Note: Thank you so much to everyone reading and following the story and for those who left reviews, for which I am very grateful. I very much appreciate the encouragement! Thank you to Hero 76, Tin Dog, BeeBee 18, BMSH, hlahabibty, hbndbgirl, Erin Jordan, sm2003495, Drumboy100, max2013, Iheartninjago2010, Paulina Ann, and EvergreenDreamweaver.

Civil Skirmishes

Chapter 2

By the time that they arrived at their beautiful bed and breakfast, it was almost 5:00 p.m. The two couples had agreed to split up and to reconvene at 9:00, where Vanessa had arranged to join a small group for a ghost tour around the town, figuring it would provide a good overview of Gettysburg and a solid introduction to her research.

"Oh my gosh! Isn't this just beautiful?" Vanessa gushed as she looked around the room that she would be sharing with Joe. She plopped on the bed, crossing her long legs under her, unable to stop smiling.

Joe, who had just finished placing their luggage on the floor, grinned, walked to the bed, sat down next to her, and slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Almost as beautiful as you," he replied, and kissed her cheek.

Vanessa sighed happily before speaking. "Oh, Joe. This is going to be great. I just feel it. The car ride here was so much fun. Everyone is getting along, I got to go over the plans, and we are going to have the nicest time!"

"Yeah, I-" Joe went to reply, but Vanessa cut him off.

"Do you think that Callie and Frank have the schedule down? I know I sent it to Cal, but she's so laid back with things like this. I guess Frank would have been the one to send it to, huh? I mean, he's so organized, like me. But then again, that would be totally weird, right?" She rambled on, excited, and Joe just sat back, amused.

"Mmmm," he intoned.

"Exactly! I knew you'd agree. So tonight, I guess, isn't the hard part. Dinner at 6:00, then the tour at 9:00. And it'll be so cool that maybe Chet and Biff can join us soon! Anyway, do you think that Frank and Cal will be mad about tonight?" She looked at him, eyes wide, and bit her lip, genuinely concerned.

"Um… no?" Joe asked, puzzled. "About what?"

"Dinner," Vanessa replied, seriously. "The fact that I booked us at two different places." She sighed. "I guess I shouldn't have done that. A part of it is that I figured that they would want to have a laid back first night and be casual. I mean, Callie said she was fine with it, but… I don't know."

Joe stared at his girlfriend, still not understanding. Vanessa was fun and impulsive, but also really organized when it came to planning and her studies, if not her apartment. What she wasn't, normally, was a chatterbox. He didn't mind at all, but he felt like he was missing something that he should have known.

"Babe, slow down," he reassured her, gently rubbing her back. "Why are you all worked up? Relax," he went on. "We have several days here, and tonight sounds fun. I'm sure that whatever you worked out with her… Callie…" he cut in, reminding himself to be polite, "is fun. But- why did you book us again at separate restaurants? I mean, it's fine, but we're all going on the tour after, so…" his voice trailed off, but he gave her an encouraging smile.

Vanessa looked startled, and Joe knew something was off. "You're not serious, are you?" Vanessa asked after a moment. The hurt was apparent in her eyes.

Joe tried not to panic, wondering what he had somehow missed. As he tried to think of what to say, she spoke again, voice quiet. "You really don't know, do you?" she asked in a small voice. "I… I mean, I told you- several times- but I thought you'd remember."

"What?" he asked, totally confused. All he knew was that this vacation was off to a shaky start, and he had no idea what he'd done. "Van?" He went to touch her cheek, but she stood stiffly. When she turned around, he felt terrible at the look of disappointment and hurt on her face.

She just shook her head and forced a small smile. "Never mind," she said at last. "Maybe we should just unpack now. Our reservation is in 45 minutes." She cleared her throat. "I… I have to use the ladies room. You can start getting ready."

"Van? What did I do, babe?" he questioned, standing beside her. "Please tell me."

"Just get ready," she replied at last. "We'll… have a fun night." The pale smile was plastered to her face.

Joe saw that she wouldn't talk, and sighed inwardly. He could only hope that whatever he had done was forgivable. Vanessa wasn't normally like this. Maybe it was the stress of planning everything, or the excitement of it all. In any case, he knew he would have to try later to get her to open up. "I'll get the last suitcase in the car," he said at last. "And I'll try to look presentable for you. I was paying attention before: fancy restaurant tonight. I just got mixed up about it being the two of us."

"Are you okay with that?" Vanessa asked quietly as he turned to open the door.

Joe turned around, walked to her, and hugged her tightly. "Yeah, Van. Of course. I can't think of anything better than spending some time alone, just the two of us." Finally, he felt her relax a bit. "Okay?" he asked gently.

"Okay," she agreed, and kissed his cheek as he slowly let her go.

"Be right back," Joe reminded her as he quickly left the room to regroup and figure out what he had done.

