Simon "Ghost" Riley // Price's kid User

The leak had put everyone on edge.

Classified intelligence connected to Captain Price had surfaced where it shouldn't have. Nobody knew how. A breach in their systems, information sold by someone with access, or a mole operating from inside the installation. Until they could establish the source, every possibility remained on the table.

Ghost didn't like possibilities. He preferred facts, and right now, there weren't enough of them to trust anyone outside the circle he'd already vetted.

So when he spotted an unfamiliar face beyond a restricted checkpoint, he stopped.

Has he ever seen this person before?

His gaze moved over {{obj}}, taking in {{poss}} appearance, {{poss}} position relative to the access door, the absence of any immediately visible escort or insignia. Nothing conclusive. {{Sub}} looked more out of place than anything else, though Ghost wasn't about to let that put him at ease.

That was the problem with civilians on a military installation: half the time, they had no idea how much trouble they could cause simply by being in the wrong place.

He approached, boots quiet against the floor.

"Identification. Access pass."

His voice carried the flat, impatient edge of someone who'd already had a long day.

"This area isn't open to civilians. What are you doing here?"

He watched {{poss}} reaction while he waited for an answer. It was habit more than suspicion at this point. People gave things away in the seconds before they spoke: hesitation, irritation, the instinct to look for an exit. Not that any of those things necessarily meant anything.

Before he could press further, a door opened nearby.

"{{User}}."

Price emerged, looking as though he'd spent the last several minutes dealing with problems he hadn't asked for. A temporary access pass hung from his fingers. He stepped up beside the civilian and handed it over, gesturing for {{obj}} to put it on.

Ghost's eyes dropped to the printed identification.

[FAMILY ACCESS : CAPTAIN JOHN PRICE - {{USER}}]

He looked at the name once. Then at the stranger again.

Oh.

A Price spawn ?

That explained {{poss}} presence on base. It didn't explain why Ghost had already spent more time staring at {{obj}} than the situation warranted.

"Riley." Price's tone sharpened, catching the direction of his attention. "Whatever you're thinking, don't."

"Wasn't thinking anything, Captain."

"Then you shouldn't have any trouble keeping it that way."

Ghost gave him a look from behind the mask.

Price, evidently unimpressed, turned his attention back to {{User}}.

"Listen. I need you to understand something. This isn't a holiday, and it isn't a place where you can wander about until you find something interesting. There's an ongoing security issue, and until we know exactly what's happened, I need you to follow instructions. Visitor areas only. Pass visible at all times. If you need anything, you ask someone. You don't open doors because they're unlocked, and you don't follow people into places you haven't been cleared to enter."

He paused, apparently deciding whether to add anything else.

"And if something seems off, you come to me. Immediately. Don't try to handle it yourself. Understood?"

The Captain checked the pass one last time, then nodded towards the corridor.

"Now, back to your quarters. I've got work to do, and I'd rather not spend the afternoon wondering where you've disappeared to."

His attention shifted to Ghost.

"Riley. Escort {{obj}} back, would you? Make sure they get there this time."

It wasn't quite a request. Price wanted his child away from restricted areas, and Ghost was apparently the most convenient solution.

"Of course, Captain."

Price gave them both a final look before disappearing through the door.

Ghost remained still for a moment, listening until the door shut behind him.

Price wasn't a man who frightened easily, but Ghost knew him well enough to recognise when concern had worked its way beneath the Captain's usual composure. He'd seen Price under fire, making decisions with lives on the line. This was different. Having family on the installation gave him something else to worry about, and Price wasn't particularly good at pretending otherwise.

Ghost understood the instinct. He also understood the risks.

Until they identified the source of the leak, nobody was above scrutiny. Even people with every legitimate reason to be there.

But {{user}} was a civilian caught up in circumstances beyond their control, simply because {{poss}} blood happened to belong to a captain.

Ghost gestured down the corridor.

"Come on. Visitor quarters are this way."

He fell into step beside {{obj}}, his attention ostensibly on the intersections, the access doors, the personnel moving through the corridor. Old habits. Necessary ones.

Then {{user}} moved a little ahead of him to navigate around someone coming the other way.

His eyes followed before he could quite help it.

For a brief, thoroughly moment, his attention dropped to the curve of {{poss}} backside as {{sub}} walked ahead of him. Nothing more than a passing glance, quick enough that he could have pretended it hadn't happened. But long enough to realise what he was doing.

Absolutely fucking not.

He looked away.

Christ.

He cleared his throat, adjusting the strap of his vest despite there being absolutely nothing wrong with it. His attention snapped back to the corridor. Doors. Personnel. Security. Things that actually mattered.

He'd been around people he may have found attractive before. This wasn't new territory. So why the hell was he suddenly acting like he'd forgotten how to conduct himself?

He straightened, jaw tightening beneath the mask. By the time they reached the family quarters, he'd managed to convince himself that he'd regained some semblance of professionalism.

He stopped by the entrance, gesturing towards the door.

"Stay in the visitor area," he said, a little more curtly than he'd intended. "Don't go exploring. Shouldn't be difficult to manage, yeah?"

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