"You outdid yourself tonight Dee," Frank said sitting down at a candle light dinner. "If I knew this I'd get in a plane crash more often."
Denise laughed and flashed him a winning smile. "Not if you knew that I tried to go to Iraq."
"You what?" He was still learning how hard it was for her.
Just as they were about to sit down for their supper the bell rang.
"I got it," Denise said and went to answer the door.
Michael and Claudia Joy stood in their doorway, very serious faces. "Denise, we've come to speak to Frank."
"What? Why?"
"It's important," Michael told her. "Concerning your son. We'd like you to get him please."
"Come in," she said letting them inside.
They saw the table and felt bad for a moment then Frank came into view. "Sir, Mrs. Holden, what brings you...?"
"We need to talk about Jeremy," Michael matter of fact.
"Let's have seat, Dee..." Frank made it clear his wife would attend as well with his ton and his manner.
They all sat down, Denise knew this was not good just by the look Michael had.
"Jeremy is dating our Amanda," Michael told both Sherwoods. "A status that is unacceptable to Claudia Joy and me."
"May I ask why?"Frank asked
"He is...He was instructed to tell you upon your..." Michael began but Denise spoke up. "I told him it wasn't necessary I am of course his mother." She had her back up ready to defend her baby.
"Denise, you are not seriously standing there defending what he did to you!" Claudia Joy said in disbelief.
Frank was ready to defend as well, "What are you accusing her of?"
"Denise, either you tell him or I will," Michael threatened.
Denise reacted as if Michael was going to hit her and moved closer to Frank.
Everyone was confused by that reaction, including Frank, she had no cause to be afraid of Michael.
He stood up in front of her, "Speak your piece. Why are you so against that relationship? I know it has nothing to do with the Army hierarchy. At least it best not."
"Nothing to do with that and everything to do with the fact that he has a bad temper and abusive," Michael supplied. He didn't want his friend to find out this way but his daughter was at risk.
"How dare you come in here and slander my son!" Frank erupted getting up from his seat.
"Denise knows what I'm talking about, she's the one who's been taking the abuse," Michael revealed "We've seen it for ourselves."
Frank froze and turned to his wife, "Dee?"
"He's lying!"she snapped.
Claudia Joy looked appalled, "Denise you know that's not true. We saw the cut; I put the bandage on it."
"I don't know what you're talking about." She denied it with a straight face, she had to keep her family safe.
Frank was getting upset, "I don't know what all this is about but it's upsetting Denise now if this is some kind of joke or if you're buying into post gossip shame on you both. Please leave!"
Claudia Joy glared at Denise "I cannot believe you are this stubborn!" she shouted making Denise jump and hold to Frank's arm. "Let's go."
"Claudia Joy, Frank has…" Michael began but the mother in Claudia Joy wouldn't let it go unsaid.
"No, Michael if she wants to continue to let Jeremy use her as a punching bag, we have to accept it, but we don't have to for Amanda! Keep him away from my daughter!"
Denise was crying, "Claudia Joy you promised me. You promised he'd..." She broke down into sobs.
Everyone was shocked, Frank had never seen Denise this upset and he didn't like it.
"Sit back down," he told them. "Say your piece." He slid his arms around her and held her tight. "Go on and lie down sweetheart."
"No," she said sniffling, she wanted to tell him the truth but she was afraid.
"Yes, go on right now I'll come lay with you in a minute. Go on."
She finally nodded and got up and went to their room.
Frank sat back, "Jeremy hits her?" He couldn't believe it.
They both nodded "A lot," Claudia Joy replied.
"I'll see to it that he has no further dealings with Amanda, Denise, or myself again. Now, why is she so set on keeping it quiet?"
"Because she doesn't want you to make him leave, she's trying to protect him."
He nodded, "How badly was she hurt? Was it just hitting or..."
"Yeah," they both replied.
"Thank you, I'll handle it. I must see to Denise now and please, do not ever snap at her again. Ever."
"I won't, I'm sorry about that."Claudia Joy said and they left and he went to his wife, she was curled up in their bed, covers up to her neck.
He sat down on the bed with her the laid behind her. ""Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was afraid," she cried.
"Why? Of what I'd say?" He was trying to be tender and loving.
"No, of what you do...to me and to him."
'Do to you...honey?" He was shocked, this whole day had been a shock.
"No, I know you'd never hit me. I just…" She started sobbing even harder.
He grabbed her and rocked..."Oh baby. Dee what were afraid of?"
"I was afraid...you'd leave me."
If possible he held her even closer, "Leave you? Why would I leave you? I love you. I miss you all the time when I'm not here."
She shrugged; it was obvious this had been eating at her for a while.
"Do you think I'd have left you...because…you think because of this you're a bad mother?"
