5 springs or 1826 sunsets later...
The sun was watching the house over, as the lazy sun rays were running over the old roof as if keeping every resident of the house in the warmth and safety of nature itself. The windows in every room were wide open, letting the wind travel from one room to another, leaving nothing but the fresh summer air behind. The little paws of the gray cat were leaving marks on the fresh dirt, as the little pet was discovering the nature around his new home. Songs of the birds filled up the kitchen of the house, creating a strong bond between the residents of the house and nature which was in control of everything around it. A desire to keep everything under control is part of the human nature. But, every single person is a little part of the big universe, and control is just an illusion that brings peace to our busy minds.
The walls of the thick glass were covered in fog as the cold water filled the glassware. John's fingertips were leaving the prints on the clean glass, as the refreshing drink disappeared in his lips. A hot summer day fell onto the Herefordshire, making the captain feel as if he was in the driest desert in the whole world. For a moment, a man felt as if he could finish the whole jug of water, just to escape the sudden feeling of thirst.
It's been a couple of days since Price came back to the warmth of his own house from a tough mission. Sometimes during the longest summer nights in a soft embrace of his bed, John wondered if the land of Urzikstan would ever see the days of peace. Another russian ultranationalist was inspired by Makarov, and eager to finish what he started. Ivanov's face was circled in the darkest red on the mission plan hiding in the captain's office at the base. Little did Price's new enemy know that the man could only find peace after seeing Ivanov's lifeless body falling onto the cold ground.
However, this mission didn't go as easy as everyone wanted it to be. Every single living being fights until the very last moment of its life, starting from the tiniest bug and ending with the largest animal that could be found on the Earth. People might want to end their sufferings and pain, but everyone wants to live, and Ivanov was no exception. Anything that could be used as a weapon was thrown, used, or hit the captain, leaving marks on his body but hadn't stopped Price even for a moment. The thick bandages were hiding the injuries of the man away from everyone's eyes, and the medicines were numbing the never-ending pain every movement brought to the man.
"Is it still hurting, John?" Amelia watched over her husband, seeing the reaction of the captain to the sudden wave of pain taking over his mind. It was easy for John to hide the pain from people around him, as the physical pain was a long-time mate of his. But, even the toughest man at the SAS base could be caught at the weakest point of his day.
"Should be better now, doc," A hint of the smile appeared on Price's face as a gaze of the deep blue eyes of the man met with the warms of dark brown on the other side of the room. The distance between the two was shortening with each step of a brunette towards her husband.
Knight looked at the time, noting to herself that it was almost time to change the bandages before the house got filled with the voices of the most important people for the family. The empty glass met with the cold surface of the countertop, as a brunette tried to keep her control over every little thing on the summer day. Everything was prepared for the arrival of the large company. Empty chairs in the backyard were waiting to meet with the warmth of the people's bodies, while the colder wind of the evening traveled over the empty plates that found their own places on the long wooden table. Child's laughter entered the room through an open window, as Price left a quick, but full-of-love kiss on the top of woman's head.
"Simon and Isabella are here, Alex is not responding, and Laswell with Jennifer are on the way, guess it's the time to prepare the grill, honey," Amelia whispered to herself as if trying to make sure she remembered every single person who had to share that summer day with the family.
She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling how a noticeable to everyone else wave of worry took control of the woman's thoughts.
"Look at you, love, keeping everything under control," Price whispered, as the smile was still sitting on the captain's face. Sun rays were running along the rough skin of the man's face as if kissing every single wrinkle the time had left on his face.
"This day is about you, Price. Let me take care of everything," A woman's hand hesitantly fell onto the strong shoulder of the captain, as she was trying her best to avoid the places where the wounds of the man were still fresh. Knight let herself drown in the eyes of the man who became everything to her and wished to take away all his pain just for John to feel peace after a long time of fighting with the whole world.
