Stand My Ground {EDITING}

Chapter 14

Once I saw it was Lacy, I marched over to her and yanked her up by the collar of her shirt. "What did you do to Amelia?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"It's nice to see you too, Miss America," Lacy smarted off.

"Why did you slap a six year old across the face?" I asked with my aggressive, low voice, "A six year old that doesn't know any better!"

"She was in my way," Lacy remarked snottily. People circled around us, coming to watch a fight they weren't getting.

"You can call me names, make fun of the career I chose, and try to fight me all you want, but as soon as you start speaking bad about my family or my friends, you're a goner."

"Is that a threat?" she asked with a devious smirk.

"It's a promise," I said lowly as I gripped her shirt harder.

"Cameron, calm down," Jay said from behind me. I let Lacy's shirt go and stepped back, turning to walk away.

"Yeah. Run away like the coward you are!" Lacy yelled. I stopped in my tracks.

"What did you just call me?" I asked as I turned back around.

"You are nothing but a coward that hides behind her brothers for protection!" Lacy spat.

"Uh oh," I heard Aidan mutter. I started to walk back toward Lacy.

"You listen here and you listen good. You can call me a brat, fat, ugly, whatever, but you better NEVER call me a coward! I believe I deserve the right to walk around and not be labeled as a coward. I have been through H*** and back in the last year. I have watched my close friends die, been shot and stabbed twice, and now, I come home, and I'm being hunted down for information I don't even have! If you think for one second that I'm going to stand around and let you call me a coward, you thought wrong!" I yelled jabbing her shoulder with my finger.

"So dramatic," she replied as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"That's it!" I yelled as I made a move to lunge at her. I was caught in midair by Jay. He pulled me back and away from the scene with Aidan following. Jack was clearing things up with Lacy. Jay set me down in a chair in the dining room.

"You okay?" he asked me. I nodded as I rested my head in my hands and tried to calm down. I felt something nudge my arm. I uncovered my eyes to see Apache staring back at me. I smiled at him and wound my arms around his neck, nuzzling my face into his fur. Moments like this are when I don't ever regret joining. If I never joined the military, I wouldn't have met Apache or Jay.

"Hey, Jay?"

"Yeah?" he answered back.

"Do you remember when we were doing pt, and Apache decided to go for a swim in the lake?" I asked with a smile.

"Yeah. He kept chasing after the ducks that were in the lake. I remember the Drill Sergeant wasn't too happy that we came in soaking wet," Jay said with a laugh.

"Yeah. Didn't he make us clean the bathrooms with a toothbrush?"

"You were let off easier. I had to clean the whole barracks with a toothbrush," he grumbled causing me to giggle.

"I don't know about that. Some of you men can't seem to aim very well," I said before I erupted in another fit of giggles.

"Hardy har har." I unwound my arms from Apache and sat up straight. Aidan came over into my view and kneeled in front of me.

"Let's check on the stitches," he said as he lifted my shirt up a little to reveal the stab wound. He and Jay both let out a breath of relief. "Good. They didn't pop loose again." I chuckled at the two.

"Was this why you caught me before I could give her a makeover?" I asked with a knowing smirk.

"It was really the only reason. If you didn't have them in, we probably would have let you. I know that nobody calls you a coward and doesn't get punched," Jay said.

"Except Lacy," I muttered.

"I wouldn't be too sure. Marilyn heard what she called you. Jack texted me that Greyson had to pry her from Lacy's body," Aidan said with a laugh. I smiled at the thought of my best friend standing up for me. We always stood for each other.

"What about the police? Someone will surely get arrested," I said with concern.

"Don't worry about that. Jack convinced Lacy to not press charges," Aidan said as he pulled my shirt back down.

"How, may I ask?"

"He told her that he would go, and I quote, 'Only one date. Nothing more. Nothing less.' with Lacy," Aidan answered. I shook my head.

"Poor boy," I whispered just as the kitchen door opened again.

"Hilarious. You better thank me for getting your butt and Marilyn's butt out of trouble," Jack said as he pointed at me.

"Cammie!" a baby voice shouted. I turned in my seat to see Amelia smiling in the arms of a fuming Marilyn and Greyson trying to calm her down.

"Cameron, what exactly happened? We heard what Jack briefly told us, but he didn't say the full story," Aidan said as he looked me in the eye.

"What did he tell you?"

"'Jay, Aidan, come quick! Cameron is about to murder Lacy!'" Aidan repeated. I giggled at my brother's poor choice of words.

"I was talking to Jack about a situation he was having when Amelia ran in here crying. She told me that a girl was calling her names and slapped her because Amelia was 'in her way'. She pointed out her bully to me which happened to be Lacy. I walked up to her, and I'm sure you know the rest," I explained with a sheepish smile.

"Wait! That brat slapped my sister?" Greyson exclaimed with rage building up in his eyes. He carefully grabbed his sister's face with his hand and turned it to the side to see the bruise still forming.

"That explains why you went Cameron Smash," Aidan said softly.

"Yeah. I still owe her a good punch to the face for that," I said as I held my hand out to try to control my shaking.

"Well, let's try to get you to calm down first," Jay said as he handed me a glass of water.

"Thanks," I mumbled before taking a sip.

"The good news is that I beat her face in for calling you a coward. I mean, who does that? She called you dramatic because you were stating the facts about what you had to go through! She's the one being dramatic by slapping a six year old just because 'they're in her way'. Ugh!" Marilyn groaned causing me to laugh. The kitchen door opened once again to my mother.

"Alright. I want you guys to get out there and party. Don't worry about Lacy. I took care of her," she said as she held the door opened.

"Thanks, mom," I whispered.

"You can thank me by having fun. Now, get out there!" she exclaimed causing everyone to erupt into a fit of laughter.

"Yes, ma'am!"
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A/N: I'm just going to end this chapter right there. Sorry. I felt like I was dragging it on. I hope you enjoyed it!

-mem5701-