Her Love Ch. 04

"And what's wrong with that?" Nathan asked.

Terry shook his head as he didn't have an answer. Seeing that Nathan actually smiled at him and decided to help the lad out. At that moment he realized he had his total attention and figured now was the time to help the kid out and grow a touch.

"That's right! Nothing at all!" Nathan exclaimed and gripped his shoulder firmly.

"Kid, listen to me and listen good, life is not a fun thing. I know this, you know this, and hell Char knows this. We all have our demons that we need to overcome. For me it is PTSD and a nagging suspicion I'll be in surgery again by the time I'm fifty," he began and squeezed his shoulder again.

"For her, it's her own upbringing and a few other reasons, but then we come to you. Kid, listen to me on this if you listen to me on anything: Be Strong," Nathan said softly.

Terry's eyes looked dead into Nathan's as Nathan uttered those two words.

"I know the shit you were put through. I know all about it. Who do you think sent Emil and Meyerson with you and Char?" Nathan explained as Terry's shaking eyes found his.

"Listen, it's all up here," Nathan said by tapping Terry on the forehead with his index finger, "Ninety nine percent of everything you do is right here. During my time in I found that out all too well. Our training is meant to cull those who don't have the mindset to do it. If you have the physical side down that's nice, but if you don't have the mental focus for it, you won't."

Nathan's words began to sink into Terry's mind. Nathan wasn't done there and kept up with a simple logic for the young man.

"If you really want it, and I mean REALLY want it. Then nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, will ever come between you and your goal," Nathan said and squeezed the shoulder hard enough that Terry looked up to him.

"Life is how you make it, not what things do to you," he said in finality and patted his arm.

"But what if I can't?" Terry asked.

"Then you can't, but are you really going to just quit and say "it's not fair?" Nathan asked.

Terry shook his head no and that was all Nathan needed to see.

"Then why did you have to ask?" he said, not really asking a question.

"Was it the same for you and Donia?" Terry asked.

"No, but at the same time it was never easy for us," Nathan said honestly, "Then again what in life that's worth being rewarded for ever truly is simple? Those things that are, are the things we take for granted or make as a simple pleasure. Those things that you strive for taste all the sweeter when you take them and make it happen." Nathan said and tapped his arm that had his Marine Corps tattoo.

Terry looked at the arm and nodded his head.

"If you want truth buddy, when I went to the Marines, I was a weak minded moron that thought he was special. But after I had my reality check and found I wasn't, then shit got real. It was after my combat training that I found an outlet for what my soul was eager for and tried out for Force Recon. That was the hardest thing I ever did, but I made it through. Now I know for you trying to make something good with her will be similar, but don't ever quit and don't let anything come between you two and I guarantee you, it'll be all right, buddy," Nathan said and walked to the side of his desk and sat back down.

Terry let those words sit in his mind for the rest of the time they sat in his office. The hours ticked by, but he didn't move or even speak. Nathan got him a bottle of water as he went over the last bits of his work, then he saw the time. Nathan had about five minutes more work and looked to Terry, he settled everything and started to pack up shop.

"Hey, go and meet me at the truck. I'll just close up here in a few minutes," Nathan said thinking of his roving patrols in the garage.

"Hmm...OK," Terry said and got up from the chair.

Nathan watched Terry go to the garage and placed a call to the men at the booth. He informed them to keep an eye on Terry as he was alone in the garage. The men gave him an OK and Nathan finished up his work. Terry went to the elevator and was still lost in thought. He got in and rode it down, but his eyes were at the floor and not looking around him.

Henry and his two friends just so happened to be going to the garage to go out when lo and behold the little shit that was fucking up his program got into the elevator without looking around. His smug grin was half thankful, the rest purely malice driven. He looked to his friends and gave them a subtle nod and looked to Terry. The men, both of whom were trouble makers in their own right, understood the implication and nodded back. The elevator dinged for the garage and Terry walked out quickly and towards Nathan's truck. He walked by the guard post as did the rest of the crowd while Henry and his friends slipped around the post without being noticed and followed Terry to the truck.

Terry made it the long path to the truck. When he got there he went to the passenger side was when one of Henry's friends looped around the truck and suddenly popped up in front of him. Terry saw a larger man who was wearing a dress shirt with no tie and slacks. He was white and had brown eyes. His sneering face was typical of one of the bullies he had to put up with in school. As he turned to get away Henry and the other of his friends came up and Terry was trapped.

"Well, well, well, look at what crawls into the garage fellas," Henry said and shoved Terry backwards.

The one behind Terry caught him as he fell back and shoved him back towards Henry. Henry laughed and caught him and shoved him to the truck. Terry hit the truck and grabbed the side to keep from falling. As he did, Henry's other friend grabbed Terry and stood him up straight. With that Henry came up and got into Terry's face.

