Returned..... Different

Unable

Miranda's pov

I hate to be back here. I can feel the fear creeping up into me like the hands of death himself. I shake off the disturbed feeling and Jason looks at me funny. "You alright?" I shakily nod. "No you're not. What's wrong?" " I just... Being back here twists me up inside. I feel like I'm gonna throw up." "Do you want me to drive. You can give me directions to this place." I shake my head. "Dammit, I can do things here! I know how to drive a damn Humvee, okay?!" Ugh. He's so frustrated. "I know Jason. Stop getting pissed it's only stressing me out more." I take a deep breath and brake. "Ok but keep a close eye out for anything that looks like a bump in the road. It could be a buried mine." He nods and we change seats. "I'm sorry I got mad. Yellin' like that ain't good." He says. "It's okay, Jason." He smiles and holds my hand. I see the camp in the distance. I point it out to him and we drive that way. I smile and close my eyes, hoping to get a little peace before all hell breaks loose. "Hey babe, I think we're almost-" I feel the Humvee hit a bump making me freeze. My eyes going wide. His do too. "W-Was that..." He gapes, staring at me. I shakily turn around and what I see makes me sick. "Not a mine. Drive." I say, shakily. "What was-" "Just drive!" I yelp, covering my eyes. He picks up speed. "What did I hit?" "A d-dead body." I mumble, shakily. His eyes go wide. "Oh God I think I'm gonna be sick." He mumbles, a hand to his stomach. Then suddenly the Humvee explodes! It was planted! A mine planted on that damned body!!! There's smoke everywhere. I can't see anything. "Jason!!! Where are you?!" I scream, terrified. I hear coughing. The dust clears. Jason shakily stands up, holding his arm and coughing. Blood dripping down his arm, making me think of all the horrifying times I watched him die. "J-Jason!" I choke out shaking. He looks at me. "I-It's okay honey. I'm okay." He says. But it's too late. I've already spiraled into an episode.

Jason's pov

Crap she's not moving! I run over and rest my hands on her shoulders. "Baby come back to me. I'm okay. We're alive. We're both alive and well." I gasp, terrified. She mumbles something I can't understand. "Baby? What was that?" She pulls free. "Go home! Go home where I know you're okay!" She yells. What the?! I run over and hold her tight. "It's okay. We're okay." I whisper. A few minutes later she calms down. "Jason, I want to go home. I wanna go home so badly." She whispers, crying against my shirt. I hold her tightly in my arms. "We will baby. We're going home right now." I walk her back to the first camp we were at and find Tyler. "She can't keep serving. Her PTSD is too severe." He sighs. "She was our best soldier. It's sad to see what war has done to such a brave strong girl." He snaps his fingers trying to get her attention but that just freaks her out more. She probably thinks it's gunshots. "Miranda it's me Tyler." "I wanna go home." She whispers. "You are, soldier. You're relieved of duty." He says, sending relief through me. I smile. "Ya hear that baby girl? We're going home!" "H-Home? W-We are?" She asks, looking up at me. I nod and kiss her gently, her hand landing on the back of my neck. "Take me home." She whispers. "I am baby. I am."

*a few hours later*

I lay beside her, sweaty and breathing heavily. She smiles and closes her eyes. Song of the south plays in the background. "It's good to be home." She whispers. I look over at her. "You're never going back there again." I say, sitting up. She opens her eyes. "Jason, I uh I just wanna say when I'm with you, I'm so much more calm." I'm not sure what to say to that.

Miranda's pov

I drift off to sleep in Jason's arms.

*in her dream* (technically a flashback)

It was high school. The day I first met Jason. He was with Luke. I walked over. "Hey Luke, who's your friend?" I ask, blushing. Luke ruffles my hair. I glare at him. "Jason, this is my sister Miranda." Jason. I love that name. We shake hands. "As long as you don't go Friday the thirteenth on me." I joke. Both boys laugh. Someone off his baseball team calls Luke so he goes over there. "So I finally get to meet the baby sister of my best friend. He goes on and on about you." Jason says, his hands on his hips. My face gets red. "He does?" I ask embarrassed. He laughs. "Nothing bad darlin'. He loves havin' a little sister." I glance at my big brother. Jason's hand slips around my waist, making me jump. "What on earth are you doing?" I gasp, turning around. "Nothin'." He says, pulling back. I didn't like him then. I thought he was a little weird. That sure changed.

*she wakes up*

I look at Jason who's asleep too. I smile and cuddle closer. A song comes to mind by the Zac Brown Band. He sang it to me the day we fell in love.

~flashback~

I was at a party and overheard Luke and Jay talking. I started having feelings for him a while ago but I didn't know how he felt. "Luke, I promise give me one chance. I won't hurt your sister. You can trust me, man. We've been friends forever." My heart is pounding out of my chest. I press myself against the wall to listen. "I don't know, Jason. She's my little sister. She means the world to me. I don't want her getting hurt." "I'm not gonna hurt her. The day I met her I knew she was gonna be someone I had to fight for and I'll fight tooth and nail, man I mean it. I was fallin' in love as she was walkin' away." Luke bites his lip. "Ok. You have permission to date my sister. But only because you're my best friend and I trust you. Don't make me regret that." "You won't man thanks!" He hugs my brother and I run back to the party so he doesn't know I was listening. Wow. He likes me too. No wait. He said he loved me. Someone taps my shoulder. I turn around and my eyes go wide, seeing the now out of breath cowboy. "I um, can I play a song for you." I shakily nod and he takes my hand. "I felt this way four months ago as you walked to class." He grabs his guitar. "We never spoke a word but every thought she had I heard from across the room we were standing face to face I couldn't find the words to say gimme one more move!" My hands are shaking and holding tight to my necklace. Luke puts my ballcap on my head. "Now I'm fallin' in love as she's walkin' away and my heart won't tell my mind to tell mouth what it should say, I may have lost this battle live to fight another day cause I'm fallin' in love.... As she's walkin' away!" Tears come to my eyes. He jumps offstage. "You might fall down on your face. Roll the dice and have some faith. But don't be fallin' fallin' fallin' in love..... As she's walkin' away!" He sets down the guitar standing right in front of me, super close. He holds my hands. "Roll the dice and have some faith." "J-Jason-" "I fell hard on my face the day I met you. Can I take you out to dinner this weekend?" I glance at Luke shocked. He smiles, his arms crossed over his chest. I smile too. "Sure. Why not?"

~flashback over~

I smile. "Best choice I ever made." I whisper, kissing his head.