Carrying On Ch. 03

Here it is, chapter 3. I hope everyone enjoys it. Big changes have come and more are coming with future parts. If you haven't read the other stories, you may be pretty lost. Start with Becky's Marine and work your way through. Don't forget to rate, comment and leave feedback. I greatly appreciate it all.

Special thanks to Rnebular for his editing and suggestions.

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Dawn came all too early, the sun filtering though the curtains cast little rays of light around the room like tentacles of joy. I hated the early sunrise. Winter was coming and the days were growing shorter and colder. Soon we would get the first snows and, much like it was every single year growing up in California, everyone loses their goddamn minds when there is water on the ground in either solid or liquid state. I turned the events of last night over in my mind, mildly disturbed yet oddly curious.

Over the past several days Becky's mother, Samantha, had been mercilessly and, rather blatantly, flirting with me. It wouldn't bother me as much if she didn't do it in front of everyone. I've gotten to assuming that her father, Jeffery, either hasn't noticed or doesn't care. He did raise a fuss the other night when a couple punks tried picking up on our respective women, but that's the most I've gotten out of him.

Becky had apologized many times for her mother's behavior, understanding it was her low tolerance for alcohol that was doing it. What struck me as worrisome was the old saying "in vino veritas," in wine, truth. People will often speak their hidden thoughts or desires when under the influence of alcohol, leading me to believe that, while we just think nothing of it, she desperately needs the attention of one who will treat her the way she wants to be treated.

Whoever that person turns out to be, it won't be me. Not without express written permission from Becky, signed by Becky, myself and witnesses. I learned that lesson a long time ago and won't make that mistake again. I lost the love of a real good woman that way, but I guess things happen for a reason right? Without that hard earned knowledge, I'd have never met Becky.

I looked to my left at the sleeping form of Becky, her brown hair strewn about on the pillow as she tossed and turned in her sleep, her body covered by the blanket. I thought about brushing her hair aside and giving her a kiss, but I decided to let her rest. She was a lighter sleeper than most and it would be a crime to wake such an angelic being.

I looked towards Lauren on my right, covered by her own blanket. Becky was a cover thief and I'd noticed over the last few nights that Lauren didn't try and hold onto them, letting Becky take as much as she wanted. Lauren was cute, with the same brown hair as Becky and their mother, but she didn't captivate me like Becky did. Becky sang a song that only I could hear, and it was beautiful.

Checking the alarm clock on the side table next to Lauren, I saw it was just after 6 AM. Far too early for me to be awake, but apparently my body had other plans. I decided to get up and make some coffee, climbing down to the foot of the bed as gently as possible so as not to wake the girls. Just as I got to the door, Becky moaned softly.

"Bring us coffee or you don't get to sleep here anymore," she said, not opening her eyes. I smiled and headed to the kitchen to start the pot.

I looked over our selection of coffee. Jeanna was quite the fan and had bought a dozen different brands and strengths. I thought about a nice, strong dark roast but decided to go with the ultimate wake up coffee, Death Wish. Forget double brewing coffee, or as we called it, super coffee, this stuff was pure caffeine disguised as coffee beans.

As the coffee brewed, I grabbed my jacket and stepped out for a smoke. The morning air was crisp and the breeze that blew cut straight to the bone. The sun had crept over the distant hills and illuminated the flat, wooded landscape in Kentucky that we call home. Temperatures in the low 40's had been called for this week and I smoked as fast as my body would let me, desperate to get back inside to the warmth.

As I put my cigarette in the ashtray, I noticed the property next door was for sale and made a note to check how much they wanted for it. Land was cheap in Kentucky compared to California where I grew up. Hell, it was almost free. Carl and I paid about $250,000 for our 4 bedroom, 2 bath house on 2 acres, which would have easily been $650,000 where I grew up.

I went back inside and grabbed three coffee mugs from the cupboard, filling each and carrying two down the hall to the girls. I've been with Becky long enough that I knew by placing it on her nightstand, she would drink it and request a refill be brought to her. If she could stay in bed and be waited on by me, especially on a lazy Saturday, she would. I set the cups down on the dresser, quietly told them that coffee was on and exited before they could say much.

