Chapter Text
"Right, what the hell kind of name is 'Soap', eh? How'd a muppet like you pass selection?"
You heard Price state, looking up from cleaning your gun you saw the new guy who was set to join. Fresh faced and ready for battle, you wondered how long that would last. You watched as he passed the C.Q.B with a pretty average time, but he passed nonetheless. After that Price quickly briefed the team on the mission, infiltrating and assaulting a cargo ship in the Bering Strait. He dismissed us to get ready, deciding you wanted to try and get to know the new guy. You walked over to him and fell into step with him.
You remember it wasn’t hard to get him to open up, which was surprising most of the guys here were not up for much conversion. After a while you decided to ask the biggest question on your mind, you asked him about his hair.
“Why did you decide on a mohawk?” You heard him huff.
“Because it was cool…” He mumbled.
"I love ye, y'know that right?"
You could faintly hear Captain McTavish mumble those words under his breath but the sound of the helicopter made you wonder if you heard it at all. What affirmed that it was indeed said out loud was when he took his hand in yours, rubbing his thumb over the back of your hand in a soothing gesture. Who he was comforting, you weren't sure, but you had an inkling it was to ground himself.
You recall It was his first mission as captain and if he was nervous he sure as hell didn’t show it. But you knew him, he often sought some small physical contact as comfort when he was nervous.
It's funny how you remember these things.
You also remember his first mission as captain went off without a hitch, of course, there were hiccups but like he promised nothing happened to you. It was oddly sweet in its own way, he knew you could take care of yourself but he often fretted sometimes (even if he didn't entirely show it).
Another moment you recall with John McTavish was when you two were outside. He was smoking and you were just keeping him company. It was a nice evening, a bit cold but nothing you couldn't handle. You two were talking about anything and everything as you two normally do. Then the topic of living together came up.
"Y'know... I've been thinking after all this is over we need to... do couples things" he chuckled.
"Oh yeah? Like what? I thought fighting in battlefields was good date material," you joked.
"Ah, that's gettin' old... we could get our own place," he suggested.
"Get our own place? What are you suggesting?" You turned to look at him, he was already looking at you with a grin.
"Aye, I'm sayin' we should live together once this is all over and done with, I'm thinkin' out in the fields near a small town, just the two of us," he stubbed out his smoke before leaning against you. He wrapped an arm around your waist and brought you closer.
"Hm, that sounds wonderful... We could get a cat... maybe two so the other one wouldn't be lonely," you suggested, planting a kiss on his lips as you both thought about this fantasy. You'll never forget the way his cheeks turned a bit rosy after that.
Though before house buying the one important thing on John's 'Couples things' list was getting married. Of course, you both talked extensively about it, making sure it was something you both were on the same page on. The ceremony wasn't anything special, just you, John, and a few friends and family to celebrate at John's Parents' house. It was a sweet time, filled with talking and laughing (Ghost and Roach were both raiding the snacks John's mom made).
"Look at you, my little brother gettin' married! Never thought I see the day, thought you were married to the military life for a sec," John's sister teasingly bumped his shoulder. Though she was teasing, she seemed pretty proud and happy for him.
"Aye, never thought I get so lucky, knew I wanted to marry her 6 months in but didn't want to scare her," John chuckled while wrapping an arm around your waist. You just rolled your eyes and nudged his rib and he responded by pinching your hip before kissing your cheek.
But things didn't turn out like you both planned. Luck had to run out someday.
'I won't let anything happen to you,' rings in your head, he never failed to mention it before missions you both went on.
Is that why you were here?
You weren't sure how to explain it. One moment you were with John and Yuri, in that building, something went off and you woke up with someone looming over you.. before it all went black again.
You felt like you were in a different body, and you say that loosely since it still felt like you but a bit younger, less tense. You weakly opened your eyes, the blaring lights of the hospital flooding your vision. You groaned, wincing away for a moment before it felt safe to look again. The bed you were lying on was much softer than the ones back on base.
"Ah, you're awake," you saw a nurse to your left side checking your vitals, she gave you a reassuring smile.
"You were out for a while, almost two months! Had some bloke worried sick about you... Johnny, I think his name was," she started explaining. You never really heard people refer to John as Johnny but whatever at least you knew he was alive.
“Is he okay?” You rushed to ask.
“Yes he’s fine, was discharged a while ago, you were the one to take the most of the damage,” She paused to resume her work.
“Actually he should be coming back soon, doesn’t leave your side unless he needs the restroom, you definitely have a good one,” She chuckled.
Oh, thank god he was okay.
The nurse left you to rest after and you started mulling over what happened.
An explosion happened, you were falling alongside Yuri when it happened. But you couldn't remember much else.
You began to feel uneasy, like you lost a big part of yourself and yet you couldn't explain why. Which was weird considering the nurse just confirmed he was, in fact, relatively okay. While you were mulling it over some more you didn't hear the door opening and the sound of hurried footsteps rushing over to your bed.
"Yer awake!"
You whipped your head up to see your husband, so grateful he was okay. You were almost ready to jump on him but you froze when your eyes finally landed on him. What looked like John, though he was a mildly younger version of him. He was a bit shorter than your John as well, along with sounding vastly different.
That was definitely not your John.
He looked worried and relieved at you. Placing a hand on yours but also trying not to hover around you, you noticed a tattoo on his right arm, John didn’t have an arm tattoo. He decided to just sit down on the chair that was pushed near your hospital bed. Not knowing what to do you took your hand out of his and placed it on your stomach.
That’s when you noticed your simple wedding band was gone.
Replaced with one that had a pearl and a few diamonds.
Whose ring was this?
You were confused and dare you say scared. Scared more than you ever have been in your life and that's saying a lot considering your line of work. But where exactly were you?
"Yer looking at me like ye don't know me, Bonnie," the man broke the silence.
But you didn't know him, you assumed this was the bloke the nurse mentioned.
Johnny.
Wearing the face of your John.
Just what exactly happened?