The snow crunched beneath the black tires of the rental car.the large Ford Explorer turned on a long driveway, passing a row of evergreens, decorated with snow and frozen icicles. White snow hare rabbits dashed in between the trees, frightened by the upcoming vehicle. From the gray sky, snowflakes fluttered to the ground, in small groups, dancing in the wind. From the right, a large wooden fence held several roaming horses galloping and playing with the new snowfall. The Friesians enjoyed every chance to roam wildly on the land, their foot beats pounding, thundering across the plain followed by long white puffs.

The car slowly passed the herd and continued down the long pathway. Several miles down the road, a large white farmhouse appeared, standing noble against the snow covered hills. The vehicle pulled over to the side, before nearing the old homestead and the Missouri wind embraced it, as if welcoming an old friend back home.

Duke turned from the driver's side, and a smile spread across his features. Home, something that he hadn't been able to say for several years. With his career and his responsibilities, he was rarely home, to spend time with his family. He turned and glanced towards the sleeping redhead. She had fallen asleep a few hours ago in the car. He gently shook her.

"Wake up Sleeping Beauty. We're here."

Scarlett stirred and opened her eyes, gazing outside the winter wonderland. She glanced at the house and blinked. "This isn't Allie's cabin."

"Nope. Even better."

"Where are we?" she asked curiously. He had a mischievous smile on his face again, what was he up to?

"Home."

Her eyes widened. "Home? As in your home?" She stared out the frosted window, looking at the farmhouse. A feeling of dread came over her. She had never met his family. She didn't know if they knew about her and her relationship with Duke. Her stomach started to feel like a row of Strikers having races.

"Yes, my home," Duke said, patting her arm. "I think it's time you met my family since I've met yours."

Scarlett stared at him in surprise. "Your family!"

"Yes," Duke said drawing out the word. "Come on." He got out of the car and went around to open the passenger door.

She stared at him, frozen, nervous and scared. 'What if they don't like me?' she thought. Her heart pounded a mile a minute just thinking about it.

Suddenly a ringing sound came from her purse. She glanced at Duke's confused face to the bag. Lifting it from where she had settled it, she opened it, and took out the ringing cell phone which had a small note attached. 'Red.' She answered it on the third ring and her eyes widened. "Oh, Hi Allie." From the corner of her eye, she could see Duke raise an eyebrow. "Yes, I like my new phone, thank you." She sent the first sergeant an apologetic smile, then her eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean, Beach Head tied Brutus to the obstacle course and has ordered no one to touch the bear!"

Duke leaned over to listen in on the conversation. He heard a row of Gaelic curses on the other end, then some crying. Jaye seemed to been having a bad day. He knew this morning, her row of punishments would start from the very not thrilled General Abernathy.

Scarlett nodded. "It's all right, Allie. We'll get Brutus back, even if I have to chase Beach Head with soap!" Then they both heard Flint in the background, saying something to put the phone down, followed by several crashing sounds. Scarlett listened to several different languages spoken at once. "All right, Allie, I'll call you tonight, promise." She closed the phone and looked at Duke, who was inches from her face. "Allie is not having a good day it seems."

"I gathered that." Duke chuckled. He offered her his hand. "Shall we?"

"Do we have to?" she asked, sounding more nervous, not moving from the passenger seat.

"Yes, we have to. They're expecting us." He all but pulled her out of the car.

"Expecting us?" Scarlett looked at him curiously. He was acting strange again. She gulped. "All right. Let's go in, but I feel like I'm going into battle."

"Hey, don't worry. They'll love you. How could they not?"

"Well, you're optimistic," she replied, as they walked closer to the house.

A door burst opened and a short woman with blond hair and Duke's identical eyes, wearing an apron walked out, waving to them. "Conrad! Shana!"

"Hi Momma!!!" Duke exclaimed and pulled Scarlett along faster to meet his mother.

"Slow down, Conrad," Scarlett pleaded, skidding on the ice from the frozen ground. But in truth this felt like walking the long mile to Hawk's office.

Duke snickered at her features and ran up the porch steps jumping the last to greet his mother in a tight hug, pulling Scarlett with him from his excitement.

