Allahu Akbar!

"Michael. Hi, it's Ashely again."

"Good morning. It's good to hear from you. Or at least I hope it will be," her supervisor said.

"I'm not sure you'll like what I'm about to tell you, but I want you to know I'm very sure about what I want to do," she told him.

"Then I'm happy for you, although something tells me you won't be coming back here."

"No. I'm sorry but I won't. I'm going to take a job here working for the VA," she explained.

"That's our loss and their gain," Michael told her. "I'm sure you've taken care of your home or apartment and everything else back here, so if you can just send me an email letting me know your decision, we can send you the forms needed to terminate employment, and I'll be happy to write you a glowing recommendation if you need one."

"I'll be calling my realtor right after this and she'll take care of everything like the utilities and cable company. I'll need to get the movers in there ASAP, though. I'll be sure and send you that email, too. And while I already have the job, I may need to call on you in the future for that recommendation. If that's okay."

He chuckled and told her, "Anytime. You're one of the good ones, Ashley Morgan. We're gonna miss your smiling face around here."

"Thank you, Michael. I'm gonna miss you and the whole crew. You're all a great bunch of people and it was pleasure and my honor to work with you."

"Well, I guess this is it then. Let me know if there's anything I can ever do for you, okay?" he said.

"I will, Michael. And thank you for everything."

And with that, she was virtually free and clear from her old job. She banged out the necessary email immediately then called her realtor and a moving company. Without hesitation, she then called the Tacoma VA where she left a voicemail letting them know she wanted the job. She couldn't start until she was completely free from the Navy Annex and her paperwork complete, but that was pure formality.

She smiled when she realized she'd accomplished all that on a single cup of coffee then poured herself another one and smiled again when her thoughts turned to Bart and the amazing night they'd had together. No sooner had she begun daydreaming when her mom walked in and asked how things went.

"Better than I could have ever imagined, Mom," she told her.

"You love this guy, don't you?" her mother said using her intuition.

"I think I do," Ashley told her. "Don't say anything to Dad yet, though. I don't want to..."

Her mom laughed and said, "No need to explain, honey. I, of all people, understand."

They talked for a while about her decision, her possible future plans, and mostly about Bart.

"He seems like a wonderful man," her mom said.

"I agree. And he's so calm and thoughtful and caring."

"And handsome," her mother said with a smile. "I'm not so old I don't notice these things, you know."

"He is very good looking, and he makes me feel...beautiful and special."

"I know he's a few years older, but I don't see where that matters as long as you love him. He's had a successful career, has a pension and healthcare for life, and he's obviously capable of getting any number of other jobs. But mostly, as long as he cares for you the way you say he does, I want you to know you have my blessing, Ashley."

"Thank you, Mom. I just wish Dad was as understanding."

"Honey? Let me tell you something. Your father has a gruff exterior, but deep down he's as gentle a man as you could ever meet. And although he might not admit it just yet, he thinks Bart is a great guy and he knows you owe your life to him. That alone is enough to melt his stony old heart, okay?"

"I heard that!" they heard Edwin bellow.

"Uh-oh. The Teddy Bear just roared!" her mother said causing them both to laugh.

Before her father could probe for details, Ashley got a text from Bart and excused herself leaving her mom to share everything she'd just told her with her husband.

Edwin wouldn't admit it, but when Susan told him their daughter was staying in the local area, he nearly got choked up. Nearly.

"Well, that's great," he said. "That means she can finally go find herself a place to live!"

Susan didn't scold him or even make a face. She, too, was so happy nothing could upset her. And when Ashley came back and told her she'd asked Bart if he'd like to have dinner with them that night, Susan was in seventh heaven planning out the perfect dinner and deciding what she'd need to buy to make it for him.

"I ain't gettin' dressed up or nothin'," Edwin said immediately. "And don't go spendin' a lot of money on some expensive wine. That Gallo for ten bucks is plenty!"

The biggest surprise of the evening was Edwin inviting Bart to go out on the back porch and have a cigar with him after dinner. It was obvious the older man had thoroughly enjoyed the retired Marine's company and that he was grateful to him in a way he couldn't express. So having a cigar together was Edwin's way of letting him know he thought he was 'good people'.

The next day Bart called early again and asked if Ashley would like to spend the day together causing her to laugh.

"Like you have to ask," she told him. "Just let me know when to be ready."

