Flint took one last look around his room. He was fairly confident he packed enough stuff for the week. The good news was that with as much time as he had been spending at the apartment, there was enough there for him to get by in case he forgot something.

He closed the door behind him, and walked towards Duke's office. He probably should have reversed the actions, but he was afraid that if General Bradshaw held firm to his deadline, he wanted to have his bag packed in case he was thrown off base. Plus he hoped the time would give him a chance to figure out what exactly he was going to say to Duke.

However, he hadn't been very successful. Every time he tried to think about how to wrap things up with Duke, his mind wandered off to Lady Jaye and how best to console her. What he needed to do with Duke was important, but at the moment, she was Flint's top priority. He took a breath to clear his head before he knocked on the First Sergeant's door and entered his office.

"I was wondering how long it was going to take for you to pay me a visit," Duke said without looking up from the file in front of him. "General Bradshaw called in the leadership staff to give us the CliffsNotes version of your suspension. Once we were dismissed, Beachhead walked with me back to my office. He didn't stay long as he had some things he needed to take care of. But he surprised me. He wasn't nearly as worked up as I thought he would be."

Flint could say the same thing about Duke. Apparently the First Sergeant had calmed down quite a bit from their earlier encounter. "Jaye said she told him the truth while they were on the mission, so it probably helped having advance notice. Plus, you know how persuasive she can be when she puts her mind to it."

Duke shook his head. "And I guess that's what led to your downfall?"

"Yeah, you could say that." Flint took a seat in front of Duke's desk. "Con, you and I go back a long way. I always wondered if it was because of you that I ended up here with the Joes."

"When Hawk asked for recs for guys to join the team, I did throw out your name as well as Roadblock's and a couple of other guys from our unit. But it was your record and performance in the field that got you selected."

Flint nodded. "That's what I suspected. It's very belated, but I do want to say thank you for the opportunity."

Duke scoffed. "You have a hell of a way of showing your thanks. I don't think it's possible that you could have fucked up this situation any more than you did."

Flint sighed. "What do you want me to say? You know as well as I do that love makes you stupid."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Flint knew it was the worst thing he could say. Duke closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean," he began but was cut off.

"Of course you didn't mean to," Duke spat out. "From the beginning you have never given any thought to anything other than what you wanted. I remember the moment you met Lady Jaye, and how I could see in your eyes that you had to have her. I had the thought to explicitly forbid you in pursuing any kind of relationship with her. But I knew that by doing that I would only force you into her arms. So I hoped that you would sleep with her a couple of times, get bored and then move on. At worst case I figured that I would have to deal with a sexual harassment case. But I had no idea that I would actually have a Romeo and Juliet situation on my hands. I realized that when we took our trip to Greenland. Not only did I notice that you were looking at her with what was obviously more than lust, but she was looking at you the same way."

Flint let Duke's words sink in a moment before he spoke again. Everything he said was the truth. "That's why this spiraled so far out of control. She did catch my interest right from the start, but I never expected our love to deepen as much as it did. And now she's going to be the mother of my child." A small smile shone on his face. "This is nowhere near how I hoped or expected this to play out. But I have to admit, I am relieved that the truth is now out in the open. Ever since I found out Alison was pregnant, I wanted to revel in my impending fatherhood, and the fact that I couldn't almost drove me crazy. I know the most likely outcome of this is that I lose my job. And I am worried about what comes after. But then I think about the fact that my son or daughter is going to be born next year, and that puts everything in perspective."

Duke leaned back in his chair. "While I am happy that you've made peace with all this, I can't help but think about how this affects the Joe team. I agree with you. The military code is pretty clear cut, and as the higher ranking one in the affair, I too think that you're looking at a discharge. So where does that leave the Joe team? In the span of one day, I have lost my number two and three guys."

Flint startled. "What? Where's Beachhead going?"

"DC. Hawk put him in for a transfer to the Pentagon."

