So, this is it. The last chapter. I got
the inspiration for this from staying up late
one night watching soldiers reunite with their
families on Youtube. Sometimes you just need
a good cry, you know? Anyway, it struck me that
it would be nice to write about a soldier coming
home to his family for Christmas. Fluffy and light,
and the complete opposite to my other projects.
Annaharding was kind enough to step in and do
her thing at incredibly short notice; for that and
for her friendship, I'm eternally grateful.
I'm also grateful to all of you lovely readers
and reviewers for your kind words and readiness
to accept a story which is a little different. You've all
been wonderful, so THANK YOU.
Your reaction to the last chapter sort of blew me
away. Just as I expected, you were all incredibly
happy to have it confirmed that Emmett is, indeed,
Bella's husband and that he made it home to spend
Christmas with his darlin' and little soldiers. I can't tell
you how much fun I've had trawling the internet for
pictures of the delicious Kellan while writing this. A few
of my favourites are in the WYLMT album on my author
page (deets at the bottom of this chapter)
Anyways…Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays to all of you!
~ oOo ~
Summary: When tomorrow is never promised, and love can so easily be lost, sometimes the only question you need to ask is 'will you love me tomorrow?' A Christmas tale of homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least expected it.
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?
December 24th, 2017
"My daddy's home, my daddy's home! Look, Nana! Daddy's home!"
Renee laughed at Emilia's delighted squeals, throwing her arms around Emmett when he offered his mother-in-law a bashful grin and opened his embrace to her. "I see that, baby girl!" She gave him a hard squeeze and stepped back, holding him by his scruffy cheeks. "God, it's so good to see you! Even if you do look like a scraggly grizzly."
Emmett chuckled and planted a kiss on her cheek before escaping her grip to shake Charlie's hand. "Thanks…I think? Hey, Charlie."
"Welcome home, Son," Charlie said gruffly, his eyes betraying his happiness. "It's great to have you back."
Emmett nodded and gazed at Bella by his side, Emilia still vibrating with excitement in her arms, their boys loitering by her side with their gaze trained firmly on him. Emmett's eyes were liquid blue pools of love and joy as he murmured, "It's great to be back. It was touch and go whether I'd make it back before Christmas."
Once they'd all headed out to the bar for drinks and found seats around a table in a reasonably quiet corner, Emmett explained how he'd come to make it home. Everybody's excitement for the family was palpable and made the entire process take longer than it ordinarily would have, neighbors and friends all wanting to congratulate Emmett on making it home safe and sound.
"So…" Emmett finally huffed, chugging a few mouthfuls of his beer with a relieved sigh. Emilia giggled and used a napkin to wipe the resulting foam from his beard before he could speak. "Two weeks ago, we had a bit of an incident out on patrol."
Suddenly, the beard made sense, as well as the slightly longer hair on the top of his head. Two weeks of recuperation had allowed it all to grow a touch longer than was the norm for soldiers.
Emmett turned to Bella, beseeching her with his eyes to believe his words, "Nobody was lost, darlin'. Alvarez was hurt, but he was stable when we flew him back, and Alec says to tell you not to worry but he's gonna want pamperin' when he visits in the New Year. Something about chocolate millionaire muffins?"
Despite the fear that had run through her when Emmett said the word 'incident,' Bella managed a smile. She'd promised Alec millionaire muffins when he visited at the end of their tour, but it sounded like that might be a little earlier than planned. "Was he hurt, too?"
"Shrapnel hit his leg, but it was just a nasty flesh wound. He's doin' fine."
A big breath escaped Bella as she sagged against his side, visibly relieved. "Good," she breathed before realizing he hadn't mentioned himself. Panic hit her square in the gut. "What about you? Were you hurt?"
Emmett's wince told Bella all she needed to know. Renee and Charlie quickly corralled the children, who'd refused to leave his side even to do their dance – Mrs. Makenna had understood and ushered them after their parents – toward the snack table, telling them to load up a couple of plates for their dad. Bella twisted in her seat as her hands hovered all over Emmett, not wanting to land and hurt him.
"Where? Where are you hurt? Dammit, Emmett! Why didn't you say something earlier?"
