Brothers in Arms

"Jesus" Was all Chase could muster looking at the mess. "Go get a couple trash bags, I'll call my buddy who can come fix your window asap" he said looking around. "Don't worry Jane" he said looking over at her "I got this, you go do what you need to do" he said holding his keys out toward her
 
She went into the house to grab some trash bags. But as she walked through the living room and dining room that Scott had wrecked the night before, she just felt anger bubble up inside of her.

She returned to the porch and picked up one of the bottles, and before she knew it she had thrown it at the wall of the garage. The pop and then the shattering of glass gave her a little bit of a release, so she picked up another one and hurled it.

She picked up one more and threw it and yelled, "Bastard!"
 
Chase hung up the phone with his friend who was on the way to fix the window "Janie take my car, I'll clean up here" he said walking towards her
 
She took the keys.

"I am sorry. I guess I have just had enough. Will you take a few pictures just in case?" She asked quietly. She took his vehicle and headed to the base. She turned the radio up loud and opened the windows, trying to let go of the day.
 
As she drove off Chase texted her "stay strong and don't let him get to you. He wins if you do that" he sent as he went to work picking up the mess as his friend fixed the car window. Getting hot out Chase removed his shirt as the sweat poured off his body
 
Jane went to the legal office on base and filled out her part of the paperwork. She paid the fee and decided to go let Scott know that he was free of her. She drove to their area and saw several of the guys, checking equipment and doing some PT.

She asked where Scott was. One of the guys nodded towards the ready room. Scott was there, angry and hung over. She came inside and shut the door with a bang.

"I saw the number you did on my car and the mess in the yard. Trashing the inside of the house wasn't enough?" She asked flatly.

Scott scowled and brought his hand to his forehead. "Can you be pissed at me a little quieter?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No, I can't. I am tired Scott. I am tired and I don't want to do this anymore." She walked over to him and handed him the business card from the attorney at the legal office. "I have paid the fees and filled out the paperwork. When you are ready, you just have to sign. I am having the locks changed at the house. So, when ever this bartender chick gets tired of you coming home drunk and angry, don't come back." Her voice shook a little, but she was propelled by her anger.

She was about to leave, when his hand snapped around her forearm. This was what he had asked for but he wasn't ready to let go.

"She doesn't get tired of me. She doesn't want me to be something I am not." He hissed pulling her to him. He stood and almost lifted her off of her feet. "She gets it. She gets me." He snarled. Janie wanted to go, she wanted to keep quiet and descalate the situation, but she had held back so much for so long.

"I have never tried to change you. I just wanted to help. I just wanted to love you. I could stay, I could stay with you, through the anger, and the drinking... but we promised to love each other. We promised to be a team, Scott. You promised me." She started to cry and she saw his face twist.

"Stop it, damn it. Stop it!" He began shaking her by her forearm and it hurt so much she thought her arm might snap in his giant hand. She cried out softly and tried to peel his hand off of her. She didn't see it coming, he slapped her with his other hand. Hard. She heard it and felt it travel through her eye socket and cheek.

He knocked her to the floor, still holding her wrist.

One of the guys had rushed in and gotten between them. Another guy grabbed her and ushered her out to Chase's car. They asked her if she wanted to call the MPs. But she didn't. She just wanted to go. She just wanted to get away. She cried the whole way back to her house. She wasn't sure where else to go. She didn't want to leave Chase stranded at her place.
 
The other guys noticed she was in Chase's car but didn't want to say anything to Scott that would make the situation worse.

As he finished cleaning he saw Janie pull up, her eyes full of tears "sweetheart what's wrong?" He said seeing her cheek red but unsure if it was from tears
 
She tried to rush inside. She couldn't talk and she couldn't explain. She went to the freezer and got an ice pack for her wrist and one for her cheek. She wanted to crawl into bed and never get out of it again.
 
"Jane what the hell?" Chase said following her in with a forceful manner clearly knowing something was quite amiss. "What happened?" He said reaching her and talking in a more tender tone
 
She looked up at him with teary eyes.

"He grabbed me. And he hit me." Her voice was so small and fragile.
 
"I'm gonna kick his ass" Chase said spinning on his heel and walking towards the front door to get to his truck
 
Part of her wanted to stop of him. part of her wanted him to pummel Scott. Part of her just wanted to go to bed. So that is what she did. She went to her bed and curled up under the covers and cried.
 
Chase drove way too fast over to the base and flew into the room. Some of the guys tried to separate them while the older team members knew that this had to happen and so stood guard so no one would catch hell.

Immediately the two went at each other, exchanging punches as they threw each other around the room, banging into fencing. Ultimately Chase got the best of Scott as stood over him "leave her the hell alone you abusive prick. Ruin your life not her's"

Scott replied "what are you fucking her? Of course you are. You and your limp prick, you two are perfect for each other, a couple of week bitches"

With that Chase kicked Scott hard in the ribs causing him to lose his breath and he turned to leave
 
Their COs booming voice filled the room. "Chase, go home. Stay home and off base for three days. Scott, my office. Now. "

He had heard about Scott's hangover and outburst and he wasn't going to ignore Scott's issues any longer.
 
Chase didn't even acknowledge his CO as he got in his truck and with a big smokey burnout left the base. "It's done" he texted Jane "I can let you have time if you want. I need to get drunk" he sent not knowing how to feel
 
"Don't drink alone." Jane texted back she laid in bed wondering what his reply would be.
 
"No?" He said unsure where she was going with this "who should I be drinking with?" He responded, trying to tease the answer out of her
 
"Come pick me up." She texted. "We will get toasted together."

She got up from bed and brushed her hair. She put on her shoes and waited for Chase to come get her.
 
Chase pulled up a few minutes later with a big smile on his face "I shouldn't be doing this at all but screw it, let's have some fun!" He said as she got in the truck "I've got a buddy who has a hunting cabin in the woods, got the booze and enough guns/ammo to invade a small country if you still want to learn to shoot" he said smiling over at her "nothing quite like blowing the hell out of something to relieve stress"
 
She slid in next to him.

"I think this is a perfect solution." Jane said with a smile. "Do we need to pick up some groceries?" She asked with a smirk.
 
"Just what type of groceries did you have in mind there hot pants?" He said looking over at her as he put the truck in drive and pulled out
 
She looked at him. "I thought we might want something besides booze and bullets."

"I thought i might cook dinner for you after I blow some beer bottles to smithereens."
 
"Well, I mean, that isn't the true SEAL experience but you know what, that sounds amazing" he said as he drove towards the nearest supermarket
 
"My last SEAL experience wasn't the best, so you will get the NICU nurse experience now."

Janie lead him through the grocery store and she got enough groceries for a couple days. She knew the cabin would have a simple kitchen. She chose all items she could fix in a cast iron skillet over a fire if she had to.

She got some coke to mix her whiskey with and paid for the groceries. She stowed the groceries in the bed of the truck and then slid in next to Chase.

"Alright, let's go."
 
"NICU experience?" Chase said as Jane got the groceries. "Should I expect an incubator and large bore IV's?" He said with a laugh "come to think of it I haven't had a good IV since that night I was shot in Anbar province" he said recalling a mission where the team was ambushed and he had sustained three gun shot wounds. It was touch and go if he'd make it after and Jane stayed by his parents side during the ordeal (his parents passed away a couple years after that)
 
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