Disclaimer: The usual apply.I don't own anything besides my imagination and no profits are made.
My Mara
Several Joes had gathered in the recreation room of the Pit to relax and unwind after a debriefing session regarding their successful failure. The town was saved, but not without much structural damage and distraught to its citizens. Lines of Cobra soldiers were brought into custody; however, Cobra's elite managed to slither out of the Joe's grasp. A small team of Joes stayed behind to help the people rebuild their infrastructure and lives.
"When will Cobra learn they will not win as long as GI Joe is around?" Dusty muttered.
Cover Girl shook her head. "How long have we been doing this, Desert?" she replied as she leaned against her boyfriend's shoulder.
"I know," Dusty sighed, moving the tank jockey's hair away from her face with his hand. His lips brushed softly against her forehead, leaving behind a small kiss.
"Aww, aren't you two sweet?" Shipwreck mocked; he was still upset over having to leave Mara at Kona Tonga Island a couple of missions back. He mulled over her having to spend the rest of her life in the sea alone. Mara had told him the island was a beautiful place, and she felt like she belonged there. Normally, he would not have minded a short romp with a pretty woman, but this was different. He ached for days after they left Kona Tonga. For the first time in his life, he knew what it was like to become seasick. His daydream led him back to the day the USS Trogon set sail for home from Kona Tonga Island.
(((Flashback)))
"Hector? This isn't like you to suffer from seasickness," Lifeline told him while treating the sailor in the sickbay.
"I know. Don't remind me," Shipwreck moaned. He looked over to Doc, who was looking over the readings from Mara's blood work. "Isn't there anything you can to do help her?" the sailor pleaded.
Doc made a few inaudible grunting sounds as he studied the results. "Very interesting," he mumbled.
"So, is there something you can do?" Shipwreck asked again, trying to get up from the exam table.
"Whoa, easy Hector," Lifeline stated as he helped the heartbroken sailor onto his feet. Both men walked to where Doc was standing.
"This is very complicated," Doc spoke calmly and slowly. "I don't know if I can reverse Mara's procedure. This is… purely amazing." The Joe doctor explained in detail to his medic and Shipwreck what Cobra had done to the woman and what it would take to reverse the procedure.
In the midst of the conversation, Shipwreck pounded both fists against the ship's wall. "How could they? Those bastards!" he yelled in frustration. "They knew it wasn't reversible. They flat out lied to her," he cried.
"Hector, we'll do our best to find a way to cure her," Lifeline said, placing a comforting arm on Shipwreck.
Outside the office, several soldiers had come in complaining of symptoms that appeared to be food poisoning. A nurse knocked on the door, which Doc opened, answering "Yes?"
"Doc, there's a lobby full of soldiers out here who want to see you," the nurse informed.
"What's their complaint?" Doc asked.
"Nausea and stomach aches mainly," she answered and winked, "I think they just haven't developed their sea legs yet."
Lifeline made his way to the door. "I'll take care of them, Doc."
"Edwin, let me know if you need anything," Doc stated as Lifeline left to treat the other patients.
"So, Doc, how long will it take before you can turn Mara back to normal?" Shipwreck returned the conversation to his newly found love.
Doc shook his head. "I don't know. I don't even know if we can, Hector," he sighed. "Even if we did have a possible cure, we're not like Cobra. There are guidelines to follow before we can ever attempt a human test."
"Then turn me into a merman," Shipwreck shouted in frustration, collapsing onto a bed. He buried his head in his hands and cried out Mara's name. He knew it could be years or never before Doc and his team could help her, and that was if they could concentrate on this and only this project, but he knew the medical staff had to take care of the rest of the team as well, which took priority.
Doc stopped himself from telling Shipwreck he was being crazy about his request to be turned into a merman. He handed the sailor a couple of pills and a small cup of water. "Hector, take these," Doc instructed. "They'll help you relax and get some sleep. There's nothing much else I can do right now, and I need to check on Lifeline. If you ever need anyone to talk to, come by and see us."
"Thank you, Doc," Shipwreck muttered as he gulped down the medication.
Doc opened the door and turned back to look at Shipwreck. He smiled as he saw the sailor had already fallen asleep. He quietly closed the door and went to see how Lifeline was fairing.
(((End of Flashback)))
A chortle awoke Shipwreck from his daydream. "Leave him alone," Scarlett scolded Clutch, who was waving his hands in front of Shipwreck's face.
