The lights were off when they pulled into the driveway after the promotion ceremony. Frank didn't look happy, he'd told his son he wasn't allowed out that night, he wanted to spend time with him before he left for three months, but it seemed Jeremy was interested in anything but one on one time with his father, not that Frank blamed him. He'd been the same way at Jeremy's age, except then he'd already been in love. He looked over at his wife, he was worried, she always withdrew a little bit before he deployed, but this time...He got out of the car and went around to her side to help her out.

She got out of the car but didn't say anything she hadn't said much in a few hours.

Before they went inside he did something he didn't normally do in public except on the tarmac, he pulled her close to him and just held her there a few minutes. It hadn't been a long since his last tour, maybe that's what it was. Anyway, the why didn't matter, he just wanted to hold her in his arms.

And she let him; she laid her head on his shoulder and held on to him tight.

He rubbed her back with one hand and held her head in the other. Both stiffened when the headlights hit them, Jeremy was home.

Denise squinted and pulled away from Frank.

He didn't try to hold her there, "Go in the house, I'm going to have a word with Jeremy."

She only nodded and went inside.

Frank looked at his son coming up the driveway with his best authoritarian stare. "You weren't supposed to be going out tonight. If I can't trust you to be home when I'm here, how can I trust you to stay at home and take care of your mother when I'm gone? We talked about this."

"Sorry sir," he grumbled shuffling his feet.

Frank nodded. "Before you leave for school it is especially important you spend as much time at home as you can. You're mother needs you here not running around, school is different and I'll figure that out but until then, she is your responsibility. Do you understand?" Frank asked not understanding the weight he was putting on his son's shoulders.

"Yes sir!"

"Good, go inside, clean up and get to bed, it's late." Frank made sure his will was done then went to his own room. Denise was changing, usually she did it in the bathroom, but tonight she didn't bother with that.

She heard him come into the room. "Jeremy go to bed?"

"Yeah," Frank replied. "I told him what's expected a million damn times, Dee! I do not know how to get it through his head, what is so hard about keep your word, do your duty? I don't get it!" Frank began undressing.

"Go easy on him," she soothed. She hoped he'd listen. "He's your son."

"Exactly why I can't and won't," Frank replied. "My father didn't go easy on me, in fact, he was ten times harder on me than I am on Jeremy and most of that is because of you."

"Me?"she asked.

"Yes" He took off his uniform shirt, tossed his pack of cigarettes, half smoked since that afternoon, on the nightstand. "You told me the only thing you wanted for our children was for them not to live in fear, and I did my best to give that to you."

"And you did," she said still not understanding why he was mad.

"I know I did and that's the problem," he sighed. He was itching for another cigarette but he promised Denise no smoking in the house and he wanted to be with her. "I didn't discipline as hard as I could have and probably should have and now look what happened. I'm sorry, I'm just...pre-deployment, you...I'm sorry."

"Jeremy turned out fine!" she defended then softened. "Are you mad at me?"

He shook his head, "I'm not mad." He turned to her to see was in a long sleeve yellow nightgown, a winter nightgown, it was June. "Denise..."

"Yeah?"

"What's with the full body armor over there? Are you mad at me!" She did that as a way of telling him she didn't want to make love but they always did before he left and when he came home.

"No, just cold is all," she replied, her heart beating faster.

"I have a remedy for that," he whispered coming closer to her in only his uniform pants.

Denise let him get close; she knew she had to and come up with an excuse for the bruises her son had left on her.

He pulled her close and kissed her, held her to him and rocked in his arms, the very first time he held her he'd done that, she'd needed it then but it became a staple in their lives quickly.

She let him hold her and tried to relax, this was her one safe place in the world.

He always had a way of getting her to do that, to let her guard down, to be vulnerable and before she knew it she was on the bed underneath him, his hands running over her body, up and down her sides, legs, breasts, and arms.

When he hit one of the bigger bruises she couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her lips.

He froze at her sound of distress and pulled back to examine the spots where his hands had just been. He saw the handprint on her arm and his face went red. "What is that?"

"It's just a bruise," she said quickly. "No big deal."

"This is not just a bruise, this is a handprint and that is a very big deal!" He was already losing his temper. "Who did this?"

"Jeremy," she said softly. "I slipped in the kitchen and he caught me to keep me from falling."

He calmed right away, "Boy doesn't know is own strength I guess. You okay?" Back to tender and loving just like that.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she said thankful he bought that.

He smiled down at her and touched her cheek softly. "Tell me next time okay, even if you almost get hurt, I still want to know, all right?"

"Okay."

He went back to showering her with his attentions and Denise relaxed enough to enjoy herself and hopefully give him something as well. An hour later they were snuggled together in bed when Frank broke in a fit of laughter.

Denise looked at him like he was nuts "What's so funny?" she asked.

"Remember that kid I was telling you about? LeBlanc?" Frank asked. "I met his wife."

"Really, that's nice."

"Yeah, but..." Frank was still laughing. "I went over to the table and let him know I was about to address him so he gets up and salutes...and so does she."

Denise laughed. "Poor thing! How embarrassing!"

