Thank you for your reviews! Your thoughts are always so appreciated. I'm sorry it took this long to update, but this chapter gave me some trouble. I'm quite proud of what it is now though, and I hope it's a great one for you guys, too. As for this story, I would like you guys to check out a companion one shot I wrote for it, called "My Front Porch Looking In" which is a more of a 'What If' story. It features Rocky and Alex. Let me know what you think of it, if you can. Anyway, this is the chapter you've all been waiting for, and I hope it is everyone you want. I really worked hard on making sure the ceremony is accurate.

I am volunteering for Wounded Warrior Project for the next two days, so if you want to see more about that, I suggest you follow me on twitter. theRedheadAriel is my twitter name. I follow back if you say you're from here, and as always, I love to talk about my story, the show, and R5 so don't hesitate to come say hi. I'll be posting pictures as I can, and hopefully giving updates of the event on Friday, so be on the lookout. :)

Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

The days past terribly slow for Alex following Rocky's funeral. Despite Travis wanting to stay with her for a longer period of time, his leave was up, and he had to go, leaving her alone in the two story house she once planned on having with Rocky for the rest of their lives. She supposed she did still; it wasn't like he was that far away. A part of her believed in spirits, and believed that he and Ellington were probably outside, plucking flowers out of her garden while making dirty jokes that they could now since no one was there to scold him.

Still, coming home from work to an empty house still hurt, especially when instincts kicked in and she made dinner for two, or enough baked goods to sink a ship. She ended up packing them up and sending them to his old address overseas, figuring someone would enjoy them. As she did that, she noticed the boxes that Travis had brought with him the day he arrived, the boxes that Rocky wanted her to have. They taunted her from the steps, beckoning her to come forward and open what was inside.

She stood in front of them for almost five minutes before cautiously walking toward them, running a hand over the cardboard that somehow still had sand from Afghanistan on it. There had been a joke about that at one point between the guys who had been deployed over there; you couldn't get rid of the stuff they always said. You'd come home and find it in the oddest places for the coming months. A part of her smiled.

The letters that SSG Ramos had put aside the boxes caught her eye. They were numbered, each in the handwriting that was so familiar to her, all noted with different sayings like 'open when you think you can't go on' or 'open when you want a reminder of how much I love you'. She picked up the first letter, labeled 'one' and read the back 'open when you want to know what all the hell this stuff is'. She snorted. Rocky had a way with words.

She carefully put her finger under the sealed envelope, tearing it slowly until she could see a piece of folded paper, lined with many words that filled the page. She took a seat on the stairs next to the boxes, not sure if she could finish this letter and still be standing. It was almost frightening to know what the letter could say.

Dear Alex,

Oh, my beautiful Alex. If you're reading this, I'm sure you know that I won't be there with you. I can't say this letter will be easy for me to write, and my heart hurts at the thought of you actually having to read it. I'm sorry I couldn't make it home to your beautiful home. I'm sorry that I'm not there to comfort you when you're going to need it most.

I suppose writing a little like this is morbid. That's that Travis told me when I told him I'd be writing these during my second deployment. I can't believe that Ellington is gone, it still hurts to this day. It hurts every day, but I never want to leave you without an explanation, never have to send home my personal effects and leave you with wondering what you're supposed to do. That's what these letters, the coming packages are for. They're my security; they're my back up plan to you. I chose this life, I made the decision to join the army, follow in my family's footsteps and serve. And I love this job, I know you know that. I love doing what we do, I love knowing that I've made a difference. It's just unfortunate that sometimes it's gotta end like this.

I know we're young and this could all be laughed at in twenty years, but I have to do this. I want you to know that I love you so much, and want nothing more to spend the rest of my life with you. I couldn't be more grateful for the day in your flower shop, meeting you and falling so hard in such a short period of time. I'm so thankful for everything you've done, so proud to call you mine. We've done this together, and I never want you to forget that. There is this thing in the military. People are afraid to act like the women don't give up some, too. Everyone with someone in the military gives up something. Maybe us soldiers give up most, but families, loved ones put their lives on hold. They sit at home and wait, patiently and proudly, waiting for us. I think that's commendable, too. I will never believe it's not.

