Morgan slammed the lid closed after she removed her overnight bags from the Audi's trunk. She stepped back onto the side walk as she pressed the remote lock button, and headed towards her apartment. The weather was finally starting to cool off in preparation for Fall. It was bright and sunny, but a cool occassional breeze ruffled the leaves on the ground. Chloe had grabbed her backpack and run ahead to play on the swings while she waited for her Mom to catch up.

"Morg! Girl!"

Morgan shifted her eyes up as Charmaine stood outside her front door leaning against the railing.

"Oh hey, Char.”

“Hey Girl, I haven’t seen you in a minute."

Morgan nodded, shifting the bags in her hand.

"Yeah, I've had a lot going on.”

Charmaine sucked her teeth.

"Girl, don’t I know it. Meet you out here at 9?”

“Definitely.”

They nodded, and Morgan continued to her apartment. She dropped their overnight bags in the living room and put the clothes in the dry hamper. Then she sat Chloe down at the kitchen table to do her homework while she tidied up the living room. Devon hadn't done much damage to any furniture - mostly thrown things around as if he were having an overly dramatic hissyfit.

Chloe's feet swung back and forth under the dining table, bouncing off the legs of her chair. She wasn't paying any real attention to her addition and subtraction worksheet, instead she was rambling on and on about Mr. Justin. Morgan couldn’t help but smile at how attached Chloe had gotten. Part of her was still nervous about letting Justin become such a big part of their lives, but she could see him being around for a long time. Even if they weren't 'together', he didn't seem like the type to just walk away. Chloe needed the kind of stability Justin provided.

Truthfully, both girls needed it; a strong male figure who would do everything in his power to guide and protect them. Morgan needed someone who could help keep her emotions in check, and Justin had already seemed to play the voice of reason for her more than once. More than anything she needed a safe place to land at the end of the day. Someone who would always support her, even when she wasn't being very supportive of herself.

Morgan made her way to the kitchen and began to start their dinner: four pieces of lemon pepper baked chicken, wild rice, and green beans. Two of the pieces were for her and Chloe, and the other two were for Justin. She had a feeling he'd be by sometime through the night during his shift. Even when he didn't come in to visit he always at least stopped by just to say hello. Once she'd peeked out through the blinds and caught him filling out paperwork on her porch in the dark.

After dinner Morgan got Chloe bathed and dressed for bed. She took a moment to herself to shower and twist her curls into a bun before heading outside with two cold beers in hand; only to find that Char had already beaten her to their usual spot. Char looked up from lighting her cigarette as Morgan took a seat.

"Chick, where were you last night? Noticed you weren’t home. Why was your door busted open?”

Morgan sighed deeply, cracking opening her beer and taking a couple of swallows of the cold liquid before answering.

"Devon is what happened.”

Char's head turned toward her with a snap, anxiously waiting for the story to begin.

“Girl! What happened? What he do? Where's your car?”

“The busted door was the result of Devon deciding he wanted to rear his ignorant head. He went in there and threw all my stuff around. Looks like a tornado landed in my bedroom. I guess that means he finally got the child support enforcement papers in the mail.”

Morgan crossed her legs and slouched back in her seat. Her beer was already half gone and she could feel her blood pressure beginning to rise.

“Yeah, when the law comes after they ass they decide they want to be big and bad. What'd he do to your car?”

“He painted some crap on it. I forgot what it said. But, you know I couldn’t bring it home, or pick up Chloe in a car with shit written on it.”

Char shook her head in disbelief.

"He is another type of crazy, girl. Some of Tre's home boys were walking by yesterday and saw it. If Tre didn’t have my phone I would have called you before you got to the house.”

Morgan nodded, taking another swig.

"It’s fine.”

Char took a drag from her cigarette and pointed towards Morgan’s spot in the parking lot.

"Whose car is that you're driving?”

Morgan stared across the complex, barely making out Justin's Audi in the distance. She was quiet for a moment before taking a drink.

"It’s a rental.”

Char looked at Morgan, her face slowly shifting into a knowing smile. Morgan took another hard swallow, watching Char from the corner of her eye.

"Rental? Uh huh. Well, it's a nice one.”

Morgan didn't say anything, and luckily Char didn't question her any further. She went off on a tangent about whatever argument she and her boyfriend had gotten into the night before. Something about a girl sending Facebook messages. Morgan wasn't paying much attention. Thinking about Justin's car had only caused her mind to wonder about the weekends upcoming events.

