As asked for here is a list of ages. I hope my math is correct.

Spot and Rae are 37
Ann and Andy are 23
Sam is 17
The triplets are 13
Chris and Molly and 31
Kendra is 18
Ginny and Jackson are 23
Marty is 22
Jeremy is 24
Joey is 17

Marty sat up suddenly. Rae looked up from the book she was reading. "What's wrong?" she asked the pregnant girl.

"I..." She shook her head. "I had an awful dream..."

Noticing the fear in the girl's eyes, Rae put her book aside and moved over next to her. "Want to talk about it?"

"I don't know..."

"Talking about it might help it seem less frightening..."

Marty shivered. "I'm so cold..."

Rae pulled a throw off a nearby armchair and draped it around Marty's shoulders.

Marty sank against Rae. "It was so real."

"Your dream?"

Marty nodded.

"Did you want to talk about it?"

"He was dead, Rae..." Marty sobbed.

Rae put her arms around the girl. "Jackson?"

Again Marty nodded.

Rae stroked her hair soothingly. She couldn't say he'd be fine, that it would never happen... because it very likely could... This was a war they spoke of... Anything could happen.

"I don't want to raise this baby by myself, Rae..."

"You'll have all of us to help you."

"It won't be the same..."

She hugged Marty again, without a response to that.

"Ma!" James yelled from outside.

"What is it?" Rae called back.

"There's a man here with a telegram for Marty!"

Marty drew in a terrified gasp. She buried her face in her hands and started sobbing loudly.

"Shhh.... I'll go get it." Rae slipped from the room and onto the porch.

There was an adolescent boy standing in the doorway. "I have a message for a Mrs. Martha Wayne," he squawked.

"I'll take it to her," Rae said.

The boy considered this for a long time before nodding. "All right. Sign here."

Rae signed the paper and took the telegram.

"What is it, Ma?" James asked, leaning over her shoulder.

"It's for Marty..."

She carried it back into the living room and handed it to the girl. "Here you go."

Marty shook her head. "I can't..."

"Marty..."

"You open it!"

"It's not addressed to me."

"Please," Marty begged.

With a sigh, Rae opened the telegram. She quickly scanned the contents. It was from Spot. "He's alive," Rae said with a relieved sigh.

Marty started to cry again.

"He was injured...but Spot doesn't know how bad it is..."

She scrubbed her eyes dry. "But he's still alive?"

"Yes, honey, he's still alive."

She gave a small smile.

Rae sat back down beside her. "Spot's gonna try to find out more..."

She nodded. "Good...."

"Why don't you go rest some, Marty," Rae suggested.

She nodded. "Yes... I will try to." She pushed herself to her feet and slowly left the room.

Rae frowned a bit, laying the telegram on the couch beside her.

"What's wrong, Ma?" James asked, sitting next to her.

"It's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

She smiled. "Yes."

"Can we go down to the lake and go swimming?"

Rae was thoughtfully quiet for a moment. "I suppose. Be careful."

"We will," he said, kissing her cheek and running from the room.

It was a few days later when Andy stumbled into the infirmary tent. "Where's Wayne?" he asked the first person he came to.

"Bed 146, it's in the next 'wing'."

"Thanks," Andy mumbled, following the directions that he was given.

He found Jackson pale as a ghost, laying on the cot 146. "You awake?"

"Don't want to be," his friend mumbled.

He smiled a bit and crouched next to him. "How are you feeling?"

"I wish they had just let me die..."

"Stop that, you moron," Andy grunted. "Marty would kill me if you died."

"I don't care...I don't want her to see me like this...ever!"

Andy rolled his eyes a bit. "You know I could kick you..."

Jackson glared up at Andy. "Go away and leave me alone."

"Try to cheer you up and this is what it gets me..." Andy stood and left. He made it as far as the door before he thought of Marty and he turned and stomped right back to his friend.

Jackson opened one eye and groaned again. "What do you want now?"

Andy pulled a chair over. "Why did you marry Marty?"

"Why did I marry Marty?" Jackson looked up at him, as if puzzled.

Andy nodded.

Jackson was silent for a long time before he finally sighed and answered. "Because I love her...I always have...you know that."

"Really?"

"Of course!"

