Takes place when Robert joins 19
Robert and Andy met in Iraq when there two units met. Robert was in the marines and Andy was an army ranger. She specialised as a sniper, she held the record for the longest shot ever made. They met under heavy fire by Andy taking out the sniper behind the bush and giving Robert and his unit the chance to get under cover.
They had become close exchanging letters, texts and phone calls talking about war in all it's glory. The dog belonging to Andy's unit Ryder was a great fan of Robert, he was legally Andy's dog but he was army trained and used as unit equipment. Robert was discharged two years before Andy was. Andy got an honourable discharge from taking 8 rounds to protect her team, they all got shot some more than others. Long story short her entire unit was discharged, Ryder was meant to stay on for training other dogs but she was get him back when his service finished.
Robert was with her when her life changed forever. While escaping a now burning house a butterfly wall ornament fell from it's shelf. It was so hot it burned an impression of a butterfly wing on the side of Andy's face, she was turning 19 in just two weeks. Her whole unit now called her butterfly as the burn left a complete scar in the shape of a butterfly. When she joined the academy she started wearing foundation over the burn, yes she'd had it for over 10 years at that point but civilians aren't like her friends in the Rangers.
Andy's face was a picture when she saw Robert as her captain. "19 this is your new captain, Herrera are you alright?" "Butterfly it's been years," "Sexy Sully hey. Last time I saw you we were dodging bullets didn't help they were ours," "I'm sorry you to know each other?" "Tell you later Luke, oh and Butterfly if you wanna go for a snap don't go in the barracks," "Hey one time and it was your fault I dropped it you were strutting across the compound in lingerie and stiletto heels! Thats why we called him Sexy Sully!" "Explanation cue now!" Ripley demanded, "Hey I was dared to the forfeit was snog Ryder! But that is an explanation you are not getting!" Robert said laughing and remembering there shared scar, "Andy talk later. Now names go," "Ben Warren," "Jack Gibson," "Vic Hughes," "Travis Montgomery," "Dean Miller," "Maya Bishop," "19 I'll give you chores and assignments then proceed as normal. Herrera, Chief can I talk to you in my office," "Sure, it's gonna be weird you bossing me around again," "I know last time it was Jaxx." The two laughed over the good times walking into his office, "Okay how do you two know each?" "Andy was a sniper in the Rangers, we met in her first week in Iraq. Her unit gave mine covering fire to get to safety," "And our units started working together ever since, Bobby saved my life twice. Should we show him?" "What harm will it do? We went on a stake out just the two of us. She was only 19 so her unit said if I got her hurt they would murder me themselves. Well we were in a collapsing building and I wrapped my arms around her. My hand was across her back just as a darn wire burned us," Andy lifted the back of her shirt on the side to show a large part of the snowflake burn but with the centre missing. Robert pulled his sleeve up to show the centre on his wrist. "Why did you call her Butterfly?" Andy froze, her mind was whirling in circles. Robert saw her reaction and jumped in for her, "Thats a story for another time," "Yes yes, I don't like talking about it."
Andy bolted up in her sleep. Looking around she was in the station, she got up and peered into the Captains office. Sure enough Sullivan was there working away at his desk like it wasn't the middle of the night.
During the night they had four calls almost immediately after each other, the last one needed them to dismantle a fire hydrant but Andy forgot those things blast water. She got a large splash to the face. Her face went blank as she felt the foundation hiding her scar run off her face, thank the stars it was to dark to see anything. When the blinding station lights illuminated her face Robert saw how hard she was hiding her scar and leapt into action. Andy had been the kid of the two units so everyone swore to protect the units kid even when the 'kid' turned 28. He asked her to run ahead and to start getting something cooking as they were all starving. She greatly appreciated the order and left to put makeup back over her scar.
