Letters From War
Author: aynat
Summary: Rory finds some old letters she'd kept hidden... and tries to come to terms with the fact that they stopped. Abruptly.
Spoilers: From beginning to end.
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine... just trying to keep my head held high now that it's all over.
Author's Note: This story does not reflect my views of the war in either Iraq or Afghanistan. I tried to keep this story as unbiased from my views as possible and tried to keep to what the characters would be feeling. Please do not flame me for what you believe my views are because of this story.
Dear Rory,
I realize this letter will come as a surprise, and I don't expect to hear anything back from you. I just felt you needed to know what I'm about to do, so you can see that I really have changed. You don't need to change your opinion of me, it was pretty accurate back then. But time makes people change.
Just after graduation my friends dad died. Not from a heart attack, a car accident, or something as common as those. No, he died in Afghanistan. He died fighting a war so far away. He died trying to make sure his son wouldn't be put into such a position in the future. That's when I changed.
I joined the army along with my friend so we could continue to fight for what his dad believed in so much. I joined because I feel I'm meant to, and because I can make a difference this way. And I joined because of you.
I'm going to continue to write to you unless you tell me to stop. I have no one else to send these to, and as I leave for Iraq tomorrow I can't help but start to feel scared. But don't tell anyone. It's been five years since we've seen each other, five years since we spoke. I don't think you even realize how much of an impact you had on me, or that I would think about you now. But I do.
I'll write again once I'm as settled as I can be in Iraq.
Rory traced the letters of Tristan's name at the bottom, remembering the surprise she'd felt when she'd recieved the letter a year ago. It had taken many readings before she'd become aware of how stiff it sounded. It didn't sound like the Tristan she knew and she wondered if he was anything like she remembered.
As she found the other letters buried beneath this one in the desk drawer she tried to picture Tristan, but she couldn't. She remembered a boy with tufty hair and a mischiveious smile. She couldn't see the hair shaved. She couldn't imagine him wearing army greens and following orders. He was right that time made people change, but she wished some things would stay the same.