"Now how is it you think that that fine ass bitch is ever gonna want a turd like you?" Henry taunted and the words stung Terry in a place that wasn't the normal fear driven place he hid before.

"You know that big bitch would look really good on her knees bobbing on my knob" Henry taunted and did a lewd hip thrust.

His friends chuckled at that, but Terry didn't. The one holding him up tossed Terry forward and Henry took the cue. He went to swing at Terry, but Terry did something that shocked everyone. As Terry went forward, he ducked low. The blow sailed over where Terry was and caught the friend in the face, but Terry was aided by the toss and his momentum carried him right into Henry's exposed knees.

The force of Terry slamming into Henry's over extended kneecaps had its effect as the shock of one hundred and twenty nine pounds slammed into it full on. Henry's knee buckled and he screamed in pain as he went back with the new momentum. The force of the new found torque whipped Henry backward and slammed him to the floor. The concrete met his skull and at once Henry was out like a light.

The friend behind Henry saw what happened and was shocked, but he was shocked even more when Terry bounced up and before he could react a blazing eyed Terry flew at the man with his hands out. The fire that was in Terry's eyes was one that the man had never seen before, but if he knew what was driving the rage he would have run away screaming. The fury of all his torment and torture came out in one instant as his right hand found the man's nose with all he had. The furious blow had the desired effect of making the lights flash wildly in the man's eyes.

While Terry did that he was unaware of the one behind that Henry hat hit. The man shook off the halfhearted punch easily, then watched as the small punk hit his friend right in the nose. His friend recoiled in agony, but that only drove the bigger man to rage. The larger man ran behind Terry and slugged him behind the ear as hard as he could. The blow staggered Terry tremendously and sent him stumbling to the floor. The one whom had been hit in the nose screamed in anger and spun around, he saw the prone form of his tormentor and with all his fury drove his foot into Terry's side.

For years Terry had taken vicious kicks from Vonte, and compared to them, this kick was nothing. Terry rolled away under the truck, and didn't realize that his guardian angel was over his shoulder. As soon as the man's foot recoiled he turned about as the sounds of running feet made both of them look the other way.

Nathan and three of his men were charging up, but Nathan was in no mood to be kind. He met the one who hit Terry and before the man, who was actually bigger than Nathan, could react he found himself on the floor as Nathan grabbed his arm and locked it out. The blur of motion didn't end there as in the same motion his foot shot out and the heel of his shoe met the middle of the other man's thigh. Nathan completed the spin as the other man sank to the floor squalling in agony as the bruise set into his thigh right away.

The man sobbed in pain as Nathan's guards secured the two men in zip ties. Nathan looked over to Henry and saw the man laid out unconscious and spun about looking for Terry. His eyes found him under his truck and a relived expression washed over Nathan's face. Nathan quickly walked up to Terry and held out his hand to him. Terry came out from under the truck and took the offered hand.

"You alright?" Nathan asked and Terry nodded his head.

The first thing Nathan saw was not a scared rabbit, and that surprised him, he was amazed at how Terry was not shaking or anything. Nathan turned him side to side and checked over him knowing Char would have his ass if anything happened to the young man. Seeing nothing outward he looked into his eyes and checked to see if Terry was loopy. Again, Terry didn't show any outwards signs so he breathed a sigh of relief, then he heard a groaning next to him. Terry and Nathan both looked down to see Henry stirring. Nathan let go of Terry's hand and his own snatched the groggy man up and roughly slammed him into the side of the truck bed.

Henry groaned as he hit and his eyes slowly came to focus on a very grim faced director of security glaring at him. Almost at once his eyes got wide and Henry realized he couldn't move his hands as Nathan had then pinned.

"I believe we've had this conversation once before," Nathan grimly said.

"Man I..." Henry tried to protest, but Nathan grabbed him by the lapels and yanked him off the ground and into his face.

"Man you nothing!" he growled and Henry recoiled from the savage, almost dead eyes that Gunnery Sergeant Nathan Blake once had before he came back.

The cold, hardened eyes of the Recon Marine came to the fore front and bore into the weak minded eyes of Henry. The scariness of them made a cold sensation rush through his whole body as the dead orbs found his center and began to drain the heat from his body.

"Your time at MY building is at an end. I am going to report this to your supervisor, and if you even think of saying anything, to the police. You see this is my truck, and of course I have it under surveillance you little fuck! I have everything you and tweedle dee and tweedle dumb ass here did on tape." Nathan spat in his face.

"Dude, dude, I'm...." Henry wanted to apologize, but Nathan would have none of it.

"Shut the fuck up!" Nathan said each word slowly to emphasize the deep pile of shit Henry now found himself in.

