Little by little, Bravo team started to arrive, and Emily greeted them. It was a small committee but then again, she didn't want it to be more than those that had meant a lot to her over the years.

Naima took her aside as they grabbed a drink.

"Did you tell Eric?"

"Didn't really need to."

She stared at her agog. "He found out?!"

"No. Sonny was here when I arrived and had already told Eric."

Naima looked in Sonny's direction as he flipped the meat at the barbecue. It was obvious that Eric had made him grill master, it was his specialty in the end.

"Quite the gentlemen. He'll never cease to amaze me," said Naima.

"You and me both."

"How'd Eric take the news?"

"Well, I can't say he was entirely on board or too thrilled about all the details, but he's happy for us. I can't blame him and it's the end result that matters."

"A brother like yours; they don't make them like that anymore. But in the end, it's your life and you are happy, that is the most important thing."

"I'll drink to that," answered Emily.

They both took a sip and watched as Ray and Trent played with the kids. Emily looked at Naima. "I'm worried about how Ray is going to react."

"I wish I could tell you I pulled a Sonny on you and told him, but I didn't. But I do have a question for you."

"What's that?"

"How does anybody's reaction to you being together really matter?"

"I know it shouldn't matter and it doesn't really in a way, but I still would rather have Eric and Ray's blessing on this than the other way around. Ray is my best friend Naima. We've always looked out for one another and have been in each other's lives for some time. I'd rather not lose his friendship over this."

"I understand and I wish I could put your mind at ease, but I have no idea how he is going to take the news."

"As for the others, I don't want this to cause any kind of tension within the team. If they're on board, maybe we can avoid that."

Naima looked at her and nodded.

"I still can't believe that Emily is officially out of the Navy," said Lisa.

"Yep," said Sonny as most of Bravo team stood around the grill, "it's going to take some time to adapt to the change."

"What is she going to do with all the spare time?" asked Trent.

"I'm sure she'll find something to keep herself occupied. Maybe now she can think about herself and not the Navy," replied Eric as he gave Sonny a genuine smile.

Emily walked over quietly and touched Ray's elbow. He turned around and looked at her.

"Hey, you," he said smiling.

"Hey. Got a minute for me?"

"Sure thing."

Both Eric and Sonny looked as they walked away. Jason and Lisa looked at Eric and Sonny. "What's going on?"

"Who knows," replied Eric normally.

Emily and Ray sat down on the stairs at the front of the house.

"I can't believe that you're done," he said.

"I know. It seems like it was only yesterday that Eric and I enlisted."

"Time flies when you're out saving the world."

"I though it was 'when you're having fun'," she joked.

"Who says we're having fun?" he nudged her laughing.

She pressed her lips together and swallowed.

"There's something I need to tell you, and in all honesty, I have no idea how you're going to react. And I'd understand if you were upset, but I want you to keep an open mind."

He looked at her and laughed. "It sounds serious…", he paused for a moment and searched her eyes. "You're talking about you and Sonny?"

Her eyes sprung wide open in utter surprise. "You know? Since when?"

He put his arm around her and pulled her in closer. "I know you and I know Sonny. You both kind of changed around the same moment in time. Changed in a good way. The rare times you two were in the same room, I could see it, the look you'd both get, even though you tried hard to hide it. It's how Naima and I look at each other."

He paused for a moment then continued.

"There were times when I wanted to confront both of you, but in the end I didn't."

"Why?"

"You are my best friend and Sonny's my brother, you both were the happiest I'd ever seen you and even if against the code, it never interfered with what we were doing, and I didn't have to bring it up."

"I'm sorry. I know how important following the rules and protocol is to you. And the reason I never told you was I didn't want to put you in that position."

"I have to admit I was a bit upset, I guess knowing you were resigning helped ease my mind and also because I knew that both you and Sonny would always put the Navy first."

He pulled her in closer. "I truly only want you to be happy and if that crazy Texan is the one who manages to do that, then I'm all in."

She smiled for a second then her face grew a bit more serious. "Not sure everyone will react like you do."

"Look, don't worry about the rest of Bravo. For all I know, most of them will probably not even care, but in the end it's your life and if Sonny and you don't want to make a 'relationship reveal', you don't have to."

Emily inhaled and exhaled. "In the end, I think there's no good way or bad way of having people find out. There are moments when I think that it's best to just rip the band-aid off, but there are other times where I kind of only want the people important in my life to really know. Like Eric, Naima, you and the girls."

Ray lifted an eyebrow. "You told Naima?"

"Not quite. She's not your wife for nothing. She too figured it out at the hospital."

"Smart woman."

"Good friend."

They both looked out at the horizon.

"If that is the way you and Naima look at each other, maybe it's a good sign," she said still looking out at the horizon, or maybe she was looking at the future.

"Look, you both have been through thick and thin since you've been together, I'd say you're headed in the right direction. Are you happy?"

"I've got everything I've ever wanted in life. 2 amazing daughters, a loving and caring family, blood or not, and a man that I love more than anything. I am happy."

She turned and looked at him. "And I'm scared."

He frowned and took her hand in his. "Scared of what?"

"You know that moment in your life when everything seems like it's good, almost too good and then it comes crumbling down. That's what I'm afraid of."

"We are all afraid of that. That's why we take every moment and live it to the fullest, because we don't know what tomorrow can bring. But just as it can bring bad things, it can also keep bringing in the good. That is what you need to hang on to. No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you, you know that."

"I know."

He pulled her in for a brotherly hug before they stood and headed back.

The others watched as Ray and Emily returned to the backyard. Nobody picked up or asked any questions about their temporary disappearance, but seeing the relaxed looks on their faces, Sonny, Naima, and Eric knew what the outcome had been.

When they had a moment alone, Sonny and Emily discreetly talked and she had said that for the moment she'd prefer not telling the rest of the team and given that it was an important day for her, there was point in ruining it. Sonny couldn't have agreed more.

Sonny walked into Emily's house and paused for a second in the foyer. She looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

He smiled. "Nothing, that's just the thing. It's the first time I come in through the front door and come here without worrying about who will find out."

She took him in her arms. "I like that, and I hope it's the first of many more to come."

"Me too."

She let him go and placed a hand in her back jean pocket. "Here," she said as she put her hand out flat in front of him.

He looked at what was resting on the palm of her hand, it was the key to the front door.

"You want me to move in?" he asked jokingly.

"We've been together for a year, give or take a day or two. I don't want to pressure you into moving in, but I want you to be able to come here whenever you want to."

He took the key from the palm of her hand, grabbed his keychain from the back pocket of his jeans and placed it on it.

"I guess that if I'd had asked you to move in with me, you would never leave this place for my apartment."

She tilted her head to the side.

"You wanted us to move in together?"

"Yes, I do. I think it's even way overdue. If the Navy hadn't been an obstacle, it would have been done already a long time ago. I want to be with you. I want to be your first good morning and your last goodnight every day."

"I love you, Sonny."

"I love you."

He kissed her and they headed upstairs where they could officially start their relationship.