FicWad

Disclaimer: Characters in this work (GI Joe/ Cobra) are the property of Marvel Comics, Hasbro
and Devil's Due Publishing, Inc., and are being used without permission. No profit is gained from this site or the use of these characters.


For Nicole Chartre, Your beautiful smile will live in our hearts forever...
I miss you, my friend.


Authors note: All characters are referred to in their actual names. A short list is provided to lessen confusion or questions.
Dashiell Faireborn: Flint
Alison Faireborn: Lady Jaye
Clayton: Hawk
Conrad: Duke
Albert: Alpine
Shana: Scarlett
Wally: Ripcord
Hector: Shipwreck
David: Bazooka
Wayne: Beach-Head
Marvin: Roadblock
Courtney: Cover-Girl
Lonzo: Stalker
Edwin: Lifeline
Michelle : Firewall




Wishes
By Nickelina



An Angel's Wings

Dashiell leaned back in the chair he sat in and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't even explain the way they felt. It wasn't pain or soreness, they just hurt. He closed them and sighed He took off his beret and ran his fingers through his black hair. He just needed a minute by himself. Some much needed alone time.
A song played quietly over the loud speaker. He couldn't place who it was, something slow and jazzy. It was one of Alison's favorites or at least he hoped it was. It was in the CD player that was in her pack. She only took her favorites with her when she was out on mission. He heard people enter the room so he opened his eyes sat up straight and put his beret back on. Alison's brother Caleb was there with some people he didn't recognize. Dash put his hand up, signaling to them that he needed more time alone. Caleb took a few steps back and let Dash have his peace. Dashiell turned his head to the small table next to the chair. Framed pictures from his wedding with Alison were delicately placed on it. He picked up one that captured the two saying their vows. Allie had purposely said forever and always instead of till death do we part. It was the happiest day of their lives. He held on to the picture with a firm grip. He looked down at it again, and then to the silver coffin his beautiful wife lay in.
He wished every second since it happened that he could trade places with her. This wasn't fair. Not to him and not to her. He didn't think anyone was really prepared to die, but for some reason he knew that he should have gone before her. She could have handled it better than he was. In all respects, she was the strongest person he had ever met. He could barely handle being around their family these past few days, how was he going to stand tall once he got face to face with all the people they worked with over the years? This was not going to work. Dash looked around for a way outside. From the window, he could see there was a line just to get in to pay respects. There was no way he was going outside unnoticed.
This must be a dream, a really bad dream and no matter how hard he tried, he could not wake himself up. A few people had taken seats for the service. Clayton was there, Dash had placed him in the front row with her family. He was such a father figure to her all her time in Joe; he would have it no other way. Conrad was near the back talking to Albert who was too shaken up to come to the front to see her. Dash was overwhelmed by the site and took a seat in the second row. He just needed to sit. In the dim of hushed voices he swore he heard Alison talking to him.
"Dashiell... Dash, come over here by me."
He knew she didn't want to be alone at the front of the room. He got up and walked to the coffin. He put his hands on the edge and looked at her. She looked peaceful to say the least. "What's the matter darling? I didn't mean to leave you here alone. I'm sorry. I'll stay right here." He stroked her cheek. It didn't feel like it used to, he didn't expect it to. When he turned around he saw Shana walk in. Snake-eyes took a seat on a couch in the back of the room. When Dash's eyes met hers she gave him a small smile and walked over to him. She didn't say anything to him; she just put her hand on his shoulder and looked over at Alison. Dash reached in his pocket and took out his handkerchief and handed it to Shana. She took it and dabbed her eyes with it, and handed back to Dash.
"I think there is mascara on it." She whispered to him.
"It's ok. I blew my nose on it earlier." He told her, trying to make a joke.
"Dash, if Allie was..." Shana stopped herself before she finished her sentence. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright, finish what you were saying."
"If she was here, she would hit you for that." Shana tried not to cry.
"Probably." Dash shrugged. He looked over to Alison. "But Shana deserved it didn't she, Hon?" He waited for a response from Alison. "I guess she took your side this time, Shana."
Shana took Dash into her arms. "You don't have to do this. It's ok to let it go if you need to."
Tears came to his eyes, he blinked them away. "I know. Later."
Shana frowned at him. A small group of friends came to the front. Shana stepped back and left Dash.
Dash made small talk with them and looked at his watch to see what time it was. It was almost time for the service to start. He looked through out the room. There were so many people there. It didn't surprise him; Alison touched every heart she came in contact with. There were many people from Joe there. Some seemed to be taking her passing well while others were not. Dash tried not to pay attention to them. Surprisingly the ones who were there when it happened were taking it alright. When he saw the faces of Wally, Hector, David, or even Wayne as they tried to hold it together he couldn't take it. He turned back around to Alison. "Damn it Al! Why did you do this to me? I can't do this!" He said through gritted teeth. Dash felt a hand on his shoulder. Marvin tried to turn him around but Dash wouldn't budge. "Leave me! Please, just for a minute."
Alison's brother walked over to them. He put his hand on Dash's back. "Dashiell, come and sit." Dash couldn't help but notice that Caleb had the same slight accent in his voice that Allie did.
"She needs me here. I told her I would stay right here. She doesn't want people staring at her, she always told me that."
"Dashiell, the service is about to start." Marvin said as he guided Dash to a seat next to Caleb, and then took his own seat behind him.
Those who were lucky enough to get a seat in the main room quietly sat down as Conrad took his place at the podium. The others stood along the back of the room against the wall, while others were standing in the lobby.
