Disclaimer: I own nothing :'( sadly.
Author's Note: Sorry, sorry, sorry for the delay! But it's finally here! And I got a request for a sexy shower scene fic which should be up soon, so stay tuned! And I have a companion piece that sort of goes with this chapter, called "Mother's Intuition", you don't have to read it to understand the story, they just really compliment each other is all
The glass tumbled out of her hand and hit the hardwood floor before Claudia Joy Holden could stop it, the clear crystal shattering loudly against her previously spotless house. But she wasn't worried about the glass, which had been a wedding gift by the way; no what made her jaw go slack was her seventeen-year-old daughter… or more specifically her daughter's neck.
Dark reddish, purple hickeys were normality on her daughter's skin, left there by her older, soldier boyfriend. But this was more than just a few hickeys.
They had all been gathered in the kitchen, preparing dinner happily. They being Claudia Joy and her daughter Emmalin, accompanied by Denise Sherwood and her son Jeremy. Jeremy was a frequent in the Holden home, being Emmalin's boyfriend. Sometimes their lovey-dovey ness made Claudia Joy want to vomit, other times she thought it was adorable. Right now was one of those vomit moments.
Jeremy and Emmalin were sitting together at the table, their fingers loosely intertwined. Emmalin perched comfortably on the Specialist's lap as he kissed the hallow behind her ear tenderly making the seventeen year old giggle. They looked up when the sound of breaking glass reached them.
"Claudia Joy? Are you okay? When was the last time you checked your blood sugar?" Her heavily pregnant best friend, Denise Sherwood asked. The Army Wife, and the unborn Molly, waddled to the law student's frozen frame. Just as the EMT was about to ask what was wrong, she saw it…saw them. Saw what her son had done to Claudia Joy's daughter.
The Holden family kitchen filled with silence, despite the four occupence it held. Thick tension oozed from the atmosphere as Emmalin rose from her boyfriend's lap to retrieve a broom. The two older women stared back and forth between Emmalin Holden and Specialist Jeremy Sherwood, their mouths and eyes wide. The seventeen- and nineteen- year olds returned the unfaltering gazes that covered them confusedly. Finally, the two Army Wives looked at each other and then returned to their fixation on Emmalin's slender neck, and the dog tags that hung there.
Didn't they realize what a big deal that was? You don't give just anybody your dog tags. A soldier's dog tags are his identity, the one-ounce of security that tells them they'll be returned to their loved ones. Some couples are together for years and never give away dog tags. Dog tags meant something all right.
"Emmalin…he…you." Claudia Joy stuttered when her brain could finally process words again. She pointed a thin finger of accusation at Jeremy.
"Jeremy Lee Sherwood…oh my God, Claudia Joy, there's no way we can tell Frank about this!" Panic filled her eyes at the thought of breaking this news to her husband. No one could be sure if it was the hormones that were making the Army Wife crazy or not at the moment.
"How long?" The FRG Leader asked, resuming some sense of normality despite the turmoil raging through her. Her daughter had been made a woman and she had no idea about it? How could she not have known? Emmalin was practically glowing with happiness and content and it never even occurred to her? Some nights Emmalin walked through the door practically disheveled, her long chocolate hair a mess and smile on her face as Jeremy escorted her inside to her bedroom…oh my God, Claudia Joy thought, how many times had she watched Jeremy and Emmalin walk the stairs up to her bedroom and not even thought about what they were doing up there? Now that she really thought about it, she remembered an occasion or two when Emmalin had entered the house with her shirt buttons mismatched.
While her body was filled with terror at the thought of her baby all grown up and in the arms of a man, the guilt of not noticing had a far worse sting. It squeezed at her insides and almost left the Army Wife in a crippled state.
"What are you both talking about? How long what? And what's with all the silence and staring?" The hockey player questioned as she began carefully sweeping up the fallen glass into a pile.
"His dog tags are falling out of your shirt, Emmalin. How long have you been having sex?" Claudia Joy's voice was barely a whisper, scared that if she admitted that her daughter had a sex life out loud that her head would suddenly be filled with images and thought of it.
"Ohhh, umm, I…we…a month. It's been a month now." Emmalin blushed, leaning the broom against the wall as she turned to look nervously at her boyfriend for help. With a deep breath, Jeremy reached for her hand to offer encouragement. Well it wasn't like they could hide it forever.
"And you just now gave her your tags?" Denise asked her son, her dark brown eyes still resting on the metal tags that nestled between Emmalin's bosoms.
"I gave them to her that night…Emmalin just normally keeps them hidden under her clothes when she's at home. We didn't exactly want everyone knowing." Jeremy exhaled sharply; this wasn't exactly the conversation he wanted to have with his mother of all people. This was supposed to be between him and Emmalin, but sadly it wasn't going to work out that way. God, he wished she would hurry up and turn eighteen already.
