A/N I certainly don't own Army Wives. This is my first Army Wives fanfic, but I have written them for other shows and movies. Hope you like it.
Life's Little Surprises
Denise woke up feeling more exhausted; it had been a week since the bombing and Amanda's funeral. She felt so alone, Emmalynn was staying at home now since Claudia Joy was home from the hospital, and Jeremy had left to go back to the fort. Denise turned over on her side, she smiled as she looked at the picture of her and Frank hanging on the wall, they both looked so happy, aside from her wedding photo it was her favorite picture. She had a busy day ahead of her, which she liked because she would not have time to think about how much she missed her husband. Even after 19 years of this it was still hard, but last night he had finally been able to call her. She smiled thinking of the sound of his voice.
"Major Sherwood's residence" She said softly picking up the phone, she almost cried when she heard the voice on the other line.
"Baby it's good to hear your voice." Frank said tears filled his eyes thinking of her, already things were rough where he was.
She sat down clutching the phone, "Frank how are you? So much has happened here, I miss you." She went onto tell him about the bombing, making sure he understood that she was fine.
"Sweetheart I am glad to hear that you are alright, poor Mike, I can't begin to understand what he and his family are going through. Well there's a line behind me, I will try to get on the webcam soon, I love and miss you."
Denise wiped tears from her cheeks, "I love and miss you too, be safe."
Sitting up in bed she knew that she should have told him something else, but it was better to wait, wait until she was sure. When she had been in the hospital the tests had been done, but the results hadn't come in yet. So she hadn't told anyone her suspicions.
She went into the bathroom and turned on the shower, it was time to get ready for work.
Meanwhile Roxy was elated Trevor had finally called the night before.
She had been giving the boys their bath when the phone rang, "Ok boys I'll be right back." She grabbed the cordless and came back into the bathroom to watch them. "Hello"
"Hey Rox, sorry it has taken me so long to call you, it has been one problem or another over here." Trevor said smiling as she squealed into the phone.
"I should be mad at you but I can't, are you alright?" Roxy put the lid of the toilet down and sat on it, the boys were grabbing at the phone.
"I'm fine, how are you and the boys?" Trevor had worried about them, but he was glad that she had made such good friends.
"We're fine, better now that you have called, here say hey to the boys." She held the phone between the boys, and smiled as they told him they missed and loved him.
"I was just giving them a bath." She told him, then she told him about the bombing, "I'm fine, I was one of the lucky ones."
Trevor turned around and saw the line behind him, other soldiers were eager to call home, "I have to go now, I'm not sure when I'll be able to call again so don't worry."
"Okay, I'll try but I can't make any promises. I love you."
"I love you too Rox."
When Pamela brought Katie and Lucas over, the boys told her all about the phone call from their daddy.
"So he finally called." Roxy nodded.
"I have been so worried, but he sounded okay…lonely but okay." Pamela understood, but being in Special Ops her husband could never call or contact her, it was heartbreaking not even being able to say good bye to him.
"Well I am glad that he called, okay so you're going to pick the kids up from school while I'm doing my radio show?" Roxy nodded, "Okay well let's go guys and I'll drop you off." She told the kids, she and Roxy were taking turns taking the kids to school and picking them up.
When the kids were gone Roxy picked up the toys, and cleared away the breakfast dishes, this was her quiet time, she enjoyed it but usually it just made her miss her husband. She wondered if Denise had talked to her husband, she hoped so.
Claudia Joy felt like she was just going through the motions, she knew that she needed to move on, but she wasn't sure how. She had lost her daughter, her baby girl. She felt angry, angry with herself, angry at Amanda, angry at Michael, and even at Betty, had it not been for the check she had wanted to give her she and Amanda would not have stopped at the Hump bar that night.
"Mom are you taking me to school today?" Emmalynn asked, she hadn't wanted to ask, but she wanted to spend time with her mother, lately she felt she was living with strangers.
Claudia turned, it took a moment but she realized that Emmalynn needed her. "Um, yes of…of course."
The ride to school was quiet, "Mom…I'm sorry about Amanda and your friend Betty. I miss Amanda too."
"I know you do Sweetie, we'll get through this." Even as she said the words to comfort her daughter she wasn't sure that she believed them, not really.
The hospital was busy, Denise felt like she had not sat down since she arrived there. She slipped into Betty's room, the bar owner was still in a coma.
"Oh Betty, you should not have stayed behind, you should have just gotten out of there." Denise sat down next to her, "I talked to Frank last night, he sounds so tired, after 19 years this is still so hard. I told him about the bombing, he was so worried about me and I was one of the least hurt."
She sat there for a long time, then left for lunch she was meeting Pamela in the hospital Cafeteria. She was on her way there when someone called her name.
"Dr. Everett, is everything alright." She turned and saw the doctor hurrying towards her. Dr. Monica Everett had been her Gynecologist since she had first moved onto the Post.
"Yes dear, can you come into my office? I would have called you, but I saw you and thought I would go ahead and save you the trip later on."
Her office was warm and comforting, with light blue walls and pictures of her children and grandchildren on the walls.
"Well I have you results and you are pregnant, it is a wonder you did not lose the baby in the bombing at the bar, do you have any questions?"
Denise was stunned, of course she had thought that it was possible, but now having it confirmed, she was in her early forties, her son was 18 years old. "I just…can't believe it. Frank and I tried so hard after Jeremy to have another one, but it just never happened and we gave up."
"Well you are in good shape, do you want this baby?"
"Yes…but I don't know how Frank will take the news, another baby will be a huge change in our plans." But she knew that he had always wanted a daughter, maybe this was their big chance to have a little girl.
"I understand, but talk to him, I know he's in Iraq, but he needs to know better to talk it over with him now rather than later." Denise nodded.
She left the doctor's office after making an appointment to get her first sonogram and went to the cafeteria to wait on Pamela, she knew that she would probably already be there.
"Hey how is your day going?" She asked sitting down next to her.
"Good, you?" Pamela saw the smile on Denise's face, she wondered if Frank was coming home early. "What is it?"
"You cannot tell anyone…I just found out and haven't even told Frank yet…but I just found out that I'm pregnant. I have been feeling kind of icky for a couple weeks now, and the doctor just confirmed it."
Pamela was stunned, "wow congratulations, I'm guessing this wasn't planned."
"Nope, he and I never thought I could get pregnant again, I mean we tried for 10 years after we had Jeremy, he and I both wanted a little girl." Denise told her, it felt good telling someone.
"How do you think Frank will take the news?" Denise sighed and pushed her food around on her tray.
"I don't know, we have already had so many changes, Jeremy's enlisting and me going back to work. How am I going to continue working after the baby's born?" She had been worried about Franks reactions, but she had not thought about having to stop working.
Pamela took her hand, "Just talk to Frank first and see what he says, don't worry about the rest until you have at least talked to your husband."