They got together around noon and Ashley took him to all the standard tourist places like the Space Needle and Pikes Place Market where they had lunch at one of the many local restaurants.

It was there that Bart said, "I moved out of the Flea Bag Motel this morning."

"Oh. You haven't found a place to live already have you?"

"No. I wouldn't do that without talking to you first," he told her.

He reached over for her hands and said, "I moved into a five-star hotel because I was hoping you and I might possibly, you know, spend the evening together."

"Oh. I see," Ashley said unable to stop smiling. "Does 'evening' also include 'night'?"

"I'd like that very much," he told her.

"Me, too," she said sweetly.

"I want you to know there hasn't been anyone since Brenda," he told her unexpectedly.

Ashley sat there looking at him trying to understand how any man that attractive could go four years without making love, and yet she knew she had no idea how much he obviously loved his wife.

"Thank you for telling me that, Bart. I still can't imagine how awful what you went through must have been."

His eyes took on a kind of distant look as he said, "It wasn't nearly as hard for me as it was for Brenda. ALS is a vicious disease; one I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."

"Bart? I'm not sure why I need to say this, but I do. I want you to know I will never be jealous of your wife or expect you to stop loving her or talking about her. I only want to be able to love you in my own way and feel like that's enough."

He could see the genuine concern in her eyes and said, "Now it's my turn to thank you for telling me that. I could never stop loving her, but that doesn't mean there isn't room in my heart to love you, too."

She smiled sweetly at him and squeezed his hands as he quietly said, "Because I do."

"You...do?" she asked, her heart suddenly beating faster.

"I wanted to tell you after I kissed you when we were dancing, but the time didn't seem right. Even now I'm hoping I don't scare you off by saying it now, but...I do love you, Ashley."

Her eyes immediately misted up as she raised her bottom and slid over onto his lap and put her arms around him.

"I'm not scared of knowing you love me, Bart. My only fear was that you might not," she told him as she looked into his eyes. "I love you, too. I love you with all my heart."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I upgraded my living quarters then," he quipped trying to lighten the mood the way he often did.

Ashley laughed happily as she said, "I'd have stayed in the Flea Bag with you."

"That's fine, but I'd never have asked you to," he told her with a smile. "I want our first time to be as close to perfect as it can get."

"All that matters to me is being with you, Bart. Anytime, anyplace."

"You're not sleepy, are you?" he asked trying to be deadly serious.

Ashley understood immediately and feigned a deep yawn.

"Oh, my. Yes, I'm suddenly very much in need of a nap," she let him know just as 'seriously'.

"Well, I have this very nice hotel with a really great view."

"The only thing I plan to be looking at is you and your amazing body," she told him with a smile.

"In tat case, I'll make sure to change the dressing on my wee little bullet hole," he told her.

"Okay, normally, that would have totally disgusted me. But because I'm so...tired...it doesn't bother me at," she told him with an evil smile.

"Then how about you and I go...get some rest?" he suggested as she slid off his lap.

"I don't plan on resting at all for quite some time," she warned him.

"Ah. Okay. Forewarned is fair warned, right?" he said with a laugh.

"Oh, I am gonna rock your world, Marine," she told him as she laughed, too.

And rock it she did. Ashley was a very passionate and very skilled lover, and Bart had to call on everything he'd ever learned to try and keep up with her.

When she'd had her way with him a second time, she finally laid back and said, "Okay. Now we can take that nap."

The new couple spent nearly every hour of every day together the following week as Ashley formally terminated her ties with the Navy Annex and attended a 'new hire' briefing at the VA where she filled out another stack of paperwork required by the government. She'd be starting the following Monday which gave her four days of free time with the love of her life.

That Friday evening, Bart took her to a five-star restaurant in Seattle, and during dinner asked about her future living plans.

"Well, I don't think I'll be staying with my mom and dad much longer," she told him with a smile. "Why? Did you have something in mind?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," Bart told her. "I was thinking maybe you and I could find a place together. You know, not too far from your new job or your parents' place."

"Together, huh? I like the sound of that," she cooed. "Anything specific?"

"No. I'd like you to decide where we live. Once I'm ready to start working again, I can commute, if necessary."

"Housing is nearly as expensive here as it is in the DC area. Lakewood, Parkland, and Puyallup are all nice but very pricey."

"I've got a few bucks put away," he told her without revealing just how much.

"If we're going to be roommates, then we go 50-50. Period," Ashley let him know.

"I agree. If we were...just...going to be roommates, that is."

