"Good morning, Doctor Casey," John rumbled as he ran his fingers through his new wife's hair.
"Mmmm," Ellie hummed, "Good morning, yourself Captain Casey." As she opened her eyes, she saw the glint of her rings which decorated the hand laying on her husband's chest. "Did we really get married last night?"
"Yeah, we did," He confirmed.
"It almost feels like a dream," She mused then squealed as John flipped her over so that her back was pressed into the mattress as he hovered over her.
"If you need convincing that this is real, I have a great many ways of proving just how real our marriage, and I am." John growled sexily, kissing along her neck and jaw before claiming her lips with a passionate kiss. "Would you care for a demonstration?"
"Ooh, yes, please," Ellie grinned, nodding eagerly as her husband took his time reminding her of their new reality.
After a delicious morning spent in bed, broken only a few times for pesky little things like breakfast or quick trips to the head to relieve themselves, John and Ellie reluctantly packed up their things and checked out of the hotel to catch their flight back to San Diego.
Thankfully, the lines at security were blessedly short that afternoon and soon they were sitting at their gate, waiting for their plane to arrive to take them home.
"Are we still keeping this between you, me, and the Marine Corps?" Ellie asked as they waited.
"If you still want to," John shrugged, "I want nothing more than for everyone to know that I by some stroke of, undeserved, divine favor, am the lucky bastard who you chose to be your husband. If you want to tell everyone when we get home, we can do that, too."
Ellie nodded, considering his words, weighing the pros and cons of telling everyone now, or holding their peace until their planned wedding in a few months' time. "Honestly, if I thought she could keep it a secret, I'd say that we should tell Alexandra and no one else, but I think that in her excitement, she might spill the beans by accident. Looking back, I can easily think of at least a dozen times before you proposed she nearly slipped."
John snickered, "That's fair, but she is only four."
"Nearly five," Ellie pointed out, as they both laughed knowing how excited Alex was getting for her own birthday. "But seriously when it comes to our family, ignorance is bliss, I think. We probably shouldn't wear our rings once we arrive back home."
John started to think about a solution when the announcement came that boarding had started for their flight. Picking up the bag, and assisting his new bride to her feet, he headed toward where the gate agent stood, scanning and tearing tickets. The routine of finding their seats and settling in for the relatively short ride home occupied their minds for a while. It wasn't until they were a little more than halfway through the flight that he spoke again.
"I was thinking, we can still wear the rings, just not on our left hands," He leaned over as he spoke in Ellie's ear. "I have my tags, and you have your locket, both of which are usually hidden under the neckline of our shirts. I actually bought your locket not only to hold our family near your heart, but also to hold your engagement ring, at least when you have to wear gloves at work."
"How do you mean?" Ellie asked.
"May I?" John gestured to her left hand, which she gave to him. He deftly slipped her engagement ring off her finger and had her lean in until he could pull her necklace from under her shirt. It was then Ellie noticed the wide spaced prongs on the loop that held the locket to the chain. John exploited that feature, using them to create enough space to loop the ring over and around the locket until the ring was looped over the locket itself, Ellie grinned and followed the process in reverse to remove the engagement ring, slipping it back on her finger.
"Mine will be a little trickier, as I'll actually have to remove and unhook the chain to add my ring." He grunted.
"I can help, if you like," Ellie offered.
"I appreciate that, beautiful," He leaned in to give her a gentle kiss.
Upon landing, they stepped over to a nearby vendor area that hosted a small food court in the airport. They made quick work of removing their wedding rings and putting them on the chains they each wore around their necks. Ellie slipped her engagement ring back onto her left hand as John moved his Commissioning Ring to his left hand. Making sure the rings were safely tucked under their shirts, they joined hands and headed to the parking lot where the Crown Vic was parked.
They were about half-way home when John asked a question that had been niggling at him for a while, "Whatever happened to your roommate, Becky was it?"
"Becca," Ellie corrected, "She moved out a few months back. Her sister has cancer, and the prognosis isn't good. So, Becca moved back home to take care of her niece."
"Where's home for her?" John asked.
"Yelm," Ellie shrugged, "She showed me where it was once, somewhere in southwest Washington. I guess she was able to find work as a substitute teacher in the district up there and they're taking her on permanently starting in the fall as a middle school English teacher of all things." She chuckled.
"I can't imagine," John grunted a snicker as he headed toward the interchange that would take them home to Oceanside.
