whatever you needed. But there was a more pressing issue right now.
"How the fuck did you even get on base? Do you realize how illegal it is for you to be here uninvited? You could get arrested, or worse. You're risking both of us just standing in this room! I know you're smarter than this, so what the fuck-"
"Simon." Your voice silences him immediately. Your tone held a weight to it that made his blood go cold. He sits up straighter, eyebrows furrowing.
"What happened, love?" He asks quietly, not sure he really wants the answer.
"Nana's gone."
Oh fuck.
"Shit…"
"We all knew it was coming, she was, like, 98. But my family is already between each other's asscheeks over her shit and the will hasn't even been read yet." You sigh, finally sitting in one of the chairs across from Ghost's desk. He doesn't reach for you, though he wants to. He's still on base, still holding to the mask.
"She was a good woman," He says. You nod, the exhaustion clear on your face. You must have driven all night to get here.
"I need you to come home."
"I-"
"You have to come to the funeral and to the will reading. Nana's lawyer said that it was important that anyone named has to attend."
"I'm in the will?"
"If you'd answered your phone- "
"I was working!"
"I know!" Your voice breaks a little, his strong girl showing her cracks. Ghost raises his hands slightly in a surrendering gesture, and waves for you to continue.
"The lawyer sent a big massive email to everyone with the list of people named in the will with explicit instructions that everyone is to attend. Nana never told anyone who the executor of her will was either, and apparently they're on that list. You are on that list, same with Gary. So yeah. I need you to come home. Please."
There isn't a single second moment of hesitation. Ghost digs his keys from his pocket and tosses them to you.
"I'll see what I can do. Go to my room and stay there. You look like shit."
-
Ghost never requested leave. He usually had to be forced to take a break, threatened to go or else. So color John surprised when his Lieutenant drops the required paperwork onto his desk.
"You're requesting leave?" John asks, looking over the forms with raised eyebrows.
"Emergency. Something's come up that I need to take care of." Leave it to Ghost to remain frustratingly vague.
"When should I expect you back?"
"Two weeks."
"Long time."
"It's necessary."
"Mm." John flips through everything again, double checking all is in order. "You're planning to leave as soon as possible?"
"Affirmative, sir."
"All your reports done?"
"Done and filed, sir."
"Alright." John signs his approval and puts the paperwork in a safe spot on his desk. "I'll see you when you get back."
"Thank you, sir."
"Not a problem, Lieutenant. We all could use a little break."