He soothed her quietly and tugged her closer, resting their foreheads together and joining their hands on her lap. "I'm fine, darlin', I promise. I honestly wasn't thinkin' about it earlier. All I wanted was to hold you and see our little soldiers."
Nauseated, Bella shook her head and felt a tear roll over her cheek. "Where, Emmett?"
He huffed and pulled back, gingerly pointing to his thigh with their joined hands.
"What h-happened?"
A million thoughts were racing through Bella's head. Scary scenarios and things that might have caused an injury. Now she was looking right at it, his left thigh did seem a little thicker, like it was padded out.
When her eyes darted up to meet Emmett's, Bella felt her heart sink. She'd seen that expression before. "You were…you were shot?"
Grimacing, Emmett nodded and rushed to explain, "It was a through-and-through, darlin'. No infection, no major damage. It'll heal before you know it. It's already a ton better than it was."
Seeing Emilia skipping back toward them with Mac, Teddy, and their grandparents in tow, Bella sucked in a deep breath and tried to shove Emmett's injury to the back of her mind – shelving it for the time being. "Show me later, please."
Looking both relieved that Bella was dropping it and worried she'd continue the conversation later, Emmett plastered a smile on his face and managed to hide a wince when Emilia bounced up onto his lap. Earlier, Bella had been too overwhelmed to notice that he was favoring his bad leg; now, it was incredibly obvious as he carefully adjusted their daughter to sit on his good leg as she fed him sausage rolls and chips.
Still, after a little while watching him with their children, Bella felt her annoyance beginning to ebb. After all, she was one of the lucky ones. She had her soldier home, albeit injured, when a lot of people weren't so fortunate.
~ oOo ~
"It's cold outside, like I've never know
I hold you knowing, I have to let you go."
Emmett squeezed Bella harder, swaying carefully with her wrapped in his arms, mindful of his wounded leg. It stung a little when he put his weight on it, so he tried to remember not to. If Bella saw even the hint of a wince she'd make him sit back down and he was enjoying having her in his arms far too much for that.
Jamie Lawson serenaded them as they stuck near the edge of the dancefloor in their own little bubble. All the performances were over in the room next door, so the crowd was much larger now. From their spot, they could see Mac trying to teach Charlie to breakdance, Teddy playing with Samuel, and Emilia singing to Leah's bump while she and Jake looked on with wide smiles.
As they turned on the spot, Bella smiled against Emmett's chest at the sight of her baby girl cooing at Leah's unborn baby.
She didn't realize Emmett was watching the same thing until he murmured, "Let's have another baby."
Stunned, it took a moment for Bella to process his words.
"What?" She finally cried, pulling back to stare up at him with wide eyes. He was grinning nonchalantly, his eyes happy and bright, his double-dimpled smile filling her body with warmth even as she opened and closed her mouth like a fish.
He shrugged, nodding toward Emilia. Bella's eyes followed the motion to the adorable sight, but, "I don't want to do it all alone again. I can't do it alone again, Em."
The words killed her, but it was true. She'd been alone giving birth to both Teddy and Emilia, and the thought of doing it alone for a third time with three older children to take care of was just heartbreaking. The idea of having another baby with his or her daddy's dimpled smile and wild curls filled her with joy, and it broke her heart to say 'no.'
Expecting him to look hurt, Bella was confused to see Emmett's smile only widened. "Do you remember what I said when I left the last time? About being too old for this shit?"
Frowning, Bella nodded. "Of course, I remember."
"In eight months, I'll be forty. Mac turns ten this year, Teddy will be starting soccer, and my little princess Emilia Belle is starting kindergarten." Emmett breathed a wistful sigh, caressing Bella's cheek with one large hand. "And you, my little darlin', get more and more beautiful every damn day. I don't want to miss a single second of any of it, Bella. I've missed so much over the years. First breaths, first birthdays, first steps, first words…swim meets, nativity plays, seeing you singing your heart out up there on the stage…I've let you all down and missed so damn much."
In more than twelve years together, Bella had never seen Emmett so visibly perturbed by all the things he'd missed out on, but he was right – he had missed an awful lot. Sure, there were photos and videos and stories she could share, but Bella would be lying if she said she wasn't sad that Emmett hadn't been there to share those memories with her in person.
Breathing out shakily, Emmett ducked his head to press a kiss to her forehead. "I'm done, darlin'. This was my last deployment. I've filed the retirement paperwork. I mean, it'll take a year or so, but this was my last tour."
