Expendables- Devil's Ax

Chapter 20

Rose awoke to the gentle touch of Gunners hand on her shoulder. She looked forward at the wall and didn't say anything. Her heart began to race a his grip tightened a little.

“It's time,” he said in a low voice. Rose nodded her head slightly and took in a deep breath. She heard a light sigh from Gunner as he rose to his feet and made his way to the door of the bedroom. Rose counted his footsteps, but then he stopped. Gunner glanced over his shoulder and sighed again. He knew it was a possibility for him to not come back, but he knew that was . But it still didn't make it easy. He now had a reason to come home. He had Rose.

Gunner made his way through the apartment and to the walkway that led to the door. As he slipped on his boots and stood up, he felt something tug on his shirt. He turned around to see Rose looking at the floor, her hand clenching onto his jacket. He turned around faced her, and for several seconds, they stood there in silence. But suddenly Rose moved. She stepped up to him slowly, and reached to wrap her arms around the back of his neck. She looked him in the eye and gave a pained smiled.

“Please come back,” she said in a weak voice as tear began to fill her eyes.

“I will,” he said in a low voice. His strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her in tight. She buried her face into his chest and took in a deep breath, he had been drinking again, she could smell it. But it no longer bothered her. She had grown used to it.

“You’ll be there when we get back, right?”

“Yes,” Rose said.

“Good,” Gunner said with a grin, “I’ll see ya then.”

“Goodbye,” Rose said a he began to turn away.

“No,” his voice was stern but still soft. “It’s no ‘goodbye’. It’s ‘see ya’.” His hand cupped her face and pulled it up so she could look him in the eye.

“ You only say goodbye when you know you won't see me again.”

The first few days were awkward and rough without knowing someone was there with her. She tried to act like everything was normal, but it wasn't. She was used to having everyone around, or seeing one of them in hall. Her mind was clouded and all over the place, it made it hard to function even. After those three days were over, she was no longer showing up to work late, or messing up orders. She woke up early everyday and tried to keep herself busy. Tool showed up a few times here and there to check in on her. She had dinner with him a few times and even talked to him about a new tattoo. Before she knew it, a week had passed. She knew she wouldn’t really hear from the guys, but she had gotten a call from Barney and Gunner, telling her how it went, and when they would home. It wa nice to hear their voices again. Even if it was over the phone.

Rose leaned on the hood of her car and smiled when she heard the rumble of the plane overhead, and within a few seconds, he saw the old beast begin her descent to the runway. Rose pushed herself off of her car and began to walk over to the building. She walked in through the side door and closed it behind her as the plane pulled into the hanger. Rose crossed her arms and waited for the ide door to open. Caesar was the first one out.

“Took you guys long enough,” Rose aid in a joking voice, her eyebrow raised.

“Not my fault,” Caesar said with a laugh as Toll began to push him out of the plane. The back began to open up and Gunner walked down the ramp, his large bag hung over his shoulder. Without stopping to put anything down, he walked right over to Rose and aloud his bag to fall to the ground and her gave her his signature grin, his eye squinting a little. He leaned down as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.

“Get a room,” Toll said in an annoyed voice.

Gunner stood up and raised his eyebrows and looked over his shoulder.

“Do I hear jealousy?” He asked with a grin.

“Disgust, you old man,” Toll said under his breath but loud enough for Gunner to hear.

Gunner only chuckled and wrapped an arm around Rose’s shoulder. It didn’t bother him, and it didn’t bother Rose so there was nothing to care about.

The two walked over to the plane and began to help unload when Barney finally made his way out of the cockpit. As he walked by Rose, his hand gripped her shoulder and shook her a little as a hello. She grinned and went back to unpacking a box inside of the plane.