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brUTUS

B rutus waited inside the echoing hangar. The cavernous space smelled of jet fuel and anticipation. "I appreciate you arranging this, Major," Brutus said, his gaze fixed on the empty tarmac. "I know I'm bending the rules."

Kota's reply was understanding. "Let's just say the battalion owes Castellanos a solid. And this return isn't exactly standard operating procedure, son."

Brutus ran a hand through his hair, glancing at the dust motes dancing in the shafts of sunlight that pierced the high windows.

"I've been glued to news sites, trying to figure out where they've been," Brutus admitted, running a hand through his hair.

Chris Morgan, in his camouflage uniform, offered a reassuring smile. "They don't tell me much either, Brutus. Just have faith in them."

Brutus hesitated. "I'm not much of a praying man, Chris. But I've been asking... hoping... that Linda doesn't have to be in danger anymore. That she doesn't have to spill any more blood."

Morgan nodded. "If she wants to stay in the infantry, that's the life she chose."

"I can still wish that Linda stays safe." Kota nodded thoughtfully. "There's a cadence... 'I'm not the fighter, I'm the fightin' man's son. But I'll do the fightin' until the fightin' man comes.' That's what we are, Brutus. Continuing a tradition. Even if we don't enjoy it."

"So why do it?" Brutus asked.

Kota's gaze softened. "So that my wife, my daughters, and people I don't even know, might not have to go through what I've been through.

It might be temporary, the peace and security I provide might evaporate tomorrow.

But it's not going anywhere today. Not as long as the 3/3 has anything to say about it. "

Brutus considered that, the weight of Kota's words settling heavily in the space between them.

The roar of jet engines cut through his thoughts. He rushed to the edge of the hangar, searching the sky. "I can't see them."

Kota's voice was calm. "They'll circle once."

Soon, the planes appeared, lumbering giants descending onto the runway. The engines whined down, ramps lowered, and the troops emerged, all in uniform. Brutus scanned the crowd, his heart pounding, searching for one face.

Then he saw her.

Chris Morgan pointed to the third aircraft. Brutus looked, his heart bursting in his chest as he saw Linda shake out her hair, the long, black tresses flowing down her shoulders before she pulled it back into a ponytail to tuck inside her uniform top.

"Go on, man. It's okay."

"Linda!" Brutus called, running onto the tarmac.

Linda stopped, shocked before dropping her bag and running to him. He caught her, swinging her around in the air before kissing her.

He could hear a couple of whistles, and a few good natured cat calls from some of the troops passing them.

"You don't kiss me that way when I come back, Brutal!" Takeshi Satomura joked as he walked by. "Not cool, bro!"

There was more laughter, but Brutus didn't care. He had Linda in his arms again, and that was all that mattered at the moment. "I missed you."

Linda hummed happily, not letting go of him. "I can see that."

"Having you practically torn out of my arms isn't a good feeling," Brutus said. "I'm sorry if I sound unenlightened, but?—"

"I'm pregnant," she said softly, not knowing the type of response that she was going to get. "I wasn't sure, so when we stopped in Japan to refuel and swap out air crews, I took another test. They confirmed it for me."

"You're pregnant."

Linda nodded worriedly. "I know we didn't plan it, and I swear that I was taking my birth control pills, but they don't always work and …”

It was Brutus's turn to cut off Linda as he reached out, pulling her in for another deep kiss.

Lifting her up, he held her close, tears of joy trickling from his eyes and soaking into her uniform collar.

He held her until he was certain she wasn't a figment of his imagination, that she was real, and she was his.

"Congratulations," Lieutenant Parker said as he approached. Brutus set Linda down and laughed, shaking Parker's hand. "I'm sure you want to go celebrate your good news, but we've got to get back to the company area and check in some gear, do a final formation before I can release her to you."

"Can I help?" Brutus asked. "I know I'm just a civilian, but there's something I can do, right?"

"Sorry, but not this time," Parker said. "But if you wait back at the company area, I promise that as soon as we can, we're going to release everyone and you'll be able to take Castellanos home."

Linda cupped Brutus's face, kissing him sweetly. "Don't worry. I'm safe, I'm healthy, and it's just unloading equipment. These idiots won't even let me carry my own body armor right now. I love you, and I'll see you in a few hours."

Brutus nodded, but insisted on carrying Linda's bag to the waiting van. After it pulled away, he turned to see Chris Morgan standing there, smiling gently.

"You knew. You and Major Kota knew."

"Linda told her platoon leader and the XO, and they were duty bound to tell Major Kirk. Of course it worked its way up the chain," Morgan said amiably. "Why do you think Major Kota suggested you come here to the airfield?"

"Huh," Brutus admitted, chuckling. "Pretty devious for a man of the cloth."

Morgan shrugged. "Just taking after my boss. After all... if you look at it one way, your prayer was answered. Linda's not going to be in harm's way any longer."

Brutus stopped, blinking. "Huh... how about that?" He started walking towards his truck, Morgan keeping up with him. "You do Sunday services, Padre?"

"Sorry, not personally," Morgan said. "There isn't a big enough active element on Fort Pickett to call for it. But if you're interested, we can talk sometime. Give me a call."

"I just might."

* * *

T he house was quiet as he carried her inside, his arms not straining at all as he held her close.

"Welcome home."

Linda smiled, holding him close. "It's good to be home. And this feels familiar."

Brutus paused in the living room, humming. "True. Just about a week ago, I was getting ready to carry you to the bedroom and cuddle you to sleep. Now, I'm getting ready to take you to the bedroom again."

