When Jeremy woke the next morning he found Annie curled up on the floor beside him. He gave her a puzzled sort of smile. Quietly, he got to his feet, so he wouldn't disturb her, and headed into the bathroom.

She was sitting up, rubbing her eyes when he walked back into the room. "Good morning," he said.

"Morning," she said with a yawn.

"I thought we agreed that you would sleep in the bed and I would take the floor..."

"I couldn't sleep on the bed. It was too soft."

He frowned.

"What?"

"You are sleeping in the bed tonight..."

"I told you I couldn't!"

"You can't keep sleeping on the floor!"

"Well you can't force me to sleep in the bed!"

"I'm not gonna sleep in the bed while you sleep on the floor."

"Well then, we'll both sleep on the floor. Problem solved."

"Fine! I'm going to get us something to eat," he said, leaving the room.

She frowned. "What is his problem?"

She stood and folded up the blankets. She made the bed and placed the blankets on the end of the bed. It wasn't long before Jeremy returned with a bag of food.

"Eat," he said, placing the bag on the table.

She sat down. "Are you mad at me?

"No...I'm just upset that things have been so bad for you that you can't even sleep in a bed. What you need is someone to spoil you for a while."

She smiled faintly. "Thank you..."

"And I intend to do some spoiling before I get you home."

"Well, we'll see. I might have to stop you."

"Oh really?"

"Really."

He smiled at her.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"I'll eat what you don't."

"Nonsense. You must be hungry too. Take some."

He nodded and sat next to her.

She handed him a plate. "What will you have?"

"Just a couple of those biscuits..."

"Nothing else?"

"Not really hungry."

"Are you just saying that?"

He couldn't help but laugh. "Alright...you caught me..."

"I thought so.

"Throw some of those eggs on that plate too."

She smiled and did so.

"Would you like to go back to dancing?" he asked.

"No!" she snapped.

He looked surprised. "Why not?

"I don't want to talk about it," she said, not looking at him.

"Did... something happen?

"I don't want to talk about it!"

"Ann..."

"Didn't you hear me the first time?!"

He reached over and took her hands, but she jerked them away.

"I'm going for a walk," she muttered, and stormed out the door.

He stood and quickly followed her. "Annie...what did I do?"

"Leave me alone!"

"I can't do that..."

"Yes you can..."

He sighed. "Give me one good reason why I should leave you alone...and it better be good."

She frowned and turned away from him.

"Come on Ann, I'm waiting."

"You won't tell me why you're considered a serviceman...I'm asking you to not ask me about my dancing..."

He made an agitated noise. He supposed that was a fair tradeoff. "Come back and finish eating..." he said.

She glanced up at him and then nodded. "Oh... all right."

He held out his hand. After a moment, she slipped her hand into his and they walked on.

-----

Jeremy sat across from his boss in this London office. "What do you mean I can't leave for a couple months?"

"I'm sorry. Our men have received threats that some men are out to kill you. You have to lie low."

"I can't! I have to get my wife home!"

"Your wife?"

"We talked about this before I left! I go to Russia and marry the girl that needed to get back to the states...then I can take her back home before returning back here to work."

"Well, I hadn't expected you to return so soon so I figured she said no."

"She's been away from home for nearly five years! She's ready to get home!"

"If you don't go into hiding, they could kill you and I doubt they'd have any compunction about killing her either!"

He sighed. "How long?"

"Three months, tops."

Jeremy stood and walked across the basement office. "How am I supposed to tell her?"

"I don't know. Make a cover. It's your job, after all. We wouldn't have kept you this long if you weren't good at posing."

"Where are we going?"

The older man handed him a slip of paper. "Supplies will be left on the doorstep once a week."

Jeremy nodded and walked out into the lobby where Annie was waiting on him.

"Everyone keeps staring at me," she murmured, when he returned.

He slung his two bags over his shoulder and took her arm. "Come on," he said, leading her from the office.

"Are all newspapers like that?"

He sighed. "I have something to tell you, but I can't tell you yet. You'll just have to trust me."

