Dear Griffin

"Like Captain America but just Captain SA in this case. They believe I am always looking for a way to save the world," Griffin said with a shrug.

Scarlett laughed and immediately decided that the nickname suited her friend. Not just because of her career but the willingness to help everyone that she sensed throughout their few hours together.

Same Lovestarted playing and Griffin was on her feet once again, surrounded by a large group of gay people or simply people who supported the gay rights act. She already envisioned her friend speaking to a large group of people and explaining why gay people deserve the same right as others.

"When I was in the 3rd grade

I thought that I was gay

Cause I could draw, my uncle was

And I kept my room straight

I told my mom, tears rushing down my face

She's like, "Ben you've loved girls since before pre-K"

Scarlett watched in fascination as everyone grabbed their chests and rapped together as though they were singing a national anthem. Seeing the people so united brought tears to her eyes and suddenly she realized why it was so important to her to follow in her father's footsteps and fight for a better world. The woman had an intense passion about her and Scarlett admired her for expressing that in her daily life.

"A pre-conceived idea of what it all meant

For those who like the same sex had the characteristics

The right-wing conservatives think it's a decision

And you can be cured with some treatment and religion

Man-made, rewiring of a pre-disposition

Playing God

Ahh nah, here we go

America the brave

Still fears what we don't know

And God loves all His children

And somehow forgotten

But we paraphrase a book written

3,500 hundred years ago

I don't know..."

Scarlett wished she knew the lyrics so that she could stand next to this group of people and sing with them. She smiled at the serious expression on her friend's face and wondered what it would be like to be the receiver of such an intense passion. Her thoughts drifted to what Braydon said about her being a dreamer and believing in a fantasy love. She wondered if she would ever find it and suddenly the image of Griffin's arms around when she ran into her filled her mind and she quickly shook them away. She was not gay after all and this was simply a holiday and she was not looking to experiment or even entertain the idea of falling for someone who would run off in two weeks to go and save the world.

The party started winding down and Griffin walked to Scarlett to walk her home. They walked in silence and Griffin wondered if they offended the actress with their performance ofSame Love.

"Did you at least have fun?" Griffin asked and saw the tiny smile on the full lips of her friend.

"I had more fun tonight than I remember having a couple of years. I don't know how you kept everyone from not drooling over me but I truly appreciated having been able to go to a party and not spend the night taking pictures and signing autographs."

"Let's just say they know me and respect the boundaries I set up around myself."

They reached the deck and Scarlett awkwardly leaned in to give Griffin a hug. Suddenly she was engulfed in a barrier of safety and care and realized that she didn't want to let go. Reluctantly both women pulled away and said their goodbyes. Griffin reached the beach when Scarlett spoke.

"Am I gonna see you tomorrow?"

"How do you feel about learning to surf?"

"Well, that sounds fun."

"Great, see you at ten."

With that Griffin disappeared into the dark to find her brother and take them all home. Her mind was filled with the laughing images of her friend.She's even more beautiful when she laughs. I need to make sure that happens more. Oh shit, Griffin, don't fall in love with her! God dammit, you are in the Special Forces, risking your life on a daily basis and she lives on the opposite end of the world. Friendship, that is all this is and it won't become more.She continued lecturing herself until she found her brother and they made their way to the Jeep. He saw the thoughts turning in his sister's head and wondered what would happen between the two women. Both seemed to want something to happen but was fighting hard against the possibility of it.

**********

Griffin went her for her morning jog and gym session, she knew she had to keep fit if she planned on surviving another year with the forces. She returned home just after nine and rushed to get showered and dressed to meet Scarlett for her first surfing lesson. When she knocked Scarlett opened with an amused smile.

"I thought I was being stood up," she said and laughed at the shocked expression on Griffin's face.

"Sorry, I went to the gym and then I lost track of time. As you can see I didn't even do my hair and I realized I don't have a number for you so I couldn't call to say I am a little late."

"That's okay, I was just pulling your leg."

"I hardly doubt that anyone would ever even consider not showing up for a date with you."

