-----Persistence-----

Jeremy Sherwood's underage drinking had gotten him in trouble the night before, Emmalin Holden's father told her that morning. Her eyes widened as he told her about how Jeremy showed up at Roxy LeBlanc's Hump Bar completely smashed and then got in a fight. Jeremy decked a council woman's son and two other guys jumped in, and the whole thing had been right in front of Denise Sherwood, his mother. Smiling at her father after he finished his story, she excused herself, saying she made plans to meet a friend at the mall.

"Stop, Emmalin." Michael Holden called, making the tiny brunette freeze, all her muscles tense. Wondering if her father just caught her in the middle of a lie, Emmalin slowly turned to face the Army General. "Take the car." He smiled at her, tossing the keys her way.

"Thanks Dad." She practically ran out of the house. The seventeen year old got in the car and started the ignition, making her way to Jeremy Sherwood's residence. Emmalin reached her destination after about five minutes of easy driving and cautiously pulled into the house's driveway, being extra careful not to hit anything…this time. Driving still wasn't her forte and she frequently pummeled things, especially when turning into driveways. In the last six months, Emmalin had hit trashcans, mailbox, three bikes, a skateboard, and two very, very angry squirrels. As it turns out running over mailboxes was a federal offense, all injured mailboxes had been replaced and thankfully no charges had ever been filed….so far.

Sliding the car keys into her back pocket of her favorite pair of faded jeans, Emmalin stepped out of the vehicle and nervously made her way across the Sherwood lawn, stepping up the porch steps and walking to the front door. The brunette glanced through the house windows, pleased to see Jeremy resting on the couch. She knocked loudly, waiting patiently for him.

"Emmalin. Hey." Jeremy greeted her, surprised to see the girl on his doorstep. Looking at his face, she gasped taking in the swollen side of his lip and bruised cheek.

"Yeah, it's a good look, huh?" He sighed, stepping aside to let the Holden girl in.

"Jeremy. What happened last night after I left?" She asked following him into the living-room, watching as the nineteen year old switched the TV off and sat on the couch.

"I'm old enough to go to war, Emmalin, I should be old enough to drink." He explained.

"I…I guess, but the fight? What happened, Jeremy?" Walking into the Sherwood kitchen, Emmalin dug through their freezer searching for an ice pack.

"Guess you don't need me to tell you 'to make yourself at home'." He chuckled, changing the subject, as Emmalin returned placing an icepack against his cheek.

"Are you sure your okay?" Her eyes pleading with the Army Private, his behavior was worrying her sick.

"I'm fine." He insisted. Jeremy was a private person and opening up to people wasn't his strong point, surely these were traits he picked up from his father Major Frank Sherwood.

"It's been a rough year for everyone, especially me. Did you hear about a guy named Logan?" She said, honestly. It was almost hilarious to her now, how desperate she was to stay in Charleston. Emmalin still never wanted to leave but she thought her method of stopping the move was all wrong. She was almost willing to marry a man she didn't love, and for what? To stay on a post she didn't want to leave? To not abandon the last place her sister lived at? Maybe even a part of her did it for Jeremy, she didn't want to leave him either. The feelings Emmalin was having weren't out of the blue, they had been developing since after she that run in with him last summer, almost a year ago, after he got home from basics. Logan was a tool to forget Jeremy, because loving her dead sister's ex-boyfriend was simply more complicated then she could handle. But here Emmalin was, in his home, all because she couldn't stay away. Realization dawned on her that no matter how many 'Logan's she used to try to get over Jeremy, none of them would even mean a thing to her, Jeremy was the only one who would ever mean a damn thing to her and he was very off limits. Her parents had freaked out when Amanda dated him, Emmalin dating the nineteen year old would go over even less well. She could just picture that vein in her father's forehead throbbing at the thought.

"Yeah, that didn't sound to good." He chuckled, his gloomy eyes looking up at her.

"It wasn't and for a while I didn't think anything would ever be okay again." She admitted, Jeremy's relaxed manor was making her less rigid, things were getting more comfortable for her.

"And they are now?" He asked, staring into the petite brunette's amber eyes again.

"Yeah, everything's amazing right now. But back then I didn't think it would be. And I know things will be great for you soon too." Emmalin told him, smiling.

"Thing about that is, I don't think it will be." His deep, husky voice sent chills down her spine, even from across the room. The forlornness evident in his tone, filling Emmalin with a sense of horrible dread and concern. He sounded eerily calm, defeated almost.

Suddenly they heard the front door swing open and in walked Major Sherwood, Jeremy's father looked at them both, surprised to see the Post Commander's daughter in his living room. He threw his son a look and then greeted Emmalin politely. She realized the recent events must have strained their relationship…again.

"Hey Major Sherwood. I just stopped by to see Jeremy but I should really get going now. I've got a busy day ahead of me." Emmalin smiled, careful not to sound rude.

"Yeah, I'll walk you out." Jeremy said, rising from the couch and brushing past his father, he didn't even bother to put shoes on.

They walked in silence down the driveway until they reached her car. Being chivalrous, he opened her car door for her ,one hand in his pocket, thanking Emmalin for stopping by. Biting her lip, she leaned in and wrapped her arms around his warm, muscular frame, burying herself in Jeremy's chest. Her soft hand patted his back soothingly and she breathed his clean, sandalwood scent in.

"Be good." Emmalin whispered in the enlisted man's ear before she pulled away, leaving him surprised by her random actions. The brunette jumped in the car and pulled away to finish her day. The Army Brat harbored an ominous feeling that something bad was going to happen soon, but also realized that she herself had gotten too emotionally attached to pull away from the troubled solider.