I'm not sure how many letters I will write to you, but I figure every time I find something important to say I will. I am picturing you alone in our house right now, hurting and alone and it's tearing me up inside. Please know that even if I'm gone, I'm never far. I'm always with you. I'm already there. I'm by your side even if you don't think so. I'm in everything you do, I'm always right there to watch your proudest moments, your lowest falls. I refuse to believe just because someone dies that you lose them forever. I never felt like Ellington was far; I feel close to him every time I see something that sparks a memory. It doesn't mean that there isn't pain, and that there won't be pain. I'm hoping you know that it's okay to cry, it's okay to hate what your life is right now. But I'm always there, like I said.

So, this is it. This is my first letter. I don't know if it made sense, or if you think I'm nuts (then again you always did, so not much has probably changed) but I needed to get this down. I'm hoping that we'll open this letter together one day, laugh over it, but if not, it's for you. Keep reading the letters, open the packages when you're ready. There are also some letters for other people, too. I hope you won't mind delivering them for me. I plan to write letters to everyone I care about. I don't want to leave you all.

I love you so much, Alex. I love everything that we are, everything that we've worked for. I love that house so damn much, I love the flowers out front. I love my damn truck, even if it eats enough gas that I probably should get rid of it. I just love you, and I want to write it in the sky. You're my everything, you always will be. It'll always be you. From the start, to the end and forever on. You're mine.

Love,

Rocky

Letters from Home

"I don't think I've ever been this excited in my life," Ally admitted as she dragged a suitcase behind her to Trish's car, her nerves racing her thrill for the top spot. She couldn't wait to get out of Florida and make it to Georgia where she'd see Austin make his return from his deployment. Trish and Dez were eager too, but it was different for them. She had been waiting for this day for months, thinking about it and wondering if it would ever come. Especially since the attack on his base, her fears had been in high drive. What if something else happened? What if she joined Alex?

"Well, come on then. Get in the car," Dez teased, opening the door for her with a smile wide on his face. He brushed her back as she happily obliged, giving her another look that said more than what words could. She closed the door, staring down at her hands, which had begun to shake. Trish pulled into the front seat, Dez joining her in the passenger side. "Are we ready? Do we have everything?"

Ally double checked that she had what she needed. Austin was set to return in two days, giving them enough time to travel to Georgia, stay in a hotel overnight, and be there bright and early for the ceremony the next morning. She had enough hair products to kill the environment, and her outfit was carefully planned and ready to be put on. It had taken her hours to decide on what to wear. She didn't want to go completely casual, but she didn't want to show up in a cocktail dress, either. After several hours of shopping with Trish, and a phone call from Cassidy, and even a few suggestions on Clara's end, she had decided on a simple summer dress that highlighted her natural skin tones and hugged the important curves. It was a pale color, almost pastel. She was going to curl her hair, make pretty little waves, and Trish said she'd do her make up, giving her the perfect look to welcome home her hero.

It just felt like torture driving to get there, the long hours it took to get out of Florida and into the other state. They sang songs, played a few games, and held a phone call with Casey and Clara, who were following them up there a few hours behind. She knew that Cassidy had wanted to come, but she wasn't sure if the hospital would let Tyler. She also knew that she didn't want to leave him behind and go without him. It would be a last minute plane ride that she prayed would come through for them.

Healing was important, and seeing your fellow soldiers return home was a good form of it.

"We're almost out of Florida," Dez noted a few hours later, turning to face Ally who had focused herself on writing Austin a letter. It seemed silly to write one now, considering she'd be with him for the next few weeks, but she wanted to get her feelings down on paper, capture how this moment felt so when they looked back on it, he would know every detail he never saw.

She had some fears though, too. A year was a long time to be gone. Would adjusting take time? Would he not want to do certain things with her? She didn't know exactly what happened over there, she didn't know what luxuries he'd been without so long that receiving them back might be difficult. She wanted to ask Dez, but at the same time, she didn't want to bring up what could be potentially unnecessary worry.

"Can we stop for food soon? I'm hungry."

The other two agreed, and soon they pulled off to a small restaurant that reminded Ally of her own, and grabbed a bite. By the time they were back on the road, the sun was going down and they only had a few hours to go.

The military was holding families at a hotel not far from the base, giving them reduced rates and allowing them to converse between themselves about what the ceremony would entail. The soldiers were supposed to arrive around noon, but according to what Ally read online, they would more than likely arrive later then that. It didn't stop her when they arrived at the hotel that night from deciding at what time would they arrive at the field area; she wanted to be up front, she wanted to see him walk off that bus and see her for the first time.

