GI JOE Porn Story: Family and Duty Chapter 6

Disclaimer
– I do not own GI Joe. Hasbro, Devils Due, and whoever else
holds copyright to it does. I am just borrowing them for fun and
make no profit off this. I also do not own the song Monday
Morning Church by Alan Jackson. I am borrowing it also and the
lyrics. I am not using either with permission, and I ask that you
please do not sue. Since Fanfiction dot net has made us pull all
lyrics, please feel free to email me to get a copy of the story with
lyrics or go to : Ficwad dot net.

Author’s
notes – I want to say a big thank you to Storm O for the beta
work. Bless you for all your help. Without your dedication, I could
never have done. Thank you so much. This has been in the works and
on the hard drive many months, collecting dust. For all those that
have supported me, I can never thank you enough.

WARNING
– This has religion in it and of course some religious aspects. If
this offends you, then I ask you to stop reading now. I am giving
you a ten second warning.

By
Medic (MedicLifeline)

Rating
PG 13

Chapter
6 : Losses…

Edwin
Steen stood at the graveside in his Army dress greens, cradling his
young son in his arms and holding his daughter’s small hand with his
free hand. The sun was shining, and the sky was a beautiful blue
with not a cloud in the sky. His wife had loved days like these.
Tears ran down his cheeks as his father officiated the funeral
service. His sister, Stephanie, had her arm wrapped around his
waist; her husband stood beside her. Ron and Courtney Rudat stood
next to him, as did the rest of the Joe team. They were all here for
the funeral of the former GI Joe doctor, Carla Greer-Steen.

Ed
watched as they folded the flag that had been draped across her
casket. Her parents stood crying off to the side. Carla’s cousin,
Carl Greer, whom Ed had trained under years ago at Fort Sam Houston,
kept squeezing Carla’s mother’s shoulder. Several Joes also mourned
the passing of their former teammate. The previous Joe doctor had
always been close to the team in the years of her service, even after
the disbanding. After her and Ed had married, she had declined
coming back to the Joes, but the team felt like she had never left.
Several had said she was the best thing to happen to Ed, and Ed had
always agreed.

As
they finished folding the flag, Ed let go of their daughter’s hand.
He handed their son to Ron. Courtney reached down and picked Lisa up
as the soldier walked forward and presented the flag to Ed. Courtney
hugged the little girl closely, who kept asking, “Where is
Momma, Aunt Courtney?” Courtney just held her a little tighter.

Ed
slowly held out his hand. On cue, the soldier silently handed him
the flag and saluted Ed. Taking a ragged breath, Ed clutched the
flag to his chest as the teardrops fell on the flag. He watched as
the ceremony ended. Moving forward as if in slow motion, he walked
up to the white casket with pink roses painted on it. He had never
thought it would end this way, much less this soon. Both had figured
on living to an old age, unless COBRA got to him first. Reaching out
to the casket, he ran one hand over it dazedly. “I love you,
Carla,” he whispered. He pulled a red rose from the flower
arrangement that rested on top while the ribbon blew in the breeze.
It read: Mother and Wife

Stephanie
walked up and placed her hand on his shoulder as his father thanked
the guests for coming, showing their support, and being here for his
son.

“Come
on, Ed. We need to go, now,” she whispered, taking his arm
gently and leading him away.

Ed
reached out one last time to caress the casket before following his
sister to the car. Ron and Courtney took the children to ride with
them. Slowly, a line of cars left the cemetery.

Six
months later

Ed
unlocked the door, his keys making a familiar rattle as the lock
unlatched. Walking into the empty home, he remembered a time when he
lived here with his wife and children. Now, it was no longer a home
but just a place where he and his children resided. He could still
hear her laughter as he stood there for a moment.

Ron
and Courtney had taken the children for the night. The Rudats, along
with Uncle Carl, had been a great help to him since the death of his
wife. Ron and Courtney were godparents to the children, but they had
been more like family. The children considered them their aunt and
uncle, and Ed thought of them as his other brother and sister not
just teammates anymore.