She and Chloe were going to Family Day with Justin's unit tomorrow. What was she supposed to wear? What were they going to do? Would the other Marines like her? A million 'what if's were running through her head. But as nervous as she was, she was twice as excited. Justin spent a lot of time on base, and years with the men in his unit. He didn't talk much about what he did in the service, and she was finally going to get a chance to see what his job was all about.

 ~*~

Morgan opened the door to Justin's black car, careful not to bang it on the shiny maroon paint of the sedan next to them. As she stepped out a gust of wind slipped under her floral skirt, nearly blowing it over her head. She shrieked, smoothing a hand over the fabric to keep it down. She glanced back into the car at Justin. He was leaning over the armrest, watching her with a smile. He'd obviously just gotten an eyeful. Justin wiggled his eyebrows before climbing out of the drivers seat. The breeze had no effect on him in his shorts and plain white tee shirt.

He reached for the handle on the backdoor, smiling to himself as a little girl with curly black hair tied in a high ponytail bounced up and down on the seat. Chloe had already undone the straps on her carseat and was impatiently waiting to be released. She'd been in the backseat for 45 minutes asking endless questions about guns, bad guys, Captain America, and the guards at the gate they'd just come through. Morgan had explained that they were going to a picnic on a military base, but all the other fine details had passed right over the little girls' head.

"This is where you go to school to fight the bad guys?" She asked.

"Something like that," Justin said.

Morgan met them at the back of the car, looking around at the parking lot. The sun was shining bright, and red, white, and blue balloons were blowing gently in the breeze. Chain link fences encircled the property, the only entrance being the front gate, staffed by five armed MP's. Ahead of them was a large gray building proudly flying the United States flag, the California state flag, the Marine Corps flag, and the Regiment's flag on a staff pole cemented in the front lawn. Several buildings of various sizes and colors were spread over the grounds, connected by concrete walkways laid into the lawns. Families were miling around the parkinglot, slowly making their way towards the gray building. Justin picked up Chloe, supporting her weight on his hip, and took Morgan's hand in his.

"Are all the guns in there?" Chloe asked.

"Nope. Those are locked up in the armery. This is the administration building, where all the POGs report."

"POGs?"

Justin chuckled when Morgan and Chloe questioned him at the same time.

"Personnel other than grunts."

"Grunts?" Chloe asked, her forehead wrinkling as she frowned.

"I'm guessing you're a grunt," Morgan said.

Justin nodded.

"Grunts do all the work, POGs push all the paper. I swear I don't know how they get laid."

"Laid?" Chloe's head tilted to the side.

Morgan's eyes grew wide and Justin struggled to stiffle his laugh. He switched Chloe to his other hip, blocking Morgan's accusatory glare.

"Don't repeat that anymore," Justin told Chloe. "You're going to get me into trouble."

The tiny group climbed the short flight of steps into the gray building and passed through a set of double doors. Inside the building was trimmed in solid, dark oak. The heels of women's shoes click-clacked on the tile floors. Someone's twin boys were racing matchbox cars in the corner. Red velvet ropes laid out a path from the front door to the auditorium in the back of the building, preventing visitors from wandering into offices. Morgan wordlessly followed Justin as he joined the line waiting to check in at a folding table placed near the auditorium doors. Justin set Chloe down on her feet, motioning to a hallway with a jerk of his head.

"The base commander's office is that way."

Morgan looked. It was a long hall with a painting of President Grant at the end.

"Is that your boss?"

Justin laughed again.

"Something like that."

A few minutes passed as they waited for their turn at the check-in table. Servicemembers gave their names while family members signed in and provided ID. After check-in they received a nametag and a flyer with a map of the grounds and a schedule of the days events. When they stepped up to the table, a young Marine in green cammies saluted Justin. He quickly raised a hand to salute back, and Chloe mimiced his movements with a grin.

"Staff Sergeant Timberlake," he said.

"Good afternoon, Sergeant," she grinned. "And who's this?"

All eyes turned to Morgan, and she blushed involuntarily.

"This is my...." he paused. "Morgan."

Morgan's smile faltered for a fraction of a second. The woman with the clipboard smiled, handing Morgan's ID to the silent Marine standing with her.

"I'm Chloe!" A voice declared from the vicinity of Justin's legs.

When the woman smiled down at her, Chloe took a step back and reach up to grab Justin's hand.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Chloe and Morgan. Welcome to the 23rd regiment. I'm Francis, the FRO."

