Malachi just wanted to set food on solid ground again. Five weeks on a boat was bad enough, five weeks on a boat in Somalia... that was what nightmares were made of. Five weeks on a boat, in Somalia with little to no contact with his wife who was having nightmares before he left. It was a living nightmare that he just wanted to get back home from. The journey back was slow, slower than slow mostly because he knew they were going home. A few were injured when training had gone wrong and Malachi hadn’t a clue what Lizzie had heard or knew from the mission.

Not that he could say much on it but all he wanted to do was have his feet on the ground again. His stomach had taken enough of a battering already and actually eating much more than a basic meal without feeling like the world was moving. Yeah he was looking forward to just having breakfast without the not so gentle sway of a high sea or wave. He had managed to leave a garbled voicemail for Lizzie with the twenty seconds of phone time he had, he wasnt even sure if it made sense to her though it was the time and date he was supposed to be back on land again.

In true Navy fashion, he was late. He couldn’t help the passing attempt at sarcasm muttering if it was the army at least they would be on time as he managed to step off the ship. He had a few days to himself now as he held his bags trying to move through the sea of people. It was another thing he hated at times, the volume of people that could be on a navy pier at times. Families, military personnel and everything that went with it as he tried to side step the happy greetings and hugs.

Nope, not his thing at all. All he wanted to do was to get home and see Lizzie but at this rate the side stepping and dodging people. It had him wanting to jump right back into the ocean to make a swim for safety. Noise, voices, people it just wasnt very good for an ex mossad agent who valued quiet, calm and empty space as he stuck to the edge of the group of people attempting to make a quick exit. Rather a slow walking side stepping pace to avoid as many people as he could as he wondered if Lizzie was there or not.

He couldnt see her so far as he figured maybe his call hadn’t made it as he wanted to get the nearest taxi home. See how she was and how the last five weeks had been for her all the while hoping she wasnt any the wiser as to what the training exercise had done. It was a possibility right that his wife that knew everything wouldnt know this? Yeah he had hope... and prayers for it.

Tag: Lt. Col. Elizabeth Dovev

When training went wrong in Tierney, naturally everyone in Tierney knew about it before the sun went down. In true military fashion no one said anything to anyone else, though everyone knew something. Liz knew that her husband was not a fan of boats or Somalia. She knew it was going to be a few rough patches ahead. Maybe he wouldn’t take it out on her. Ha, yeah right. She was used to being his sounding board for his ill moods when things went south. Then again what were wives for really?

It was Gabriel who found Malachi first and went running towards his dad. Lizzie wasn’t far behind with Zohara in one hand and Sachi in the carrier. Elizabeth went to greet Malachi and the first thing she did after hugging him was check him over to make sure she was okay. It was the medic training in her. When she was enlisted she had been a first response medic; and that part never really left her.

Though Liz knew what happened it was hardly the right time to tell him she knew the whole truth. “You’re home.” It was more a statement of relief than a statement of fact. Even her hug said as much. Lizzie didn’t want to let go. The cold winter air even at the port of Charleston was nippy. Liz of course had driven out here to Charleston with the kids because flying though faster was much more difficult with three kids. “It’s good to have you home M’henet.” Before she realized what she was doing she was locking lips with him. She’d missed him.

“I booked a hotel in Charleston for the night. I figured the drive home could be tomorrow when everyone is well rested.” It wasn’t out of the ordinary for her to do that; but she wanted to tell him what was going on and that seemed about a good a place as any to start. Gabriel hugged onto Malachi’s leg and Zohara had her arms stretched up in the air like she wanted to be picked up. Lizzie just chuckled. “They’ve missed you too.” She pointed out quietly.

She wanted to ask how the ships XO was doing but decided that was best left for another time. Liz was friends with a good bit of the field officers. It wasn’t like she didn’t fly with the strike group when the need arose. Lizzie finally wiggled herself where she could walk with her head on her husband’s shoulder. He was home so all was content with the world.

Tag: Sgt. Malachi Dovev

Somalia was his least favourite place in the world and this time a boat trip added to that, yeah it wasnt like he was making friends there anytime soon. No planes, boats, cramped quarters. All a nightmare to him and a place he hated for obvious reasons, it wasnt about to be a fuzzy warm few weeks to readjust. Malachi knew he was a nightmare at the best of times but when he was on edge or wasnt himself it was more so. He tried not to take it out on family but then when he had an idea in his head and he became over protective or just unbearable then sure. Family came off worst.

Malachi smiled seeing Gabriel, a sight for sore eyes as he dropped his bags where he stood and bent down to hug their son. Letting Gabriel go after a moment he hugged Lizzie doing the exact same thing she was doing to him. He had left her and he wanted to make sure she was alright, after all he knew how things had gone before he left with the nightmares. He just wanted to make sure his wife was as alright as she could be.

Her hug meant everything as he didnt want to let her go at all, he didnt want to let any of them go though he knew it was impossible not to. “I’m home. No place I’d rather be than home.” He said which was more than could be said for the few who would be stuck with medical leave or hospital in the case of the XO. No he was glad to be home and able to walk off the ship in one piece. “It’s good to be home Ahavat.” He mumbled against her kisses, honestly five weeks on a ship and if it wasnt for the children he would have made sure to have left the dock pretty quickly.