It abruptly felt as though all the air had been sucked from the room. Bella's chest felt tight and her heart raced as she blinked slowly, staring at Emmett as she willed his words to be true, swilling them around her brain.
This was my last deployment. My last deployment. Last deployment…
"I'm never leaving you guys again, darlin'. I mean, I'll have to stay in the apartment in Sequim until everything's sorted, but that's—omph—"
Bella cut him off with her lips. Mindful of his leg, she did one neat jump and hoisted herself up with her hands on his shoulders, looping her legs around his waist and stealing the breath from his lungs with her eager kisses.
In the very back of her mind, Bella thanked her mom for talking her into a red jumpsuit. She'd have been flashing an awful lot if she'd gone for the dress she originally picked out.
"Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you," she panted, peppering his entire face with butterfly kisses when they had to break apart to catch their breath.
Emmett chuckled breathlessly and squeezed her thighs, his eyes dark with want but teary with happiness. "No, thank you for putting up with this, with me, for all these years. When I rocked up at the diner twelve years ago, I was expecting a reasonable cup of coffee and then to go on my merry way."
Bella couldn't help but smile and laugh at the thought of their younger selves.
"Instead, I not only got a cracking cup of joe, but I also got the most beautiful woman in the whole damn world. I got a lifetime of smiles, cuddles, love, and our amazing life."
Love swelled inside Emmett as he gazed into his wife's eyes and saw twelve years of memories flying behind them. She was perfect, and she deserved better than months of being a single parent and having to constantly fear for his life.
"When you gave me our first son and wanted to name him after my past, my home state, I thought you were crazy." Emmett's eyes danced toward Texas, or Mac as he'd been dubbed –while Bella was pregnant Baby McCarty had been shortened to Mac, which had stuck even after he arrived – but Bella's remained trained on his face.
"I didn't get why you wanted to celebrate my past when we were heading headlong into our future, but I get it now. Our past defines so much of our present, and without it, we wouldn't have our future." His smile was nostalgic as he thought of Mac's birth, and how Bella had been so strong throughout her grueling labor. He remembered thinking how brave she was, but she hadn't shown him anything yet.
"Then you had to have Teddy and Emilia Belle while I was away, and I was just awed at how strong you were. All this time, you've been giving me so much and I've selfishly been leaving it all behind to go play hero."
"Emmett, honey," Bella cried quietly, stroking his face. "You're not selfish, not one bit. There isn't a bad bone in your body. I won't pretend it hasn't been hard, but we're all so very proud of you and all you've done. In my eyes and the children's, you're so much more than just 'playing hero.'" She smiled, wiping a stray tear from her husband's cheek. "Lieutenant Colonel Emmett McCarty, you're our hero, and we'll be honored to have you home to stay from here on out."
Excitement fizzed through her veins as she carefully dropped back to the floor, stretching up to plant one last kiss on his lips before pulling back with a twinkle in her eyes and the widest of smiles. "Let's go tell our little soldiers, hmmm?"
With dimples book-ending his beaming grin, Emmett nodded. "Hooah, Ma'am."
~ oOo ~
December 25th, 2017 – The following day…
There's someone in my bed.
Bella's first thought was that Teddy had snuck into her room again.
Then, she remembered.
It wasn't a dream. Emmett's home.
Bella closed her eyes as a sleepy smile spread across her face, her hand searching him out.
The warmth of Emmett's body drew her in; Bella rolled quickly and tucked herself neatly against Emmett's chest, draping her leg over his and curling as tight into him as possible. He hummed in his sleep, holding her closer. He smelled like his own citrus body wash and home, and Emilia's strawberry children's perfume clung to his skin thanks to her inability to let go of him after he explained to the children that he was never again leaving for so long. He smelled like a fruit bowl, thanks to the odd citrus-strawberry combination.
Peering over at the window, Bella could see that it was still dark out; the clock on the bedside cabinet read 4:32, so she yawned and snuggled into her husband, content and falling back to sleep easily with his comforting presence cocooning her.
~ oOo ~
What didn't feel like a minute later, Bella woke again to the feeling of eyes on her and a presence in the room.
