A-N- in this story Rickover and Trudy did not have a consensual affair but he raped her. I know it's AU. This whole story is AU. I just wanted to clear that up, so it won't be confusing when you readers read this chapter

That night Adrian and Trudy sat outside under the stars. She sat on the swing with her leg propped up against a chair. Adrian sat next to her.

"Adrian," Trudy said, "I love nights like tonight. The stars are shining so brightly. I remember, on our honeymoon-"

"You remember our honeymoon?" Adrian asked, smiling.

"Yes," Trudy said, "We went to Sonoma County. The first night of the honeymoon was a night just like this. You said it felt like GOD painted the sky just for us to celebrate our special day."

"I did say that" Adrian grinned.

He paused.

"You know the day I found out that you were still alive, I thanked GOD and said as much as I hated Him when He took you away from me, He never stopped loving me. I cursed Him and He answered by blessing me."

"GOD always loves everyone." Trudy said.

"So do you," Adrian said, "You'd forgive the devil if he apologized."

Trudy laughed.

"I doubt the devil will be apologizing any time soon," she said

"I know," Adrian said, "Though the devil incarnate did apologize."

He was referring to Ethan Rickover.

"Rickover is evil," Trudy agreed, "But he's not the devil incarnate."

"I hate him," Adrian said, "I hate him for what he did to you."

"Adrian," she said, "There's no point in hating anyone."

"He forced himself onto you then killed the baby that you carried for nine months. Oh, and then he tried to murder you."

"He did. He also didn't succeed. To hate him is to give him control that I don't need him to have."

Adrian saw the wisdom in that.

"You're right," he admitted, "Do you remember the details of what happened?"

"No," Trudy said, "I think if I remembered the details, I wouldn't be able to forgive him as easily as I did. I just remembered that I was fourteen when it happened."

"You know," Adrian said, "When we got married, I remember insisting on a ten-piece orchestra."

"I don't remember that" Trudy said, "But that doesn't surprise me. I know how you are about the number ten. I remember about six weeks after we got married, I had a nightmare.

"Do you remember what it was about?"

"I… remember I was set up so that it looked like I killed someone," Trudy said, "which I didn't. I remember in the dream that you had to be the one to arrest me."

"Yes," Adrian said, "I told you that I would turn in my badge before I would arrest you even if I thought you were guilty."

"I used to get a lot of nightmares after what happened," Trudy said, "They stopped after I met you."

Adrian kissed her and rubbed her back.

The next day Trudy woke up having to go to the bathroom. She gently woke Adrian.

"Hey," Adrian said gently.

"Hi honey. I have to go to the bathroom. Would you mind getting my crutches for me and just helping me into the bathroom."

Adrian picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. He gently set her down.

"Thank you," she said.

After she was done, he carried her out to the den.

"The PT says I need to start doing things for myself," she pointed out.

"You're doing plenty for yourself," he said.

A few minutes later Dwight and Marsha came in from their room.

"Good morning," Dwight said brightly.

"Happy birthday dad," Trudy said smiling.

"Thank you honey," Dwight replied.

"So," Adrian asked, "What did you want for breakfast?"

"Pancakes," Trudy said at the same time Dwight said "waffles"

"Oops," Trudy giggled, "Sorry about that."

"I'll make both," Adrian said.

"Thanks Adrian," Trudy said.

He picked Trudy up and carried her to the dining room table. She propped her leg up against a chair. It took Adrian 10 minutes to make the blueberry pancakes. He made the waffles at the same time.

"Here you go," he said, serving both Trudy, Marsha and Dwight.

"Adrian," Marsha said, "This is delicious. How did you learn how to cook so well."

"Well," Adrian said sitting down, "When I was a kid, and I did something wrong I would get grounded from cleaning. I taught myself to cook in order to keep from going crazy."

"Most people would consider that a reward," Dwight commented.

"Yeah," Adrian said, "I've never been "most people" and I wouldn't want to be."

Trudy laughed.

"I love you for many reasons, not the least of it being you're not like most people," she said.

The pain in her leg started again. She groaned.

"Ugh," she said.

"Hang on," Adrian said, "I'll get you a pain pill."

"Thanks," Trudy replied.

He was back in 30 seconds. He brought her a glass of milk. She took it and the pain pill.

"Thank you," Trudy said, "I can't wait until my leg heals up."

"I know," Adrian said, "It's only 8 more weeks until you're out of the cast."

"Thank GOD," Trudy said.

"I thank Him every day," Dwight said, "for giving you back to us."

Trudy smiled.

"Did you thank Him before you knew I was alive?"

"Um… no," Marsha, Dwight and Adrian said in unison.

"I hated Him when He took you from us," Adrian continued, "But He answered my hatred with love."

"GOD always does that," Trudy said, "He always answers hatred with love."