"Oh Momma, I've missed you so much," Duke said as he hugged her tight. He towered over the much smaller woman. He pulled away and motioned towards Scarlett. "Momma, this is Shana."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Falcone," Scarlett greeted the woman.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Shana!" Julie Falcone hugged the counterintelligence woman. "Conrad has been raving about you for months! So glad to finally meet you," still holding her in the embrace.

"Oh? Has he?" Scarlett teased, sending a raised eyebrow towards a now pink cheeked embarrassed first sergeant.

Julie took Scarlett's hand and guided her inside the home. "Oh, yes, he talks about you all the time, every time we are on the phone."

They entered the large living room, which had a country feeling to it. A large fireplace stood at one of the walls, and above it, a painting of the Falcones was hung. Several framed pictures were placed on the mantle, each with one of the Falcone children, and Duke. Scarlett's eyes spotted his picture immediately. His was the only blond haired picture on the mantle. Her eyes roamed, looking around the ivory living room set. A long coffee table had several military books and dancing magazines, along with several candles and a Lenox vase filed with artificial roses. Paintings of several horses were hung on one side of the wall with several trophies and ribbons next to them. Her eyes then spotted a 1950's piano on the side, with several music books scattered.

"You have a lovely home," Scarlett stated.

"Thank you, dear," Julie Falcone replied. "Sit down, after that long drive, you must be thirsty. Let me get both of you something to drink." She then passed Duke, patting him on his arm. "What a nice girl." Then, they watched her walk towards a old oak door and open it. "Fallon, can you come upstairs? Conrad and Shana are here."

"Yes, Momma!" They heard a voice echoing from the basement. Duke's mother nodded and walked off towards the kitchen.

Scarlett turned to Duke, who now was pinker than Jaye's cast. "So, I see someone has been leaking information." She shook her head with a smile.

He pulled her into his embrace. "Well when you've got something to be proud of you brag about it." He bent forward capturing her lips with his.

They heard someone clearing their voice from behind them. Duke turned. "Hey, Pop." He smiled at the tall, muscular, brown haired man with steel eyes. It was obvious from his stature that he was from the military.

"You're late Conrad," George Falcone said in his gruff sounding voice but the twinkle in his eyes let everyone know he was teasing. Even though Duke wasn't his biological son it made no difference, George had raised him from a small boy of about five years old and to him Duke was his son, his oldest boy.

"Yeah, I know. The snow slowed me down." Duke grinned.

George pulled Duke into a tight embrace. "You need to come around more often son. Your mother misses you." George's eyes took in Scarlett. He let go of his oldest son. "My, my boy what have we here?"

"Pop..." Duke spoke with great pride; "This is Shana."

"Hello, sir." Scarlett extended her hand towards the man, a little timidly, not knowing the man's reaction towards her. After how Jaye's father greeted Flint when they first encountered, she wondered how Duke's stepfather would react. "Nice to meet you."

George wouldn't take her hand. "So you're a soldier?"

"Yes, sir." she lowered her hand down. 'Here we go..' she thought, then said, "Sergeant, Counterintelligence."

A younger woman with long black hair and brown eyes came into the room wearing a black leotard, skirt and pink dancing shoes. She walked over to the piano quickly, not realizing that the others were in the room. She seemed to be searching for something important.

Duke noticed his youngest sister. "Fallon," he said excitedly hoping to distract everyone but it didn't work.

"So you're on the front line I hear. Does my son have to save you often?" George asked seemingly sizing her up.

Scarlett was taken aback. 'Save me!' whirled in her mind. She cleared her thoughts. "Sir, you are correct on the front line part, but I'm quite capable on standing on my own two feet."

Fallon kept running through the music sheets. "Where the blazes is it?" she muttered to herself.

George started chuckling. "I see that you can." He held out his hand to her. "Fallon, it's on the coffee table."

Scarlett felt relieved shaking his hand and then she glanced towards the other Falcone in the room, who still had not heard her father. She wondered what indeed in the blue blazes was the woman searching for! She turned towards Duke. "Seems, she didn't hear your dad," she leaned closer and whispered to him.

Duke smirked and slowly snuck up behind his baby sister and said loudly. "Fallon!"

