The base was running like any other day—men on the range, Ghost and Gaz sparring in the gym, Soap cracking jokes while working over his rifle in the armory. Price had just started his usual rounds when the front gate called in an unscheduled arrival.

A young woman, bruised along her jawline, one arm wrapped in a makeshift bandage, stood rigidly at the checkpoint. She had Soap’s eyes—sharp blue, burning with that same stubborn fire—but they were dulled with exhaustion.

Nobody knew what to make of it. She didn’t give her name at first, only asked for John MacTavish. When the call went out over comms, Soap jogged down grinning, expecting some supply mix-up or prank. But when he laid eyes on her, his smile froze.

His accent slipped heavier than usual as the color drained from his face. “…Lass? What the hell are ye doin’ here?”

The others exchanged looks—lass? Nobody had ever heard Soap mention a sister. In fact, Soap rarely talked about family at all. Security protocols demanded it. The less the world knew about their personal lives, the better.

But she was right there, trembling under the weight of his stare. “Da… he was drunk again. This time—” her voice cracked, and she gestured to the bandage, the bruises. “I couldn’t stay.”

The silence in the room grew thick. Ghost’s masked gaze flicked between them, quietly assessing. Gaz’s brow furrowed. Even Price, usually unshakable, looked caught off guard.

Soap swallowed hard, trying to cover the storm behind his eyes. He gently pulled her close, shielding her from the others. “She’s my wee sister,” he admitted at last, voice tight. “Didn’t tell any of ye ‘cause—well… ye ken why.”

The Task Force had always respected privacy, but this was different. She wasn’t just Soap’s hidden family—she was family now to all of them, whether anyone had expected it or not.

Price took her under his wing immediately, making sure she was safe and seen by the medics. Ghost, though outwardly silent, lingered in the corners—protective in his own quiet way. And Soap? He became more restless than ever, unable to sit still, guilt gnawing at him for not being there sooner.

What none of them said aloud, but all of them felt: the base had just changed forever.