New Year

A week passed since the Zanzibar Lands Disturbance, it was New Year's Eve and David was in his old family home, wearing his olive M65 field jacket and a pair of jeans with black boots, looking at a picture of him, Kaz and Catherine. He mostly had a bandage covering his right eye and the right side of his face from the fight, he couldn't deny he keeps thinking about that night and it haunts him, every moment from Big Boss's singing to the many people he killed because of it. David then snapped out of his state once he heard Catherine come in with Little Hank, both dressed up nicely.

"He loved that photo." She said, reminiscing on the old memory,

"Yeah…" David replied with a frown, Catherine sat down and tilted her head to tell Hank to step out the room for a minute,

"I miss him too but he didn't die in vain, he died leaving behind two wonderful people he raised on his own. Even though our childhood wasn't ideal, Dad was a mother and father in one man." She said to him,

"Cat…the last thing I said to him, I yelled at him because of what he didn't tell me…" David replied, Catherine then gave David a cassette tape with a note with his name on it. David raised an eyebrow and took both the note and tape,

"Dad wanted to give you this…before what happened. It was a Christmas gift for you." explained Catherine as she got up,

"David, I'm always going to be here for you. You're my brother and no psycho is going to tell me otherwise." She said to him with a smile, David got up and hugged his sister,

"I'm going to Holly's party, remember those who matter to you will always be here for you, even when you're unsure where you're going just look up at the stars and you'll find us there." She told him, shedding a tear for him.

"You're the best sister I could've ever had…I never regretted meeting you…" David said to her, he went into his pocket and gave her two envelopes, one directed to Campbell and the other to Meryl and Holly. Catherine then left her brother as David walked up the stairs, heading to his old bedroom. The bedroom hasn't changed a bit since he was a little kid, there still were his comics, his posters of The Terminator, Rambo and Escape from New York and his old action figures. David smiled a little seeing Kaz kept things the same so he sat down on his bed and took out his Sony Walkman. He placed the tape inside and began listening as he opened the note, the song playing in his ears was a tune from his childhood, one that Kaz would sing to him when he was upset, Stand By Me ,

"David,

I don't know where to begin with this letter, there's a lot to explain about this but I decided to tell you everything that you deserve to hear given what's happened recently. I met your parents back in Vietnam, their names were Jack Russell and Tatyana Halley. Jack and Tatyana knew each other before I met them, your dad wasn't all there yet she loved him either and surprisingly, he loved her back. I know it's hard to believe that your psychotic dad once had feelings for someone but your mom was a special woman. Some time after we deserted our countries, Tatyana got pregnant with you, there was a part of Jack that was excited to be a father, especially when our business in Outer Heaven was going good. Hell, I never saw Jack cry but when he saw Tatyana with you in her arms, even this hardened veteran couldn't contain his emotions. I like to believe that there's a universe out there where your parents retired from Outer Heaven, took you to some suburbs and gave you a better childhood. I know you sometimes would wish for that but we can't pretend forever to ignore the facts about life. To try and put this in the best way I could, your dad made lots of enemies and eventually an enemy of ours kidnapped you and the moment really strained their relationship. Once they got you back, Tatyana and Jack figured the best way to keep you safe was by dropping you off in the orphanage you grew up in and having you take your mom's last name. After that, they drifted apart, your father fell into the madness that he would be consumed by and your mother began to hate him for it. Eventually, he did something very unforgivable and Tatyana left to dedicate the rest of her time trying to stop your father. When I left Outer Heaven, your mother wanted me to adopt you so I can train you to one day be able to stop your father, I didn't agree with it. No child should be a tool for the parents to use so I cut off contact with her and raised you to have a childhood, to have a choice in the matter. When you started to be interested in the military, I was afraid they would find you. I spent years raising you away from their war and I didn't want you to be wrapped in their conflict again. I tried pushing you away from it but I guess I pushed you away from me. There's a lot I wish I could tell you but I don't want my words to get you involved in their lives, you may feel like you can't escape him but you have the choice to leave and live your life. I raised you very well and I couldn't be even more grateful and proud to be your father. You and Catherine were the best things that happened in my life after that war and I could do every moment again with you, I would. So what I'm trying to say is David, I love you and whenever you need me, I'll be there for you. I'll stand by you and if you need to cry, breakdown, even curse me out, I'll be there. I'll keep loving you and still hold you like I did when you couldn't sleep. I didn't grow up with my parents entirely in my life but you'll always have your dad with you, Merry Christmas, son.

Love, Kaz." Tears fell onto the letter, that's all David did was just cry because he knew even after all he said last week to him, he loved him still. David put the letter in his pocket with the photo of him, Kaz and Catherine then left the house. Later that night, David drove to Ellen's house to do something he's been dreading to do since last week, David walked up to her house and rang the doorbell. A minute after, Ellen opened the door to see the bandaged David and gave him a hug but to her surprise, he slightly moved her back,

"What's wrong, David?" asked Ellen,

"Ellen…back in Zanzibar Lands, your dad…he gave me no choice. He tried to kill me and I…" hesitated David,

"You what?" She sternly and worriedly asked,

"I…I had to do it…" David said, she got more frustrated and angry with tears coming down her face,

"What did you do…." She asked him seriously, David took a deep breath,

"There-there was a fight and I…killed him." He confessed. She looked at him with sheer anger, she was visibly shaking and only could respond in one way, Ellen punched David in the face.

"You…you bastard! Get out of here! Get the fuck out of here and never see me again!" She shouted as she slammed the door in his face. David sighed in disappointment, he knew she had every right to be upset but wished it didn't come down to this. David simply walked back to his car, got inside and just lit a cigarette as he drove away. Later that night at Holly's apartment, Campbell, Holly and Meryl were watching the New Year's Eve broadcast.

"You're not drinking any wine, Holly?" Asked Meryl,

"Believe me, girl. I drank enough last week." She replied which made Meryl chuckle,

"Can't blame you." She commented, they heard the doorbell ring and Meryl got up to open the door, she saw Catherine and little Hank darting inside, she smiled at her but then raised an eyebrow, questioning one thing,

"Where's David?" she asked, Catherine then handed the envelope directed to Meryl, Holly and Campbell walked towards them and that's when Catherine also handed the envelope to Campbell. The three were confused and decided to open both envelopes, Campbell was shocked by what was inside his envelope, same with Meryl and Holly,

"His resignation papers…" Campbell said,

"He's leaving…for good…" disappointingly said Meryl. Sadness, that's all everyone felt, pure sadness. They didn't need to hear this, they knew he was going through a lot but they didn't want David to leave them but they knew he was his own man and if he felt he needed this then they figured it's for the best. Meryl looked out to the Washington DC skyline, closed her eyes and clasped her hands.

" God, if you're listening out there, please protect David and bring him back to me. Please just protect him in this coming year. " She prayed as the entire city was cheering happily for the new millennium to come, she hoped this new millennium helped David recover from the pain he felt for the past few years and more importantly, she hoped David came to terms with himself.

The End