"Okay, that's bad but not the end of the world. Don't forget, you still have Falcon."

"Believe me, I haven't. I'm not the only one who has noticed that he has grown by leaps and bounds. But he still has a long way to go before he gets close to filling either one of your shoes."

Flint nodded. "There's always the chance that if I am fired, they will cancel Beachhead's orders. Maybe that's the real reason why he's taken this in stride. He had been gunning for my job for years, and now he has a golden opportunity to take it."

Duke stared at him a moment and then shook his head. "Or the more likely scenario is that since the Joe team's leadership is now decimated, the Jugglers now have a perfect excuse to disband the rest of the team."

"I don't believe that. Hawk would never let that happen."

Duke slammed his hands on to the desk and stood up. "Flint, I find it commendable that you have such faith in General Abernathy. But you do realize he is one man fighting an uphill battle? And that you haven't done him any favors by this stunt you pulled? In addition, he now also has to find a replacement for Lady Jaye on his team. I assume you heard that he asked Lady Jaye as well."

"Yes. That led to the conversation the general overheard." Flint let out a long exhale. "And that's actually why I'm here to talk to you. As you pointed out, the proper course of action is that I receive a discharge. But General Bradshaw could take it a step further and also discipline her. I'm willing to accept my fate, but I want to make a plea to save hers."

Duke put up his hand. "Flint, save your breath. You should be telling this to General Bradshaw, not me."

"I can't. He made it quite clear that he doesn't want to hear anything I have to say. I do hope, though, over the course of the next few days that he talks to you. Jaye and I know we did wrong, but our records should speak for ourselves. It may not be enough to save my job, but it might be enough to save hers. I didn't realize it at first, but this opportunity in DC is a good one for her. She'll have a desk job doing what she loves, without having to go into the field leaving the baby behind. The problem is that I know General Bradshaw hasn't been her biggest fan, so I hope that doesn't cloud his judgment. I don't want him punishing her just out of spite."

"I can't promise you anything as I'm not even sure if he's going to want my opinion on the matter. But if he asks, I'm going to tell him the truth. That despite this massive lapse of judgment, you both are two of the finest soldiers I have ever worked with."

Flint smiled. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from you." He looked at his watch. The deadline had come and gone, so he knew his time was up. "I better go, before I bring more trouble upon myself."

Duke stood. "I'll walk you out." The two left his office and Duke asked. "So what are you going to do while you wait?"

Flint hadn't thought that far ahead. But as soon as the question was asked he knew the answer. "I want to go home. I haven't seen my parents in a long time, and I can't wait to tell them about their future grandchild."

"That sounds nice. I know no matter what happens, you're going to need your family to rely on." Duke stopped walking. "The one thing that got lost in everything that happened today, is that I didn't get a chance to congratulate you on the baby. Despite everything, I am happy for you and Lady Jaye."

Flint felt a lump rising in his throat. He couldn't speak so instead he patted Duke on the back and then brought him in for a bear hug. Flint was excited for his future. He just wished he didn't have to lose the past to get it.


Lady Jaye pulled up to her standard parking spot and noticed that she had beaten Flint home. She wasn't surprised as her turnover went a lot faster than she expected. Falcon had been called into General Bradshaw's office for what she assumed was an emergency meeting to deal with their bombshell. So she met with Chuckles alone, who didn't say much once she told him what was going on. So she had gotten right down to business and spent about ten minutes going over the open leads. Once she was fairly certain he was caught up to speed, she left.

She unlocked the front door and collapsed on to the couch. She glanced at the time, and realized that due to their very early departure from Scotland, she had been on the go for nearly twenty four hours. Thanks to the naps she had taken on both legs of the flight home, she wasn't overly tired. But as she laid her hand on her abdomen, she figured the activity and the stress of the day was probably not good for Junior.