Shit, please tell me I didn't just say date.

"You'd be surprised. So what do I need for my lessons?"

Why did I just get excited about the prospect of a date with her? Shit.

"I have an extra wetsuit, but it will be too big for you. So we should get you one of those and I have a board you can use. Let's see how the lessons go and then we can go buy you your own board."

Scarlett couldn't help but smile at the soldier, despite her tough exterior she had a really soft and caring heart. They made their way to the local surf shops and Scarlett found herself surprised by how well the soldier was known. She also admired how she reflected all attention onto herself to avoid any crazy fans to impose on Scarlett.I wonder if she's always this protective. It's really cute.

They arrived back at the beach and Griffin patiently explained the technique of surfing and demonstrated to Scarlett. There was a lot of laughter and Scarlett soon found herself being able to balance on the board.

"Tomorrow we can paddle out and then you can test your new skills," Griffin said with pride.

"Oh my God, that was amazing. I can't wait to go out and try that for real!"

Griffin undid her wetsuit and pulled it down to her waist. She saw Scarlett's eyes roam over the large scar and smiled. A tentative hand reached out and traced the scar with her finger.

"What happened here?" she asked in a whisper, watching the goose bumps rise where her finger traced.

"We were in The Congo and it was early morning, just before we had to start our rounds. I heard shouting and rushed out of my tent to see what was happening. I had my gun raised and walked around only to see a boy of about twelve pointing a gun at one of my team members. After a lot of talking, I finally got the gun away from him but I let my guard down and before I knew what was happening he drove a knife into me here," she touched a thick scar on her abdomen next to her ribs and ran her finger down, "and cut me to here."

Her finger stopped above her hip bone, "before I could stop Veronica she shot him four times and he died immediately. I was rushed to the hospital and was lucky because the knife didn't do much damage. A few stitches and tetanus shots later I was all fixed up. A week later I was back in the field."

"Jesus," was all Scarlett whispered, her finger idly tracing the scar.

"Yeah, not one of the best days of my life but I still wish we could have saved that boy."

The soft heart of this woman amazes me. That kid tried to kill her and instead of being happy that she survived she wishes that she could save him. How can anyone have such a great heart?

"You're really lucky," she removed her hands from Griffin's skin and immediately missed the warmth under her fingers.

They dried off and headed back to Scarlett's house where they lay by the pool and sipped beers. That quickly became routine for them and for the next week they surfed every day and spent hours around the pool, talking and getting to know each other. Neither woman wanted to admit what was happening between them, knowing that in a short week they would be separated and didn't know when they would see each other again.

**********

It was Sunday night and they had decided to go out for dinner. Griffin drove Scarlett's Audi convertible to Cape Town Fish Market where she had made reservations for them. It was the best seafood restaurant in the country and for some reason Griffin wanted to treat Scarlett to an expensive dinner and fun night.

Once they were seated they order a bottle of wine and sushi for starters. The conversation was easy and they enjoyed their meal. The next moment there were photographers everywhere and Scarlett tried to hide from them. She wished they would go away so she could stare into those beautiful eyes in peace and silence but they were persistent. Griffin put money on the table and took Scarlett's hand, leading her through a back door as they took off sprinting toward the car. Some of the photographers followed closely behind and Griffin quickly started the car once they were locked inside.

She drove down the street at high speed, trying to lose the news vans and made expert turns as she weaved through the thinning late night traffic. When they lost the last van they both burst out laughing and drove to Scarlett's house but saw photographers posted outside of her house.

"Here's the plan," Griffin said and looked around, her tactical training coming to the fore.

"I'm going to leave your car at my friend's house, then we're going to change clothes and you are going to wear a cap to hide yourself. There's a door on the side of your house, so we can walk along the beach and make our way up the side of the house."

Scarlett laughed and was excited about the stealth mission they were about to embark on to get into her house. After changing clothes they started walking down the beach, Scarlett took Griffin's hand and almost missed the smile on the beautiful face when their skin made contact. They walked passed the house and creeped up the neighbour's garden, Griffin hoisted Scarlett over wall and jumped over after her. They stayed in the shadows and Scarlett had to work hard to keep from laughing. They reached the door and struggled to find the key. After a minute of struggling they finally got the door open and stumbled inside, laughing so hard their sides hurt.