And Vanessa, left alone for just a few minutes, quietly walked to her suitcase, opened it, and checked. Yes; it was still there. The expensive sports watch she had bought for Joe. She took out a few shirts and put them in the drawer of the dresser next to her, careful to hide it where Joe wouldn't look. It was supposed to have been a gift to celebrate their two and a half year anniversary today.

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At 5:15, Frank crossed his arms as he surveyed his surroundings, impressed by the lovely room with the period details. Vanessa didn't mess around when she planned things. In many respects, she was as methodical as he was when it came to being detail -oriented. He and Callie had finished bringing in their luggage, and he had just mentally reviewed the itinerary that Vanessa had told them all about on the way here. Although he knew that Callie had the whole itinerary sent to her from Vanessa, like Joe, she was often more focused on the fun and figuring that things would work themselves out than planning everything so that they were certain to work out.

She emerged from the bathroom and crossed her arms back at him, mirroring his serious expression. "I take it you've inventoried the luggage, plotted an exit route, examined the safety features of the room, and committed to memory all important numbers and addresses at this point," she teased him, a smile playing on her lips as her eyes twinkled.

Frank laughed in spite of himself, crossed the room in three long strides, and took her in his arms. "You forgot 'ordered the cleanliness report and traveler reviews'," he replied, smiling affectionately at her as he kissed her nose.

"Damn. I was so close," she answered, returning the grin as she stood on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love it when you're close," Frank replied huskily, as he pulled her to him and kissed her deeply.

"Me, too," she managed to respond, body tingling from his touch.

"We need to skip dinner," Frank whispered as he pulled her onto the bed beside him. Intoxicated by her perfume, the softness of her skin, the way her body felt pressed to him, he could barely concentrate.

"Baby, gotta get that," Callie moaned as she felt her cell phone buzz beside her.

Frank continued to kiss her neck and ear, making conscious thought virtually impossible.

"Hold… hold on," she whispered as she reached for the phone, more than wishing that she could toss it out the window at the moment.

She groaned as he recognized the number. "My parents," she mouthed as she went to answer apologetically. She tried to catch her breath as she pulled away from his embrace, missing the physical contact immediately. She grabbed the phone, stood up, and walked to other side of the room to answer.

Frank nodded and closed his eyes, stretching and pondering the ability of seemingly all parents to know exactly how to ruin an intimate moment. Neither he nor Callie had lived at home for two years and were completely independent, yet they both tried to maintain a closeness with their families. In fact, Frank talked with his parents at least once a week, often more with his father, with whom he discussed some current cases. But still, in matters of the heart, he'd always tried to maintain his distance with them, valuing his privacy immensely. It had been harder than ever the past two years to do so as he had worked to deal with the breakup with Callie, his own guilt, their reunion and … and everything. Before he could contemplate it further, he heard her voice getting louder and opened his eyes, sitting up.

"Fine. Okay. Yes- next week. Please. It's not like that! Dad, enough, really. I'm going to go now. Love you." She hung up the phone and turned to him, an expression on her face that he couldn't quite read.

"Cal? Are you okay?" he asked, standing up immediately.

"I'm fine. Where were we?" she asked, as she stepped into his arms and started kissing him again, but, this time, it felt wrong. Something had triggered her which happened on occasion, thankfully less and less as time went on. Frank recognized it right away, thankful that he knew her as well as himself; knew how to recognize it; how to handle it by now.

He cupped her face with his hands. "Stop, baby."

"No," she replied, uneasily, kissing him again, harder, trying to pull him to her almost frantically, needing him to cling to.

"Stop," he repeated, even more quietly.

And then she did, eyes downcast, face flushed. She didn't cry; she almost never did now. He kissed the top of her head, and wrapped his arms around her, holding her as close as he could without making her feel trapped. He felt her heart pounding, heard her breathing slowly quiet down. It lasted only a few moments, and then she was back with him; he felt it in her posture as she relaxed against him.

"I'm sor-" she began, but he cut her off.

"You're safe," he whispered. "Do not be sorry. Ever."

She nodded against his chest.

"Baby, remember… it is not an act of rebellion. Or hurt. Or confusion. Or pain. Ever. Only love," he reminded her, his heart breaking for her. "Only us. You're in control. Breathe."

Several minutes later, he spoke quietly again, still holding her, giving her strength. "What happened?" he asked.

She slowly looked up at him, and he touched her cheek gently and smiled at her.

"I don't know how much more I can take of this," she admitted weakly.

Frank led her to the bed where he sat down with her, arm firmly around her for support. He listened as he met her eyes.

"They're on my case, Frank. No matter what I say or do, they don't want me with you- especially my dad." She looked down. "He doesn't know why we broke up, but he knows I came back changed. And he-"

"Blames me," Frank finished for her.

"I can't tell them," she began, trembling again, "that it wasn't you."

