The A-Team

CH.1

Ashlyn's POV

"Attention!" The commanding officer of my platoon yells as he walks in to the barracks that I am in. We all stand up at attention. "At ease." He says, as he walks in front of me. "Harris." "Yes sir." "I am happy to inform you that you are being honorably discharged. So pack your bags Major because you are heading home." He says shaking my hand. "Thank you sir." "My pleasure. You better get packing because your flight leaves in a hour." "Yes sir." "You are all dismissed." He says walking out of the barracks. "I'm really going home." I sigh. I pack my green duffle bag and put my BDU jacket on and say goodbye to everyone in my platoon. I go over to Houston Hemsworth the scrawny red headed twenty year old, who I took under my wing when she came here from basic training two years ago. I go over and wrap her in a hug and she began to cry. "I'm going to miss you kid and keep an eye on them for me." I say, pulling out of the hug and wiping her tears. "Thank you for looking out for me. I don't know what I will do with out you." She says, hugging me again. "Hey next time your in D.C. come visit the wife and I." "I will, thank you." She says, pulling out of the hug. On the way to the airport I watch the sights of Afghanistan go by. This place can be beautiful at times when there is not bombs going off and people being shot and killed. It's crazy to think I might miss this place but I miss my home, my family, my team and most importantly my wife. As much as I don't want to leave I want to be home. We arrive at the airport I grab my bag out of the Humvee. I thank the driver and make my way onto the plane with other military personnel who are going home. I sit down next to another Marine who looked like he was in his early to mid twenties. "Hi I'm Private Jacob Norway." " Major Ashlyn Harris." I say shaking his hand. "Wait are you the Ashlyn Harris?" "Yep. That's me." I say, flashing a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you Major." As we take off I start to get nervous because the last time I was on a plane it almost got shot down. "Are you okay Major?" "Yeah take off makes me a little nervous." "I'm the same way at times." He says. Which calms me down because of how calm he is. Once we are in the air I pull out a couple pictures of Ali, my family and the team. "I'll be home soon." I whisper, to the picture of Ali in her wedding dress and kiss it. "Who are those pictures of?" Jacob asks, pointing the the pictures that are in my hand. "My wife, family and USWNT which I play for when I'm not deployed. You miss out on so much it sucks." "Yeah I get that when I first got deployed my wife was six months pregnant. I missed my first child being born because I was over here fighting for our freedom. I dicided I'm not going to re-enlist so I can spend time with them." "Since I've been deployed these past three years I've missed out on my nephew being born a few wedding anniversary's, my best friends wedding, my wife winning the world cup. Honestly the military has its ups and downs but I wouldn't trade serving my country for the world." "Did you say that your wife won the world cup as in soccer?" "Yeah? Why?" "I should have put two and two together. Is your wife Ali Krieger?" "You mean Harris. Yes she is my wife." I say smiling at the photo of her. "Man you are really luck to be married to her." "Tell me about it." I chuckle. "No offense Major, but how did someone like you, get a woman like your wife?" "None taken and to be honest with you I don't even know how it happened. Hell I still don't even know what I did to deserve her." I say, as the pilot announces that we are about to land. Wow who new that talking to someone on a long ass flight would make it fly by. We land in California and the first person I call is Ali's brother Kyle.

Phone call
Kyle: hello Ash is that you?
Me: yes I'm in LAX and I need you to pick me up and don't tell Ali about this I want to surprise her.
Kyle: what gate are you at?
Me: gate 3
Kyle:I'll see you in a few minutes
Me: okay see you in a few bye.
Kyle: bye
End of phone call