"For cuddles?" Linda asked playfully, running her fingers through Brutus's hair. "You're growing it out some. I like it."

She was light as a feather in his arms as he entered the bedroom before setting her down on her feet, taking her hands.

"I love you, Linda Castellanos. That you're going to have my child is a gift beyond measure. That I have you in my life is even more of a gift."

Slowly he unzipped her uniform top, smoothing it off her shoulders before letting it fall to the ground.

He was never tired of watching her body reveal itself as the shapeless, functional Army uniform dropped to the floor.

The way the curve of her breasts became something more than a blob of camo, the way her hips went from nonexistent to flared outward, it was no wonder why he was rock hard in his pants even before he'd slipped her boots off and pulled off her socks to reveal her dainty little toes.

"Brutus, you're not... ohhhh," Linda moaned as he kissed her foot.

He didn't know what it was about the nerves in the foot that was so erotic to Linda, but he didn't care either. All he knew was that as he kissed her big and second toe, she was already almost panting.

"Yes I am, Linda." He laid her foot down on the bed before stripping off his t-shirt and pushing his pants off. "I'm going to do everything you like, and do it again, and again, until you're mine forever."

"And what if I already am?" she asked.

Brutus smiled.

"Then I get to do it again... forever."

Climbing into the bed, he kissed her, their mouths merging as seamlessly as their souls. It was a soulful kiss, with Brutus pouring his heart into it. Linda returned it just as deeply, and as he broke the seal to kiss down her neck, he could feel his heart bursting inside him.

"Mine," he whispered as he pulled her shirt off and helped her take off her bra, freeing her breast. "Mine."

"Yours," Linda assured him, gasping sharply as he sucked on a nipple. Her hands pulled him in deeper, and together they lifted her hips and pushed her pants off, leaving them skin to skin in the big bed.

"I want you everywhere." Brutus' hands explored her skin.

She was all curves and smooth lines, the utter epitome of beauty in his eyes, and knowing that the life growing inside her was there because of him left him breathless.

He could explore her skin for days without growing bored, and as he ran his fingers down the sides of her thighs she smiled, parting her legs for him.

Where she was even more beautiful, her skin slightly dusky yet silky soft, inviting his fingers. He stroked her, gathering her honey on his fingertips before licking them clean, smiling at the flavor. Linda hummed.

"You like?"

"I could go down on you every day," Brutus admitted, kissing her lips as he returned his hand to her wet folds, pushing inside her and pumping them slowly. "I could give you orgasms every day. I could have you every day."

"I will love you... every day," Linda promised him in between strokes of his fingers, whimpering as he found the spots that he'd come to know and love so well.

He knew her body like he knew his own, better than he knew football, better than he knew anything in the entire world.

He brought her to the cusp of coming once, then twice, and finally on the third time Linda could take no more. Pushing him back, she rolled on top of him, swinging a leg over and immediately spearing herself upon him.

"Fuck yes!" she growled, planting her hands on his chest. "Just remember baby, I might be pregnant... but I sure as fuck ain't fragile. And if you doubt me, I might just ride you off."

Brutus grinned, reaching back and smacking Linda's ass playfully. She yelped, grinning as she started to rise and fall on his manhood, squeezing herself around him with every stroke.

She was right, he knew. He'd said again and again that she was a warrior, that she was badass, but he almost never treated her like that in bed. He was always gentle, tender... but as he grabbed her hip and rolled her over, he knew what his love wanted.

"Not if I blow your back out first," he growled, driving his hips hard into her. Linda yelped, crying out in pleasure as his hips slammed into her, his balls bouncing off her upturned hips.

Again and again he thrust, hard and savage, both of them loving the sensation. He never knew it could be this way, this overwhelming. Never had he had a lover who could take his unrestrained power.

But Linda could, and could give it back just as well, encouraging him and drawing more out of him. Her climaxes hit hard and fast but she didn't give into them, instead using her orgasmic flutterings to clench and squeeze him.

Sweat glistened on their bodies, and she was grinning at him with a feral, unrestrained joy in her face that was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He could almost feel her throb as he ground against her, her walls squeezing him again and again, drawing her into him.

"Linda, I…” he gasped, and she clawed the back of his neck, pulling him down for a wild kiss as Brutus, with one final stroke, released inside her.

A week's worth of passion and seed flooded from him and into her, both of them moaning incoherently as the biggest orgasm yet swept through her.

He could feel her flutter, and finally sag to the mattress, utterly spent.

Brutus maintained his hold on her, rolling to the side carefully to keep her from being crushed as he stroked her hair, kissing her forehead.

"I didn't know."

Linda chuckled, and stroked her fingers down his back. "I know. It's not like I was disappointed before. It's always been the most amazing sex of my life. But now you know."

"Anything else you want me to know?"

Linda chuckled, and kissed his chin. "Yeah. But we've got time to learn and explore. That's what's great about a lifelong relationship. We've got time to learn... and time to cuddle."

She yawned, and Brutus looked down into her now sleepy eyes.

"Didn't sleep much on the plane, did you?"

"C-17's are better than C-130's... but yeah," she admitted. "Never do."

"Then sleep now, my love." Brutus kissed her forehead. "You're forever safe in my arms."

Linda nodded, and within seconds, was snoring lightly. It brought out the tears in Brutus's eyes again, because he knew she believed him. She would always, forever, be safe in his arms.

He closed his eyes, smiling at the thought.