by Fiona Price
Their plane was coasting over the Japanese forest with thermal cameras, and they had coordinated a search party on the ground. It was a delicate operation, but they were dedicating every resource to finding Shane. They knew at this point it wouldn't be a rescue, it may be a recovery; they might only find a body left behind, but they needed to find Shane and bring him home, nevertheless.
They were running out of hope as quickly as they were running out of forest. Nobody had seen any indications of a presence of humans, no disturbed brush, no freshly broken path. The minutes were ticking away, and Shane's life was on the line. They were hoping for something, anything, any little indication that Shane might be alive, and just before their pilot was going to suggest calling off the search, they found something. They got three distinct heat signals deep in the forest, covered by a dense layer of trees and shrubbery. A metal holding container was covered on all sides by loose shrubbery, concealing the shape and distinct corrugated metal, but it was there for sure. It couldn't have been anything else but Andrei, Vanessa and Shane.
The plane landed and the team of search parties, the task force, and still the NYPD very far from home prepared to storm the place. They knew it was delicate, they knew it was high-risk, but they were so close to victory they could taste it in the swampy air. They began to approach the container in a tactical formation, and Matt and Alissa approached the metal doors. Taking a deep breath, preparing themselves for whatever they'd find inside, and yanked open the doors. They caught Vanessa and Andrei by surprise, they whipped around to meet the faces of the NYPD, Alissa, Matt, Scarlet and Vicki, and drew their guns immediately. Before they could pull the trigger, Matt did and shot them both. They fell to the ground and remained motionless.
The sudden flash of light had temporarily blinded Shane, the sun streaming in in huge beams. He thought the faces of his team was a mirage, angels from heaven, but he realized he was alive, they were real, and Andrei and Vanessa were dead.
It was all over.
"Matt, I'm so happy to see you right now, I could kiss you." Shane exclaimed, once he was free from his chains.
"Man, you got it." Matt responded as he approached Shane. Shane's wife was right next to Scarlet and Alissa, but when Shane saw Matt's face, that's all he could focus on. Without any second thought, Matt grabbed Shane's face and they kissed each other deeply, not caring about the blood, the sweat or the dirt. Their past caught up to them, every passing I love you, every quiet moment they spent together, their times in high school, every time they were there for each other, especially when Kelly died, it was nothing but euphoric to know that Shane was still alive.
"Excuse me, what's happening right now?" Vicki vocalized, confused and in disbelief. She had just been tortured in a muggy, dirty, abandoned factory for two days, and she was watching her husband kiss his longtime work partner (and historically brief lover) instead of her.
"Seems to me like they're finally giving up the act and making out like they should have been for the last five years." Scarlet answered, watching the two partners go at it, for sure. They were both taken right back to that day in college when Shane showed up at Matt’s door and they could barely get a breath in between kisses on his couch.
When they had broken their kiss, Shane moved to his wife, who let the kiss she just witnessed slide, considering the circumstances. She knew that Shane and Matt had a special bond that couldn't be explained so easily, but by no means did that diminish Shane's love for Vicki. It was two different loves, and that was okay with Vicki. She understood. Though, Shane pulled Vicki close to him and breathed in her scent before kissing her, too.
"Is it all over now?" Shane asked, turning to the group.
"Yes, it's all over." Alissa confirmed.
"Good, because I think I have a honeymoon I still have to go on." Shane spoke, looking into Vicki's eyes. Vicki knew that they'd eventually have a honeymoon, but it took him a few years and a few deployments later to even take her out to dinner, so she wasn't expecting anything from him anytime soon. But, Shane finally felt safe enough to take a break, and that spoke to Vicki more than words could.
"How about Barcelona, Vicki?" Shane smiled and offered.
"Take me away, Commander." She spoke, hooking her arm around his. Matt then turned to Alissa.
"I think we need a vacation too, yeah?" Matt asked softly.
"No, I don't know about you, but I haven't been under all that much stress lately." She responded sarcastically.
"Okay, okay." Matt smiled, getting her sarcasm. He loved that about her; they had been through hell, but she still came with a smile and a joke. "I think it's time we head home. What do you think?"
"I think that sounds amazing right now." Alissa responded, grasping his hand, and they all walked out together into Japan. The fight was finally over, and each breath felt liberated. They knew that there would always be evil in the world and they would still have to fight, but they didn't think they'd ever have to encounter something as big as taking down Andrei's operation in their lifetimes again. For that moment, their worlds were finally quiet. They didn't have to look over their shoulder, sleep with one eye open, or watch their words or their laptops for bugs.
They could finally just live.