The
silence in the house was overwhelming. His boots echoed through the
hall as he walked to the stairs. Ed no longer chose to remove his
boots most of the time as he had when Carla was living. It had been
her pet peeve, and she had numerously told him that he sounded like a
herd of elephants when he tramped through the house in his Army
boots. Besides, she had always kept a clean house, and the house law
was to remove all footwear at the door. Holding onto the banister,
he slowly climbed up the stairs. Reaching the top, he walked down
the hall to the bedroom that they had once shared. As he started to
unbutton his BDU shirt, he noticed her Bible, sitting on the
nightstand by her side of the bed. Walking over and picking it up,
Ed held it close to his heart before placing it in the drawer. Carla
had left it out since she read it mostly in the evening before bed.
He had never bothered before, but this day, he chose to place it
away.

As
he stood there, his grief overpowering him, he yelled, “Why?
Why did you take her from me?” He sat down on the bed and began
to sob. He had not gone to church in quite a while. Lately, it
seemed that the only time he spoke to God was to yell the same
question: “Why?”

Removing
his glasses and wiping his eyes, he stood up. Ed could not stay in
the bedroom. For the first three months after her death, he slept on
the couch. Later, he moved into the small guest bedroom down the
hall, that way he could always be near and hear the children if they
needed him. If they were staying with the Rudats or Carl, Ed, most
of the time, fell asleep on the couch. The first night that he had
tried to sleep in the bed, which he had shared with his wife, he
found himself reaching out to feel her near him but only feeling the
empty air around him and smelling her scent on her pillow. From that
day on, he could not and would not sleep in the bed; the loneliness
was too much for him. He only went into the bedroom to change
clothes or get cleaned up, and then he closed the door behind him,
locking the memories of the two of them away in the room.

The
bedroom stayed exactly as she had left it. Her doctor’s lab coat
hung on the chair. Her jewelry box had one door open where she had
chosen to wear a necklace that day. Her bottle of perfume sat on the
large dresser that they had shared. The pictures on her nightstand,
which she had cherished, had a fine layer of dust on them. The only
place that was clean was where his fingerprints had been from picking
them up and looking at them once in a while.

Turning
around and leaving, he closed the door behind him and walked back
down the hall to the stairs. After descending the steps, he went to
the small piano that they had been given by Carla’s parents a few
years ago. They knew Carla had loved to play as a young girl.
Taking a seat on the piano bench, he looked at the music. Sometimes,
Carla played in church since they went to services in the chapel on
base. She practiced often, and he could still hear her singing as
she played. At times, he would stand in the doorway, just listening
to her play. When she was done, he would clap his hands and tell
her, “That was wonderful,
Carla.” He would reached his arms around her and hug her as
he placed a soft kiss on her neck. Other times, he would sit on the
bench with her and play the piano; she had started to teach him how
to play.

Ed
ran his fingers over the ivory keys, trying to play a few notes but
to no success. They sounded off key. With a sweep of his hand, he
flung the sheets of music to the floor, all of them scattering and
fluttering down like leaves. Ed started to pull the lid closed but
stopped himself, leaving it as she had left it.

As
Ed sat at the piano, he realized his heart was empty. His children
were what kept him going; otherwise, he would have lain down and
died. Her loss left a hole in his heart that would never be filled.
The day she died, he not only knew his heart broke, but he heard it
and was quite sure all those around him heard the breaking of it,
too. Ed had lost weight and looked more tired; his eyes carried a
sadness in them at all times. Slowly getting up and passing the
music sheets, which he had scattered on the floor, Ed walked to the
kitchen. For the first time in his life, he walked to the cabinet
where they kept the liquor for guests and special occasions. He had
never been much of a drinking man because of his father.

Slowly
opening the cabinet, he reached for the decanter of Scotch. Opening
another cabinet, he reached for a glass. With the bottle in one hand
and the glass in the other, he walked over and took a seat at the
kitchen table as the last rays of sunlight streamed through the
curtains, warming his back. There was a dried rose in a vase on the
table. Ed had taken it the day of the funeral. He stared at the
rose before he uncapped the decanter with shaking hands and poured a
glass. Ed had never relied on alcohol; he had his faith and her for
his strength. But in the past six months, he had lost both his wife
and his faith.

