I am sitting alone in the den when Bethany comes down stairs and straight for the kitchen. She seems to be in a hurry. I follow thinking that she is sleep walking like the last two times that she has gotten up.

It is now four o'clock and Decker has gone to get Bethany's family from the airport. Granger has gone to get some groceries. Everyone has called to check on nerd. Except for Thermo.

Bethany stops in front of the fridge and gets her juice out. She starts drinking straight from the bottle. After she has drank about a quart of the juice, she lowers the bottle and looks at me. Her eyes are open.

"Hi honey! When did you get home?" She sets the bottle back into the fridge and walks to me.

"I got home this morning." I lower my lips to her's. I took my first kiss since Wednesday morning. I set her on the bar stool and continue kissing her. Showing my woman how much I have truly missed her.

We broke apart for some needed o2. "Welcome home! I assume that you guys didn't have any problems."

"Not a one! So! You wanna tell me what went on with Thermo?"

"Nothing that I know of. He brought me some nasty ass mickey-d's for lunch Wednesday. I ate it without thinking about it while I worked. He didn't come back so I kept working. I did finish the tap. Didn't I?"

"You did. It works like a charm. Sanders and Marquez are impressed." She smiles and kisses me again. "Sanders wants you in his office Wednesday. You are to take Monday and Tuesday off. Thermo will be dealt with."

"I love you, Tanner Cline!"

"I love you too, Bethany Adamson!" I gave her my lips again. Bethany wraps her legs around me and brings me closer. I squeeze her ass with one hand as my other hand tangles in her hair.

My Bethany has her hands inside my shirt and rubbing my chest.

"Tanner, take me to bed."

"I would love to. But we can't! But God I want to!"

"Nobody is here!" She whines. Causing me to laugh. Beth pinches my nipples. Causing me to moan. Beth laughs.

"I wouldn't say that we are nobody!" We hear Braden or Jaden, say from behind me. My money would be on Braden. He's the immature one.

Bethany gasped and looked around me. "Mom! Dad! Jaden! Braden! You're all here!" She stood and went for the hugs and kisses.

"Of course we are! We had to come to take care of you." Brian told his daughter as he got another hug. "I've missed you baby!"

"I've missed you too, daddy! But you don't have to use the excuse of taking care of me. You are welcome any time! Welcome to Washington!"

"Groceries are here!" We turned to look at Granger.

"Thank you, Granger! I'm starving!" Bethany told him as he sets the bags down.

"Well eat all you want! I made Thermo pay for it." Bethany, Decker, and I laughed at that. We sat and ate the pizza on the deck. Afterwards, Decker and I washed the dishes. "Well I'm headed out. Good to see you walking with your eyes open, nerd. I'll see you next week." He hugged Bethany as she hit his shoulder. "Great seeing you all again."

He shook everyone's hand. "Especially without an injury. Right Beth?"

"Shut up, Braden!" She replied instantly." Everyone laughed.

I love this relaxed atmosphere! I get to share it with my woman and friends. My phone rings. "This is Chris. I'll take it over there."

"Tell him hello for me." Bethany tells me.

I nod and smile. "Hey brother!"

"Well you sound chipper. What's up?"

"Just got home and spending time with Bethany and her family."

"How is my future sister-in-law?" He asks.

"She's getting better. She worked on a project for fifty hours straight. Not even taking more than a piss break. So she was dehydrated and exhausted. It was a rough day for her." I pause as I see Bethany laugh with her family. That is what should happen every day. "So what's up with you? Are you ok?"

"I'm good. Gracie was served for divorce. She responded that the videos were created from fiction. My lawyer wants to have the boys talk to a certified counselor. Tell their own stories. I gave him access to the security footage. That way she can't say that we doctored them."

"That is good news. How are the boys doing?" I ask.

"They are doing great! They did tell mom and dad some shit that Gracie did to them. So if I need to, I'll have them testify."

"Bethany and I can tell what we saw on the video too. Count on us!"

"Thanks brother! I was actually going to ask. I also had a drug dog go through the house. He found a couple pipes, but that's it. Thankfully. I've also hired a babysitter. She is my partner's wife. So Gracie won't be able to get to the kids."

"Sounds like you got it under control."

"I hope so. I can't let my boys be hurt again. I feel like I failed them already."

"No you didn't fail them. They acted normal around you. Or you would have known what was happening. Do not blame yourself. That will not do the boys or yourself any good. You are a great dad! Always remember that."

"Thanks, Tanner! I guess that I needed to hear you say that."

