Alison cringed when she heard the knock on the door. She was less than pleased when Flint told her that General Bradshaw's wife was going to be stopping by. She had started to express her displeasure to him, but she was yet again nursing Marissa and the baby didn't take kindly to the interruption in her meal. So with an angry promise to revisit the topic, she had hung up on him.

She opened the door and was momentarily stunned. She thought back to the conversation she, Flint and Scarlett had a few months prior regarding the general's wife. Scarlett had asked Flint once he had said he had seen a photo of her if she was part-troll. Alison had kept that image in her head ever since then. However, if the woman standing just outside her front door was indeed Mrs. Bradshaw, she was far from troll-like.

"Alison? I'm Elaine. Art asked me to come by?"

Alison quickly regained her composure. "Yes, of course, come in."

Elaine smiled. "I was afraid that maybe he didn't pass along the message that I was going to pay you a visit. He said Marissa was sick?"

"No, Dash told me you were coming. I think though, we may have over-exaggerated Marissa's condition. She spit up a couple of times, and it was a long night, but she seems fine now."

Elaine opened her arms. "Poor baby. Can I hold her?"

With a nod, Alison handed Marissa over and the two took a seat on the couch. They chatted about the nuances of early motherhood, and Elaine confirmed the pediatrician's advice. "I had to watch what I ate while I nursed my boys. The first one wasn't so bad but my younger had such a sensitive stomach. I couldn't eat anything with dairy, most fruits and vegetables and anything with the slightest spice or seasonings. I basically lived on bland chicken and white rice."

Alison grimaced. "I guess the Chinese food I ordered last night was a bad idea. It figures she inherited her father's stomach."

They continued to talk while Alison settled into the couch. Except for a few moments to use the bathroom or get dressed she had held Marissa all morning. Her neck and back were sore so it felt good to relax those muscles. Unfortunately, she became too comfortable and dozed off. She then woke with a start and apologized.

"Don't be silly. Why don't you go take a nap? I'll watch Marissa."

Alison was suddenly hit with the irrational fear that it was a mistake to leave her child with a woman she barely knew. She then took it a step further as she thought of the times in the past when the Baroness and Zarana had taken on a persona for nefarious purposes. Plus, kidnapping Flint's daughter would put the XO of the G.I. Joe team in a precarious position.

She decided to play along until she could confirm her suspicions. "Okay. I'm just going to take her into her room to nurse her a little, and then put her down for a nap." Still wanting to be polite, she gestured to the television. "Feel free to put on whatever you want."

Once she and Marissa were alone in the nursery, she dialed Flint's number. After he answered, she quietly asked, "You did say Elaine was going to be stopping by, right?"

"Yes. Why? Did she not show up?"

"No, she's here. I just want to confirm she is who she says she is."

Flint laughed. Even though Alison expected him to be skeptical, she still had to clamp down on her anger. "I know I sound crazy. But after Mindbender tortured you, and Destro essentially kidnapped me, does the idea of someone posing at the general's wife to get at Marissa sound so far-fetched?"

Flint went quiet. "Let me talk to Anvil. Where are you?"

"In the nursery with Marissa."

"Stay there until you I call you back."

Alison used the time to nurse Marissa, even though she wasn't yet asking to eat. She figured that if she had to make a quick getaway, that it was better for Marissa to be freshly fed. She started to make a list of essential items to grab if necessary when she heard a phone ring in the living room. She assumed General Bradshaw was checking in with his wife.

A few minutes later her phone rang again. Flint confirmed that Anvil spoke with his wife and that all was okay. "Are you sure?" Alison asked.

"I was with him when he called her. He used the excuse that he was filling out some paperwork for the military and asked her a bunch of questions. He said she got them all correct."

"And you believe him?"

"Of course I believe him," Flint said with a hint of frustration.

Alison sighed. "I'm sorry if I sound paranoid. But I'm sleep deprived and hormonal, so I'm not at the top of my game. But I'm talking about the safety and well-being of our daughter. So do you trust him?"

Without hesitation Flint said, "I do. I know you have your misgivings with him, but I know for a fact that he is not an evil man."

Alison relaxed. Flint was right that she had her issues with General Bradshaw. But she trusted her husband's judgment. "Okay. I guess it's time for me to stop hiding in the nursery."