"He's okay, Lance. He's just thinking about Mara again," Torpedo sighed as he took his turn at the pool table.
"Oh man, dude's got it bad," Footloose muttered, turning the page of his magazine.
Shipwreck quietly got up from the couch and walked to the door. "Where ya going?" Quick Kick hollered.
"Uh, nowhere," he grumbled as he left. The sailor began to make a beeline for Doc's office, while the others returned to their activities.
"Ok, see you around," Clutch replied.
"Lance!" Scarlett reprimanded and ran down the hallway, nearly out of breath by the time she caught up with Shipwreck, who had a good head start. "Hector, are you really okay?" she asked in a tone that let him know she new better.
"Yeah," Shipwreck answered, trying to brush her off.
"It's Mara, isn't it?" the redheaded counterintelligence agent pressed.
Shipwreck stopped in his tracks and leaned back against the wall. "Shana, even if I didn't care so much for her, it isn't right for Cobra to be messing with people like that."
Scarlett gritted her teeth, very upset at the fact the Cobra was now mutating humans. "I know, Hector. I loathe that also, but Doc and Lifeline will let you know as soon as they figure something out."
"You're right. They will," Shipwreck sighed. "I just wish there were something more I could do." The two walked into an empty office and shut the door.
"That sounds just like the Hector Delgado I know, no matter what the others say," Scarlett smiled. They talked for nearly half an hour as Shipwreck divulged to Scarlett with his deepest thoughts and concerns regarding Mara.
As they finished their conversation and left the office, Shipwreck's appearance changed and he started in, "So, Shana, when the hell are you and Conrad going to go public with your relationship?"
Startled, Scarlett stuttered, "What relationship? He's our commanding officer, Hector."
"Oh, come on Red, we all know better than that," Shipwreck retorted, having returned to his mischievous mood. His laughing brown eyes met her questioning blue eyes. "You and Top are really either doing a very good job trying to hide it or are completely oblivious."
"Hold it right there," Scarlett fussed, shoving Shipwreck against a wall. "You'd better explain yourself and do it fast."
"Okay, okay, but lighten up on the death grip please, Shana," Shipwreck pleaded. "Come on, for starters, none of us spends as much time in Duke's office as you do. You're always paired together on missions. You're always together on-duty and off. Shall I go on?"
"Yeah, so what?" Scarlett snapped back. "We're good friends and that's all."
Shipwreck whistled innocently, rolling his eyes. "Whatever you say, Doll Face?"
Three years later…
"Dial-Tone here," the communications guru answered.
"Dial-Tone, this is Doc. Is Duke or Hawk around? Better yet, is Shipwreck in there with you?" Doc asked, his voice showing a hint of excitement.
"Duke and Hawk are. I'll put you on the speaker. I'll page Shipwreck," Dial-Tone answered while punching a few keystrokes. "You're on."
"Doc, what can we do for you?" Hawk asked.
"We made a major breakthrough on Mara's case," Doc answered, skipping the lengthy medical jargon. "We've run several tests. The first were disappointments, but the rest have been very promising."
"Okay," Hawk stated. "What does that mean? Are we ready for Mara?"
"I believe so," Doc answered. "But, Hawk, this is very risky, and we obviously haven't tried it on a human yet."
"Just tell us, do we need to bring Mara in or not, Doc?" Hawk asked sternly, crossing his arms.
"Yes, but don't get either her or Shipwreck's hopes up in case this doesn't work, or if Mara declines the procedure. The decision will be hers and hers alone to make in the end," Doc explained.
"What about Mara?" Shipwreck asked, barging into the communications room, having overheard part of the conversation.
"Hector, come here and have a seat," Hawk offered as Dial-Tone ended the conversation with Doc.
"I'd rather stand, Sir," Shipwreck stubbornly refused.
Hawk nodded. "Have it your way. Doc just called. They made a breakthrough in Mara's case and want to see if she is willing to try a procedure they developed."
Duke grabbed Shipwreck's arm as he tried to rush out of the room. "Where do you think you're going?"
"To get Mara," the sailor answered.
"Deep Six and Cutter are already in the area. Dial-Tone's patching the orders to them right now," Duke replied.
Shipwreck hated the feeling of helplessness he felt. There had to be something he could do. "Duke, I have to go…" He looked at the two sets of beady eyes in front of him.
