Hey y'all! New chapter is ready for your enjoyment!

Brunner's voice boomed through the barracks. "Mail Call, boys!"

Alfred rolled over in his bed until his head stuck out into the aisle between the rows of bunks. "I honestly think that you do this earlier and earlier every day on purpose." He grinned and smacked Brunner in the back of the head playfully when he replied with a sarcastic, "Yeah, I do it just to annoy the snot out of you." He shuffled through the small pile of envelopes in his hand before he waved two of them in the air. "Jones, these are for you." Alfred held out his hand to receive them, but Brunner flicked his wrist and sent them slicing through the air so that they hit Alfred square in the chest.

"Your reflexes need work, you're slow as my grandma, God rest her soul."

"Shove off, Brunner, and go torment some poor innocent Marines down the barrack. I think they need your face to shine its radiance upon them."

Brunner playfully shook a finger at Alfred. "One of these days, your little smart mouth is gonna get you in big trouble, and someone is going to gladly r earrange your dental work for you, free of charge. Heck, may even be me." He stopped, seemed to think for a moment, then added somberly, "You know, you may just be right. I do think the brilliance of my presence is needed."

Alfred sniggered as Brunner sauntered down the empty row between bunks and rolled onto his back so that he rested comfortably on his pillow. He held the envelopes in his hand up to the light. Alfred looked at the first one and smiled softly. He would know his mother's handwriting anywhere.

Gently, he peeled the paper flap up and removed a folded up piece of paper. Once unfolded, his mother's flowy script filled his line of sight. Alfred couldn't help but smile the entire time that he read.

My Dearest Son,

The world has gone on despite your absence from our home, but our world has stood still ever since you walked out of our front door.

The reality that you have gone on to fight the good fight still has yet to truly set in for your father and I. I know that I still half expect you to stumble down the steps each morning, but then I remember.

We will be alright, so don't worry about us. Everything is business as usual for everyone here, so I promise you that you aren't missing much. This is Chase county, after all.

I just want to say that you are becoming the young man that I knew that you would one day become, and I still can't believe that you're being the brave man that you are.

Your father and I are so very proud of you, and we are counting the days until you can return home to us. We will be waiting.

Love miss you,

Mom

P.S.- I have a star in the front window just for you. Hurry back home so I can take it down, because taking it down means that you're safe and sound.

Alfred refolded the letter and slipped it into the pocket of the jacket that hung from the bed frame. He would have to write his mom back soon, he thought. She was always one to start to worry about things, even when nothing was going on exactly. He could picture her pacing the kitchen with the letter in her hand. Back and forth. Back and forth. Sip her cup of coffee. Back and forth. Back and forth. It always drove his father crazy when she would do that.

The second envelope now drew his attention. It was from Sarah Jane. Alfred quickly sat up in his bed and tore into the envelope. He devoured the words eagerly the first time, then slowed to take them in better the second time.

Alfred,

I'm so glad that you've made it to Europe safely! It's just as boring as normal here, so you're not missing out on anything, I can assure you. Just normal things. Oh hey, a bomber crash landed into a house in Merriam. Well, that's not exactly normal by any stretch of the imagination, but you know. Work with me here. Nothing new.

Alfred shook his head. Nothing ever really happened in Chase county, and two letters now confirmed that. Minus the whole plane crash deal. That was pretty interesting, to say the least.

He continued to read.

Alfred, what in the world do you want with a picture of me? You gonna show me off to your war buddies? I'm not some pinup girl, you know! I'm totally kidding with you, I'm sending you the photostrip that we took at the fair with this letter.

Alfred looked inside of the envelope and withdrew the photo strip. He set the letter to the side and gazed at the pictures lovingly. He ran his fingertip over Sarah Jane's face in the photo. He could almost hear her laughter coming from the pictures themselves. He smiled. Their happiness was captured in these tiny frames for all of eternity.

He casually flipped the photo strip over and read the note that made his heart soar.

Don't forget to come back. You promised!

Alfred sighed happily. He would try, doggonit, he would try.

The rest of the letter confused him. So much so, that he called Perry over to read it and give his opinion on it.

I was torn about whether to tell you this or not, but I figured that it would be the right thing to do for both of our sakes. The English haven't landed in a while, and I just think that you need to know.

Come home soon

Sarah Jane

Perry wasn't too sure about the last part either, and he shrugged his shoulders in confusion.