"Call me once she leaves," Flint said before he hung up.

She got herself presentable, and rose to leave the room. The change in her schedule seemed to irritate Marissa. Alison did her best to comfort her, but once she erupted into a full-fledged wail she thought it was time to take advantage of the supposed mothering expertise currently sitting in her living room.

"I guess I was wrong about her being over her discomfort." Alison said.

Elaine reached for the baby and retook her seat on the couch. "One trick I learned is that when their tummies bother them, they like to lay on their stomach." She laid Marissa across her thighs and gently began to rub and pat her back. Marissa let out a series of small burps and settled down.

The simple gesture was enough to fully convince Alison that Flint was right about Elaine. She once again settled on to the couch. She turned her attention to the television where an early afternoon baseball game was on. "You can change it," Elaine said. "Since I live in a house full of males, I'm used to constantly having sports on the TV."

"No, it's fine. I hate daytime TV," Alison replied. And the announcers' voices were soothing to listen to. Soon, she was fast asleep on the couch.

When she woke again, she was disoriented. It took her a few moments to realize she had been asleep for nearly two hours. She looked to her left and Elaine and Marissa were still in the same positions. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to sleep for so long."

Marissa too woke up. Elaine gently handed her back to Alison. "Don't apologize. You must have needed it. Besides, this was nice for two reason. I can't tell you the last time I took a couple of hours to just sit and relax. And with the boys older now, I miss the days they used to sleep on me."

"I really appreciate it. I feel a lot better."

Elaine smiled and stood up. "I hate to say it, but I need to go. The boys will be home soon."

"Thank you for coming over." Alison said as she walked her to the door.

"Anytime. I mean it. Call whenever you want a break."

Once Elaine left, Alison kept her promise to call Flint. Her mood was greatly improved from their earlier conversations. She thanked him for not only sending Elaine over, but for humoring her through her paranoia.

"It sounds like you had a good time."

"To be honest, I spent most of it sleeping. But not only was it nice to take a much-needed nap, but it was good to know that someone who actually knew what she was doing was in charge for a couple of hours."

"Well, I'm glad I was able to help in a small way from so far away."

Once the conversation ended, she looked over at Marissa who was still content in her bouncy seat. Alison took advantage of that and dialed another number of someone she really wanted to talk to. As she glanced at the clock, she hoped it wasn't too early on the other side of the world. But based on how awake Scarlett sounded when she answered, she guessed it wasn't.

"So, how's my Goddaughter?"

Alison looked over again at Marissa and smiled. She was cooing and staring intently at her fists. "She has her moments, but I have to admit that right now she is pretty cute."

"I'm sure she's always cute."

"You wouldn't say that if you saw her shrieking her head off at 3 AM because of an overflowing diaper. Anyway, the reason I'm calling is I have to tell you who I spent the afternoon with - Elaine Bradshaw."

"I don't think I know who that is."

"She's General Bradshaw's wife."

Scarlett whistled. "Wow, I have managed to completely block that man from my mind. So does she have a hunchback?"

Alison laughed. "No. And that's why I had to talk to you. She's a very attractive woman. Maybe not on Courtney's level, but still really pretty. And she's nice! She can hold a conversation and gave me a lot of useful parenting tips."

"Did you ask her what she sees in the General?"

"I didn't think that was an appropriate question to ask while she was holding Marissa."

"Probably a good decision. So how's it going? You sound a little more coherent than when we last talked."

Alison had called Scarlett while she had still been in the hospital. She barely remembered that conversation. "That's only because I had a great nap while Elaine was here." Alison sighed. "I used to think that the Army and GI Joe has prepared me for anything that life could throw at me. Unfortunately, motherhood doesn't seem to be on that list."

"Maybe you need to ask Beachhead to include that as part of his training." Scarlett did a mimic of Beachhead's drawl, "You think you're tough because you ran 26 miles, did 500 pushups and made it through my obstacle course of doom. But up next is the ultimate challenge – diaper changing!"

Alison let out a hearty laugh. She envisioned many of the Joes struggling through the task, which only made her laugh harder. Once she got control of herself she said, "Oh man, I think I'm getting delirious."

"I'm going to guess Flint went back to HQ?"

