THE JOLT of Ghost's parachute deploying makes Ellie gasp, her nails now digging into his sides as she keeps a death grip on him. He maneuvers them without issue as they land on the soft snow. Gaz and Soap have already stripped off their chutes.

"What took you guys so long?" Gaz asks, his face dropping as Ellie stomps away from Ghost as soon as he unhooks them, ripping off her glasses and balaclava to reveal a devastatingly disheveled appearance.

"What happened to you?" Soap inquires, brows furrowed as he looks between her and Ghost, who says nothing.

As Ellie is dropping to her knees, breathing hard, Price's boots hit the snow. He's immediately stalking toward Ellie as he angrily undoes the pack he has on.

"That was a new one for me, Ellison," he snaps, ripping his helmet off and throwing it to the ground. She can't look at him. "You almost cost us our LZ. I don't have time to put up with fears and phobias, you copy?"

Ellie doesn't look at him.

"Do you copy?!" he shouts, making them all jump. His voice echoes through the snow-covered clearing they are in.

"Yes, I copy," Ellie replies, voice gravelly. "I told you I didn't want to jump. I am not the one you want for air recon. I have always been on the ground. If I'm in the air, I'm flying the craft, Price."

"I'm not Phillip Graves. I'm not giving the princess what she wants," Price replies coldly. "This is real stuff we're dealing with. We don't sign contracts with what we want to handle. We're ordered to go. We're ordered on how to arrive, and how to handle the operation. We don't get to say that we can't do something, even if we are utterly terrified, Miller! We do it!" He paces. "I told you if you didn't suit up, I was making you run."

He stops, blue eyes colder than the snow. He points in the opposite direction.

"Go."

Her face slacks. "What?"

"Start running."

She looks to Ghost who doesn't say a word, Ellie stammering. "Where? How long?"

"I'll tell you when you've had enough, now quit talking, say 'Yes sir,' and get moving," he orders, birds taking flight from local trees at the sound.

Ellie stands shakily, still not recovered from the jump. Not knowing what else she can say, she tells him, "Yes sir." She takes off into a jog and follows along with the treeline.

As she is running, Price turns to the other men. "Don't any of you boys ever think about pulling a stunt like that."

A quick reply comes in unison, them all turning and watching her run, except for Price who uses his satellite phone to call the other troops to let them know they've landed. Soap and Gaz walk over to Ghost who is watching Ellie with crossed arms.

"What happened, Ghost?" Soap asks.

"She froze up. Wouldn't get her chute on."

"You guys jumped together?" Gaz questions.

"Had to. She'd still be on that plane if not." Ghost sighs. "Or Price would have tossed her off. Make me jump after her."

"He's real pissed, yeah?" Gaz says, shaking his head. "She got to him."

"Cap's not used to that kind of reaction, I'd say," Soap adds. "He's gonna make Ellie run a good while."

"Lieutenant," Price calls sharply, the three men turning to see him gesturing Simon over.

"Good luck," Gaz whispers as Ghost walks over to Price.

"Sir," he says, Price watching Ellie with an exhausted expression.

"What was that?" the Captain asks lowly.

Ghost pauses, giving a small shrug. "She must be afraid of heights."

"Way to be observant, Riley," Price retorts with an eye roll.

"In what regard are you asking, Price?"

He gives Ghost a knowing look. "How you handled her. I threatened her, but she didn't care. She wasn't jumping. You don't even say a word and she does what you want her to." Price pauses. "Is there something going on between the two of you that I should know about?"

Ghost doesn't respond.

"Because, if I recall, we've gone over my policy a while back. No fraternization between my soldiers. Especially ones of separate ranks."

Ghost's jaw clenches at those words. "What are you saying, Price?"

"I need to know if you two are in a relationship."

"We aren't."

"Good." Price hesitates before saying, "If you were, I would hope you would tell me."

"Would that change things?"

"It might." Price replies, surprisingly lighthearted. "I didn't think I'd be having this talk with you, Simon," he chuckles. "You and Ellie are an odd pair, although, I think it would work."

Ghost slides his sunglasses off. "I'm confused. Are you pissed or glad?"

"Both."

Ghost nods, saying slowly, "So, you're giving your approval if there is a relationship?"

Price sighs, clapping Ghost on the shoulder. "I'm saying... if you come to me and talk to me about it, I might give my approval. As long as the relationship doesn't interfere with operations or the well-being of other team members... we can discuss it then."

He nods. "How long will you make her run?"

They both turn and look at Ellie whose pace has slowed considerably, it is obvious her lungs are burning. Price shrugs with one shoulder. "Few more minutes might do her some good. Need to get the comfort worked out of her. This isn't Shadow Company."

"I agree."

Ellie slows to a stop, hands on her knees as she struggles to catch her breath. The repercussions of her actions are almost as bad as having to jump from the plane. She is sucking in a deep breath when Price's voice calls out.

"Didn't say you could stop, Miller!"

She groans, forcing her legs to move again, her body already starting to ache from running in the snow. "Well," she says to herself, wincing as she takes each stride, "if it isn't the consequences of my actions."