When he reached into his jacket pocket, Ashley's heart began pounding in her chest. When he produced a small, white-leather box, her eyes teared up. But when Bart got down on one knee, she began to cry.

"Ashley? You've told me several times how grateful you are for saving your life, but the truth is, you saved mine."

People were watching and someone recognized them, and the whispers grew as Ashley couldn't stop crying or shaking as the man she loved spoke.

"I never really believed I'd ever find someone else to love, and although I thought the girl who asked to sit down by me at the airport was very cute, I never dreamed I'd fall in love with her. And even after...the incident...I wondered if I'd ever find you or if you'd feel the same way. But I did find you, and I'm pretty sure you feel the same way, and if so, then that means you don't want to spend another day not being engaged to me because that's exactly how I feel about you. So...Ashley Morgan? Will you..."

Somehow, Ashley found her voice and nearly screamed, "YES!!" before he could finish the proposal.

As Bart was wont to do, he pulled back and said, "Well, if you're not sure and you need some time to think about it..."

Too happy to laugh at his dry sense of humor, she shot her left hand out and said, "Stop talking and put the ring on my finger!"

Bart slid it on, stood up, then helped her stand as people clapped and called out 'congratulations'!

"I love you, Ashley. I wan't us to buy a place together—as a couple—and spend the rest of lives our together."

He touched her pretty face then said, "And whenever you're ready, I'd like to start a family with you."

Now overwhelmed with emotion and unable to speak, Ashley just nodded as the tears flowed down her cheeks.

To say her parents were thrilled was an understatement of epic proportion. Susan cried when her daughter showed her the huge diamond ring, and even her father smiled and said, "You done good, honey."

Even more amazing was how when the next time Edwin saw his future son-in-law he told him, "Welcome to the family."

They began looking for a home that next day and kept looking each evening after Ashley got off work the following week. They found a gorgeous home out in the city of Spanaway that was about 12 miles south of the VA hospital and a little over 15 miles from Edwin and Susan's.

The engaged couple moved in the day they closed on the house, and once their household goods were shipped to the local area, they picked and chose what they wanted to keep then had a huge yard sale to get rid of the rest before buying anything else they still needed.

Five months later they married in the Base Chapel at McChord Air Force Base with several of Bart's best friends and family members in attendance. Colonel Jernigan was Bart's obvious choice of best man, while Ashley's mom was her maid of honor. She also served as the official hostess, and was a very busy lady for many weeks.

When they left the chapel there was a news crew from a local station that had been tipped off about the now-local hero getting married and asked them for an interview.

Bart was wearing his dress blues while Ashley looked stunning in her beautiful, white wedding dress.

"Colonel and Mrs. Patterson. Congratulations!" the local reporter said. "Can we get a few words from you?"

A man of few words he was and Bart Patterson said, "The murderer who shouted 'Allahu Akbar in the airport that day thought he was serving a great god. The truth is, he's dead and we're finally killing terrorists by the bushel basket. Eventually, they'll all either be dead or be relegated to living in caves again. My heart will always go out to those that sick bastard killed, but I will forever be grateful for having met the second love of my life because of his sick, twisted ideology."

"Mrs. Patterson? Anytime from you?" the reporter asked.

"I share my husband's sentiments. That was the saddest and worst day of my life. Allah was not great, and that hideous human being got what he deserved. And through all the heartache and pain for those I can never forget, I am more alive than ever and experiencing the best day of my life today. Terror lost that day and love won."

With that, the happy couple headed for the limousine waiting for them as the local reporter said, "There you have it, folks. Even the darkest clouds do seem to have a silver lining. Reporting from McChord Air Force Base where love has once again triumphed over evil, I'm Stacy Pike reporting live."

What Ashley hadn't told her handsome new husband is that she learned she was pregnant just two days before. She wanted to wait until after their wedding night to share the wonderful news. To say Bart was thrilled didn't do justice to the way he felt knowing he would finally be a father. But for now, all that mattered was loving his new wife with all his heart and supporting her in every way he could.

By the time their daughter was born, Bart took a job teaching high school, and Ashley took six months off. Six months turned into six years as she stayed at home to raise their child before going back to work.

During those years at home, she often wondered how she could have possibly known that the worst tragedy of her life would lead to more love and happiness than she could have ever imagined. And yet, as she watched her daughter playing or her handsome husband reading her a bedtime story, all that mattered was that it had.