AN: Hey guys! This is my first Fic ever! I hope you like it. Please leave me some feedback or suggestions! I appreciate it! Words in italics is them thinking to themselves...

"Hey", "Hi" They greeted each other as Henry walked up behind her kissing her forehead. It was unusual for her to be home before him, already relaxing on the couch watching tv. Though she was still in her work clothes, Henry was glad to see that Elizabeth seemed to be semi-relaxing, eating popcorn and getting sucked into buying facial cream from the infomercial currently broadcasting on the tv. She has always been so stunningly beautiful, he never understood why she needed to buy all that stuff to plaster all over her face.

"So you've been working a lot extra lately, anything you can talk about? Anything you want to talk about?" She missed their conversations, the small talk, vetting each other. It was what they did, who they were, but lately their jobs were changing and challenging their marriage. Henry tried to change the subject by asking if there were any actual shows on the tv tonight. Seriously!? She wanted to scream at him, what was wrong with him?! She needed to talk to him, she missed him. His embrace, his kisses, all of him. It had been a terrible day at the office, and she just wanted him. "Because God forbid we would talk." giving him an annoyed look as she made this statement. Why cant we just talk Henry? She thought to herself, what was happening to her husband?! She didn't like it, he was changing right before her eyes, and it wasn't for the better.

Picking up on her annoyance he tried to give into her wanting to talk. "You have a bad day?" "oh you know, just your typical National Security Opera…you know, the one where everyone dies in the end"

"If it is any consolation, I had a bad day also"

"I'm listening" she said, looking at him. Please Henry, talk to me! I need you to talk to me, I miss you!

He didn't take the bait, instead he told her to talk first…Babe, I want to talk to you, but I don't know how to talk to you without getting us in trouble.

"I know we are duty and honor bound due to the lives of service we lead, but not being able to talk about what we spend time doing all day every day, it can't be good for us" Once the words came out of her mouth she wondered if Henry felt the same way, their marriage was strained, not because of anything other than their damn jobs, jobs they promised each other they would not let affect their marriage. Please Henry, give me something, anything!

"You know, this is the most important part of my day, coming home to you and the kids." Baby I need you and miss you so much too, everything going on with Ivan and Dimitri has me worried sick, making me rethink I should have never taken the job with the War College and DIA…I was happy at Georgetown, why did I ever leave?! I miss being able to be there for you, to talk to you about the kids in class, the new cult followings that had been forming each semester. She always enjoyed teasing him about the girls who would flock to his classes, just to stare at him because he was just so handsome.

"Oh, you're good!" she said to him, giving him a coy smile….one that she hoped he caught onto, which he must have since he kept going…"your skin looks beautiful, so smooth" he said as he leaned over to give her a peck on the cheek.

Okay, she was buying it….he was playing along, catching her coy little smile. Snuggling closer together on the couch they watched tv a little while longer before retiring to bed.

It had been so long, it seemed, that they were actually home together to be able to crawl into bed together, at the same time. It felt good, laying there in each others embrace, kissing softly catching up on what they had been missing lately, the feel of each others skin pressed together comforting each other. They needed this time together because things were so uncertain lately but this, this was their constant. "Henry?", she asked, breaking the silence, "I'm worried about us, I know we always promised each other that nothing would change what we have, but we need to face the fact that our jobs are indeed changing us." There she finally said it, and it felt good to get it off her chest. Along with everything she was dealing with at work, she worried about them constantly…not because she thought his new job was the problem, but because both their jobs had put such a strain on how they were able to communicate with each other. Before Olga had left to head home to Russia, she said that she had hoped the things Professor McCord had done were not causing her any problems…Bess had told her that the reason she loved Dr. McCord so much, was because he ALWAYS did the right thing. She loved her husband with all she had, they are each others soul mates, but lately it was hard, and it scared her, boy did it scare her. She had never been without him beside her, but feared that she would have to learn how to live with out him, her constant rock her touchstone.

Henry knew she was worried about them, he was too. He could see the turmoil in her eyes…those beautiful sparkling blue eyes, that had a cloud forming in them with worry. "Babe, look at me" he said pulling her chin up to catch her gaze, searching in those eyes, hoping to comfort her with his gaze and his words. "I know its tough right now, we will get thru this, it's just going to take some getting used to. I need to become more comfortable with the DIA way of life, how to deal with whats going on at work and not let it affect life at home. I love you way to much to let this destroy what we have built over the last 25 years." Henry could see she still was unsure, scared at the unknown. So he did what he knew would give her some comfort, even if it only for the night.

Embracing each other after a much needed passionate, reassuring love making session, they both fell asleep. Their minds at ease, the stress and worries taken away momentarily, they slept soundly consoled by each others beating hearts. If only things would stay this way…