A/N: When I started watching the series, I didn't like Mimi. I loved her by the end. However, Stanley seems like the type of guy who would have married his high school girlfriend and settled down right out of school. This is my take on that. Any suggestions/comments welcome!

Disclaimer: I own nothing or anyone you recognize. Just playing with them for awhile. No money to be made.

3 hours before the blast.

"I have one more mother who should deliver any time now and then I'll head home as soon as I get cleaned up," Missy said into her phone. She was 16 hours into a twelve hour shift as a midwife at Rogue River General Hospital. "How's it going there?"

"That witch from the IRS was here at eight this morning," Stanley replied.

Missy sighed, running a hand through her hair. She had really wanted to be there for that but, they couldn't afford for her to turn down the overtime. "The paper said the appointment was for one."

"Well, I guess reading isn't one of her talents."

"I'm sorry, Babe. I'll get Rosalee to take over for me and head home now," she offered.

"That's okay, Sweetheart," he replied. He knew how she hated to leave one of her patients in labor. "She'll be gone by the time you could get here anyway. Take your time and be careful. Stay another night if you are too tired to drive."

Missy was quiet for a second and then said, "Hey, I've got to go. We will make it through this, okay? I love you."

"Love you, too." Stanley hung up and grimly looked around at his farm. After thirteen years he had hoped to be doing more than just making it through. He hated that she had to work so hard, but sometimes her salary was all that kept them from losing the farm. And now they probably were. This certainly wasn't the life he'd promised her.

"Daddy! Daddy! We gots another cus-a-mer."

Stanley turned around to see their almost four year old daughter running towards him. She had Missy's red curls and fair skin, and his mother's button nose. He smiled and swept her up in his arms. "We do?"

"Yep." She nodded, her curls bouncing.

"Did you greet them?" He asked as she loved to say hello to the town's people who came to their roadside market throughout the day.

She shook her head vigorously. "Uh-huh. Mommy says don't talk to strangers."

"Mommy is right," Stanley agreed, setting her down. They didn't often get tourist out their way, but it wasn't unheard of. He looked at the car pulling up their drive. He recognized the old muscle car. A '69 Roadrunner. Jake.. Jacob Green hadn't been in town for five years. Not since Emily's brother had died.

"No way?! Jake?" He grabbed his brother-in-law and once best friend in a bear hug. "I can't believe you're back. Where have you been, Man?"

Jake smiled. Well, at least Stanley didn't hold any ill will for his hasty retreat. "Around," he answered.

"No one has been around for five years, Jake," Stanley replied, calling him on his BS answer.

"I was in the army for a while," Jake gave a half truth that seemed to appease Stanley. "Is that Bonnie? Where is Missy?" He signed "You grew up" to Bonnie. Bonnie smiled and waved at him before returning to texting.

"Working. She works over in Rogue River," Stanley answered.

"Daddy, who's that?"

Jake's attention was drawn to the little red headed girl who had crept up to hide behind Stanley's legs.

"Daddy?!" Jake asked, incrediously. He didn't even know Missy had been pregnant. He really hadn't been good at keeping in touch. He'd only just found out about Grandpa dying a few weeks before.

He smiled and nodded. "Meet your niece Lillie." He nudged her forward.

Jake knelt down in front of her. "Hi, Lillie. I'm your Uncle Jake. I'm your mommy's big brother."

"Nah-uh," she replied, shaking her head and clutching Stanley's leg. "Unca Eric is."

He reached out to ruffle her hair and then stood up. "I see ya'll have told her all about me."

Stanley shrugged. "We were hoping you'd be back for the funeral. Why don't we get a beer and catch up?"

"No thanks. I just really came to pay respects to Grandpa, you know? I have to get back tonight." He answered. Just then a well-dressed brunette came out of the house, stumbled over and cursed at a goose. "Who is that?"

"Oh, just an IRS adjuster," he replied.

"IRS? As in audit?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, don't worry about that," he replied, brushing it off in his usual way. "Listen, you have to stop by on your way back. Missy'll kill me if she doesn't get to see you."

"I'll try," Jake said, noncommittally. "Do you have any pies? I need all the help I can get.

Missy clocked out and gathered her things. The temptation to spend another night in Rogue River before driving home was almost too much to resist. But she knew Stanley needed her. That farm was his whole life. This whole audit ordeal was tearing him up. She got in her truck and headed back home. She was halfway home when she remembered to call Stanley. Her phone rang twice before crackling and going dead. Then her radio went dead. On the horizon she could see a giant mushroom cloud. She didn't know what it meant or what had exploded, but she knew she had to get home as fast as she could. She pressed accelerator down harder never seeing the deer dart out in front of her until too late.

Bonnie and Stanley had been carrying produce back in the house when Bonnie saw the mushroom cloud. She froze, standing just off the porch. Lillie was sitting on her swing set in the yard. Stanley ran to get her, then grabbed Bonnie and rushed them inside the house. He'd never seen anything like it, except in movies. His heart pounded as he looked up the drive desperately wanting to see Missy's truck pulling up. He should have encouraged her to come home earlier when she offered. She was either still in Rogue River or on the road in between. He wasn't sure which was worst. After half an hour he'd made up his mind to go get her. He took the girls to Jericho. Johnston and Gail would keep them safe.

It became apparent that he wasn't the only one with that idea when Gail opened the door.

"Stanley, come in, come in," she fussed. "Where is Missy?" She took Lillie from his arms and hugged her tightly.

"She's still at work, or was when I last talked to her," he replied. "Can Bonnie and Lillie stay here with you for a while? She should have been home by now. I'm gonna go look for her.

"Sure, sure." Gail said. "You go ahead. They'll be safe here with us." She hugged Stanley. "You be careful out there. Bring our girl home."

Lillie started crying a reached for him. "Don't go, Daddy. Don't go." But Gail held her tight.

"Go. She'll be fine," she told Stanley before comforting Lillie. "It's okay, Sweetie. Daddy's going to get Mommy and you are going to stay with Grandma till then. Grandma and Grandpa will take good care of you so Daddy can help Mommy come home. Shhh..."

A/N: Thanks for reading, please review.