Coffee sat in the french press though she really didn't want or need it. The smell just comforted her, a nice accompaniment to the sun as it slowly rose in these early hours. She sat on that too-fluffy couch in the blueish morning dark and its silence. Just sat, thinking. Considering. Wondering. She wished Damon would wake up. She wanted to get it over with, the yelling or whatever might ensue. Part of her was angry. Alot of her was angry. But it was more at the fact of the matter than him. She was bitter at the army, at the system, how many years of their life together they'd taken away. Half, so far. And now it seemed as if they'd be getting more. Or even the rest. She heard the creak of the wooden floorboard on his side of the bed as he stood. She waited and his footsteps finally wandered into the living room to find her. He looked confused, as he should be. Most definitely their roles were reversed today, Elena up with the rising sun and Damon trailing behind.

"What are you doing up, babe?" he grogged, squinting through the morning darkness to see her. Obviously he hadn't seen his messages. But she wasn't in the mood to dance around it.

"Why didn't you tell me about the paperwork, Damon?" She stared at his silhouette, the light just barely bright enough for her to see the subjugated look on his face.

"There wasn't anything to tell."

"You said you were keeping it in check. And now it's not gone through? Damon, you have to leave in... twenty-seven hours from now."

"That's twenty-seven hours that it could still be processed and I can still get out of it. Please, babe, don't-"

"No, /you/ don't."

"Elena-"

"If I'd known it was so damn difficult for them to take a piece of paper somewhere I would have gotten it and taken to the state office myself," she bit. "What are we supposed to do? What are /you/ supposed to do? You're...you're like a sitting duck if you go. We don't even know if you're coming back."

"I'm coming back."
"You don't know that." Her voice was acidic, almost foreboding any other idea.

"I'm coming. /Back./" He was actually a little hurt that she didn't have the confidence in him to get himself home in one piece. The glaring distress in her eyes made it saddening. But he had to remember: That was a fault of his own. He made her believe in the worst and to expect it to happen over the good. He'd drained her of her optimism. Not just him, but the multitude of things that had happened to her in seven short years. He could see why. But he couldn't leave her knowing that was her attitude.

"Come on, babe. Give me a little credit." Elena caught her lips between two blunted front teeth, watching Damon intently. "Don't you trust me?"

"It's not /you/ I don't trust. It's them. I mean, how hard is it to see that you /can't/ go over there and do anything when you-" She just stopped, throwing her hands into the air in frustration and, from what Damon could see, fighting back a sob.

"Hey, babe, Elena. Don't worry. I'll be fine. Ric is going to help and I'll be back here, home, with you, and we'll do everything like we said." He gave her a smile hoping to lighten her mood, but it didn't seem to be working. "It's just some stupid misunderstanding that's taking some time."

"Damon, shut up. Do you hear yourself? You're flying into another country full of people who want you dead. God knows what you're slated to do- combat, I'm sure. It's your specialty." Her words struck him wrong and instantly lit a fire in him.
"You don't think I know that?" he growled. "All weekend, I stared at these massive guns that everyone around me knew like the back of their hand. And me? I didn't know shit. I don't know how to load it. I don't know about these places these people have been. I don't know anything about Syria, Afghanistan, Kuwait- Fuck, Elena. I don't /want/ to know. All I care about is getting the hell out of there and being here with you. That is my goal. So forget whatever brainwashing crap I told you before. I need you to be positive, Elena. For me, for us. And for our baby. Because I'm coming back. Somehow or another." Elena didn't say anything. She just stood, arms wrapped around herself, an expression on her face that resonated with fear. He eliminated the distance between them, putting his own arms around her as the kissed cheeks that were already stained with tears.

"I'm sorry," she barely voiced. She took deep breaths and brushed her cheeks with her palms.

"Don't freak out. They'll send me back. You watch, babe." She shook her head, and he was tense until he heard a tiny laugh from her.