"Just for one day, baby," Price's rough fingertips ran over the soft skin of the brunette's cheeks which were painted in a bright blush. The walls of their house were the only place where the captain felt detached from the cruelty, darkness, and danger of the world we live in. His breathing rhythm was calm, even with the pain reminding the man about itself from time to time, keeping John in a tight embrace of peaceful feeling that took over his mind and soul. The lips of the two lovers found each other in the rays of the sun on a summer day, as love filled every room in the house away from the eyes of the curious souls.
Brunette's steps echoed in the suspicious silence of the outside world. A large jug in her hands hid the mischievous recipe of the lemonade with the secret ingredient that would take the worry away from a woman's mind. The house was getting fuller with each passing hour. Isabella found her place at one of the wooden lounges that were sitting in the tall grass of a backyard. Rainy days hid the small pool in the storage room, but the wooden furniture stayed in its place in any weather.
"There you go, Bella," A tall glass of sparkling cocktail ended up in the woman's hands, as the three cubes of ice were cooling down the drink. A mixture of lemon gin with any sparkling water was one of the best ways for Amelia to end the long day, or drown the worry in a refreshing cocktail in the middle of it.
"Thank you, Mel. Have you seen Simon?" Isabella took a sip of a drink, feeling the zesty taste of the lemon leave its notes on her lips. The curious green eyes of a dark-haired woman were traveling around the backyard, looking for a tall figure of Riley. With the lieutenant's height of 6'2, it was hard to be unnoticed even in the crowded room. But, not even the tall grass, nor the tall trees were hiding the man.
Bella and Simon were rare guests at Price's family nest. It took a long time for John to invite someone into his safe house for the time. Back in London, the gun under his bed was protecting man's sleep on the long days when Price was away from the base and work. However, everything changed in the captain's life ever since the quiet days in the captain became nothing but a memory to him. John was now a family man, and for him, there was no one else responsible for the people who were important to him other than Price himself. If he could, the captain would keep his family at the furthest, and safest place on the Earth so none of his enemies could reach them. But, John knew quite well that it was one of the missions he could never succeed at.
"Catch me, Si! Catch me if you can!" The loud voice of a child echoed through the silence of nature as the door from the house into the backyard swung open. Joyful laughter followed little Price as he was determined to win in his own game against the tall man he adored.
"I told you Liam adores him more than me," Amelia watched a little copy of the captain rush through the backyard, not even looking in the direction of his mother. Liam's bright blue eyes were sparkling with joy as the small legs of a child were taking him away from the large figure of the man.
Liam Price was a copy of his father. Way too stubborn for his young years, determined but wore his heart on his sleeve just like his mother. Sparkling deep blue eyes were exploring the large world around the little man, as he still had time to find out about the cruelty and darkness everyone was hiding from him. Little Price was adored by everyone ever since the first day of his life. His son brought out the unknown to John softness in his heart, as the captain promised to spend every moment he could with the little copy of his own self. Price couldn't let himself repeat the mistakes of his past, nor his parents. At three years of age, Liam already explored the SAS base on the days when his parents had no other option but to take a child into one of the most protected places in the country. Little did anyone know that a little set with coloring pencils and a drawing album was hiding inside the deepest drawer of his father's desk.
Surprisingly, aside from his parents, Liam had the strongest bond with Simon Riley. At first, Ghost was scared of holding his little body in his arms. A lieutenant wasn't ever scared of explosions, bullets flying towards his body, but was afraid of holding a child of his captain. But, little did Simon know that the peace that little Liam could find in the warmth of his strong arms would melt his heart which Riley kept away from everything and everyone behind the tallest walls of concrete. Years were passing faster than anyone could realize, and little Price was growing up with each passing day. First attempts to crawl, to walk, first world, and every attempt to explore the world were captured in the photographs. But, as Liam knew a little more about the world around him, he was never scared of Simon's masks hiding his face from everyone. Nothing could break the growing bond between the two, not even the demons of Riley's past that were still keeping him hostage even after long years of struggles and therapy.
"Hello, ladies!" Simon's brown eyes stopped for the moment on two women enjoying the summer evening on the lounges as he rushed to catch little Price. Tattoos on his strong arm were kissed with the warm wind when the lieutenant raised his hand up in the air, greeting the two.
