Flashback XV

Sheldon was glad Michael's Delta Company and his Charlie Company were on a mission together

—their first since joining MARSOC. He was also glad that Michael was holding his own without him, he worried about his friend and brother, but he also didn't want to be an eternal crutch. But just their luck the first time they team up as MARSOC unit leaders they would be sent to the "most secure" Taliban stronghold in Baghran. Their mission on paper was simple: break the Taliban's grip on the settlement which lies on the northeastern tip of Helmand province.

Sheldon was proud of the work he and his fellow Marines were doing, especially after the schoolhouse hostage rescue. They spent the next month clearing Farah province of Taliban insurgents—but as Sheldon told his Marines in Iraq, insurgents are like roaches they'll be back—so how long will they stay away this time he doesn't know.

As the two companies of Marines board their transport helicopter in Farah for Baghran, Sheldon is comforted in knowing that this mission has CAS capabilities. That should in theory make their mission easier, but in a war, theory and practice never tend to mirror each other.

Charlie and Delta Company are the only two airborne-capable units currently constituted within MARSOC so they jump from the Chinook at 15,000 feet, armed with MK18s. As much as Sheldon and Michael wanted at least one sniper unit on this mission, General Kennedy overruled them both saying that Baghran was a mostly barren landscape so direct engagement was the best way forward.

All 26 parachutes open and all Marines land—some more gently than others—safely.

"Jesus, Pearson, how did you ever pass jump certification?" Michael ribs his squad mate, Sergeant Evan Pearson, for his less-than-stellar touchdown.

Pearson smiled wryly, "They thought I'd be nice cannon fodder."

The gathered Marines including Sheldon laugh as they fold up their parachutes, they know Pearson has an exemplary record in the Corps. Once the chutes were put away, the Marines start the trek into the city—if it can be called that—they approach the main road leading into the city and Wiggins quips, "Damn, looks like a ghost town."

That's when Sheldon hears footsteps in the distance. He scans the area, there's a building 150 yards away, "Take cover in that building!" Sheldon orders, "I hear footsteps, lots of 'em. Move!"

The Marines run into the building and once inside Sheldon and Michael make for the nearest window with a view of the main road, the others are stationed near the other doors and windows.

Over the next ten minutes, Sheldon and Michael do a head count of the large contingent of 30 headed toward them, and Sheldon scopes out potential engagement points. The two unit commanders can't tell if the group are simply village citizens travelling in a group to mitigate abduction or several Taliban roving "kill groups" on patrol. Sheldon and Michael can only identify weapons—mostly AK-47s and HK MP5s—among those on the group's perimeter. As they get closer, Michael waves over Pearson because he knows Arabic, they hear distant chatter, and Pearson tells them in whispers that they are indeed Taliban fighters. Sheldon tells the group to ready their weapons, they were going hot as soon as the patrol group passes their building in a back ambush. They hear the group pass, and then Michael signals the first group to breach and start firing.

Sheldon is part of the secondary group, there is a brief firefight but because of the surprise ambush, the Marines come out unscathed, although Bryant Wiggins' main weapon jammed and he resorted to using his secondary handgun mostly as cover fire. The Marines approach the group of 30 dead Taliban insurgents cautiously with several watching the group's six under approach. Pearson is the first in Delta Company to make contact, and exclaims, "Score!" As he pulls the head covering back from one of the deceased insurgents.

"That's not a very respectful thing to say, Sergeant," Sheldon tells him.

"Sorry, Lieutenant, but look this is Ahmed al-Saidi, one of two Taliban regional commanders for Baghran," Pearson pointed to the dead body of a Muslim man in his mid-50s, "He was a mainstay during the Soviet-Afghan War, supposedly responsible for killing as many as 122 Soviets personally. In 1995, he joined the Taliban and was crucial to their first administration in 1996 as his unit captured Kabul in the fall of 1996. He was offered a desk job with the new administration but this bastard preferred being on the frontlines. During the first Taliban occupation reportedly he tortured and killed more than 200 anti-Taliban dissidents in central Afghanistan. I'm pretty sure we stumbled upon his supposed elite First Squadron, these are handpicked close allies and experienced soldiers who are known for their ruthless civilian executions." Pearson finished explaining.

Sheldon nods acknowledging their feat of pure luck, "Well, that's great but we're still out in the open, you can fully debrief us once we're back inside. Two men to a body or fireman's carry 'em if you can."

Michael orders several to provide cover as the rest move the bodies. It takes a few minutes but eventually, all 30 insurgents' bodies are moved.