"Does she love you?"

"I ... I don't know..."

"They're gonna send you home...so go home and find out!"

Jackson looked at him, a bit worriedly. "But what if she doesn't?"

"Then turn on that Wayne charm that I've seen your brothers use so many times..."

He smirked.

Andy crossed his arms. "Shoulda done that in the first place."

"Shut up..." he grumbled.

"Only when you get outta that bed and make me."

"You'll be sorry when I do!"

"Sure..."

"You better be afraid!"

Andy leaned forward. "Honestly though, Jackson..."

"Huh?"

"Go home and take care of her, alright?"

He sighed. "I will... But if she shuns me, I blame you."

"Go right ahead."

He smiled. "Thanks, Andy."

Andy nodded and stood. "I'll see if I can't manage to come back by and see you again before they ship your ugly hide back home."

Jackson laughed and then winced. "Ergh... you do that."

"You ok?"

"Yeah... Now get out, you're ugliness makes me ill," he said with a smirk.

Andy was a few feet away when he heard Jackson call his name. He turned slowly.

"Take care of yourself, Buddy."

"I will."

"And kiss my sister if you happen to see her."

He smiled. "Yessir."

Rae walked into Marty's room, where she was taking a nap. "Marty..."

She stirred. "Hmm?"

"I got another note from Spot...about Jackson..."

She sat up suddenly.

"He was injured pretty badly, honey..."

Her hand flew up to her mouth. "No...!"

"Calm down Marty...this isn't good for the baby..."

"How bad Rae?!"

"Shh," Rae said soothingly. "It's okay... it's not that horrible. He's coming home."

"H-h-home?" Marty gasped.

She nodded. "It seems he lost a leg. So he can't fight anymore."

"He lost a leg?!"

She nodded. "That's what this says, anyway."

Marty dropped back against her pillows and closed her eyes. A moment later a single tear rolled down her cheek. Rae frowned a bit and headed over to her, resting a hand on her forehead. Marty opened her eyes and looked up at Rae. "What are we gonna do?"

"What do you mean?"

Marty sighed. "I haven't told him yet, Rae..."

"Well, it's something you'll have to go through once he returns. He might be a little upset, but he's not going to stop loving you."

"I don't know if he ever loved me Rae..."

Rae sighed a bit. "He wouldn't marry you if he didn't."

Marty sighed and closed her eyes. "Would you mind if I spend some time by myself?"

Rae frowned a bit. "Alright. I'll be helping Noelle in the kitchen."

Once Rae had left, Marty rolled onto her side and buried her face in the pillow to drown out her sobs.

She wasn't so confident that Jackson would be so understanding.

Three weeks later Marty stood at the window of her room watching as Joey and Rae's boys played in the yard. Spot had sent them word that he would be bringing Jackson home today and Marty wasn't sure that she wanted to be on the porch when he got there. Rae had tried to persuade her earlier, but she couldn't be moved. She was afraid of what might happen.

Her hand absently rubbed her swollen belly as she watched the boys toss a ball around in the yard. It seemed a lifetime ago that she and Jackson and Ginny and Andy and Annie and Jeremy had been so young and carefree. They were luckier than they thought. She had to shake her head when they complained that they wished they were older. Once they reached her age, they might sing a different tune.

With a sigh she walked back over to the rocking chair that Rae had given her and sank into it.

There was a distant clattering, and she knew that the wagon was clattering into the yard. She managed a slight smile at the sound of the wagon. Spot refused to buy an automobile, even though they were becoming quite popular, especially in the city.

Stiffly, she rose and waddled to the window. She watched as Spot pulled the wagon to a stop in front of the house. Spot climbed out and then rounded the wagon to help out another. Rae hurried over to lend a hand. Marty swallowed hard, watching them ease Jackson out of the wagon and toward the house.

He moved slowly on his crutches and she tried not to let her eyes drift toward the missing limb. Jackson looked around searchingly and she frowned a bit. Was he looking for her?

His eyes seemed to stop on the window where she stood. She stepped back, feeling nervous suddenly.

There was a knock on her door. "Marty!" James called from the other side

"Y...yes?"

"Jackson wants you..."

She bit her lip. "Now?"

"Yes..."

