One Year Later

"Ahh there they are!" Tarconi called, seeing Frank and Emily coming towards his front door. He'd been waiting for them. "Long time no see!"

"How're you doing, Tarconi?" Frank asked, moving to give him a sideways hug. Emily hugged him next.

"Just dandy," Tarconi answered, beaming at them. "How are you two?"

Emily held up her hand to show him, and he gasped.

"You got married?!" he exclaimed. "And you didn't invite me?!"

"We eloped," Emily answered. Charlie had understood. They were going to see him next.

"Oye ya oye!" Tarconi tsked. "You two are very sneaky." He wagged his finger at them.

"You gonna leave us on the front step?" Frank asked.

"Come in," Tarconi sighed, moving out of the way. He cuffed Frank as he passed, expressing his disappointment at missing their nuptials.

"Who would have thought he'd be the one most upset?" Frank asked Emily, rubbing his arm.

"I love weddings," Tarconi argued. "That's not a crime."

"We love you too," Emily told him with a smile. He smiled back. He couldn't stay mad at them for long.

"Tea?" he asked.

"Sure," she nodded. It was just like old times.

...

"I feel bad," Emily said when she and Frank were driving later. "Maybe we should have invited people."

"It's too late now," Frank laughed, patting her leg. "He'll get over it."

"Where are we going anyway?" she asked, looking around. They'd been driving for a while. Frank didn't answer as he turned into a long driveway and started going up it. "Frank?"

"Just bear with me," he told her, parking and shutting the engine off. He inhaled slowly. He had no idea if he was ready for this.

"Frank?" Emily asked again. "You okay?"

"We'll find out," he replied, opening the door and getting out. He started to walk to the door as Emily got out behind him and followed. He pressed the bell and waited. He felt nervous. Emily sensed this and reached to take his hand in hers. When the door opened, an older woman was standing there looking back at them. Then...

"Frank!" she gasped, clutching her heart. "Frankie! Oh my God!"

"Hi, Mum," he said. Emily's grip tightened as she realized where they were.

"FRANK!" his mother bellowed over her shoulder. "Get out here! Our son is home!"

"You don't have to shout," Frank said, wincing.

"He's practically deaf, you know," his mother replied. She threw open the door, narrowly missing Frank's face as she did so. "Get in here! And who is this?!"

"This is Emily," Frank replied. "My wife." It still felt odd, but amazing, to say out loud.

"Your wife?! You got married?! FRANK SENIOR! TODAY!" she roared over her shoulder again.

"I'm coming, Marta, you don't have to alert the entire neighborhood, do you?" Frank Sr. said, coming around the corner. He stopped at the sight of Frank and Emily.

"Dad," Frank said. He wondered if his father still hated him for leaving the SAS.

"Frances," Frank Sr. said. For a second, it seemed as though he would turn around and walk away, but instead, a slow smile went across his face. "Well, son of a bitch. We thought you were dead."

"Still here," Frank offered.

"Ohhh it's so good to see you!" Marta practically squealed, grabbing Frank and hugging him so tightly he couldn't breathe. "And to meet you!" She grabbed Emily next.

"Got married, huh?" Frank Sr. asked, shaking Frank's hand. "About time."

"I thought so," Frank agreed. Marta was chattering away with Emily and led her to the other room, leaving the two of them alone. Frank had to know. He'd come here with the intent on making things right, if they were still even wrong.

"Are you angry at me?" he asked his father.

"For what?" Frank Sr. asked, confused.

"For leaving the SAS. You were really disappointed in me for doing that."

"Disappointed, yes, but only because I thought you were doing so well there and helping others. People would be missing out on what you had to offer. I wasn't angry at you. Have you thought that this whole time?" Frank Sr. asked, incredulous.

"Yes," Frank nodded.

"Oh dear God, son! No! I'm not mad at you! Come here," Frank Sr. said, pulling him into a hug and pounding on his back hard.

"Easy," Frank coughed, but he was very much relieved.

"Your mother was happy because she feared for your life every single day," Frank Sr. went on. "I just liked knowing you were a soldier out there doing good, that's all."

"It just wasn't what I thought," Frank offered. "So I left it."

"And that's your choice. Goodness me, you thought I was mad at you. Honestly, boy. Next time, ask before you just disappear for years, eh?"

"I will," Frank promised.

"Now, tell me about this good lookin' wife of yours..."

...

Emily loved Marta. She'd been taken on a tour of the place where they had moved to about six years ago. Marta showed her a bunch of photographs too, much to Frank's embarrassment. She noticed he was more relaxed and knew that his talk with his father had gone well. She had no idea he was bringing her here, but she was glad he did. His parents were lovely. Marta insisted on making them dinner, and when they finally left, Marta almost broke Frank's back with another hug and warned him that if he didn't visit again soon, she'd beat the stuffing out of him. So that's where Frank got it from. Emily smiled.

"Nice to meet you, dear," Frank Sr. said, giving Emily a hug and peck on the cheek. "Look after my boy."

"I will," she nodded. He clapped Frank on the back hard and gave Frank's head a shake with his hand. When they were back in the car, Emily was smirking.

"What?" Frank asked as they pulled out onto the road.

"Frankie?" she countered.

"Don't even," he warned as she started to laugh.

"Frances?" she said through her laughter.

"Knock it off," he said back, but he was smiling.

"I should have known," she commented. They said nothing for a while, and she knew Frank was thinking. He had his thinking face on.

"What made you do it?" she asked.

"I thought a lot about what you said, about if you had a chance to make things right you would," he answered. "So I looked them up. Turns out I had misread everything."

"I'm sensing you do that a lot," she noted. "Or else your negative thinking makes things bigger than they need to be."

"I'm working on it," he said.

"I know you are," she nodded, putting her hand on top of his on his leg. "Where are we going now?"

"Make a stop for the night and then to your dad's tomorrow."

"Sounds good," she sighed happily. When he pulled into a familiar motel, she looked at him. "Here? Really?"

"Gotta relive where it all started," he winked.

"Oh, okay," she said, getting it. "Sure thing, Mr. Martin."

"You're stuck with me now, Mrs. Martin," he pointed out.

"Proud of it," she smiled. He leaned over to kiss her, resting a hand on the side of her neck with his thumb grazing her jaw. They got lost in each other for a moment until he remembered they were in the car still.

"Come on, then," he said after pulling back. He got out and went to open the door for her. She linked her arm through his as they walked towards the main office, resting her head on his shoulder. She was happy. She knew he was too.

The rest of their lives together stretched out before them, and neither of them would have it any other way.

The End

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