Soul of steel

AU. Mary Margaret is a single mother struggling with raising a family after her husband is forced to go back to war.

A/N: I'M BACK! THIS JUST JUMPED INTO MY MIND AS I WAS LISTENING TO SOME GOOD COUNTRY MUSIC.

I DON'T OWN THE SHOW. WANT TO DEDICATE THIS TO ALL OF THE AMAZING PEOPLE THAT HAD SUPPORTED MY OTHER OUAT STORY "MISSING SINGNALS"

Kids are as following:

Emma (9)

Michael (5)

Brandon "Bran" (3)

Chapter 3:

EMMA'S POV.

I wasn't good at saying goodbye. I was the last person to ever say goodbye. I just didn't like the idea of what that meant.

When the day finally came for my dad to leave I just waited for him to come to me. I didn't want to be the one to take the first step. "Emms?" He knocked on my room's door. "Can I come in?" I found myself curled up in the bed. Simply nodding.

"How long?" I asked. He sighed and placed an arm around me. "Maybe you can do something so you don't go?"

"Matter of minutes. Half an hour tops" He felt silent "And no. There is nothing I can do, it wouldn't be fair to the other people leaving their families now would it?"

"No" I said burying my face on his shirt "What about the baby?" I could see the sadness on his face. My question had been one dad had evaded for the last three days. "Will they let you go when Mom has the baby?" He waved his head.

"Maybe I will be home before it's born" Dad and Mom had decided not to find out the sex of the baby as to be surprised but I knew it would be a boy. Just knew it.

"No you wont" I admitted "Even if you try"

"No I wont" Dad smiled up at me and lifted my chin "Guess you'll have to give Mom and the baby a big kiss from me"

"Yeah" I said simply "Be careful daddy"

"I will" I smiled at him once more. Our eyes met. Green against blue. Out of all my siblings I was the one who had inherited my mother's eyes. Michael had blue eyes while Bran had light brown. A mix between green and blue, I thought. I wondered what color the new baby...

"Dad?" I said seriously. He looked at me. "What is going to happen when the baby comes? What are we going to do without you?" He lowered his head. His blue eyes turned a little darker as he ran a hand trough his hair.

"I don't know sweetie, but you'll manage, cause Mom has you" Dad looked nervously at me. He had been avoiding the baby topic even with Mom. We were silent for a while "We still don't have a name"

"Nope" I said simply "But we will, right?" I had heard them both talking about names. Before this all started. The one I liked better was Sebastian. Just liked it. Like the little crab in The Little Mermaid. Dad said it be weird for a child to be named like that, but Mom liked it. Had a sense of royalty she had said.

"Come on" Dad said after a couple minutes had passed. I took his hand and we walked out of the room. We found Mom and the boys cuddled up in the living room reading a story. My parents looked at each other like they knew it was time. Mom stood up the best she could and walked towards us. A bus in the distance approached since there was no airport. I urged my brothers to follow them outside.


MARY MARGARET'S POV.

I just watched as my fears all come true. I looked at my children and then back at my husband. He kissed me sweetly as he took his bag and placed it on his back. David picked Bran up. our little boy wrapping his arms around his neck. He leaned his head against his father. I touched the little boy's cheek.

"Here" Michael touched David's leg. He held a small leather bag we had forgotten about. David knelt at his level. Still holding Bran.

"Thanks buddy" Michael had tears in his eyes as he searched for something inside his pockets. It was a small toy soldier. "Is that for me?" Michael nodded, unable to speak. He took it and placed it safetly on the leather bag. Michael turned around so David wouldn't see him cry but he just lfted his chin. "It's okay to be sad"

"He will come back before you know it" Emma said placing a hand on her brother's back "He always does" He placed Bran down and picked Michael up kissing his forehead.

"Don't worry" David said sweetly "You don't have to worry, I will always find my way home"

"Cause you are a hero" Michael said against his neck "You are just like Prince Charming"

"With sword and all" I told him sweetly.

"And whenever you feel like you miss me" David told Michael when he looked straight into his eyes again. Blue against blue. "You can talk to me. No matter where I am, I will always know you are with me and no matter how scared I am, I will know that you are always with me"

"Okay" Michael smiled cleaning the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand. as David put him down Emma walked closer to her father. "Love you daddy"

"Me too, my brave little Prince" David said sweetly.

"I will take care of them" She said determined. "I will"

"I know" David said simply touching her cheek. Emma's eyes filled up with tears. This was the second time she had been forced to say goodbye to her father and she seemed like she was holding it together when she finally broke picked her up effortlessly.

"Sh..." David whispered feeling the warm tears from her eyes soak his shirt "It's okay baby girl... my sweet Emma"

"I love you daddy" Emma whispered.

"I do too" David placed a lock of Emma's hair behind her ear "So, so much" When he finally put her down I was holding Bran in my arms. Even at three he knew it was time to say goodbye so I passed him on to David. "You be a good boy okay?"

"Kay" Bran said simply sucking his thumb nerviously "Miss you daddy"

"I know, I will miss you too buddy" David kissed Bran's forehead. "Love you so much"

"Here" David placed Bran down and Emma took her brother's hand. Still sucking his thumb he held a small baby blanket I had been holding. Bran handed the small piece of cloth to him.

"For you" He said simply "Keep you safe"

"Thanks Bran" David was now breaking. I knew he was trying to hold back the tears. I knew he had chosen to say goodbye to the kids first because I had asked him to. The bus was now here. This was it.

"I love you" I said simply facing him. I began to trace with my finger the scar on his chin "I love you"

"I Love you too" He said as he hugged me. My tears were more evident now that were so close. I inhaled his scent so that I wouldn't forget. I didn't want to.

"No matter where we go" I whispered.

"We will always find each other" He kissed me sweetly "You dont have to worry, I will always find you"

"I know" It was time for him to go. We both knew it. Sorrow took over and I knew he could sense it "We never agreed on a name" I said motioning to my growing belly. He leaned to place both hands on my stomach. We both felt he baby kick making us smile.

"I know you'll make the right choice" He assured me kissing my belly. He didnt care if everyone was watching, as far as we knew we were alone. "I will love it no matter what"


DAVID'S POV.

As I kissed my wife one last time she touched my chin. Our eyes locked together one last time. My children waved goodbye as I made my way into the bus. I watched it pull away and finally the tears took their turn in my eyes. My fingers traced Bran's small blanket as I closed my eyes. Into the unknown, but I somehow knew I would be safe.

There it is! Hope you liked the way I wrote this! Can't wait for tomorrow!