The woman jumped at least a foot in the air and a shriek filled the room. She pivoted quickly around, holding the piano with her hands, breathing heavily. Then her eyes widened, and screamed. "Conrad!" She threw her arms around Duke's neck and hugged him tight. "Why didn't anyone tell me you were here! I heard Momma say that Cammy and Sharon were here for their lesson."

Duke hugged his little sister. "No, she said Conrad and Shana were here." He held her out at arm length. "You haven't changed a bit."

"I know she hasn't. I've been having to deal with all of her suitors." George chuckled as he put his arm around Scarlett's shoulders.

Scarlett sent a smile to Mr. Falcone. "Suitors huh? She sounds like another Falcone that I know pretty well, black hair, blue eyes, always flirts with every female soldier, you may have heard of him," her eyes twinkled with tease.

Fallon shook her head. "Pop, how many times do I have to tell you that those men only come here when their daughters take their dancing or piano lessons?"

"Fallon, Danny, Robert, Jordan and Michael don't have any daughters," George pointed out with a chuckle.

"Speaking of daughter's. Where's Gracie?" Duke asked looking around for his other sister. An uncomfortable silence surrounded everyone.

"Umm.." Fallon turned to her brother. "She's at her house, with the kids and that new husband of hers, remember she married that high school sweetheart of hers, Nolan Ryland. He-" but she stopped mid-sentence, from George's stern stare.

Scarlett could feel the man tense, something was wrong from the mentioning of the other Falcone daughter. She sent Duke a raised eyebrow.

"Here we go, warm apple cider for everyone." Julie Falcone entered the room, with a tray of mugs filled with apple cider and a plate of homemade cookies and other treats. She set the tray on the coffee table. "Here you are Shana. It from out own apple tree orchid."

"Thank you, Mrs. Falcone." Scarlett took the offered mug.

"Here you are, Con." Julie handed him another mug.

Duke took the cider. "Thanks momma." He kissed her cheek. "Now will someone tell me what's wrong with Gracie?"

"Con..." George warned with a sigh as he sat down in his easy chair.

Fallon looked from her father to her mother to Scarlett and then back to her brother, staying silent.

Mrs. Falcone looked concerned towards her son. "It's nothing dear, I'll tell you about it later. Gracie has been extremely busy with being an EMT and firefighter, not to mention since Henry's death, she has been raising both her kids by herself, until she married Nolan.." She looked at George Falcone before she spoke again, "I think Gracie is not telling us something." She sat down in the chair, looking at her mug, not sipping.

The youngest Falcone patted her mother's shoulder. "I been going to Gracie's every chance I can get, but with the upcoming recital this month, I haven't been able to make it."

Scarlett sat listening, obviously there was something that the older Falcone daughter was keeping from the family. She sent another familiar glance towards Duke.

"Tell you what. Let me and Shana go up to freshen up, then I'll go over and check on her," Duke said putting his mug down on the table.

"All right, dear," Julie Falcone replied.

Fallon smiled. "Conrad, I have your room set for Shana, since it only has a twin bed, and umm.. you have to sleep in Vincent's room."

Scarlett chuckled at the thought of Duke sleeping in Falcon's room, with goodness knows what things the young man owned, but was extremely pleased that it wasn't she who had to sleep in Falcon's bed.

"Hey, I thought we were getting a full sized bed in there," Duke pouted.

George chuckled.

"Well, it was supposed to come this week, but somehow UPS lost it," Fallon explained, shaking her head.

Scarlett grinned. "Well, if Falcon's bed is too small, then maybe Conrad can sleep in the tub," causing the room to laugh.

"Gee thanks, Shana. The love of my life is a comedian." Duke chuckled and led Scarlett upstairs.

When they came to the top of the stairs, Duke led Scarlett to his room. She opened the door and a smile spread on her face. It was almost identical to his quarters at the base, only, this room had several awards and trophies on shelves, and a large bookcase was stationed next to a desk, filled with books. Pictures were hung, and displayed around the room, it was obvious that Mrs. Falcone was proud of her son. She did a double take when she noticed a picture next to his twin bed or herself with him from several years ago, she sent him a smile.

Duke settled her bag on the bed, then walked to the closet and took out several blankets and pillows. He set them on the bed, and fluffed the pillows before placing them on the single existing pillow, making the bed more comfortable.

"There," he said, satisfied that she would be comfortable for the night.

