To Hell and Back // Alex Keller.

Favor.

Patches of the bright blue sky were trying to peak through the heavy gray clouds. Sun was hiding somewhere up in the sky, leaving the people of the small town in the arms of the cold wind. Endless drops were falling from the sky, as the pouring rain arrived announced on the spring afternoon. Sunny morning was long forgotten by the people who were seeking shelter from the moody weather.

The tall walls of the office were coloured white, letting a few paintings add a bit of colour to the working routine. Peaceful silence stayed in the room, as Miller was left to the company of her own self. The slim fingers of a woman ran along the ring finger of her right hand in an old habit. Her fingertips were once running along the cold metal of the ring but were left to the emptiness now. Days flew by, seasons changed, and only the habits stayed the same. The gaze of her hazel eyes was drawn to the window, as the long day of work was slowly coming to its end. A notebook on the wooden desk held all the secrets and traumas of her clients but knew nothing about the woman. A loud ring of the phone cut the silence, as if it was never in the room and caught all the attention of the redhead.

"Look who remembered about my existence." A hint of a smile hid on the woman's lips, as the known name was written all over the screen of her phone. For a moment, Miller tried to remember the last time they'd spoken. A month ago? Maybe at her brother's wedding? Or even later?

"I'm glad to hear your voice as well, Kelly." John chuckled, letting his body rest on the soft surface of the small couch in the far corner of the office. The long hours were flying by, and the chances of catching the sleep that night were nearing to zero for the captain. But, there was the last task on his list to finish for the day.

"What can I do for you, Price?" If there was one thing a redhead learned throughout the years of her life, it would be the fact that John Price never calls without a reason. There was no point in asking him how things were going. The same old, and short 'everything's okay' response would follow every single question flying out of her lips.

Her elder brother spent the early years of his career side by side with Price. Rare special occasions of Liam's life were always spent in the close circle of his family, and the men who became the second family to him. From earlier days, Kelly knew she could always count on her brother. And after his death, John kept his eye on her, even if the redhead never knew about it.

"Are you still practicing?" On the other side of the world, Price tiredly rubbed his eyes, as if trying to bring the focus back to his head. The sleep deprivation and exhaustion were playing with the captain, stealing the focus and thinking right under his nose.

"You can say so." Kelly looked around her empty office. Some clients were telling her about the positive outcomes of the therapy, while others ran away. She wasn't successful, nor a failure. Miller fell somewhere in the middle, trying to find herself in the large world far away from home.

"I need you to do the best you can, dove." The morning was getting closer to falling onto Herefordshire with each tick of the old clock on the rough wall. The gaze of the deep blue eyes stayed on the window for a split moment, as the silence took over the woman's voice on the other side of the phone.

Alex was one of the best men in the CIA, and Price knew that the time when he would need the officer back would come faster than it seems. There was nothing else John Price knew in life except for the army. Years of service taught him never to leave his men alone. The captain has seen his friends fall lifeless on the same ground he would later run on, lose their limbs while doing the job, and scream at night in pain. The physical pain was never the worst part of the process, but demons hiding in the mind of a person were. There was little to nothing John could do to help with Keller's charges. They both knew that everything would get forgotten with time. While everyone forgets about Alex's existence, John has to make sure the officer won't lose the battle with his own thoughts.

"Run away to another country? Sure, just let me pack my bags." A hint of laughter echoed in the office, as Kelly finally left the warmth of the chair. Squicking noise filled the room for a moment, as the fragile wood of the floor caught the steps of a woman on it. The sky was clearing up, and daylight kissed her pale face as the redhead's figure walked closer to the large window.

"No. I need you to look out for one of my men." This time captain's voice was as serious as it was during the briefings before the missions. His rough hand ran through the shortly cut dark hair, as the phrase finally slipped off Price's lips.

"Let me remind you, John. My babysitting career ended 15 years ago." The confusion was written all over Miller's face, but through the thousands of miles, John Price could never see it. Her voice was as usual calm, not letting any emotions slip into the thin air. There were more questions in her head than answers. But Kelly knew, if Price did ask her about it – that was a damned serious matter.

"You still remember the tricks, eh?" A smile sat on the lips of the captain, as the voice of the man couldn't hide it any longer. The stubbornness of the military men could never lead them into the therapist's office. And if the mountain doesn't move towards Captain Price, he will move it himself.

On the other side of the line, Kelly was quiet. In the last year, life seemed to run way too fast even for her to keep up. In one moment home turned into an empty, old house with the absence of her brother. Liam wasn't coming back from another deployment, training, or a short trip. There was no point in keeping the lie alive when he was dead. With the disappearance of one card, the whole house of cards and the façade of a happy family fell down. There was nothing a redhead could find except for diving deep into work she loved more than her ex-fiance loved her. One hit of life after another pushed a woman to pack her whole life in two suitcases and move right across the border to the town where no one heard her name. Yet, from to time, a phone in her pocket would ring with reminders of the past. 

"You need some fresh air. New people around you." John sounded concerned for the first time in years. Burying body and mind into work was his way of dealing with things, but he would never offer it to anyone else. Somewhere far away the first rays of the sun were trying to colour the dark sky blue, as another day fell onto the base.

"So, now you're becoming my therapist?" The sunshine was playing with the firely red hair of a woman, as the shadows ran over her face. Fluffy clouds were floating along the sky, occasionally hiding the sun from the eyes of everyone else. Miller's last client was running late on almost an hour, making her think about leaving the office for the day.

"You're welcome, dove. Everything he says has to stay confidential." The time was running away from the captain. Voices and heavy steps were taking over the long corridors at the base, as the first alarms of the soldiers went off and stole the precious sleep away from them.

"Couldn't imagine it the other way, Price." The trap of the window let go of her hazel eyes and the clacking of the heels against the wooden floor filled the room. The curiousity planted its roots in Kelly's mind, with each new phrase of the captain that was reaching her ears. Different people sat in the chair of the office, but never were they from the same field as her brother. Maybe, some part of Miller's mind would never want to know what Liam nor Price dealt with because of their job.

"I knew I could count on you, Kelly." The voice of the captain faded away into the silence as fast as the phone call was over. The light of the lamp on his desk was taken over by the sunbeams, that were entering his office uninvited.

Another day just began for everyone at the base, but just ended for the captain. In the meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean, Alex Keller did not even know what the future could hold for him in store.

But nothing could make his situation worse, right? 

Happy Friday everyone, hope your week was good!  Keep your fingers crossed for me please (falling for my neighbor wasn't on my bingo card this year ah). Have a great weekend everyone! Loooooots of love