"FRO?"

"Family Readiness Officer. I manage all matters pertaining to unit family readiness. If there's anything you need while your Marine is deployed, in the field, or even drunk on the kitchen floor at home you just let me know."

Morgan raised an eyebrow and looked at Justin, whose cheeks had turned the faintest shade of pink. Her Marine, huh? Interesting.

"I'll remember that, thank you."

Francis took a sharpie and wrote the girls' names on two white labels, which Morgan stuck to her and Chloe's chest. Then they followed the flow of the crowd making way into the large auditorium.

The room was decorated in the Regimental colors of red and blue. Banners and steamers hung from the walls, and balloons and tassels were tied to anything that would stand still. Rows upon rows of white chairs had been setup across the floor. Some were sectioned off with placards that read Reserved, but the others were clearly a first come, first served basis.

As Morgan was taking it all in she lost her spot between Justin and Chloe, only realizing it once she was nearly knocked over by a lightning fast child darting through the crowd, and a short redheaded woman with a baby on her hip chasing after him.

"Excuse me!” She harped quickly, barely glancing back at Morgan. “Trevor! Get back here!”

Morgan was taken aback by the abrupt rudeness, but wasn’t able to dwell on it long without being involuntarily pushed forward by the group coming in behind her.

She kept her eyes forward, scanning the area for any sign of Justin.

"Morgan, over here!”

Her attention shifted to the far right, where Justin stood with hand in the air. She sighed with relief, making a quick exit from the chaos and claiming her spot beside her daughter as she sat in between her and Justin. Morgan continued to survey the area around them. Groups of people were huddled together in varies spots. There seemed to be a lot of large families with kids ranging from preteens to infants.

“Are there always this many people?”

Justin nodded, chuckling at the anxiety on Morgan’s face. He reached behind her and rubbed the back of her neck, easing the tension in her neck and shoulders.

"We as the Marines may be few, but we have a lot of people that are proud.”

Morgan nodded in understanding as she looked around, tucking her feet underneath her chair as people moved back and forth in front of them. Some of them excused themselves as they bumped her, but most just kept moving. Morgan was about to ask if everyone was always this rude as well, but a sound of tapping coming through the speakers cut her off.

"Good morning, everyone. If you could all find a seat we can get started."

Francis, the FRO who seemed entirely too nice to a Marine, was at the podium at the front of the room. People began to scatter and dispurse, finding the remaining seats in the crowd. An older woman with short gray hair sat on Morgan's right, while another Marine sat on Justin's left.

“Thank you very much. Parents, families, friends, and above all, Marines of the 23rd Regiment, welcome to the 47th annual Family Day BBQ! It is an honor and a privilege for me to be here, and to have the opportunity to participate in this special occasion. Let me first offer my congratulations to you recent graduates assigned to your first duty station or MOS. Congratulations, you made it! We welcome you and your loved ones to your first Regimental picnic."

Morgan glanced over at Justin just in time to see him roll his eyes.

“But there is no support system like family. For all of us. The love, devotion, support, loyalty, and dedication of our loved ones is what makes us get through each day, through thick and thin. So I’d like to thank all the extraordinary military spouses and family members in this audience for your service and sacrifice. We simply could not do this mission without you."

Chloe shifted in her seat as she sighed heavily, swinging her legs back and forth and pulling at a string hanging from the end of her sundress. She turned her body and tapped Morgan’s arm.

"Mommy,” she whispered.

Morgan never took her eyes from the FRO, but leaned down to hear what Chloe had to say.

"I’m hungry.”

“We'll eat soon. You have to wait honey.”

Chloe sighed again flopping back in her seat with her arms folded. She looked up at Justin, who didn't seem to be paying her any attention.

“Let me also thank all of the active and reserve service members who are here today. I know there’s a great many of you here. Thank you all very much for your service and for your sacrifice. Thank you for choosing to serve our country. Thank you for your willingness to step forward, for your willingness to protect this country and to put your lives on the line in order to defend your fellow Americans."

“Mommy?” Chloe interrupted again, tugging on Morgan’s dress.

Morgan shifted her eyes.

“What is it, Chloe?”

Chloe thought for a second before answering.

"Um, when can I go play? This is boring."

Morgan patted Chloe’s leg reassuringly.

"Honey, please, you will be able to go play later. Right now we all have to listen to the speech.”

