Secrets and Lies

Reunion

June 11th, 1963
Durham, England, UK

          Under the cover of the tall oak tree standing solitary in the middle of an extensive field, blanketed by moonlight, lay two young lovers; naked and entwined. Their shed clothing served as pillows, a thin blanket draped over them, his feet hanging out. She lay beside him, curled against the warmth of his body; one leg lazily tossed over his as she slept, her head on his youthful chest. He sighed staring up at the moonlight peaking through the leaves above, content as his arms held her close; one arm fell across his body, his hand tangled in her hair, the other pressed her to him, fingertips rubbing small, slow circles into the small of her back. If this was heaven on earth, he wondered what it would be like when he eventually died.

   He felt her stir, a soft whimper leaving her as she moved closer, her fingertips seeking his lips to know he was still there. He kissed them tenderly before turning his head to kiss her forehead as well. This was the love of his life, the girl he was going to marry once he finished basic training. He kissed his way down from her forehead to her nose to her lips, rousing her with a gentle and hushed apology. He knew she could feel his heart beating beneath her fingertips as she began to trace a slow path from his jawline to the base of his neck. Pulling her closer, he smiled as her tired eyes opened; the deep sapphire of those hazel eyes captivated him as it always did beneath this tree.

   "Are you alright," she sighed softly, nuzzling into the crook of his neck.

   "Yeah. I just wanted you closer," he kissed her full lips once more. He felt her smirk against his lips as she moved to lay atop him, the warmth of her pressed to him. He adjusted, trying not to let her feel that he was once again aroused.

   Shaking her head, she got comfortable straddling him; continuing to softly pepper his jaw and neck with kisses as his hands came to hold her wide hips. She was young, full and perfect, a bright future ahead of her; far brighter than his, despite his mother's comments. He would never agree with her though, he could never agree that his beautiful girl was a waste of time, a poor ragamuffin meant to live the same pitiful existence as her parents. He reached up, gripping her hair to pull her lips away from his neck, reveling in her soft gasp as he tugged. He never tugged hard, never enough to cause pain, just enough to stimulate her senses. He nibbled at her neck as she whined, moving to take him once more. His grip on her hips and hair tightened stopping her before he rolled them over and into the dewy grass.

   His claim of her was swift, her sigh life gifting as he began to make love to her. He could smell that familiar perfume, the scent of these nights as he had taken to calling it. It was herbaceous, and woody, with hints of lavender, mahogany, and moss. She smelled like the field they made love in almost every night; of all the dreams and plans they'd made and shared beneath the same stars that watched them now. It was a scent, like the sound of her voice or the beauty of her eyes, that he would never forget. He kissed her collarbones as she moaned, breathing her in deeply; his name falling from her trembling lips...

   "Jim... Jim... I love you, Jim..."

June 11th, 1982
Pacific Grove, California, USA- Present Day

          "James. James... Hey, Conrad, focus!"

   The snap of a pool cue striking a ball brought him back to reality, his sea-glass eyes opening once more as they studied the table. Despite having been out of it, his shot had sunk two of his five remaining balls on the table; only the five and seven remained before he could go for the eight ball. He turned, smirking at his friend and co-worker smiled, and clapped.

   "Now that, that is what I wanted to see. Nice shot, Conrad."

   James took a drag from his cigarette before setting it back in the ashtray Houston Brooks stood beside. When his colleague and newly appointed boss had suggested they head out for the evening after work, James had practically jumped at the idea; a behavior that was vastly out of character for the reserved tracker. This day though, this awful black spot of a day was etched into his memory. For nearly twenty years, he had tried his damnedest to find a distraction from it; anything from meaningless sex, to pool sharking while drinking, to throwing himself into every dangerous mission sent his way. At first, it had been easy; basic training, missions to uncharted territories, the war in Vietnam... The SAS had kept him busy, at least until the second darkest day of his life came to pass.