Bella waved back to the man who surprisingly walked into her life and decided to stay in it for a long time. A hint of blush took over the temples of her cheeks, as the woman was taking one sip after another of a refreshing drink. They met on a cold winter day in the city Riley had no good memories of. Manchester always seemed gray, distant, and cold for Simon. The man never had a family growing up. His mother adored two of her sons, while his father brought nothing but terror into the house that never felt like home. Days away from work seemed like a pure nightmare as Riley came back to the city of his past and endless pain. Late-night therapy sessions finally seemed to make sense of his own past in the man's head, and out of nowhere, just like the ray of sunshine on a rainy day, the two bumped into each other on the street of the city he never wanted to come back to. Surprisingly, Simon found the unknown before will to open up to a new person in his life and took a risk greater than he ever did during the long missions. The gaze of her green eyes was sitting on a lieutenant, as he finally caught Liam and spun a kid in his arms. Bella couldn't help but feel the smile take over her whole face in the rays of the evening sun.
"Thank you for keeping him occupied Simon," Amelia placed the empty glass on the side table in between the two lounges. The laughter of her child echoed in the peaceful silence of the backyard, as the strong arms of Riley kept him safe on the unseen waves of the wind.
"It's all good Mel, as long as we have enough alcohol for later when a little sergeant falls asleep," Simon whispered, feeling the warmth of the sun running along his face. The wind was playing with his short, brown hair, as the mask was hidden somewhere at the back of the man's car.
"Uncle Alex!" Excitement of a little child was flying in the air, as the door to the backyard opened, letting everyone see another guest joining the party.
It seemed as if Alex left the battleground in the desert of Al Mazrah just a moment ago before joining them. The uniform pants were still covering his body, and as an old shirt, the man opened the view of his tattoos to everyone around. Liam ran towards another familiar face, as Keller looked back at him with the soft smile on the edges of his lips.
"Hello, little buddy," Price found his place for a while in the arms of the larger man, as they got closer to the company. For a moment, the hot summer day felt like the coldest Christmas day full of presents to the child, as he wrapped his short hands around the strong arm of an American.
"Did they forget to teach you in CIA how to text back, Alex?" Knight filled four glasses with drink, noticing that there was not even a hint of ice left in the jug. She crossed the arms on her chest, looking back at Keller as if trying to remember how many texts to the man were left unanswered.
Alex knew how to throw a surprise, but he would always show up at the gatherings with the people who were important and dear to him. Even if he got the fatal injuries earlier in the morning. Keller was one of those men who didn't know how to prioritize their own self and instead put everything else in the world before himself. The last mission with Knight by his side brought the two closer, finally melting the ice between them. Some scars on the body of the man would over be a reminder of another mission in Al Mazrah, but at least the mission brought a friend into his life.
"What did your husband do to make you so grumpy, Mel?" Keller winked at a brunette, finally letting an energetic child run out of his arms. His large body landed on the edge of the lounge, as the tiredness of a long road was written all over the man's face. Tiredness was taking over his mind, but happiness over seeing the people who matter to Keller was keeping him warmer than a high temperature on a summer day.
"Are we still waiting for anyone to come?" Bella looked around, seeing how countless chairs by the long table were standing still in the arms of the warm wind. She counted the chairs, trying to understand if all the guests were already in the backyard, as the feeling of hunger was slowly taking over her tipsy mind.
"Laswell and her wife are on the way, hopefully, they didn't get lost in the woods," Amelia checked her phone, seeing no messages from Kate. For a moment, a brunette wondered if Kate would even show up in their house that evening. But, remembering that she was supposed to serve the news to the table, a woman brushed off all the thoughts out of her head and tried to stay patient despite the wave of nervousness taking her over again.
"I'm CIA, Amelia. I can find anything even your house in the middle of fucking nowhere," As if out of nowhere, Kate's serious voice reached the team from the other side of the backyard.
It took a while for Laswell and her wife to find the house, as the map was unhelp during the long road trip. The phone connection was disappearing and appearing out of nowhere when the two were making the move in the wrong direction already. The trip which was supposed to be a couple of hours long, turned out to be torture. But at least, the torture had a positive outcome.