"Daddy, you're home!" Alex ran and leapt into her father's arms, barely giving him time to catch her. "I missed you soooo much!"
"Hey Kid," He held his daughter close, "I missed you, too."
Alex gave her daddy one last tight squeeze before wiggling to be put down. As soon as her feet hit the floor, she wrapped her arms around Ellie's left leg, only letting go when Ellie reached down to pick her up for a proper hug. "I missed you, Miss Ellie."
"I missed you too, Doodlebug," Ellie reveled in the feel of the little girl in her arms, "I always miss you when I have to be apart from you."
"Hey John, hey Sis," Chuck and Sarah entered from the kitchen where they'd been making dinner, "How was your birthday celebration? Did you guys stay at some swanky hotel on Coronado?"
"Something like that," Ellie and John shared a secretive smile.
"Did you enjoy yourselves?" Sarah asked.
"We did," Ellie nodded, "We had a lovely dinner and enjoyed a night of celebrating each other."
Hoping to distract them, John looked toward the kitchen, "Something smells good, what are you making?"
"Chuck found a recipe online for baked chili dogs," Sarah shrugged, "Apparently, making them this way means they aren't as messy… but I've seen the way he eats and considering that we are also feeding a nearly five-year-old, I'm not holding out any hope."
"Hey, I resemble that remark!" Chuck shot back. "And I'll have you know that I've graduated to only needing the bib every seventh meal and Sarah says that if I'm a good boy and don't spill I can use my big boy cup for the rest of the week."
"You're silly, Uncle Chuck," Alex giggled from Ellie's arms.
"I am that, but I'm also hungry, so you know what that means," He gave his niece a pointed look then glanced down the hallway.
"Time to wash up," Alex sing-songed her response, sliding out of Ellie's arms and skipping her way down the hall to wash her hands for dinner.
"I'll go put this in our room," John informed Ellie jiggling their bag in his hand.
"Sounds good," She gave him a quick kiss before turning to her brother and sister-in-law, "Do you need any help in the kitchen?"
"Yeah, you can help me set the table while Chef Boyardee over there finishes dinner," Sarah and Ellie shared a laugh when Chuck gave them a mock pouty look and stuck out his tongue at them before going into the kitchen to check on dinner.
The meal was still decidedly messy for those who tried to eat the chili dogs without the use of their utensils. After dinner was cleaned up, Chuck and Sarah went into the guest room to collect the last of their things while Ellie helped Alexandra get ready for bed. Alex was eager to wrap up her bath time quickly so that she could say goodbye to her Uncle Chuck and Aunt Sarah who had a late flight back home that night. Ellie had barely managed to get her into her pajamas and her hair brushed out before the girl scampered back out to the living room to hug and kiss her aunt and uncle.
The younger couple hugged their family, promising to call and email in their absence, and of course they would come back for the wedding in a few months. After another round of hugs and kisses from Ellie and Alex, and a handshake exchanged between John and Chuck, the younger pair took their leave. After their departure, it took longer than it should have to get Alex into bed. After stories were read and prayers recited, Alex asked if Ellie could snuggle with her while she went to sleep. John gave his daughter a kiss on her forehead and excused himself to let his girls have their time together.
Ellie settled on the bed, letting Alexandra snuggle into her side. They laid quietly for a while watching as the nightlight cast dancing stars along the ceiling.
"Miss Ellie," Alex broke the silence a short time later, "Are you leaving, too?"
"Not tonight," Ellie assured her, "I do need to leave on Tuesday morning, but not for very long. I still have to finish my internship, which means I may still be gone some nights for a few more months. After that I can come home and be with you and your daddy all the time."
"Oh," Alexandra sighed, "I really, really, miss you when you're gone."
"I really, really miss you when I'm gone, too," Ellie stroked Alexandra's hair and snuggled the girl closer, rubbing her back in soothing patterns. The girl stilled, leading Ellie to believe she was nearly asleep.
"Miss Ellie?" She asked quietly.
"Yes, Doodlebug?" Ellie answered.
"After you and Daddy get married, will I have to call you Mommy?" Alex asked.
Ellie lay quiet a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking, "Only if you want to, Sweetie." She promised, "You can keep calling me Miss Ellie if you want."
"But won't you be my mommy after you and Daddy get married?" Alex questioned her.