"All right... I'll... be down in a few minutes."

"He's in the study...he said he can't manage the stairs yet..."

She bit her lip. "O-okay, thank you."

Marty leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. She couldn't put him off forever. She fussed nervously with her hair for a moment before leaving the room. Slowly, she made her way down to the study. She stopped short in the doorway. Jackson was leaning back on one of the couches with his eyes closed. She clutched the doorframe, paralyzed.

Jackson opened his eyes and stared at her for a moment before slowly sitting up and using his crutches to get to his feet.

Her eyes watered and she looked down.

He moved forward a little and stopped. "Ya know...this would be a little easier if you would come over here and stop hiding by the door..."

"I'm sorry..." she sobbed.

"Come here," he said, holding a hand out to her.

She walked towards him, hesitantly. When she was standing next to him he motioned for her to sit down. Slowly, she did so. "W-welcome home," she said quietly.

He sat next to her and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, looking down at her swollen belly.

"I... don't know. I guess... I was mad at you."

He blinked. "Why, Marty?"

"You left! You promised you wouldn't... and then you did!"

"I had no choice Marty!"

She looked down at her hands folded in her lap. "You had a choice! You didn't HAVE to go right then..."

He winced at her words.

"Why did you go?"

"I felt guilty for what we had done, Marty! I love you and did want to marry you, we just shouldn't have run off. We shouldn't have lied to your parents and we shouldn't have lied to my brother."

"So you thought you'd make up for it by breaking your promise to me!?"

"I had no job Marty! No way of supporting you! I got paid being in the Army! Or did you not notice all the money I was sending to you?"

She frowned and looked away.

He sighed. "Marty look at me, please..."

She looked up, scrubbing her face dry.

He reached up and placed one hand on her cheek. "Answer me one question..."

She sniffled. "What?"

"Why did you marry me?"

She didn't answer right away.

He sighed and struggled to his feet.

"Jackson..."

"What?"

"You aren't mad at me are you?" she asked, biting her lip.

He sighed. "I...don't know."

"Where are you going?"

"To think!" he said, leaving the room.

She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

Rae came into the room a few minutes later. "Marty..."

"What?"

"Are you alright?" Rae asked, sitting next to her.

"No," she sobbed.

"What's wrong?"

"We quarreled. He just came home and we had a fight!"

Rae sat next to her and rubbed her back. "Spot and I have talked, Marty. Jackson can't manage the stairs and you really shouldn't be climbing them either. We're going to move our stuff upstairs and let the two of you have our room."

She looked at Rae with a sniff and nodded.

"Come on...you need some rest," Rae said, standing and helping Marty to her feet.

She nodded again. "I'm such a terrible wife... He asked me why I married him... I couldn't answer, Rae."

"Oh Marty."

She rested her head on Rae's shoulder and cried. Rae wrapped her arms around the younger woman and led her down the hall.

"Thank you..." Marty said, once they stopped outside the room.

"Take a nap, Marty. You may feel better afterward."

"Yes..." She headed over to the bed and sat down. "Wake me for dinner, please."

"I will."

She slipped out the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Marty stretched out on the bed and buried her face in a pillow. She hadn't expected their reunion to go well... but it didn't go as well as she would have hoped either. She suddenly realized that she was tired and closed her eyes.

Meanwhile, Rae had made her way into the living room, where Spot was sitting with Jackson. "Do you need anything Jackson?" Rae asked.

He shook his head. "No thank you."

"How are you doing?" Spot asked.

He sighed. "I could be better..." He looked down at his missing limb. "I have to go back to Brooklyn in a couple weeks to get fitted for one of those fake legs..."

"I'll arrange an appointment," Spot offered.

"Thanks..."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Rae asked worriedly.

"I'm fine really...it's just these pains. I think the doctor at the hospital called them phantom pains. I know it sounds strange, but sometime it hurts where my leg used to be..."

Rae nodded.

"I've had a long trip...would you mind if I went to take a nap?

She shook her head. "Go right ahead. Take our room. We've moved our stuff out so that you can have that room."

"Alright."

Spot stood and helped Jackson to his feet. "Easy does it."

"Thanks, Spot. I can manage from here."