"Thanks." Scarlett walked over towards the night table and picked up the picture. "Isn't this from when we had dinner and a movie after saving those oil tankers from Cobra?" she asked, indicating the mission when the terrorist group had tried to take over the world by destroying the oil tankers. She remembered how the team stopped the snakes and how she nearly cost him his life, almost shooting a thermal arrow to the Cobra Rattler which he and Ace had 'borrowed' from the enemy.

"Wasn't this when we--"

"--first kissed," he finished her words, wrapping his hand around her waist, sending a warm sensation though her body, as he pressed his lips on hers.

Suddenly, the phone in Scarlett's purse began to ring, ending the magical moment. "I wonder who that could be," she said, smiling at his rolling eyes. She answered the phone. "Red's Kissing booth, we only serve one, unless you have a monthly pass, how can I help you?"

Duke rolled his eyes again, sitting on the bed, listening.

"What!" Scarlett's mouth opened and her eyes went huge. "Allie, what do you mean someone kidnapped Brutus and is asking for ransom!" Duke sent her a puzzled look, she listened to her friend on the line. "Woah back up. All right, let me get this straight. Beach Head went to the Mess Hall and when he returned the bear was gone and there was a ransom note for Brutus returning back safely." Scarlett listened again to the quickly rambling of Jaye on the other end. "You are where?" Her eyes widened. "Babysitting Shipwreck and watching Popeye cartoons?"

Duke start laughing and Scarlett quickly playfully slapped him on the shoulder. He then signaled her to wrap it up, and she nodded.

"Allie, Conrad's family is waiting for us, downstairs. I'll call you tonight, all right? Bye." She hung up the phone, and sat next to the first sergeant, leaning against his shoulder. "If Beach Head doesn't return the gay porno collection back to the original owner, the bear gets it."

Duke started laughing and was about to reply when a piercing high pitched scream shot through the house, making them jump off the bed and run down the stairs at top speed. They heard crying from downstairs, and when they entered the living room, they stopped dead in their tracks.

Two children stood in the middle of the living room, wearing only their sweaters, with no coats, shivering. Fallon and Mrs. Falcone were holding them in their arms.

"It's alright Hannah, Jason," Fallon tried to sooth the upset kids. "Your Mom will be fine." The youngest Falcone was trembling, she looked up and glanced towards Duke. "Conrad.. Hannah told me that Nolan is sick and smacked Gracie on the head."

Duke's face turned crimson, and the nerve on his forehead began to pulse. He turned and charged out of the room, his footsteps thumped with pure anger.

"Shana-" Julie went to say, but Scarlett was already following Duke who was now running at top speed towards the next farm, where the Rylands lived.

"Conrad!" she called after him, while running madly in the foot snow, trying to keep up with him. With his temper, who knew what he could do to the young man.

Scarlett held on to several branches -- trying to balance herself, she didn't have her snow boots on and the ground was slippery. She watched him cross an enormous field, as if the snow was not even there. The cold caused her breathing to increase, circling it around her, chilling her clothes, but that did not matter. She had to stop him from doing something he would regret later.

"Conrad!" she called again, seeing him jump over a wooden fence.

Duke did not hear Scarlett's cry, his face was stone hard from anger. When he found out what Nolan was doing to his sister and her children, Nolan would wish he never been born.

His feet thundered up the porch steps of the gray farmhouse, which Gracie and her family lived. He stepped into the living room just to see Nolan Ryland hurl a glass at his sister, who was huddled in a corner, her shoulder length hair unkempt and her green eyes had only one thing in them, fear.

Duke stepped in front of his sister, shielding her from her husband, just as a second glass object flew in the air, crashing to the wall, next to them.

Nolan looked him with a cunning smile that sent shivers down his spine. The man was drunk and the smell coming from him, indicated that he hadn't even bothered washing it off for more than several days.

"Get out of here, Hauser. This is not your business," Nolan's words slurred.

"Gracie get out of here and go to mom and dad's," Duke said evenly never taking his eyes off his sister's husband. "You're a big man aren't you Nolan?" He took a step closer. "How long you been hurting my sister?"

Gracie ran towards the door.

"Shut up Hauser, you geek," Nolan replied, grabbing two large cans of beer and throwing them towards Gracie, who had stopped midtrack.

