Notes: Mari and Sammy – Thank you for the ALWAYS enthusiastic support and feedback. You two are the best of the best!

Readers and REAL McRollers – I was so thrilled you liked Code so much! I had a lot of fun with that one. Thank you for your incredible support with each and every story. I'm sorry I haven't been replying to reviews, but please know every word is appreciated!

Hope you enjoy!

Two Days (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)

Returning to her assigned quarters, Catherine flopped down onto her bunk after an exhausting day.

Tia Wilson, sitting on the opposite bunk, looked up from her phone. "Two more days," she said.

"Two more days," Catherine echoed.

Tia grinned. "I know you're ready to go."

Catherine chuckled, sitting up. "I've gotten used to sleeping in a regular bed, I'm looking forward to that," she said, running her hands over the standard issue mattress beneath her.

Tia nodded to the rings on Catherine's hand. "And I bet also who's in that bed with you," she said knowingly.

Catherine smiled, her eyes drifting to the rings. "Yeah, I've gotten used to that, too," she said softly.

Tia rested her head back against the wall. "Won't be long now."

"Yeah."

"And in the meantime I know you've kept in touch. Phone calls, late night texts."

Catherine looked at her apologetically. "Oh, I'm sorry, I was trying not to disturb you with those."

Tia turned her head toward Catherine and waved her off. "Don't worry, you didn't. You're definitely the most considerate bunkmate I've ever had in terms of phone etiquette." She grinned, and Catherine returned her smile readily. "I think it's great your man misses you."

"Well, they haven't all been from him," Catherine said. At Tia's questioning look, she continued, "Other family and friends, too. Even my dog." She laughed at her bunkmate's expression. "Well, through our dogsitter."

Tia smiled. "That's sweet. Really."

"I'm not the only one getting messages from home," Catherine said, nodding to the other woman's phone.

"I've gotten a couple of texts," Tia acknowledged with a shrug. "The time difference makes phone calls tougher." Catherine nodded understandingly, and Tia sighed. "Tell you the truth, I think my kids'll be bummed when I get back. No more of Granny's cooking," she joked, though Catherine saw the grain of truth beneath it.

"Oh, I doubt that," she said seriously. "I'm sure they're missing you like crazy, Granny's cooking or not."

A soft smile crossed Tia's face. "Maybe."

"Trust me," Catherine said, leaning forward. "They are. They might not be able to say it, but they are."

Tia eyed her. "Spoken like a true Navy brat, if I'm not mistaken."

Catherine smiled. "You're not."

"Dad or Mom?"

"Dad. 30 years."

Tia's eyes widened. "Wow. Good for him."

"So I'm speaking from experience. I always missed him." She shook her head. "Didn't matter if he was gone for a weekend, a couple weeks, or for months. I always missed him."

"Somehow I'm thinking you always let him know that, too."

Catherine smiled. "Yeah," she admitted. "But every kid's different. Yours miss you. I've only known you for about two weeks here, but I have no doubt about that."

"And now you're officially the best bunkmate I've ever had."

Catherine laughed and shrugged. "Just calling it like I see it."

Tia sat up, swinging her legs to the floor, and faced Catherine. "Okay, there's something I gotta know … what's with the colored papers I saw sticking out of your bag the other day?" she asked, glancing toward the bag at the foot of Catherine's bunk. "They almost looked like …"

"Signal flags?" Catherine provided, laughing.

"Yeah," Tia said, joining her mirth.

"They are." She leaned over the bunk to reach her bag and pulled the small papers out.

"Oh, now, you gotta explain that."

"They're from a little boy I'm very close to," she said, handing them over. "Apparently he and Steve, my husband, were at the library last week looking at a book with different nautical codes, including signal flags. So Jacob got the idea to send me a message with them."

Tia flipped through the paper flags. "Okay, that is adorable. I miss the days when my boys did things like that. Teenagers, not so much."

Catherine smiled, remembering the surprise she'd felt when Carrie had given her the stack of papers.

"They're a message in signal flags from Jacob," her best friend had said, trademark grin firmly in place. "That's all I know. You gotta translate yourself."

Catherine had laughed, happy to oblige, touched when she read the message: SEE YOU SOON.

"Oh, and there's one from Steve," Carrie had added.

She'd smiled at the final flag. The one representing the number nine, as in nine days left of her reserve duty. Nine days left till she came home.

And now that was down to two days.

She'd done her duty, just as she would continue to do as long as she served – it was hardwired into her DNA – but she couldn't help but be anxious to go home.

Her phone buzzed, and Tia grinned. "That's gotta be hubby."

Catherine chuckled at the moniker but a glance at the screen showed she was right.

"I'll leave you to it," Tia said, settling back on her bunk again. "Tell him the big reunion's coming soon. He's just gotta wait a couple more days."

Catherine smiled. "Right."

As her bunkmate turned back to her own phone, Catherine settled herself and opened the text screen.

Hey, you done for the night?

Yep

What was on the Uncle Steve schedule this evening?

Game night at the Allens.

Oh yeah? Sounds fun.

Yeah. Except I think that Minion Operation game of Jacob's is faulty. You know I have very steady hands.

Catherine chuckled, rolling her eyes, knowing he was absolutely serious.

I'm sure it was the game.

I know you're rolling your eyes right now, but I'm telling you, something's wrong with that game.

Sure, Steve.

We'll have another game night when you get back. You'll see.

Did you just challenge me to a game of Minion Operation?

Yes, I did.

Catherine laughed silently at the entire exchange, setting her phone down in her lap for a moment and looking at the ceiling. She looked back down when her phone buzzed again.

Cath? I lose you?

Never.

I was just thinking … this is a pretty far cry from any text conversation we've ever had when one of us is on duty.

Yeah, I guess it is.

In a good way, though.

Definitely in a good way.

Two more days.

Two more days. Then I get to see those steady hands in person.

More than see

Oh, I'm counting on that, Commander.

Fridge is stocked and I got extra chocolate sauce.

I love that preparedness.

You know me.

I do. Once a Boy Scout …

Something like that.

Okay, I should let you get some sleep.

Okay. You, too.

That's the plan.

Tougher when you're not here.

Same for me. Two more days.

Two more days.

I love you.

I love you.

Night, Cath.

Goodnight, Steve.

Sighing happily, Catherine shut the phone screen, a smile of anticipation on her face. She and Steve certainly knew how to reunite after a separation. Whether it was in a supply hut in Kabul, a hotel in some far-flung corner of the world, or their own home, it was always passionate and memorable. Their separations had always fueled their desire to be together again to new levels.

Obviously this wasn't their longest separation, not by far, but she felt this one as acutely as any of the others over the long years of their relationship. Maybe because they were married now or because they were trying to start a family. Or because they'd had so few separations over the last few years.

There was so much she'd gotten used to. The familiar weight of his arm on her waist at night. His breath, light and reassuring on her skin when they first woke up. Coming downstairs to her coffee, brewed just how she liked, already in a mug. His smile when he'd hand her the ketchup bottle for her eggs without a word. The sight of him playing in the surf with their dog. Relaxing together after a long day on the deck or in the chairs by the sand. The heated look in his eyes that preceded a passionate kiss. The way they could take their time when they made love now, a luxury they'd not always had before.

Catherine exhaled slowly, still not wanting to get up to change for bed just yet. Closing her eyes, she could see him before her and one thing was clear.

Two days couldn't come fast enough.

Hope you enjoyed!

Note: Thanks to LdyMacKenzie for the Minion Operation pic on Twitter – hope you like what I did with it :-)

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