Chapter 3
A/N: Ok here is the final chapter, hope you all have enjoyed it.
Time jump-3 years
Henry and Elizabeth had settled into a nice life post Marines. Henry was back at UVA studying for his doctorate and Elizabeth was promoting up the ranks at the CIA. They had decided now was the time to start a family and Elizabeth was seven months pregnant with their first child and the first grandchild. They and their families were so excited about the new baby that would soon be born. Henry and Elizabeth had moved into a bigger apartment and were decorating the nursery, when the baby started kicking and causing Elizabeth to groan. "Baby, please give momma's bladder and kidney a break," she said, rubbing her swollen belly. Heny walked over to her and rubbed her belly and the baby immediately settled down. "You are the baby whisperer and I am so happy. She has you wrapped around her little finger already and she isn't even born yet," she told him. He just grinned sheepishly at her.
Two months later, the couple were cuddled up in her hospital bed with a finally sleeping Stevie on her mothers chest. "She is just perfect, look what we made," Henry said as he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Elizabeth, obviously exhausted, looked up at him and smiled. "Babe let me take her and you try to sleep," he said, sliding off her bed. She handed him the baby and snuggled down in the bed. Henry placed Stevie in her bassinet and sat in the chair beside it so he could keep watch over his girls.
He dozed off and was dreaming of his life as a father. His dream changed and he was on the bench again with the man. "I loved her first, I held her first and a place in my heart will always be hers. You now will know what I have felt all these years." He then disappeared again. Henry raised up from the chair and immediately looked at Stevie and a sleeping Elizabeth. He sat back down and really thought about all the times the man had come to him in a dream and given him the message.
The first time was the night he had his first date with Elizabeth.
The second time was the night they first made love.
The third time was on their wedding night,
The fourth time was in the cave when he got shot down and now tonight. What was he trying to tell me he thought?
A few days later his girls were discharged from the hospital and Henry was making dinner while Elizabeth napped. Stevie was sleeping in her seat on the counter next to him. He walked through to the bedroom to wake Elizabeth with Stevie in his arms, so she could feed her and then they could eat. He lightly shook Elizabeth awake and placed Stevie on her chest. He walked around and laid down on the other side of the bed. He was so in love with both of his girls and he could not believe that God had given them to love unconditionally.
He was still trying to decide if he should tell Elizabeth about his dreams or not when he looked over to the dresser and noticed a photo he had not seen before. He walked over and picked it up and his jaw dropped. He turned to Elizabeth with the photo in his hand and asked her, "Who is the gentleman in this photo?"
"That is a picture of my dad, it was taken on his wedding day. Why do you ask?"
"I have never seen it before and was wondering," he asked.
"I found it the last time we went out to the farm and I wanted to have it to show Stevie her grandfather," she said.
The mystery as to who the man was, was now solved by not why he was visiting Henry in his dreams. He decided it was time to tell her about them.
Stevie was fed, burped and layed down in her bed. Henry led Elizabeth into the dining room for them to enjoy the dinner he cooked. Once the meal was eaten and the dishes cleaned, they retired to the couch to enjoy some snuggle time with just the two of them.
Elizabeth was reclined back on Henry's chest and he was running his hand up and down her arm. He suddenly stopped and she turned and looked at him. She could tell that he was 100 miles away thinking about something deeply. She touched his face, bringing him back to her.
"Where did you go?" she asked. He looked at her and said,"there is something I need to tell you, but I don't want you to think I am crazy." She looked at him with a questioning look on her face.
"Since the night we went on our first date, I have been having weird dreams occasionally. I am sitting on a bench and a gentleman sits down beside me and tells me I loved her first, I held her first and a place in my heart will always be hers and then disappeared. It has happened five times and I thought he looked familiar, but I could never place him until tonight. Babe it was your Dad visiting me all those times. I don't know exactly what his message means."
Elizabeth was looking at Henry and suddenly had a huge smile on her face with tears silently falling from her eyes. "Baby, those are these words to a song that my dad used to sing to me as a baby and then we danced to it at the last father/daughter dance before he died. He is trying to tell you that he was watching over me and that I was precious to him and you should treat his girl right." Henry looked over to a sleeping Stevie in her carrier and realized what the last part of his message to him referred to. "The night Stevie was born he visited me again and added more to his message for the first time. He said you will now know what I have felt all these years, I think he was referring to my love for Stevie." Elizabeth had tears streaming down her face as he was telling her the story. She was always sad when an event in her life happened that they missed due to their deaths. This confirmed to her that they were not only there with her, but were looking out for her too.
"He was with me in the cave in Khafji when I was shot down, usually he leaves after delivering his message but he stayed with me all night until I was rescued by the Seals. I think he was looking out for me to make sure I made it home to you and you didn't lose anyone else that you loved," he told her. He had never told anyone what happened in that cave, but it made perfect sense to him now.
Benjamin Adams continued through the years to visit Henry in his dreams after major life incidents. Allison and Jason's birth, the struggles they had with the Baghdad job offer and Elizabeth's subsequent quitting at the CIA and her being named Secretary of State. Henry believed the dreams were over, but Benjamin came to him one last time as they were debating whether she should run for President. This time his message was "Support her in whatever she wants to do". This led to where they are today on the steps of the Capitol as Elizabeth is sworn in as the first Female President of the United States. Where this journey takes them is yet to be decided, but they will do it together and with Benjamin looking down at his beloved daughter and smiling.
Well this is the end, I know this was kinda out there and maybe a little confusing. This is where my mind went with this after hearing the song "I Loved Her First by Heartland". I hope you all enjoyed the story. I don't own any of the rights to the characters or the song in this story
