"When the hell have you had a chance to buy a house, Wolf?" Ghost is looking at me incredulously like I just told him I have a second head.
"You've been busy chasing down leads. I may have taken your keys when you weren't looking a couple of weeks ago to go follow up on an inspection. I signed the paperwork at the end of the week. I've had contractors coming and going for the last couple of weeks, repainting and re-designing the kitchen and some of the rooms that I wasn't happy with."
"No wonder Lilly is sneaky and conniving. She's clearly been watching you too much."
"Lilly may have come to help me pick out the colours for the new house and she's already picked her room." I grin slyly at Ghost.
Ghost looked at me and I could tell his expression was strained. "How the hell did Lilly manage to keep that a secret for so long?"
"I told her it was going to be a surprise and if she told anyone I'd be mad and she wouldn't get to help me find things for the house any more. She spent two years in a cage pretending that she was feral like her parents. She has a great ability to keep her mouth shut."
"We could have just set her and Ben up with a house on the base, Wolf." Price interjects before Ghost can keep questioning me, and I turn to look at Price. "I know. But I wanted a house anyway and it's best to keep Lilly off the base as much as possible. We really don't need her to be found out by any of the people who work here."
"And what about things like school, Wolf," Soap asked casually.
"And what about Ben? He should remain on site in case something happens to you or me." Shane interjected, more with curiosity than anything.
"Ben has... Contacts. He's been speaking to a few people about things like that and we think we may have a solution. He has some old colleagues who left the Australian Military science department who are still bound and under oath to reveal nothing about their understanding and knowledge in regards to the hybrid experimentation. He has managed to convince them that our needs in regards to Lilly come under those particular clauses. Information still might get leaked, but a significantly lessor chance."
"And?" Ghost prompted, arms crossed and I knew while he was impressed I'd been solving these problems already, he was irritated I hadn't told him what I'd been doing.
"We have some one willing to look after her whenever Ben is needed on base. Alternatively, she can stay in my room for the duration of while Ben is on base if Ben is required to bring her. As for her schooling, well one of the colleagues Ben knows used to be a teacher. She has retired but has been looking to do something in her downtime. She's agreed to come on as Lilly's teacher and primary baby sitter."
"And pray tell, how is she being paid?" Price asked crossing his arms expecting the answer to be that I expected the SAS to pay for it all.
"I'm paying for it sir, just like I've paid for everything for Lilly so far. I'm in the military because I want to be, not because I require the money. Besides, after Kortac split the money they got for selling us to Shaista, I am easily able to afford just about whatever Cheyanne had requested as compensation. Worst case scenario, I'd have asked Ghost to assist."
Soap looks at me with a hint of betrayal and I pat his thigh reassuringly. "Sorry Soap, but I know Ghost is just as well off and isn't doing anything with the money anyway."
Ghost huffs at me rolling his eyes. "How do you know what I'm doing with my money?"
"I've seen your bank statements Ghost." He crosses his arms at my retort narrowing his eyes at me.
"I really ought to kick you out when I'm dealing with personal matters."
"Enough." Price spoke calmly but with a tone of finality. "So, Wolf, are you telling me you have not only sorted out where to hide her, but you've also sorted out schooling?"
"The only thing I haven't figured out is how to let her bond with friends for companionship without revealing what she is to any of them. Fortunately, we can cover her up significantly, and she looks more human than I do, but expecting her to keep her secret forever isn't going to work. She's still just a child after all."
We all sat in silence, for most of us we'd felt alone at one point or another during our childhoods and we didn't want the same for Lilly. We'd need to try and figure out a solution and quickly so that she could have as much of a normal childhood as possible.
It made me feel somewhat better that no one else seemed to be able to come up with an answer to the problem either and the conversation turned towards other matters. Price filled in Ghost and myself on what happened at the training facility in Australia while they were there.
"Shane, Wolf, now that we have both of you here you'll be expected to be working together on a lot of missions where the team is required to be fully present. Will that be an issue?"
"Absolutely not. Shane and I have always worked well together. I'll be glad to have a little competition again." I grin widely eyes glancing to see the matching grin on Shanes face.
"I think it might be an issue for the rest of us, Sir." Soap shakes his head smiling. "I've seen her on the battlefield by herself. Between the two of them, I doubt they'll leave us anything except clean up."