"Alright." He let Jackson go and watched as he hobbled down the hall.

Jackson stopped in the doorway of the room when he saw Marty asleep on the bed. His eyes were drawn to her swollen belly and the hand resting on it. He frowned uncertainly. Did they send him in here knowing she was here as well? He was tired...but he didn't want to disturb her either. And he wasn't sure if he quite wanted to sleep next to her at the moment. He eyes traveled around the room and saw a couch over near the fireplace. It looked comfortable enough, but he had been looking forward to sleeping in a real bed for months. He hobbled over to the couch and sat down for a moment, watching Marty.

After a moment, she rolled over and cried out in her sleep.

He frowned worriedly and pushed himself back up. Hobbling over to her, he reached out and touched her cheek lightly.

Her eyes flew open.

"I... sorry..."

She closed her eyes as a tear made its way down her cheek.

"What's wrong?"

"I dreamed that you left me again..."

He brushed the tear off her cheek. He sat down beside her. "I'm not going anywhere Marty...not this time..."

She sobbed, burying herself in his arms. He held her close, stroking her hair.

"I'm sorry," she said through her tears. "I've been so terrible..."

"Shh..." he whispered. "It's all right, Marty." She clung to him tightly. "Martha..." he said softly.

She wrinkled her nose. "You know I don't like it when you call me that..."

"I like it...much more mature than Marty..."

"It's an awful name though. It makes me feel like a grandmother..."

"Well, you certainly aren't a grandmother," he said, resting his hand on her swollen belly.

"Jackson..."

"What?"

"Don't..."

"Don't what?"

"Don't do that," she said, moving his hand.

"Why not?"

"Because...I'm fat...and ugly..." she said, pushing herself to her feet.

He sighed. "No you aren't. You're beautiful and you're pregnant. That's totally different.

She sniffled and stared out the window.

He pushed himself to a sitting position. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know how...we hadn't discussed children...we didn't discuss anything. We only had three days. Three lousy days, Jackson."

"Yet I didn't deserve to know?"

"I guess so," she sniffled.

He sighed and pushed his hands through his hair.

"You hate me, don't you?" she asked, still keeping her back to him.

"No, of course not. Why would I hate you?"

"Because of the way I've acted..."

"No, I don't hate you. I'm not happy that you didn't think I deserved the truth... but I love you and that's not going to change." Her shoulders started shaking. "Aww, on...if you're gonna start crying at least come over here..."

After a moment, she went over to him, sniffling.

"Sit..." he said softly, taking her hand. She sat next to him, wiping her face dry on her handkerchief. He put his arms around her. "Now let's just start over, alright?"

She nodded, sniffling.

He kissed the side of her head. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

She sniffled and dried her eyes. "Yes... I... I'm - we're... going to have a baby."

He tilted her head up and kissed her.

She rested her head against his shoulder. "I was so worried about you, Jackson."

He rubbed her back comfortingly. "I was worried about YOU..."

"Is...is it bad?" she asked, looking down at his missing leg.

"Not if I don't look down..."

She wrapped her arms around him.

He kissed the side of her head. "Do you feel any better?"

She sniffled. "A little..."

"Why don't you lie down and rest some?" he suggested.

She looked up at him. "You've got to be exhausted, Jackson..."

He smiled a bit. "Who said I was going to go anywhere? I plan on sleeping some myself."

"Good. Now lay down, mister."

He smiled. "Only if you do as well."

She stared at him for a moment before sighing and nodding. "Very well."

"Well, don't if it's such a chore..."

She smiled and stretched out on the bed. "Happy?"

With some effort, he scooted closer and put his arm around her. "Better. It's very lonely in a tent full of guys."

"I missed you."

"I've missed you too."

He kissed her brow. "I have to go to Brooklyn in a few weeks...if it's alright with Doc...how about going with me..."

She nodded. "All right."

"Close your eyes and rest..."

"I'll try."

Spot and Rae peeked into the room. "Should we wake them?" Rae asked.

"It's time for dinner..." Spot said.

"But I imagine they both need the sleep too..."

"We can put some food aside for them."

She nodded. "That would be best."

He put his arm around her. "Come on...let's go eat."

She nodded and followed. "I hope they're getting along better.

"Me too."