“We'd only be lucky if he came home and killedyou,” Mark muttered. He thought he kept it quiet, but both womengasped and stared at him.
“Excuse me?” Her eyebrows went straight up intoher platinum-blond locks.
“I said,” he repeated for her benefit, turningto look right at them, “we'd only be lucky if he killed you.” Hepointed a finger right at her. “Listen, they don't need you to makethem better. They need you to fucking understand.”
Both women glared at him.
“Our guys, they are over there so you can sit onyour ass and eat bonbons or whatever the fuck you eat wheneveryou’re not out at the bar crying in some stupid bastard’s beerabout how lonely you are and getting yourself fucked in the fuckingbathroom. They may not like what you say but they will defend yourright to say whatever fucked up asinine shit you come up with. Soshow them some goddamn respect!” Mark was shaking as his angercoursed through him.
Both women gasped. “How dare you!?”
Mark smirked at her. “Bitch, please. I dare awhole lot more, but I'm being really fucking nice right now. Youdon't fucking want me to be mean. Take your shit and get the fuckout of here.” Patrick would say he was channeling his DrillSergeant self.
Both women took one look at him and decided hewasn't one to fuck with. They left, mumbling to themselves. Ohyeah. He was so fucking ready for Patrick to get home. He wasgetting as bitchy as Ryan.
***
After Mark's trip to the supermarket, Sandydecided she would just get his groceries when she bought her own.Her reasoning was simple. She could kick their asses while Markcould only shred their dignity.
Mark picked up the phone on the second ring. Itwas close to Patrick's home date. He couldn't wait.
“Hey baby!”
Mark grinned. Patrick never called him ‘baby’unless he had good news.
“How's Fido doing?”
It was Patrick's way of saying that he wascoming home. They worked out their own little code during Patrick'sfirst deployment.
“Pretty good, but getting older by the day.”Mark replied easily, which meant 'when are you coming home?”
“Now you know better. He's just a pup. Threedays and our baby boy will be one whole year old.”
Mark gasped, and couldn't keep the smile fromhis voice. “Oh really? You always liked the dog better than me.”That meant 'I fucking love you and can't wait until you get home.’“Three days-- really?”
“Yup. Anyways, I can't stay long. Just wantedyou to know that I was thinking about Fido.”
“Uh huh. Understood, babe. I'll even give Fidoone hell of a birthday party.”
“Good. Love you, Mark.”
***
After Patrick got home everything began tohappen at once. Ryan and Alexander were heading home a week later.Brendon had gotten his orders to head back the same week. He wascoming down to Hood before he shipped out.
Phillip was nervous. It was really stupid,seeing how he'd been in several of these. Of course he was alwaysthe one coming home, but still. It had been nearly a year sincehe’d last seen Ryan. Letters, emails, pictures and the cam-to-camchats were all well and good, but not what he really wanted. Now inone of those six buses sat the one thing he wanted more than hisown life, and he was fucking nervous as a sixteen-year-old virginon her prom night.
The band was playing some sort of cheesy songabout yellow ribbons, and everyone looked as nervous as he did.Tory was chewing on her lip so much he was worried she'd makeherself bleed.
“They like to do this,” she grumbled. “We KNOWthey are in there and they want us to work ourselves into a frenzy.I'm not doing it this time,” she said stubbornly.
“Uh huh,” Patrick drawled, laughing.
“Oh fuck off, Patrick,” Tory muttered. “Look!!”She punched Phillip in the arm when she noticed the guys rising outof their seats on the bus. “They're coming!”
Phillip couldn't fault her. He was tempted tonail Patrick who glared at him as if he knew what the much tallerman was thinking. Tory's smaller hand slid into his and they bothwatched as the buses began to unload their cargo.
What seemed to be forever later, all the buseswere empty. One by one they began to pull away.
