Shepard of Fire (COD BO2 Fanfic)

Liquor

Chapter 6.

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Date - May 20th 2021.

Holly's POV:

I didn't understand any of this. It was nearly a month after group 935 came here. The doctor and Tessa were very close, while Tank and I stayed chemical often. He was romantic, funny, but so very stubborn. He and Richtofen fought often. And because Tessa and I worked, we came home to chaos all the time. Tessa got off from work early, while I got stuck in the office working overtime. I had built up my own Pyscology business, running a self-employed office as a young therapist, alongside my few co-workers. Tessa called me to tell me all was well at the house, and I began my nightly walk home. News reports of a local gang called the ISMA had been floating around. Their involvement with drugs and crimes had increased in the past few days, engulfing their lives with the charges of overdose, rape, and murder. Police had arrested many, but more still flooded the streets in hiding. Their barbaric scurries pierced the inky streets. It scared me, yet made me thankful for the Glock that was clipped to my ankle. I always had at least one weapon on my person, whether it be my red K-Bar, or even my father's pistol. I hated the city, and only moved here for the career opportunities. After I returned from my six month deployment in Korea, I skyrocketed through my courses to become a Psychologist. I was a retired Marine, even at my young age. I had always excelled in my classes, and straight after high school, I enlisted. Yes, I could take care of myself. But I still didn't feel safe. My thoughts halted as I reached the driveway that lead up to the concrete steps of my porch. My heels clicked as I plodded up the steps, and entered the house. Noise slaughtered the once silent air, erupting into drunken slurs and arguments in foreign languages. Tessa was leaned against the wall, chuckling at the chaos that was unfolding. Her eyes caught my presence, and he sent me an innocent smile. I rolled my eyes, walking towards the couch as Nikolai and Takeo held back Tank and Richtofen, ceasing any physical fights. I threw my purse onto the couch, clear my throat, and retrieved the Glock from it's holster. I slammed my right heel down, a loud bang echoing through the house. All went silent as eye caught me. I raised the Glock, cocking it slowly. "One more word, whether it be in Russian, German, English, Japanese, or Indian, and I'll pump you full of so much lead you shit caps for a month!" I yelled. Mouths seemed to seal shut after that, except for Tessa's muffled giggle. I rubbed the bridge of my nose, my head beginning to throb. I plopped on the couch, throwing the Glock on the table. Tessa came over, stripping the clip from the gun, and slipping it into her pocket. "Rough day?" She asked, petting my head. I nodded, leaning into her hand. all was silent for a while, the men still standing in their places. That was shattered as the front door swung open, birthing a very excited Kelsie. She squealed, tackling me to the couch cushions. "Happy Birthday, Marine!!" She yelled, squeezing me until I croaked. Tessa laughed, retrieving something from the drawer of the coffee table. "Nice timing, I was itching to give her this." She said, handing me a small box wrapped in emerald green paper. "It's your birthday?" Tank asked, cocking a brow. I nodded, blushing a little. "And vhat does zhis frau mean by 'Marine'?" Richtofen asked. Tessa explained my ranks to them as I unwrapped the box, slipping the lid off. Inside were a pair of dog tags, clipped to a long chain. My eyes widened as I picked them up, running the chain through my fingers. "Aren't these..." Kelsie nodded, giggling. "We found them in the basement, must have fallen down while you were doing laundry. They were pretty dirty, so we had them restored and polished, just for you!" She smiled. I felt tears pool in my eyes as I felt the cool chrome of the engraved plates. I had lost them over a year ago, and had torn the house apart looking for them. I stood up, wrapping my arms around Tessa's waist, burying my face into her neck. "T-thank you..." I whispered, my voice cracking with sobs. Kelsie wrapped her arms around us, squeezing us tight. I then felt a large pair of arms pull me into a tall body, reeking of liquor. "Nikolai is happy the little gurl found her precious things." Nikolai laugh, hugging me tight. I giggled, hugging him back. "I do not understand how those things are so honorable." Tak scoffed. He actually frikkin