"If you're not back in three weeks, I'm kicking your ass," she smiled. He could tell she was trying. Her eyes fell, and she patted a hand against his broad chest, thinking.

"You should start packing. I'll find your bag and uniform. I'm sure there's a list in all the paperwork your brought home." And off she went down the hall.

The next day brought deployment. Bonnie had skipped the last hour of her shift to see him off and to be with Elena. She stood at the terminal as they approached, and she gave him a look of disapproval that was more of a "you really are an ass, but I still love you" look. They were nearly an hour early, but they were nowhere near the first ones there. Parents seeing off their children, and spouses their spouses. Then she saw the children barely old enough to walk there to see their mom or dad go, and Elena's heart clenched. She stood, squeezing Damon's shoulder and mumbling about needing water. Damon was slightly grateful, because he wanted a second with Bonnie before he had to go.

"I know you will, but I'm really asking you, Bonnie. Please watch after Elena." Bonnie started waving a dismissive hand, then laid it on his arm.

"You know you don't have to worry, Damon. She'll be just fine. I promise."
"No, Bon. I really mean it." He pursed his lips, contemplating. Elena was across the waiting lobby, stabbing a finger at a dial on the soda machine. He knew they'd planned elsewise, but he didn't know that that would happen. "Don't act like you know, but Elena just found out she's-"
"Pregnant? Oh, /I know,/ Damon." She rolled her eyes almost like it was old news. He blinked.

"What?"

"Don't you know women tell each other /everything?/ Damon, Elena's going to be fine. You just focus on coming back."

"But all that Jeremy told me-"

"If she needs to, the front bedroom is open. She knows she's welcome." Damon smiled at her. He was grateful that she was such a good friend, to him and to Elena, and that she was so willing to help her while he was gone. Elena came back over and sat, passing bottles of icy cold water to both him and Bonnie. She checked her watch and sat beside Damon on the bench, leaning against his arm.

"I'm calling Ric this afternoon," she said as she folded an arm around his, as if to reassure him in some way. He didn't say anything. He just kissed the top of her head and took one of her hands in his.

A near thirty minutes later, Damon's flight was called. The security gates opened, and soldiers reluctantly began to pass through them. Some kept stealing kisses and hugs as they neared them, and some were too engulfed in hugs to even start to leave. Damon stood, the part Elena hated more than anything in the world, simply because that meant he was ready to go. But in her mind, she told herself that this was possibly the last time she'd ever have to do this again. She'd never have to worry if he was hurt, never have to stand here and wait for those gates to open and take her husband away for yet another unknown length of time. He'd be home, with her. Damon looked unsure, but at the same time he looked stern. As if he were bracing himself for this. Perhaps in any other situation, he'd be okay. She couldn't imagine what was going through his mind. He took a breath, then looked down to her.

"I love you, Gorgeous Gilbert." That made her smile, and god was he happy to see one of those. He grinned.

"I love you, too." She stretched up on the ends of her toes to kiss him, long and hard, like she might never get another. Mid-kiss, there was another call for his flight. The lobby was thinning out quickly, but either of them could really care less.

"You'll be okay," he nodded, rubbing a solid palm across her shoulders in those soothing little circles he liked to do. Anywhere else, she'd be drowsy with sleep. But now they just calmed her. Even if just a little. She hugged him tight, and as he returned her embrace she did her best to memorize exactly how this felt.

"I gotta go, babe," he whispered against her cheek, slowly releasing his grip. She took a deep breath and nodded, stepping away. He gathered his bag and as he turned, he stole one more kiss from her as a final call was made for his flight. Another exchange of a whispered 'I love you', and he turned for the gate. Watching him go was like a slow-motion scene, and she was definitely scared. But as he hit the turn stile, she realized she had one last thing to say.

"Damon!" He whipped his head around to see her.

"I'll see you when you come back." A smile spread across his lips as he was ushered through the gate, down a hall, and out of her sight.