Beautiful Lie [John 'Soap' Mactavish]

Twenty One [John's Birthday]

"Come in"

Alyssa answered after three knocks rang through her room, she laid on her bed playing a mind-numbing game on her phone to pass the time, she lowered the screen glancing over towards the door as Roach appeared, quickly glancing behind him as he hurried into the room closing the door quietly behind him.

"What have you done? You better not be hiding from Riley, I don't want him kicking my door in" Alyssa chuckled, locking her phone and sitting up slightly resting on her elbows watching the Sergeant, Roach chuckled lightly moving over to her bed sitting gently on the edge.

"No, no." he laughed lightly, he turned slightly towards her. Watching as her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"So, what's with the covert mission to get into my room?" she questioned leaning closer to him, Roach shook his head a small smile playing on his lips as he dropped his gaze to the floor before returning it.

"Soap was outside" the crease in Alyssa's brow deepened as she watched him with an expectant look to continue what he was saying.

"And? Its not uncommon for him to be around. He does work and live here you know?" she chuckled lightly. Roach rolled his eyes faking annoyance at the medic before playfully shoving her shoulder.

"You're annoying" he laughed; Alyssa smiled sweetly at the Sergeant.

"It's his birthday" Roach spoke matter of factly, Alyssa nodded already knowing it was the captain's birthday.

"Okay? And?" she questioned, Roach ran his fingers through his hair as he fell back onto her bed, he laid across her legs as she watched him.

"Every year he tells us not to make a big deal. BUT, we figured with everything that's happened recently, ya know him being injured and that, that we would throw him a surprise party in the rec room" Roach spoke staring at the ceiling, Alyssa nodded slightly.

It was true a lot had gone wrong for the team, The captain's injury, countless missions with little or no chance to relax in between, A party might just be what the team needed to help them kick back and blow of some steam.

"We just need you to get him to the rec room tonight... around 7?" He questioned turning his head to watch her, Alyssa thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. A wide smile crossed the sergeant's lips as he sat upright.

"Thank you! We've been planning this for weeks and it was the only part we couldn't figure out, last year he just avoided us all day so we couldn't even trick him into the rec room" Roach chuckled, Alyssa laughed knowing that sounded exactly like something the captain would do, she had learnt he was quite private, he didn't enjoy being the centre of attention and certainly didn't enjoy birthday parties centred around him. But Alyssa agreed with the Sergeants statement, after everything they all deserved this.

"If he gets mad, I'm blaming you entirely" she countered, Roach chuckled jumping to his feet nodding quickly.

"that's fine, just... don't dress to fancy, we don't want to spoil it" he chuckled moving towards the door, Alyssa mock saluted the Sergeant accepting his orders.

"Life saver. Figuratively and literally." Roach beamed as he quickly rushed from the room, no doubt to finish the last-minute arrangements for the party, Alyssa flopped back onto her bed a small sigh leaving her lips as she returned to the game on her phone.

"And you said it was the medic who got intel from Turgenev?" Shepherd questioned leaning back in his plush leather chair watching the captain.

Mactavish sat opposite him, shifting slightly as he lent forward slightly resting his elbows on his knees as he watched the general. Shepherd ran his hand over his face in thought, he glanced towards the napkin the captain had dropped onto his desk along with the report containing the captains accounts of the mission.