Trouble, with a capital T. - Nestor Oceteva

4th February 2008

I looked at today's date on the calendar, the one that signified my freedom. Finally, 18 years old. I slapped the Cornell acceptance letter down on the table in front of my mother. "What the fuck is this?" She flinched at my tone and 'filthy' language. "That is your future Lucia, Miguel has a room already set up for you. Don't throw it away because of a few mishaps." My jaw dropped at her flippant dismissal. "Mishaps? Really, fucking mishaps? I have been shot, beaten, kidnapped and tortured and those were just in the last two years. Let's not forget what ruined Christmas for me. Those are not fucking mishaps. I don't want any part of the family business. I won't be a part of it."

She didn't say anything for a moment as she dabbed her lips daintily with the napkin before standing up. A loud crack sounded and my head flew to the side from the force of her backhand. An aggressive finger pointed at me as she spoke to me. "You will get your business degree and you will work with your father for the Galindos. Or, you will be disowned from this family. Is that clear?" I stared at her defiantly, this family had only caused pain for me and I was done. "Tell the old man I said good bye." I turned on my heel and went to my room to pack.

I stepped down from the bus and into the crowd of men. Everything I owned was in the heavy rucksack I dropped to my feet. In one hand I held the enrolment form I had completed and the other held my new ID. Goodbye Lucia Parada, hello Nadia Lopez. Everything that tied me to my bitch of a mother is gone. I rolled my shoulders, stretching from the long bus ride to the Navy Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois. I smiled at the gates as I entered them and handed my papers over, the administrator handed me a thick folder in return.

Eight weeks of basic training passed in a blur. I thought I was fit before this but I was naive. Physically, after what I went through with papi's enemies, I could take the pain but my body needed the conditioning, to hone my fighting skills those eight weeks gave. After I graduated, an officer suggested I look at the SEAL programme based on my aptitude test results. There hadn't been a female that had actually completed it and I liked the challenge. So there I was back into another training block for four weeks doing the SEAL Preparatory Course.

Although my body wanted a break, my mind couldn't stop learning so I was on my way to another camp. The long bus ride was spent asking myself why I wanted to continue on this path. I was stubborn, I knew I wasn't going to stop until I became the first female Navy SEAL. So the next 26 weeks were spent at the Naval Special Warfare Training Center in Coronado, California.

Just after my 19th birthday, I had finally done it, I was a navy SEAL. I was packing up my room that had very few belongings. I had learnt to travel light in the last year. I was being deployed to a ship called the USS Liberty II and I hoped she would have a better life than her predecessor, the original USS Liberty. The ship was waiting in home port in San Diego and would be shipping out tomorrow.

The small boat we were on bobbed dangerously over the large waves but eventually we were sheltered in the leeward side of the Liberty. We were a group of 8 graduates and since I was the only female they let me climb up first. When we got to the top deck, I heard the man behind me talking about checking my ass out on the way up. My fist connected with Daytona's face and he crumpled to the ground. "Anyone else want to discuss my ass?"

I hadn't seen the Officer standing under the stairs to the side until he started clapping and we all stood to attention. "Well, as entertaining as that was, get to your quarters and unpack." I grabbed my bag and started to follow the others when the Officer spoke again. "Not you." He gestured to the office entrance that he had been standing in front of. I sighed, looks like I'm going back to shore already.

"Care to explain what that was about Petty Officer Lopez?" I liked how he said my name. Focus Nadia. "Well Sir, Daytona had a fly on his face. I was just being helpful and getting rid of it." I swear I saw a smirk on the Officers face but in a moment it was gone. Damn, he looked sexy with that smirk though. It's been a long, mostly celibate year, it's hard to ignore the handsome man in front of her.

"I was advised against accepting you into my Seal Team. You have excellent test results but you could cause a distraction among the men. Am I making a mistake taking you onboard?" Was he doing this on purpose. "Desearía que me llevaras" [I wish you would take me] I whispered to myself before retorting louder, "do your men have such little control of themselves?" Again he smirked but it was a much longer one. Oh, that smirk will fuel my dreams for nights to come.

He waved me out of the room without answering and as I was almost out the door I turned to get one last glimpse. "What's your name?" I couldn't leave without knowing whose name to scream in my dreams tonight. "Mi nombre es Oficial Oceteva, Nestor Oceteva y fue un placer conocerte Nadia." [My name is Officer Oceteva, Nestor Oceteva and it was nice meeting you Nadia.] My eyes widened at his use of Spanish. Fucking hell, he heard my comment. Feeling my face heat up I shot out of his office and along the deck but not before I heard his deep laugh. That single sound sent a bolt down to my core and clenched my legs together at the feeling.