"Our democracy exists today because of brave people like you who are willing to stand up and defend it. You have all committed to giving something back to this nation. You have stepped forward to serve in uniform, and as I said, you stepped forward with a willingness to put your lives on the line. You are the heart and soul of what keeps this country safe."

"Mommy?" Chloe started again.

This time Justin answered before Morgan could.

“Chloe what did your Mom just say?”

Justin raised an eyebrow, and the little girl went quiet. Chloe looked from Justin to her Mom, but Morgan quickly turned and looked straight ahead as if she hadn't even heard. She knew Chloe was a little thrown off by Justin's sudden seriousness. Morgan was a grown woman, entangled in a sexual relationship with him, and even she wasn't used to the stern side of him.

“She said I have to wait,” she said meekly.

“That’s what I thought. Now, you sit right here -quietly- and wait until the speech is done. Do you understand?”

Justin spoke in a hushed tone, as not to disturb the guests around them. But, his low voice didn’t take away from the seriousness of his words. Chloe sank down into her chair under his gaze, and subconsciously Morgan did so as well.

"Yes, sir,” she whispered as she turned her eyes forward.

Morgan and Justin looked at each other, their eyes briefly meeting. Then they turned their attention back the speaker without a word. Morgan was smiling inside. Chloe needed a Father-figure, and that included structure and discipline just as much as it did love and attention.

"During this past decade, our nation has depended on Marines to confront determined enemies and threats around the world. We’ll never forget the more than 1,400 Marines who’ve paid the ultimate price for this country since 9/11, some of whom resided at this very base."

A low chorus of 'oorah' arose from the crowd. Morgan looked over at Justin, and his bright blue eyes had darkened to a near steel gray.

"In Iraq, Marines went after the enemy in their own strongholds – taking Fallujah in some of the deadliest fighting of that war. In Afghanistan, Marines wrested control of Helmand province from the Taliban. Our nation will never be able to adequately express our gratitude to the men and women who have stepped forward to protect this country since 9/11; but with enough cases of beer we can damn sure try! So, again, thank you for joining us for this annual family celebration. Enjoy! Semper fi."

Applause sounded as Francis stepped back from the microphone, signalling the end of the induction ceremony. Chloe hopped from her seat, anxious to move on to something more fun. The group of military family and friends milled out through three sets of double doors into a large open field. Multiple picnic tables were set up, draped in red and blue table clothes. Patriotic balloons were tied in random places: table legs, tree limbs, and the support poles of an old volleyball net set up off to the side. Groups were wandering around the area, choosing where to sit and starting to load their plates. Some were heading off to explore the base and tour the different facilities.

"Are you hungry?" Justin turned to her. "If you're hungry we should eat now, because there won't be anything left by the time 2nd Battalion gets here."

"I'm hungry," Chloe answered. "I want a hotdog."

"Okay," Morgan squinted at Justin as she slid on a pair of aviators. "I'm hungry too. Let's get hotdogs."

"Serge! Is that you?"

A loud voice pulled their attention to the right, and two smiling Marines were making their way towards them.

"Is that him?" One was saying to the other as they approached.

"Yeah, that's him."

"I almost didn't recognize him, standing with a chick and shit."

Justin rolled his eyes and half-heartedly raised his hand when they saluted him.

"Wilson, Billingsley, glad to see you two are taking advantage of the lift on the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy."

The two Marines were unphazed, turning their attention to Morgan. They each offered a handshake, each announcing their last names as they did so.

"I'm Morgan, and this is my daughter Chloe."

"Hi Chloe," Wilson dropped to a knee, meeting her at eye level. "I have a little girl your age too. Her name is April. Do you wanna come meet her?"

Chloe looked at her Mother, who nodded in approval. Then she looked back at Wilson and nodded excitedly. Wilson smiled back and motioned for Chloe to follow as he headed toward the picnic tables.

"Come on, Serge, we saved you a seat. Only saved you one though because you usually come alone, so it may be a tight squeeze."

Billingsley, who'd been quiet so far, started to walk at Justin's side. He was grinning like a Chesire cat, practically skipping across the grass. His eyes never left the Serge, and he never said a word, but the smile stayed plastered to his face. They arrived at a red table in the back of the field, where two other Marines and their families were conversing animatedly. A blonde woman smiled as they approached.

"There's Timberlake now. I thought maybe you weren't coming this year."

Justin swung a leg over the wooden bench, plopping down.

