Molly packed a bag for Teela and her parents left beofre the housewarming was over. She corned her Uncle Michael as soon as they were gone. "Has Dad been sick?" she asked.

Michael shook his head, "No, only gets sick of losing at poker."

Michael frowned at her "Is something wrong/"

"I don't know, he had bad stomach pains and mom had to give him his medicine. She said he'd been doing fine lately."

"It's probably all the excitement I wouldn't worry" he patted her on the back and walked away.

That night as Molly slid into bed with her husband she was hit with his feelings, "I wont have it Molly!" Joe said fimrly. "I will not have it anymore, you stop it tomorrow, you understand!"

"Won't have what?" she asked taking her book and beginning to read. "Won't have them, especially your father, interfering in how I raise Teela. I scolded hr and he completely underminded me. I will not have it and if he continues I wil have to deal with it by not allowing them near her." Joe was always touchy about Frank and Denise interfering but this was a bit much.

"Joe, Dad just misses her, he's not undermining your authority. He loves her and wants to spend time with her. Please don't stop letting them see their grandkids. You are just being spiteful".

"I'm not being spiteful, and it's not about the sleeping over, it's about when I told her to be a nice girl to her grandpa, he did undermine my authority with my daughter. You tell him to stop or he won't see her. That's the end of it!" Joe always had a temper and now it was worse since he learned he was rotating back to the states. Molly snuggled to him and rubbed his arm like her mother often did to ease her father's legendary ire. "I'll talk to him, but he's older and he's not in the best of health, let's just be easy about it, okay?"

"You better talk to him, now stop doing that it's irritating and turn off the light." He turned on his side to go to sleep as Molly eyes filled with tears.

Denise was doing the same thing. She was awake holding her husband's hand and rubbing his arm. "I want you to go to the hospital," she kept telling him but he refused insisting he felt better. Teela came into their room a few minutes later with her blue eyes red from crying.

"What's the matter pumpkin?" Teela sniffed and stood staring at picked her up and sat her on the bed. "What's wrong baby?" Teela looked around and whispered, "He's gonna hurt me." Frank and Denise looked at each other and said at the same time "WHO?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "The man," she replied. "I made a mess in my bed. Man will be mad." Frank reached out for her.

Denise got up and went into the spare bed and saw she had wet the bed. She quickly changed the sheets and put them in the washer. She then went back into her room and told Teela it was okay accidents happen. As Denise took her to change her niteclothes Frank sat there wondering "Who was the man?"

Denise and Frank always made their kids sleep in their own beds so she came back half an hour later. "She's taking after Molly, such vivid nightmares. Poor baby. Molly was convinced you were going to be trambled to death by a parade of elephants."

Frank thinking to himself- elephants are one thing but who is this man that will be mad? My baby has to know him.

He only nodded for now, but had to get up and pace. He as feeling a level of anxiety that surpassed anything he'd ever felt before and it didnt' make any sense.

He finally got back into bed and fell asleep with his wife in his arms. He'd watch, that's all he could do for now was watch.

Teela's moods shifted and so did Frank's, the entire family seemed off balance. It was a big adjustment being back in the same place again, Frank had been a very hands on father with Molly, he found it very hard to let go and let her spread her wings, now that she was back, he was holding on a little.

The Thursday before the wedding Molly called her mother early in the morning, Denise was startled when the phone rang but smiled when she saw it was her baby girl. "Hi sweetie!" she said. "Later today, lunch. Perfect."

They finalized the plans and Denise started Frank's breakfast. "Why so cheery?" he asked when he came in from getting his newspaper. "Molly wants a girls day," Denise replied. "I missed those."

"Who's watching the kids then?"

"The baby is coming with us," Denise replied. "Teela and JJ are going to the park with Joe to play so you can rest lke I've been telling you to do."

"Maybe I'll go with Joe make a guys afternoon like you ladies", he said this with a smile on his face. Denise liked it when he smiled, it lit up his face."Let me call Joe" as he reached for the phone.

"I'd prefer for you to rest, Frank," Denise said not sure how the phone call would be received. "You haven't been feeling well." As if he needed reminding.

"Dee I want to spend some time with my two grandbabies and son-in-law .How stressful can that be?"

She backed off, "All right sweetheart. But if you get tired rest, please baby." She got ters in her eyes. This was how it started.

Two Years Earlier

He'd been tired a lot lately, going to be early, sleeping late. He was sluggish that more, more so than usual. He dragged imself to the shower to try to ease the pain in his back and arm. He complained of it still as they ate their breakfast, shopped at the commissary, and had a quick lunch. He barely had the strength to get out of the car by the time they arrived home, he reached for his wife's hand, his breathing and speech nearly nonexistent.

Denise gasped as Frank slumped over the wheel .She reaches to take his pulse as she dialed 911. She was scared as she pulled him from the car on to the driveway. She checked for his pulse and breathing both were very she was going to start CPR the EMS arrived.

They took him from her grasp and rushed him to the hospital. They had him nearly an hour before she heard anything. She dialed Molly in Germany it was jsut after dinner when the phone rang, "Molly," Denise sobbed wen her daughter picked up.

"Daddy is in the hospital he had a heart 's alive but in CCU.""Do you want me to come home mom"? "No not yet lets see how daddy does, I'll call you later. I love you".

"Love you," Molly squeakd out before sittiing down and crying. This was her fear, her father or mother getting sick and her not being there to help. Two hours later Denise called her back crying even harder than before.

"Daddy was worse couls she come home."Molly was shocked "yes she would make arrangements right away, she would call back with the ibfo." When Joe came home Molly told him and was shocked that Joe was so nonchalant about Franks condition."I'm going home and you can watch Teela and JJ."

"What happened?"