She stretched out on the couch. She knew sleep wasn't going to come as her mind was racing through too many thoughts. But she wanted to lie down and enjoy the few minutes of quiet before Flint came home. She felt an odd sensation deep within her. She remembered reading in her books what the baby's first kicks would feel like and she had a suspicion that was what she was experiencing. But it was so faint she couldn't know for sure.

She began to think about everything and nothing at the same time. She entered into the state of mind where she wasn't quite asleep, but she also wasn't really awake. So that when the front door opened, she startled enough that she jumped up from the couch.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" Flint asked.

He looked awful. His face was a combination of stress and sadness, and Lady Jaye was sure she looked the same. "No, I was just," she trailed off. She was such a mess she couldn't even complete a sentence. And then she was hit with such a wave of emotion that she let out a loud sob.

Flint was at her side within seconds. He engulfed her in a hug and as she relaxed against his chest she let herself go. All of the pent up emotions and feelings of the last few months came out in a long, therapeutic cry. As she slowly gained control of herself, she realized by the way that his chest was heaving, that Flint too had joined her in her emotional release. She realized that his talk with Duke must have been excruciating. While she felt better, she still didn't have the energy to ask him about it. Instead, she relied on their tried and true method for stress relief.

She pulled back enough to grab his hand and lead him to the bedroom. She briefly wondered if he might rebuff her advances, but the opposite was true. He responded enthusiastically as it became obvious he also needed a physical release. Once it was over, they quietly laid in each other's arms for several minutes.

Both the cry and the sex helped instill a sense of peace over Lady Jaye. However, she still didn't have the desire to tackle the deeper issues facing them at the moment. Instead of trying to figure out a long-term plan, she was more concerned about figuring out a short-term one. "I assume we don't want to spend the week counting down the minutes to General Bradshaw's decision so what do you want to do?"

Flint turned to face her. "I've actually given this some thought. Thanksgiving is Thursday, so how about we fly to Kansas to spend it with my family?"

It was a perfectly reasonable suggestion. If they were going to be forced into a week off, they should take advantage of it and spend time, especially with the coming holiday, with family. But Lady Jaye couldn't help but think of the first and last time she had visited Flint's parents. It had been their first Christmas together, and Flint wanted to take her home to meet his parents. They had been together for nearly a year at that point, and she had been thrilled that he was ready to take such a big step in their relationship.

So she had easily agreed to the trip. But she could tell right from the start it wasn't going to go well. Flint had explained, as they flew to the local air force base, that this was going to be a surprise for his parents. He had half expected to have his leave request canceled by an untimely attack from Cobra, so he never told his family that he was coming. Lady Jaye pointed out that while they were sure to be thrilled to see him, she wondered if they would feel the same about his special guest.

It turned out she was right. The two had walked up to his parent's house, he had rung the bell, and once the door opened he was engulfed in bear hugs from both his mother and father. They were so excited to see him that it took a couple of minutes for them to realize she was standing there as well. She had watched the reunion with a large smile on her face as she watched Flint get showered with the love and affection. She had been so happy for him that she was willing to overlook the less than pleased greeting she received from his mother. But what had finally wiped the smile off her face was Flint introducing her not as his girlfriend but as one of his buddies from the team.

To say the rest of the day had been tense was an understatement. She quickly realized the reason for Flint's odd introduction as it became clear that he had never informed his parents that he was in a relationship. Which she called him on as soon as the two of them were alone later that night.

"Your buddy?" She hissed as she closed his bedroom door behind her. "That's how you decide to introduce me to your parents? That term was cute a year ago, when we were trying to figure out where we stood with each other, but I think that I've earned something more by now."

Flint looked sheepish. "You have, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to belittle what we have. I just really haven't been in close contact with my parents lately, so I never told them I was in a relationship. I didn't want to just blurt it out tonight, but I planned on telling them before our vacation was over."

Lady Jaye had been less than impressed with his lame explanation. She remembered taking great satisfaction in storming out of his room as she told him she was taking up his mother's offer to sleep in his sister's old room.