"I am proud of the dad that you are. Always have been."

I hear the boys laughing at something apparently really funny. "Hi uncle Tanner! Tell aunt Beth that we love her!"

"Well hello boys. I love you too! But I will tell Beth that you love her."

"Is she around? We want to talk to her."

"She is here. Her family is visiting." I go to Beth. "The boys want to say hi. Do you mind?"

Bethany smiles and takes my phone. She puts it on the speaker. "Hello my young men! How are you?"

"Aunt Beth! We are great! How are you? Is uncle Tanner being good to you?" They were all trying to talk at once.

"Whoa! Slow down guys. I'm good. And uncle Tanner is taking very good care of me. How was your stay at grams and gramps?"

"It was awesome! We went fishing and gram bought us our own tent and sleeping bags. Gramps told us that we have to camp out if we are going to be real men! So we camped out two whole nights! Then we came home and momma has moved out." I guess Parker has become the spokesman for the the trio.

"How do you feel about that?" Bethany asked in a subdued voice.

"Well at first, we were afraid that she would come back and hit us." Tristan said.

"Then daddy said that she won't be able to hurt us." Parker added.

"That makes me happy." Hudson said quietly.

"You know that you can always talk to your daddy, uncle Tanner, gram, gramps, and me. About any thing."

"We know! That makes us feel better. We love you aunt Beth!"

"I love you too, young men!"

"We got to go brush our teeth before bed. Good night aunt Beth and uncle Tanner! We love you too Tanner!"

"I love you too, boys! Good night!"

Then they were gone. "Well you heard them. They are happier now." Chris said as he took the phone back.

"We are happy about that."

"Thanks brother. Now I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Good night brother!"

We explained what happened to the boys and how we outted their mother.

"Those poor babies! What they must have gone through." Sherri said sadly.

"That is one reason that I became a cop. Then I responded to a child being abused. The child was killed by his mother's bed buddy. So I became a homicide detective. To give justice to the victims." Brian told us.

The weekend passed in a blur. We show the family the base and where we both work and Beth's apartment. General Sanders calls me and tells me to bring Bethany to base in uniform on Monday morning. She is getting a promotion for her dedication to her job. I decide to let her family know.

Monday morning, 9:00a.m.

Bethany will be taking her family to the airport in a couple hours. I call her.

"Hey honey! You miss me already?" She answers my call.

"I am! General Sanders called and wants you here at ten, in uniform. Can you make it?"

"Umm, yes. But I can't be long. The flight leaves at one."

"That shouldn't be a problem. Bring them with you. That way the General can't deny you leaving. He would be reminded to hurry up."

"Good thinking! We will be there!"

"Great! See you soon, sweetheart. I love you!"

"I love you too!" We hung up.

At nine-thirty, I get a call from Bethany. I tell her to meet me at General Sanders office. My entire team meets us there. We will all witness the small informal ceremony. We are in the conference room when Bethany comes in with her family. She instantly knows that something is up when she sees us.

"What's going on guys?"

This is the same conference room that we were in with Cameron. Except now, there is a large American flag on one wall. There is also a small platform under it. That is where we will witness Bethany receive her new stripes.

Everyone lifted a shoulder as an answer. We introduced the team to her family.

General Sanders walks in with his assistant. We all saluted him and he responds with his own.

Bethany is instructed to stand beside the General on the platform. I grab Brian and follow. Brian is holding the box with the new patches as he stands on the left of the General. I stand on the General's right. I know that Jaden, Braden, Decker, and Granger are all recording the short ceremony. Brian hands the General the new patches. "Congratulations Staff Sargent Bethany Adamson! You have earned your stripes! Awesome job!"

Bethany salutes the General as she says thank you. The tears on her face are simply beautiful! I fell a little more in love with her in that moment. I look at her family. I can see the love, respect, and admiration they have for Bethany. The team is the same. Except they hide most of their feelings.

We walk out of the office. "Let me buy you all lunch. Meet us at Momma Tia's?" Everyone agrees and we leave. Well actually everyone had already agreed and gave me their orders. Except for Bethany. We will eat a buffet style lunch. That makes it easier for the restaurant.

We get there and go to the party room. "Where the hell is Thermo? I know damn well that he was told to be at the office by nine then here. I told him myself." I ask Decker quietly.

"I don't know man! I called him this morning. He said that he'd be there." Decker replied.

"Want me to call him?" Slice asked just as quietly.

"No! Apparently he doesn't want to participate with the team anymore. I'll deal with him later. I don't want to make this about him. It should be about nerd."