"We'll notify you as soon as she arrives," Duke informed sternly, making sure Dial-Tone took note of that statement.
"Okay, I'll wait around here, but I don't have to be happy about it," Shipwreck pouted. As he left the room, he muttered loud enough for the others to hear, "Duke, if it were Scarlett instead of Mara, you sure as hell would have gone after her by now." The sailor slammed the door shut behind him.
"Any idea what that was all about?" Hawk eyed his First Sergeant suspiciously.
Duke shrugged. "Not a clue, General. Not a clue."
Deep Six and Cutter arrived the next afternoon with an elated Mara. Her helmet of seawater allowed her to breathe out of water long enough to be moved from the island but did nothing to prevent her skin from becoming irritated. She stayed in a tank full of salt water onboard the ship for the majority of the trip. After docking, they refilled her helmet and rushed her to the infirmary where Doc had a large, comfortably sized tank waiting for her.
"Mara, this procedure is very experimental and risky. Anything can happen," Doc explained. "It could be a success, but there is also a chance that it can make things worse for you."
"I understand," Mara confidently answered through the tank's speaker system. "There's hope finally, and that, Doc, is all I can ask for."
"Are you sure, Mara?" Shipwreck's concerned voice asked with his eyes nearly in tears.
Mara nodded, smiling. "I am."
"We'll check on you throughout the rest of the evening and night. If your vitals are okay, we'll start the procedure in the morning," Doc stated. "Shipwreck, visiting hours are over at 2100 hours."
"Yes, Sir," the sailor acknowledged and pulled up a chair next to Mara's tank. Before he knew it, it was fifteen minutes until visiting hours were over. "Mara, I should go. I'll come back in the morning."
"Leaving early?" Mara asked, leering at the sailor. "That's not like you, Hector."
"I know, but I want to stay on Doc's good side," Shipwreck said, standing up and replacing the chair. Returning to the tank, he placed his hand against the glass wall. Mara extended hers to meet his, both wishing the glass wall did not exist. "I love you," Shipwreck mouthed.
"I love you too," Mara whispered as her rescuer left.
The next morning, Shipwreck met up with Doc and Lifeline as they headed to Mara's room. "Her readings were good. We're going through with this if she hasn't changed her mind," Lifeline stated. The three walked into the room. "Good morning, Mara," the medic greeted.
"Good morning," Mara smiled. "Is everything okay? Are we ready?"
"As long as you haven't changed your mind since last night," Doc replied.
"No way," the mermaid laughed as they led her to the operating room.
"Mara, Lifeline and I cannot operate underwater. You'll be under anesthesia the whole time, but we'll try to keep you as comfortable as we can," Doc said as he helped Mara onto the table.
"Okay," Mara stated as she lay down. As she counted backwards from one hundred, she lost track of what number was next and fell asleep. The procedure took much longer than expected, and a nervous sailor paced anxiously in the waiting room. Every few minutes, he would ask the desk nurse if she had heard anything about Mara. Each time, the answer was, "Not yet."
Finally, he could no longer handle the suspense and decided to burn off some of his built-up energy on a run. He wished Beach Head were around to put him through a modified PT session to keep his mind preoccupied. Shipwreck took off at a dead run, meeting some well-meaning teammates along the way. He swore he'd sucker punch the next person who asked about Mara. After running a few miles, his pager went off telling him to report to the infirmary. Nearly out of breath by the time he got to the front doors, he slowed his pace to a fast walk.
"Come on Wreck!" Cover Girl shouted, meeting up with the sailor and dragging him along with her.
"Hey, Doll Face, slow it down a bit, would ya?" Shipwreck pleaded.
"I thought you'd be more exited about this," the tank jockey shot back, releasing the sailor's arm.
Shipwreck went back into a slow jog. "Did the procedure work?"
"Come and see for yourself," Cover Girl stated, keeping alongside him. They rushed by the desk nurse and into the recovery room.
"Quiet please," Lifeline requested as the two stomped in.
Mara, dazed from the medication, slurred, "Hector?"
"Yes, dear, I'm here," Shipwreck spoke softly as he took Mara's hand. "How are you feeling?"
"Drained. It's strange to be able to breath out of water again," the patient replied hoarsely.
Doc pulled Mara's chart and wrote down a few notes. "You're doing great. You'll be back on your feet in no time."