Suddenly a flash of red came through the door, heading for Gracie, grabbing hold of the woman's waist just as the one can hit Duke's sister on the shoulder, sending her sliding down the wall from its force and the other bouncing off Scarlett's head, as the counterintelligence woman fell to the ground, not moving.

Duke charged Nolan, knocking him to the ground before punching him hard on the jaw.

Gracie was dazed, her nose was bleeding and her right eye was darkening. She crawled over to the woman that had come to her aid, not knowing who she was.

"Bastard!" Nolan slurred, dizzily walking away and going to a corner, sitting down on the floor, rocking himself, mumbling to himself "All my fault, all my fault."

Duke walked over to Scarlett and picked her up. "Come on, Gracie." He saw her hesitate. "Your kids are terrified over there with mom and dad. Come on."

Gracie slowly got up stiff and sore and slowly followed Duke.

Holding Scarlett in his arms, he could see her breathing regular, her eyes fluttered open. "What happened?" she asked, staring into his handsome features. "You can put me down, Sir."

"Sir?" Duke asked in confusion. "Why are you calling me sir?"

Gracie trailed behind but her pace got slower and slower until finally she passed out in the snow.

Scarlett's eyes widened, "The woman fainted, sir."

"What?" Duke turned around. "Gracie!!!" But there was no answer.

"Put me down, she needs your help," Scarlett requested. Duke looked at her first and then gently put Scarlett on her feet. He rushed over to his fallen sister and quickly gathered her in his arms. He returned to Scarlett's side. She leaned against him for support, while slowly walking back to the house.

George walked outside, having just heard what happened because he was out in the barn when the kids came rushing in. "What happened?"

"Nolan is what happened," Duke said as he handed his sister over.

Scarlett slowly nodded. From the cold air, sleepiness had once again taken over. She was also worried about Duke and his sister, hoping that this wouldn't lead to an unhappy ending.

Julie rushed to her daughter's side. "George let's take her inside the bedroom, I'll call Dr. McDonald." Then she turned to Duke. "Conrad I'm sorry you had to see that, we never knew, she hid it from us. The kids just told us, ever since Nolan lost his job that he has gone downhill. I should have known." She patted her daughter's head and kissed her forehead. "Fallon has the kids downstairs in her dance studio, they are dancing down there."

"I'm going to take Shana upstairs and lay her down. I'll be in to check on Gracie later," Duke said, helping Scarlett up the stairs and to his bedroom, laying her on the bed.

"Who's Shana?" she asked, her head staying on the pillow, and her eyes gazing in his.

"Come on I'm not falling for that," Duke said looking down at her.

"What are you talking about, sir." Scarlett blinked her face serious.

"Shana, please don't do this to me," he exhaled.

"Shana? My name is Selena," Scarlett said, but then burst laughing, watching the color drain off his face. "Sorry, Conrad, just couldn't help it."

Duke took one of the pillows and smacked her with it. "YOU!!!"

Scarlett giggled, holding her hands above her face as he slammed the pillow one more time, then she quickly grabbed the one pillow behind her head and hit him on the side with a "Yo Joe!"

He laughed. "Okay. I'm going to go check on Gracie. You lay here for a little bit. I'll be back."

She nodded, watching him stand up from the bed and leave the room. A yawn escaped her mouth and she quickly shook it off, it was still too early to sleep. Wasn't it? She raised her head from the pillow and saw her purse near by. Taking out the cell phone, she called her best friend. She listened it ring, before Jaye picked it up.

"Hawk's G.I. Joe prison. This is prisoner Jaye1 speaking, how can I help you?" Jaye answered her phone sounding slightly annoyed.

"Don't tell me you're in the brig?!" Scarlett asked in shock.

"I might as well be. Hawk left Warden Flint in charge of me." It was obvious she was glaring at the other person in the room with her.

"Oh oh, I think the brig maybe a safer area for you," Scarlett replied. "How are the punishments going?"

"Red, these aren't punishments. These are bloody torture I'm telling you!!!"

Scarlett shook her head. "What is he making you do? They can't be worse than mine from last year, if you recall correctly. Remember my feather hat and singing with Conrad in the Mess."