"I'm only here for the free BBQ," he said. "Morgan, this is Elaine, Wilson's wife."

Elaine shook hands with Morgan and introduced her daughter April. She was a blond little girl with green eyes and two missing front teeth. Neither little girl was shy about their newfound friend, and they ran off to play in the nearby sprinklers without even asking for permission. Morgan smiled, taking a seat on the bench next to Justin. He turned to her, sliding a pair of Oakley shades over his eyes.

"I'm gonna get a burger. I'll grab a couple hotdogs."

"Okay. Thanks."

Justin stood up, heading towards the food tables with Billingsley still smiling at his side. Morgan smirked as she watched Justin walk off towards to the food table. She didn't know if it was all the exercise and training, or just the way he was naturally built, but he sure did have a nice, firm--.

"He's a great leader, that one," Elaine interrupted Morgan’s admiring.

“Yeah, he seems like it from what I can tell by --I forgot his name-- the one guy following Justin around.”

Elaine chuckled, picking at a piece of cantalope on a paper plate.

"Billingsley. He loves Timberlake. A lot of the guys in the platoon look up to him. He's the reason they come home alive."

"How many guys are there?"

"In this regiment, there are about 3,500 guys, but they're divided amongst a few bases. Here, there's around 500 on this base, depending on what orders are. Timberlake commands about 30, including my Lance Corporal."

Morgan nodded, staring back over at Justin as he moved through the line shaking his head in amusement as the other men spoke with enthusiasm.

“Your daughter is beautiful."

"Thank you."

"She seems to have taken a liking to the Serge.”

"You call him Serge too? I thought only the guys called him that."

"Everyone calls him that. It's more a nickname than a rank now. Can you think of anything more fitting with the way he bosses everyone around?"

Morgan giggled and nodded, looking out at Chloe as she ran through the sprinklers. She was squealing delightfully, shaking wet curls out of her face. The weather was pleasant - pleasantly hot. She was glad that she'd lathered them both with plenty of sun screen before leaving the house.

At the food tables, Justin and the other men were making progress in the line and had begun to fill their plates with assorted items: corn on the cob, potato salad, chips, and watermelon. Wilson was in front, while Billingsley brought up the rear, effectively squeezing their Sergeant in the middle.

"So," Billingsley finally spoke, "who's the chick?"

Justin raised an eyebrow from behind his shades as he squeezed ketchup onto his burger bun.

"You met her. Her name's Morgan."

"Uh huh," Billingsley sounded, "but, who is she?"

"What Bills is trying to ask is, is she the one who sent the cookies? Is that our new unit Mom?"

Justin couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Yes, she's the one who sent the cookies."

"Ah-ha! So that is our new Mom!" Willings exclaimed excitedly.

"She's cute. And she cooks? Good job, Serge," Billingsley patted him on the back. "Hey, can she make us more cookies?"

Justin was about to make a comment on how they'd both barely passed their last combat readiness fitness test and obviously didn't need any cookies, when a voice even more authoritative than his called his attention.

"Sergeant!"

His head snapped to the right, meeting the eyes of Lieutenant Colonel Mason, who was heading straight for him. Justin quickly ditched the paper plates in his hands, straightened his back, and raised a hand in salute. Billingsley and Wilson, too close to ignore the senior officer, followed suit. When the Lieutenant Colonel reached them he saulted back.

"At ease, gentlemen," he said.

Justin relaxed a little, holding his hands behind his back and unclenching his jaw.

"Sir."

"Timberlake, I hear you're the man responsible for the raid in Bagram earlier this year. Four insurgents killed, three captured."

"Yes, sir."

"I also hear you had a KIA?"

An image of Willings' face as he'd played with the kids in the streets of Afghanistan flashed before Justin's eyes.

"Yes sir," he said firmly. "He was a good Marine. It only pushed us to complete the mission, sir."

LCol. Mason nodded.

"Good job, Marine," he said. "You and your men will be deploying again soon. Tensions are rising in our relationship with Pakistan, and soon after we'll need boots on the ground near Syria. I know you'll make HQ Company proud."

Justin nodded in understanding, and saluted the Lieutenant Colonel again, holding his position until the older man walked away. After he was gone, Justin sighed heavily, turning to his Corporal and Lance Corporal.

"Alright, Pakistan," Wilson smiled. "Back to the sandpit."