"If it means we all come home in one piece Johnny, why are you complaining?"
"Well Ghost, I don't know if you've noticed this, but I like a little bit of the glory for myself thanks."
"You'll still get to set up your explosive toys, Bubbles, what's the problem?" Shane snickers as I call Soap Bubbles, and Soap glares at me indignantly.
"Ghost is right, Soap. As long as we come home safely, if it means that Wolf and Shane manage to clear our area out quicker, why should we be complaining?" Price stood and dismissed us with a wave of his hand, departing the room himself before we could start bickering again.
"So Shane, what was your call sign in the military?" Ghost asks as we all stand up. Shane shakes his head and lies through his teeth. "Didn't get one."
"His call sign was Clutch."
The boys all glance at me and I grin as Shane throws me a wickedly murderous look.
"Why?" Gaz asks hesitantly.
"I told his crew how he absolutely fucked the clutch in my car. The next day, trying to demonstrate that he could in fact drive a stick, did the same thing. Hence, Clutch. Don't let this idiot drive. Anything."
Soap snickered. "Clutch huh?"
"God damnit Ceri! When I get my hands on you, you're dead!" He lunged for me over the table and everyone except Ghost scattered. I opened my arms wide, snatching him out of the air as he leaped towards me, my arms wrapped tight around his midsection as he sent us toppling backwards in my chair. I used his momentum to send my legs over us and rolled us both so I ended up on top, my forearm jammed into his throat. His fingers were curled in my hair, yanking my head back. Despite him pulling my head backwards, I continued jamming my arm into his throat until I felt his power slacken. I took the opportunity to shift moving my head closer until my teeth met his neck as my arm moved out of the way. My jaws clamp shut around his throat as he whines, submitting to me. I hold the position a little longer until he taps out and I stand staring down at my brother.
"Don't forget whose in charge Shane. You've been away for too long."
He lay on the floor, eyes closed chest heaving as he took a moment to collect himself. "Sorry Sis. It won't happen again."
"Good. Now go to sleep, that was sloppy." This time he grinned and I reached down to pull him up by the hand.
"I'm only sloppy because none of the other recruits challenge me like you do."
"Well, these guys aren't recruits, you'll struggle against them more than you'll realise. We have training in the morning, make sure you set your alarm."
"Yes sis," he hummed.
"Wolf. Can you order him around like a handler can?" Ghosts voice was interested and curious.
"No. I can order him around like a big sister though. He doesn't have to listen to me outside of respect that I can pummel and embarrass him. Gaz's orders will over ride anything I say every time."
"Oh thank God," Gaz breaths out and I can smell the relief on the air from all of them. "I thought for sure you'd be able to over ride commands with the way he was reacting to you."
"No, not at all. He's your problem, permanently now Gaz. I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into."
"You seem so well behaved for Ghost I thought it couldn't hurt."
Ghost snorts at that and it quickly turns to a full on chuckle. "She is the biggest pain in the ass I have had the displeasure to meet. If you made your decision to do this based on an outsiders point of view on how Wolf and I work together you have made a grave mistake."
Gaz looks a little stunned, eyes flickering between me and Ghost, both of us amused. It's Shane who speaks up. "If you thought my sister was well behaved, you haven't been paying attention. Fortunately for you, I'm less argumentative than my sister and am less likely to get the pair of us into trouble."
"No, you just followed me into trouble and then let me take the full blame." I grin at him and he shrugs.
"You're the oldest, you're meant to lead me into trouble and then take the blame for it."
I sigh and shrug my shoulders. "Not that the parents would have believed you were ever capable of wrong doing."
"So you're telling me," Gaz interrupted, Ghost and Soap happy to just watch the pair of us without interruption. "That the pair of you are trouble makers."
"To the core," I grin mischeviously.
"Fortunately for you, Ghost got the problem child."
"Fuck off cunt, you're just as much of a problem as I am. Always following along like a lost little puppy no matter how many times I told you to stay put."
"Wolf, as interesting as this is, I wanted a word." Soap finally interjected, amusement lifting from him in waves, eyes bright with it.
"Fine, fine," I say and shift myself from the floor where we'd landed. "Go to bed Shane."
I turn and follow Soap from the room.