(In the home of Natalie Berlittle, sits the woman in a rocking chair by the window. Natalie is no older than twenty-five but, she is already comfortable with her life. She is absently stroking her bulging stomach and watching the snow fall. It appears she is waiting for someone to come up the driveway.)

Natalie: (wincing as she feels a kick) Shh, little one, I miss him, too.(she rocks some more and hums a lullaby to her unborn child)

(The screech of rusted breaks from a car, resound around her and she stands to greet someone at the door.)

Natalie:(sticking her head out the door) Oh your here! I've missed you so much!

Blake: (dropping bags and hugs his wife) What are you doing out of bed? Your due in less than a month! (he closes the door shakes off his coat and carries Natalie to the couch)

Natalie:(huffing with mild annoyance) I'm fine. You can't expect me to just lay in bed all day. I had to shop, had to eat, bathe, and dress up the nursery.

Blake:(startled) The nursery? But you said we'd do that together.

Natalie: (laying on the couch, exhausted) You weren't here, my family is miles away and I didn't know if you'd be back in time.

Blake: In time for what?

Natalie (angry) To see your kid come in the world, Blake!

Blake: (shaking his head with a tired smile)If this is another mood swing baby, calm down. It'll--

Natalie:(jaw-drops in mid sentence and she shakes her head quickly, as she points a finger at Blake. Cutting him off.) You know what this is about! Don't put this on my damn hormones!

Blake:(rubs his face in defeat) Can't we talk about this later.

Natalie: No!We've put this off for too long!

Blake: (shaking his head) But, we've had this conversation already. This(making circular motions with his finger in front of her) always leads to my job. You knew what I wanted to do when you married me, by our second date you knew. So, don't act surprised, since I'm being called on longer and more trips.

Natalie: It doesn't matter. I hoped you would give all of this up, to stay with me, to stay with your son. Because you have that choice. (throwing a sack of papers and mail at him)

Blake:( grabbing the loose sheets, panicking slightly) How did you know about this? Were did you get it?

Natalie: From a package that came for you a few days ago. It says, you can be a recruiter, meaning(counting off with her fingers) you don't have to travel, be gone over night for weeks if not months, on end. (snatching a piece of paper from him, letting it hang in the air) You could come home everyday.

(Shaking his head again, Blake begins to pace. Muttering to himself)

Blake: The pay isn't that good.

Natalie: I don't care about the pay. I just want you home, with me every night.

Blake: (still pacing) I'll still have to travel.

Natalie: (getting irritated) You'll be home more often, so isn't that good?

Blake: I want to protect you.

Natalie: What are you talking about? You'll be here with me. You can protect me.

(Blake still paces in the room and Natalie struggles to get up and look at him)

Blake: (muttering to himself)

Natalie: Blake.

Blake: (muttering)

Natalie: (a little louder) Blake

Blake: (continues to pace and mutter)

Natalie: Blake Berlittle, look at me!!

Blake:(lifts his head) Yes?

Natalie: What's wrong? You don't want to be here? Is that it? (wobbles over to Blake) Tell me now, 'cause I'll leave.

Blake:(looking shocked for a second then grabbing her arms roughly) No! No, not that! Never that! I just...

Natalie: (brushing him off) Just what?!! Just what, tell me!

Blake:(Sighs. Falls to his knees and grips her legs) I want to be here. I want to see our son. The reason why I'm doing all these trips is because, I'm preventing war.

Natalie:(shocked) Preventing war? Why, whats going on?

Blake:(holding her closer) The Russians have been making threats for a while now. And, I'm paroling the border, helping with negotiations and keeping them calm.

Natalie:( looking down) But, why does it have to be you? Isn't there someone else, anyone else?

Blake:(shaking his head) I have the highest rank and I'm the best pilot. (looking at her) I only want a better life for our son. I don't want him to be born in the middle of war. I only need to do this last negotiation, one last patrol and I'll be home.

Natalie:(pushing him, trying to get him off. ) Let go!

Blake:(clings to her kimono) No!

Natalie:(shakes her legs, and pounds his shoulders) Get off of me!

Blake:(struggling to hold on) Please, Natalie!

Natalie:(slows her assaults and slides down in front of him) What if you don't come home?

Blake: (holds her face in his hands) I will. I'll always come home.

Natalie:(tears falling slowly over cheeks and voice breaking) And its just one more trip?