"My father had a heart attack, my mother is hysterical, he's not doing well and he needs a quintuple bypass. I'm going home to my mother and father to be there for them. They came to us when JJ had the lung infection and we needed their help. My parents need me and the kids will only be in the way. You can take care of them . You are their father. I don't have time to fight with you I have to pack". With that she ran from the kitchen to their bedroom.

Present

Frank was ill for a long time. He did better than anyone expected but he was quite weak and frail for a good while. Densie was afraid the next event would take him from her too soon. Still he smiled as he talked to Joe and wen he kissed her he promised he'd start napping a few days a week like she wanted.

Molly picked her mother up at 1100 and Frank went to meet Joe and the kids at noontime at the kids could play for awhile then take them to McDonalds for lunch. He and Joe could talk while the kids let loose on the playground.

Denise and Molly's lunch choice was more subdued so was Molly's attitude. "Okay, this is more than missing time with your Mommy, out with it," she ordered gently.

"Joe is so edgy lately and verbally hasn't been like this before. He's even yelling at the kids and gets angry when the baby cries alot.I don't know what to do mom .Sometimes I even get scared."

Denise nodded, "Okay baby, I have to ask. Does he hit he children or you?"

Molly shook her head, "Oh no, Mom. No, never! Just snapping and yelling."

Denise nodded, "Might be stress then. Daddy often did that when we had to leave a post where we'd been for a long time. It's not okay, but it is common. Did you mention it to him?"

"He doesn't want to talk about it, it even makes him madder". Denise nodded "I have a question how long has Teela been wetting the bed. She had an accident the other night. She said the man would be mad. Who is the man"?

"She only started about six months ago, after the court martial," Molly replied. "That was very stressful on all of us and she started. Joe or I clean her up, we tell her it's okay. We do tell her it's okay if she does that, no one scolds her."

"She seems to be very afraid of somebody she calls the man".

"Must be a dream," Molly replied. "I don't let him hurt my kids Mom!"

"Have you ever seen any marks on the kids, when you bathed them?"

Molly thought back silent for a few minutes. "Once I saw a bruise on Teela's leg. Joe said she fell off the swings at the park". She raised her eyes to her mother's and grabbed her hands as well.

"Molly," Denise said softly. "I know you love Joe more than life itself. He's the only man you ever took over your Daddy's disapproval. Please keep an open heart and open eyes, please."

She nodded and prayed to God that Joe wasn't hurting Teela.

Frank and Joe talked as the kids looked at his watch "Come on let's go luchtime". JJ came running over, but Teela tripped and fell. Frank stood up but Joe yelled at her. When she got close he grabbed her arm and pulled her to the car reprimanding her. Frank bit his lip he was upset about him yelling but the grabbing and dragging her along infuriated him.

Joe was so focused on reprimanding Teela he didn't even take time to hold JJ's hand when they crossed the street. Frank had to grab him before he ran into traffic and got hurt.

"Does Daddy yell at your sister alot?" he asked the three year old.

JJ looked at him sadly and nodded his head. Frank looked up as Joe yelled for them to hurry up he was hungry. Frank ruffled the little boys hair"JJ I want you to tell me iif your daddy hurts you or Teela okay?"

The little boy put him in his car seat brcause Joe was already in the drivers seat."I'll meet you there Joe I have my car." As Frank drove to McDonalds he called Denise "We have to talk".

Densie had Molly in her arms as her baby cried, "Frank, I can't talk right now," she said quickly.

"Ah ok then at home. He hung up and went inside. As they were eating Frank watched Joe with the seemed to love his children but was totally surprised when Joe yelled" Dammit Teela you dripped ketchup all over your shirt!" He pulled her to a standing position and roughly tried to wipe off her shirt. Then took her food and threw it in the trash, "Too bad you made a mess". The little girl started to cry and JJ cowered. Joe who was standing was scowling at them. Frank stood up slowly and looked at Joe eye to eye."Don't you ever hit, grab or scream at my grandchildren like that again." Joe looked at him in surprise.

"You stand up when I'm talking to you Soldier!" he ordered. "That is inappropriate, she is not even five yars old. You go out there and get her another lunch!"

"You can't tell me what to do old man!"

Frank balled his fist but held back this was his son-in-law, just then a woman walked up to Joe, "You should be ashamed screaming at your children like that and speaking like that to your father."

"He's not my father," he sneered.

"Teela, JJ, go wash hands and get in Grandpa's truck," Frank told them. "Right now."

Joe went to grab the kids but Frank stepped in the way. "You can't take my kids". "I can and I will or I will call the police , either way they aren't going with you."

That's when it got physical, Joe shoved Frank. He was a strong older man but nevertheless still older, he lost his balance and fell. The children started to cry and Joe startled, "I"m so sorry, Dad," he said quickly. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean...I'm sorry." He was all over himself apologizing, even helped Frank to his feet.

When Frank was on his feet, he stepped back. "You stay away from my family until you get youtself under control."

He nodded, "It's like their voices...ever the baby crying...so loud and I don't..." Once Frank acceped Joe he'd adopted him as a son and seeing upset and fear in the younger man's eyes reached into his soul. He reached out and hugged him. "I understand, son. I understand. Let's go home, and you tell your wife and your kids how sorry you are, you tell them you're going to be better...I'll help you, I"ll pay for the treatment off Post, no one outside has to know. It's okay son."

Joe nodded as Teela went to her grandpa, "JJ can't climb up, Grandpa."

Frank put JJ and Teela in the back seat and closed the door."The kids will stay with Dee and me tonight, you sit and talk to Molly if she wants you home fine, if not stay in a motel, I'll pay, but you sign up for an anger managemnt program...Deal". Joe nodded and followed Frank home to talk to Molly and let her know what was going to happen.