it was a cold night, crickets chirped for miles on end. in the sky you would see smoke from an ongoing fire, crackling of wood in a close distance. That's where he was, ghost, with his team. He always took the first watch with Price while Gaz and Soap slept.

5 years.. after you were announced KIA he still waited to hear that damn whistle, ready to take you home.. to where you belonged. He hated deployments that were in forests, it was where you were taken.. his expression even showed it, his eyebrows furrowed, shoulders tense while he folded your dog tags in between his fingers. He failed you as your lieutenant, he would carry the guilt of your thought death forever.

"Ghost.. how you holding up?" Price's voice echoed through comms, staticky and rattled.. at this point he didn't know he wandered off into the unknown forest. "Copy sir.. holdin up fine, makin way back now gonna prep for shift change with Johnny." he looked back up and that's when he heard it.. the whistle.. the song he had made with you to find one another, his head jolted as he started lookin around. "Cap.. did you hear that.. or am I delirious." he pushed through the comms.

"No Si.. I heard it too.." you were alive, in these woods.. with him, god knows in what condition.. he began whistling back, just to confirm it before he started sprinting through the dense bushes.. to find you.. "just keep whistling, damnit.. ill find you.." he muttered to himself before whistling the song back.. after hours of singing it, back and forth, he found you.. up against at tree.. scarred,, cold.. an arm missing, but he didn't care.. all that mattered is he found you alive

he shot a flare gun immediately before rushing to you, wrapping his jacket around you.. you didn't move.. didn't speak.. just kept whistling the song he hoped to hear and that haunted him.. "its alright love.. its alright.. you're safe.. you're home.. its okay.." he whispered into your ear, stroking his fingers through your hair, just holding you.. till you could go home..