"That was so much fun! God, I need someone like you on my security team to avoid these paparazzi outbursts."

"I can't imagine living life like that, always having a camera shoved in your face."

"You get used to it after a while."

Scarlett walked to the kitchen and came back with beers for both of them. She removed the cap and let her dark hair fall over her shoulders. They kept the lights low so that they wouldn't alert the photographers outside and Scarlett took a seat next to Griffin, resting her head on the shoulder of her friend.

"Thanks for tonight, I had a really great time," she whispered.

"Me too," Griffin agreed.

Scarlett looked up and saw those intense eyes focussed on her. She didn't dare to blink, afraid that the care and protectiveness she saw there would disappear. Her hand cupped the sculpted cheek as her own face moved closer until she felt Griffin's ragged breathing on her own lips. She let her lips brush over Griffin's and pulled back, staring into those eyes before she felt soft lips cover her own. Scarlett's hand went to the back of Griffin's head and pulled her closer, she opened her mouth when she felt the silky tongue run across her lips. A moan started deep in her throat when her tongue touched Griffin's and the hand behind Griffin's head tightened as she pulled her even closer.

Griffin pulled Scarlett onto her lap and put her hands on the slim hips. Scarlett felt the hands run up her back and another moan escaped her lips and was swallowed by Griffin. The hands travelled around her back and gently cupped her breasts, she felt the thumbs run over her nipples which hardened in response. Scarlett broke the kiss and pulled her shirt over her head before claiming the soft mouth before her again. Griffin quickly undid the clasp of the bra and threw it into a corner her hands trailing down the soft skin of Scarlett's stomach and quickly undid the buttons of her pants.

Her hand travelled beneath the waist band and she felt the heat emanating from the woman on top of her. The seeking fingers quickly found her wet core and she stroked between the lips causing Scarlett gasp loudly. Griffin's free hand travelled to Scarlett's breasts and she tweaked the hard nipple.

"Oh God, that feels good," Scarlett panted and started rocking her hips on the exploring fingers.

Griffin found her entrance and gently eased two fingers inside, her thumb rubbing in circles around the hard clit. Scarlett rocked her hips harder when she felt Griffin enter her and threw her head back, exposing her succulent neck to Griffin who quickly took advantage of this and sucked on the skin.

"Jesus, oh fuck, yes," her hips ground down on the fingers.

Griffin bent her fingers and searched for the spongy spot on the sleek walls and heard Scarlett squeal when the pads of her fingers brushed across the spot. Scarlett's bucking hips became more urgent and Griffin knew she was close to orgasm and touched her thumb to the aching clit. She picked up the pace of the pumping and soon Scarlett was wailing in ecstasy, her body trembling as warm juices flowed over Griffin's hand.

"Holy fuck," Scarlett smiled down at Griffin before kissing her again.

She reached for the hem of Griffin's shirt and quickly pulled it over the soldier's head.

"Follow me," Scarlett breathed and led Griffin by her hand up the stairs and into the main bedroom.

Scarlett stripped out of her remaining clothing and watched Griffin do the same, her breath caught when she saw the strong body. Griffin trembled at the hunger she saw in Scarlett's eyes and quickly pulled their nude bodies together, pushing her against the wall and lifting her right leg as her fingers once again sought out the wetness of her lover. The knuckles of her hand rested against her pelvis and she started pumping her hips, her fingers brushing the contracting walls of her lover's vagina. Scarlett's nails dug into her back and she trembled at the pain of the scratches.

Scarlett screamed as her orgasm hit her again and Griffin kept pumping her hips, pushing Scarlett over the edge again and again before the brunette collapsed on her shoulder. She carried her to the large bed and lay down next to her. Scarlett rested her head on Griffin's chest and gently kissed the tanned skin there.