She woke slowly, recognizing the gaze roaming up her body from her toes to her now-smiling face without needing to open her eyes. After their love-making in the early hours of the morning, Bella had foregone putting clothes on, so she could feel the burn of Emmett's eyes as they lit her skin and warmed her from the inside-out.
"Are you going to stand in the doorway all morning?" she finally breathed.
"Maybe," Emmett chuckled, his voice low as he admitted, "I'm just enjoying the view."
The sudden sting of tears forced Bella's eyes open. They flew straight to Emmett leaning in the doorway and were surprised to find him dressed. In a simple long-sleeved, white thermal shirt that clung to his pecs and biceps in all the right ways, and his favorite pair of worn blue jeans he looked every bit the ordinary dad. He'd been up long enough to trim back his beard, but to Bella's immense pleasure, he'd left just enough to frame his relaxed, double-dimpled grin – enough that Bella knew it would feel perfect on her skin when he kissed that spot on her neck, the one that made her shiver and him chuckle because he played it perfectly to get himself out of trouble.
He was even wearing slippers, Bella noted with a giddy grin. He was a long way away from the rigid soldier she'd waved off a little over eleven months ago.
"Ditto, Bear," Bella finally drawled in a poor imitation of his southern accent.
Emmett's chuckle was music to her ears as he tilted to lean in the doorway, hands in his pockets, wicked smirk on his face. "Mrs. McCarty, you know what it does to me when you talk that way," he reminded her.
Bella felt her heart skip a beat, blood rushing faster through her veins. She knew exactly what it did to him; in fact, she'd been counting on it.
But it wasn't to be, because just a second later, they both heard the soft pattering of footsteps in the hall followed by an excited squeal.
"Daddy! You'uh weally home!"
Bella quickly yanked the covers up over her body.
"I sure am, Miss Emilia Belle," Emmett agreed, scooping her into his arms and smooching all over her face. "Is that okay with you?"
Bella quickly snatched her cell from the end table, snapping a few pictures of Emmett and his princess. She was dressed in pink camo footie pajamas, of course, and her hair was a wild chocolate mess of her daddy's curls, but the sight of her cradled in her daddy's arms was just beyond adorable. He was broad and built, and all six-foot-three of him absolutely worshiped his Emilia Belle – he'd always refused to call her just 'Emilia.' She'd been Emilia Belle since the day she was born and Bella had managed to video call him a few hours after her birth, once they'd gotten in touch with his commanding officer. Just as everybody told her, Emilia was Bella made over, just with her daddy's eye color and dimples.
"Do you think Mama needs Christmas snuggles, too?" Emmett whispered loudly, smirking at Bella when Emilia scrambled down and threw herself onto the bed, wiggling her little body up to lay over Bella's torso.
Resting her chin in her tented hands, Emilia grinned toothily. "Mewwy Chwistmas, Mama."
"Merry Christmas, sweetie," Bella sighed, peppering her face with kisses. "Are your brothers up?"
"Nah. Mac and Teddy still sweepin'." She had a cheeky little smile on her face as she asked, "Tan we go open pwesents afore they get up?"
"Before they get up, Princess," Emmett murmured, joining his girls on the bed. "Actually, I have a special present for all of you. Do you want to go get them, so we can go downstairs and find it?"
Emmett ignored Bella's curious look and focused on Emilia as she eagerly bounced off the bed and tore down the hall, yelling her brothers' names.
"What have you done, Bear?"
Shaking his head with an impish grin, Emmett mimed zipping his lips and throwing away the key. Then, he stood up and tossed Bella's favored nightshirt toward her.
Snorting and reminding herself that her husband was nothing if not stubborn about keeping his secrets until he was ready to share them, Bella tugged the Seahawks jersey over her head and climbed out of bed, pulling on a pair of fresh underwear before twisting her hair back into a messy bun, piling it on top of her head just as Emilia dragged her bleary-eyed brothers to the doorway.
"Got 'em, Daddy!"
"Merry Christmas, boys," Emmett laughed.
"Merry Christmas, Daddy," Teddy yawned, rubbing his eyes with a balled-up fist.
"Yeah, merry Christmas, Dad. Lia says you wanted us to get up for a special present?" Mac asked, his tone slightly more upbeat than that of his younger brother. Bella couldn't help but smile at him; he always had loved getting presents.