"He flew back yesterday. That's what concerns me. He's only been gone a day and I'm already losing my mind."

"I'm sure it's going to get better. When do you go back to work?"

"Hawk's being pretty lenient and told me to take as much time as I need. But right now my goal is when she's six weeks old, which is only twenty-five days away."

Scarlett laughed. "Not that you're counting."

Alison looked over to Marissa again. Her fist was still keeping her entertained but she could see the signs that her daughter was getting hungry. "I'm just looking forward to the days when I get to interact with adults on a full-time basis. And doing more with my time than breastfeeding on command. I'm sure that sounds bad."

"No, it sounds like you need some company."

"I do. You want to move in with me for the next couple of weeks?" Alison meant for the question to come out as a light-hearted joke, but she was afraid it betrayed a bit of desperation.

Scarlett answered without hesitation. "I have a series of retreats coming up, but I could always postpone them."

Alison contemplated the offer. She thought about how nice it would be to hang out with Scarlett, how it would be like old times for them. But she knew it wasn't fair to ask her friend to put her life on hold and come running to her aid. "No, don't worry about it, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? It really wouldn't be that big of a deal for me to rearrange my schedule."

"I am. But it means a lot that you would do that for me." Marissa let out a cry that signaled it was feeding time. "I have to go. The princess wants to eat."

"Okay. I'm going to try to book a trip to come visit you in the near future."

"That would be great," Alison said, but she was quickly being drowned out by Marissa's wail. "I'll talk to you soon."

Alison hung up the phone and walked over to Marissa's bouncy seat. As she bent over to pick up the infant she said, "Okay, baby girl, it looks like it's just you and me for the next few days. But it's nice to know we have backup if we need it."

Alison changed Marissa and then she put her in her crib. The baby fussed, but she closed the door behind her as she headed towards the kitchen. She could see the sun peeking through the blinds, and for the umpteenth time over the last few months, she wished she could make herself a cup of real coffee.

Instead, she settled for her standard cup of decaf tea, and sat down on the couch. It had been over a week since Flint left for Arizona, and she had to admit there had been a couple of times since then that she regretted not taking up Scarlett's offer. However, it hadn't been all bad. Marissa was thriving, and Alison had figured out a rudimentary schedule that for the first few days worked out well.

However, just when she thought she was getting the hang of things, Marissa threw her a curveball. There had been two nights in a row when Marissa slept for nearly five hours. Alison had hoped that meant she was on her way to sleeping through the night. But then on the third night, she reverted back to waking every two to three hours.

To make matters worse, Alison had been trying to wean Marissa on to a bottle in preparation for her return to work. To say the infant was resisting the change was an understatement. She felt like she had done nothing the last two days but listen to her daughter cry. At the moment, she could hear Marissa continue to fuss in her crib, but since she wasn't outright screaming, Alison decided it was better for both of them if she left her alone.

Her only shred of hope was that Flint could keep to his promise of coming home for the weekend. She looked at the clock and then did the time change calculation that had become second nature for her. It would still be classified as middle of the night there, and he was most likely sleeping. But after her last couple of nights, she really didn't care if she ended up sacrificing his sleep.

She dialed his number and a strange, young and definitely feminine voice answered. "Good early morning, Firewall here. This is Warrant Officer Flint Faireborn's, phone, can I help you?"

Alison brought her hand to her forehead. She didn't have the patience for this bullshit. "Firewall, was it? This is Mrs. Faireborn." She made sure to emphasize the 'Mrs.' part. "Is he available?"

"Oh, hi! How are you? Alison, right? Yes, Flint is here, he's just working on something. Let me get him. And I have to say I saw photos of Melissa, and she is just the cutest baby!"

Alison gritted her teeth. She really couldn't handle this bullshit. "Her name is Marissa, but thank you."

Firewall sputtered out an apology, and luckily Flint got on the phone. "Wow, she's perky. Especially considering it's not quite 4 AM there." Alison said.

"Yes, she is very…enthusiastic," Flint said. "Duke's getting ready to take a team out, so we were doing some last-minute preps. Everything okay there?"

Alison sighed. "No," she admitted. "I've been trying to wean her onto a bottle since I need to get back to work in a couple of weeks. She barely ate, so she was up all night. I'm so tired. I could use a break, so I was just checking in to see if you got the weekend off."