"This is wonderful. Thank you Doc, Lifeline," Shipwreck said enthusiastically.
"We'll leave you two alone," Cover Girl said, patting Shipwreck on the shoulder. "Mara, take care. It's nice to meet you." She took Dusty's offered arm as they left and returned to the Motor Pool.
Hawk allowed Mara to stay on base where she could remain under Doc's care until her recovery was complete. There was talk of the possibility of her eventually becoming a Joe herself. Every free moment he had, Shipwreck was at her side, helping her rehabilitate back into society. Most of the team was friendly to Mara, knowing without her help, their attack on Espiritu Island could have turned out quite different, with the very real possibility of losing Shipwreck and Lady Jaye. A few newly inducted Joes were skeptical of Mara because of her former employment with Cobra; however, it did not take long for the others to set them straight or at least keep them quiet on the subject.
Memorial Day, the following year
Shipwreck and a physically healed Mara walked along the white, sandy beaches of Pensacola Beach, its green waters rushing around their feet, shifting the sand through their toes before dragging it back out to sea. The hot Florida sun beamed brightly on them, warming their skins. Shipwreck smiled, watching the children play in the water. He opened his big mouth to speak as Mara playfully tackled him, sending both of them into the warm, waist deep water. Before the sailor could utter a word, Mara's strawberry lips pressed against his.
They got out of the water and found their belongings. After lying out on the sand long enough to dry off, Shipwreck tossed on his t-shirt, while Mara put on her clothes over her swimsuit. They walked to a nearby eatery for dinner, after which, they strolled the short distance to the pier. Signs warning about sharks seemed to amuse some of the vacationers.
Halfway down the walkway, they stopped and looked over the railing into the ocean as they saw others doing. Several jellyfish floated in the greenish-blue waters below them. A stingray danced on the ocean floor around an unsuspecting man's feet. "One wrong step and… ouch!" Shipwreck commented.
Reaching the farthest end of the pier, they took a seat on an empty bench. Shipwreck started up some conversations with the fishermen, asking how they were fairing. A few showed off their catches, while others had no luck. He noticed a boy, somewhere around the age of thirteen, fumbling with his pole. He walked over to the kid and tapped his soldier. "Need some help with that, son?" Shipwreck asked, smiling as Mara watched.
The boy looked up at the black-haired man, who was speaking to him. Unsure if he should say anything, he nodded sheepishly. As Shipwreck began to help the boy out, he asked, "What's your name, kid?"
"Bobby," the boy answered shyly.
Shipwreck had fixed the fishing line and they cast it back into the water. Reading the lost look on the sailor's face, Bobby asked, "Mister, is something wrong?"
Shipwreck shook his head, and a small grin appeared on his face. "No, son. You just remind me of someone very special to me," he explained, thinking of his nephew, Jesse. "Hey, are your parents around here?"
"Yes, sir. That's my mom and my kid brother and sister over there." Bobby waved excitedly at a brown-haired woman and two small children, the younger appearing to stumble over his feet rather than walking. The woman waved back. "Mister, my pole," the boy said, startled as the pole began to wobble.
Shipwreck helped Bobby reel in the fish. "Oh wow," Bobby exclaimed as the fish jumped above the water's surface. Mara smiled, seeing the kid excited. She watched the men clean the fish and walked with them to check it in.
As they carried the thirty-one inch red fish down the pier, Shipwreck asked, "Where's your father, Bobby?" a jet flew overhead followed by two others.
Bobby looked overhead at a jet, which was trailed by two other jets, flying over them. "He's working. He's an instructor at...," Bobby spoke proudly of his father.
"Pensacola?" Shipwreck interrupted.
Bobby nodded and answered, "Yes, sir," as they met up with his mother and siblings. Bobby started to introduce Shipwreck and Mara to his family, but hesitated not knowing their names. "Uh, mister, ma'am, this is my mom, Anna, and my brother, Gary, and my sister, Stacia."
"I'm Mara," the black-haired lady smiled, extending her hand to Bobby's mother. The mother shook both offered hands and introduced herself and her other children, giving them her gratitude for helping her oldest son.
"You have a wonderful boy here, Ma'am," Shipwreck stated, playfully ruffling the kid's short, brown hair.
"Thank you," the mother glowed. The three adults bid their farewells to each other.