"All right, all right. Come on, then. Let's go see what Santa has brought you."
"But, Dad, Santa doesn't—"
Emmett squeezed Mac's shoulder as they all headed out onto the upstairs landing together. "Don't, buddy," he told him with a pointed look at Emilia and Teddy.
Mac shrugged, his grin widening.
Finally, they made it to the bottom of the stairs. In the foyer, Emmett told the kids to wait for a moment, shooting Bella a wink and telling her to wait with them before disappearing into the living room.
Emilia bounced beside her, beaming when Bella brushed her hair back from her face and told her to take a deep breath before she exploded with excitement.
"But I'm so 'cited, Mama! I'm gonna fwoat away wike Mr. Fwedewickson in his bawoon house!"
Bella smiled, shaking her head. Emilia had gone through a phase of being totally obsessed with the movie Up. She even had Mr. Frederickson – the main character –, Douglas the dog, and Kevin stickers on the walls of her bedroom wall.
"Here, I'll hold you, so you don't float away, Lia," Teddy offered, clasping their hands with a silly, sweet smile. Bella quickly snapped a photo and still had her phone in her hands to capture the shocked, mile-wide smiles on the faces of their three children when Emmett appeared in the doorway with their surprise cradled in his hands.
"Emmett…" Bella breathed, partly a warning, partly a question, because she couldn't believe he'd done something so momentous without asking her first.
"Ohmygosh, a puppy! Daddy, it's a puppy!" Emilia's voice was so high-pitched Bella was sure it was close to being able to shatter glass.
"Calm down, Princess," Emmett murmured, kneeling in front of his children as they bounced and cooed over the small bundle of fur.
"Is it a boy or a girl?" Teddy asked, petting the puppy's fluffy head.
"A boy."
"What kind is it?"
"He's an Australian shepherd. He's only six weeks old, so he's a bit too little to be away from his mama just yet, but she got poorly so he needed someone to take care of him and help him grow. Do you think we know anybody who's up to the job?"
Even as stunned as she was, Bella managed a laugh when Mac, Teddy, and Emilia all begged for the job.
"But, you've gotta ask the boss. It's up to her, after all."
Oh, Jesus. I should have known this was coming.
"Kids, I…"
Mac, Teddy, and Emilia spun in unison, all turning their wide eyes on her.
Their wide, begging eyes.
Bella sighed and crouched in front of them, doing her best not to let her eyes roam over to the squirming puppy in her husband's arms. She wasn't made of stone, after all. "Kids, puppies are a lot of work at the best of times. This puppy is really little, so he'll need extra hard work and a lot of time and attention."
"That's okay, Mama, we'll help. Won't we?" Teddy nudged his brother and sister.
"Sure! We'll do all the work. You won't have to do a thing," Mac promised, crossing his heart.
Emilia nodded quickly. "We'll wook after him, Mama. Pwease tan we keep him?"
"Oh, God," Bella mumbled under her breath, looking between the faces of her three expectant children.
He'll pee everywhere until he's potty trained.
He'll chew my shoes and the kids' toys.
Walks are a huge commitment with three children all in various clubs – especially a high-energy dog like an Aussie.
Mac, Teddy, and Emilia will probably get bored in three weeks and I'll be the one taking care of him by myself.
Emmett may be retiring, but the dog will be over a year old by then. I'll already have had to put all the work in.
Dogs are expensive. Collars, leashes, toys, food, vet bills, insurance…
Suddenly, Bella thought of her own childhood. She'd been blessed with a beautiful golden retriever – Sparky – and had loved every second of taking care of him, taking him for walks, and attending training classes with him once she was old enough.
Looking at her children, at the hope written all over their faces, how could Bella refuse them the same joy? The same opportunity to learn responsibility and have their own canine best friend?
Her long sigh was answer enough. Mac, Teddy, and Emilia leapt on their mama and showered her with their gratitude and kisses before turning back to the puppy as Emmett set him on the floor and pulled Bella into his arms. The children and their puppy tumbled all over each other on the floor, the rest of their gifts stacked around the tree now forgotten.
"Thank you, darlin'," Emmett murmured, his words vibrating over her skin as he brushed a kiss to the side of her neck, wrapping his arms around her waist and tugging her in close so their bodies were pressed together.