"You're not making much sense..."

"I can't talk here..."

She gave him a puzzled look. "A...all right."

"There isn't a ship leaving this week," he lied. "My boss is letting us use a small cottage about two hours out of town."

She sighed.

"We don't have much choice..."

"I know..."

"If we hurry we can catch the train."

She nodded and took his hand when he held it out. "Well... let's go then."

-----

Jeremy opened the door to the small three room cottage. "Well...this is it..."

"It's nice... But why is he lending us an entire cottage? Couldn't we just get passage on a ship tomorrow?"

"That's what I couldn't tell you about before..."

She looked up at him.

He led her into the house and shut the door. "We won't be going home for at least three months."

"What!? Why!"

"Annie...Being a photographer and journalist is only my cover..."

"C-cover?"

He sighed. "I'm a spy Annie."

"A what? A spy? Come on...you're kidding, right?"

"No. I'm not kidding."

"But..." She stepped back.

"There were men looking for me in London...to kill me..."

"Kill you?" She squeaked. "We've been in danger and you could only tell me now!?"

"I didn't know until this morning!"

"A spy is always in danger!!"

"I couldn't tell you...I will probably get in a lot of trouble for telling you at all..."

"Does anyone else know about this? I mean, in our family?"

"Only your father...and Sippi..."

"Will... they find us out here? Aren't you ... supposed to move around a lot? So they won't find you?"

"They'll let me know if we need to move again. But we should be alright here...we won't have to go into town. Supplies will be left on the doorstep once a week..."

"Someone could follow them..."

"My boss would only ask someone he trusts..."

She sank to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest.

He walked over and sat beside her. "I'm sorry...I had no idea that this would happen..."

"I'm scared...." she murmured.

"I won't let anything happen to you," he promised.

She hugged him tightly.

He held her close and kissed her forehead.

"So we can't even leave this house for... three months?"

He glanced around the front room. "That's right," he said with a sigh.

She sighed faintly. "Well...if we have no choice..."

"I'm really sorry about this, Annie."

"Well, you said you didn't know."

"I still feel bad."

She shook her head. "Don't. There's nothing we could do about it."

"Yes there is."

"And what is that?"

"Get something to eat. I'm starved."

She nodded and rose to her feet. "I'm a bit hungry myself.

He stood. "I promised you some spoiling...so you go lay down...on the bed...while I go fix some dinner."

"I don't know...."

He turned her toward the bedroom. "Go."

"But-"

"But nothing, it's what I always tell you."

She sighed. "I can't sleep on a bed, you know that."

"Then just rest there."

She walked over to the couch and lay down. "I can't get comfortable in a bed."

"Just try it."

"I'm fine here."

"Ann...Come on...."

"Please stop..." she said, closing her eyes.

He sighed. "You're really too stubborn..." But he stopped.

-----

Jeremy walked into the bathroom just as Ann stepped from the tub, but she hadn't heard him enter. Her back and the back of her legs were terribly scarred. "Annie!" he gasped.

She let out a shriek. "Get out, you dirty old man!"

He turned around quickly. "I didn't know you were in here...honest!"

She seized a towel and held it in front of her. "Getoutgetoutgetout!"

He scurried out the door, closing it firmly.

Ann clutched her chest with a gasp. How embarrassing! She wrapped the towel securely around her and sank to the floor. He had seen the scars. She rested her head on her knees as tears filled her eyes. No doubt he would question her about them. Didn't he have the common sense to knock on a closed door?! She didn't want to explain anything to him...

Shakily she stood and grabbed the clothes she had swiped from Jeremy's bag. She had to admit that the pants, even though they were huge, were more comfortable than the two baggy dresses that he had gotten for her. Carefully, she dressed and left the bathroom, scrubbing her hair dry with her towel.

Jeremy was leaning against the doorframe leading from the living area into the bedroom.

She blushed faintly. "Oh... um, excuse me...."

"I apologize, Annie...I really had no idea that you were in there."