Wilson and Billingsley began to talk amongst themselves, going over a checklist of all the things they wanted in future carepackages: soccer balls, calling cards, baby wipes, bacon bits. Justin looked across the lawn at Morgan. She was laughing with Elaine as they watched their girls play. The sprinklers had been shut off, and now the kids were playing with the volleyball net, running back and forth underneith it.

Deployments for the 23rd ranged from anywhere between a month and a year. Knowing the Middle East, it would probably be closer to the latter. While he was used to it, he wasn't thrilled about it. He had just gotten used to being home again, Elaine had probably just gotten used to having Wilson back, and Morgan -- poor Morgan had no idea what a deployment entailed. Justin turned back to his paper plate of burgers and hotdogs. Suddenly lunch didn't look nearly as appetizing.

Back at the unit's table, Morgan was listening intently to Elaine as she told a story about Justin's first deployment in Europe.

"Willings refused to admit that he was the one who'd stolen the uniform, and Justin, of course, couldn't find it anywhere. So, the next morning Serge didn't show up for formation - since he had no pants - and got stuck with latrine duty for a week. He still doesn't know Willings was the one who did it. Chad took his secret to the grave."

Elaine had been laughing and giggling her way through the story, but now she had a far off look in her eye and her voice had gone quiet. Morgan got the feeling that Chad's passing had been a big deal to the unit.

"Sounds like Justin and Chad were close," she said.

Elaine 's brow furrowed momentarily.

"Close? They were joined at the hip. They grew up together, joined together. They almost died together. Serge made it out, but he took Chad's death pretty hard. He hasn't talked to you about him? I guess I shouldn't be that surprised."

"What happened to Chad?" Morgan asked.

It saddened her heart to think about Justin going through so much and losing someone so close to him. But, at the same time she was interested to hear about his life from someone who knew him. Maybe whatever had happened with Chad had something to do with his dream. Unfortunately, it didn't look like she was going to get an answer to her question. Elaine started to speak, but closed her mouth. Inside, she was torn. She liked Morgan, but her loyalties were to Wilson, and staying out of his CO's personal business.

Luckily, their conversation was cut short when something in the distance caught her eye, and she hurridly began to fix her hair.

"Chad is the least of your concerns right now," she said lowly. "They're coming."

"Who?" Morgan asked.

She turned, expecting to look out at the open field where the kids were laying on the grass, and instead came face-to-face with a grinning redhead in a blue tank top and loose jeans. Next to her was a slightly younger woman with stick straight brunette hair.

"Hi," they chirped in unison.

Morgan's eyebrow rose involuntarily.

"Hi Pam, Karen," Elaine said politely.

Pam took a seat, carefully swinging a leg over the bench.

"How are you Elaine?" Pam asked. "I'm sure you're glad to have Wilson home."

Elaine's smile lit up her whole face at the mention of her husband's name.

"It was an adjustment having someone take over 80 percent of the bed, but I'm dealing."

Pam smiled and folded her hands on the table, turning her attention to Morgan.

"I thought I saw a new face so I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Pam Mason," she offered a handshake. "This is my friend, Karen."

"Hi," Karen chirped again.

"This is Morgan," Elaine provided.

Pam nodded.

"You came with Staff Sergent Timberlake, right?"

Morgan nodded. Gee, word seemed to travel fast around here.

"Yes, he invited me and my daughter."

Pam's eyebrows rose momentarily. Then she caught herself, and the smile returned to her face. Morgan's eyes narrowed slightly. She didn't like fakeness, and this Pam person had it written all over her.

"Your daughter? That's lovely."

"How long have you two been together?" Karen asked.

Morgan shrugged.

"I met him at the beginning of summer," she said.

It wasn't a lie, and it also didn't reveal much information.

"Have you dated a Marine before?"

"No."

"What about your kid's Dad? How long have you been seperated?"

Morgan paused, looking over Pam and Karen. Their plastic smiles were frozen in place. Morgan glanced at Elaine before turning back to Pam.

"I'm sorry, who are you again?"

"I'm Pamela Mason. My husband is Lieutenant Colonel Mason, the base commander."

The base commander? Justin's 'sort of' boss. Great.

"Oh, okay," Morgan sounded. "I'm new to all this. I don't know much about how management and rank and all that works."

The women all stifled a giggle.

"They're superior officers," Elaine said gently. "Not managers."