This time Flint sighed, and Alison knew it wasn't going to be good news. "I don't think I'm going to be able to pull it off. With Duke away, I need to handle a few things here."

Alison expected as much, but she was still upset by the news. To further unhinge her, Marissa let out a blood curdling scream. "Dash, do me a favor, put the phone aside for a couple of minutes. I just need to vent."

She heard the rustling of the phone, and then she unleashed a torrent of her feelings. From the pain she was still in, to her exhaustion, to her feelings of helplessness when Marissa screamed, she ranted for a good minute. Once she was done, she inhaled and exhaled sharply until she had herself back in control. She brought the phone back to her ear. "Okay. I think I feel a little bit better."

"Alison, I had no idea. I am so sorry," Flint said.

"Dash, you weren't supposed to listen."

"I didn't at first. But after the third expletive you caught my attention. I knew it was hard on you, but I didn't realize how hard."

Alison suddenly became defensive. "Yes, but there are some good moments too." She noticed that Marissa had finally gone quiet. "I think she's asleep. I'm going to try and go back to sleep as well."

"I think that's a good idea. And Alison, I love you."

"I love you too. But before I go, please help soothe my mind and tell me you're not sleeping with Ms. Perky Firewall."

Flint denied the claim so adamantly that Alison couldn't help but laugh. "Why? Is she hideous looking?"

"No, not at all. She's actually pretty cute. But really not my type. And to be honest, even if I wanted to, I doubt she'd want me since I'm way too old for her."

Alison found that hard to believe, but as she let out a yawn she decided to save that for a later conversation. She hung up the phone, and then fell asleep right there on the couch.

Flint exhaled sharply as he hung up the phone. He hated not being able to help Alison. But unfortunately, his hands were tied.

"Everything okay back home?" Firewall asked.

He turned and smiled at the kid. "For the most part, yes. The baby isn't sleeping well, so Al is exhausted. She had hoped that I could come home this weekend, but I don't think that's going to happen."

"Ooh," Firewall said. "That stinks. You do realize Sunday is Mother's Day, right?"

"Damn!" Flint said. He slapped his hand on the table. That would explain why the general was so adamant that he was taking the weekend to go to DC.

"Well, the good news is you still have time to ship her a present. I suggest something really expensive."

Flint waved Firewall off as he reconsidered the weekend. He had a meeting first thing Saturday that he had to be present for. But after that, he could in theory put Falcon in charge, and then swear the whole base to secrecy that he was leaving. The good news was the general said he wasn't returning until Monday morning, so as long as he was back by late Sunday night, he should be fine. Calculating time differences and flight times, he figured he might be able to pull off almost twenty-four hours in DC.

He made a decision to try and put his plan in action. But he wasn't going to tell Alison about it. Not that he was looking to pull off a grand romantic gesture. He was just afraid that something was going to happen to derail his plan. And if that was the case, then it wasn't worth getting her hopes up.

Mid Saturday afternoon, the phone rang. Alison was happy to see it was Flint since she hadn't been able to talk to him since the early morning phone call a couple days prior. "Hey babe. I just wanted to make sure the flowers I sent you arrived."

Alison smiled. While it wasn't quite as good as a visit, she did appreciate the gesture. "No, not yet."

"That's weird. The florist said they were delivered. Do you think they left them on the front porch?"

"Hold on, let me check." Alison opened the front door and gasped. Standing there was Flint, holding a bouquet of red roses. She practically leapt into his arms.

"Happy Mother's Day Eve!" Flint said as he wrapped the arm not holding the flowers around her.

She pulled back and smiled. "I had no idea tomorrow was Mother's Day. What a nice surprise."

She led Flint into the house. He caught site of Marissa who way lying on a blanket on the floor. Grinning, he went over to her and picked her up. "Hey, baby girl. Daddy's home."

Alison watched the scene with a slight sense of guilt. Flint looked so happy to see Marissa, and the love he felt for her was written all over his face. She was fairly sure she had never looked at her daughter with that kind of happiness.

She shook off the negative thoughts and decided to take advantage of the opportunity that presented itself. "It's almost time for Marissa to eat. Do you want to try and feed her? She might take the bottle more willingly from you than me."

