AN: Sorry it's taken a bit to get this out. I hope it's worth the wait. I would love to hear what you think about the direction this is going. Reviews are very much appreciated.

Chapter 25

Elizabeth patiently waited for Beth to finish talking to Henry. It had become their Sunday evening ritual. Henry called and talked to Beth, then Elizabeth, then the girls drowned their emotions in ice cream and popcorn while watching a some sort of sappy romance movie on cable.

"Bye Henry. Love you." She waited for a few moments. "Here's Elizabeth."

Elizabeth took the receiver from Beth. "You go take a shower and then you can pick the movie. I'll scoop the ice cream." Beth nodded and headed in the direction of the bathroom. Elizabeth turned her attention to Henry. "Hey baby. How are you doing?"

"I'm alright. I miss you. I'm glad we get to talk. I love your voice but I miss holding you, but that's going to change, because guess who gets to come home next month?" Elizabeth could hear the excitement in Henry's voice The constant knot in her stomach doubled in size and she squeezed her eyes shut, letting out a shuddering breath. She couldn't keep Henry from hearing it on the other end. "Babe? Are you okay?"

"Did they tell you where you are going?" she asked softly, knowing the possibilities were few.

"Yeah. I'm going to the Middle East. A year at least, but probably more like fifteen months. I'll be okay. I promise." It pained him that she was struggling with him being gone and now this deployment.

"You can't make promises like that. I know too much. More than you do," she said softly, then she took a deep breath and changed direction. "But I can't dwell on that. How long is your leave before you deploy?"

"I think I get a month. Hopefully it will fall around Christmas and we can spend a little time in Pittsburgh," Henry said.

"Yeah. I hope that works out." Elizabeth twisted the phone cord around her finger.

"Elizabeth, are you okay?"

"We miss you so much and this is real. You're going somewhere that's dangerous. There are people who go over there that don't come home. I see the effects of us being over there every day Henry. I'm scared."

"I know. I pray every day that I can do this and come home to you and Beth. I really believe that if it's my time to go, I'll be going regardless of whether I'm sitting at home reading a book or I'm flying a fighter jet in a warzone. I'm going to be careful, I promise, but can we enjoy my time home first?"

"I'll try. I'll just be so thankful when these things aren't looming over us. I want to live in the moment, but I have a hard time balancing that with what I see every day at work. The 'now' gets drowned out by the 'what ifs.'"

They talked longer and much too quickly, Beth was out of the shower and camped out on the couch waiting for their movie night to begin. "I love you Henry. See you soon." She hung up the phone and fixed them each a bowl of ice cream before sitting down and starting the movie.

MSMSMSMSMS

"Is she asleep?" Henry asked as Elizabeth stepped into the bedroom and silently closed the door. She nodded and rounded the end of the bed and climbed in next to Henry, facing him. He cupped her cheek and kissed her softly. "I've missed us. I've missed this." He pulled her closer and traced his fingers down her spine, feeling her ribs against him. She shivered under his touch.

He stopped and looked into her eyes. "What?" she whispered. He saw the desperation and longing.

Henry shook his head. "Later," he said, lowering his lips to hers, kissing her passionately this time.

She rolled onto her back tugging him with her. "I need to feel you. Everywhere." He obliged, pinning her beneath him, offering a small prayer that these days together would be enough to get her through the days they would be apart.

Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the sunlight coming in through the curtains. She thought last night had been a dream until she shifted and she felt the tenderness between her legs. Simultaneously the smell of sausage wafted in from the kitchen and she smiled. Henry was really home. Immediately the worry crept in and she shoved it back. "You have to live in the now." she murmured. She slipped from the bed and tugged a sweatshirt over her head, pulling her arms into it and grabbed the pajama pants from the chair where they'd been tossed the night before. Elizabeth stepped to the doorway and watched Henry working in the kitchen. "Good morning," she said, catching him from behind, wrapping her arms around his middle as he stood at the stove.

"Hey babe," he turned until she was far enough around his body to wrap his arm around her shoulders. "Good morning." He kissed her forehead as he continued to turn the sausage over.

"How long have you been up?" she asked.

He chuckled, "I have to report every morning at 6 am. I don't sleep in much anymore. I ran out to the store and picked up a few things. While I'm here, I'm going to cook for you." He handed her a plate of sausage, eggs, and toast. She looked at it and didn't think she could physically eat more than a few bites.

"Thank you," she said and kissed him before searching in the drawer for a fork. She sat at the bar and watched while he fixed his plate and pulled out the barstool next to hers. They sat silently for the next several minutes, Henry eating and Elizabeth pretending to, pushing the food around, taking a few bites here and there.

