*There's some bad news in this chapter. But first Leanne does some reflecting, and Ethan comforts a sad Ariel.

**Also, this is probably the last post for a few days. I'm feeling discouraged and have a lot on my mind. And while this story is complete, I just don't have it in me to keep posting at this current moment. I apologize for the two people who are actually reading this story that I may have let down.

After they had made love not once, but twice, Leanne had shooed Ethan away with a growl. While very happily exhausted, she knew that her body would be feeling sore in places she'd never thought possible by the time her shift ended later that day. She didn't even want to know what would happen if Jesse caught wind of why she was moving so slow.

They had retreated to the bathroom and Leanne had done her best to help Ethan not lose his patience while trying to shower. While he obviously had most of the control of his arm back (and she prayed to god she hadn't just injured it even more during their romping) he was still struggling to manage simple things. He had tried for a good three minutes to try and unscrew the top on the shampoo bottle before giving up with a huff, throwing the item against the shower wall with a curse. She had flinched behind him and if he had noticed, he didn't comment on the matter, instead he had gotten out of the shower without another word.

She had finished up rather quickly after that and had dried off slowly, trying to bide herself some time before she had to face him. It's not that she was ashamed of what they had done. It's that she was afraid that all his words are had been just that, words. And that they held no meaning beyond them being uttered from his perfect lips. She was terrified of what was going to happen now. Where did this leave them? They had officially crossed a line that they couldn't go back over. But was he just as invested as she was? Or had all of Rox's pep-talking and all of her tears been for nothing?

After drying off quickly Leanne made her way back out into the bedroom, sighing softly when she saw that Ethan was nowhere in sight. His boxers and sweatpants were gone from their spot by the bed, but his shirt was still draped over the lamp. She figured he probably hadn't gone far without that. She quietly pulled on a clean pair of underwear and a bra, followed by a pair of leggings and a t-shirt. She was honestly too exhausted to put anymore effort into her appearance and she figured she'd just change into her scrubs at the hospital anyway.

Making her way down the hall she paused outside of Ariel's room when she noticed the door was open and the girl was nowhere to be found. She let out a soft sigh at the sight of the empty room. Her mind flashing back to a time when the room had been empty for another reason.

She had made it halfway down the stairs when she heard the hushed voice of the teen coming from the small kitchen to her right and she froze in her tracks. She knew it was rude to eavesdrop. Hell, she was telling the teen that exact thing not that long ago. And yet, here she was, her back pressed against the wall of the stairwell, her attention focused on the conversation taking place only a few feet away.

"I didn't know you got them too." She heard Ethan's voice say quietly. "You've never said anything."

"I didn't want to be anymore of a burden than I already am." Ariel's voice was quiet but Leanne could make out the tension in her words. She felt her heart break a little at the teen's words. She most definitely was not a burden to anyone.

"Oh kid." She peered around the corner just in time to see Ethan pull the girl close, his good arm going around her tightly. "You're not a burden. Not to me. Not to Leanne. Not to anyone." He whispered, dropping a kiss against her hair. "You hear me?"

She watched as Ariel nodded her head against his chest, her arms wrapping tightly around Ethan's waist. Leanne's heart did somersaults at the image in front of her. She'd never seen them be this downright open with each other. And while she knew that they both loved each other, she wasn't sure that the other knew just how much.

"I try not to let them get to me." Ariel whispered, her eyes closing as she fought back another round of tears. Leanne wanted nothing more than to pull the young girl into her arms herself, but she knew that she needed to let Ethan take the lead on this one. "I know they're not real."

"Doesn't make them hurt any less." He whispered against her hair. He ran his hands up and down her back slowly, his lips pressing a kiss to her head as he hushed her softly. If Leanne hadn't known any better she'd think that Ethan had been doing this his whole life.

"How do you make them stop?" Her question was strained and Leanne could hear the pain in her words. This poor girl had been through so much, and now this, she didn't understand how life could be so cruel to a child.

"Sometimes you can't hun." Ethan's words were soft as he ran his fingers through her dirty blonde hair. "Sometimes you just have to live with them."

Ariel let out a hiccuped sob against the man's shoulder and she tried to snuggle herself even closer. Leanne thought she had never seen a more adorable sight in her life. "How do you get through them then? How do you live with the pain?"

"You just do." His words were barely audible and Leanne wondered what struck him so quick that almost made him break in two. "You distract yourself. Throw yourself into your work." So that's why he had been going on all those damn ride-alongs. He was trying to distract himself.

"Does it work?" She watched as Ariel pulled back slightly, her hazel eyes looking up at Ethan hopefully.

"Sometimes." This time, his words were almost harsh, and when he pulled free from the teen's embrace Leanne almost felt the air leave her body. What had gotten into him?

"Ethan…" Ariel reached for him again, but he stepped away from her, his hands going in front of him defensively. "What's wrong?"

"We need to talk kid." He ran his fingers through his messy hair and Leanne couldn't help but let her body fall back against the wall behind her. She knew those words, and that tone, never meant anything good coming from him.

"Why…?" Ariel's voice cracked in the middle of the simple word and Leanne watched as she brought her arms to wrap tightly around her stomach, protecting herself from whatever it was that Ethan was going to throw at her.

"I'm leaving." Was all he said. Three simple little words. And Leanne's world crumbled around her.

"You're what?" Her voice was raised a few octaves, and Leanne could see the girls' hands trembling as she dropped her arms to her side.

"I'm leaving." He repeated back, he turned to face her once more, his gray eyes full of unshed tears. "I'm going back to Afghanistan."

And there it was. The sentence that Leanne had been dreading since her chat with Rox a few days ago.

"But…" Ariel fell against the counter next to her, her eyes closing as she tried to catch her bearings. Leanne wanted to run to her. She wanted to save her from all of this. But she couldn't make herself move. She couldn't get her legs to function. Instead, she just stood there, frozen, as all hell broke loose before her eyes. "Why? Why would you do that?"

Ethan flinched at the girl's words and he took a step forward, reaching a hand out to rest against her arm. She pulled free from his grasp almost as quick as he started it. "They said I had a re-deployment option. I took it."

Leanne watched in horror as Ariel propelled herself forward, her fists landing against the man's chest repeatedly. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" She shouted over and over again, her fists hitting him with each syllable. She watched as Ethan did nothing to protect himself from the girl, and she almost felt bad for him.

Standing, she quickly ran the rest of the way down the stairs and grabbed the teen by the shoulders, pulling her away from the man in front of her. She turned her quickly, wrapping her arms around her shoulders as she offered her soft words, pressing kisses against her wild hair. She glared at Ethan over the girl's head and when he dropped his head downward, his eyes meeting with the floor, she felt her heart sink even further. She doubted that he had made this decision recently. She wondered if he was regretting his choices now.

"Leave." She pointed her finger toward the door as her eyes bore into the top of his head. She watched as he snapped his eyes up to meet hers and he got ready to speak when she cut him off. "Leave Ethan!" She gestured wildly with her one arm, the other still holding the teen in place against her chest. "Now!"

Ethan's eyes did little to betray his emotions and he choked back a sob as he tried to step closer, but Leanne just moved them a step back. His voice broke through the sound of Ariel's sobs and it made the girl cry louder. It made Leanne's tears fall harder as well. "I'm sorry." Was all he said. And then he was gone.

*Don't forget to comment :)