"Glad to see you too, Kate. Want a glass of gin?" Knight shared a quick, but an emotional embrace with Laswell. They both knew how important that day was for Price, and both shared the responsibility of knowing the news before everyone else.
"Always," A rare, but real smile appeared on the woman's face, as she reached for the glass with the liquor. Kate's day was way too long for her to stay sober any longer.
On the other side of the backyard, the heat of the grill was blowing into the captain's face when the little hands of his child wrapped around his large leg. It didn't take Liam long to find himself in the protective arms of his father, as a soft smile got painted over John's face. The sizzling sound of the meat on the grill was the only noise around them, as the man was keeping his eyes on both, Liam and the meat on the grill.
"Do you need help, captain?" Alex walked to the two, trying to find the right place to be in the large backyard. The two men shook their hands before the cold glass with a pint of beer landed in the captain's hands. A pint was the best way to cool down in the warm weather, and not to feel taken over by the alcohol.
"Only in getting another pint, Alex," John looked at the half-empty glass, placing it on the table next to the grill for a moment. He unwantedly placed Liam on the ground, letting a child follow his own plans and run away from the two, as the captain's attention was on the meat.
"Good choice, Price," Keller laughed, enjoying the drink himself. An American man looked around, as he couldn't help but enjoy the peace of the countryside. There was no war around them, no pain, and destruction. Just nature, and the happy voices of everyone creating a peaceful symphony for his ears. Maybe, fighting for peace was really worth it at the end of the longest day.
The winter got colder as the sun was setting down behind the horizon. The old bricks of the house were painted in the bright colors of orange, as the sun rays were leaving their final kiss of goodbye everywhere they could reach. On the other side of the sky, the full moon was ready to take care of everything the sun was leaving before another morning came. Every chair at the long table was occupied by the guest, and only Liam found a seat on his mother's lap. The plates were slowly getting filled with food, and the drinks were filling up the glasses. And just for one evening, everyone at the table could forget about the worries of everyday life and enjoy the peace in the middle of nowhere, and away from everything in the world.
"Glad to see you all here," John's hoarse voice cut through the noise of the mixture of the voices at the table. It felt for a moment as if even nature got quiet, letting the speak into the air whatever was on his mind. "Especially after the last mission."
"C'mon Price, you got the best doctor to take care of the injuries," Gaze of Alex's eyes pointed at Amelia, as the memories of the last mission kept appearing in his head. For a moment, Keller was sure that if he wasn't lucky enough to have a combat medic by his side, eagles in the desert would definitely enjoy his taste. There was nothing to a joke but his own thoughts with the note of gratitude towards the woman.
"But we are not here to celebrate the success," Price's hand was wrapped around his wife's shoulder, as he moved her chair closer to his. Bright blue eyes of little Price were watching his father, as a kid couldn't find anything exciting on the dinner table except for the slice of the bread.
"The last time he was talking in the same voice was at the briefing before we caught Makarov," Simon felt the warm touch of Bella's hand on his under the table. The fingers of the two lovers found each other, as the attention of everyone was given to the captain.
"Catching russian fuckers again, cap?" Keller didn't waste time on the conversations, as he listened to his superior but also took the steak he noticed back on the grill. It felt as if the slice of meat was the main reason why Alex joined them all on the summer evening.
"No, it's different this time," The noticeable, but strange note full of sadness was heard in the man's voice. His hand found Knight's as if he needed the last push of support before telling anything else that was on his mind.
Price was a strong military man who dealt with different missions, situations, and enemies throughout his career. But, the main enemy of the captain was his own mind at the end of the day. John knew that this would come eventually, no matter how fast he was running away from it. The warm hand of his wife was sitting in his, while the captain was taking sips of the strong liquor out of his glass.
"First, I would like to thank every one of you for the exceptional work we did during these long years, " John was not letting go of Amelia's hand out of his, as the empty glass kissed the hard wooden surface of the table.