She figured in order to appease her, Flint informed his parents the next morning that she was in fact his girlfriend. However, it was such an awkward moment, that she only ended up more annoyed with him. She remembered forcing herself to endure the scene as long as politeness called for, but once his mother made a lame excuse about needing to leave the house, she too escaped to Flint's sister's room. She had just made the decision to look into taking a cab to the airport to book a flight back to HQ when Flint knocked on the door. He had looked miserable so she had reluctantly let him in.

He nodded towards the suitcase lying on the bed. "Are you leaving?"

"I think so. It's pretty obvious that no one wants me here."

Flint cringed. "That's not true, and I'm really sorry if I made you think that."

"Dash, it's fine. It really is. I've never been good with the family thing, so it's better for all of us if I head back."

"Okay. If you feel that strongly. But you're not going alone, I'm coming with you."

"You can't do that. You'll break your mother's heart. I mean it, that I'll be okay. The Joes are doing a Christmas dinner, so I'll still have people to celebrate with. So stay, enjoy the holiday with your family and we'll talk when you get back. I think the couple of days apart will be good for us."

"Damn it, no! It's our first Christmas together, and I want to spend it with you. I had hoped that this would be a chance for us to prove that we can be a normal couple away from the Joe base, but I messed it up right from the start."

Lady Jaye had to bite down on a smile that started to form. He was right that he had made a mess of things. But since he was beating himself up enough, she didn't have the heart to add to his misery. And in that moment she realized that she loved him enough to overlook his mistakes, to try and overcome her awkwardness around his family to give him the holiday he wanted.

She went to him and rubbed at his arms. "How about we try to forget everything that's happened up to now and start this vacation over?" Her sacrifice was worth it when she saw how his face lit up at the suggestion.

The rest of their holiday did improve slightly, as his parents tried to be cordial and polite to her, and include her in the family activities. But Lady Jaye had still felt uncomfortable and out of place. It was made worse when she tried to hang out with Flint's mother, sister and sister-in-law during the Christmas Eve dinner preparation. Their conversations proved that she had little in common with the rest of the women in Flint's life. So she was definitely not disappointed when they received a phone call from Duke early Christmas morning that their leave was canceled due to a thwarted attack on HQ from Cobra.

Flint interrupted her walk down memory lane. "What's the matter?"

"I'm just reminiscing about the last time and what a disaster that was."

"Come on, it wasn't that bad."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Are we talking about the same Christmas trip?"

"Yes, the one where we left right after dinner Christmas Eve, to go into town early for midnight mass. Remember, we walked around the downtown area, and the shops were all lit up? And how it started to snow a little while we watched the children's chorus sing Christmas carols before mass started?"

Lady Jaye had to admit she had forgotten about that part. She had been so wrapped up in reminiscing about what a nightmare his family had been, that she forgot about that special moment, and how nice it really was.

"Okay, we can sit here and discuss the good and bad moments of that trip, but regardless, you saw how they reacted when you surprised them with a girlfriend. How do you think they're going to take the news that the girlfriend is knocked up and may have cost you your job?"

"Well first of all, I hope to be a little more eloquent, and a little less forthcoming. Why worry them about our tenuous positions on the Joe team before we know for sure what General Bradshaw will decide. Regardless, I think they're going to be thrilled with another grandchild, and with you," he added.

Lady Jaye doubted the last part of his statement. But she reluctantly agreed to go. She had a brief glimmer of hope that they wouldn't be able to pull off a last minute trip due to the slim pickings of airline seats left, but Flint was able to find a flight for the following morning that got them into Kansas at a reasonable time.

It meant though that they were going to need to pack and be ready to go to the airport in less than twelve hours time. But, all the events of the day meant her mind was still wired trying to process it all. So the packing was a nice distraction and helped settle her mind down. By the time she was finished, her exhaustion kicked in and she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.