They had a few close calls but it was Andy's own stupidity that started the ruckus. Travis had yelled for everyone to meet him in the beanery including Andy once she'd put clothes on. One problem she forgot to cover her scar. Andy stood behind the others listening to Travis's seemingly endless rant about how someone was mixing jam into the peanut butter. "So for the.." he stopped dead in his tracks when he caught a glimpse of Andy's face, he had to do a double take but this time she spotted him and covered the scar with her left hand, "Why did you go so quiet Trav?" Vic asked, "Andy's face," he muttered stumbling over his words. The cat was out the bag now. Others turned to look at what he was talking about but Andy was keeping the side of her face covered. "Excuse me," she slipped out of there and into her bunk, locking the door she pulled out her foundation and slathered it over the stupid butterfly wing.
Andy returned to the kitchen this time taking off her jumper, where she was wearing a backless top the matching scar she shared with Sullivan was revealed though they had seen that one before. 19 had asked questions about why it was missing a random chunk but they had know clue Robert shared the scar. "Hey Andy where's the chocolate spread?" Robert asked after searching the fridge, "Yeah it's next to me," "Hold still," he leaned round her to grab it but Miller spotted how Roberts scar lined up perfectly with Andy's, "What the hell!" He snapped. All eyes turned to the pair. "I think it's clicked," Andy whispered, "You think? Remember what your unit said?" "I know I was there standing behind you Ryder at my feet," "Chill Butterfly! Chill! It was your fault though," "What that I was the youngest sorry I didn't know I was to young," "Yeah and I paid the wrath. Your unit said if I got you hurt they would murder me themselves!" "I'm going for a snap cool your jets Sexy Sully."
Andy walked out cigarette case in hand. She went to the roof top before lighting up a cigarette, oh the irony a firefighter that smokes. "I didn't know you smoked?" Maya asked walking up behind Andy, "Yeah I guess I never did it around you guys thats all. Today has just been one hell of a ride, with Bobby as my captain it's just suffocating. I first met Bobby when I was 18 I was as green as grass in the Rangers I was a sniper in Iraq for the better part of a decade. I gave his unit cover to get into our base, I didn't see him till after a stake out but that how we met. I was the youngest in my unit so I was the kid of the unit. I was with Bobby when I got the reason for the nickname Butterfly I was 19 and all. The two units worked together for ages looking back at it, I was the youngest in both. Everyone would baby me and I hated it. I hated them calling me a nickname as stupid as Butterfly!" She yelled kicking over a rubbish bin, "Now with Bobby being my captain as in you saw him today he made me switch with Travis on engine his reasoning you might ask? Remember when you crashed a jeep, I crashed a jeep dodging shells!" Maya was a little taken a back by her friends rant but she needed it.
"So why do they call you Butterfly?" Andy went very quiet very quickly but she had to own up to it, "While escaping a now burning house a butterfly wall ornament fell from it's shelf. It was so hot it burned an impression of a butterfly wing on the side of my face, I was turning 19 in just two weeks. My whole unit now called me butterfly as the burn left a complete scar in the shape of a butterfly wing. When I joined the academy I started wearing foundation over the burn, yes I'd had it for over 10 years at that point but civilians aren't like my friends in the Rangers. They can be cruel and very judge mental," "I won't judge may I see it?" Maya knew it was a long shot but never in her mind did she think it'll work.
Andy pulled her phone out and started flicking through her camera roll. She was looking for the three way picture: when she first did it (as in before it was treated), it healing then finally the scar. Maya felt a ping in her pocket from her phone and checked her watch to see Andy had sent her a photo on whatsapp. "I've sent you a photo of it whatever you do don't judge," with that Andy left down to her bunk. She hated wearing makeup to bed so she wiped off the foundation slipped into more comfortable clothes and settled down for the night.
