Title: Crimson & Clover

Rating: T (For use of profanity)

Genre(s): Hurt/Comfort/Humour/Romance/Tragedy (DIFFERS ACCORDING TO CHAPTER)

Character(s): John "Soap" MacTavish

Full Summary: In events prior to the adventures in 2016, Roach and Ghost are then awaken with an inquiry about Captain MacTavish: what made MacTavish into the badass Captain they know today? Surely, he wasn't always like that. How did he become the ideal soldier? How did he retain his scar? Why does he have a Mohawk? While rifling through MacTavish's personal items, they are unexpectedly rewarded with the discovery of his past. And, honestly – they didn't exactly expect this.

Chapter I: Memories that Fade like Photographs

Chapter Genre: General, Humour

Chapter Characters: Ghost, Roach, MacTavish

Chapter Summary: Speeding causes MacTavish to harshly command Ghost to slow down. This leads to the invasion of MacTavish's room, infiltrated by Ghost and Roach. Their objective was to retain "enemy intelligence," but instead find themselves catch not-so-impressive personal items. However, everything seems to have a symbol in that room…

X

"Man, this guy is so accidentally cool."

– Nestor, Happy Feet

Saturday, February 13th, 2016

Smacking his hand against his whitened and torn jeans, Roach's lips moved in synch with the words to the song that Ghost decided to play. Roach's voice would come out with a whisper to Eminem's rapping, but neither Ghost nor MacTavish stopped the young sergeant. His black Converse-covered feet tapped with its bass as he allowed his hands to childishly move around, mimicking the drumming within the song. Roach grinned contently at the rear-view mirror as he caught Ghost's blue eyes staring at him in amusement.

From inside the car, the darkness of the night blanketed the sky as seen through the windows while the three traveled down an empty highway (even though they did pass cars occasionally). This gave the three men a sense of security and reason on why they didn't bother stopping Roach from acting so strangely. Truth be told, it entertained them, especially since the sergeant constantly complained that the drive was too long and too dull to make.

Persuasion, however, was used as a jump start to push him into the car. Had they forced Roach to sit through the entire drive without anything to do, Ghost and MacTavish would inevitably be forced to listen to Roach's whining of, "Are we there yet?"

Although two of them men seemed to enjoy themselves, MacTavish managed to keep himself reserved. Ghost, however, catch smirks forming in the corners of his captain's lips but he did not laugh loudly like Roach or even smirk knowingly like Ghost. MacTavish barely said a word ever since their drive had started and it began to raise questions between the soldiers of the Task Force 141. MacTavish was known to be out-spoken and energetic. How does one deal with the situation when the talker doesn't talk?

"Ghost," MacTavish finally said. Ghost unnoticeably jumped from the Scot's sudden voice. MacTavish then continued casually, "Slow down, will ya?"

Ghost momentarily lightened the press against the gas pedal, later to regain his original speed. Within Ghost's peripherals, he watched MacTavish's expression, at the same time keeping an eye on the peculiar sergeant. The drive had gone nearly a solid three minutes – with the exception of music and Roach's drum-dancing – until MacTavish spoke up again.

"Ghost, slow down," he said exasperatedly. Ghost did as he was told, dropping the speed of the vehicle enough to see his captain content. However, his cycle of regain speed returned and MacTavish managed to catch it easier this time. "Ghost, I told you to slow down. We're making good time. You don't need to speed." His eyes did not avert from the windshield.

For awhile, Ghost followed his instructions – for unknown reasons – and maintained a certain speed. Although, admittedly, Ghost was starting to become annoyed with MacTavish's remarks, he was still entertained by the child sitting at the back. Through time, he began to consider of having a "Baby on Board" sticker – all for Roach. Perhaps he would place stuffed animals on the dashboard to keep the kid entertained. Maybe he would fill the CD holders with Barney music and the musical scores from The Magic School Bus.

Glancing at MacTavish for a second, Ghost noticed him sleeping softly with his head resting backward. Roach had stopped his drumming – or dancing – as he sat impatiently, trying to stretch. Ghost had muted the sound system while he continued to drive.

"Want to play a game?" Roach had requested with his voice tainted with genuine boredom. Ghost looked at the rear-view mirror.

"What game is that, Yankee?" Ghost asked, lowering his voice. He attempted to avoid waking MacTavish up as he allowed the vehicle to raise its speed. He wanted to end the drive as soon as possible, and speeding just a little would assist in accomplishing that. Sometimes, MacTavish really needed to loosen up a bit.

