Home is Wherever I'm With You

Chapter 3

The team watched as Andy walked into the station with a big smile on her face. She had been all giddy all week. The rest of A-shift thought it to be weird seeing that she was on edge everyday for the last two months. But clearly this week was different.

"Do you guys think she is bi-polar or something?" Jack whispered as they all walked into the beanery.

"Jack," Vic said, nudging him, "that's not funny," shaking her head, he knew she was serious despite the small smile that graced her lips.

"I know, I know, but come one up until 3 days ago, she had the shortest fuse,"

"Who had the shortest fuse?" Andy asked walking over to the coffee pot

Everyone let out a collective, "no one," except Travis who let out a confident, "you" causing everyone to look at him wide-eyed.

"Montgomery!" Dean yelled

"Well, I can't help it if I'm in a good mood this week," Andy said, stirring the creamer into her coffee.

"And this new good mood wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you asked for half the shift off now would it?" Maya asked looking at her friend over her cup of coffee

"Nope," she replied, popping the 'p'

"Oh come on Herrera, tell us all the juicy details of your personal life. It can't be a significant other because he's a ways away...unless you are being unfaithful." Vic said, wiggling her eyebrows to show that she was joking. This got a stern, 'are you serious' look out of Andy as she took a seat.

"Is it your mom again?" Travis asked cautiously.

"No it's not my mom, thank God. And I'm not cheating on my boyfriend, Vic. He actually isn't that far away anymore. He is currently on a plane that is about to land in New York in about an hour. And then he will be on a plane to Seattle at 10 o'clock, and then he will be here, which is why I will be leaving extra early to go pick him up." she replied trying to stop the smile from growing, because her cheeks were beginning to hurt.

"Oh, Ms.Herrera over here is so happy because she is about to get laid for the first time in over a year. Why didn't you just say that," Vic joked. Andy just rolled her eyes because before she could respond the alarm went off calling them to a fire.

***

He trudged through the New York airport carrying his military issued duffle bag on his shoulder. He was beyond exhausted. Before catching his first flight he had been fighting an actual war for about 48 hours straight and the very little sleep he was getting on the plane was disrupted by the occasional scream from a baby, or the shake of the child behind him kicking his seat like it stole its candy. He stopped to get some coffee from this place called Dunkin Donuts. He had never heard of it, probably because he lived on the west coast and for the better have of the last 3 years he was in some remote country, the name of which he still wasn't able to disclose. But he bought the coffee anyway.

Every now and then he would get stopped by people thanking him for his service, to which he would just reply with a simple smile or a slight nod. Now he remembered why he hated traveling in uniform so much. Even after being in the marines for so long he still didn't know how to reply to that. Are you supposed to say 'you're welcome'? It's not like he was doing anything for them personally so 'you're welcome' didn't seem like a fitting response. So he just left it at the smile or the nod.

Occasionally a child would come up to him and ask him questions. One little boy in particular was asking him all sorts of questions. He was touching all the pins and medals on his uniform, even asking if he could try on his hat, to which Robert replied by taking his hat off and placing it on the little boy's head. He even knelt next to him to smile for the picture the child's mother was taking. And after being stopped a few more times and getting saluted at he finally made it to his gate.