Shattered

Chapter 12

Carter

I watched Lee, she was so strong. Dealing with everything over the past few years and now, losing her Dad. A man that meant so much to so many. The three siblings seemed to work together seamlessly, like a unit. I guess in a way, they were. The funeral was in a few days, but tonight we were having a family dinner. Lee thought it would be good to do them at least once a week, on holidays, and whenever we needed them.  I liked the idea since I grew up without a family. Lee knew that I was in and out of foster homes and the Navy was the only family I knew until her. 

She came down the stairs in jeans and a nice pale blue top, holding Matt. He was babbling away and she was talking to him like they were having a full-blown conversation. "Hey there, sexy." I said as I wrapped my arms around the both of them. "Hey, little man." Matt's green eyes, like his mother's, locked on my face and he smiled. I took him and cuddled him to my chest as I pressed a kiss to Lee's lips. Just as I was going to deepen the kiss, the doorbell rang. She giggled and moved away to get the door as I groaned. Jackson strolled in with Penny and Cloe in tow. Lee covered Cloe's ears, "Hey there, cockblocker." She whispered to her brother and swung Cloe into her arms, hugging the giggling toddler. Penny laughed and Jackson grinned. 

"What can I say, Matt doesn't need a sibling too soon. But how about a new Aunt and older cousin?" Jackson grabbed Penny's hand and showed us the rock on her finger. I slapped him on the back, "Congratulations, Bro." Lee hugged Penny and then Jackson, clearly happy for her brother. Then, the doorbell rang again and in came Grant and a slightly shorter man with red hair and gray eyes. He was clearly military and slightly younger than Grant. "Everyone, this is Mitch, Mitch this is my baby sister, Lee and her husband, Carter with their baby Matt. This is my younger brother, Jackson and his girlfriend, Penny with her daughter Cloe." Lee looked at the man, he was staring at her leg, his eyes moved across every visible scar, then landed on her face. He moved towards her, slowly and she handed Cloe to Penny. 

He stopped right in front of her, "Cap? God, Cap!" He threw his arms around her and bawled like a baby. She soothed him, "Matthews, it's ok." When he pulled back he sighed. "I wanted to come see you, but I lost my nerve every time and then I met Grant.  I never put two and two together, but now I feel stupid. We have been seeing each other for a year. He told me all about you, but I just never put it together." She smiled, "Why was it so hard for you to see me? I tried to visit you, but you moved." He ran a hand over his face. "I thought you blamed me, I saw you laying there as they tortured you, and I didn't do a thing to stop it." Lee cut him off, fire in her eyes, "How would you have stopped it? Told them what they wanted to know? They would have killed us all and you know it. We lost two, that was bad enough. I couldn't have lost any more men. You did what we were trained to do, what was best for all of us and I don't blame you."

He slumped, "I do." She stood tall, straightened her shoulders and raised her chin. "Well, stop it, that's an order." He straightened and saluted her, "Yes, Sir!" We all laughed, "Well, come on, dinner's done." I told them all and we sat at the table eating and laughing about things they used to to do as kids and various stories about our military exploits. When dinner was over, Grant sighed, "We need to talk about the house. There is one house and three of us. What do we do with it?" Lee smiled, "I have a home here, so it's between you two." Jackson took a deep breath, "I think Grant should have it, you're the oldest and I have a home with Penny. All you have is that tiny shoebox you call an apartment." 

Grant playfully glared at his brother, "I like my apartment and It's just me, so it works." Lee piped in, "But it's not just you anymore, Matthews is going to be your hubby and then you all will have to adopt an ass ton of kids, therefore, you need the bigger house and we can't sell it, it has the course." Grant sighed and looked at Matthews who nodded, "She's right you know. It's not my place or decision, but you can't sell that place, after all the stories that you told me and that Cap told our team, that place kept us sane in Fallujah. Even though you can't run the course anymore, Lee, it's still a part of you, all of you." Lee snorted and laughed, followed by the rest of us. 

"Mitch, honey, Lee stomped Jackson and me on the course last week. Don't let that peg leg fool you, she is still a soldier." Grant said, patting Matthews on the shoulder. He whipped around to face Lee and grinned, "Same old Cap, huh?" She winked at him. The rest of the evening was easy and relaxed as we all talked and laughed and cried. 

It was the day of the funeral and the church was packed, a sea of uniforms filled the place. Lee, Grant, and Jackson stood at the podium, the boys in uniform and Lee in a knee-length black dress, not worried in the least about her leg. The priest said a few words, and someone behind me whispered to the man next to him, "Such a same, his daughter being a cripple and all, she was a hell of a soldier before." I whipped my head around to face the old man with white hair and crisp Army Greens. "She is a hell of a soldier, that leg doesn't hold her back and her Father was damned proud of everything she did." I snarled at him. He huffed, "And you are?" I grinned, "Her husband, Master Chief Petty Officer Carter Stevens, SEAL Team 8, retired."