Okay so this is the prologue chapter, the next chapter is when they actually go missing. Please review and let me know whether or not to continue and I will try and update ASAP.

Santana Lopez was sitting at a cafe near her house with one of her best friends. If anyone had told either of them in high school that they would be best friends and serving in the Army together they would have laughed in their face. But it had happened since they were both in the same unit. They were stationed at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and lived in Oceanport New Jersey. They had just been notified that they were being deployed in three days for Afghanistan. They were talking about how they were going to break the news to their wives and children.

"How do I tell them I have to leave again, its just so hard. Brittany's face falls and the twins try and stay strong because they are 16 but baby Tony cried the last time all night." Santana said.

"I know San, Rachel tries to be okay, and Lea and Liam are always so hurt." Finn Hudson says from across the table.

Both of them stayed silent for a few minutes. They went everyday after work to this coffee shop together. They always walked in, in their Army uniforms, either green camo or dress blues. Today they were in their dress blues since they had been at a formal meeting.

"I think I'll tell B first then we'll tell the kids together. You should probably do the same, Rach is helpful." Santana said.

"Ya your probably right." Finn said waving over her shoulder to the owner of the coffee shop who they knew pretty well since they had been coming there every day for the past 7 years (except when they were deployed). He walked over to them.

"Hey, you two have a meeting today? Your in the dress blues." Kyle asked as he walked to their table. He noticed the looks on their faces and his fell. "Oh no, not again?"

"Unfortunately, we were just trying to figure out how to tell Rachel, Brittany and the kids." Finn said.

"Just be honest with them." Kyle said pulling up a chair. "How long this time?"

"Six months. We leave in three days." Santana said sadly.

"Well I will miss you guys, I'll let you go. Will I see you tomorrow?" Kyle asked.

"Ya we will come in and say goodbye." Finn said and they both rose and walked out to their cars.

"Well good look, I'll see you tomorrow Finn." Santana said as she got into her car. The whole way home she prayed that she could catch Brittany alone because she knew she would crumble as soon as she saw her. Santana pulled in the driveway and walked into her house quickly.

"Brittany?" she called out, her kids were no where to be seen.

"In the kitchen." Brittany called, Santana walked in seeing her wife sitting at the table looking through a cookbook.

"Where is everyone?" Santana asked, her voice cracked a little but Brittany didn't seem to notice.

"Mike took Tony to soccer practice and Shay is at the mall with her friends." Brittany said and she looked at Santana's face and immediately sensed that there was something wrong. She asked her next question nervously. "How did the meeting go?"

"B..." Santana said and her voice trailed off as she moved to sit next to Brittany. "Brittany I have to go back."

"What? NO!" Brittany said jumping up. "Why, why are they sending you back there AGAIN?"

"Britt, sweetie I don't have a choice. You know that I don't have a choice." Santana said standing up and pulling Brittany into an embrace. "Baby please don't cry."

"Sorry, I..its just...When do you leave?"

"Sunday. For six months." Santana said. She felt Brittany hug her tighter. "I'm sorry B."

Brittany and Santana stayed like that for a few minutes, hugging each other tightly. Brittany stepped away after a few minutes and told Santana to go change while she gave herself a moment to process everything she had learned. Santana came back down a few minutes later in sweatpants and a tank top. Brittany was sitting at the kitchen table, Santana sat beside her.

"How are we going to tell the kids?" Brittany said.

"We can take them out to dinner and tell them after." Santana suggested. Brittany nodded. "Brittany, are you mad at me?"

"At you, God no! I'm mad at the damn people who keep sending you away! I am so proud of you and what you are doing." Brittany said truthfully.

"Thank you B." Santana said "I'll call Shay and Mike and tell them to come home."

"Okay San."

