A Living Shield (John Price x OC/Reader slowburn)

1) 13 Months Prior

[Song 🎵: Supermassive Black Hole - Muse 🔂]

Your mind reeled back, back to when the 141 was not yet your family. When none of you even knew each other. And as your relived your memory, you could almost feel the breeze that swept up your braided hair. The loud droning of helicopter blades above you, the weight of your body being pushed into its seat as the high altitude strained your ability to talk a little.

You were strapped in well enough when you got picked up, but the flight had proven longer and more tiring than you initially were expecting. The pressure of the seatbelts around both your shoulders, both sides of your waist and the one strap between your legs were starting to ache. You could feel the need to get up and move just about any limb sporadically to shake the imminent feeling of restlessness.

"Didn't take you for a fidgeter, sergeant."

The blonde American woman accompanying you was strapped in into the heli seat next to you.

Fixated to her seat just as heavily as you, she focused her attention on your right leg. You hadn't noticed you were bouncing your knee in an effort to shake of the restless feeling. She'd caught you redhanded.

"Not always ma'am. Only when I have to sit still for longer amounts of time."

Somehow she looked just as much at ease as she did when you just left. 

Her small frame and soft face showed no immediate threat, but you had seen the way she handled the people who had you in service. She might be smaller than you, but she was very much capable of anything she set her mind to clearly.

The way she carried herself in conversation betrayed a fierce opponent. She was a force to be reckoned with in her own respect. You wouldn't say she was scary, but you didn't want to be on her bad side either. You quickly came to the conclusion you liked her.

"I'm aware your file said you had an attention deficit. I assume you know how to keep it in check?"

"I'll admit it is wearing on me Ma'am, but I'm fine. Sitting still for hours in here feels better than the uncomfortable makeshift barracks I was stationed in before."

You scoff a little, at nothing really, while you watch the ocean slowly fade into dry desert scapes. You weren't exaggerating either. Your previous accommodation was anything but comfortable and you weren't going to miss it in the slightest.

"I told you, call me Laswell. I'm not that much older than you. Ma'am makes me feel like my mother."

Laswell gave you a bit of a sideye, all in good jest, but clear enough that it brought her point across. 

"Laswell, not Ma'am. Understood."

"Where we're going you don't always need to be so uptight, Sergeant. As long as you stay respectful."

"I still don't fully understand why you brought me with you ma- Laswell. And no need to call me sergeant, haven't been one in 4 years."

You caught yourself on time there, as you shifted in your seat, battling the cramping nerve in your right thigh.

"Like we talked about before, I know your track record. I know your skillset", she said, lightly waving her hand to accentuate her words, "You were a waste at that rag-tag band of nitwits. We could use you and your talents and bring them to their right."

"And my history doesn't bother you guys in the slightest?"

You raised an eyebrow at her, doubt clouding your mind. Both of you knew full well not many people would be willing to even give you the light of day with the amount of shit you'd been through. And the amount of shit you'd caused.