scoffed. "Dude, tags to a Marine are like Vodka to Nikolai. Or a katana to you, or pride to Richtofen. Their everything." I laughed, feeling Nikolai pull me onto his shoulders. "Hey, that has to be the first time I've seen Holly taller than someone." I shot towards the voice, but bounced in excitement as my eyes caught a bottle of Butterscotch Schnapps and Birthday Cake UV in Tessa's hands. Kelsie sighed, she didn't really like alcohol. I rolled off of a surprised Nikolai, and ran for the liquor. Tessa made me take the UV first. As I wrapped my fingers around it, I noticed the cork had a string of twine attached to it. I untaped the twine, and, as the directions stated, gave it a hard yank. The cork popped out, and sparks flew from it. I large HVP (Holographic Video Projector) beamed from the bottle, showing a recording of four men in uniform. My eye light up as I recognized them, my old teammates that had stayed in Korea. Damien, my old captain, spoke first. "Hey lil' bit! We got the message, and wanted to send ya this since your such a rockin' bitch! Sooo-" Smiles flew across all their faces as they began to sing Happy Birthday to me. After they finished the song, Xavier, my partner in crime, spoke. "Hey baby girl, just wanted you to know we miss havin' ya around. Your a hellova soldier, and hope 22 suits your tastes. Love ya, sweetie!" And the HVP ended. I smiled, happy that they all remembered me. Something hot ran down my cheek, and I realized I was crying again. Memories of my teammates, my brothers on the field, my family flooded my head. I felt the urge to shout bubbling in my throat, and I opened my mouth, letting out a sharp 'Oorah!' Laughter erupted around me, and I felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around me. "Happy Birthday, baby cakes." Tank whispered in my ear, sending chills up my spine. I giggled, pressing closer into him. I raised the bottle of UV to my lips, taking a striking swig of the sweet, burning liquid. It warm taste of icing and Vodka flooded my tongue, and a rush of fuzziness engulfed my mind. I clung to Tank's arms as the stuck to my waist, and everyone else began chattering amongst themselves. Soon, Tank and I had downed half a bottle, and still clung to each other in a sweet blur. I had began to buzz, yet Tank seemed sober as can be. His hot breath seemed so good on my neck, and we started swaying our hips as I hummed soft tunes. He chuckled, bringing his fingers up to lace with mine. I softly sung the main line to Bewitched by Blood On The Dance Floor, pressing my head into his chest. " You got me bewitched, cause I'm under your spell." I sang over and over again. I felt so loved around him, and so very safe. Tank brought out the best in me, and that took something special. Our moment was ruined as Richtofen poked fun at Tank for being so gentle to me. I rolled my eyes as Tank let me go to challenge Richtofen to a drinking competition. I sighed, walking to the other side of the room. There my phone sat, perched safely in a shelf. I unlock it, opened my music, and scrolled through the endless amount of songs I had in my playlist. I picked an old song, Two Worlds by Phil Collins. The classic rhythm caused all heads to turn, and I let loose. My feet and arms moving in a way the represented the lyrics, my body rolling in every turn. Kelsie ran to my side, and began to dance with me. I laughed, and our movements became a blur of jerks and swivels. When the song ended, I heard Nikolai clapping guns hands for us. I giggled, and Kelsie held onto my arm laughing so hard tears began to roll down her cheeks. I felt someone strong grab me, and suddenly tackle me to the ground. Tessa, pinning me down to the carpet. "Did I catch you off guard, liebling?" I flipped her over, pinning her down as she had done to me. "Nien, quite zhe opposite." I smiled, my rough German accent escaping. She laughed, "Once again, you fail at that! Your voice is too bubbly, my little Italian!" Kelsie tackled us both, and we all three tangled together in a fit on limbs and laughter. The men stared at us a though we had just started kissing. I pulled from Kelsie's embrace, and grinned as I locked eyes with Tank. His eye widened, as though he expected me to tackle him. I stood up, and walked quickly to the coffee table. There on the glass sat the half full bottle if Butterscotch Schnapps. I pick the bottle up, and raised it to me lips. After a few swigs of the liquor, I set the bottle down again. My lips curled up, and I caught Tank's eyes again. "Oorah, Marine. Oorah."