"You sure, Sarge?" Satomura asked.
Linda nodded.
"Yabai. Fuck."
"I know. But on that last mission, I know it might have been just the hormones. Shit, pregnancy is already messing with my head, and I can't seem to stop wanting cheese since getting back Stateside," Linda said with a soft laugh. "But in that village... I think I reached my limit. It's not saying I'm done forever, but I can definitely go a few years without smelling gunpowder or kicking in doors."
"Hey, I totally get it," Orkin said. "Besides, you'll be doing something even harder than riding herd on a fire team. You'll be a mom. That's… whoo, if you've got any chips to call in with upstairs, just pray they're nothing like I was as a kid."
"I just hope she's nothing like me," Linda joked, getting more laughs. "Truth is though, I feel good about maybe rotating out after giving birth or whatever. I've proven myself to myself."
"You proved yourself to us too," Hollywood said. "I know Sergeant Adams started me on my path, but you definitely taught me a lot."
"Yeah well, you guys do me a favor," Linda said. "We all know why we're here. I won't be out there on the front lines, not for a while at least. Don't forget why you do it, and don't forget that there's other Lindas and Takeshis and Logans and Simons and yes, even some little Derricks out there that you might be able to help. Keep your eyes out for them."
"Never forget, Sarge." Jackson cleared his throat. "And you don't forget who's going to be keeping you and Superstar safe at night, you feel me?"
"Always will," she promised him. "Even when I'm just pushing paper."
Hollywood laughed. "Paper airplane fights are coming soon to an intelligence office near you! But what about the long term, Sarge? The way you're talking, not coming back down here is one thing, but what about the Army as a whole?"
Linda shrugged, looking into the slightly overcast sky. "Who knows? Remember, I'm technically a single, pregnant woman right now. Now don't you idiots go running off saying you've got tea to spill, but those are facts."
"Yeah, for now," Jackson quipped. "We all saw that man. He might be the linebacker, but you're the one who tackled him. And you're not letting go."
"That might be, but we all know I'm not going to be some football WAG either," Linda said. Clearing her throat before her emotions got the better of her, she asked, "Say, don't you doofuses have work to do?"
"She's right." Orkin checked his watch. "Sergeant Lincoln's going to have our ass for lunch if we don't get those containers re-packed. Besides, you're still going to get a formal goodbye, right?"
"Yeah, I'll be there for end of day formation," Linda assured them. "Major Kirk said he's going to give me the full farewell, so he's probably going to pin an ARCOM(?*) to my chest. Another bit of fruit salad for my dress uniform mostly. In the meantime today, I get to move my gear into the HQ barracks."
"Fun." Satomura gave her a nod. "You deserve a damn medal of honor. Take care of yourself, Sarge."
The squad left, and Linda watched them go before going back inside the barracks. She'd already cleaned so much out, having moved half her uniforms and clothes into Brutus's rented house. But she still had other things to pack up, and without a truck she was going to have to walk everything up to the new barracks.
Starting with her civilian clothes, she started folding and putting them into her duffel bag, figuring she could always dump the bag out in her new room before getting the rest. She was about halfway done when there was a knock on her door, but she didn't look up.
"Crews, if it's about clearing the room, tell the XO that I'll…”
"Use my truck?"
Linda looked up, seeing Jess Adams standing in the doorway, her compact frame and muscular back making it look almost like it was closed with a pass through window open. "What brings you by?"
"My team's doing fine on the op cleanup, so I checked with Nichols, he said I could cut out for a bit," Jess said. "Can I come in?"
"Sure," Linda replied, plucking a blouse off a hanger in her closet and looking at it. "No way am I wearing this in a couple of months."
"Why?" Jess asked, coming over. "I bet it'd look cute on you."
"Mothers don't wear blouses with this much cleavage showing, do they?" Linda asked, and Jess smirked. "Never mind, you might have a MILF fetish."
"Nah, I still like them nubile and teachable," Jess admitted. "But keep it. I bet Brutus is going to drink you in like a cup of water when you wear it for him. How often do you dress up for him, anyway?"
"Not as often as I'd like," she admitted, folding the blouse and putting it in her bag. "Especially in the past six weeks. He doesn't seem to mind me in ACUs though."
"Then again, he met you in ACUs too," Jess pointed out, taking out a shirt and folding it for her and stowing it in the bag. "I'm going to miss you."
"Whoa, what's this?" Linda joked, looking askance at Jess. "I thought Muscle Mommy didn't have time for soft feelings, at least during duty hours."
