1 month into Deployment.

Nicole was keeping pretty busy with the school year coming to an end. It was one crazy year, hard to believe it was almost over. After this she doesn't know what she's going to do with her time. Most likely get the nursery ready, with the help of Megan.

She grabbed her bags, turned off her classroom lights and headed for the office. One week from now would be different, the desks would be empty, and Nicole would probably have puffy eyes from crying all day. She's been more emotional then ever since Clay left. Sometimes over the dumbest things.

"Surprise!" A group of people shouted when she turned the corner and entered the office.

"You guys!" She saw all the staff standing there smiling at her. There were gifts on a table to the side, a cute chair with 3 pink balloons tied to it. Megan emerged from the small group and gave her a hug.

"Told you she'd cry!" Megan said when she let go and saw Nicole's eyes. Everyone laughed and then told her to sit down to open the gifts.

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It took her 4 trips to get it all in the apartment when she got home. She plopped down on the couch exhausted afterward. She was hoping Clay could FaceTime tonight so she could show him everything she got. She had sent him 2 texts asking but was still waiting for a response.

She got a nice long shower, her back was killing her and it felt so good. When she was done and getting dressed her phone started ringing, it was Clay wanting to facetime.

"Hi!" She said when she answered it.

"Hey babe, watchya up to?" He asked.

"What happened!?" She asked with a scared blank face.

"Nothing it's nothing." He told her touching the gash on his cheek that was healing.

"Nothing!?" Nicole was blindsided.

"Couple of us took a fall, it's all good babe don't worry. Got it looked at, stitched up a little. It's good." He assured her.

"Huh, okay..." she said.

"This is why we shouldn't FaceTime." Clay said with a laugh.

"Uh I wanna see you..." she reminded him.

"I know but then you see this and think the worst." Clay told her.

"Yup. Okay, anyway. Wanna see what my co-workers got me!?" She asked and walked out to the living room.

"Got you?" Clay was confused at Nicole's excitement.

"For the baby...!" She told him.

"Oh they had a shower for you? I thought Megan was planning one!" He asked.

"She is but that's with extended family and friends. This was just co workers." Nicole explained.

"Gotchya, okay let's see it" Clay told her. She turned the camera around and went through everything she had gotten. From clothes, to bows, to toys, to books.

"And then the biggest thing I got, that everyone chipped in toward was this!" Nicole showed him the big box that had a stroller in it.

"Oh wow, that's cool!" Clay said.

"I know! I can't wait to go for walks in the mornings with her." She exclaimed. They talked for another 10 minutes and then he had to go. Nicole started unpacking and organizing everything, she threw a load of the clothes in the laundry so they were ready to go and then she attempted to put this stroller together.

It was almost midnight and she finally finished everything. There was all of a sudden quick, heavy knocking at her door. It scared her, made her heart stop. She was scared to even look through the peephole but she did.

"What's wrong!?" Nicole asked Megan frantically when she opened the door.

"Did you talk to Clay!?" She asked and came in the apartment.

"A couple hours ago, what's wrong!?" She wondered worried and Megan's flushed, upset face.

"I was talking to Sonny and then all of a sudden it was like a bomb hit or something and the line went!" She was freaking out.

"Well Clay was at the base! Where was Sonny?!" Nicole asked.

"At the base! In bed!" She told her. Both of them knew there was absolutely nothing they could do, they just had to accept the fact that they're over somewhere fighting and hope they make it home.

"The last thing Sonny said was I love you Meg." Megan said whimpering into Nicole's ear as they were stuck in a hug.

"That's really sweet though Megan!" Nicole said and they let go.

"Not really...He's never told me that and I didn't get the chance to say it back." She cried. Nicole wanted to cry just as much as her but she really was trying to not stress the baby out. She was already starting to move around and it was a reminder for Nicole to relax. She offered to let Megan spent the night, maybe one of them would call and tell them they were okay? They hoped.

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Still need opinions on the name Teagan Rose or Riley Rose! And what do you think happened over there? Hopefully everyone still comes home safe and only with battle scars.