When Henry finished, Elizabeth stood to take both of their plates, but Henry put a hand on her arm. "You need to eat more," he said. Her eyes met his and he saw her desperate plea to leave it alone, but he knew he couldn't. "You've lost weight since I've been gone."

"Maybe," she replied.

"How much?" She dropped her eyes and shrugged. "Do you really not know or you just don't want to tell me?"

"Henry. I'm fine, okay. It's not a big deal. It's just a few pounds. Skinny women are prettier anyway right?" Elizabeth tried to blow it off, but Henry wasn't having any part of it. He took the plates away from her and set them on the bar.

"No, not really, and I'm not worried about other women. I'm worried about you." He put his finger under her chin and tilted her head up so he could look at her. "I've known you for quite a while. I know that when you get stressed out or tired, you don't eat. And I know that this season in our lives has been really hard, and that's my fault-"

"It's not your fault," she said interrupting him. "It's just what our life is."

"But," he cut her off, "It's my situation that puts all of the pressure on you. And that's not fair. However, I need you to take care of yourself. I don't think I can go halfway around the world and leave you, knowing that you are walking down this dangerous path." He pulled her close. "I love you so much. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing will happen to me. I promise,"

"Good," Henry kissed her cheek. "Now, would you please try to eat a little more?" He gave her his best sad puppy dog eyes.

She laughed, "Am I that annoying when I do that?"

"Pretty much." Henry said and slid the plate back in her direction. She sat down and he scooted his chair in behind her so she ended up sitting in between his legs. She took a bite and he pulled her hair to the side and placed open mouth kisses down from her hairline down to her sweatshirt.

She squirmed. "That tickles," she said. There was a muffled 'hmpf," from behind her before his hand slipped under her sweatshirt, his fingers splayed wide against her bare skin. "I'm supposed to be eating, remember?"

"I figured you could multi-task," he mumbled before sucking a spot on the back of her neck, his hands creeping up toward her breasts.

"Child approaching!" Beth announced as she walked into the living room, heading in the direction of the kitchen. Elizabeth giggled and Henry pulled his hand out from under her shirt and let it rest on her thigh, and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Way to downgrade that to G rated" she whispered. He chuckled, nudging her with his chest.

MSMSMSMSMSMS

Henry was surprised at how Beth had changed in the nearly nine months he'd been gone. Beth grew up. She wasn't a scrawny, squirmy little kid anymore. Beth was in 8th grade. She was smart, well spoken, a star softball player and most definitely a young woman.

She came out of her room Monday morning before school and it caught Henry off guard. It was the first time he'd seen her wearing something other than jeans or sweatpants and a loose fitting sweatshirt. Beth was wearing her uniform skort and a polo shirt. She was almost as tall as Elizabeth and had gotten much curvier. It made Henry uncomfortable. He didn't like the idea that boys would be looking at her like he knew boys would be looking at her. He suggested she wear a sweater and that was met with an eye roll. "It's hot in the classrooms, Henry. Nobody wears sweaters."

Henry retreated to the bedroom where Elizabeth was getting ready. "Have you seen what Beth is wearing?"

Elizabeth stuck her head out of their bathroom. "She isn't wearing her uniform?" Her forehead was wrinkled in confusion.

"I suppose she is, but it is getting too small or something," Henry responded, flustered. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and stepped out so she could see Beth, then she turned to Henry.

"She looks fine Henry." Henry shifted uncomfortably and Elizabeth broke out a wide, knowing grin. "She looks exactly like she's supposed to. She's a woman and has pretty much all that entails."

"How did that happen?" he asked, which caused Elizabeth to burst out laughing, fueling Henry's dismay.

"It's been going on for a while now." She giggled, but when Henry gave her a stern look, she stopped. "But, in your defense, the boobs and the hips have jumped a couple levels since she started her period."

"Ugh. More things I don't want to know about." Henry ran his hands through his hair.

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "You are lucky I got beamed in the face with a softball. Otherwise, you would be so screwed right now."

"It's not that I don't know all that stuff happens, but I still see a six year old. It's just hard to know that she's almost old enough to be dating and then there will be other stuff. Elizabeth, I am not ready for that." Henry's eyes were wide and Elizabeth just laughed.

MSMSMSMSMSMS

"Are you scared to go to war?" Beth's question caught Henry off guard. They were sitting at the ice cream parlor. Beth had been quiet the past few days and now Henry understood why.

"Not really scared. I've had a lot of training and I know what I'm doing.". He studied her, "But that being said, I've never been in that situation before, so I might feel differently when I get there. I'm more upset about being away from you and Elizabeth and my family for so long. Are you scared?"

"Yeah, a little. Because of all of the technology, laser guided missiles and all of that kind of stuff, fewer people are dying in this war than ever before, but people still die." She twisted a piece of hair around her finger. "Henry, tell me you won't die."