"I'll be your stepmom," Ellie explained, "Kathleen is and will always be your mommy. I don't want you to think I'm taking her place."
Alex sat up and looked Ellie, tears welling in her eyes, her lip trembling, "But… don't you want to be my mommy?"
"Oh, Sweetie," Ellie sat up, pulling Alex into her lap and wrapping her arms around the girl's trembling body, "Of course I do, I love you just as much as I would have if you were mine from the start. I just don't want you to think you have to forget your first mommy because you have me. Do you want me to be your mommy?"
"Yes," Alex admitted with a sniffle.
"Okay then," Ellie nodded, giving the girl's shoulders a squeeze. They sat for a moment before Ellie had an idea, "Hey, come with me." She set the girl on the bed and got out, holding out her hand to the girl and leading her into the living room where John was waiting for her, their drinks poured and waiting on the coffee table for her to join him.
"What's all this?" John asked, seeing the faces of his daughter and wife, who had clearly had their bedtime snuggles interrupted by some big lady feelings. He reached out to his daughter, setting her on the sofa next to him as he wiped a stray tear or two that had escaped, "What are you doing out of bed, Kid?"
"John, I think we need to have a family discussion," Ellie stated, "About what you and I talked about last night."
John searched her face a moment before realization dawned in his eyes, "Oh, you mean about the…" He moved his hand like he was using a pen to sign something.
"Yes, that," Ellie nodded.
"Okay," John took a deep breath, "Hey Kid… Alexandra, you know I'm marrying Miss Ellie in a few more months, right?"
"Yeah," Alex nodded.
"Well, when that happens, she'll be my wife," John informed her, watching as she nodded along with his logic, "And if we have any kids together, she'll be their mom and I'll be their dad, just like I'm your dad."
"Will she be my mommy, too?" Alex asked him, eyes wide.
"Do you want her to be?" John asked.
Alex shrugged then gave a small nod and a quiet, "Yes."
"How would you feel about Ellie adopting you?" John asked.
"What does 'adopt' mean?" Alex gave him a confused look before turning her questioning gaze to Ellie.
"It means a couple things," Ellie joined in, "It means we, that is you, me, and your daddy, agree that I am going to be your mommy from now on. We will go to a judge and ask him to sign a paper saying that from now on I am going to love you and take care of you just like any other mommy would and you will be just as much my kid as any brothers or sisters your dad and I might give you."
Alex's eyes lit up, "Am I going to have a brother or sister?"
The adults shared a dumbfounded look.
"Erm, no, Kid," John stammered, "Um, that is she… we… haven't…"
Ellie took pity on him and took over answering the question. "No, Alex, you aren't going to have a brother or sister, at least not for a while yet." She gave the girl a soft smile, "Maybe someday, but I should probably learn how to be your mom first before I try to be somebody else's."
"But you already know how, Mama," Alex insisted, not noticing the name she'd used, although it didn't escape the adults' notice, "Uncle Chuck said that you are the best mom ever, that you took care of him when your parents went away, just like you take care of me."
Ellie wiped an errant tear that had fallen from her eye onto her cheek, "That's sweet, Honey, but it may still be a while before you have any brothers or sisters." She shared a look with John before continuing, her gaze not fully disengaging with his as she continued to address the girl, "That will be a discussion Daddy and I have when we are ready to add to our family, okay?"
"Okay," Alex nodded then let out a yawn.
"Alright, Kid, it is now officially past your bedtime," John grunted, "Come on, I'll tuck you in."
Alex nodded and followed her daddy down the hall under Ellie's watchful eye. By the time John returned a few minutes later, Ellie had picked up her wine glass and was toying with the stem of the glass but wasn't drinking. "She called me, 'Mama,'" She pointed out softly.
"I heard," John confirmed, taking his seat and reclaiming his whiskey.
Ellie's grin began to grow into a proud smile, "She called me, 'Mama,' John. I'm her Mama… maybe not legally yet, at least not until we file the adoption petition and have it approved, but I'm a Mama. I've known, without a doubt, that I wanted to be two things when I grew up, a doctor and a mom."
"And now you are both, or at least you will be once all the legal shit's been dealt with." John nodded, leaning back and resting his free arm on the back of the couch in silent invitation to his wife to nestle up beside him as he always did.
"She called me, 'Mama,'" Ellie giggled, still amazed at how giddy that word… title? …name? …whatever it was, made her. "Thank you."