Flint's smile grew. "I would love to." Alison rose to prepare a bottle but Flint waved her off. "I assume bottles and formula are in the kitchen?" Once she said yes, he brought Marissa and her bouncy seat into the kitchen with him.

Alison's curiosity got the better of her, so she went over to sit at the dining room table to watch Flint in action. Once he noticed her, he smiled. "Checking up on me?"

"I didn't realize you were so adept at bottle making."

Flint shook the bottle and then tested the temperature. "Don't forget, I have five nephews that I have babysat on occasion." He reached for Marissa. "Your late afternoon meal is ready."

Alison took that as her cue to leave. Not only did she want remove Marissa's main source of food from the area, but she also didn't want to be a witness to the screaming frenzy she was sure was coming. She went into the bedroom fully prepared to rescue Flint once the feeding attempt went back.

However, the cries never came. Alison spent ten minutes watching the clock, listening for any signs of distress. She then quietly crept back into the living room. "She's almost done," Flint whispered.

Once again, Alison took a hit to her mothering pride. She hadn't been successful for days in trying to get Marissa to take a bottle, and Flint accomplished it on his first attempt. However, she again focused on the positives. Marissa did have the ability to bottle feed, so she could eventually return to work without worrying about the child going hungry while she was gone. And the more immediate benefit was that she was free to finally leave Marissa's side for a couple of hours.

That last thought made her realize she never asked Flint how long he was going to be in town. "Only until tomorrow afternoon," he replied once she did. "I'm sorry it's not longer, but I have to get back to HQ before Anvil returns."

Alison nodded as she contemplated her options. While she did want to spend some quality time with her husband, she knew she would be in a much better frame of mind to do so if she went off on her own to take care of the errands that had nagged at her the last couple of days.

"Do you mind if I run out for an hour or two? I have a list of items I need to get."

Flint looked momentarily disappointed, but he quickly recovered. "Not at all. I'm here to give you the break you need."

Alison jumped from the couch and went into the bedroom to change into something more presentable. When she returned she said, "I'll pick up for something for dinner, and for breakfast."

"Or we could do a Sunday brunch somewhere."

Alison had a vision of being in a packed restaurant trying to enjoy a mediocre buffet while Marissa screamed her head off. "I think I'd rather make something here. Since my diet is limited right now, it would be a waste to do something extravagant."

Flint walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. He gave her a long lingering kiss. "Whatever you want to do. It is your day."

Alison reluctantly pulled away. "I won't be gone long."

She drove to a local shopping center, and as she parked the car she noticed a full-service salon a couple of doors down from the grocery store. She ran her hand through her more unruly than usual hair and decided to see if the place took walk-ins.

Unfortunately, they did not. "I'm sorry, but we have a full schedule until we close in a couple of hours," the receptionist said as she glanced at her book. "But I can make you an appointment for some time next week."

Alison sighed. "No, that's okay. I was just taking advantage of my husband watching our newborn. It's the first time I've gone out without her, and I'm not sure when I'll have the chance again."

The receptionist's attitude changed instantly. "Wow, congratulations. Hold on, let me see what I can do."

She walked over to one of the chairs to talk to the hairdresser that was working on a customer. "If you can wait about a half hour, Sally can take care of you. And if you're interested, I do have someone available for a pedicure to help pass the time."

It sounded like a great idea to Alison. She emerged over an hour later feeling and looking like a new person. She then quickly completed the list of items on her to-do list and returned home. As she approached the front door, she could hear the sounds of Marissa's wails from the street.

Flint greeted her at the door. His face looked pained as he rocked Marissa. "This started about five minutes ago. Do you think she's having a reaction to the formula?"

Alison put down the bags in her hand and grabbed Marissa. "No, this sounds like her standard colicky cry. Help me put the groceries away, and then we'll take her for a walk. That should calm her down."

The change of activity temporarily quieted Marissa. But Alison knew her daughter well enough to guess that she was only saving her breath for an even louder expression of her unhappiness. She was proven correct a short time later.

Flint grimaced. "How does someone so tiny make a noise that loud?"