Once all the dead and the two company of Marines were securely inside, Michael clasped Sheldon's shoulder and began to laugh into it quietly, his body shaking after a while. The Marines were somewhat confused by the sudden turn in mood. When Michael finally calmed he wiped away a stray tear and apologised, "I apologise for that, that was unprofessional of me but," he chuckles lightly, "given my experience with Lieutenant Cooper, this," he gestures to the mass of bodies, "Is pretty much par for the course," he then turns Charlie Company, "I'm pretty sure it goes without saying, but life in Charlie Company is hardly dull, is it?" The members of Charlie Company chuckle in agreement. "On our very first mission in Kosovo, we were on a night patrol when we ran into a refugee family of three. We'd been in Kosovo for all of four hours."

Sheldon rolls his eyes, "Michael, as amusing as it is to relive past adventures, we still need to make contact with the village elders. We scored a lucky ambush kill, but soon their friends will come look for them."

Michael nods, and they continue into the city on guard, but thankfully don't encounter any more Taliban resistance. The UN-backed International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) had been in the country since December 2001 and responsible for nation-wide security operations since 2006, so the locals knew to give the Western forces a wide berth.

They meet with village elders to gain consent for what they were going to be doing, and after initial scepticism, they are granted consent. Over the next three weeks, the ISAF cleared out approximately 7,000 residents who were willing to leave to temporary settlements in nearby areas away from Taliban-controlled areas. This was important simply for one reason, it limited civilian casualties, considering what was to come.

The next week and a half, five call teams were created from the two companies of Marines and

spread across a swath of 200 miles of Taliban-controlled territory. Then the CAS shelling began using both AWACS and ISAF intelligence. During the bombardment, Sheldon was reminded of Gunner telling him it was akin to Battleship, during his first tour of Afghanistan.

Sheldon can only hope they are calling in the right targets because the sooner they break the Taliban's grip on their last remaining stronghold in the country the sooner he can get back to his wife, daughter, and unborn child. The latter prospect acts like a balm to his soul more than he realises. If he can make it back, he could see his second child be born. He truly regrets not being there for Charlotte's birth.

After a week of CAS attacks on Taliban strongholds called in covertly by the two companies, 86 injured Taliban fighters surrender to ISAF personnel as Sheldon and Michael and their fellow Marines are recalled back to Farah. Sheldon finds out a week later from a British ISAF military analyst that their CAS attack campaign killed 144 Taliban fighters, in addition to the 30 they were able to ambush. Whether 260 casualties were enough to break the Taliban stranglehold on the village however is yet to be determined mainly due to the fluidity of the enemy. But the fact that they were being recalled seems to suggest they had done exactly that.

Back at base in Farah, Sheldon learns just how effective their call-ins to CAS were; Taliban leaders were ready to agree to peace talks with the Karzai administration and Pakistani leaders. Charlie and Delta companies' call-ins had hampered Taliban recruiting by eliminating two prominent recruiters and several regional lieutenants were among the 144 killed. He and Michael are told to rest up because they would be part of the Southern security offensive come February. As it was, this was the largest swath of allied-controlled area the western-backed Afghan government has ruled over since the initial invasion.

Just after the first week of February, Sheldon is called to the General's barracks for a surprise Skype call with Penny and Charlotte.

Sheldon hears the familiar tones and is told that that was them. He clicks 'Accept'. The images of Penny and Charlotte in t-shirts and party hats appear on the screen and he wants so badly to be back in Pasadena.

"Hi Daddy!" Charlotte waves, grinning perched atop Penny's lap. His daughter looks more and more like her mother by the day with those lips and those bright expressive eyes that are a perfect mixture of both him and Penny. He also notes that more and more of her baby teeth are coming in, his daughter has a beautiful smile and he'll do anything to ensure she keeps smiling.

"Hello sweetheart, how are you?" He responds.

"Good, it's warm, that's why we're in T-shirts. Christmas was warm too. Mommy promises me a white Christmas with Gramma and Grandpa, and with the horsies next year."

He sees Penny redden slightly, "Charlotte, that was a secret." Charlotte giggles, "Oops… sorry, Mommy."

Penny sighs, "She really is your daughter, can't keep a secret whatsoever." Sheldon chuckles, "That just proves my genes are just as prominent as yours."

Penny rolls her eyes, "Whatever," then she smiles; her smile is the balm Sheldon sorely needs to get over all of the death and destruction around him and the loneliness of being without his wife, "Did you get my letter?"

