Somalia had been a beast of another kind. Stephanie had already put her retirement paperwork in. She would see how long this would last. She knew a lot of people who couldn’t handle retiring. Though she still had a few more months until she was let out of things completely. She already knew her replacement and he was a great choice. She was worn out but in one piece. She couldn’t say the same for some of those who had been on the RHIBs. That had been a mass disaster of a certain kind.

Stephanie threw her stuff down at the edge of the front door and made it to about the couch before she collapsed in a heap. It was the relief of being home and just the mess hitting her in ass all at once. She’d not even made it to the kettle to start tea. Yeah, that could wait she wanted to relax and just soak in being home. Though as soon as she opened the door she was greeted by a very eager first grader and toddler. Stephanie wrapped her arms around them as they barreled onto the couch. She buried her head in Aurora’s hair. Yes, she was home.

Tag: Dr. Javan Huntley

Javan hadnt waited long after getting released from the hospital to settle his residual affairs on the coast, sell some land, cash some stocks (amazing how quickly your stocks rose while you were being tortured!).

He had bought an old ice cream parlor, and converted it into his new Veterinary practice. Forced into retirement from his failed psych eval, he did after all threaten to shove the psychiatrists notebook in a place anatomically improbably, so he likely deserved that. Good news was, they had expedited his Medical Discharge, full pension, lots of honors.

But he knew he would go insane if he sat around the house all day. New Tierney Veterinary Hospital had been open for less than a month, and was already booked solid for the next four months, and was being rated as the second best Veterinary Practice in the State.

He heard Stephanie come through the door, and moved out of the kitchen, seeing her he smiled, even seeing how tired she was, and that her mission had gone, less than well. He still hadn't put on all the weight he had lost, and he still looked slightly gaunt, but his face had color, and eyes had their light back.

"Welcome Home. I just put some water on, do you want caffeinated or decaf tea?"

Decaf Tea? Really? No that sounded like one of his pranks. She knew Javan already knew the answer to that. Eh, she could play along though right? She let Aurora out of her arms and picked Robert up putting him on her hip. “Decaf Tea? Are you okay?” She replied pointedly at Javan though the ever growing smirk was going to give way to the fact that she was just playing into him. Stephanie liked to start banter and liked to continue it just as much. “What do you think Rora? Is Daddy turning into a fruit loop?”

Aurora thought for a moment. “Yep! He’s a orange one!” She pointed out the orange shirt that Javan was wearing and started giggling. Stephanie smirked before she decided carefully how to add to the torment of the orange fruit loop, though inevitably decided that was enough of the banter for a moment.

Taking a step forward she smirked. “It’s good to be home. You’d think in 23 years I’d grow some sea legs at some point. Solid ground is a god send.” She wasn’t as bad off as some but it still messed with her center of balance. There were several of her unit who were complaining about the fact their exercise had involved a naval fleet. It was a good thing it had, that had been the only thing that saved their lives when they were leaving the beaches. “I saw the vet clinic opened while I was gone.” She’d been gone for the last three months and they had no contact with their families. Really she would never understand how the navy did it.

Tag: Dr. Javan Huntley

Javan smiled and reached for the mug he placed on the counter near the door.

"My own special blend. Dearly's Black tea, with a touch of Bigalow Mint Medley, to sooth that seasickness i know you still feel. Sweetened with a dab Clover Honey."

Javan was quickly becoming a tea connoisseur. After years of mudlike, sand gritted coffee that had been the only thing he had to drink. Apparently his captors had felt that coffee would make him more likely to talk. He wasnt sure which had been worse, the beatings, or the coffee and broken English used by the 'good cop'.

When she mentioned the clinic he grinned.

"When the State heard i wanted to open a clinic, they jumped on it. A Vet clinic, run by a war hero and a POW who stopped more than one terrorist attack? Talk about Gold Plated Press. I had dozens of politicians who want to try for positions at the next election asking to be there for the 'grand opening ceremony'. Which consisted of me opening the doors, and letting the first patient in. I think there was one reporter, from the base."

He laughed.

"Should have seen the look on Senator Moore's face when he realized he had scheduled an appearance at an event only covered by Base Reporters. Oh wait, hold a second."

He had saved it, he knew he had. With an 'ahah!' of satisfaction, he came back into the living room with a folded up newspaper, The Tierney Daily. On the front page was Aurora and Robert, a close up of their faces with the headline "Base Commander's Hero Opens New Pet Clinic".

Col. Stephanie Huntley,

Stephanie took the cup of tea he offered her. This was why she adored him, he was always one step ahead of her. Most women dreamed of it and others envied it. Oddly enough her family was probably the only thing that kept her going. Stephanie padded over to the couch with her cup after an affectionate kiss place on his cheek. Thank You was still not exactly in her vocabulary all these years later. But he’d get the picture.

As talk turned to the vet clinic Stephanie could tell that Javan had found something to latch onto; to bring things back again. Reporters? Okay probably a good thing she wasn’t here to see that. Though she wished she had been. All in all, it was family and at the end of the day it was important to him.

Though his laughter was contagious and Stephanie was soon laughing about something other than remembering her last some odd months off hell. Radio silence was worse than just being at sea. Emcon was a term she wished never to hear again. She looked at the paper and chuckled. She knew that with her new job would still come deployments so to speak. Her contracting job was going to have her still very much on the base commander’s schedule. “You seem to enjoy the civilian life, Doctor.” She teased smirking from over her cup of tea. "Even when it involves politicians." In Stephanie's mind there was nothing worse than politicians.

Tag: Dr. Javan Huntley

Javan raised an eyebrow.

"There is nothing on this earth more amusing than messing with a politician's mind. They call it Trolling, i think. I have it to be a good way to relax. All the fun of terrorizing your enemies, without the threat of being shot."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a granola bar.

"Here, it should hold you over until dinner is done. I'm making something new. Vegetarian style beans with fresh baked rolls, and a quiche made with some exotic veggies and roots i found on sale at the Base Health Market."