Alison noticed that Flint no longer had the cool and calm demeanor from earlier. "Remember when she was first born, and let out the cutest little squawks when she was upset? I already miss those days. I have two more bags in the car. Can you get them while I get her ready?"

Flint looked grateful for the opportunity to escape. Alison couldn't help but smile. It was good to see that Flint wasn't the infallible parent she thought him to be. A few minutes later they had Marissa in the stroller and were making their way down the block. Marissa's cries slowly died down.

"I don't know if it's the motion or the fresh air, but so far this seems to work in soothing her colic."

They got to the end of the block and Alison pointed out the house on the corner. "I forgot to tell you. The other day when I took Marissa for a walk, we went to the little playground that's a couple of blocks away. I met a woman there, Barbara Matthews, who lives here. She's a semi-retired nanny who watches a little boy during the week. That family is moving next week so I asked her if she would be willing to watch Marissa until a spot opens up at the Pentagon daycare. She said yes."

Flint frowned. "Have you checked her out?"

"Of course I did. I not only spoke to the family she's currently working for, but she gave me a list of references. Everyone I called gave her a glowing review."

"But don't you think an accredited daycare is better?"

Alison's exhaled sharply. "You've been saying this whole time you don't like the idea of her being in a daycare with other, as you said, snot-nosed kids."

Flint raised his hand in a 'calm down' gesture. It had the opposite effect on Alison. "Since you seem to think you're the better parent here, how about you take her back with you. Then you can figure out the daycare situation."

Flint looked at her. "Do you mean that?"

While there was a small part of her that quickly grasped on to the idea of temporarily being free of mothering duties, she knew the suggestions was asinine. "Of course not. But until you move back here full time how about you hold off on the criticism?"

"I'm not criticizing your decisions. Weren't you concerned last week that Elaine was a Cobra plant looking to kidnap Marissa? So I find it a little suspicious you just happened upon a nanny who wants to watch Marissa."

Alison's shoulders slumped. "I might have overreacted then."

"I don't know. I still think it's a valid concern."

"Is this how our life is going to be from now on? We're paranoid that every new person we meet is a potential danger to Marissa?"

"There is a fine line between paranoia and caution," Flint replied.

Alison looked towards the house. She could see lights on in a couple of the windows. "How about if we see if she's home? You can meet her and tell me what you think."

They knocked on the door, and Barbara answered the door. She smiled as recognized Alison. "Come in, I was getting ready to make dinner."

"No, we don't want to intrude," Alison introduced Flint to her, "My husband is in town for the night, and I told him about our arrangement, so he wanted to meet you."

"Yes, of course. I know it's a big decision choosing someone to entrust with your pride and joy."

Flint proceeded to give the older woman a minor interrogation until Marissa let out a squawk. Alison grimaced. "I think the boss is getting unhappy that we aren't moving, so we should get going. Thank you for your time."

Once they started walking again, Alison asked Flint if he still had his reservations. "She did seem very knowledgeable and genuine. I can see why you like her. I think you're right and this time I'm overreacting. But I'm still going to ask Dial-Tone to run a background check on her."

Alison smiled. "Actually, I was going to ask him to do the same thing. Let's wait for his results before we make a final decision." She checked on Marissa. She wasn't quite asleep yet, so she knew they needed to walk for a little while longer. "So tell me about the latest happenings at HQ. You said that Duke was heading out on a mission?"

"Yes, he is. He's taken it upon himself to lead the charge to recapture Zartan."

"So does that mean he's fully recuperated?"

"He may think he is, but the rest of us are not so sure. Doc ran a complete physical on him, and technically he passed. But he suspects that Duke might not have been completely truthful about the pain he's still in."

Alison smirked. "Members of the Joe team being stubborn, or in denial about their injuries? Surely, you jest!"

Flint laughed. "Okay, I guess we're all guilty as charged."

They eventually returned back home. They attempted to make dinner, but Marissa woke up and cried a few minutes into the preparation. Alison fed her, and then the two took turns consoling her and getting her ready for bed while trying to eat some of their meal.

When Marissa finally fell asleep, Alison and Flint collapsed onto their couch. Flint put his arm around her. "I don't think I've told you this yet, but you're a great mom."

Despite her tiredness, Alison smiled. She leaned into her husband and thought that his simple statement was a perfect Mother's Day present.