Things
just seemed to be getting worse for him. Unless the children were
with him, he felt that he was in a house now and not a home. The
children had grown more dependent on him and started to ask more
questions about where their mother was. Taking a deep breath and
trying to steady his shaking hand and his nerves, he took a drink.
The liquid burned as it went down. As he sat there, he saw Carla’s
image. She had baked cookies and licked the spoon by the kitchen
sink. “If you are good
Ed, I will share,” she had teased, holding the spoon out to
him.

As
Ed reached for the spoon, the image disappeared. He took another
drink from the glass before recapping the decanter. As he sat at the
kitchen table, he heard the doorbell and a knock on the door. Ed did
not move to get up, figuring if he stayed where he was, whoever it
was would eventually go away.

The
chaplain’s voice could be heard. “Sgt Steen. It is me.
Chaplin Brown. Please let me in. I saw you were not in church
again. We have missed you. Even if it does not feel like it right
now, Son, the Lord still loves you.”

There
was quiet as Ed listened to what the preacher said but did not move
to get up.

The
preacher waited a few more minutes before continuing, “If you
need anything, Sgt Steen, you know I am here for you. I hope to see
you this week. God Bless.”

Ed
waited to make sure the chaplain was gone before standing up, putting
the bottle away, and setting the glass in the sink.

He
had been so strong before her passing. Now, his faith was shattered
in everything, including his religion. He had not attended church on
a regular basis since Carla’s death. His heart was too destroyed and
angry because she had been ripped from him. He questioned why he had
not been taken instead of her. He was angry that he had been left
behind. His father had called several times, trying to talk some
sense into him and telling him that he understood since he had lost
his wife. Ed knew that his father understood, but he did not want to
hear it. His mother had died of cancer when he was ten, but his
father had become a better man from her passing. Ed had just lost
the will to live; his children were the only thing holding him here
in this life. Had it not been for them, he would have chosen death
rather than spend the rest of his life without his soul mate. He had
been so alone over the years before they married, and now, Ed could
have never imagined being without her. He did not want to be without
her.

Walking
into the family room, he pulled out one of the many family photo
albums they had. The first one his hand reached for was of just
Carla and him. The pictures had been taken before the birth of Lisa.
He thumbed through the pages of the album. Some of the pictures of
them were when they were on their honeymoon, walking the white sands
of Pensacola Beach. Ed could still feel the sand tickle his toes, as
they walked the beach and the waves splashed across their feet. He
could almost smell the air from the Gulf. Flipping the page, he saw
another set of pictures where she had buried him in sand, and she had
taken the picture. The next photo was of her sitting next to him, a
broad grin on her face and him still buried in the sands. Ed
remembered they had asked another couple on the beach to take their
picture.

Wiping
away a tear, he flipped the next page. It was of them moving. She
had to pack all her stuff to move to Fort Sam Houston, and Ed had
gone to California to help her pack since they were married and going
to be living at the Texas base where he was stationed. Ed had
wrapped her in bubble tape, placing a “fragile” sticker
on her. That was when he had found out she was pregnant. He could
still hear her laughing hysterically as he wrapped her in the bubble
tape. “Ed! I will get you for this!” she yelled to
him as he stood there taking the picture.

“Just
one more picture, Carla,” he laughed. Carla had taken it
upon herself to personally select her replacement at her Californian
practice. After their honeymoon, she had returned to California
while Ed went back to Fort Sam Houston. She needed to pack her
apartment and office, oversee the transition of her patient’s
records, and answer any questions from the new doctor. Three weeks
later, Ed arrived to help her finish packing. It was then that she
told him the wonderful news. Their honeymoon was not only the
beginning of their life as man and wife, but it was also the
beginning of new life, conceived during their week in Pensacola.

