To say Katherine was excited was an understatement. The fact that she would be seeing her husband in less than 30 minutes was an idea she squealed about. Of course she hadn't been happy the whole time he'd been gone. In fact, it had been mostly full of tears, worry, and more tears. What could she say? It wasn't easy when your husband left you to go fight in a war (of course she loved her country but did it really have to take away the most important men in her life?) Jack, Davey, Race, Mush, and Spot had all been drafted that horrible day 4 years ago. She remembered the painful memory like it was yesterday.

"Hey Ace? I got somethin' ta tell ya." Jack had said as he walked through their little apartment door.

"What is it?" She asked glancing up from her cup of coffee.

But before he could say anything she spotted the yellow package clutched in his hands and her heart hit the floor.

"Oh no." She gasped clutching her chest. "Oh no! Please don't tell me what I think it is!"

Jacks gaze shifted from her face to the package.

"I leave tomorrow morning." He said looking just as scared as she felt. Before anything more could be said between them Katherine collapsed into a kitchen chair and sobbed into her hands. How could this be happening? Her whole world had just came crashing down on top of her.

"Don't cry." He says pulling her into his arms. "I don't want to leave with you in tears."

Naturally this only makes her cry harder but after a few minutes of her loud sobs she manages to pull herself together and look up at him.

"I won't cry if you promise to come back to me." She says thickly and wipes her wet eyes.

"I promise."

He didn't even hesitate and it fills her soul with reassurance.

"For sure?" It strange that she's the one needing reassurance, usually it's him asking the question.

"For sure."

And with that he lifts her up out of the chair and kisses her.

She snaps out of her flash back as a loud horn blows in the distance and almost scares her out of her skin. She brushes her curly hair away from her shoulders and stands up straight as an unmistakable navy ship pulls into the dock.

"Mommy look at this!" A shrill high pitched voice sounds from down the street. Katherine's heart leaps into her throat as she looks wildly around for her child. She spots the rambunctious little girl with brown curly hair leaning over the side of the rail and looking down at the water 40 feet below.

"Kathleen you get down from there!" She shrieks seeing her little feet leave the ground. Before another thought can go through her head Katherine lunges at the girl and yanks her down from the rail.

"Mommy let me down!" She complains and squirms her way out of Katherine's arms. Her baby blue dress is blackened from the dirty rail and she has a smudge of dirt on her soft cheek.

"Remember what I told you about running off like that? Oh look at your clothes! Your all dirty!" She says scrubbing the dirt away from her daughters face.

"I'm not dirty." She says indignantly and folds her arms. Katherine tries not to scream at the top of her lungs as her daughter insists on being so stubborn. She didn't have time to deal with Kathleen's 4 year old tantrum, Jack was coming back and as far as Katherine knew he didn't even know Kathleen existed.

Sure she'd sent him a million letters telling him how she was pregnant and hoping that he would come back to her soon. She had cried a lot during that time, not only was she with out a husband but all those letters she had sent came straight back saying 'letters are not permitted for Mr Kelly and his inmates.' She didn't know what that meant but it made her sad to know Jack had no idea about Kathleen. The only letter she had ever received from him was one sentence 'coming back in a fortnight love you.' Those seven words had been her saving grace and the longest two week of her life.

"Do you remember what I told you about your Dad?" Katherine asked the little girl. She nodded her face brightening suddenly.

"You said he's a solder and that he loves to draw." She said matter-of-factually.

"Yes, but what else did I tell you?"

"Oh! That he's coming home and he doesn't know who I am!" She said bouncing up and down on her heels. Her bright blue eyes scanned the crowed that was beginning to form around them.

"That's right, he didn't know I got pregnant with you when he left so it's gonna be a surprise." Katherine said grabbing the little girls hands.

"Do you think he will like me?" She asked her blue eyes growing wide.

"He will love you!" Katherine gushed just thinking about how much she and Jack were alike.

Just then a loud whistle blew making Katherine jump, she got to her feet and brushed off her skirt. She scanned the many faces around her searching for someone she might recognize, over to her left she saw Clara waiting anxiously twisting her engagement ring on her left hand. Katherine was just about to call out her her when something caught the corner of her eye. Men in navy blue uniforms were pulling out of a small door in the side of the ship, the board connecting the dock to the ship was full of men looking around wildly for there families. She heard many cries form women as they spotted their sweethearts and rushed up to them, Katherine smiled at the happy sight but silently wished she could be doing the same. To her left she heard Clara let out a shriek of joy and rush up to a tall familiar looking man with short black hair and brown eyes.

"Hey!" David called as Clara fling her arms around his neck and hugged him close. "How's my bride to be?" He asked sweetly.

Katherine grabbed Kathleen's hand and pulled her over to the couple, she didn't want to disrupt there moment but she needed to find Jack. David noticed her before she even said anything, he gave her a wide smile and gestured over her shoulder. Confused Katherine turned around and suddenly found herself starring into blue, nothing but glorious deep blue that made her want to melt.

