Page 40

LINDA

"I t's going to suck to lose you," Hollywood said when she came out of the company offices.

The entire squad was there, and she could see that some of them were almost emotional about it.

"I keep this up, and people are going to start thinking I'm bad luck."

"Well, you are going to be on your third team leader in less than a year," Linda replied, smiling. "Then again, anyone who's looking for their soulmate might want to be in a fire team with you. You're good luck in that regard."

"Huh, we hadn't thought of that." Sergeant Orkin jabbed Hollywood in the shoulder. "What do you say there, Specialist as of next month Goodman? Want to be called Lucky instead of Hollywood?"

"Can we just call me by my name instead?" Goodman offered, getting laughs all around.

"So what happened?" Derrick Jackson asked her. "Are you leaving us permanently?"

"Yes and no." Linda got confused looks all around. "It seems that Colonel Remsburg happens to like my work. So at least for my pregnancy, I'm being transferred to Battalion Headquarters. I'm going to be working for Master Sergeant Austin in the intelligence office."

"Ooooh, Mata Hari!" Satomura teased. "Just try not to get yourself compromised with an enemy agent, Sarge."

"I wish it were that exciting," Linda admitted with a small smile.

"Ninety percent of the job is paperwork.

I'm more worried about my mind going dull than any explosion.

Apparently Major Elfman just gets most of the intel he feeds us straight from the Pentagon.

We're not exactly analyzing stuff up there. "

"Pssh, knowing you, you'll be running the place by Christmas," Orkin joked. "Rank or no rank. If we don't hear about you causing an international incident by Thanksgiving, I'm going to be disappointed in you."

Linda laughed softly. "Well, who knows. Major Kirk also said I'll probably get promoted to Staff Sergeant while I'm pregnant, and that it might be a good time for me to consider leaving active duty."

"No way!" Simon Dawkins exclaimed, legitimately upset. "Just because you're becoming a mom? Big fuckin...”

"Actually Simon, I think it might be a good time for me to rotate out too," Linda admitted. "And that wasn't why. I've been with this battalion since I was a low-ranking soldier. I became a Sergeant here, and I've been leading this team for a long time. I think I'm ready for a change."

"You sure, Sarge?" Satomura asked.

Linda nodded.

"Yabai. Fuck."

"I know. But on that last mission, I know it might have been just the hormones.

Shit, pregnancy is already messing with my head, and I can't seem to stop wanting cheese since getting back Stateside," Linda said with a soft laugh.

"But in that village... I think I reached my limit.

It's not saying I'm done forever, but I can definitely go a few years without smelling gunpowder or kicking in doors. "

"Hey, I totally get it," Orkin said. "Besides, you'll be doing something even harder than riding herd on a fire team. You'll be a mom. That's… whoo, if you've got any chips to call in with upstairs, just pray they're nothing like I was as a kid."

"I just hope she's nothing like me," Linda joked, getting more laughs. "Truth is though, I feel good about maybe rotating out after giving birth or whatever. I've proven myself to myself."

"You proved yourself to us too," Hollywood said. "I know Sergeant Adams started me on my path, but you definitely taught me a lot."

"Yeah well, you guys do me a favor," Linda said.

"We all know why we're here. I won't be out there on the front lines, not for a while at least. Don't forget why you do it, and don't forget that there's other Lindas and Takeshis and Logans and Simons and yes, even some little Derricks out there that you might be able to help. Keep your eyes out for them."

"Never forget, Sarge." Jackson cleared his throat. "And you don't forget who's going to be keeping you and Superstar safe at night, you feel me?"

"Always will," she promised him. "Even when I'm just pushing paper."

Hollywood laughed. "Paper airplane fights are coming soon to an intelligence office near you! But what about the long term, Sarge? The way you're talking, not coming back down here is one thing, but what about the Army as a whole?"

Linda shrugged, looking into the slightly overcast sky. "Who knows? Remember, I'm technically a single, pregnant woman right now. Now don't you idiots go running off saying you've got tea to spill, but those are facts."

"Yeah, for now," Jackson quipped. "We all saw that man. He might be the linebacker, but you're the one who tackled him. And you're not letting go."

"That might be, but we all know I'm not going to be some football WAG either," Linda said. Clearing her throat before her emotions got the better of her, she asked, "Say, don't you doofuses have work to do?"

"She's right." Orkin checked his watch. "Sergeant Lincoln's going to have our ass for lunch if we don't get those containers re-packed. Besides, you're still going to get a formal goodbye, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be there for end of day formation," Linda assured them.

"Major Kirk said he's going to give me the full farewell, so he's probably going to pin an ARCOM(? * ) to my chest. Another bit of fruit salad for my dress uniform mostly.