Ghost realized Roach had been thinking for awhile. "Eye spy," he suggested. Ghost snorted from his stifled laughter and momentarily looked at Roach. "What? It's a good game. It'll keep you occupied while you're driving." Roach shrugged apathetically as he slouched in his seat, no longer keeping a great posture. Roach eyed MacTavish from behind and said, "C'mon, old man. You were a kid once."

Gripping the steering wheel, Ghost gritted his teeth. "Captain MacTavish is old. General Shepherd is old. I, for one, am not old. Damn it, Roach – I'm your lieutenant!" He whispered harshly. With moments of deep breathing, Ghost rolled his eyes at himself and relaxed at the steering wheel. "Fine – do you want to go first?"

Roach nodded frantically, saying, "Yes, sir! I spy with my little eye, something that is bright."

"Headlights," Ghost stated earned a mock-sulking sound from Roach as he crossed his arms against his chest, wrinkling his green hooded sweater. Ghost then continued their frivolous game with, "I spy something silver." Roach narrowed his eyes at Ghost.

"It goes, I spy with my little eye," he corrected him. Ghost, however, didn't respond quickly and Roach realized that his attention was focused on MacTavish – or something of his possession. Roach, feeling curiosity overwhelm him, tried to peer over MacTavish's shoulder to see what he was staring at, simultaneously saying to Ghost, "Uh, sir – I think you should keep your eyes on the road."

Ghost did what was suggested and began looking at the road. He then said to Roach in a quiet voice, "C'mon, Roach – look for the silver."

Roach, with his seatbelt, loomed over the shoulder only to see MacTavish's naked hands. What caught his quirky eyes was the modest gleam of a silver ring on MacTavish's finger. The fact that it was wrapped around his left hand – on its ring finger – was what alerted Roach. His jaw slightly slacked open as his eyes turned to gaze at Ghost. Both men stayed quiet with their eyes widened in astonishment.

"Holy shit, is he married?" Roach whispered furiously. Ghost shrugged and attempted to organize his thoughts. He never thought of MacTavish being married. It didn't even cross his mind to figure out what happened to him prior to his military life. His hands gripped the wheel even harder as Roach asked other questions. "Do you think he has a family back home? What about his brothers or sisters? Oh, damn – do you think he's a virgin –?"

"Roach, shut up," Ghost commanded. His voice was louder than he had anticipated and this allowed MacTavish to jerk awake. Roach awkwardly scurried back to slouch in his seat as Ghost's eyes remained on the road, and only the road. He did jump, however, when MacTavish's voice rose, just as it previously had done before – on the field.

"Damn it, Ghost! Slow the hell down! What are you doing?" he demanded, his physique sitting upright in a quick manner. Ghost looked at his captain in an exasperated way and narrowed his eyes when averting it. Roach remained silent and played invisible as he tried to keep concealed in the shadows.

"Captain, there's no one on the road. I'm just trying to make the trip a little shorter than necessary –"

MacTavish turned his head toward Ghost. "This is a command: pull over."

For a few moments, Ghost remained astonished at the new demand his captain gave him. He obeyed – eventually – and pulled over to the side of the highway, allowing late-night (or perhaps early-morning) drivers to pass them by. MacTavish unbuckled his seat belt and commanded Ghost to switch seats with him. Because of the sudden anger in his voice, Ghost complied immediately. Roach was left to sit, awkwardly feeling the tension between the two men.

MacTavish drove the rest of the way to their destination, all in the uncomfortable silence. He didn't dare open his mouth to request the music to be played or for a childish game to commence. Roach visibly cringed whenever noise was made when moving around in his seat to get comfortable. None of them spoke for remainder of the trip.

Arriving, MacTavish sighed as he parked the vehicle. Staring at Ghost, he apologized. The two men were slightly taken aback and they watched their captain with caution. "Let's just keep listening to the commands, eh? We'll keep this simple." He exited car without another word, leaving the other two men dumbfounded and suspicious. Ghost's eyes never left the captain's. Roach's never left the patrolling guards around the building.

Both of them leaving the vehicle and into the co-headquarters of the 141, Roach followed his lieutenant as they avoided the dining hall several men occupied. They both clearly knew that MacTavish had already walked in there to keep his mind busy, but the two headed in the opposite direction – toward the dorms of the soldiers. Although obedient, Roach's conscience forced him to question Ghost's intentions.