"Sweet Jesus, I don't think I have ever climaxed that hard," Scarlett mumbled against the skin.

"You are so beautiful when you cum. God, I nearly came from just watching you," Griffin said and kissed the dark head beneath her chin.

Scarlett quickly started kissing Griffin and rocked their hips together. They spent the entire night making love and finally collapsed from exhaustion when the sun started rising. Griffin moulded her body against Scarlett's and both women fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

*********

The next morning they shared breakfast and went surfing for a few hours before Griffin asked if Scarlett wanted to come to her house and have dinner with her family.

"I would love that," she kissed the soldier's nose and wondered what she would do when Griffin had to report for duty.

They set off toward the middle class neighbourhood and Scarlett smiled when everyone greeted her warmly.

"So my kids tell me that you're an actress and singer?"

Scarlett almost laughed when she realized she had just met the first person ever who truly didn't recognize her, "yeah, I am. But it's not as glamorous as people might think."

"I wouldn't know, we have always preferred to live a simple life."

"Sometimes I wish I chose the same thing," Scarlett said softly and smiled at Griffin.

Outside preparing the fire for the braai, Griffin and Braydon joked around and talked.

"So what's happening between you and Scarlett? I can see the way you look at each other," he asked and sipped his beer.

"I'm in so much shit, Bray. I think I'm falling in love with her and that's never gonna work. God, I report for duty in a week and she is heading back to her glamorous life in Hollywood."

"Falling in love? Sorry to break it to you, Captain, but you have both already fallen."

"Jesus, I don't know what to do. We slept together last night," Griffin stared into her bottle.

"Shit, Cap. This is just screwed up. What are you gonna do?"

"Well, this is the closest thing to love I have ever experienced, so I'm gonna make the most of the time we have together. If we always fear the separation we will never learn to enjoy what we have."

"She seems to be crazy about you."

"I know I'm crazy about her."

Scarlett stood by the door and watched the siblings as they talked, her heart ached every time she thought about how little time she had with the soldier. She refused to think about the fact that she wasn't a lesbian but found herself crazy about another woman, there would be enough time for that later.

"So, you and my daughter, what's going on there?"

"I haven't figured it out yet," Scarlett replied honestly.

"She's leaving in a week and we never know if this is going to be the last time we see her. Just don't break her heart, I need her to have a reason to fight and come back home."

Scarlett had tears in her eyes, she had never even considered the possibility that Griffin could die and that this might be the only time she has with the beauty. She swallowed her tears and made her way outside where she sat next to Griffin and talked to the family. There was a lot of laughter and they shared all kinds of stories as the night progressed. Braydon could see the love between the two women and prayed that things would find a way to work out for them.

After dinner they helped clean up and made their way back to Scarlett's house where they made love again and tenderly held each other. Each woman wondering what this had in store for them and whether they would ever see each other again after this week came to pass.

***********

It was the night before Griffin had to get on a plane to Cairo and report for duty. They were at a farewell party that Griffin's friends had planned for her and mingled with the guests. Scarlett stayed away from Griffin, trying to allow her to have time to say goodbye to her friends and fighting her panic at the realization that this was the end of a wonderful two weeks with the woman she had fallen in love with.

A guy approached her and they started talking as Griffin spent time with her friends, alcohol was flowing freely and before she knew what was happening the guy started kissing her. Griffin walked outside and saw the two in lip lock, she ripped the guy away from Scarlett and punched him, causing him to fall over the railing and land on the beach. She looked at Scarlett and walked away, fighting her emotions and the tears that wanted to spill.

Scarlett finally came out of her daze and ran after Griffin, "wait, it's not what it looked like!"

Griffin spun around and looked at her, her expression stony, "really, what he slipped, fell and somehow managed to get his tongue down your throat?"

"Jesus! Don't you dare try and tell me what to do!"

"You know what, you are just like the politicians who cause war in their countries. Once you have a taste of power, fame and money you will go to measure to regain that! It doesn't matter how much pain you cause as long as you get your needs met. I really thought you were different but apparently I was very wrong."