"Nora! Nora, are you here?"

Nora hurried out to the landing. "Of course I'm here, Julia. Where else would I be?" She took in her friend's face. "What's going on?"

"The Militia has returned."

That statement was all it took for Nora to spring into action. She darted back into the nursery and lifted Lilly into her arms. "Time to go see Daddy," she murmured. Nora hurried back downstairs where Julia was waiting with her own child. "Do you mind?" she asked as she held out Lilly.

"Of course not," Julia smiled. "Jason, say hello."

"Hello, Mrs. Monroe."

Nora smiled at the boy as she pulled her jacket on. "You can call me Nora, sweetie. No need to be so formal." She took Lilly back from Julia and they headed out. "Who called you?"

"Jeremy. My house is closer to the hospital." Nora shot the other woman a look. "Don't worry, he said it was nothing life threatening. But we should be there for them."

"Of course. What about the battle?"

Julia smiled at her. "You know I can't tell you that. Bass always wants to be the first to tell you how the war is going."

Nora smiled. "I love Bastian so much but I wish he wasn't a soldier."

"At least he's always been a soldier." Julia shook her head. "Imagine going from a quiet life as the wife of an insurance adjuster to…well, this."

Nora gave her a sympathetic look. "Bastian always has been and always will be a soldier. It's the life he was born too. Why did Tom even enlist?"

Julia shrugged. "Wanted the security I guess."

They soon arrived at the hospital. The guard at the gate recognized Nora instantly. "The President is on the third floor, ma'am," he told her.

"What about my husband?" Julia asked. "Sargent Tom Neville?"

The guard checked his roster. "Fourth floor. Came in with a broken arm."

Nora placed a hand on Julia's shoulder. "That's alright. They can set those easily."

Julia gave her a quick hug. "I'll see you later."

"See you," Nora agreed as they hurried to their separate floors. She found Sebastian talking cheerily with the doctor that was sewing up his shoulder. "Hey there handsome," she greeted.

Bass lit up as he turned to his wife. "Nora," he grinned. "Come over here." Nora hurried over to kiss him. "Not so handsome right now," he sighed, resting his head on her shoulder.

Nora ran a hand through his curls. "Good think I didn't marry you for looks then, huh?" She flashed him an excited grin. "How did it go?"

Bass puffed up as much as he could with the surgeon still stitching his shoulder. "We won," he announced proudly.

"Best general ever!" Nora praised. She kissed him again.

"Dada," Lilly called, reaching for him.

Bass reached for his little girl with the widest possible smile on his face. "How's my princess?" he cooed. "Were you good for mommy?"

"She barely slept the night," Nora told him. "Which alright because I didn't either. I really think she missed you though. I told you I can never get her to sleep the way you do."

"I missed you both too," Bass admitted. "Though you probably shouldn't have brought Lilly with you."

Nora frowned. "Why not?"

"GOD FUCKING DAMN IT! WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL?!"

"Because of that," Bass sighed.

"You're all stitched up, sir," the doctor told them.

"Thank you," Bass smiled. He slid off the table so someone else could take his place.

"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST WILL YOU WATCH WHERE YOU PUT THAT BLADE?"

Nora winced at the sound. "What happened to Miles? And does it have to do with the bandages on your abs?"

"Miles took shrapnel in the leg," Bass explained, buttoning his coat over the wounds. "Saved my life, thank god. But you can hear what it did to him."

"Oh, honey, I think the entire hospital can hear." They waited as Miles rattled off another string of curses. "How exactly does one do that with an otter and a hedgehog?"

"I'm not sure. I don't' think I want to know either."

Nora glanced at the curtains that were clearly hiding Miles. "Can't you give him something to dull the pain?"

"We ran out of aspirin a while back."

"Whiskey?"

"We're talking about Miles Matheson. The town would run out of alcohol before we managed to numb him enough."

Nora sighed at the curses that came from behind the curtain again. "You need to be with your brother right now. I'll take Lilly down to the waiting room."

Bass kissed his wife and daughter on the forehead. "I love you both," he murmured. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have doctors to save from the wrath of Miles Matheson."

Nora took Lilly back down to the first floor, nodding to the soldiers that called out to her. She knew most of them by face if not by name. As the President's wife, Nora had done many tours of both Militia bases and hospitals. War really was hell. Nora settled with Lilly in the front room. The Nevilles stopped to say good bye as they were leaving. Tom looked cheerful even with his dominant arm in a sling. Miles had saved his life too. That was Miles and Bass for you. Throwing themselves on bombs for people they cared about.

Nora lit up as Bass finally came down, one around Miles who was still limping. "Hey Nora," he greeted looking surprisingly upbeat for a man who had just had metal dug from his leg. She noted that his voice was pretty raw from yelling.

"Hey Miles," she smiled. "Hear you saved my husband."

"Someone has to keep this idiot from falling on his sword," Miles joked.

"Glad you keep up with that. You want to stay at our place tonight?"

"Screw that. I live right next door after all."

Bass rolled his eyes. "Could you manage for once to not swear in front of my daughter?"

"It's not like she's old enough to understand it."

"Let's get you a wheel chair," Nora cut in. "You shouldn't be on that leg too much." She got a Militia member to help her wheel a chair over and settle Miles in it. "Here, you can hold Lilly."

"You think that's a good idea?" Bass asked.

"Bastian. He saved your life. I think he can hold our daughter while we take him home."

Bass kissed her again. He took the hands and together the small family wheeled out into the cool spring air.