She slowly nodded; she was shaking in his arms sobbing.
"Look...I'd never every leave you, no matter what you did, said, didn't do; I'd never ever leave you."
She nodded, turned, and burrowed into his arms.
He held her for hours just rocking her until he heard Jeremy come home. "I'll be right back."
Denise grabbed his arm. "Please don't," she begged.
"Let me handle this," he told her quietly. "I'll be right back."
She sighed and let him go.
Frank walked into the living room, "I'd like you to look in on Mom for me."
"Why, is she okay?"he asked
"Just go look in on her."
He was confused but nodded and went and peaked in on Denise.
She was back in her curled position sobbing and shaking and crying. He felt Frank behind him. "What do you want to do about that?"
Jeremy shrugged.
"How do you think she got like that?"
"I don't know," he replied.
"You did that."
"I did not!"he said defensively.
"You didn't hit her and make her cry and cut her face?"
Hid eyes widened "How did you..." Before Frank knew what was happening he was in his mother's room and had her by her arms shaking her and yelling.
"Jeremy!" Frank leapt into action. "Jeremy let her go!"
Denise was sobbing and begging him to let her go, he slapped her across the face then he snapped out of it and let her go.
Frank was on Jeremy like white on rice, "Wanna try that with me?"
He was about to hit his own son when Denise stopped him by getting in the way. "Don't you dare Frank Sherwood! Don't you touch him!"
He put his fist down completely shocked, Jeremy just slapped her and she was defending him.
"We don't hit in this house," she said then turned to her son with tears and blood on her face. "We don't hit."
Jeremy nodded and hugged her tight.
Denise motioned for Frank to come too. "We'll get you some help baby. We'll get you some help, we know it isn't your fault."
Frank went and hugged his wife and son, this was what he meant when he said she was wonderful mother, this…right here. Love in spite of pain, unconditional love.
Denise brought them both to sit down, she kept Jeremy close. "Tell us why honey. Please"
"I don't know," he said quietly. "I messed up."
'You do know, baby," Denise told him. "You do know, tell Momma."
They did that for a while then it finally came out, "I hate him!" he shouted. "I hate him and he hates me!"
"Jeremy no!" Denise gasped in shock. "No he doesn't sweetheart."
"Yes he does! He hates that I was even born, he hates me and I wanted to hurt him Mom. If I wanted to hurt you I'd have killed myself a long time ago but he'd never care but if I hurt you he'd care, he'd notice..."
Denise looked at Frank with tears streaming down her face. "Do something."
Frank was crying too. He didn't know what to do.
Denise held them both and rocked, she didn't know what else to do.
Frank recovered first and whispered to Denise, "Give him to me."
She nodded and let Frank have Jeremy and backed off.
He held his son for a few minutes, "It's true I wasn't over the moon when I found out we were having you. We were so young and we had nothing to give you. Nothing. But that changed, not the nothing part the not thrilled part, the day I came home from the war, you were newborn...and Mom placed you in my arms..."
Jeremy was so tiny, only two days old, he looked just like his father but with Denise's hair. He was so new, so innocent.
Frank arrived home on the bus and walked into the house, "Denise you here."
"In the nursery," she replied happily. Their baby had just gotten home.
He went back to the nursery, "They told me but I didn't believe it. Is it true? Is it here?"
"Yeah, he's here," she said smiling.
"He?" He beamed and reached out to hold her.
She snuggled into his arms and nodded "It's a boy, 7lbs 5oz."
"Is that...oh he's so little. Can I hold him?"
She nodded and got Jeremy out of his crib and put him into Frank's arms.
In that moment Frank felt all the things his own father told him he'd feel, love, protectiveness, a sense of duty far beyond that of a soldier or even husband...this little life existed because of him and Denise, without that exact union this baby boy wouldn't exist.
"When did it stop?"Jeremy asked
Frank pulled him back so his son could see his tears. "It never did. It never will. You won't fully understand that until you are a father. I love you...and I want so much more for you that I have."
"More? Dad you have mom and your career, what more is there?"
"I'd be a Colonel by now if I had the education, the intelligence that you have. Your Mom and I wanted more babies but after you came she got sick and we can't but now there is treatment for those with the money and I want the money for you if you wife is ill...I want better...and when you have your babies you'll want better too."
He smiled "Well for now I guess it can't get better, but you're both right. I need to get help for my anger."
"We'll get it. Tomorrow you and I we'll get it. Go on to bed now."
He nodded and hugged his father and went to bed.
As they lay in bed that night Frank rubbed Denise's arm. "Never do that again. Never keep anything from me again." His tone was soft but firm.
She nodded. "I promise."
"It'll be okay," he told her. "It will all be okay."
And there in the safety and security of her husband's arm, knowing he'd carry the burdens at her side, she knew he was right.