Sheldon smiles, "I did. I was more surprised than anybody, believe me." "Are you happy, though?"

"Very much, but uh, have you uh, oldtay arlottechay etyay?"

Penny laughs, "Yes, and she's surprisingly on board with it. Aren't you, honey?" Penny looks down at her daughter who nods enthusiastically, "Can you tell daddy how you reacted when mommy told you, you were going to be a big sister?"

Sheldon sees his daughter's toothy grin, "I kissed mommy's tummy, and talked to the baby. I told the baby I would be the bestest big sister ever." Charlotte tells her dad.

"So, you're okay with sharing mommy and daddy?" Sheldon ventured.

Charlotte bit her bottom lip, a habit Sheldon knows she picked up from Penny, "No but, Aunt Lisa told me that as the big sister I get to be the boss of them," she says with what Sheldon can only decipher is borderline evil glee, he chuckles.

"You don't condone this do you?" Sheldon asks Penny. "Not really, but she's taken it remarkably well."

"I miss you, Daddy," Charlotte says suddenly, tears welling.

"Oh sweetheart, I miss you, too. But I'll be home by the time the flowers start to bloom." "Really?"

"Would I lie to you?" He asked.

Charlotte holds up her pinky to the screen, "Pinky promise?"

Sheldon chuckles and repeats her gesture holding his pinky up to the screen, "Pinky promise. But you have to be good for mommy until I get back, with a new baby coming she needs your help, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." Charlotte nodded, "I'll be really good."

Penny mentally rolls her eyes, their daughter had Sheldon wrapped around her tiny little finger—at least virtually. "I miss you too, honey, and I didn't get a pinky promise," she says with amusement.

"I'm afraid Penny, what I want to give you will have to wait."

Penny sighs dramatically and sticks her lower lip out, "Oh poo, I guess I'll just have to wait." Sheldon chuckles, "Yes, but trust me, Penny, it will be epic."

Penny has to suppress a shudder, more than 7,500 miles away and through a damn computer screen, Sheldon still has the ability to make her yearn for his touch. Damn him. She sees Sheldon smirk indicating that knows exactly where her train of thought is. Luckily, Charlotte is there to remind her to be discreet. She takes a breath, "Well, honey are you ready to wish Daddy an early Happy Birthday?"

Charlotte looks up and nods excitedly.

"On the count of three, okay? One, two, three!"

"Happy Birthday, Daddy!" Penny and Charlotte shout happily.

Sheldon's heart melts and he smiles, before he thanks both his wife and daughter for their kind words, "Thank you, my loves."

"Wave bye to Daddy, honey, we've kept him long enough," Penny tells Charlotte. Charlotte waves but it's clear she doesn't want to say goodbye just yet.

Penny notices this and says, "Don't worry honey, Daddy will be back before you know it." Charlotte nods and waves more enthusiastically. "I love you, Daddy!"

"I love you too, Charlotte," Sheldon replies, feeling a pang of guilt for making his daughter feel the way she did before Penny's reassurance—he saw the sudden change as well.

"I love you too, Sheldon. Remember to come back, honey. I want my present," Penny joked. "I love you as well, Penelope. And believe me, I sorely want to give you your present." Penny laughs, "Okay. Say bye to Daddy, baby. He needs to get back to work."

"Bye Daddy," Charlotte says as Penny and Charlotte wave to him again, and he waves back. The longer they linger the harder it'll be so he reluctantly hits 'End'.

Once Sheldon hung up, Penny led Charlotte out into the living room where her mom and dad, Mary and Meemaw were waiting. The family had come to spend some time with Charlotte and help Penny plan a potential move after Sheldon gets back. Missy couldn't make it on account of her being on her honeymoon.

Her sister-in-law had met an oil executive named Joshua Harrington last summer and fell head- over-heels and the couple had organised a quick family-only wedding. Penny couldn't have been happier for the pair. She and Charlotte attended the wedding in Houston with Charlotte being chosen as the flower girl. That wedding certainly took her mind off of Sheldon for a few days.

"You and Charlotte were in there for a long time," Wyatt remarked. "Yeah, well, none of us wanted to end the call."

"That's understandable dear," Susan tells her daughter while walking over and picking up her granddaughter.

"Charlotte and I just want him home."

"Daddy says he's going to give Mommy her present when he gets back," Charlotte tells her grandmother oblivious to the horrified look on her mother's face.

The older adults look at Penny and chuckle, "Did he now?" Meemaw asks rhetorically while smirking at Penny. Penny just wants to crawl into a hole and never come out.

