Never coming home

December 1st, Pearl Harbor (later that day)

Margaret's POV

"IM GOING TO BE AN UNCLE!!" Mikey shouts as he jumps of happiness around my bungalows living room

"Mikey please calm down! You'll hurt yourself!" I ask, but he doesn't listen

"IM GOING TO BE AN UNCLE! IM GOING TO BE AN UNCLE!!" He chants as he skips around the room like a 5 year old with his crutch in the air

Mikey's been able to walk for the past month but he still needs to use a crutch for support. The doctors say that he's been making great progress but that he still needs to take it slow. Clearly, Mikey forgot the meaning of taking it slow...

Suddenly he stops and turns around to face me, eyes wide open,

"Boy or girl?" He askes

"I don't know yet"

"Have you thought about names?"

"Mikey, I only found out I was pregnant two hours ago!"

"We need to tell Gee!"

"Oh no we don't!"

"What? Why not?! It's his baby!... Isn't it?" He frowns

"Of course it is Michael! But I don't want him to worry about me. He has enough to think about!"

"But he'll be so happy! You have to tell him!" He pleas

"And I will. But when the time is right! I don't want him to worry about me or the baby... Besides, he might
be coming home soon. I'll tell him when he arrives. That would be an even bigger surprise!"

"What do you mean he could be coming home? Do you know something I don't? Have they told you anything?"

"I don't know anything certain. But there has been some talk about bringing our boys home... I just hope it's true..." I sigh.

Mikey sits next to me on the sofa and puts his arm around my shoulders to comfort me.
Mikey and I have become good friends over the past few months since he arrived. I feel like he's my best friend. Or better yet, my brother.

"Don't worry Mags. He will come home and you'll be a family" he says giving me a small sideways hug
I look at him and smile, "I hope so Mikey... I really do..."
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Mikey's POV

I'm sitting in a small café having some coffee with Kristin after dinner.

We aren't exactly dating... Yet... But we've become rather close with each other. I like her, I really do! And
I think she likes me the same way... I've just been a little bit scared of making the first move...

"Mikey? Are you listening to me?" Kristin asks, snapping me out of my thoughts. I didn't realize that I was lost inside my head

"I'm sorry Kris, I didn't mean to be rude. I was just thinking about something..."

"Well I can see that!" She says smiling, "but what's the matter? What were you thinking about?" She asks taking another sip of her coffee

"It's just... This whole situation with Margaret and my brother..."

"What do you mean? You don't approve?"

"No that's not it! I couldn't be happier for them! I love them both! Mags is like a sister to me and Gerard is on cloud nine when it comes to her! And now they're going to have a baby! It's perfect!"

"Then what's the problem?" She asks

"It's too perfect! Everything is just going so well for them! Even though Gerard isn't here, they're so happy together and I'm... I just..."

"I don't understand Mikey, don't you want them to be happy? Are you jealous or something?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then what is it?"

"I'm scared! I'm scared that everything will go wrong for them! All I want is for them to be happy, but what if that doesn't happen? What if something happens to my brother? What if he doesn't come home? I can't stand the idea of him not being here for me, for Margaret or for his unborn child!" I didn't realize I started to cry until Kristin reached for my face and cleared the tears from under my eyes with her thumb.

She leaves her hand on my cheek gently caressing my scars while she smiles at me.

"You're a good brother Michael Way. You care so much for your brother and for his happiness."

"He's my best friend Kris... I can't loose him..." I sob a little

"And you won't. I'm sure nothing will happen to Gerard. He will come home to be with you and with Margaret and the baby. And before you know it, you'll be an uncle!"

After drinking our coffees I give Kris a ride home. I park in front of the bungalow and turn around to face her

"I'm sorry I broke down like that... You shouldn't have to see me cry." I look down a little embarrassed. But soon after I feel her fingers under my chin lifting my head up so I can look at her again

"You can talk to me about whatever you want, whenever you want. I will never judge you. And the fact that you just told me what scared you, without hesitation, just confirmed what I already knew..."

