Unexpected beginnings

Nothing is normal

In the car ride home, Soap sits in the dead center to let you look out the window. He can tell that something is bothering you. Soap holds your hand the whole way back to the base. You don't say a word the whole time.
When you get back Price stops you,
"Y/n, I understand that what you went through was traumatic and I want you to know that we're here for you," he takes your hand and presses a business card in it, "take the next few days off to take care of yourself," Price gives you a comforting smile.
"Thanks," you don't return the smile, instead you trail off and start to your flat.

You walk back alone. As you are walking back you look at the card Price gave you. The card has a phone number on it and a description, 'PTSD Therapy'. You don't think you have PTSD, besides you couldn't go to a therapist even if you wanted to.

You get back to your flat and lock the door behind you. You start closing all of the shades then you start digging through a desk drawer. You pull out an inferred detector. You start searching your flat for cameras. When you find none you sit down at your computer.
How would he know your name? Or one of the reasons you left? You thought you had completely wiped your past. Your surprised that non of 141, specifically Ghost, had even recognized you when you joined. Of course it had been a few years, and you killed off your last identity...

You take the next few days off and spend them searching for someone, but you know that you most likely couldn't find them if you tried. They might even be dead for all you know.
Nothing can be normal for you because of them.

The day you come back is a training day. Today you have to actually show what you can do. You need to let them know that you know more and can do much more than you have been leading on. You need to do this out of survival, not the need to impress. Who cares if you get anxiety when you hold a gun, or when you fight, or have to kill someone. It's should be all in the past, but it feels like you are reliving a version of you that you had tried to kill once before.

"Y/n!" Soap shouts and runs up to you, leaving Gaz on the mat in the middle of a fight, "we've missed you!" He hugs you and lifts you off the ground.
"Come on now, Johnny. Put her down before you break her," Ghost says, you can tell that he's smiling underneath his mask, "y/n, good to have you back, you want a turn on the mat?"
"Um-sure, why not," you set your bag down and walk onto the mat, "who's up?"
"I'll go," Soap say's excited, but try's to shrug it off as if it was nothing.
"Are you sure?" You ask, "I'm not going to hold back,"
"Fine, lass, neither will I," Soap smiles confidently.

Soap charges first, attempting to grapple you. You use his momentum to take his large frame and flip it over you, he lands on his back with a large thud.
You pin down his arms and watch as Soap try's to catch his breath with his chest deeply rising and falling beneath you, "yield," he says breathlessly staring into your eyes as a blush spreads across his cheeks.
"I thought you said you weren't going to go easy on me?" You ask as you get off of him and help him to his feet.
"I didn't. Where did you learn to fight like that?" Soap asks as he makes his way off of the mat.
"Around," you say shrugging your shoulders.
"Y/n, how about I take you on?," Ghost says stepping onto the mat, "and I promise I won't go east on you like Johnny did,"
"You got it lieutenant," you smile and salute him as he prepares himself.

The start of the fight is just you two pushing back and forth and using the momentum of the other to try and get the high ground. This happens until Ghost squares himself back up to you. Instead of trying to take him down from the chest or waist, you go lower and trip him. Ghost falls to the ground on his stomach. You take this opportunity to straddle him from behind and pull both of his hands above his head while his face is in the mat.
"Yield?" You ask think that you've won.
"Not quite," Ghost pulls his wrists from your grasp, flips you off of him and swiftly pins you, "yield," he asks teasing you.
"Yield," you roll your eyes at him as he lets you up.
"You give a good fight for your size," Ghost says as you take his extended hand to pull yourself up.
"You should have seen me a few years ago when I was in better shape," you get back on your feet and walk off the mat.

Price and Gaz take the mat, leaving you Ghost and Soap on the side. You three walk off for a second to the water fountain to refill your waters.
As you stand there, you look to Soap and ask, "so how about that date?"
"You sure you wanna ask that right after you beat me, lass?" Soap shoots back after filling his water.
"Of course," you get closer to him, "when else would I ask you?"
Ghost steps up to you two, "no flirting during training," he has his arms crossed acting like he means business.
You shift your attention to Ghost. You get close to him and glacé one of your hands on his forearm too make him open himself up to you, "is that right, sir?" You press your body to his.
Ghost looks down at you with unwavering eye contact, "Price! I'm taking y/n to the shooting range!" He shouts across the gym to Price.
You give him a confused look as he starts to pull you in close and wraps his arms around you, then suddenly scoops you up and throws you over his shoulder. You now have no choice but to go with him.

You look at Soap following you and Ghost to the shooting range and think to yourself, 'this could really good , or really bad,' you start to speak up to Ghost, "why did you have to throw me over your shoulder? You know I can walk by myself,"
"Well love, you're bein' a brat, and I've proved to you that I can change that," Ghost says back smoothly.
You look to Soap, "help me down,"
Soap keeps walking, "sorry lass, can't help you with this one," he shrugs.
"Good boy," Ghost says rewarding Soaps decision. You see a slight blush creep over Soap's face.

You all make it to the shooting range and Ghost puts you down, "Soap, I want you to teach her how to be a sniper,"
"You got it, LT," Soap goes to grab a sniper rifle, but you stop him.
"I think I can do this myself," you take the gun from him and set it up. You get into position and take two shots.

Both perfect bullseyes.