Winston joined me in the kitchen shortly after, pouring himself a cup and chatting with me for a bit about work. I gave him the basic rundown on distillation and separation, how reflux and product draws work and how nasty byproducts like hydrogen sulfide are delt with. For how dry of a topic it can be, he seemed genuinely interested, especially in the distillation part, and kept asking very pointed questions about different cuts and draws.

"You seem awfully interested in what most people find extremely boring. Am I missing something?" I asked him.

"Well, to answer your question, I have to give you some background," he began. "I studied construction and metallurgy for a time at university and, while I worked hard to pay for it, I found I never had enough money for the things most college kids want, alcohol and women.

"I figured if I could make some side cash I could afford to take a woman on a nice date, but I never had that money from work and there was no overtime available. My mate and I decided to try making our own alcohol."

"Ah, moonshine," I said with a smile.

"Precisely. We had this grand idea that we could become the English version of the Duke boys. Running moonshine around campus and the town, making piles of money and running from the law." The image that popped into my head made me chuckle a bit.

"Unfortunately, our liquor was complete rubbish. We tried all sorts of things to make it better, but it was so bad I wouldn't give it to prisoners on death row. We gave up eventually, but I've always fancied trying again."

"Shit, it's just basic distillation. Maybe one day we can build a still and make some," I offered.

He smiled. "I'd like that, but isn't it illegal?"

"Sure," I said, "but I figure if we make it for our personal consumption, who else is being hurt by it? It's not like we're trying to put Jack Daniels out of business."

It was his turn to laugh. "I don't think we could do that if we tried."

"Oh I think you could," Becky said from the hallway. "But why would you want to?"

"To reap their profits I suppose," I replied with a laugh, getting up to give her a hug and kiss. Lauren came down the hall shortly after, wide awake and buzzing.

"What did you give us?" She asked quickly.

"Death Wish."

"Is there more?" Her hand was trembling slightly, no doubt from the caffeine rush.

"Yeah, but I don't think you need more. You're awake enough already."

"Should I bring some to Samantha and Jeffery?" Winston asked.

"Only if you want to. Remember, you're not their butler on this trip," I said.

He rose with a nod and filled up two coffee cups, bringing them down the hall to Lauren's room where her parents were staying. We made idle chatter while Winston was gone, running over things that needed to be done and things that we would like to accomplish while we had their parents here.

It was decided that the men would entertain themselves while Lauren and I went to get Ryan from the airport. Becky and her mother would discuss wedding plans and Carl and Jeanna could do whatever they wanted. I figured they would try and get some quality time in while they could. Their wedding was coming up fast and the planning had been done for a while now, it was just waiting.

The others came out and after a while Tyler showed up. We had a nice breakfast together while Tyler told of his night out with the girl he met at Smokey's. From his tale, which he was probably embellishing, he had a fun night of drunken debauchery until her father came home. He had to hide under her bed for a while until they could sneak out and get a hotel room.

"And man, let me tell ya, that's the worst feeling in the world," Tyler said cryptically.

"What is?" Samantha asked, completely enthralled with the story.

"Grabbing your shit to sneak out of the room, only to remember that it's your room."

We all laughed at that. Tyler had a way of making things funny, even things most people shouldn't be proud of. He could be really kind and caring, but only when he wanted to.

"Is your résumé done?" I asked him. The posting would be coming out soon and I didn't want him to miss this opportunity to get on with us. Having a job makes the transition to civilian life so much easier and I figured he would need all the help he could get.

"Almost," he replied. He was almost excited about it. "When I finish, could you look it over Winston?"

"Sure," Winston replied. "We should have some free time today while Andrew and Lauren are gone, we can do it then."

"Where are they going?"

"We have to go pick up Ryan from the airport," Lauren said. The way she said it, I figured there would be a "duh," at the end. I'm sure we told him, he probably doesn't remember.

We cleaned up breakfast and got ready for the day. I made a regular pot of coffee and had a few cups while I waited for the others to shower. Becky joined me, cuddling up against me, intent on spending some quality, quiet time just the two of us. It was nice to still be able to connect with her after all we'd been through, to still be able to silently know what the other was feeling. It was like nothing else mattered in that moment.