As Dez and Trish got comfortable, Ally snuck away to begin what she was planning as her pampering night. She had brought a face mask, some body oils and creams, and enough candles to burn for a week instead of a few hours. She lit them carefully, and then filled the bathtub about half way, slipping her body in and letting it soak. Normally, she wouldn't want to do this at a random hotel bathroom, but she had come prepared with her own cleaning supplies, and also knew that it would be the only way for her to unwind that night.

A half hour into her soak, her phone went off, and before she even got a word in edgewise, there was a shriek on the other end, and what she could only describe as excited babbling. A laugh escaped her throat, and she waited for it to end. "What was that, Cassidy?"

"HE WAS CLEARED!" she shouted into the phone. "Hold on. Sorry! Listen, I get to see my best friend, and my boyfriend gets to see his unit. I understand that you're trying to read—wait, who reads in a hotel lobby anyway? Don't give me that look—anyway, sorry, Ally. Someone here is mad that I'm talking too loud. Anyway, we're going to be leaving around midnight. I'm at my hotel trying to pack a bag and then I'm running to a store to grab some clothes for Tyler. His uniform isn't with him since the one he'd been wearing was destroyed during the attack, and he doesn't have that much with him from home. He's getting ready at the hospital. He's thrilled. Hold on. Really, lady? I don't think you understand either! My best friend has waited a freakin' year to see her boyfriend! Do you know where Afghanistan is? Do you know what a soldier is? Then I suggest you shut up and go read a book somewhere else! God. Ally, I swear. I need you. I'm going to hurt someone."

"Calm down, Cass. Go get your stuff and then keep packing. We'll see you in the morning. Let me know when you get here, okay? I'm in the bath right now, I need to shave otherwise Austin might think that he was dating a bear or something. And please, don't go get arrested, okay? I'll see you soon, love you, bye."

She hung up the phone before her friend could get another word in, and then leaned back. It'd been almost two weeks since she last saw her, and the multiple homecomings would do well for them all.

"Ally, it looks fine!"

She was not convinced the next morning as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, her body and mind playing tricks on her. It was not a morning to go to war with yourself, but Ally was doing it. Her shoulders looked too big, her face seemed blotchy and swollen, and her legs looked shorter than she wanted, even with a small heel on. Trish had been trying to convince her for the better of a half hour that she looked beautiful, but her fears were literally eating at her from the inside out. She turned to face her.

"I look horrible."

Trish threw her hands in the air. "You do not!"

She turned back around and stared at the dress. "What if he thinks I look horrible too?"

"Do you hear yourself? Ally, do you hear yourself? You're talking about the guy who is head over heels for you in every way, and you think he would ever think of you in that way?"

Dez, who had been quiet in the entire ordeal, stepped forward, grabbing her shoulders. "Ally."

"Dez, now is not the time," she muttered.

He turned her toward him. "I know you. And I more importantly, know Austin. I was there for several months with him, I know how much he talked about you in those few months. Those damn eyes he got every time you sent him a letter, or he got an email. How he spoke of you when you came to visit. The way he looked at you. He's literally a love sick idiot who might walk into oncoming traffic on accident one day if he wasn't paying attention because he would be too focused on you. You could wear a paper bag and put your hair through… I don't even know what and he would still think you're the most beautiful girl he's ever laid eyes on, so please, let Trish do your make up, and let's get out of here?"

Her lip quivered and she looked back into the mirror. It wasn't perfect, but her own image improved. She turned back to him, pecked his cheek and pulled him into a hug, hoping that he was right, and deep down, knowing that he was.

"Thank God," Trish muttered from behind her. A pillow with perfect aim was thrown and a shriek followed.

An hour later and they were just about ready. "Have you heard from his friend?" Trish asked. "By the way, I think I went to high school with him and Austin. I remember his friend more than Austin, but I definitely think I did."

"I got a text from Clara about an hour ago. They'll be meeting us at the base."

"Okay, great. What about Cassidy and Tyler?"

"They stopped on the way to change and grab some food. They'll meet us too."

"Are we doing anything after this? We passed a few great restaurants on the way here. Maybe we should grab dinner and celebrate."

"That's up to Austin," Ally decided. "He's been traveling for three days now. If he just wants to come back to the hotel and rest for the night, he can do that. I don't want to push him."