"Of course not," he encouraged her, continuing to rub her waist gently. "You'll never have to do that, honey."

"He started talking about how I really need to date other people. He's upset and he's angry at me that I'm with you now. Then," she took a deep breath, "he started going off about Johnny and how he's taking advantage of me, too. His good little girl has become bad, I guess. He started talking about how I need to find a stable relationship because men can be "out for one thing" only, and no good guy will want a girl who's 'been around the block too many times' and-" she raised a shaking hand to her forehead.

"You went back there," he quickly deduced. "I know. It's okay, baby," he said, trying to keep his voice calm as he seethed internally.

She nodded, numbly. "I love my parents," she said, voice unsteady. "But they don't understand and want us apart. Your parents do, too. So does Joe. I feel like I'm trying to prove our relationship every day, Frank, and it's draining me. It hurts," she added, voice catching. "Because we've been together for so long, and we've been through so much, and you were all I wanted, even when we were separated, and I never wanted to break up with you. I AM good, right?" She looked up at him, her beautiful dark eyes creased with uncertainty and pain.

God, the very fact that she asked that question tore at his heart. Frank fought tears. And horrible, unwavering guilt. "You are beyond good," was all he could manage. They were way, way past "I'm sorry."

He sat quietly and held her for a few more minutes as he collected his thoughts. He could ache for her, and he did, immeasurably so, or he could help her. The choice was clear.

"Cal," he said at last. He could see that she was calmer now, as if his embrace had somehow restored her confidence a bit. "As soon as we get back, I'll talk to your parents. I'll ask your dad, especially, to give me a chance. I will prove to him that I won't hurt you. Someday, I'm going to marry you, and I'd certainly love to have a great relationship with my in-laws."

She smiled and squeezed his hand. They'd talked about their future for years, but especially since they'd reunited, and she knew in her soul that they'd be together forever. But whenever he talked about it, actually said the words out loud, the reality became a little more tangible. And it warmed her heart; gave her strength. "Thank you. Maybe that would help," she whispered.

He continued to look into her eyes, gaze never wavering. "It WILL help," he assured her, and somehow he knew it would be true. That talk was way overdue and the very least he could do for her. "And my parents don't say anything directly to me, just so you know. But they need to know I'm not a 'play the field' guy. Why play when I have the top prize already?! I've been in love with you for six years. They just want me to be happy, and they like you- a lot. They just want to make sure that we're the real deal, and we are. And as for Joe? Give him time, baby. He knows deep down it was my fault, not yours. And you two have so much in common; you're so alike. One day you'll both realize that. I'm sure of it."

"Thank you," she repeated, and she looked at him with such love- such unwavering trust- that his heart melted.

Gently, he pulled her back on the mattress, smiling down at her as he lightly pushed an errant strand of hair back from her face. "I think we can be late for dinner," he whispered, and kissed her slowly, tenderness replacing the earlier urgency. Time seemed to freeze. "I told you," he managed, cradling him to her as the fiery passion from before gave way to a more powerful, unyielding burn, "it's an act of love. Always."

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At approximately 8:00 that night, Joe and Vanessa left the restaurant and strolled, hand in hand, back to the bed and breakfast. They were supposed to meet Frank and Callie for the ghost tour in 45 minutes, and they couldn't be late. They still had to go back and get changed into something more casual.

The restaurant had been lovely, with its dark atmosphere and soft, candlelit tables, and the food had been excellent. They'd also had a wonderful table which overlooked a portion of the older section of Gettysburg. Vanessa was acting pretty much back to normal, funny and excited, but he was determined to find out at some point what he had forgotten, just letting it go for the moment.

"You look stunning," he said to her, and he meant it. While Vanessa was always beautiful, she really looked like a supermodel this evening, and had clearly gone above and beyond, wearing a new summer, ankle length blue dress and new jewelry, makeup flawless. "I am the luckiest guy in the world," he told her.

"Yeah, I'm a catch," Vanessa agreed with a teasing smile, but she squeezed his hand. "You don't look too shabby, either," she added softly, and winked at him. He smiled and shook his head.

It was a gorgeous, cool night, darkness just descending, and Joe released her hand and slipped an arm around her waist. He stopped next to a small statue located on the sidewalk next to a series of quaint little stores, their own lodging located less than twenty minutes away. "Thank you for tonight," he told her, sincerely, meeting her eyes. "I should be the one making these romantic dates, not you, babe. You're pretty amazing. I'm sorry for whatever I did- really- and I love you. I promise I'll figure it out if you don't want to tell me, but I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Oh, Joe," she began, "I-"

She was cut off by a series of shrill screaming and calls of "Help me!" nearby.

She and Joe jumped apart, and, before she could stop him, he had run off in the direction of the noises.

"Joe! Wait!" Vanessa called after him, but he had disappeared into the darkness as the agonizing screams continued.

And just like that...he was gone.