The sound of some armored trucks rolling up rings through the air. Ellie keeps running. Troops get out and she sees some of the men watching her. It's embarrassing and Ellie clenches her teeth together to fight through it. Before she knows it, all of them are watching. When she goes past Price and Ghost, she gives the Captain a questioning look.

"One more lap," he tells her, nodding for her to continue.

She slows down, saying, "I don't think I have another lap in me. I can't feel my legs."

"Push through."

Price and Ghost watch her grimace as she tries to pick up the pace. She only makes a few more paces before her legs give out and she collapses to the ground. Running in three-foot-deep snow with heavy gear on will wear you out quickly. 

Ghost immediately steps forward to go to her as she falls to the ground, Price reaching out and stopping him. He turns to the Captain and furrows his eyebrows at him. Price sighs.

"I should go," he tells Ghost, nodding at him as he walks forward to where Ellie is sprawled on the ground.

She is lying on her back, staring up at the blue sky, trying to get her breathing back under control. Her lungs are on fire, thighs and calves tensing up, threatening her with cramps. She can hear the snow crunching under someone's boots. Price appears above her, him not saying anything as he kneels in the snow beside her.

Ellie looks over at him, sighing. "I'm sorry." He blinks. "I should have listened to you the first time."

"And?"

She rubs her face. "I won't do that again."

"Running sucks, yeah?"

"Big time."

He nods, holding out his hand for her to take, him helping her up onto her legs that feel like jelly. "I love the banter, Ellie. I do. But, it doesn't negate that I'm your Captain and that there's a time and place for everything. Jumping out to land for a mission is not optional. It won't be the last time we do this. Prepare yourself now. If you don't, I might have to punish you worse than this running."

"I understand," she sighs. "Thanks for taking it easy on me this time."

"I'm sorry I called you a princess," he replies, a light smile on his face.

Ellie laughs. "I like it better than Gizmo."

They load into the trucks and go to the base, tents set up a few paces from the small building. Price tells them where to set up shop and they get out the weather-ready shelters to set up. There are only two tents Ellie notices as she grabs her canteen of water and takes a few big gulps.

Ghost walks over to Price and they exchange a few words, he walks away and up to Ellie after. Ghost grabs a tent and nods at her.

"You're with me."

She looks at him in disbelief, glancing over at Price who is talking to Soap and Gaz as they set up the other tent. Ellie follows Ghost. "I'm with you?"

"Yes." He sets his gear down and starts unlatching the tent. "We need to get set up before the storm hits. Don't have much time."

"Storm?"

He keeps working calmly, as cool as ever. He never seems to let things get to him. Seldom does it bubble to the surface. "Yes."

"Can you give me more of an answer than that?"

"Yes."

She groans, kneeling in frustration and helping him with the shelter. It's a medium-sized dome-shaped tent that is insulated to keep out the cold. It's got a firm build to it, so hopefully it will hold up with the snow well. Ellie struggles to get it secure, Ghost coming up beside her and getting it in one try.

"Show off," she whispers to him, swearing she hears him snicker as he carries her things inside.

She walks in then, amazed at the room the thing has. He carries his stuff in then, setting up a small heat lamp and their two sleeping bags. Inside, you can't even hardly hear the wind that's blowing at the moment. She's thankful.

Ghost motions to the pile of stuff. "Set it up however you like," he says before walking out.

Turning, she gets to lay out their things, rolling out the heavy-duty bags and setting the pillows down. Ellie puts their gear towards the front of the tent where it can be easily accessible if they're in a hurry. She plops down on her sleeping bag and stretches out. Her thighs are screaming at her, and shin splints already giving her issues.

It dawns on her then that she's sharing a tent with him. Alone.

That thought causes her to sit up straight.

Ghost walks back into the tent, Ellie noticing how hard the wind is whipping through the trees, snow flurrying down quickly. He has food in his hands as he comes in and sets it down to close the tent. 

"We're in here for the rest of the night," Ghost says, handing Ellie a plate of food. "Eat up."

Ellie stares at him as she sits on the sleeping bag she positioned for him. It's beside hers. Not too close, but now she's second-guessing herself. Wondering if she's going to come across as weird to him for having their close sleeping arrangements. He silently raises his mask above his mouth, digging into the food he brought.

He looks up at her and asks her mid-bite, "Something wrong?"

She shakes her head. "No. Not at all."

"Eat. Before it gets cold."

"So, we're stuck here?" she asks him, watching him eat.

"For the night."

"What if I have to pee?"

He looks at his backpack. "There's some empty bottles in there."

Ellie raises her eyebrows. "Bottles? Do you know anything about female anatomy?"

"I know enough."

"Then you'd know a bottle is not gonna work. I'll get pee everywhere."

He shrugs. "I have a bag somewhere you can piss in."

"Thanks." She pauses, then asks, "What about-,"

"Dig a hole."

"But the ground is frozen. And there's a storm."

"Don't care, Miller, now eat your dinner."

She smiles down at her plate, pushing the food around as she laughs. 

"What's funny?" Ghost asks, trying to be serious.

"Are you sure you wanna be stuck in a tent with me? All night?"

He quirks an eyebrow. "You're not that bad to be around."

"That bad, huh?" Ellie takes a bite of her dinner. "So..."

"What?"

She smirks before she asks her next question, knowing he's gonna have a field day with it. "Can I have your number?"