Too quickly the silence was broken. Tyler had been outside smoking and had come back to ruin our moment. I know he didn't do it purposefully, but the intrusion of his voice was a constant reminder that the next few days would find me lacking for quality Becky time. I tried to shut him out, desperately hoping for one more inaudible minute with the love of my life, but he has a way of cutting through the calm.

"Do you really think I have a shot at getting hired?" Tyler asked. His tone was worrisome, doubtful.

"Sure," I responded. "They love former military. They know how to follow orders and have much less trouble running towards danger."

"What kinds of danger?"

"Fire, explosion, gas or vapor leak, product spills, injured co-workers, anything else you can think of."

"What's the biggest danger out there?"

"Management," I said with full and complete seriousness. The others laughed but I assured them of my position. "Sometimes we have to save them from themselves."

"How so?" Becky asked.

"They like to try and make decisions that will upset the plant to try and increase productivity or profit. Usually it happens at the worst possible time."

"Do they ever put people in danger because of it?"

"Sure, but not intentionally. They don't understand much beyond the basics of how the process works and how the plant runs. When they suggest something that is dangerous we have to explain why we can't do it and how it could harm personnel. Then the lights come on and they have their 'ahhh' moment."

Tyler laughed, "Sounds like it can be fun to see that moment of clarity."

"Sometimes. When it doesn't take the first time and you have to explain it like they're five years old, it's not fun anymore."

Samantha and Jeffery joined us, followed shortly by Lauren and Winston. Becky and I showered while Tyler kept everyone entertained. We decided to save water and shower together, though I had to promise not to get handsy. My protests were answered with her very accurate logic.

"If you start something, we'll be in here for hours," she told me after slapping my hand away for the third time. She was right of course, but that doesn't mean I liked it. I found myself wishing the week was over already so we could have our bed back to ourselves.

Not that I minded sleeping between two beautiful women, but I don't think I could do that to Becky even if I wanted to. Not to mention that Lauren is taken by a good man. I wouldn't want Becky off galavanting with some other guy and I could never do that to anyone else intentionally. I just hoped that whatever concerns she has about Ryan are misplaced. While I don't believe he is running around behind her back, something definitely isn't right between them.

We finished our semi-plutonic shower and got dressed. We joined the others as they laughed at whatever stories Tyler was telling and having a good time. Becky and I exchanged knowing smiles and it felt good to see everyone coming together as a family.

"Any idea what we should do for dinner?" Lauren asked.

"How 'bout steaks?" Tyler suggested.

"Or burgers," Carl added.

"Mum taught me a recipe for ribs, I could make those," Winston said with some pride.

"Ribs sound delicious," Jeanna said, getting nods from the others.

"Ribs it is," I said. "Send me a text with what we need from the store and we will stop on our way back from the airport if that'll be enough time to make them."

"They don't take long to prep, just to cook," Winston said with pride.

We had a couple hours to hang out before Lauren and I had to leave. I thought about leaving her here so I could talk to Ryan on the way back, get a feel for what was going on, but decided against it. Besides the fact that she was so excited to see him, there was no need to unduly panic her with inconclusive speculation. She had been anxiously awaiting this for a while and I wasn't about to ruin it for her.

--- Lauren ---

"Ok, we're leaving!" I said with excitement. It had been months since I had seen my Ryan and I'd been giddy since Andrew told me he was coming. I don't know what strings he had to pull to get his leave approved, but I knew I owed him big time. "Don't forget to text us the list!" I called as we walked out the door.

We spent most of the drive to Nashville talking about Ryan. I guided the conversation, but Andrew would try and steer it back to the problems we were having. I know he's just looking out for me and wanted to help, but it was getting annoying. I didn't wanna think about that when he was so close to being back in my arms, his scent making me weak and filling me with desire.

Ryan sent me a text saying he had landed and was waiting for his bags. I told him we would be there in about 20 minutes and looked at Andrew. How did he know how to time this trip so perfectly? Was it some sort of ability he had? Who knows, Ryan was here and he would be mine for three days!