"I never thought I would be doing this." Conrad whispered. Those who were sitting in the front heard him. He cleared his throat and with a shaky voice began. "Today we are here to celebrate the life of Alison Faireborn, daughter, sister, wife, friend and solider. Alison was born into life..."
Dashiell tuned Conrad out. He didn't want to hear all of his precious memories, their life read off a piece of paper. He had asked Conrad to read her obituary. Alison had told him once that if anything ever happened she wanted everything taken care of by her friends, not some Chaplin she had never met. Conrad was hesitant at first, but he said he would do it for her. Shana had written it for her with the help of Dash and Caleb. Conrad talked about her acting career before the military, a story from her first week in boot camp, her rise into GI Joe. The day she met Dash and how she spurned his advances on numerous occasions. Her stubbornness, determination, her kindness, and friendships with her teammates. The times she would draw little pictures and comics on her papers and slide them across the table during meetings and how Hawk never seemed to call her on it. Her notebook that she always carried with her that no one knew what she ever wrote in it until Shipwreck stole it out of her bag.
"She kept stories from every day. So and so said this, so and so did that and I cracked up. It was also filled with more pictures of little people and stickmen punching each other, or falling down, or riding in cars. If you looked at them close enough you could tell exactly who each one was."
He continued with how she never let her teammates down in any situation, from making sure they all got out in one piece to when she had all the proper paperwork ready and waiting for you. Her love for Dashiell, how much she valued her marriage and that she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
When Conrad was through Caleb stood up and on behalf of her family he read a few of her favorite poems, and one he had written himself. On his way to the podium, he stopped by her coffin and whispered to her. "I won't mess this up, promise."
"Alison always told me that I couldn't speak in public and that I would just make an ass out of myself. So I'm gonna do my best." Caleb took a deep breath and began. "Allie was the kind of baby sister you wanted to keep telling to go away. She would tag along every where you went, asking a million questions. Caleb, where are you going? Caleb what are you doing? Caleb can I do that too? One minute she was digging around in my army toys the next she was playing dress up and running around in the yard wearing my mother's wedding dress pretending to be Cinderella, or whatever character she happened to make up at the moment. Al was always playing princess. A million different princesses, sometimes all in one day. I thought that as we got older we would grow apart, our lives took us to opposite sides of the world, but we never did. I remember laughing at her when she told me she enlisted in the Army. I didn't believe her until she made her one phone call from boot camp. "Caleb I'm here!" she yelled into the phone. I told her to keep her head on and her mouth shut and maybe she would make it through. I guess she took my advice. I was so proud of her. I was always so proud of her. Even though she was where she was and I was where I was, she still kept tabs on me. She made sure that I was working, and eating right and if I had a girlfriend. Even though she was busy making sure the country was safe she still had the time to make sure I was as well. When I got the call that Alison had left us I couldn't believe it. I thought that there had been some mistake, it was the wrong Alison, or she was having one of her co-workers play one hell of a joke on me. It still hasn't sunk in." Caleb paused to wipe his eyes and recompose himself.
"She's still here, all around us. If you sit really quiet, you can hear her laughing. If you close your eyes you can see her, with her green eyes sparkling running in the yard with one of her princess dresses on. Only now she has wings attached. Now she's our angel. I love you, Sis. Wait here for us." Caleb covered his heart with two fingers.
Dash also covered his heart with two fingers and mouthed the same thing. Caleb walked back over to Alison and stood next to her for a few seconds. He then walked to Dash and shook his hand. "Thank you for taking care of her for us. She loved you more than you will ever know." Instead of going back to his seat, Caleb walked outside to get some air.
Conrad walked back to the podium. It was obvious that Caleb's poem had hit him hard. He wiped his eyes. He did not want to follow that with anything so he kept his comments brief. "I know that there are many of you who did not get to pay your respects, or have a word with the family. Feel free to for about another hour or so. On behalf of the Burnett and Faireborn families, I would like to thank you all. Alison loved you all so much."
When people started to mill about again, Dash took up his spot next to Alison. He was joined by Marvin, who was there to keep his eye on Dash. Shana was there with them as was Courtney, who had stayed with Wally during the service. Dash looked over his shoulder and frowned. "Only another hour, baby. Just hold on for another hour."
"Another hour?" Courtney asked.
"She doesn't want everyone staring at her. It was one of her wishes. Don't let everyone stare at me." Dash told her.
"If that's not Allie, I don't know what is. How are you holding up?" Courtney nervously asked. She tried to wave Wally over but he would not leave his seat.
"Allie is doing better than I, I think." Dash answered.
Albert walked close enough to Dash to get his attention. "Arlington?"
Dash shook his head yes. He wasn't ready to think about her interment. It was hard enough getting through her service.
The number of people had dwindled down and finally the director pulled the curtain closed around her casket. Dash, Caleb, and Scarlett stood next to her. The flowers and pictures were taken off her casket and only the United States flag remained. The director asked them if they wanted to leave because they we closing her coffin. The three remained. The director stepped between Dash and Caleb and slowly closed the lid. Scarlett began to cry uncontrollably and she called out for Snake-eyes. He came from the other side of the curtain and wrapped his arms around her. Caleb put his head down and closed his eyes, while Dash balled his hands into fists.
"Alison..." his voice was cut off with sobbing. Once the lid was closed, he put his hands on the top of it. "No, no, no. I'm not ready, Allie. I'm not ready to do this alone."