As Shipwreck and Mara began to walk away, Bobby ran up to them, tugging on Shipwreck's shirt. "Mister, sir, you never told me your name."
"My close friends call me Shipwreck or 'Wreck," the sailor winked.
Bobby could hardly believe his ears. "Shipwreck? Really? As in GI Joe?"
"Shhh," Shipwreck hissed, covering his mouth with a finger. He simply nodded to confirm the statement and sent the boy back to his family.
A short while later, Mara and Shipwreck stopped to watch the sunset over the horizon, the waves rushing over their bare feet and ankles. The oranges and reds contrasted against the greens and deep blues of the waters. Mara sighed, "It's beautiful. I always loved this time of day."
Shipwreck fumbled in his short's pocket, trying to pull out a small velvet box. With trembling hands, he opened the box. "Shit," he cursed along with a slew of other choice words. He frantically searched the continuously changing ocean bed for the diamond ring that he was going to give Mara.
"What's wrong, Hector?" Mara asked confused. "You look like you lost a million dollars."
"That's basically what I just did," Shipwreck said before diving into the water that turned waist deep a few steps out.
Mara wrapped herself around her boyfriend as he emerged from his swim. "Mind telling what this is all about?" she asked, leering into his eyes.
"Okay," Shipwreck muttered. "Your engagement ring is buried somewhere down there, now," he answered, glancing downward.
Mara quipped. "So, you're searching for buried treasure, eh?"
With a smirk, the sailor answered with a quick "Yes, ma'am" before he leaned in for a passionate kiss, pulling her under the water with him. Mara rose up as fast as she could, spewing the mouthful of salt water she engulfed as his hands brushed against her breast.
"Are you okay? Trying to breathe underwater again?" Shipwreck mocked, patting Mara's back.
Making a couple of final coughs, she retorted, "What do you think you were trying to do? Did I give you permission to do that, sailor?"
"Uh, I was just searching for buried treasure like you suggested, Mara," he snickered.
"No, I didn't ask, but I hope that I won't have to either from now on," he grinned slyly before asking, "Mara, will you marry me?"
Instead of answering, Mara jumped and wrapped her legs around Shipwreck's waist, propelling them into the water, their lips meshed, creating a single airtight chamber. When they came back up, both in desperate need for air, Shipwreck huffed, "So, is that a 'yes'?"
"Yes," Mara gasped as the newly engaged couple made their way back to their towels and prepared to leave.
Back at the Pit…
Some of the Joes, who were not deployed, met in Ace and Gung-Ho's room for the weekly Friday night poker game. "So, Mara, let's see this rock we've heard so much about," Ace blurted.
"Uh, I can't," Mara replied sheepishly.
"Don't tell me he got you that gaudy thrift shop ring he was joking about," Torpedo interjected, rolling his eyes.
Gung-Ho looked seriously at Shipwreck. "You were joking about that ring, weren't you, mon ami?"
"Yes, I was joking. No way that ring would ever grace a finger on my lady's hand," Shipwreck informed.
"She can't show you the ring, because it's somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean."
"No way!" Torpedo heckled.
Mara laughed, remembering Shipwreck's frantic search for the expensive object. "Yes way, Ed. It fell out of his hands after he took it out of the box. You all should have seen him dive for it."
"Oh man. Ouch," Ace moaned, knowing all too well engagement rings did not come cheap. He had recently bought one for Karen, his fiancée of six months. "I feel your pain, Wreck," he said, shaking his head.
"Oh, that's okay Brad, ol' buddy," Shipwreck said, trying to remain calm and collected.
The others at the table watched in anticipation as he laid out his cards, a royal flush. Several mouths dropped as they saw the hand. Had they not witnessed the game, they would have accused the sailor of cheating.
"One in 154 million odds of getting those sweet cards," Gung-Ho awed.
"Too bad we aren't in Vegas, dude," Footloose said, smacking Shipwreck's back.
The sailor stood and gathered his winnings. "That's okay, this will work." He turned to Mara and asked, "You feel up to go ring shopping tomorrow evening?"
Mara beamed, wrapping her arms around his neck. She leaned down and whispered, "Sure thing, my sailor boy."
Author's Notes: Thanks to Medic for her help, and Thanks to Storm O for her beta work.
This was supposed to be a response to a Valentine's Day challenge, but it didn't work out quite like that.