Flipping
the pages, he spotted another set of pictures after they had moved to
Fort Sam Houston. Carla was starting to show her pregnancy, and Ed
was holding her in his arms. The particular picture that Ed was
looking at was one that Ron had taken as Courtney had made a face at
them. The goofy grin on the Steen’s faces could only be caused by
one of Courtney’s many comical expressions. In other pictures, Ed
noticed that both couples were happy and holding their spouse in
their arms.

Closing
the book, he placed it on the coffee table. Wiping away some more
tears, Ed often cried by himself not wanting the children to see him
upset as it upset them

“Daddy
why are you crying? Are you okay?” Lisa would ask, wrapping her
tiny arms around his neck, seeing him cry when he thought he was
alone. ” Daddy, you will not leave me, will you?”

“No,
Lisa, I will not leave you…” he would answer as his son would
crawl onto his lap to sit there as Lisa clung to him. ” I just
have something in my eye, sweetheart.” Ed would lie.

Standing
up from the sofa, he knew there was no hope for him or his heart. Ed
knew Carla had made it to heaven; she had to be there. If anyone had
deserved to get in, it was her. He could not picture her not there.
But without her, he was lost. The house held nothing but ghosts when
he was alone.

Deciding
to go change for the night, he began his climb up the stairs but
tripped and fell to his knees. He tried to decide if it was the
Scotch or if he was just not paying attention. Ed figured it could
have been a little of both. Generally, Ed would change in the
morning, since most of the time he would fall asleep on the couch in
his uniform. But he had not done laundry in a few days, so tonight he
had to change into a pair of sleep pants and a tee shirt in order to
have a clean set in the morning. Reaching for the banister and
pulling himself up, he stumbled his way up the steps to the hall and
down to their room. Opening the door, he walked in. Reaching for a
change of clothes, he stopped and walked to the dresser. He pulled
out the Bible and held it.

He
suddenly heard the words from the chaplain ringing in his ears, and
he was overcome by a renewed strength. Swiftly turning around, he
stumbled down the hall, trying to take the stairs by twos without
falling again. He headed to the front door, flung it open, and ran
out into the night air. Taking a deep breath, he ran down the
street, heading for the chapel. Reaching the chapel, he breathlessly
pounded on the door. “Pastor, open up! It is me. Ed. Edwin
Steen. ” Ed pleaded, but the doors were unyielding. “Please,
Pastor.”

No
one answered the doors. Quickly turning around, he ran down the road
to the gate of the cemetery. He ran passed many headstones in their
neat rows until he finally found the one he wanted. He read the name
on the stone, Carla Greer
Steen, beforehe collapsed on the ground in front of it.
“I am here, Carla, honey,” Ed sobbed. “I understand
now what you need from me,” he said, starting to open her Bible
and reading a passage on strength. As he sat there in the still of
the night with tears streaming down his face, he knew somehow he
would make it. She would not want him to stay like this…

Ed
tossed and turned, waking his wife next to him. Sitting straight up
in bed, wringing wet with sweat, and tears running down his cheeks,
he had not known he had been crying in his sleep.

Carla
sat up next to him, seeing the state her husband was in. She worried
that he was dreaming of something he had encountered on his last
deployment. Wrapping her arms around him, she whispered, “Ed,
honey? What is it? Are you alright?” she asked, kissing his
neck.

Ed
sat there stunned. The dream had seemed so real to him, and the fear
was still there in his eyes. Collecting his thoughts, he paused
until his voice was finally able to answer. “Yes, Carla, I
think I am okay. I just had a terrible nightmare. That is all,”
he said, pulling her into his arms tightly

“Ed,
” she gently asked as his shaking subsided, “What was it
about?”

“It
was a nightmare I hope never comes true,” he answered as she
wiped the tears he had on his face away. He leaned over and kissed
her. “I do not know what I would do if anything happened to
you.”

“Ed,”
she softly whispered, “you will never lose me.”

“I
hope not.” Ed took a deep breath as they both lay back down.
Pulling her close and taking in the scent of her as he held her, Ed
fell back to sleep. The nightmare now only a memory…