"Yep, he also said he'll be back by the time the flowers bloom," Charlotte tells Meemaw from Susan's lap animatedly, "He made me a pinky promise!"

"That's good going, Charlotte, your dad always did like to be tied to agreements," Meemaw compliments her great-granddaughter.

"Why would you tie Daddy up? Was he bad?" Charlotte asks confused.

The adults including Penny chuckle, "No honey that just means he likes to know what he's doing," Penny explains.

"Oh."

"Did you talk about anything else?" Susan asks.

"We had a brief talk about the baby," Penny confirms.

Wyatt chuckles, "You didn't tell him you were thinking of moving?"

"No Dad, he has more pressing matters to worry about. It just sucks that the elevator is just now fixed and we may only be using it for a few more months," Penny laments.

"I can tell you I'm sure glad it's fixed," Meemaw chuckles.

"Me too, I like pressing the buttons!" Charlotte interrupts causing the family to laugh.

Penny is thankful for Charlotte's curiosity, it certainly makes her life as a mom more entertaining, but also it helps to relieve the loneliness of being without Sheldon; mostly because she can see bits of his personality in Charlotte and that makes it seem like he's closer. Penny never had that kind of connection with anybody before.

Flashback

October 2003

"So… how'd it go?" Valerie pressed Penny for the latest gossip about her best friend's love life. It was another Sunday night in her friend's dorm room, and Penny had been very popular since she made her brief appearance at the barbecue.

Penny blew out a breath, "I dumped him."

Val's jaw dropped, "What, why? The two of you made such a cute couple."

"Turns out Mr. You're My One And Only had two other girls he was seeing," Penny said disgustedly.

Val heaved a heavy sigh, "Oh come on, Penny I think you're overthinking this."

Penny scoffs as she pulls out a textbook, "Easy for you to say, you have a boyfriend who supposedly dotes on you, although I've yet to see it because I've yet to meet him."

Valerie smiles at the sarcastic tone in Penny's voice, "Oh sugar, Mike's coming by tomorrow he would have made an appearance sooner but he was down in Texas visiting a friend. But back to the topic at hand, Penny, this was the fourth guy you've been out with and none of them stick. What happened to 'New year, new Penny'? This is starting to look a lot like high school all over again."

Penny stuck her tongue out at Val, "Great, does that mean I'll work my butt off for three years

only for you to swoop in and take it?" She asked sarcastically.

"Oh my God… I've apologised a million times already about that, let it go!" Val threw up her hands.

"Nope, not until it stops being funny," Penny grins.

Val narrows her eyes at the other blonde and then throws a pillow at her.

"Hey!" Penny exclaims as she glares back at her friend and throws the pillow aside. "Is for horses," Val replies innocently, batting her eyes.

"Tell me again why I'm friends with you?"

Val laughs, "Because I'm delightful. Now, what was wrong with Ryan?" "He's an idiot."

"He's on the football team!"

"And also dumb as a rock," Penny reiterated. "But he's gorgeous!" Val argued.

Penny huffed, "Val, last night at dinner we were talking about his class schedule which included an Intro to Physics class which I'm putting off until the very last minute, thank you very much; and he thought 'isotope' was how they say 'ice on top' in French. I'm not a rocket scientist, and I don't claim to be the smart one, but I'm so sick of stupid guys. If I'm gonna follow your new year, new Penny rule then I'm adding no more idiots to my list of must-haves."

"Talk about your drama queen," Val mumbles under her breath. Penny whips her head to Val sharply, "What was that?"

Val's eyes go wide, "Nothing," she replies nervously. "Okay, so you want a guy that is," Valerie starts to tick off on her fingers, "tall, because I've never seen you date anybody shorter than you; can make you laugh, I figure that was the only reason Donnie made the cut; treats you right, that's why three college guys have struck out with you so far; is cute or handsome, I'm glad you've expanded your net; is responsible, I'm assuming you do not want a repeat of the Drew Haden situation—"

Penny snorts interrupting Val's musing, "You mean taking me out in his dad's car that had expired tags then told the cop that pulled us over, 'Relax guy, if you let us go I'll bring the precinct a box of Krispy Kreme's tomorrow.' Hell no."

Val nods and begins again, "And now you want to add smart to the list. You sure you just want smart, why not just aim for the moon and find a genius?"

Penny rolls her eyes, "You know what Val… bite me."

"Oh honey, I would but we don't have an audience," Val replies cheekily.

Penny sighs, and opens up her textbook trying valiantly to ignore her best friend.