Santana called her Mike who said that he and Tony would be home in about fifteen minutes, Shay said she'd be home in about ten. Brittany and Santana went into the living room to wait for their three children. The twins, Mike and Shay, were 16 and biologically Brittany's kids. Tony was 10 and was biologically Santana's son. All three spoke fluent spanish and had a mixture of their mothers personalities. Brittany now also spoke spanish, though not as good as her wife or children.

Santana turned on the TV, and it was on a music channel. The song that had just come on when Santana turned on the TV made them both smile. Songbird, by Fleetwood Mac was playing. Santana stood up and started singing along with the song to Brittany. Both of them flashed back to high school when Santana had sang the song to Brittany in the empty choir room of McKinley High.

"I still think you sing it better Santana." Brittany smiled and kissed her wife.

The door to the house burst open and all three Pierce-Lopez children came in. Tony was first sprinting into the living room. Mike and Shay came in after laughing at their younger brother.

"Hey Mom, Mami." Mike greeted.

"Okay, we are going out to eat. Where to?" Brittany asked giving her youngest son a hug.

"Applebee's duh!" Tony said.

Everyone laughed at the matter of factly way that Tony said that. They all piled into the car and went to dinner. Santana could barely look at her children. She was dreading telling them almost as much as she had been dreading telling her wife. When they had all finished their dinner and were waiting for their dessert Santana looked at Brittany who gave the slightest nod.

"Okay, hijos, escuchame." Santana said. "I need to tell you guys something important."

"Mami..." Mike said, she could tell by his face that he knew. Shay looked like she knew but didn't want to let herself believe it. Tony just looked confused by his siblings sad expressions.

"I have to go back to Afghanistan."

"Mami!" Mike repeated again.

"When do you go, how long?" Shay choked out.

"I leave on Sunday, I'll be gone for six months this time." Santana said, trying her best to stay strong. She took Brittany's hand. Their dessert arrived and the kids ate in silence. Once they were done and paid they drove home in relative silence. Once they made it home all three kids ran straight into their rooms. Santana sighed, they had taken it just as she had feared.

"Go talk to them babe, they are just scared, I'm scared. Though you do look super hot with a gun." Brittany said and Santana laughed before going into her youngest son's room.

"Tony. Baby can we talk?"

"Yes." he said sadly.

"What's wrong kiddo?"

"I don't like when you go away Mami, I miss you so much and I get scared." Tony said.

"Baby, you can write me letters and you know I always call whenever I can and Uncle Finn will protect me!" Santana said and then jumped on her sons bed and started to tickle him. "Now you go to sleep hijo and don't be sad or scared. You have to get up early for school."

"But Mami, I don't wanta go to school."

"Ha! Anthony Pierce-Lopez, you are going to school!" Santana said and gave him a kiss on the cheek and turned out the light so he could go to sleep.

Next she decided to see her daughter. She could hear the music coming from her room. She knocked on the door and heard her daughter tell her to come in. Shay was lying in her pajamas on her bed listening to some Adele.

"Hey baby." Santana said sitting next to her.

"Hi Mami." she said giving Santana a hug.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"I don't want you to leave again Mami." Shay said quietly.

"I know baby I know, but I have to, I don't have a choice okay."

"I know. I'm good, go be with Mom, she needs you now."

"I'm gonna talk to Mike then I am going to be with my Britt Britt." Santana said kissing her daughter's cheek and going to her eldest son's room.

"Hi Mami." Mike said as Santana sat down next to him. He had been rereading the fifth Harry Potter book, it was something he did when he was upset.

"You seriously could recite Order of the Phoenix backwards Michael do you know that?" Santana joked trying to lighten the mood.

"Mami, I'll watch over Mom. Because she is a mess when your gone. She is so afraid, she flinches every time the phone rings or someone knocks or rings the doorbell. I will take care of everyone, Shay and Tony too don't worry I have got it Mami." Mike said. Santana smiled widely and enveloped her son in a huge bear hug.

"I love you baby. Now try and get some rest." Santana said.

"Te amo tambien, Mami." Mike called at her as she left his room.