"Amen brother! She looks good in stripes!" Granger added with a laugh.

And she does. The stripes top off a huge smile that hasn't left her face since she showed up with her family. We will hold our own special celebration tonight. Just the two of us.

We all sit to eat. As we settle and have our drinks, I see Thermo come in to sit.

He is acting as if he wasn't late. I will also deal with that later. He's gonna be pissed when he finds out that he will be staying home next week. I just can't depend on him any more. Especially when Beth is involved.

I stand with my sweet tea, that Beth has started me on. "Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Every eye turned to me. "I want to thank everyone for coming to help celebrate. We have an awesome team and family. Bethany, thank you for joining our team and making us more like a family! Congratulations on your promotion! Cheers to Staff Sargent Bethany Adamson!" We all lifted our drinks in a salute as her face turned red.

"Cheers! And congrats!" Everyone said and drank.

We started eating. Then Thermo leaned over. "Staff Sargent? When did that happen?"

"This morning. If you had been where you were supposed to be, you'd have seen it happen." I replied.

"I forgot. I didn't know that it was mandatory."

"But lunch isn't mandatory and you are here just in time to eat." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You got a problem with me eating on your dime?"

"I will discuss this with you at the office after lunch. We will not screw up nerds lunch with her family. They are leaving in a little while."

"Whatever!"

"If you don't show up at the office at fourteen hundred for a meeting with me, we will clean out your locker."

"Its that serious?" He asked.

"It is exactly that serious."

"I will be there."

"Good decision!"

"Apparently the first one he's had this week." Granger added.

We eat in peace for an hour as we all talked and laughed.

I paid the bill. "Hey, nerd. You better get going or you'll miss their flight."

"Oh you are right! Let's go dad and mom. You can't miss your flight." She turns back to me. "I'll be by the office after I drop them off."

"You are off duty until Wednesday, nerd." I respond.

"I know! But I want to talk to y'all for a moment. As a team! So I'll see you all later. Don't argue with me." She smiled her beautiful smile. "Bye for now!" She left with her family after they shake all of our hands.

We go to the office. Thermo is there within moments of me walking into the office.

"I need to know where the fuck your head is. So spill!" I tell Thermo.

"I've just been busy with my new girlfriend."

"I'm calling bullshit! A new girlfriend would not make you forget to do your job. You were in charge of feeding nerd and making sure that she didn't work past midnight. You carried her fucking Mc Donald's for lunch on Wednesday. That was the last time you even showed up!"

"Are you sure? She hates their food!"

"I'm positive! You failed to bring her dinner. You failed to make sure she went home. You failed to carry her breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Thursday! You failed to make sure that she went home Thursday night! You just fuckin failed her! And your job!" I finished with a raised voice. I need to calm down. "She was there from six hundred Wednesday until nine hundred Friday. No sleeping, no eating, nothing! Because you failed her miserably!"

"I didn't mean to. Jessica makes me lose my head. All I think about is her. I will apologize to nerd."

"So is that your excuse for not paying her the two thousand for the bet? You forgot?"

"Man, that was a pussy car. I don't give a fuck what y'all say. None of you would drive that car!"

"I asked about the money that she put into the car. You were supposed to pay that too! Yet you haven't!"

"I personally think that this has more to do than a woman. We have all had women that made us fall hard. Most have dumped us because they don't like our jobs. Broke our hearts and we still did our duty."

"You have a very valid point. What is it, Thermo?"

Thermo just shook his head. Indicating that he didn't have another reason. "Slice! We need a pee cup." Slice goes to get the cup for the drug test that Thermo will have to do. "As of right now, your are on probation. For ninety days. There will be no trips for you. Any questions?"

Slice came back with the cup. Thermo stood and pissed in the cup right there. "Nah! I know where I stand with you guys. Anything else? Boss!"

"Watch yourself! If you don't participate in unit business, you don't do the trips. Apparently you have forgotten that."

"And yet you expect me to believe that nerd worked that long without a break to eat or sleep? I'm calling bullshit!"

"When we came back Friday morning, we found her at her office working. She thought that it was Thursday evening." Decker told him.

"She was asleep within two seconds of General Sanders leaving. She didn't even know that we moved her to the lake house." Granger added.

"She was dehydrated and exhausted. She never woke up through the examination." Slice told the dumbass.

Nerd enters the office. "Hey nerd! Congrats again!" Granger said as he hugged her.

"Thanks! You guys are the best!"

We all got our hugs. "I want to talk to Thermo. Privately!" They went into the inner office.