In the meantime today, I get to move my gear into the HQ barracks. "

"Fun." Satomura gave her a nod. "You deserve a damn medal of honor. Take care of yourself, Sarge."

The squad left, and Linda watched them go before going back inside the barracks.

She'd already cleaned so much out, having moved half her uniforms and clothes into Brutus's rented house.

But she still had other things to pack up, and without a truck she was going to have to walk everything up to the new barracks.

Starting with her civilian clothes, she started folding and putting them into her duffel bag, figuring she could always dump the bag out in her new room before getting the rest. She was about halfway done when there was a knock on her door, but she didn't look up.

"Crews, if it's about clearing the room, tell the XO that I'll…”

"Use my truck?"

Linda looked up, seeing Jess Adams standing in the doorway, her compact frame and muscular back making it look almost like it was closed with a pass through window open. "What brings you by?"

"My team's doing fine on the op cleanup, so I checked with Nichols, he said I could cut out for a bit," Jess said. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," Linda replied, plucking a blouse off a hanger in her closet and looking at it. "No way am I wearing this in a couple of months."

"Why?" Jess asked, coming over. "I bet it'd look cute on you."

"Mothers don't wear blouses with this much cleavage showing, do they?" Linda asked, and Jess smirked. "Never mind, you might have a MILF fetish."

"Nah, I still like them nubile and teachable," Jess admitted. "But keep it. I bet Brutus is going to drink you in like a cup of water when you wear it for him. How often do you dress up for him, anyway?"

"Not as often as I'd like," she admitted, folding the blouse and putting it in her bag. "Especially in the past six weeks. He doesn't seem to mind me in ACUs though."

"Then again, he met you in ACUs too," Jess pointed out, taking out a shirt and folding it for her and stowing it in the bag. "I'm going to miss you."

"Whoa, what's this?" Linda joked, looking askance at Jess. "I thought Muscle Mommy didn't have time for soft feelings, at least during duty hours."

"Yeah well, around the guys I don't," Jess joked back. "But you were the only other female enlisted in the company. The only female NCO in the battalion."

"I'll be in the intelligence office, you can stop by anytime you want."

Jess laughed, shaking her head. "I'm a line sergeant, a team leader. I don't go to battalion HQ unless I'm under orders. There be monsters there, abandon all hope, ye who enter here and all that shit."

They both laughed, and Linda understood. "I'll miss you too. You always kept it real with me, and never hit on me. Better than some of the other NCOs in this battalion."

"If you want to, I still can," Jess teased her. "Trust me chica, I can teach you some shit that Brutus's never even thought of."

Linda laughed, and lifted an eyebrow. "Who says I don't already know those things? Maybe you only know what I want you to know about me."

Jess leaned back, and laughed. "And that's what I will so miss about you. I don't think I'll be able to relax like that with another female enlisted, even if they do bring one in. And Lieutenant Starr, I mean… bars and all that."

"Definitely a big no there," Linda said. "Well, this bag's full… want to help me with the TV? That's the biggest thing that I've got in here that I didn't steal from someone else that was leaving."

Jess nodded in understanding. While the military allowed troops to purchase items for their barracks room, it was often deemed too much of a hassle for them to take those items with them when they left for another unit, or another base.

"I'm sure the boys will appreciate it," Jess said, going over and unplugging the TV, carrying it in her arms, the two left the barracks and to her truck, where they set the items down. "So are you going to take a bit of time off?"

"Nah, although I did put in for the weekend prior to Brutus's training camp starting," Linda said. "I'm just glad that now that I'm at HQ, and not deployable, I can actually be at his games."

"Sounds like a plan. Look, I have something really important to ask you," Jess said seriously. "If we get another deployment like what just happened, and shit does go bad… take care of Sabby for me? At least, make sure she knows that she saved me?"

Linda stopped, seeing the emotions in Jess's eyes. Reaching out, she hugged the muscular woman, patting her on the back.

"First off, you're going to live longer and be a better soldier than I ever will," she said. "You're five feet tall and bulletproof."

"Five foot six, thank you very much."

Linda hugged Jess harder. "Second, you tell her how much she means to you now. Third… yeah, I will. I promise. If something happens to you and Hollywood, I'll be there for Sabby."

They climbed into Jess's truck, and as she sat down her phone buzzed. Linda pulled it out, smiling at what she saw. Jess noticed. "Brutus?"

"Yeah, just checking on me. Says he'll see me after work." Linda typed back a simple message. "Okay."

"What did you tell him?"

"I love you. It's all I really need to say."

* ? ArmyCommendation Medal