The gaze of the deep blue eyes of the captain stayed on everyone who was sitting at the table at least for a moment, as if Price was thanking them personally. Task Force 141 was a huge part of his life. Failed missions, success, and changed course of history were a huge part of the long road John joined back in Al Mazrah with Kate when the personal files got in her hands. Price looked away as if looking for the two chairs for the people who hadn't been with them for a long time, but were always on his mind – for Kyle and Johnny. A heavy weight was sitting on Price's shoulder as he tried to find the right words for his decision, knowing quite well that no matter what he said, nothing would sound right in his head.
"But, everything has to end one day," Amelia's thumb was running over the rough skin of the captain's hand, as she kept the gaze of her eyes on the man. Little Price didn't enjoy the lengthy speech of his father and ran away from the silence at the long table. Price was looking at the empty glass, feeling the urge to fill it up with his favorite whiskey as the words were escaping from his lips. "I'm retiring from the Task Force, but staying in SAS as an Instructor and will be happy to pass my knowledge to the future generations to come."
"Mom! I'm getting a sister?" Liam's voice appeared from the other side of the table, as he climbed onto Simon's lap. The child's eyes were sparkling with excitement, as the tension at the table quickly changed into the loud laughter of the adults.
"So, 141 is disbanded now?" Alex's voice cut the silence, as the man couldn't help but wonder about the future of the team. He was still on paper part of 141, despite endless missions and hot days in the desert of Urzikstan with Farah's forces. There was nothing but uncertainty and endless questions in the air that were not yet vocalized.
"We received the recommendation for the future captain of the Task Force. Someone, who can make the decisions, has experience, and knows what to do better than many other people serving in SAS," Kate leaned back in the comfortable chair, finally giving some answers to the curious faces of the men at the table who knew nothing about Price's plans.
Laswell's voice was calm as always, as not even a single muscle moved on her face. She was surprised the first time when John mentioned the retirement in the walls of his office a couple of months ago. His own son made Price think about something other than work. And finally, the injuries that were too close to being lethal made Price come back to the conversation about retirement. Long meetings, advice, and possibilities to stay in the army were shared between Price and Laswell during the last months before the final decision was taken. Pairs of eyes were looking at Kate as if anticipating to hear anything a woman had to say that evening.
"Lieutenant Simon Riley, you are promoted to the captain of Task Force 141 effective today," Laswell looked at Ghost who was sitting opposite to her, as a smile hid on the edges of her lips. Everyone knew that there was no other man on the base who could fit into the role of a new captain of 141 other than Simon. He had been a lieutenant for way too long, and it was time to move further, even if not with his senior by his side.
"Uncle Si! I wanna be like you when you grow up," Liam's voice interrupted the man before he could even say anything. He looked up at the older man with nothing but admiration in his eyes, bringing out the softest side of Simon's soul under the pressure of a child's gaze.
"You will be better than me, Liam," A soft smile was painted over Simon's face, as he watched little Price sitting on his lap. The brown eyes were sitting at a child for a while as if Riley was promising himself to keep Liam protected from the evil that was hiding just around the corner in our large, tough, but at the same time full of good people world. For a quick moment, he felt the well-known warmth of the blue eyes as his memories took him back to the dark days in Las Almas.
And even if Johnny and Kyle were not at the table with the rest of them, the two sergeants had their forever reserved seats inside of the minds of everyone sitting at the table. The sharp pain of loss got number with each passing year and was replaced with a nostalgic smile full of sadness.
The hot summer sun was nowhere to be seen in the dark sky, as the night fell onto the English countryside. The laughter of the company was mixed with the voices in conversation for the whole night until they all had to learn to live in a new reality. Nothing can ever stay the same forever. Things change way too fast, no matter if we like it or not. But in the end, there is nothing but hope inside of our hopeless minds, that every hard decision was made for the best result.
And just like that, we have reached the end of the story. I would like to thank each and every single one of you for ever view, vote, and comment. I hope you enjoyed the story! I do have plans for the future stories on my mind (yes, already, hahah). And I might be back with the story about another COD man faster than you start missing me. Sending lots of love to you guys!