Robert peered in to see her sleeping and violently shook her, "Andy wake up!" "What?" "No time to explain beanery five minutes." Andy groggily sat up and pulled her hair over her face. Robert had found out that Ryder was being released from service so why not a solider dog reunion? He had hidden Ryder along with there other chums from the two units in the gym till Andy had gone into the beanery. "Bobby what the hell is this all about?!" Andy snapped not in the mood, "Andy," she looked up at the door with the rest of 19 to see a smily black and white faced staffy. Her face lit up as she leapt from the chair, the dog hurtled towards Andy at top speed tung wagging. "Hey Ryder. Hi my baby boo!" She cooed at the dog that wouldn't stop kissing her, "Ah 19 meet my best friend Ryder, Ryder greet," the adorable mess turned into a straight backed dog that walked proudly up to 19, "Ryder sit, Ryder shake," doing as commanded Ryder sat down and held out his paw for 19 to shake.
"Butterfly thought you might be glad to see us to?" A tall burly man asked, "Of course." She did introductions and Andy was so happy that her two families finally met. "So Butterfly do they not know is that why your hiding your scar?" She almost spat out her drink and covered her face, "What scar Herrera?" Ben asked Miller also getting curious, "I told you she had a cooky scar on her face but you didn't believe me," Travis announced, "2 points to you," Jack said tapping Travis's shoulder. Hesitantly Andy pulled her hand away from her face to reveal a perfect butterfly wing scar.
A sea of gasps flooded in, "How long have you had that?" "More importantly how did you get that?" Andy buried herself amongst the sea of her family, "Butterfly you can't hide forever," "Okay. I was two weeks off 19 when I got this bad boy. It's the reason why Bobby and I are so close. While escaping a now burning house a butterfly wall ornament fell from it's shelf. It was so hot it burned an impression of a butterfly wing on the side of my face, I was turning 19 in just two weeks. My whole unit now called me butterfly as the burn left a complete scar in the shape of a butterfly wing. When I joined the academy I started wearing foundation over the burn, yes I'd had it for over 10 years at that point but civilians aren't like my friends in the Rangers. They can be cruel and very judge mental. Bobby got me through it I guess we became best friends. Our relationship was fomented," "Cemented," Jack corrected, "No fomented when I was paired with this jackass for trust falls. He went last out of us to, I couldn't catch him he was to heavy he had gone to far to the left and fell in the cest pit before pulling me into with him. So yeah he got us both into a pit of human feces," "Or how about the time we introduced Andy to alcohol for the first time. We were in the city I can't remember why now but it was Andy's 21st so the whole unit acted like her parents and we did the most sensible thing going. We took her on a bar crawl, she was clearly new to vodka as she was drunk by the third pub while the rest of us were just a little hyped up and she experienced her first hangover and I crossed a few things off my bucket list," "Like what?" Vic asked the the matloes (not sure if the US uses that term to describe there veterans), "Like having someone puke in my hand, take someone drinking for the first time, have someone get drunk after four rounds of truth or dare, and finally have someone cry so hard they make even our waterproofs wet. All made by this weirdo!" He put a sloppy arm around Andy while laughing, "It was my first time drinking give me a break! You should have scene Bobby trying to smoke god it was the funniest thing I have ever scene," "By the way Butterfly want one?" One of the red headed men handed Andy a cigarette case and a lighter.
She pulled a snap out placed it in the corner of her mouth then sparked the lighter a few times before lighting it. Through practice it was a pretty quick process compared to newbies. "Hey Biggers Butterfly what did I say about smoking inside especially after the rubbish bucket incident," "Jesus it was your fault Sexy Sully," a couple of the rangers were tooting remembering that night, "Oh god I remember that I can't believe you actually accepted the dare. Oh yeah sorry we dressed him in strip tease clothing and he did a strip tease in the middle of the compound. Now that was funny but we were so dumbfounded Butterfly dropped her snap. She set fired to a rubbish bin!" "It was an accident!" "Hold up! Rewind pause! Captain Sullivan did a strip tease?! And Andy smokes!" Travis yelled as they all stared at Andy. "Oh piss off Travis! Rangers?" "Rangers lead the way!"
Sorry guys I forgot about different time zones so I was wondering why people were reading/voting/commenting on these one shots at 3am, struggles of being British.🤣🤣 This isn't all of Rangers lead the way as my iPad crashed and I lost the rest when I rewrite it (it's gonna be heavy) I will post it as part 2