Santana found Brittany sitting on the couch watching reruns of Friends. She looked up as Santana entered and motioned for her to come sit beside her. Santana lay down on the couch and put her head in Brittany's lap.

"So, how did it go?" Brittany asked as she stroked Santana's hair.

"They are upset and scared but I don't blame them. I'm upset and scared too." Santana said. "Mike says that he is going to look after you and Shay and Tony for me while I am gone."

Brittany laughed at this. Mike was so much like Santana. He was extremely protective of the ones that he loved and was not afraid to protect them by any means necessary. "Good" Brittany said.

"Now B, you need to talk to me, you and I haven't really talked about this," Santana said sitting and facing the blonde.

"Well what is there to say, I am terrified and upset and I am going to miss you so much Santana, I hate being here when you leave. I feel alone, I know I have the kids but its just not complete without you."

"Brittany I miss you everyday that I am away from you. We have been together forever, since we were like three we have been together nearly everyday since then." Santana said. "What do you wanna do now?"

"I just want you to hold me." Brittany said. Santana nodded and led Brittany to their room, were she held her and sang to her.

Brittany cried herself to sleep. Santana stroked her hair and listened to her wife's breathing even out signaling that she had fallen asleep. Santana closed her eyes once she was sure that Brittany was asleep. Sleep didn't come for a long time though and she felt that when her alarm went off she had just closed her eyes.

"San, sweetie time to get up." Brittany said shaking her slightly.

"Humph." Santana groaned as she rolled out of bed. She took a quick shower and dressed in her green camo then went to the kitchen. Brittany was in the kitchen making coffee. Tony was eating cereal with Mike and Shay was sleepily making her lunch.

"Morning." Santana said and kissed all three of her children on the top of the head then kissed her wife's cheek. "Mike, Shay I need you to pick Tony up from school, Mom and I are going to the city with Uncle Finn and Aunt Rachel tonight. I'll leave you money for pizza."

"Sure Mami, we have to go, come on Tony we'll give you a ride to school." Mike said. All three children hugged their mothers and ran out the door.

"San, you should probably get going you don't want to be late." Brittany said.

"Britt, I know that your sad, but please please please don't be mad at me." Santana pleaded.

"Santana Lopez! I am not mad at you. How could you think that?" Brittany said shocked at her wife.

"Britt, you haven't talked to me all morning."

"Santana, I am not mad at you, I am mad at the situation. I hate it when you have to go away. It kills me to wake up and not have you there, or to see the kids try and be so strong for me when I know that they are dying on the inside. I hate how I flinch every time the phone rings or someone comes to the door." Brittany said, Santana pulled her into her arms.

"Its going to be okay Brittany, I always come back, always." Santana said.

"I know but it doesn't make it any easier."

"I know, you know I hate going and being away from you."

"I know, now you really have to go. I love you and you can pick me up here at about 4, I'll leave the kids money for pizza." Brittany said.

"Love you too Britt-Britt." Santana said with a wink, Brittany laughed at the use of her old high school nickname.

Santana left and drove to the building where her unit was based out of. She parked her car next to Finn's like she did everyday and saw him sitting on the bench outside waiting for her. She walked up to him and he stood up.

"Morning Santana." he said as they made their way into the building.

"How'd it go last night?"

"Lea and Liam took it better than I thought they would. Rachel well she took it they way she always does you know. What about you?"

"It was awful, I told Britt when I got home and then we took the kids out to dinner and I told them and when we got home they all locked themselves in their rooms. I talked to them and then they calmed down. Brittany cried herself to sleep last night."

"God, I hate this. But I told Rach that we were going to the city tonight, are you guys coming?"

"Ya I told Britt I would pick her up at four and we're leaving pizza money for the kids." Santana said, they had arrived to their floor.

"Lopez! Hudson!" the heard Captain O'Malley yelling at them.

