Warrior At My Throat

"I'm off to work mother! I'll see you around 10. I have to run the border tonight, so don't wait up." I ran down the steps and went to walk out the door. Coming to a stop I almost run into my captain. "Oh! Hi Captain Grey what are you doing here? I was just headed to work." Looking around him I notice three large suitcases and the front door open revealing piles of boxes out on our front lawn. "Who's stuff is this?" Captain Grey looks at me with a sheepish grin as he says, "Well actually, it's all mine. Did you mother not tell you, Maria?" "Tell me what? MOTHER! What is he talking about?" My mother walks in from outside and shrugs her shoulders. "I'm sorry Maria, but you always bolt out of the house so fast I barely get to say good bye most days. Plus with you working these extra shifts after the last few attacks I did not want to put any more pressure on you. Grey and I are getting married next month. We have been planning for a few weeks now and I hope you will accept it. He and I really get along well and we are happy together. We both lost our other halves in the war that raged last year and we want to be happy again. I really hope you will accept this new change." She finished her story and stared at me expectantly. I was unable to form a coherent thought and I am sure I looked like a fish out of water, opening and closing my mouth without saying anything. After a few minutes I was broken from my trance by a voice that haunts my dreams. "Hey pops! So is this your new digs? Not staying in the main house for the next few weeks?" "Ash! What are you doing here? You should be at work." Captain Grey turned around and looked at his son, pulling him into a hug. "Well Jean asked someone to see why Maria hadn't shown up yet. And I decided to take the opportunity to figure out what my dad's new house was like and say hello to my future step-mom." He moves from hugging his dad to my mom and glares daggers in my direction. "I'm sorry to make you come all this way. I was just getting caught up with my future step-dad and mom." Turning to my mom I look her in the eyes and say, "I want to remind you I won't be home until 10 so please do not wait up for me. I love you no matter what. I will always support you mom." I give her a quick hug and peck on the cheek as I slip between them and head out the front door. - - - "Sorry I'm late Captain Jean! My mom sprung her marriage on me. I had no idea her and Captain Grey were even in a relationship! I'm the worst daughter ever." I drop to the bench in our locker room and begin changing into my neon pink sports bra, neon pink rain jacket, black leggings and hiking boots. "What border section am I running today?" Captain Jean looks at me with a small sad smile, " Sorry I never said anything, I just assumed you knew." She quickly changes attitude and shows me on the map where I will be running all day, "Looks like you are on the northern border today, running with... Ash! Oh... you are running with Ash, do you need me to change schedules around? It might be hard since most everyone has taken off already but I can reroute someone." She looks at me and cringes. "No its ok. I will survive and I promise I won't kill him." I grab my backpack filled with essentials in case we get stuck out there for the night due to weather and head out of the locker room. Ash is waiting for me on a bench by the training field when I emerge. I can't help it as my eyes wander from his boots up his joggers and bright windbreaker and finally resting on his perfect face. I can't help it, when we are near I feel the pull we have both silenced. "Enjoying the view?" I see the smirk on his face and place a scowl on mine. "Let's go. Do you have your supplies?" Without looking behind me I take of at a brist walk in the direction of our route. "Yes, I have my bag. Do you want to shift now or wait until we are at the border?" Jogging to catch up to me he bumps my shoulder and smirks at me. He subtly holds my hand and my arm lights up with the sparks I haven't felt much in almost a year. Shaking my hand free I look at him in disgust, "Do not touch me. We made our choice, or should I say you made your choice. Just do your job and I will do mine." Stomping off I don't look back until I'm under the cover of the forest. At that point I let out the breath I had been holding for so long and brush some stray hairs from my face. I begin jogging because we need to get to our post and trade out with the warriors that have been on duty all day. "Goddess Maria, slow down! I can barely keep up at this pace