"You guys are getting your own room tonight, right?"

Ally nodded as she applied some last minute touches to her look. "Yes, I already spoke to someone downstairs. It won't be a problem. And then we'll leave first thing in the morning, after he's grabbed a few things from base for the next few weeks."

"And your plans from there?"

A grin swept her face. "We have two days at home, and then we're going a bit more south to a cottage near the water for a few days. Just us, and our own little place."

"Sounds sexy," Trish teased.

"Oh, it will be."

The two laughed as they gathered their things, including a small sign that said 'Welcome Home, Austin! We missed you!" Soon, they were heading toward the lobby to the car, where they made the short drive to the base, and found parking in the lot.

"I think I know you!" came a teasing voice from behind. Ally laughed, turning to face Casey and Clara who both walked at a similar pace toward her. "You guys just get here?"

"Yeah, literally a few minutes ago."

"Dez, Trish… this is Casey and Clara. Austin's childhood friend and his wife."

Dez eyed him from afar, his expression giving away that he still didn't trust him. She sighed, hoping the two could get along enough to survive the ceremony. On the other hand, Trish was already complimenting something on Clara's outfit and the girls indeed did know each other from high school, making the introductions a bit easier.

"So what have you been up to since then?" she heard Trish ask, and Ally turned to Casey.

"I can't wait."

He smiled at her. "I bet. Have you heard if they're on their way yet?"

"I know the plane landed, so they should be here soon."

He nodded, and turned his attention to something else, allowing Ally to see Cassidy coming her way, pushing Tyler in a wheelchair and in her opinion, doing so way too fast. And by the look on his face, he seemed to agree. It didn't stop her from racing toward the others, skidding him to a stop and throwing her arms around her best friend. Ally had to admit, after the initial pain of 110 pounds being thrown at her, the warmth of her best friend's hug felt nothing more than right.

"Hi," she squeaked into her ear. "I missed you."

Ally chuckled, backing up. "I missed you too."

"Tyler, as you know, this is Ally. Ally, this is the idiot that I've spent the last two weeks with."

At the same time, they both rolled their eyes. "How long have you two been best friends?"

Ally thought back. "Grade school."

He smirked. "And you're still sane?"

"Hey!"

"Barely."

Ally noticed he wore shorts that ended just where his legs seemed to. She averted her eyes as Cassidy pushed him over to Dez, where the two met for the first time. It hit her that they had never served together; Dez had been injured and Tyler had been his replacement. Looking everyone over, Trish talking to Clara and Casey, and Dez talking to Tyler and Cassidy, it all seemed surreal. Everyone who cared about her boyfriend was there to support him.

That's when she noticed her. Standing off to the side, away from the crowds of anxious and talkative people stood Alex, dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a tank top, her hair flowing over her shoulders onto her chest. She stood nervously, her eyes scanning the crowd while she held her bag to her side almost to guard it. Despite having been with someone in the military, she couldn't help but notice she looked out of place in the sea of happiness.

Ally wandered over, careful not to surprise her when the girl looked up and met her with sad looking eyes. "Ally," she greeted.

"Alex," she answered. "What are you doing here?"

Her expression softened. "Do I look that weird?"

Ally twisted a smile on her face. "Not weird per se."

"He'd want me here. He'd want me to be here to welcome his fellow soldiers home."

"Do you want to stand with us? Trish and Dez are over there, and Tyler is with Cassidy. A few of Austin's other friends are here, too. I promise we're good company."

The girl looked apprehensive, as if she wanted to stay out of the public eye for the ceremony. But then she nodded, timidly coming forward to join the others who had begun to talk together in a group. A somewhat painful introduction was next, and soon everyone was standing around and staring at the road where the buses were supposed to come from. According to a few others not far away, they should be there any second.

And then it was like magic. Two buses came into view, slowing to a stop a few feet away. The chatter quieted almost immediately and all the families fell into hushed silence as the doors opened and the commander of the unit was first to step out. Ally held her breath as a few words were exchanged and then a nod of approval from someone from the base. And then one by one, a sea of men in uniform began to leave the bus, toting their heavy gear and looking more exhausted by the second.

The quiet was over. Cheers began to escape waiting lips, a thunderous soar of voices chattering again in what only could be described as the happiness of seeing their loved ones again. Ally held her breath as each man and woman stepped off the bus, all looking unfamiliar to her eyes. Would he be on the first or the second? A hand slipped into hers, and Cassidy gave her a proud smile. She grinned back at her briefly and then flickered her eyes back to the buses.