A shiver danced up Bella's spine. "You didn't really give me a choice," she reprimanded him without any strength, her brain focusing on the soft pressure of his lips against her skin. "I couldn't say 'no' once you'd brought him in here, could I?"
Emmett chuckled, completely unrepentantly. "No, I guess not." Sighing happily, he called out to the kids, "So, what are we calling the little guy, soldiers?"
The children wore matching looks of concentration as they sat on the floor, the puppy chewing his tail in the middle of their small triangle formation.
"Pwincess!" Emilia declared triumphantly.
Mac and Teddy shared a look of amusement before erupting with laughter.
"No, Lia," Teddy cackled. "He's a boy. He can't be called 'Princess.'"
Emilia look put-out; her lower lip protruded as she frowned and petted the puppy. "Oh. Pwince? Dats for a boy."
"That's too prissy, Lia," Mac told her gently. "He needs to have a tough name. Like 'Killer,' or 'Brutus,' or something."
Bella smiled and shook her head. This debate could go on for hours if she didn't curb it now. Plus, she was aware they'd all slept in, and Renee and Charlie were due over shortly. "Why don't we go open some presents and think about it for a little while?"
"Otay, Mama," Emilia conceded, charging into the living room toward her stack of gifts with Teddy and Mac hot on her trail, closely followed by the fluffy ball of fur who would temporarily be known as 'Puppy' until they could decide on a proper name.
~ oOo ~
Hours later, Emmett carried an enormous turkey to the table to cheers and cries of appreciation.
"Well, shit, son!" Charlie exclaimed, immediately fishing a trio of dollars from his wallet and handing them to his gleeful grandchildren – the swear jar had been filled and emptied since he arrived almost a week ago. "How many people are you planning to feed?"
Emmett laughed, setting down the bird with a dramatic flourish. "I've been away a long time, Charlie, and I've been looking forward to Bella's leftover sandwiches for even longer."
The kids hummed at the mention of leftover sandwiches while Bella just smiled. She'd always hated wasting food, so after Christmas and Thanksgiving she always made what had been dubbed 'leftover sandwiches,' which were basically thick slabs of sourdough filled with all the best parts of a traditional festive meal. Nothing was excluded, and everyone who'd ever tried one raved about them.
"Do you want to carve?"
Charlie shook his head, waving at Emmett. "You've definitely earned the privilege, son. This is your show."
So, Emmett carved up the turkey while Bella and Renee filled everybody's plates with vegetables. By the time everyone had a large helping of meat to go with their broccoli, potatoes, carrots, mashed turnip, peas, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, the kids were desperate to tuck in.
"Can we eat now, Mama?" Teddy begged, knife and fork in hand.
"One second, buddy," Emmett murmured. Gazing around at his family – at Renee and Charlie, who'd travelled from Utah to spend the holidays with his family, so they wouldn't be alone while he was away; at his children, who were sweet, kind, and a complete testament to their mama; and Bella, the light and love of his life, so very strong and beautiful and forgiving – Emmett couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed.
The only person missing at the table was his beloved Maggie May, who'd passed away a few days after Emmett returned from deployment the year Emilia was born. He could only feel thankful that she'd hung on long enough to see him settled and a parent to three wonderful children.
"Charlie, Renee…you welcomed me into your family without a second thought, and you've supported my family when I haven't been able to do so myself. I'll never be able to thank you enough for all you've done for me, and for us."
Renee sniffled, a few tears gathering on her lashes as she waved him off. "Don't be silly. You were always meant to be a part of our family, Emmett. You're one of us."
Charlie nodded, murmuring, "Hear, hear."
Emmett sucked in a deep breath, his eyes dancing between Mac, Teddy, and Emilia – all of whom looked confused at why they weren't getting to tuck into the delicious feast spread in front of them. "Mac, Teddy, Emilia Belle, you know Daddy loves you, right?"
They nodded in unison, matching dimpled smiles taking over their faces.
"Of course, Dad," Mac promised, glancing at his siblings before adding, "We love you, too."
Humming happily, content in the knowledge that his babies knew how much they were loved, Emmett turned to a teary-eyed Bella at his side. Taking one of her hands from her lap and twining their fingers, Emmett huffed a sigh. To know that he wasn't going to have to go on deployment again, that he was going to be four hours away from his home maximum for the foreseeable future, made Emmett heartbreakingly happy.