"I tried not to embarrass her but...That isn't gonna work," Frank observed. "That is just not going to work; still kid is a hell of a soldier, hell of a soldier."

"Well, what's the problem?"she asked.

"She's not a soldier's wife," Frank explained. "Her dress was inappropriate, her manners are sorely lacking, and I doubt she knows how to hold her tongue...Not going to work."

"Frank, from what you said she sounds like a new girl, probably hasn't ever been exposed to army life."

"Exactly," he turned on his side. "I heard a rumor around post about three weeks ago that Leblanc was single and available, not even a girlfriend and now he's married. What do you make of that?"

"Newlywed," she shrugged.

"No girlfriend three weeks ago, now married," Frank repeated. "Sounds like he just met her and went, she'll do." He shook his head. "All I have to say on that is what's under the dress must be pretty darn amazing to put it on the line with such a mismatch."

"Frank!"Denise scolded. "That's rude"

"No, that's true," he laughed.

She laughed. "I guarantee that doesn't compare to what I saw tonight."

"I pretty much betting it does, you first," frank said moving onto is back and pulling her in.

"This woman was in the bathroom," she had to stop to laugh "Must have spilled something on her dress cause when me and Claudia Joy walked in the girl was in nothing but a thong, didn't even seem embarrassed at all."

Frank started laughing again, "Okay I think you win. She wasn't blonde, kind of short with a gold dress and southern accent by any chance was she?"

Denise laughed "Yep."

"I'll bet you that was LeBlanc's wife." The both broke out into laughter until the phone rang.

"Hello," Denise answered.

"Major Sherwood please," the man stated. She handed him the phone.

"Major Sherwood."

He listened to the caller for a few minutes, then hung up. "1000."

Denise sighed.

"I know," he whispered and pulled her closer than before. "I know. I know. It's okay, it'll all be okay."

"I know," she said putting on the fake brave face for him.

He kissed her cheek and got out of bed. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Where are you going?"she asked, she wanted him with her at all times until he had to leave.

"Stepping outside for a few minutes, I'll be right back," he whispered and gave her a little kiss.

"Okay," she said quietly knowing exactly what he was doing, hoping if she acted sad he'd stay with her.

Still the addiction was more powerful than his love for her and the cigarettes won.

As soon as he was out the door her tears started, she tried to stop them but couldn't.

Jeremy heard his mother start to cry and peaked in the door to see if his dad was with her. He wasn't so he went into the room quietly and sat with her, "Mom?"

She saw him and tried that much harder to stop her tears "Hey honey."

"Where's Dad?" he asked rubbing her arm gently. He had the ability to be very sweet and gentle, until...

"Outside smoking."

"Want some water?" he asked getting up.

She nodded, she had to pull it together, she couldn't let Frank see her like this.

Only Jeremy had other ideas. Instead of getting her water, he went to what she really needed. He opened the door and stepped outside to talk to his dad.

"Dad?"

"You're supposed to be in bed," Frank offered as a reply.

"I know but I heard mom crying," he explained.

"Damn it," Frank swore. "Okay." He handed Jeremy the half smoked cigarette. "Take care of this for me will you."

Jeremy looked at the cigarette, put it out, and then got rid of it.

Frank took the water cup and went back to his wife. She always did this the night before he left but this was a bit excessive, she was actually shaking, not just crying.

She looked up expecting to see Jeremy but saw her husband instead, immediately she tried to hide her face from him, she didn't want him to be upset.

"Jeremy came to get me," Frank told her to stay her evasive measures. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just being silly."

"Denise," he raised one eyebrow. "Tell me while I'm here and can do something about it."

"You can't," she said crying harder. "That's just it."

He took her into his lap, "What's just it?"

"You're leaving."

He sighed and held her. "I've left before and didn't I come back? Every time I came back, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm coming back this time too," he told her firmly. "I know it's a little different this time after this spring but that's all okay now and everything is going to be just fine. Don't be scared, baby."

"I'm trying really hard not to be," she said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, but remember what happened the last time you go scared like this, you don't want that again right?"

"No," she said clinging to him.

"That's right, so let's not be scared, let's not get upset, let's just enjoy this time together and I promise while I'm over there, if you calm down now, I'll take my medicine every day and I'll quit smoking."

She nodded and took a few deep breaths to calm down but stayed in his arms not even attempting to move.

"That's my girl," he whispered happy that she listened and worked to calm down."There we go." He kissed her.

"Don't let me go until you have to," she said. "Please."

He nodded, "Well I have to right now because I have to use the bathroom,' he joked. "I'll be right back and we can get a little sleep, hmm?"

She nodded and he put her down and went to the bathroom and came back, she was still awake waiting on him.

He lay in the bed beside her and pulled her close to him. "I love you." He said firmly so she had no chance of misunderstanding.

"I love you too," she said and snuggled as close to him as she could get and laid her head on his chest.

They stayed that way until the bugle announced it was time go on with their day, this day being harder than the others, this day being one that would separate them in body, but as they held each other on the tarmac to say their goodbyes, they both knew nothing would ever separate their souls.