"Sir, where are we going?" Roach asked. Ghost's eyes maintained to look forward.

"We're going to MacTavish's room," he told him. Roach widened his eyes in interest and some fear.

"Why's that?"

Ghost turned to the sergeant as the two swiftly trudged through the bleak hallways. He kept his voice low, saying, "MacTavish doesn't have mood swings." Roach raised an eyebrow, unsatisfied with the answer.

"Not like you," he managed to mutter. Although Roach earned a light glare from Ghost, he shrugged it off and continued to explain his strange motives.

"He didn't act like the captain, mate. He didn't act like the badass we know him to be. He didn't command. He was scared when he woke up. And while he was driving, I started thinking – does it mean he wasn't always the captain we know him to be now?" he had asked, his arms casually swaying by his sides. Roach didn't bother answering as the two wound up in front of MacTavish's dorm room. Of course, this was Room 2 for MacTavish and there was a possibility that most of his sentimental valued items were in the primary headquarters. Then again, the HQ in Hertfordshire was secure enough to hold the objects soldiers wouldn't want to lose.

"We can't just walk in there," Roach insisted. "That's the captain's room! What if some crazy alarm rings when we walk in? He's probably got some traps lying around in there. What do you expect to find; a diary with pink hearts in it about his non-existent wife? If you haven't noticed, sir; MacTavish is a private man."

"Calm down, you toss-pot. MacTavish is with the barbie with the other men, tucking in for breakfast. Anyway, the lock maybe ace for others, mate, but not for me. And, for your information, Yankee, MacTavish's girlfriends are probably eye-poppers, unlike your minger girlfriends."

Roach's eyes had widened with confusion. "What the hell is MacTavish doing with a Barbie?"

In the middle of picking MacTavish's lock, Ghost had paused to laugh. "Not a Barbie doll, a barbeque."

"What about a minger? What is that?" Roach asked. Ghost looked back to see the lock click open.

"It's not good, mate," Ghost said while standing up, pushing the door open as the two men snuck inside. The room was eerily neat for a 'hot-shot captain'. Although it seemed as if it was going to be an incredibly easy time searching for personal items, Roach and Ghost stood in the middle of the room, unsure what to look into first.

Roach then turned to his lieutenant and asked, "Why are we here? Do we need to sneak into the captain's room just to figure out a simple question?" Ghost rolled his eyes and walked toward a set of drawers, opening them only to be disappointed in seeing calendars. Regardless, he began opening the booklets, seeing several events marked for the past years.

"I always go after what I want," Ghost sighed. "MacTavish is almost never out of his room on breaks. If I have a question, I want it answered, Roach. I've had this question for awhile and I think it's about time it's stopped plaguing my mind. Besides, aren't you curious to know what it takes to be the 141's captain?" Ghost continued flipping through calendars, later searching under the bed. He exhaled in frustration.

"You're sneaking in the captain's quarters to find out what it takes to be the captain? Why don't you just ask him?" Roach had asked innocently. Ghost growled silently and narrowed his eyes at the sergeant.

"It's not just him being a captain – it's everything about him. You know, through time, mate, you learn about each other here. MacTavish has been here for awhile and there isn't a single detail any of us has learned – nothing. We only know that he never goes banging with some girl. He doesn't go travelling around during off time – it's always to London. He doesn't even have a bloody laptop. And now, he's acting like a prick over something like speeding.

"You know what he said to this gorgeous bird one time when I tried to set him up? I have no heart to give you. I mean, who says that? I should have given him a prostitute! The man is losing it!" he huffed.

Roach dropped his shoulders as Ghost began searching through the closet. "Okay, I get it. But do you honestly think you'll find anything in here? If he's not willing to share his personal life with any of us, what makes you think he'll have anything to show he's even had a life before –"

"Yankee, shut up," Ghost muttered as he paused his movement. "I've found something." He managed to open the top of the box before carrying. "C'mon, Roach. We're Oscar Mike," he told him while escaping the room.

Roach closed the door behind them as the two managed to get away from the scene of the crime, making it all the way to washroom in the opposite end of the dining area. Feeling security around them, Ghost lowered his hand inside the box only to pull out a pair of brown cowboy boots. Screwing up his face in confusion, Roach snickered at the discovery.