Morgan bite her bottom lip, inwardly wishing a hole in the ground would open up and swallow her. First, these two women had come out of nowhere, giving her the third degree about a relationship she wasn't even sure of. Now, she was making an idiot of herself by not knowing any of the terms, jobs, or even who the surperior officers were. It was obvious to everyone that she hadn't spent much time 'talking' with her Marine.

"What do you do for a living?" Karen asked.

Her slender fingers were toying with the thin silver chain around her neck.

Morgan's annoyance must have flashed acrossed her face because Pam hurried to explain.

"Karen doesn't mean to pry," she said sweetly. "But, she's become attached to the men in 23rd and she's a little overprotective - something like a big sister. So many girls have a fantasy about dating a Marine."

Morgan took a deep breathe. What, exactly, was this woman trying to insinuate? She was no girl. She was a grown woman with a child. But, if this was the bosses wife the last thing she wanted to do was lose her temper.

"Absolutely," Morgan agreed. "If I see any girls sniffing around him I'll be sure to take care of it."

Pam and Karen exchanged a look, and Elaine smiled. Then, the brunette excused herself to get something to drink.

"I hope I didn't offend you," Pam said. "We just want to do our part to make sure our guys aren't being taken advantage of - especially Justin. He's important to his team, being a leader is a big responsibility. His needs to be able to keep his head in the game at all times."

Morgan nodded, turning to glance over her shoulder at the food tables. Justin had been on his way back, a red plate with two foil wrapped hotdogs in one hand, and a blue plate with an overloaded burger in the other. Wilson and Billingsley were following along, carrying paper plates and plastic cups of their own. Karen had saunted over to them, her little white denim shorts riding higher on her legs with every step. Morgan thought of her own thighs, and the small section of cellulite she was still trying to burn off. Chloe had long since killed her days of short-shorts in public.

The two Marine's following Justin didn't stay to listen to the conversation he was having with Karen. They only stayed there a moment, letting their eyes sweep up and down her figure before excusing themselves. It was hard to read Justin's reaction. He wore his usual stony expression, and his eyes were hidden behind dark lens. Morgan could guess what was happening, but the flirtacious way Karen was twisting her hair around her finger. Then she smiled and leaned into him, her hand reaching out ever so briefly to slide something into his pocket.

"Somehow," Morgan started grimly, "I don't think Justin needs our help."

It was dusk by the time the group of visiting families began to file back into the parking lot. After Karen's secret exchange with Justin, Pam had left the table to find her husband, and Billingsley distracted them all with jokes and insults he'd learned from a drill instructor at boot camp. The group sat together, talking, laughing; trading embarassing stories from the field. Wilson and Elaine held hands, much to Billingsley shagrin. Morgan devoured two hotdogs, and split a third with Justin after he'd put away his third burger. Chloe had picked at her hotdog bun, then settled on stuffing her face with cheddar and sour cream potato chips and carrots instead. April, like her Mom, picked at a few pieces of fruit.

Afterward, Justin had given them a mini tour of the grounds. They visited the firing range, one of the training courses, the mess hall, and the barracks. He'd lead them through a maze of halls before arriving at a big, rundown room filled with lockers and bunk beds, and pointed out the mattress he'd slept on during the previous month's drill weekend. Morgan could only smile to herself as she thought of the late night text messages they'd exchanged as he laid here on this lumpy, thin, twin sized mattress surrounded by snoring men while she tossed and turned, lonely in her Queen sized bed at home.

The day had flown by, hours passing too quickly for either of them to notice. Chloe had started to complain half way through their walk, claiming her stomach hurt and her legs were tired. Justin swooped her up, ignoring the curious glance from Wilson and a knowing smile from Billingsley. During the long trek from the back of the base to the front parkinglot the little girl had succumbed to her exhaustion. Now she was deadweight in Justin's arms, her cheek mashed against his shoulder, and damp, black hair spilling down his back and chest.

Before heading off in their different directions, the group said goodbye, shaking hands and giving hugs. Justin and Morgan went to the black Audi, where Morgan climbed into the passenger seat while Justin gently placed Chloe in the back. She only woke up for a moment, her groggy lids barely opening long enough to take in the car's interior and call for her Mom. By the time Justin had buckled her in and climbed into the driver's seat she was asleep again. He glanced back at her and let out a sigh while shaking his head.

"What do you feed that kid?"

Morgan laughed.

"You're the one who got her a plate of potato chips. I hate to think about how many calories that was."

Justin smiled to himself, digging into his pockets and fishing out his phone before dropping it into one of the cupholders. Then he put his hand back into his pocket and pulled out a slip of white paper.