XX

Sunday came much to quickly. It was early Sunday morning and Brittany was lying wide awake in bed, she glanced over at Santana who was sleeping peacefully. Friday night they had gone in to New York City with Rachel and Finn. Saturday they had spent the whole day with their kids. Saturday night Brittany had watched as Santana intently packed her bags, checked to make sure she had everything and much to Brittany's horror cleaned her guns and knives. Now Brittany was staring at Santana dreading when in the coming minutes the alarm would go off and they would have to wake their kids and make the short drive to the air field.

The alarm clock ripped through the silence of the room. Santana stirred and smacked the alarm clock harder than necessary, which made Brittany laugh and think of how Santana did that in high school. Brittany quickly got out of the bed and shook Santana awake.

"Santana, you have to get up." Brittany said softly. Santana slowly sat up. She smiled sadly at Brittany and stood up and hugged her tightly. After a few moments Brittany stepped out of the hug. "I'm going to wake up the kids, you need to get ready."

Forty five minutes later they were at the air field standing with Finn, Rachel, Lea and Liam. They were talking but kept looking towards the big clock.

"Its time to board the plane!" Captain O'Malley yelled over the rumble of the Army officers and their families. Everyone in the field visibly tensed up.

"Tony come here and give Mami a hug." Santana said. Tony ran and jumped into her arms. She hugged him tightly. "Promise me you'll be good for your Mom, mijo."

"Te prometo, Madre, te amo madre te amo." Tony said as he hugged her tightly.

"Yo tambien te quiero bebe, te amo demasiado." Santana said, she could feel the tears forming already. Tony stepped away and Santana faced her daughter.

"Mami!" she cried and flung herself into Santana's arms and clung to her for dear life.

"Be good baby, be good Shay. You need to help Mom out okay," Santana said hugging her daughter tightly.

"I will Madre, te prometo." she said in Spanglish. Santana hugged her for another moment before turning to her oldest son.

"Michael," she said "Ven aqui."

"Mami, I love you."

"I love you too Mike, make sure you take care of your Mother please, help her out in any way you can. Your Aunt Rachel too, Lea and Liam are so young." Santana said hugging her son, who was taller than her. He looked like he was trying his hardest not to cry. After a minute he pulled away.

"I love you too Mami, I promise I will take care of Mom." he said.

Santana then turned to the Hudson's. They said good bye in the same order every time Santana and Finn went away. First their kids, then each others kids, then Santana would say goodbye to Rachel while Finn said goodbye to Brittany then Santana would say her goodbyes to Brittany while Finn did the same with Rachel.

"Auntie Tana! I'll miss you." 8 year old Liam said as he gave her a hug.

"I'll miss you too Liam." she said and then she hugged the 11 year old Lea. "Bye bye Lee."

"Bye Tana, take care of my Daddy." she said and then ran over to Tony.

Santana smiled sadly as she saw all five children standing together. Liam and Lea were with Tony and Mike had his arms around his twin sister, Shay while she cried. Finn was talking to Brittany and Santana walked over to Rachel.

"Rachel, please take care of my Brittany." she said.

"I always do, just make sure both you and Finn come home."

"I always do," Santana said with a laugh as she hugged Rachel. "Bye Rachel."

"Bye Santana, good luck." Rachel said and they pulled apart. Santana gave her one last smile and walked over ot Brittany.

"Brittany." she cried as she fell into her wife's arms. "I love you so much, B."

"I love you too San." Brittany said.

They stayed like that for a few moments before they had to pull apart because they heard the planes engine start up. That was a signal to all the officers and their families that they had only a few minutes left. Santana kissed Brittany passionately for a few moments.

"I have to go." Santana breathed. She gave her wife one last hug and peck on the lips. "I love you Brittany."

"I love you too Santana." Brittany said.

Santana picked up her bag and with one last glance at her wife and kids started to walk towards the plane. Finn caught up with her and they walked together. They both waved before they boarded the plane. Brittany and Rachel stood there with their kids until the plane was gone out of sight in the sky.