And that was a damn good feeling.
Epilogue
Alissa and Matt finally were sleeping again.
It had taken a few weeks of restless nights and occasional nightmares before they started settling down and getting back to normal. Or, as normal as they could possibly get. It was rough, but they had each other through their worst nights. Sometimes they talked about it, other times it was silent. And that was okay.
The dawn was breaking, the orange light streaming in through their windows. The sea breeze was blowing through the linen curtains, dancing across their cheeks. The waves crashed against the shore in an easy, calming rhythm as they breathed in and out during their light sleep. They could barely hear Dieter's paws tapping across the hardwood floor as he came into their room and jumped up on the bed, nuzzling their faces and resting in between them. Sleepily, they made room for the dog, who wanted nothing more than to ease back into sleep with them.
In Barcelona, Shane had woken up with the dawn and was making coffee for him and Vicki in the French press. They had all decided to take a six-month leave to recover, and Shane and Vicki decided to stay in Spain to ease their minds and souls.
Vicki was standing out on the balcony in one of Shane's button-up shirts and her socks, leaning over the railing, admiring the streets down below. There were small cars weaving through the ancient cobblestone streets and vendors setting up their stands for the morning with fresh produce and fruits. It was a beautiful way of living, and it helped them significantly in their recovery.
The job had burned out everyone, and the time off was a breath of fresh air for them. They felt renewed, and felt more able to go back to Miami and continue their work on the task force.
Shane walked out onto the balcony and joined Vicki, handing her a cup of coffee made just how she liked it, and his free hand snuck around her waist.
"I like it here, Vicki. I especially like being here with you." Shane spoke with a smile as he looked out onto the street as well, then taking a sip of his coffee.
"I do too. I know with our job, we don't get standard hours or a standard vacation, but I sort of wished we could so we could buy this place and split our time. I really like this place, Shane." Vicki vocalized.
"I know the job is tough. But, how about every year on the week of our anniversary, we travel to a different country? Next year, I'm thinking about Paris. Then, maybe even Dublin. I want to see the world with you, Vicki."
"I think I'd love that. These six months have been amazing. Do you remember that day we spent at the seaside and we spent the entire day painting? Oh my God, Shane, that was my favorite day. But, I know you miss Matt. How are they doing, by the way?"
"Then it's a deal. Every year we'll take a week for ourselves, get out
of Miami. See the world while we're still around." He confirmed, kissing the top of her head. "And, Matt's doing really great, actually. He and Alissa have been living together for the last six months. He says it feels right. I've never heard him say that before, about anyone."
"Do you think they're going to get married?"
"I think so. I don't think they know it yet, though. They've got a lot of life left to live, and I think they're just beginning to settle down together, just enjoying each other. But I can tell that it'll happen soon." Shane answered.
"When are we thinking about going back to Miami, Shane? I'd love to stay here forever, and you know that, but I think I'm ready to go back to the job. How about you?" Vicki asked, knowing that the subject would have to come up.
"Yeah, I've been thinking about that, too. Soon, but not too soon. I kind of want them to visit us out here and we can have a retreat, almost. Get the team back together, get our dynamic back."
Vicki smiled.
"I knew you'd say that, and I'm glad you did. They're on their way now, actually. Their flight left yesterday afternoon. I was going to surprise you, but the cat's out of the bag now."
"Oh, Vicki, really?" Shane asked. "You know me so well."
"I don't think I could ever keep you from your boyfriend." She smiled.
"Yeah, about that-" He chuckled, reminiscing back to the day he was rescued, and he and Matt finally made out.
"Shane, I completely understand. I knew from the beginning, and I knew that was a part of you that was here to stay. I knew that Matty would have a special place in your heart. I know I'm in there somewhere, too. I can share." Vicki smiled in understanding.
It was only a few hours before they heard a knock at their apartment door and Alissa and Matt were standing before them. It was a happy reunion, the first time they had seen each other in half a year. Distance made the heart grow fonder, and they picked back up where they left off almost immediately.
For a week, the four of them wined and dined and toured the city. Being together was wonderful, but they knew that their work hiatus wouldn't last, and they'd have to go back to work soon enough. Though, it didn't make them sad.
As they were sitting on the Villa together, Shane and Matt in the middle, the girls on either side of them, they were laughing and finishing off a smooth bottle of red. Then, as the sun was setting, Matt turned to Shane and met the Commander's eyes.
"You know, Shane, before you know it, we'll be back in Miami doing the usual." Matt spoke as he took the last sip of his red wine.
"Yeah," Shane answered contemplatively with a smile tugging at the edges of his lips. "I can't wait."