Then, she saw him. He stepped off the bus and into the warm summer sun, glancing toward the crowd of people who were shouting and trying to catch the attention of their loved ones. The people had to stay back, there would still be a ceremony and words of encouragement and prayer to follow before they would be dismissed for their three weeks of post deployment leave. Seeing him though, even from afar scan the crowd from her and then lay eyes on her was worth all the worry and fear she'd been through in the last few weeks. His entire demeanor melted, almost in relief and a smile she would never forget graced his beautiful face.

She waved as the others came into view, and she hoped in that moment he knew he truly loved he was. He came from a background of a family who didn't find pride in what he had accomplished, yet he still had a group of people waiting for his return and was more than thrilled to welcome him home the proper way.

The soldiers lined up and order was called, and Ally took this as a chance to steal brief looks at the others. Dez was smiling ear to ear, as was Trish. Casey and Clara stood next to each other, holding hands with smaller, yet still please smiles. Cassidy was practically shaking to her right, holding onto Tyler's hand below her, who looked equally as proud as her. And then there was Alex who stood almost stoic, her expression unreadable as her eyes scanned over the man who her boyfriend had served with. Maybe she hoped he would walk through the crowd and come home to her, and that hurt to even think about. But then she caught her gaze and she offered her new friend a small smile of both thanks and understanding, and the two nodded as the commander of the unit began to speak.

He spoke quickly, his words while short still important and filled with hope for his unit. He spoke of their long year, of the men who they'd served with, and those who had not made it home. Ally glanced at Alex during this. She didn't budge. He spoke of the love and prayer that came from those waiting here, the ones who had been there since the beginning and those who would continue to serve as the rock that their soldier may need. He asked for a prayer for those still in harms way, and a reminder that freedom has not and will never be free. They next brought up someone to finish with a beautifully sung and fitting song of their National Anthem, and then he smiled, releasing the soldiers to those waiting.

And so began the insanity.

People rushed at the soldiers, trying to grab their loved ones in a sea of chaos. Ally noticed the others backing up, giving her the space to do what she'd been waiting for in the last few weeks. She pushed through crowds of loved ones, tears plentiful as she searched for a blond head in a mop of camo. She was short, so it was hard to even begin to see what she needed to, but eventually she broke through to the front.

And standing in the distance, waiting patiently for her was Private Austin Moon.

Ally dropped her sign, now long forgotten as she began to run the short distance toward him. He came forward, too dropping his bag to meet her halfway.

She never understood what movies meant or writers when they said the world stopped the moment you were reunited with someone. She had watched hours of videos of soldiers returning to loved ones to prepare for the very moment she was about to experience, but nothing beat the true moment she felt his arms beneath her chest, his firm hands reaching and bringing her into his arms, holding her as humanly close as he could. She swung her legs around his backside, feeling the tears begin to fall as he pushed his face into her hair, pressing kisses on his neck while she scrambled to see his face up close again. He wouldn't let her go though. He had her firmly against his chest, breathing in deeply.

"Hi," she squeaked into his ear, brushing her fingers through his hair as he finally pushed back enough so that she could see his face. Tears brimmed his lids and he attempted to hide them, but she shook her head. He chuckled as she cupped his face, pulling him as close as she could again, watching his lips curve as she secured the distance between their once separated lips, experiencing the most passionate kiss of her life.

They remained like this for what felt longer than what it probably was, until others came up beside her and demanded their share. They broke apart, only a few inches and she dropped to the ground, releasing her grip on his neck to exchange that for his hand. She leaned against him as his friend began to surround him, encouraging him with happy words and plentiful hugs. Cassidy was first, followed by Trish, then Dez, and then there was a quiet moment between him and Tyler. Ally didn't hear what was said, but she could feel the power of the moment. Clara and Casey were awkward, but she could see the love between the two friends in a moment that should have been more personal then what they got. Still, there would be time for more moments like that once they were home again. This was only the beginning.

The moment he saw Alex though, his expression crumbled. He dropped her hand, stepping forward to come closer to the young, now quivering girl. She offered him a painful smile as she extended hand, eyes clear yet how broken she looked.

She murmured, "Welcome home, Soldier."