"And what's that?" I ask a bit confused

She leans in closer to me. So close I can feel her breath on my face. My heart starts to race. My God she smells like strawberries. Her eyes shift from my lips to my eyes. She stares right into them. I have a lump in my throat and my heart feels like it's about to jump out of my chest. She's so close.

"That you're a good man..." She whispers. She closes her eyes slowly and gently kisses my lips. A small peck. Not even enough for me to taste her lips. She pulls away smiling at me with her cheeks blushed.

"Goodnight Mikey" she says, starting to turn away and opening the car door.

I grab her hand, stopping her from leaving. She turns around to face me, her eyes wide. I lean in closer to her and place my hand on the back of her neck. Before she can say anything I kiss her. At first, we were so surprised by what was happening, that our lips didn't move. But after a few seconds she melts into the kiss and so do I. It's not a hungry kiss, and it probably isn't the best one, seeing that I never kissed a girl before. But I put every emotion I have into it. Our lips move in sync. The more we kiss the more I realize how stupid I was for not doing this earlier and how I really feel about her... I think I might love her...

She's the first one the break the kiss. Before she pulls away, she places another small kiss, like the one before, on my lips. When she pulls away, we both stare into each other's eyes.

I don't know how long we stayed that way, but a voice broke our state of hypnosis making us both jump in surprise,

"Kris! Are you coming inside or what?" Margaret is standing at the door with a huge grin on her face with Lindsey and Jamia behind her, giggling like crazy.

Kristin and I turn the same color of a tomato. She turns around to face me and whispers a small and barely inaudible "Bye" before she's out of the car and running inside.

Margaret steps aside to let her in and Lindsey and Jamia jump her with questions. Margaret stares at me still smiling. I can feel my cheeks burning as I wave goodbye and say, " 'Night Mags"

" 'Night Mikey! Drive home safe!" She waves back, clearly trying to control her laughter

I start the car and pull away from the bungalow and back into town, to my small one bedroom apartment.

As I'm driving, I can't help but start laughing about everything that just happened. Looks like I have a girlfriend... I can't wait to tell my brother about this! Maybe I'll tell him the same day that Mags tells him
about the baby.

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December 3rd, Pearl Harbor

Margaret's POV

I've been banging on Mikey's door for ten minutes now. I know it's too early for him to be up, but this is important!

"MIKEY OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!"

"ALRIGHT IM COMING! Jeez Mags!"

He finally opens the door in his pajama pants and no shirt, scratching his head and squinting his eyes because he forgot to put on his glasses. Before he can say anything I wave a piece of paper in his face,

"HE'S COMING HOME!!"

"Who's coming home?" He asks in the middle of a yawn

"Who do you think?! Gerard is coming home!!" I say. I'm smiling so much I feel like my face is about to split into two

Mikey stares at me wide eyed, "What did you say?"

"Gerard is finally coming home Mikey! I just got his letter! They're bringing our boys home!"

Before I know it, Mikey is hugging me so tightly that he lifts me off the ground.

"He's coming home! We're going to be a family!" He says.

"Mikey... Can't... breath"

He puts me down and looks at me. He's crying and so am I.

"Is this true? Or am I still sleeping? He asks

"No Mikey, you're not sleeping. Gee really is coming home."

He hugs me again and we stay like that for a while, taking in each other's happiness.

Notes

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update :( not only have I been in exams season, I've been having a really big writers block. I just couldn't get the chapter to flow properly. I've lost count of how many times I erased and redid this chapter.

But anyway, how's everyone doing? Is everyone okay? How are you enjoying this story? Can you please give me so feedback? I would really appreciate it and I would love to know your opinions. Please, don't be afraid to let me know what you think. Also, don't forget to vote and subscribe please.

A lot of love to all of you!