Just a Ghost

8

Six months. Six very long months Brylie lived her life in Norway. Six very long months Simon Riley had been gone, and had just recently rejoined the Task Force. Captain Price was happy to see his lieutenant back, but there was a story to be told in his eyes. A story of betrayal, heartbreak, and regret.

McTavish leaned on the doorframe of Simon's dorm. All the pictures of Brylie sprawled out on his bed as he stared at them. His friend slowly looked up, staring back at McTavish. For the first time his mask had been off, and his eyes were puffy like he had spent most of the previous night crying. It broke Soap's heart, it reminded him of Brylie's broken soul before she boarded the plane to Norway. Everyday he checked in on her, just to make sure she hadn't ended it. Everyone was worried about her, when they should have been worried about Simon in his moment of vulnerability.

"I can tell you where she's at."

"I already know."

"How?"

"I know her."

His voice was defeated. Broken. Lost. Sad. It was finally catching up to him, all those feelings he ignored were washing over him like a wave. A wave he couldn't brace himself against.

"Then what are you waiting for? You know exactly where she is and here you sit!" McTavish sighed, and looked at his friend dead in the eyes. "You know she was only trying to protect you, Simon. She loves you more than anything in the world. She didn't want to hurt you."

Simon half nodded, looking down at the photos. Some of them together, most of just her. One picture was of her from his perspective as he sat on top of her legs, looking at her laugh. Another was of them together, her sitting on her bed when he just so happened to turn around, with a smile on his face. Another one that caught his attention the most was the same picture she had in the breast pocket of her tactical jacket. The one where they looked at each other, him with his mask on and her staring right back into his eyes. Like she wasn't afraid. McTavish smiled looking at the picture now in Simon's hand.

"She's waiting for you, Simon."

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"Johnny." McTavish was violently pulled to the side. Simon looked him dead in the eyes with his mask on and his gear. "Don't tell anyone where I'm going. I just needed you to know I would be gone."

"Where are you going?"

"I think you know, Johnny. He watched him pull out his phone in a mocking manner. "Don't you tell her I'm coming either. I need to....I need to know something."

"Goodluck LT." Simon nodded and walked off towards the hangar. Sixteen hours and he'd tell her everything. Sixteen hours and she'd let it all out, her thinking and everything.

Simon felt nervous, he didn't know why he didn't feel mad at her. He knew he should have been but he couldn't. He didn't care that she hurt him, he still wanted her. Most of all he knew she didn't want to hurt him, but in the end sometimes we have to hurt the ones we love in order to protect them. He taught her that.

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Brylie sat on the couch wrapped up in a blanket staring at the TV playing. She wasn't focused on what was going on, rather lost in her own thoughts. She kept tabs with McTavish, and still had a picture of her and Simon together up on the wall. Her home was bare, it had been since she moved in six months prior.

An aggressive knock on her door brought her back into reality so she shrugged off the blanket and walked towards the door. She opened it and gasped. Simon stood there with his bag by his feet and his mask on his face.