Blake: (nodding and whipping her tears away with his thumb)

Natalie:(nodding and sniffs) OK, last one and you'll join the recruiting office here.

Blake:(smiles and hugs her tight) I leave in two months, after our baby's birth. And, I swear I'll be a recruiter.

(Blake lets her go, gives her a long kiss and carries her to bed. He lays her down and crawls in with her. He holds her until she falls asleep and he is close behind.)

Blake:I love you.


(Three Months Later)

(In a hospital room, Blake is laying on the bed, hooked up to a heart monitor. He has bandages covering his head and chest. Telling you he has damage in those areas. Natalie is looking through the window, her baby, Micheal , in her arms. She's watching Blake with half-lidded eye, and slow, deep breathing. There is a man standing next to her, in official Navy garb.)

Natalie: I told him not to go. I begged him not to go. I should have tried harder. Plead with him, anything to get him to stay home with us.

Man: The Navy promises to handle any extensive care that he may need.

Natalie:(cocking her head, and with a tight frown) May need? He will need it and it's your fault!! Why didn't you stop him,Sean?! Your both the same rank, the same skill!

Sean:(eyes widen and speechless)

Natalie: Yeah, didn't think I knew about that, huh? Well I looked it up, you are both the best pilots on the force. You have no family, no wife. You could have stopped him. It's your fault! All of it!

Sean:(shaking his head and leaning against the glass) Natalie, please you'll scare the child.

Nurse:(walks in to the argument) If you want miss, I'll take the child to the nursery we have. I will watch him like a hawk.

Natalie:(handing her child over and mumbling) Thank you.

(When the Nurse and Micheal are out of earshot, Natalie turns her angry gaze back to Sean)

Natalie: I wanted him home with me. Uninjured, safe and smiling. Not this!(Throws her hands to the window.)

Sean: (Steps closer to her face, voice rising with each sentence) Natalie, he's my friend,too. You think, I wanted him like this, you think I wanted to see you cry and your child on the brink of not having a father?! You think, I want to go to sleep every night with that on my conscience?!! You think I want to feel the pain and guilt of that?!!

Natalie (slaps Sean hard across the face) You don't know the meaning of the word pain. You don't know what it feels like to go to sleep every night, alone and cold with out your better half. You don't know what if feels like to worry day after day, if their alive. (tears rolling down her face,voice high and shrill) You don't know what its like, praying that one of you, uniforms(she plucks at his official blazer at the word 'uniforms') don't come to my home, to my job with news that he didn't make it !!!

Sean: I tired to make him stay! He wouldn't listen!

Natalie: You should have tried harder!!

Sean: Your not the only woman going through this!!

Natalie:(grabs his shirt, shakes him hard) But, I'm going through it!! I'm here, going through it and all you can do is tell me I'm not alone!!

Sean:(grabs her hands) Yes, that’s all I can say! Because, nothing will make this better! Nothing will take the pain away! (softer this time) And if he dies, in this hospital, nothing will bring him back.

Natalie:(staring, wide-eyed and tear-soaked, she falls to her knees and cries) I don't want to think about it. He can't die. He won't die.

Sean: (sits down with her) Why? If it's his time, then what can we do?

Natalie:(shaking her head and rubbing her face) No one will be here for Micheal. No one to help him grow and learn.

Sean:(patting her back) You'll be here and I will,too.

Natalie(still shaking her head) No, I won't. If he dies, I'll die with him.



(Five Years Later)


(In the backyard, of a suburban home birthday balloons are strewn over the fence. Screaming children are dancing around the grass near a buffet table and gift pile. The birthday boy, has a golden, tin crown on his head and he's smiling broadly.)


Micheal:(bouncing around the jungle gym) Come on! Come on! Presents, presents!!

Woman:(laughing) Micheal, can't you wait until the cake?
(A massive cake is being carried by the lean woman and is placed on the table. The children circle around her including Micheal)

Man: Natalie, be careful with the lighter.

Natalie:(scuffing at him) I'm not pregnant anymore, Blake. I can handle it.

Blake:(helping her anyway) I know. (Kisses her cheek and ushers Micheal into his seat.)

Natalie:Make a wish, Mickey.

Blake:Then we can attack the presents! (winks and smiles at Natalie's eye roll.)

Micheal:(Thinks with his tongue sticking out and a thoughtful smile on his face with his finger on his chin. And with a laugh, blows out the six candles on the chocolate cake.)