Henry took her hand. "I have no plans to die anytime soon, but you know full well that we don't control that."

She nodded. "I know. I just want you to be careful. I love you and it would just be really hard to put things back together if you didn't come back to us. I don't know that I could do it."

"Bethie. No matter what happens, everything will end up working out." The look she gave him said she knew he was lying, but was letting him off the hook.

MSMSMSMSMSMSMS

The month came and went all too quickly, and suddenly Elizabeth felt her emotions slipping as they cuddled together on the couch the evening before his departure. She catapulted herself off the couch leaving Beth and Henry wondering what was going on. After giving her a minute, Henry followed her into their bedroom and then found himself standing in front of the bathroom door knocking gently. "Elizabeth, are you alright?" He heard the water running followed by her blowing her nose and then she opened the door. "Aww, babe, come here." He held his arms open to her, but she stepped around him patting him on the chest as she went by.

"Nope. If I do that, I will completely lose it and that is not going to happen. 'Kay? 'Kay." She disappeared out of their room and headed to the kitchen to fix them all some ice cream. After the movie, Elizabeth disappeared into the bedroom, giving Henry some time to say goodbye to Beth. She didn't think she could be there with Beth without breaking down herself and that wasn't going to help the situation. She and Beth would have plenty of time to bond over missing Henry in the next year. She pulled her sweater off and unhooking her bra, pulled it off through the armhole of her t-shirt. Both were tossed in the direction of the laundry basket on the closet floor and her jeans were shed and left crumpled by the end of the bed. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she climbed into bed and patiently waited for Henry to join her.

Henry finally came in and got ready for bed. He slipped between the sheets and Elizabeth rolled into him. "How is she?"

"She'll be fine. She's worried about you. And me, but mostly you."

"I'll be fine. I promise," she murmured.

He pushed a few strands of hair away from her face. "Fine might be a stretch, but you will persevere, because you are the strongest person I know." He slid his hand slowly over her ass and down the back of her thigh, grabbing her behind the knee and hooking her leg over his hip allowing him to slide his leg between hers.

Elizabeth tucked her arm around his back and pulled herself closer to him. Her lips brushed against his at first, the tips of their noses touching. He tilted his head and devoured her, until she pulled her head away gasping. "I love you," he whispered.

She moaned his name and pulled him on top of her, her hips grinding against his leg. "I love you." Her nails dug into the skin on his back, the pain heightening his senses. Henry took her unapologetically, ravaging her body, making her his. She clung to him and fell into an emotionally exhausted deep sleep.

He watched her all night long and prayed that the God she didn't believe in would keep them all safe and bring him back home to his family.

Elizabeth was pulled from sleep by his lips on her neck. As if drawn by a magnet, she moved closer, guiding his lips toward her mouth. She kissed him tenderly at first, but as she became fully awake, she remembered what today would bring and there was an underlying sense of urgency to be as close as possible. She deepened the kiss and her fingers were tangled in his hair holding his head so he couldn't move.

Henry's hand made a trail down her body first tracing her collarbone, then running his finger around her areola before teasing her nipple, skimming her stomach and landing just above where the ache was growing. The back of his hand ran along her inner thigh, his touch too gentle. "Touch me like you mean it," she mumbled against his lips. He immediately flipped his hand and massaged her inner thigh, his thumb pushing into the juncture of her hip and torso.

Elizabeth moaned softly and wrapped her hand around his penis pumping it to it's full erect state. "Oh God, please," he said. "Please bring me home to her." The thought not voiced but understood by both. She rolled into him and threw her leg around his waist. Henry wasted no time slipping his hand between them, lining himself up and then pushing into her in one fluid motion. They groaned at being connected.

Henry started a slow rhythm, trying to commit every action, every feeling to memory. Elizabeth squirmed her arm under him, wrapping both around his back, holding Henry close. As the pressure built, the sadness he'd been holding at arm's length gave way. The thought of being half a world away from his family, the people he loved the most was heartbreaking. He faltered, one emotion taking over the other.

Elizabeth pushed into him and he rolled onto his back taking her with him. She kissed him and pushed herself up, planting her hands on his chest. She slid up and down his length before swiveling her hips. Henry took hold of her hips to assist. She looked down into Henry's eyes and she saw all of the saw everything she felt herself-the love, fear, worry, and despair knowing they would be apart for so long. She picked up her pace and she climaxed when Henry reached down to stroke her clit. He stiffened beneath her as well. She collapsed on top of him and he rolled them on their side. She ran her thumb along his cheek, wiping his tears away. "Henry McCord. I love you. You better not die on me."

"Roger that," he whispered and they fell asleep in each other's arms, knowing that in a few short hours, their lives would forever be changed.