Way back when they were married, Emmett had promised to put their future family above all else. They'd known that his current term with the army was due to be up in three years, and had planned to wait until then to try for their longed-for first child. Falling pregnant with Mac five days before their first wedding anniversary had been a massive shock, but not finding out until she was already eleven weeks along was even more surprising.
They'd bumbled along and worked out their new 'normal' when Mac turned them into a family of three years before when they'd expected it to happen, and had just settled into a working routine when it happened.
Emmett was in Iraq, just a few months shy of being free to leave the army, when his team were implored to re-up to continue their mission. Everything within him had been screaming 'no…' except the rest of his team had agreed. He'd been with them for five years by then; they were more like family than comrades. Duty to Bella and baby Mac had warred with his duty to his team, and after explaining the situation to Bella, they'd agreed that he should finish the job. It was heart-breaking to hear Bella sniffling through the phone when she'd told him he couldn't abandon his team. Emmett had felt like absolute shit for it, and for the past six years, he'd been counting down the days, weeks, and months until he could retire for real and devote the rest of his life to his wife and babies. Though he hadn't regretted the decision to commit to his comrades and see the mission out, Emmett had regretted missing those precious moments with his family.
Of course, Bella had forgiven him for it. He'd been petrified of her reaction when he returned after that tour, but she'd run right into his arms and kissed him silly right there in the arrivals terminal at SeaTac. Every decision he'd ever made, she'd supported him wholeheartedly.
"Bella, you're so very brave and you've given everything to let me do what I felt I had to. You've been here, raising our children and taking care of our home so that I'd have something to come home to, and I can't even begin to describe how grateful I am."
Tears tumbled over Bella's cheeks even as she smiled and dashed them away. "Bear…"
"I love you, darlin'. I love all of you. I just…" He huffed. "I just wanted you to know that I'm grateful for you all, and I can't wait to spend my retirement making up for lost time."
There were tears spilling over Renee's and Bella's cheeks, Charlie's eyes threatening the same, when Teddy coughed uncomfortably and pointed under the table.
His following words thoroughly eradicated the somber mood.
"Uh, Daddy, Puppy's had an accident under the table…"
~ oOo ~
"I can't believe he sh—uh, pooped, under the table," Charlie snorted, nursing his whisky on the rocks and shooting a quick look at the children bundled in the teepee at the other end of the porch. Bella and Renee had bundled them in coats, hats, and blankets, letting them 'camp out' with their flask of warm hot chocolate and a big bowl of popcorn. It was an unseasonably mild evening, so they were all out on the porch sweating out their enormous meal.
Emmett and Bella had claimed the swing seat, while Renee and Charlie were sharing a blanket on the wicker loveseat opposite.
Emmett shook his head with an amused chuckle, squeezing Bella when she fake-gagged at his side. "Accidents happen when you're housetraining, Charlie. You should remember with Frankie, there. He was a nightmare."
All eyes swiveled over to Frankie the beagle, who was busy teaching the as-yet unnamed puppy to dig in Bella's snowy flowerbeds. She was too happy, too high on life, to scold them.
"Damn right, he was! Little shi—er, rascal, just about drove me mad!"
They all laughed at that. There was no doubt that Frankie had been a strong-willed, delinquent puppy. He was much better now, but there was a point when Bella had heard nothing but bad things about the feisty dog.
"Has your fluffball got a name yet?" Renee asked teasingly, watching said fluffball attempt to climb the porch steps. Bella quickly got up to help him, carrying him back over to the swing seat and tucked him safely into her coat. His tiny nose was cold and wet as he burrowed it into her neck, but she let him huddle there to warm up and gently stroked his small head.
Offering her a triumphant grin, because he'd told her she'd be falling for him before the day was out, Emmett murmured, 'not yet.' "We're still playing around with a bunch of names."
Conversation varied between what Emmett was going to do when his retirement came around – possibly work at the diner part-time, seeing as Bella spent her days there when the kids were at school or pre-school anyway – and when they were next heading out to New York to see Emmett's brother, Edward, and his family.