"I have to give Shipwreck a sponge bath and be the one that meets with General Marks. You remember him; he's the one with the fast hands. I have to clean out Polly's cage. Help Roadblock in the Mess and you know how well I can cook..."

The counterintelligence woman turned green. Having Jaye cook anything would make people sick for months. "Alright, I think your punishments are much worse than mine," then asked, "Any word on Brutus?"

Jaye started crying.

"Allie? What's wrong?" Scarlett now asked concerned then heard a large crash on the other side of the line. "ALLIE?"

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!" Jaye yelled after putting the phone down to whoever was in the room with her.

Scarlett pushed the cell away from her ears. "Ouch," she said to herself, before putting the phone a little closer, but was ready to push it away from her eardrums, just in case. "Let me guess. Flint. Now what did that warrant officer do?"

She heard the man's voice coming from the background. "Allie, it's not my fault that Brutus got shipped to the Pentagon by mistake!"

"The Pentagon!" Scarlett repeated. "How on Earth, did that happen?"

"Because he hates me," Jaye cried. "Here I am giving him a child and he takes away Brutus to be mean to me."

Scarlett shivered at the mention of being 'mean' towards another person, after what she witnessed, she never wanted something like that happen to anyone. She heard her name being called twice on the other side and quickly shook off the thought. "Sorry, what did you say, Allie?"

"How's your vacation?" Jaye asked, her mood instantly changed.

"Well, let's just say we were supposed to be at your mountain retreat, but wound up at Conrad's house. It's been pretty interesting, considering we had to go on a rescue mission." Scarlett sighed and sat up from the pillow, crossing her legs.

"Rescue mission...what kind of rescue mission?" Jaye asked, then pulled the phone away from her mouth slightly. "Dash, will you let me talk please."

Scarlett heard Flint grumble about going to the other room and then heard another crash. She giggled, then her smile faded from her face. "Well, it seems like one of Conrad's sisters is in an unhappy marriage. And apparently the husband had one too many tonight, the kids came for help and Duke ran towards his sister's house with death in his eyes. I don't blame him either." She paused for a moment. "I don't know much, but when I walked in the home, I had to duck and cover from an attack, but not before one hit Conrad's sister and the other landed on my head."

"Oh my...What did Con do?" Jaye asked.

"I..I..don't know. I was knocked out at the time," Scarlett replied. Then she heard footsteps in the hall, nearing the door. "Allie, I have to go, Con is on his way back. Have fun with those punishments!" She heard Jaye growl before they hung up.

The door slowly opened and Duke walked in, checking to see if she had fallen asleep. Seeing her on the bed, he walked over and sat beside her.

She crawled behind him and rested both her hands on his neck, starting to massage the knots that had formed from the evening's events. She felt his body, relax and a smile spread on her face, his head hung, from her fingers.

"How are Gracie and the kids?" Scarlett asked in concern, continuing to massage him, lower on the shoulders.

"The kids are very shaken up but will be fine. Thank God he didn't touch them. Gracie we're trying to talk into going to the ER but she won't go. Her right eye is black, her nose finally stopped bleeding. According to mom she's got bruises everywhere," Duke said, with a sigh.

Scarlett shivered. 'How could anyone do this?' she thought. She wrapped her arms around Duke's neck and kissed him on the cheek, then pressed her cheek against his, holding him, telling him that she was there for him. "I'm sorry this happened," she said softly. "But I'm glad it was stopped. He can get help now, and so can your sister and the kids."

Duke turned and looked at her. "How's your head?"

"Feels better," she answered. "How about a nice stroll in the snow? We both could use some fresh air. We can also take Fallon and the kids, get them out of the house."

"I don't know if Fallon will leave Gracie right now but the kids would love to spend time with Uncle Con," Duke said with a smile.

"Great, maybe we can build a few snowmen," Scarlett suggested, her arms still around him.

"We could go sledding too," Duke said standing up then bent down and kissed her softly on the lips. "You are wonderful."

"Mmm..That kiss was wonderful too." Scarlett grinned, climbing off the bed. She took his hand and led him towards the door. "By the way, we may have to go on a rescue mission, on the way back." She giggled at his arched eyebrows. "Somehow, Brutus wound up at the Pentagon."

Duke burst into laughter, and together they walked out the door.