"Hang on, there's more," Ghost told him as he placed the boots aside. This time, he retracted a record with the title Tommy James & the Shondells. Ghost commented, "MacTavish has some strange taste in music." He placed the record beside the boots and went to dive into the box again. With each object pulled out, he commented, "He has a plastic gold crown in here. Did he hijack this from some poor kid? It's still in pretty good shape. Oh, look – there's a postcard. Doesn't the picture look like Egypt? It's from some bird named Josephine. There's also some picture of a man - a soldier. The man kind of looks like our captain, you know? There's a guitar pick, key, and a nameless CD? That's it – I almost regret breaking into MacTavish's room. Oh, and what is this? He has Vanilla Cappuccino in a powder packet. What the hell is this doing here?"

It was then Roach's turn to reach into the box. "Ghost, is MacTavish Jewish?"

"Not that I know of," he answered. He questioned, "Why?"

Roach extended his arm to show a Star of David with its gold chain tangled with his fingers. Ghost's eyes widened with interest as he said, "Oh, now we're getting somewhere, mate."

Roach pulled out a standard sized photo of a Caucasian woman in a wedding dress standing with MacTavish. Each held gold frames while grinning ridiculously at each other. Scanning the photograph, he saw the Star of David around the woman's neck. While Ghost busied himself with the Star, Roach peered into the box to see one last object inside the dusty box. Pulling out a slimy and swirled silver ring, he studied the two until coming to an astronomical realization. Ghost turned to Roach, seeing the young man in shock.

"Shit – MacTavish is married," Roach exclaimed with a whisper. He turned the photograph around and saw a date written – Friday, May 4th, 2007. He allowed his jaw to drop as he said, "Damn! MacTavish has been married for nine years and we didn't even have a clue!" Roach chuckled full heartedly, somewhat proud of his captain. "How old is MacTavish? He's thirty-four, isn't he?"

Roach looked up at Ghost but saw his face in a horrific expression. Narrowing his eyes in confusion, he turned around only to see Captain MacTavish standing behind them. He screamed in fear of being struck or yelled at by their commanding officer, and through instinct, Roach jumped behind his lieutenant.

"It was all his idea!" Roach shouted, gripping the photograph. Ghost growled at him and stepped to the side, exposing a frightened Roach. "I'm sorry, Captain! He said he wanted to search… he wanted to find something…" He was a loss for words as he realized MacTavish didn't respond by shouting at the two men. Instead, he stood there, calmly. There was no shock, no rage or any noise. His eyes only stared at the photograph in Roach's hand.

He stepped forward, extended his hand. "Sergeant, may I have that back?"

Raising his eyebrows, Roach immediately complied and gave it to him. He began to place the items back in the box as Ghost crossed his arms with narrowed eyes.

"How did you find us? Why aren't you yelling at us? And, Captain, who is she?"

MacTavish looked up from the photograph and half-smiled emptily. "You two didn't walk into the dining area. Roach always heads there first so I know you were headed to my dorm room when you didn't show up." Pausing, he looked at the two men with caution. "I would have kept these in the sub, but Shepherd could never allow me to keep such personal items in board. I knew, sooner or later, muppets like you two would find it and I would have to explain."

Roach shrugged awkwardly. "You're not mad?"

MacTavish shook his head and led them out of the odorous washroom. Privately heading towards a confined room, the box was settled onto a table as the captain sat down. He offered them a chance to sit.

Scratching the back of his head, he admitted, "I'll explain everything, I promise. Do you want to know what makes a captain, Ghost? Then I will tell you. There isn't a saint without a past or a sinner without a future. Every single item has sentimental value, but I don't think you'll understand why unless you know a few things about me."

Author's Note: Yes, that last line he just said came from a quote that Evey Hammond (from V for Vendetta) said. This is more of a 'prologue' chapter which will lead to John MacTavish's private life. So, please do me a huge favour and review, because, honestly, it'll boost my self-esteem! They'll be highly appreciated! Constructive criticism is welcome. Flames, however, will be used to search for Makarov. Hoorah!

If you do want to review but don't know what to say, answer this question! What would you have done if you caught Ghost/Roach (or both) in your room, going through your things? (This will be used for future writing references.)

Chapter Title: Memories that Fade like Photographs by All Time Low

Next chapters will include mini-MacTavish and the events of his childhood that led up to him being such a sick captain. Review for mini-MacTavish, nosey Ghost, Roach and some cookies!

(Hint, Hint: Reviews control the speed of updates.)