Eventually, the children were tired and cold, so they stole their puppy back from Bella, kissed their parents and grandparents goodnight, and traipsed upstairs to Teddy's room, which was the biggest, for a Christmas slumber party. Bella kissed Emmett on the cheek and followed them to make sure teeth were brushed and the puppy wasn't being manhandled.
Tucking the three of them into Teddy's bed, Mac and the puppy at one end while Teddy and Emilia shared the other, Bella kissed each of their heads, laughing at herself when she automatically included the puppy.
"Ooh! We thought of a name, Mama!"
Smiling, Bella asked, "What is it?"
Her children shared proud but sleepy smiles. "Well, you know how I'm 'Colonel,' Teddy's 'Major,' and Lia's 'Lieutenant?' We thought 'Cadet' would be good."
Bella looked down at the sleeping puppy. He was gray and white with splodges and speckles of tan – blue merle, by definition. Cadet.
"'Cadet' sounds perfect," came a voice from the doorway. Bella smiled as warm strong hands came to rest on her waist; she stood up and slotted herself neatly beneath Emmett's arm. "Now, little soldiers, bed time. Sweet dreams, all right?"
"Yes, Daddy," they chorused. Kisses were handed out, then Bella and Emmett made their way back downstairs to join Renee and Charlie after switching on the night light and leaving the door cracked.
Before they could step out of the screen door, Emmett tugged Bella to a stop and lifted her to sit on the counter. She wrapped her legs around him, resting her locked ankles over his lower back and looping her arms around his neck to pull him closer.
Not that Emmett was complaining.
He lived for close contact; he loved nothing more than having their bodies pressed together, their breath mingling and the scent of her perfume filling his head. His hands roamed over her body, sneaking up into her jacket to caress her stomach with tender, soft touches.
Bella immediately knew where his mind had wandered. With their foreheads pressed together, her eyes open to his closed eyelids, Bella's lips curled upwards.
"Let's do it."
Emmett's brows drew inwards. "Do what?"
An almost delirious giggle escaped her lips. Was she really about to say it? "Let's have another baby. My only real reason for saying 'no' was that I didn't want to do it all alone. Now you're retiring, I won't have to."
If Bella hadn't known it was the right decision before, she did as soon as Emmett pulled back wearing the widest, cheesiest double-dimpled grin she'd ever seen. The hope was clear as day in his eyes, boyish excitement written all over his face.
"You're serious? We can have another baby? Another Mac, Teddy, or Emilia?"
Memories of those early days with their babies flew through Bella's mind. Memories of seeing her broad, slightly intimidating to those who didn't know him, soldier cradling their tiny newborns; of seeing him soothe screaming fits with just a drawled, "Daddy's got you"; of seeing his complete and utter adoration of their children painted all over every inch of him every single day…they just confirmed that having another baby was the perfect decision.
"Yes, Bear. Let's have another little soldier."
Renee and Charlie came inside with Frankie hot on their heels when they heard Emmett's whoop of delight and Bella's ensuing squeals when he insisted on spinning her around with his hands on her waist, hers clamped on his shoulders for support.
When Emmett and Bella chose to keep their decision to try for another baby secret, instead telling them that they were just celebrating his homecoming, Charlie insisted on toasting. He opened a bottle of champagne and raised a glass with a proud grin aimed at his daughter and son-in-law; the others followed suit, raising their glasses and pausing to hear what he had to say.
"I…am no good at these things," he admitted ruefully. "Son, take over."
Emmett chuckled and shook his head at his father-in-law, pausing for a moment to think before shooting his wife an impish smile, his eyes heating at the flush of her cheeks and the twinkle in her eyes.
"Here's to homecoming, holiday cheer, and finding love where you least expect it."
There we have it. Emmett's home and he's not going anywhere fast, which is something you all wondered about.
Judy - I didn't want to spoil anything by addressing your question before now, but I hope this explains why he re-upped even when he had a family. It isn't the choice everyone would make, but that's what he decided :)
You'll (hopefully) be pleased to hear that I'm already working on an epilogue and futuretake of sorts, which will likely be posted New Years Eve/Day, I'm not 100% sure. Also, for those of you who have asked - YES, I will be writing more Emmett stories. I'm a little addicted, I've got to say.
Thank you again for being so wonderful. Eat, drink, and be merry this festive season, and I'll look forward to seeing you again in the future! xo