The next day Penny was meeting Val for lunch after class when she saw someone already sitting with her friend. Must be that boyfriend of hers, Penny thought as she walked up to the pair's table. Once she got closer she had to admit her friend's new squeeze is pretty hot—and aside from that one incident with Colin Jones during sophomore year and that egotistical bitch Gwen Donaldson, Penny really wasn't the boyfriend-stealing type. "Hey, Val," she greeted.

Val stood and introduced, "Hey Penny, meet Michael Clarke, my new boyfriend. Mike, this is my best friend Penny Teller, the one I've told you so much about."

Michael stands and extends a hand with a smile, Penny takes it and shakes it, "So, you're the famous Penny. I gotta say, you look much better than Val described you."

Penny looks at Val with a smirk, "Really, and uh, how did she describe me?" "Well, blonde, green eyes, cute smile; she said imagine her but with green eyes."

Penny laughed and sat down as the couple across from her did too, "You are a riot, Val." They order and as they wait, Penny says, "Val says you're a Marine?"

Michael nods, "I enlisted when I was 17, that was six years ago."

"Thank you for your service. My dad volunteered for the Army in Korea when he was 19," Penny tells him.

Michael is unsure how to respond so he just smiles, "So Penny, seeing anybody?" "Michael!" Val admonishes, slapping him on the chest.

"What? It's a valid question, a girl like her should be dating somebody." "Well, she's not!" Val hisses.

Penny finds this adorable, they're already arguing like an old married couple, she wants what they have, if she can find somebody. She clears her throat to save Michael from himself and Val, "I just broke up with somebody yesterday, I'm not looking for anything right now."

"That's too bad, but keep looking Penny, I'm sure the perfect guy is out there somewhere," Michael encourages.

Val bites her lip to keep from laughing, "Our dear Miss Penny here, has really high standards. Like pole vaulting high standards."

Penny kicks Val under the table for that.

"Ow! What was that for, I only speak the truth, Penelope." Val bats her eyes at Penny innocently. "Are you two always like this?" Michael chuckles, gesturing at the pair as their food arrives.

Val turns to him unimpressed, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Michael holds up both hands in surrender, "Hey, nothing. It's just you guys act more like sisters than friends. You remind me of my sisters pretty much to a T."

"Well, we have been friends since eighth grade," Penny says as if that explains everything.

Michael nods, wisely keeping his mouth shut. This was one of those girl-only things that guys aren't supposed to be privy to. But so far, Val and Penny also remind him of him and Sheldon. A thought strikes him as he continues to watch Val and Penny interact; his girlfriend's best friend could just be exactly what his buddy needs. But he knows more information is needed.

Later that night, Penny had to admit Val found herself a good guy. It's a far cry from how she remembered Val in high school. Unlike her, Val thought guys were merely whimsical playthings for her entertainment. She dated as much as Penny did but never had an "official" boyfriend while they were at Central High. Penny thought their meet-cute story was the stuff of Hollywood movies, hearing Michael tell it, was absolutely precious.

He had just returned from Afghanistan and was settling back in for a few months before shipping off again, and was at Starbucks when walking out he bumped into Val who was walking in. In the subsequent collision, he spilt his iced coffee down her shirt, and she yelled at him for being a klutz and for ruining her shirt. He apologised, then offered to buy her a new one and she accepted on the condition that he gives her something to wear in the meantime, at which point he took off his top shirt which was a plain olive green shirt leaving him in a white undershirt, which she put on and tied the helm into a knot, then they went to the mall. One $25 top later, he asked her to dinner and she accepted. The rest is as they say history. As Penny went to bed that night, she hoped for her own meet cute forever moment soon.

In bed that night, Penny dreams of calloused hands holding her, soft lips kissing her, those same lips saying something that makes her laugh almost to the point where her stomach hurts. She dreams of heated arguments, and passionate makeup sessions afterwards. She dreams of trains, the gun range, parks and museums. She dreams of writhing underneath a long, lean-toned body in utter pleasure but there's no face. She jolts up from her bed and notices that she is sweating and breathing heavily. "Holy crap on a cracker." Penny gets out of bed and heads for her mini fridge for a bottle of water. As she chugs the chilled bottle of water, she desperately wants to find the face that goes with those hands, lips, and body. She briefly wonders if it was Michael she was dreaming about but she quickly dismissed it since Michael is broad-shouldered and not lean. As Penny gets back into bed, she hopes to get back to the dream and then tomorrow she'll begin her search.