"I forgot to tuck them back under my shirt. And we still don't want anybody to know… Don't tell Dad?" The brunette pleaded, gripping her boyfriend's hand tightly. She was only seventeen and her father never let Jeremy forget it. God knows what trouble he'd be in if her overprotective father found out they were having sex.
"…You're taking the birth control prescription I got you?" Claudia Joy cringed. She knew this was bound to happen sooner or later, so she had the forethought to prepare her daughter with birth control. But taking Emmalin to the gynecologist and finding out Emmalin was having sex were so completely different. Completely different feelings.
"Everyday. I'll need a refill next week." Emmalin admitted, wrapping her arms around Jeremy's torso in an attempt to turn her strong boyfriend into a human shield.
"I'll take you…and we won't tell the Colonel. This can stay between the four of us, right?" Denise offered, walking over and hugging the two teens as much as her belly would allow. She placed a soft kiss on her son's cheek and leaned over to kiss the seventeen year old's forehead.
You guys are the only one's who know for sure…but I guess most people just assume." Jeremy explained as Denise released them. He snaked his long, muscled arms around his girlfriend, rocking her small framed gently against his chest.
"Dad can't know, I'm still only seventeen." Emmalin said, to her mother in particular. Their eyes locked momentarily.
"…I…" A thousand and one things ran through Claudia Joy Holden's mind as she searched for what to say. She was between a rock and a hard place, between her husband and her baby. If she told Michael then Emmalin would never forgive her and it might even scar their relationship forever. If Michael found out about this and learned that Claudia Joy knew and didn't tell him, he'd never forgive her. Quickly she made her decision.
"Then we won't tell him, but there's…rules?" Claudia Joy breathed trying to calm herself. Even though she told Michael everything, she would keep this to herself. It was best for everyone she decided. Best if Michael thought his little princess was still a little girl, best if Emmalin knew she could come to her, best for her husband and daughter's relationship. And besides, Jeremy Sherwood would look awful in an orange jumpsuit, orange just isn't his color.
"Rules?" Emmalin raised an eyebrow.
"Relax. I'm not going to tell you when and where to do 'it', we just need to have some ground rules. One, you do not miss a single dose of that birth control Emmalin. Two, I want to know where you are and where you're going. God knows how many lies you've told while sneaking around for the last month." The Law Student explained.
"Jeremy, if she gets pregnant, I'll kill you…that's all I'm gonna say." The pregnant EMT growled at her son, if he was anything like his father than she knew the word 'condom' wasn't in his freakin' vocabulary. That was why she waddled instead of walked and why she couldn't fit into a single pair of pants she owned…damn horny Frank. But don't get the wrong idea, she loved her husband and two children more than anything.
"Three, if she gets pregnant I'll kill you. Four, you keep those dog tags hidden around your father. Now we don't tell anybody about this." Claudia Joy laughed at her hormonal best friend.
"Deal." Emmalin promised.
"Yes, Ma'am." Specialist Sherwood agreed, kissing Emmalin on the cheek gently.
"Soooo…does this mean Jeremy and I can have sex in the house now? Because sneaking around is pretty exhausting." The Hockey player asked, stretching up on her tippy toes to peck her boyfriend on the lips.
"I…I…you? Be careful?" And for the second time in the last hour the infamously unfazeable Claudia Joy Holden's brain turned to mush.
Exhaling sharply as she watched the two teens exit the kitchen, Claudia Joy turned toward her pregnant best friend.
"I just don't think I'm mature enough to have a daughter who's been made a woman." Claudia Joy sighed, her tired voice filled with exhaustion as she leaned down to finish picking up the glass pile on the floor.
"Would you feel better if I said you could blame my son?" teased Denise. Normally she would help her best friend clean the floor, but she knew she couldn't bend over if she tried.
"…maybe a little. But I think I'd feel better if I didn't know." Claudia Joy laughed.
"You know Frank, Michael and I made a bet, back when Jeremy was seven, that Jeremy and Emmalin would grow up and get married. Easy money!" Denise was famous for her incredible betting skills. She just had a feeling about some things and those feelings almost always spread all the way to her band account.
"You know it's bad luck to 'count your chickens before the they hatch'. But how much did you bet?" The Army Wife laughed knowing her best friend was most likely right and had possible hit a goldmine.
"$50 that they get married. Our husbands bet against me. And I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch, I've got killer mother's intuition, thank you very much." Denise giggled, rubbing her swollen belly for emphasis.
"Let's just hope our chickens don't accidentally hatch anything of their own soon." Claudia Joy laughed throwing the collected glass into the trash can.
The two returned to cooking dinner as they discussed just how many grandbabies they were going to demand from their poor children…just not anytime soon.