"What're you thinking me for?" John grunted, "It's the kid who gave you the name, not me."
"True, but it's because of you that she came into my life. I thought it would be much longer before she was comfortable enough to refer to me as her mom." Ellie pointed out, "So thank you, John. And thank you, Kathleen, wherever in Heaven you must be, I promise to take good care of our little girl." She raised her glass sky word in silent toast to Alex's late mother and took a sip as she got comfortable cuddled up against John as they enjoyed each other's quiet and comforting presence.
The next Monday, after dropping Alexandra off at day care, Ellie went with John as he turned in all the paperwork to designate Ellie as his dependent, get her dependent ID, and register her vehicle on the roster of vehicles owned by residents of the base. Once that was done, they returned them mostly to their status quo. Ellie would head down to San Diego every day for her fellowship she would leave early and return late due to the hours of the program as well as the traffic between the hospital and her new home. The weekend after they eloped, and with John's help, Ellie gave her landlord her notice and paid the penalty for breaking her lease several months early. The following weekends were spent packing up Ellie's apartment, turning in her keys, and moving her things over to John's house on base.
The house looked more like a home with the small touches that having Ellie's possessions granted their home. They now had throw pillows on the couch, a few photos and candles on various shelves along the wall, and John's once empty bathroom counter was now half covered with various bottles and containers of lotion, makeup, and other miscellaneous items that his wife deemed necessary to keep her looking as good as she did. He didn't buy it but let her have her fantasy. His mother had taught him early on in his relationship back when he was with Kathleen to choose your battles wisely and only pick the most fortified hills to die upon. He was waiting in bed when Ellie exited the bathroom, rubbing the last bits of lotion into her hands as she made her way to their bed.
"Did you get a hold of that lawyer that Polly and J.D. recommended?" She asked, sliding under the covers and into his arms.
"Yeah," John grunted, "He's retired now, apparently, but the firm just hired on a husband-and-wife duo who they got me in contact with. They really haven't practiced family law before, but it shouldn't take them too long to get up to speed with what they'd need to know to take on our case. Get this, they're former JAGs."
"Jags?" Ellie asked, giving her husband a confused look.
"Judge Advocate Generals – military lawyers." He explained, "Means they understand why our case will need to be dealt with as expediently as possible, since orders can come in at any time and deployments are usually pretty quick after orders come in. I mean, you saw how fast I shipped out last time. They'll try to get the adoption finalized as quickly as possible so you and Alex are set, if I have to deploy. I've also asked them to update my will for obvious reasons."
"Wow, how long do you think all that will take?" Ellie inquired.
"When I spoke to them, they assured me they would try to get everything settled quickly." John shrugged, "They decided to divide and conquer, the husband will deal with my will, power of attorney, and all that stuff, and the wife is studying up on family law so that she can submit the adoption petition on your behalf by the end of the week."
"Is there anything I need to do?" She asked, leaning up to meet his eyes.
"Not at the moment, they'll let us know when they need us to be there in person to sign documents and what not." He sighed, "She did say that she'll need a copy of your birth certificate and our marriage certificate, as well as your license, and a few other things, I wrote it all down at my office."
"Well just let me know what all they need when you get a chance, and I'll make sure to get everything together before we go meet them in person." Ellie rested against his shoulder. "So, what are their names?"
"Rabb," John shrugged, "Harmon and Sara, but I think they said to call the wife Mac, since that's what she's gone by since she was in the Corps. Maiden name was Mackenzie, so it at least makes sense."
"At least there won't be any confusion who we're speaking to you if Chuck and Sarah come down for the adoption proceedings." She snickered.
John grunted a chuckle, "True, now I only get you for another ten hours before you have to get back to your fellowship, and I plan to make the most of it."
"Oh really?" Ellie raised a teasing eyebrow to her husband, "Just what do you have in mind?"
"Kissing that sassy little smirk off your lips, for one." John rolled them over until he was hovering over her, pressing a sensuous kiss to his wife's lips, "Then we can move on to something we both will enjoy."
"What are you waiting for?" She challenged, "A little less talk, a little more action, Marine."
"Yes, Ma'am" John growled low in her ear and giving it a little nibble, reveling in the soft moan that broke from his wife's throat. As per his orders, he used no words to express his feelings for Ellie, although she may have cried out his name more than a few times before they collapsed, out of breath and sated.