Francis saw Perry get up to read Alfred's letter, and since he had nothing better to do, he got up to see what was going on. He leaned over Perry's shoulder and waited for a translation. When Perry gave him the French version of the problem paragraph, Francis raised his eyebrows and looked at Alfred. His grin was from ear to ear.

"What?" Alfred asked. "You know what she's talking about?"

Perry translated, and Francis nodded eagerly.

Alfred crossed his arms and leaned against the bunks behind him. "Care to explain?"

Francis looked from Perry to Alfred and back again. He spoke, then looked excitedly at Alfred.

Perry's eyes bugged out of his head. "Are you sure?" he asked Francis. Francis nodded knowingly.

"What is it?" Alfred asked. He was growing impatient.

Perry furrowed his eyebrows and took his time with his words.

"She… She's trying to tell you…"

"Tell me what? She's trying to tell me what?" Alfred was sick of all of this beating around the bush. "Spit it out already!"

Perry took a deep breath.

"She's trying to say that she's pregnant."

All noise in the barrack ceased at the word pregnant. Every eye was fixed on Alfred and on his reaction. Someone breathed out a low whistle.

Alfred felt the barracks spin, and he slowly sat down on his mattress. He noticed that his lips were parted somewhat. Breathing suddenly became very difficult.

A single thought ran laps through his brain.

What have I done?

"I… I'm going to be…" He couldn't breathe out the word. It was too big for his lips to form. The weight was too much.

Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the shock vanished.

He looked up at Perry. "I'm going to be a daddy." He said it quite matter-of-factly, then repeated the words, only this time with a bit more feeling. "I'm going to be a daddy."

Alfred looked around himself. At the barracks. At the stunned Marines that were becoming his brothers.

His voice went quiet. "I can't do this. Not now, I'm way over here."

Perry put one hand on Alfred's shoulder. "It's alright, don't worry about it yet. You have plenty of time to grapple with this. Actually, I think it would do you some good to go and take a walk. Think things over a bit."

Alfred nodded, almost in a sort of trance. He got to his feet and slowly shuffled out of the door and into the French morning sun.

-x-x-x-

Once outside, he found a large tree and sat down underneath its leaves. The air underneath was cool and green, and the view of the countryside was beautiful. A slight breeze picked up from the hills. It carried a sweetness that only the country possesses.

Alfred realized that he still had both the letter and the photo strip in his hands. He read and reread the words, but he still couldn't believe them. He was only nineteen, how could he have a child? How could he have a family? How could he support them? He was an ocean away! He was putting his life on the line! What would happen if… The unthinkable… What would happen to them then? But what if he made it home? What would he do then? He would have to scrape up the money to buy a place for the three of them to live. He would have to get a job to support them. But how much longer would this war last? How long until he could count on coming home?

Alfred put his head in his hands.

What am I going to do?

He thought for a moment. Then, his head snapped up.

He knew exactly what he was to do.

He was going to be a man. He was going to do what a man would do.

He was going to marry Sarah Jane the very second he set foot on American soil again.

He would provide for his little family and give them everything that they could ever need, no matter what he had to do in order to do it.

He would love his child with everything that was in him, and if he was honest with himself, he could already feel that something was stirring deep inside of himself. Something he had never felt before. Something powerful. The love of a father.

He thought about what this meant, about being a father at such a young age. He had planned on having children at some point, but that time was presumed to be far into the future. However, he had put himself here, and he would accept the consequences of what he had done.

That little consequence was starting to grow on him though, despite not ever having met it yet, and finding out about its existence only a few minutes ago.

For some reason, his mind latched onto the image of a little pink bundle cradled in his arms. Tiny fingers wrapped around one of his own. A gentle cooing coming from brand-new lips. It was an image of his baby, his little girl, and it was perfect. Why a little girl, he didn't know. He called it instinct. Maybe something deep down knew that it would be a girl. Frankly, he didn't care how. He only smiled and drowned in the image that was now emblazoned in his mind.

Awww Alfred! I've been looking forward to writing this chapter, and I hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Leave a review if you'd like, I promise that it'll get freaked out over. I always get a bit too excited when I see a review. But it's nice. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day, whether you're with someone or not. If not, say I'm your valentine. I've got your back. ;) Have a wonderful day!

Much love and overpriced pink and red candy,

Harley