"Leave my building, and take your bitch ass friends with you. And if I ever see you or your bitch ass friends even come near this kid again, we are gonna have a go, and I promise you, you and them won't like the outcome," Nathan growled at him and turned suddenly.

Nathan let go of the lapels and Henry stumbled over his feet and fell flat on his face. Once there he got to his back and saw the looming figure of Nathan stalking toward him. Henry got up and bolted to his car. His friends were cut loose and hobbled after him as best they could. Nathan signaled for his men to follow them out. A few seconds later Henry's car drove by them and Nathan had his coat open so the pistol could be seen as the men drove away. His scowling face and hard eyes followed the car as it exited the garage and as soon as it was done he turned back to Terry and exhaled to let it go.

"Thank you," Terry said and he was shaking.

Nathan saw the way he was shaking and put his hand on Terry's shoulder to make him look up to him.

"You did great kiddo!" Nathan exclaimed in a proud, almost big brother like voice.

"I did?" Terry asked back.

Nathan nodded his head and grinned at the younger man. A part of Nathan indeed felt like a big brother, it was fitting to him as he had two younger siblings. His biggest hope was that he had gotten through to Terry and judging by all he had seen he was certain he had. It was a small step in the grand scheme of things, but to Terry, Nathan knew, it was like climbing the Himalayas.

"One mountain at a time," Nathan said and took Terry to the garage office to file the report.

Nathan had his camera operator burn a copy of the disk showing Henry and his friends cornering Terry and taunting him. He also watched as Terry actually went low like he planned to do it. Once Terry saw it he was floored that he actually did it. Terry explained to Nathan he didn't remember doing it, but the camera was proof he had. The report was filed and Nathan decided to hold off on calling the police for now. He did, however, make a certain call to a supervisor of Henry's.

"He what?!" Char exclaimed.

"He kicked the ass out of the one and knocked Henry the fuck out!" Nathan said laughing.

Char was driving home when the call came in. Nathan explained everything to her after he made her promise to let him talk without interrupting him. Once the tale was told Char's eyes were wide indeed as she had never expected that. Nathan also told her he had it all on camera and was ready to go further if she felt it appropriate. Char decided to talk to Terry first and see what he wanted to have done. Char knew that as soon as she got in the next day she was signing the termination order, so she was just going to play the rest by ear.

"We are leaving now, see you in a bit," Nathan said and corralled Terry.

The whole drive to the apartment Nathan saw Terry was jittery. He knew it was likely adrenaline and knew that later on he would likely have a headache and be sore.

"Take a hot bath tonight and take some Tylenol, then I want you to call in tomorrow," Nathan said to Terry.

Terry nodded to his friend and suddenly looked at him. He watched from under the truck the way Nathan caught the big man's hand and spun about as he locked it up then kicked the other in the leg. He was floored by how easy he made it seem, that sparked a question to Terry.

"Can you teach me how to fight?" Terry asked in a surprisingly louder voice than he normally used.

"I can teach you to protect yourself, but not to fight," Nathan corrected him.

"What's the difference?" Terry asked.

"To fight is to do one of two things. First; is to wage a combative action against another person. Second: is to be an asshole who wants to be a bully. To defend yourself is to make both of the above seem like a bad idea," Nathan said chuckling.

"But you just fought them," Terry said confused.

Nathan chuckled again.

"No. I defended you from them. If I wanted to fight them, they would have gotten worse than they did. But I only wished the fight to be over and save you and them from further pain," Nathan explained.

Terry looked down at his hands and saw the one he had hit the other was red and tingling. He understood Nathan's point of view and nodded his head.

"We can start whenever you are ready, buddy," Nathan said and turned into Char's building.

Terry nodded his head and inhaled as he was trying to calm down, but he was still fired up from before. He didn't know why he did what he did, but deep down it was something he was sure of speaking about Char was unacceptable. It was as if when Henry spoke of Char suddenly he lost himself. The images of Henry trying to force Char into sex with him set off a fire that Terry still didn't have under control. The fire had abated when he saw that Henry was down, but it raged through him as he saw the man before him coming at him.

The truck turned off and Terry found himself at the elevator and going up. Nathan went with him and once they got to the floor Nathan turned Terry to look at him.

"Hey, look at me," Nathan said.

Terry's eyes met his and Nathan nodded his head.

"You're alright now buddy, now why don't you do yourself a solid and go give Char a big hug, but not because I said so, but because you both need it," Nathan said and playfully pushed his knuckles across Terry's jaw, "Go get her tiger!"

Nathan watched as Terry walked from the elevator and to the door. As soon as he got close the door opened up and Char was there. She saw Terry coming at her and before either could say a word they were locked in a tight embrace. Nathan didn't say a word as he hit the button and the elevator door closed.