"Did you meet that chick, Karen?" He asked.

"Yeah," Morgan answered.

Her brown eyes stared at the piece of paper in his hand. Her heart rate was increasing with each passing second, her mind swirling with questions. What had they talked about? How long have they known eachother? What was on the paper? The dark, heavy feelings of anxiety, fear, and jealousy were growing in the pit of her stomach.

"She stuck this in my pocket," he said simply, sliding the key into the ignition.

"What is it?"

Morgan waited for him to say 'nothing' or 'none of your business' like Devon usually would. Instead, Justin handed her the piece of paper and busied himself with putting on the seatbelt and cracking the windows to let in some fresh air. Morgan unfolded the paper, her eyes soaking in elegant, swirling calligraphy written in blue ink.

Under her name she'd scrawled the 10 digits of her number, and a big heart. Morgan read it over and over, dread starting to fill her veins. Maybe she could memorize the number and call this brazen brat before he did.

Not that it would do her any good. If Justin wanted to talk to someone there was very little she could do about it. He also probably wouldn't appreciate her meddling in his business like that. While their relationship was more than friendly, she was in no way his girlfriend. Maybe she'd been a fool to think that he wanted to be a permanent fixture in her and Chloe's lives. Their relationship had begun more than 2 months ago, yet they hadn't even had a conversation entertaining the idea of being exclusive. He was a freebird, free to fly to whatever nest he wanted. Reluctantly, she folded the paper and handed it back to him.

"So, what are you gonna do?"

She shouldn't have asked, but she couldn't help herself. Karen was a tall, pretty girl with nice thighs. Morgan couldn't exactly blame him if he did decide to call her. Maybe she should have just been happy he was forthcoming about the note and left it at that.

Justin shrugged, reading over the note again. Morgan was waiting for him to slide it back into his pocket, when suddenly he started to crumple it between his fingers instead. The paper was twisted into a tiny ball, and half-hazardly tossed out his cracked driver's window.

"Take you home, and go to work," he said simply.

Justin turned, putting a hand on the back of her seat as he backed out of the parking space. Morgan stared out the windshield, watching the administration building draw further and further away. No one saw the small smile of relief that played across her lips.

Morgan’s eyes stared at the road as her thumbs tapped against the steering wheel, drumming the beat of the song playing on the local radio station. Her stomach began to grumble, not from hunger, but anxiety. She had a destination in mind, and she couldn’t believe that she was really going through with it. Even though it was long overdue, she couldn’t believe that she'd finally built up the courage. Her sudden change of heart had a lot to do with the previous day’s events, mainly Justin.

Spending the day with him at the Marine Corps’s Family Day put a lot of things into perspective regarding her and Chloe’s safety, and their lives in general. The stories that Elaine, Wilson, and Billingsley had told her, were so inspirational. It not only shed light on Justin’s already seemingly wonderful character, it also highlighted her own selfish behavior when she should have been focusing her attention on protecting Chloe. How could she be so prideful and egotistical? She had sacrificed their safety simply because she didn’t want to ask for help.

What if she had stayed in the apartment the night of the break-in? Anything could have happen. Devon could have come back for her and harmed Chloe in the process. Just the thought of it made Morgan nauseated. She was so glad that Justin had been there to talk some kind of sense into her - even if he'd had to damn near shake it into her. Now, she understood a little bit more of what his life was about; and had an all new appreciation for the time, energy, and selfless dedication that Justin and the other Marines put into protecting not only the families that they held dear, but also families they barely knew, and families around the world they would never know.

Suddenly, everything had become so clear. She knew now that it was time for her to protect herself. Slowly, she guided her car into a parking lot, and drove down the aisle until she came to an empty park in front of a large brown brick building. It was brightly lit inside, with people filing in and out of the double doors.

Morgan stared up at the building, taking in a deep breath before turning off the engine and pushing the car door open. Then, she grabbed her purse, hiked it up onto her shoulder, and slammed the door shut. She checked her reflection in the window; smoothing her hair, and shaking out her red t-shirt and black capri slacks. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, Morgan turned on her heel and make her way towards the glass doors. Her eyes bore holes in the design painted on the doors - a gold shield surrounded by 'Police Department' in white letters.

It took a moment but she finally wrapped her fingers around the silver door handle, took a breath so deep she could feel her lungs expanding in her chest, and stepped into the building.