Then again kissing his wife was all he could ever have wished for as his arms wrapped around her. Malachi smiled at the mention of a hotel, a soft bed, his family and rest what more could a guy want? “That sounds perfect but you shouldn’t have driven this far Lizzie, I could have made it back to you guys.” Malachi said as he realised how it might sound. “Not that I dont want to see you I just don’t want to stress you with driving but I’m glad you’re here.” He said honestly not knowing what he would do if she wasnt there.

With Gabriel hugging his leg Malachi saw Zohara stretch her arms up in the air. “I’ve missed them too, I wish I could have stayed home.” Malachi said honestly as he reached to pick Zohara up as he hugged her. "I've missed you all so much." He stated before reaching for his bags that he placed over his free shoulder. “Hang on Gabriel and don’t let go.” He said as he moved his leg to walk as he smiled feeling Lizzie’s head on his shoulder as he glanced toward Sachi. “How’ve you been?” Malachi asked as he placed his arm around her as best he could while trying to balance bags and kids. “Honestly.” He added not wanting a line or an ‘I’m fine’ when he knew that it wasnt fine when he had left.

Tag: Lt. Col. Elizabeth Dovev

Lizzie knew that a few months at sea was a tight spot. So, she hardly was going to bring it up but she knew too much about what had happened on that mission. Elizabeth was no fool and she’d seen the the faces of those who had lost their loved ones on this mission. Ones who would bury an empty casket for closure since the body was buried at sea. Though she tried not to think about things as she hugged Malachi close to her.

Hearing she shouldn’t have driven the few hours, she bit her tongue a bit. Was he really going to go there now? The drive hadn’t stressed her out but she wasn’t about to point that out and start a fight. She just buried her head going quiet so he couldn’t read her eyes. The eyes told everything. Though she soon watched Gabriel and his sisters with Malachi and smiled. They meant everything to her.

Liz’s medical leave was up. That was a good thing but she wasn’t about to bring that part up, it would be full of mixed emotions. “Just like every other deployment, making the best of everything.” She figured that was as close to ‘fine’ as she could get and still be honest without poking the bear. Fine to Liz was always relative. Where as she knew Malachi drew a line and sitting on the line didn’t manage to constitute fine.

Sachi was walking now and starting to try and chase her siblings. Malachi and Lizzie had both been there for first steps for Gabriel but Lizzie had been deployed when Zohara started walking. Now Malachi had missed Sachi’s and Liz knew how much hearing the good news would just sting. Moments that no one could get back. Lizzie clicked the door to the family SUV open and started getting kids in their car seats tossing the keys into the driver seat.

Tag: Sgt. Malachi Dovev

Malachi didnt want to start arguments with her, far from it and he was happy that she was there but given what had happened on the mission. He wanted to keep her away from any sign of unhappiness, the less she knew about it the better even if he knew there was no keeping it from her entirely. He had seen a few of the sad faces there already, the faces that were waiting for that person to step off the boat and it wasnt going to happen. Not this time which sure ate at him but he tried not to show it as he had seen others go to help them.

He wasnt exactly the person you wanted around when you were upset, no Malachi wasnt the greatest with upset people. Lizzie’s eyes said everything and the fact she was keeping hers hidden, yeah he knew he had messed that bit up already though being caught up with the kids distracted him for a moment. At least if he was playing with the kids then he couldnt be opening his mouth and doing the wrong thing. Sure he could multitask but maybe not right at that moment he was just glad to be home.

“Are you sure?” Malachi asked feeling that there was something missing there but then right now he was just happy to be there with them. Deployments didnt matter, where they were going he couldnt care less just as long as he had his family there it was alright with him. The one thing he did know was when Lizzie avoided the word fine, she wasnt fine and that there was something he was missing. It was like reading between a very blurred line, sure if she said fine he would have discounted it. Not saying fine had the same affect so really he wasnt about to figure fine on any level.

It was then he saw it, he had seen Gabriel and Zohara chasing each other before but Sachi, not her. It took him a minute to realise as he smiled and watched them though he couldnt deny the sting he felt. The proud parent of a kid who had taken their first steps to find out that he hadn’t been there to see them. Two out of three wasnt too bad though? They had each missed one so it was only fair he told himself even if it hurt to even think he had missed it. "I missed it." He stated in a defeated tone though he knew he couldnt be there for everything, it didnt make it any better. While Lizzie started to get the kids into their car seats Malachi placed his things in the boot hesitating for a moment as glanced back to where he had walked from.

He could see one of the family members of the guys in the rib that hadn’t made it being escorted away in tears. “Lizzie.” He announced loudly as he shut the boot of the car and hurried around to the side of the car where she was. He reached out his arms for her not really caring what he hugged or where he hugged, leg, arm, ear it was all the same because it was attached to her. The same rule when for his kisses that followed, he wasnt an overly emotional person but thinking that it could have been Elizabeth, that he could be waiting like that.

Tomorrow was different but today, today he wanted to hear her say something to make things seem less distressing. “Tell me, just for today that you’re not going back to work. Just for today, I want you to tell me you’re not a Lt Colonel, you’re not going back and you’re just going to be my Lizzie and not flying anything but a car.” Malachi stated between kisses, yes it was what he wanted to hear but then again he knew it wasnt happening any time soon but to pretend for one day. Yeah that was all he wanted, one day that he didnt have to worry about losing her. Somalia messed with him and that was clear enough to anyone that knew him.

Tag: Lt. Col. Elizabeth Dovev