When we saw him standing there at the terminal with his green duffle and a backpack, I practically jumped out the window to get to him. After what felt like an eternity, Andrew stopped his truck and we got out. I ran straight for Ryan, nearly tackling him as I leapt into his arms. He hugged me close and gave me a kiss before putting me down to shake Andrew's hand. We loaded his stuff in the back and climbed in, me sitting in the back seat with him.

For some reason, I couldn't shake the thought that something was wrong in the way he kissed me. It lacked the passion I'm used to and his hug felt empty. Could Andrew be right? I really wished I could read minds.

"How was the trip?" Andrew asked.

"It was ok," Ryan replied, "long and uneventful."

"Just the way I like my flights. How's old Bravo Battery doing?"

"Not bad. Had a new group come in soon after Tyler split. They seem like good guys, but have no desire to learn." The way he talked about Tyler leaving sounded more like he resented him for it. It was almost as if this were a new Ryan. My Ryan wouldn't speak of one of his friends that way, would he?

"I remember those days," Andrew mused, a far off look in his eyes. "Ready to kick some ass but having no idea how to do it."

"That can't have lasted long for you," I said with a smile.

"Actually, believe it or not, I was a total shitbag for a while," Andrew said. "It took me being forced to lead others to pull it together."

The majority of the rest of the trip was pretty quiet. Andrew asked Ryan about his family and life, getting vague answers in return. I was content to snuggle up with my guy, knowing he was here and was spending time with me, albeit very little. He put his arm around me, but it felt almost dishonest, like he was doing it more for my benefit than his desire. I really hoped this was just a readjustment phase.

I reminded Andrew that we needed to stop by the store and pick up some stuff for dinner. I had to laugh, watching those two hunt for things in the store was entertaining. They would think hard about where something should be, but be wrong and get confused. I ended up taking over and before long we were back on our way.

We pulled into the driveway a short time later, seeing Tyler and my mother sitting on the porch. Mom was nursing a glass of wine while Tyler had something in a solo cup, most likely whiskey, and both were smoking.

"Mom!" I said with disgust, "since when do you smoke!?"

"Only when I've been drinking honey," she said, crushing it out and coming to hug us. I introduced her to Ryan, who returned her hug and went to help with his things.

We set Ryan's bags in Andrew and Becky's room while Andrew delivered the grocery bags to Winston in the kitchen. When I walked back out to the front room, Andrew and Ryan were doing shots with Tyler, toasting their reunion and the many victories they shared. They toasted Sean Drake's sacrifice, which made Ryan tear up a bit. The boys went outside to smoke while I went to help Jeanna and Winston in the kitchen.

--- Andrew ---

"How you holding up?" Tyler asked Ryan. Tyler was his usual happy self, but Ryan had seemed a bit off this whole time.

"Not as well as I thought," Ryan started. "I've been having nightmares lately."

Tyler and I looked at each other, knowing eyes meeting with shock. "What kinda nightmares?" I probed.

"About Drake, and Akashat, and the men I've killed." Ryan's eyes started to well up, the well known "thousand yard stare" plastered upon his youthful face.

"I dream of it too," Tyler said, placing his hand on Ryan's shoulder. Ryan quickly threw it off.

"I'm sure you do," he said with what sounded like anger. "But hey, it's not your problem anymore is it?"

"Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Tyler said loudly. "Of course it is. I have to live with that forever, we all do. It doesn't magically disappear, we bear the burdens we must."

"Yeah yeah, spare me," Ryan chided. "I've heard this all before and I don't need a lecture now."

"Alright, calm down," I said, "what's got you so riled up?"

"Both of you!" Ryan yelled. "You abandoned us when you knew we would need you," he said, pointing at Tyler. "And you pulled some strings with the Captain to get my leave approved. I didn't even wanna come!"

"Then why did you put in for it?" I asked, trying very hard to stay calm. "If you didn't wanna come, then why not say something at some point?"

Ryan's head dropped, his eyes staring holes in the concrete patio. "I have personal business to attend to, after that I'm out."

"And what, might I ask, is that?"

"It's not your concern."

I decided it was better to let the subject drop. If he didn't wanna tell me, I wasn't gonna push it out of him, for Lauren's sake. Some of the puzzle pieces came together in my mind and I had a sinking feeling it would be my concern very soon.