"Well... you should have knocked...."

"Again...I'm sorry...I'm used to being on my own."

After a moment she nodded. "I...I suppose its fine..."

"Did you have to call me a 'dirty old man'?"

"No... I suppose dirty young man would've been more appropriate." She smiled a bit.

He managed a slight smile. "Hey... you're wearing my clothes," he pointed out.

"Your clothes are more comfortable than the ones you got me..."

Jeremy chuckled softly. "So I suppose this will be occurring often then? You wearing my clothes, I mean?"

"Maybe."

"Well, I have to admit, you look cute in them."

She blushed.

"Are you, Annie Conlon, actually blushing?" he teased.

"Oh shush... " Her blush flared brighter.

He laughed.

"It's not that funny."

"Will a hug make it all better?" he asked, holding his arms out.

She blushed again but finally consented to hug him.

He hugged her close and grinned down at her mischievously. "I think I like having you here..."

"Oh stop it," she said, whapping his back.

"Just for that, I think I'll kiss you, wife."

"Not on my watch...." But she was blushing faintly as she looked up at him.

He shrugged. "It's my turn in the bathroom," he said, leaning down and stealing a kiss, before walking into the bathroom.

Ann touched her lips lightly as she wandered into the kitchen

-----

"I always thought Andy would marry you," Ginny said as she and Marty sat in Marty's room, while Marty fed Faith.

"What made you think that?"

"He was chasing after you by the time we turned thirteen..."

She shrugged. "Well, I guess that's what happens."

Ginny pulled her knees up against her. "I loved him so much, Marty..." she said with a sniffle.

Marty gave her a sad little smile. "I'm sorry about what happened..."

Ginny brushed away a tear. "The only reason we got married, was because he was trying to keep me from getting in trouble with the head nurse at the hospital..."

Marty blinked. "Well that is an odd way to get married."

Ginny nodded. "We hated each other at first."

"You'll have a part of him with you, Ginny...you're going to have his child..."

"I know but... I don't want to do this alone..."

"I know how you feel Ginny..."

"No you don't... your husband came back..."

Marty sighed and fell silent.

"I... I'm sorry, I should not have said that..."

"You're right though, Ginny...he did come back, even if he is missing his leg."

She started to cry. "I miss him so much..."

Marty tucked Faith into the crib and sat next to Ginny, holding her close.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed.

"It's alright," Marty whispered, stroking her friend's hair. She glanced up to see Jackson standing in the doorway watching them.

He looked distraught as well. He slowly limped into the room and sat on the other side of Ginny. "I'm sorry, Gin," he said quietly.

She turned and buried her face in his shirt.

He gave her a small hug.

"Why Andy?" she cried.

"I don't know..."

She stood and roughly wiped at her tears. "I'm gonna go for a walk..."

"Do you want any company?" Marty asked.

Ginny shook her head. "I just want to be alone..."

"All right..."

-----

"Spot..." Rae whispered late one night as she lay unable to sleep.

"Yes?" he asked sleepily.

She sighed. "Nevermind...go back to sleep..."

He yawned. "No, what is it?"

"I don't think I'm gonna make it," she whispered.

"No... shh, don't say that. You will." He took her hands.

She weakly shook her head. "Each breath gets harder and harder to take...I just don't have any energy anymore..."

He squeezed her hands gently.

"Thank you for being so wonderful to me," she whispered.

His eyes were bright. "No... thank you. You've been the most wonderful to me..."

"Kiss me...please..."

He nodded and kissed her softly.

"I love you so much," she whispered with tears in her eyes.

"I love you more."

"I don't think that's possible..."

He smiled a bit. "Anything is possible."

She closed her eyes. "Make me a promise..."

"Anything."

Tears spilled down her pale cheeks. "If you have to choose between me and the baby...choose the baby..."

"Rae..." he said, stroking her hair.

"Promise me..."

"I... I promise..."

She buried her face in his shirt. He folded his arms around her.

"You've been my life," she whispered.

He kissed her forehead. "As are you."