Ellie's P.O.V.
I had completed the internship program at 19, but Gibbs still wouldn't let me interrogate someone yet.
"Leah," Gibbs said, poking his head into the observation room. "Your turn."
"What?" I asked, excited and scared. "My turn?"
"Your turn." I smiled, taking the photos from Gibbs, and leaving the argument between Tim, Ziva, and Tony about who was going to interrogate behind me.
"Listen lady," He started as soon as I entered, but I cut him off.
"That supposed to be an insult? Because I'm flattered you think high enough of me to call me a lady."
"You are weak, you are nothing, you are a little helpless baby." The corps drill sergeant insisted.
"Why thank you!"
"I just called you a baby."
"I'm aware, and I'm honored. Babies are full of pure potential. Not to mention adorable."
"Allow me to make one thing clear to you. I am not complimenting you. There is nothing to compliment. You are a maggot." He insisted, setting his hands on the table.
"That's incredibly generous!"
"What?"
"Maggots are highly versatile, and can survive in almost any condition."
"You are a pile of dirt."
"Oh!" I gushed again. "It's hard not to take that as a compliment."
"Explain yourself." He was just straight confused or worried for my mental health.
"Dirt is the foundation of all agriculture. Without it, we would not survive."
"Let this set it. You are filthy, you are scum."
"That's so nice! No matter what scum always rises to the top!"
I sat in the chair facing away from the 1-way mirror, and stacked all of the pictures together.
"You're never going to make up for the heaps of resources you've used up in your life." He threw at me after thinking for a half-second.
"You don't think I know that?" I asked, furrowing my brow at him. "You don't think I tell myself that every day?"
"It's true."
"As a matter of fact it's not. Because God gave us this world to use all of. So I'm going to use it, and use all of it. Because it was meant to be used. So shut up. There's nothing you can say to make me feel worse about myself. You can't get to me."
I interrogated him in what dad had called 'the not as good you way'. I completely mislead him, doubled back, and caught him in an accidental confession.
"You fuc-"
"Yup," I agreed, leaving the room and closing the door behind me.
(Hey, don't let anyone tell you that you're not enough, or not worthy of anything. No one. And that includes yourself. Sometimes you are your worst enemy. <3)
-2 weeks later-
"Leah, you cut your hair." Palmer observed as I walked in Monday morning.
"Yeah, I did!" I agreed, smiling in what I hoped was a warm way.
"It- it- it looks good."
"Thanks Jimmy."
-
"I don't know if I'm ready for this." I muttered to myself, pacing back and forth in my short white dress.
"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet lady." A voice challenged.
"What? Who's there?"
"You don't recognize me?" I turned around to see Brock leaning against the opposite wall.
"Brock?"
"Hi Anna." He greeted.
"You're gonna make me ruin my makeup." I said annoyed, using my finger to keep tears from running down my face.
"Still a mess huh?"
"Definitely still a mess." I agreed.
"Where are your dolls, doll?"
"Right, here in my pocket." I informed him, pulling the dolls out from my pocket, and showing them to him.
"You still have them huh?"
"Of course I still have them. I have them even if I don't have my phone I have these dolls. I love them."
"No one's going to judge you if you take those up with you. Jack especially will get it. And if they do say something, burn them."
I giggled. "Brock, I can't just burn people."
"I could. I'm an angle now, I have al kinds of cool new powers."
"No thank you Brock."
"Eh, offer's still on the table if you want it."
...
"I saved you a seat."
"I saw. 'Reserved for your best man' huh? Can brides have best men?"
"Yes, of course they can."
"... alright then, I'm honored."
"You ready to go?" Dad asked, appearing in the doorway.
"Ready as I'll ever be." I agreed. I smiled at brock again, took dad's arm, and with my other arm, I had the dolls. Brock had a hand on my shoulder, and I felt him kiss the top of my head before walking in front of dad and I and I watched him walk through the other guests and sit in his chair.
My eyes flicked open to see 'my' bedroom ceiling. I had moved out of dads house, and was living in Jacks apartment. I was sleeping in Jacks bed while he was away. I missed him so much.
Wait.
That dream. It must've been a dream right?
But I want it to have be real.
I want it to be real.
Because I was getting married to Jack.
Oh...
I missed Jack...
-
Jack went and served in the Navy, and got sent to Russia. Or more specifically the water between Canada and Russia. The Navy has had boats stationed there ever since the cold war.
More recently he'd been transferred from the Russian Area to Iranian waters to aid with both the Iranian and Afghanistan war.
I haven't seen him in 4 years. We weren't able to facetime because of a lot of reasons. We wrote letters, all the time! But it wasn't the same. I hadn't heard his voice in 4 years.
4 years.
4, very long years.
4, very long, excruciating years.
I missed him! I really really did. But he was on tour for another 8 months. And I've been counting down the days.
I was making dinner one night -spaghetti bolognaise- spinning my fidget ring up and down my finger. The tune bouncing around my head was familiar, and I knew the words, I just didn't like it. So I changed the words.
"And the blood will dry, underneath my nails." I let the sauce simmer, set down the spoon, and danced with the words coming from my mouth. "And the wind will raise up, to fill our sails. So you can doubt, and you can hate. But I know no matter what it takes. I want you home, I want you home. Tell the world I want you home. We'll let the rain, wash away. All the pain of yesterday. You know our kingdom awaits. We'll forgive all our mistakes. I want you home, I want you home. Tell the world I want you.
"Still far away, from where you belong. But it's always darkest before the dawn. So you can doubt, and you can hate! But I know no matter what it takes. I want you home, I want you home. Tell the world I want you home. We'll let the rain, wash away. All the pain of yesterday. You know our kingdom awaits. We'll forgive all our mistakes. I want you home, I want you home. Tell the world I want you.
"I want you home! I want you home, tell the world I want you home. We'll let the rain wash away, all the pain of yesterday. You know our kingdom awaits. We'll forgive all our mistakes. I want you home, I want you home. Tell the world I want you home." I finished with what would've been a quad but half-way through my foot collapsed, and I hit the ground hard.
Pain shot up my knee, but I ignored it, getting to my feet again. A shiver ran up my spine as I went back to the Bolognese.
Short chapter! I know! Sorry about that. But I wanted to get this out tonight because there's a huge storm headed my way! It's supposed to cut power for about a million people in my state so I wanted to give you guys something to maybe satisfy you while I'm away for a while. I don't know when my power's coming back on, or if it's leaving at all, just wanted to make you guys aware of that!
Anyways, thanks for reading!
<3
-Eliza