I go over to baggage claim and grab my duffle bag. I sit on the bench waiting for Kyle. No more than five minutes later he comes running up to me and gives me a bone crushing hug. "Missed you too Kyle." I laugh. "I was worried about you because we had no contact for a year. Ali and I honestly thought you died." "Nope still kicking." "Good let's take you to my place so you can eat some real food and get ready for tomorrow." "Yeah real food sounds nice. What's happening tomorrow?" "Well the national team has a game here tommorow and I was thinking you could surprise Ali and the whole team." "That's a great idea, but I need to get out of this thing." I say, pulling at the collar of my uniform. No one ever said they were the most comfortable thing to wear. "Come on let's get go." He says, dragging me to the car. "What all happened while I was over seas?" "Not much really the team won the Olympics I don't know of anything else except that Ali and the girls miss you. After they won Ali came over to me and said, 'I wish she was here to see all of this.' Then she started to cry Ash she really misses you. When are you being deployed again?" "About that the reason I came home is because I got honorably discharged." "Thank God because Ali misses you a lot. Do you know how many nights she would call me crying telling me how much she missed you when you couldn't call her or Skype. Sometimes I would put the phone on mute because she just wouldn't shut up. But that's in the past all that really matters now is that your here now home safe and alive." "I get it. It was so fucking hard not being able to hear her voice or see her smile. There were days where I wanted to just call her because some of those days were really hard. But I couldn't because we couldn't have any contact with any one and it took a toll on me and most definitely her." I say tearing up as we pull into Kyle's apartment complex. We walk into his apartment and he leads me to the guest room. "Hey did I mention you look good in uniform?" "Thanks Kyle Ali always thought that too. When ever I was home and had a event to go to that I had to wear my BDU or my dress blues. she couldn't keep her hands off me. If you know what I mean." I laugh. "Your welcome. Also, I don't need to know about your sex life with my sister." He says walking out of the room. "Hey what can I say she likes a woman in uniform!" I yell, to Kyle from the guest room. I take my uniform off and hang it up for tomorrow. I change in to a t-shirt and shorts and take a nap. Two hours later Kyle comes in and asks if I want to go get some food. I get up and change in to a t-shirt, jeans and my dog tags of course. I'd have to say it's a little weird to be wearing civilian clothes and not a uniform. I walk out of the room and go into the living room. "Whoa who is this? What happened to Major Harris?" "She is right here and her wife gave her permission to smack her brother in-law if needed and I think it might be needed." "Yes ma'am." He salutes and I smack him up side the head. "Geez you are way meaner than I remember." He says, rubbing the back of his head. "Watch it, but  Let's go I'm hungry." "Alright I know a place where you won't get noticed." He says, walking out of his apartment. A few minutes later we arrive at a taco truck. "Really Kyle a taco truck?" "You know it. Besides you won't get noticed because there is no one around. I'm pretty sure that if a fan sees you here they will post it on social media and someone from the team will find it. Then Ali will find out that you are here and didn't tell her. Then we will both be in trouble." "Your right. The last thing I need is to be in trouble with the wife." I laugh, getting out of the car. "Yeah I definitely don't want to be on Ali's bad side, but anyway you hungry or not?" "Yeah let's go." We get our food and sit in the car and eat. I don't know if it's because I have been eating MRE's for a few years off and on along with stuff from the mess tent, but the tacos were the best thing I have tasted in a while. "So how was your time over seas?" Kyle asks, breaking the silence. "It was okay I mean for being in the military. Always thinking and afraid that you are going to the next to be killed or blown up. I saw a lot over there and I don't want to see it again. I'm just really glad to be back in the states. I missed you guys terribly." "Who did you miss more?" "Kyle that's not a fair question." "I know, I know who you were going to say." "Who was I going to say?" "Ali." "True I do miss her but I was going to say both of you." "You really did miss me?!" He exclaims, bouncing up and down like a little kid, I shake my head at his antics. After we ate we head back to Kyle's apartment and get ready for tomorrow.

The next day

"Yo! Ash wake up!" Kyle yells, jumping on the bed. "Okay I'm up. What time is it?" "It's ten in the morning. Come on you got a big day today." "Alright I'm up get out so I can get ready." "Yes ma'am." "Didn't I tell you to stop doing that?" "Yes but I like to annoy you." "Okay now scurry along." I say, pushing him out of the bedroom. After he finally leaves me alone I take a quick shower. Put my dress blues on and do my hair before putting my cap on. I look at my self in the mirror to make sure everything meets military protocol. I dicide I'm happy and walk out of the room. "Finally your done let's get you to the stadium before the game starts because your surprising them at half time." "Alright let's go." I say, nervously. "Don't be nervous she will be happy to see you trust me." He says, putting a hand on my shoulder. "I know but I haven't seen her in three years and talked to her in one." "She will understand trust me." "Thanks Kyle. What did I do without you for three years?" "I can't answer that. But let's get operation surprise Ali under way." "Sir, yes sir." I say, saluting him walking to the car.

At the stadium

We walk into the stadium and hide in one of the sky boxes until Dawn came to get me. "Hey Ash you ready?" "Yeah let's go." "So how have you been?" "Good." "The girls miss you really bad." "I miss them too, but after today they won't have to miss me anymore." "Why?" "The reason I came home earlier the expected was because I got honorably discharged." "Really?" "I know I was shocked too." I say, before getting to the field. The team has been called to the field and are watching a video that I made just before I left my base in Afghanistan with the help of some of the tech guys at the base. I walk on to the field then I see Ali but she doesn't see me because she is facing the other way and I begin to tear up.  I stand straight up with my hands behind my back in formal position. "Please welcome back to the USA Major Ashlyn Harris of the United States Marine Corps." Here we go. Ali is the first one to see me and she runs over to me. She jumps in to my arms and knocks my cap off in the process. She kisses me in front of thousands with out a care in the world. "Ash its really you!?" She yells. " Yes babe it's really me and I'm not leaving again." I say, between kisses.