"Heya Ace."

She let out her own cry of happiness and flung her arms around his neck and kissed him hard on the mouth.

"Jack!" She said feeling tears of happiness leak from her eyes.

"Man did I miss ya." Jack said pressing his face against her neck.

"I missed you s-so much! You have no idea how ruff it's been with out you around!" She said winding her fingers into his familiar locks of black hair.

"I missed you too, 4 years 3 months and 6 hours is way to long." He said softly hugging her tightly.

"You kept track?" She asked squeezing her eyes shut and trying to drink in his presence.

"How could I not? It was da only thing keepin' me sane." He said quietly and she felt his body shutter with a memory. She held him closer determined to squish everything bad that happened out of him.

"Oh I love you so much." Katherine said pulling back so she could look at him.

He hadn't changed much in appearance wise over the years, he still had his head of dark messy hair and a firm jaw line that made Katherine's knees weak. Still... there was something about the way his eyes didn't sparkle as much as they used to, something about the way his smile looked slightly off. It was almost like... almost like he'd grown up. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, just different, she could almost see the war still raging behind his eyes.

She grabbed the sides of his face and kissed him firmly on the mouth wanting nothing more than to feel safe in his arms again. Before she could loose herself completely in him she felt something tug on her skirt impatiently, it was as if watching her kiss Jack was getting boring.

"Mommy?"

Katherine pulled away from Jack so quickly it almost knocked her front tooth out. She looked down at her daughter that only came up to her waist and smiled down at the adorable little girl.

"Oh Jack, there's someone I want you to meet." Katherine says keeping a hand on his shoulder but turning to Kathleen.

"Mom?" Jack asked suspiciously his eyebrows raising.

"Yes, Jack this is Kathleen, Kathleen this is Jack. This is your dad." Katherine says crouching down go be eye level with her daughter.

"Wait what?" Jack asked his voice full of confusion.

"Yes Jack, this is your daughter. Don't you want to say hello?" Katherine asked glancing up at him.

"Are you serious? But- wait... I've been gone for four years Kath there's no way-"

"She is four!" Katherine said cutting him off. "I found out I was pregnant a few weeks after you left, don't freak out she's just a child."

Jacks face suddenly filled with overwhelming emotion, there were no words to describe it. It was almost like he looked guilty but it was over powered by joy and amazement.

"Kathleen?" Jack asked dropping to his knees beside Katherine.

"It was my mothers middle name... and it sounded like Katherine so..." Katherine said trailing off. Jack just stared at Kathleen at a complete loss for words. "I did write and tell you that I was pregnant but... They sent the letters back."

"Y-yea they didn't allow any outside mail... s-said it might... be a spy." He said struggling to get the words out. Katherine could hear the emotion in his voice as it made her heart grow.

Kathleen just stood there looking suspiciously at Jack as if he was the spy. Her soft brown curls that hung to her waist blew softly in the breeze and blew strands of hair on her her features looking remarkably like Katherine.

"Kathleen are you going to say hello?" Katherine asked straightening out her little blue skirt. She's motionless for another moment until she did something that surprised both Katherine and Jack. She stuck out her arms and placed her tiny hands firmly to either side of Jacks face. Her eyes narrowed farther and Katherine found herself suddenly nervous.

"Your tall." Kathleen said slowly.

Katherine blinked at her daughter, was that really the first thing she said to her father? Nevertheless Jacks face broke into a grin and he held her hands against his face.

"Youse is jus' like ya mother." He said his eyes momentarily regaining there original shine.

Kathleen's face broke into a grin identical to Jacks and she suddenly threw her small arms around his neck. Katherine had to give her daughter that, she was quite a lot like herself, she was very smart for a four year old.

"You mean you love me?!" Kathleen asked hugging him tightly. Jack laughed and hugged her back running a hand through her soft curls.

"Well of course I do!" He said breathlessly.

"But you don't even know me!"

"I know, but I still love youse." Jack said holding her little body against his chest as if he'd never seen something quite like her before. The sight brought tears to her eyes, for the last four years Katherine had been dreaming about this moment, it was even better than she imagined. She felt an overwhelming sense of relief as she watched her husband and daughter embrace, she'd been so worried Kathleen wouldn't like Jack. Then she'd been worried Jack wouldn't want anything to do with Kathleen... How could she of been so stupid? Of course Jack would love her, of course Kathleen would like him. After all she had spent the last two years of her life telling her nothing but good kings about her father, guess all those late night stories payed off.

Jack looked up at her and smiled, he reached out his hand and brought her to him so she could join in the hug. She gladly wrapped her arms around Jack and breathed in the scent of Kathleen's hair enjoying the feeling of security.

Finally after 4 years, 3 mouths, and 6 hours... Katherine felt complete again.