:.AmericaxReader: A Military Wife.:

It was that time of year. That time where the holidays decided to creep around the corner. Christmas was intended to be a very joyful and happy holiday, a time where families would come together and forget about any type of hardships that was happening. Being a military wife, the holidays were never something to be happy about. Your husband, Lieutenant Alfred F. Jones, was always away for weeks at a time, sometimes up to a few months. Thing is, you knew what you were getting yourself into the moment both you and Alfred began dating, so you couldn't really complain since this is the life you chose.

As you finished putting a shiny ball ornament on the Christmas tree, there was a knock on the door. The stepped off the plastic step ladder and smoothed out your house dress. You opened your front door to Matthew Williams, Alfred's younger brother and your brother-in-law. Matthew would constantly check on you, sometimes three times a day, to keep you company when the American was away. You enjoyed Matthew's company profusely.

"Hey, Matthew," you greeted warmly, opening the door ever more slightly to allow him access into the warm house. Matthew kicked some snow off of his boots and entered the home.

"Have you heard from Alfred yet, _____? To see if he is to be home for the holidays?" he asked, taking off his scarf and turning to face you. A feeling of sadness and anguish washed over your face. The question was painful for you, since you knew Alfred was never home for the holidays. He would always make promises to you, saying he would try his hardest to be with you during Christmas, but it always turned out the same.

"I talked to him yesterday. He said he most likely won't be home," you said, your voice dropping to a low whisper. Your (e/c) eyes became glossy as tears started to form. Matthew felt immediate guilt for asking such a question. The Canadian always forgot to censor what he said when he was around you. You were a very fragile woman, even more so when you were married to the Army man.

"_____, I'm sure he's trying his hardest to be back before Christmas," Matthew smiled sympethetically at you, "You can't lose hope so easily. I'm sure he's talking to his command right now, demanding for him to be sent home. You know as well as I do that Alfred can be one hard headed man," You smiled softly at Matthew's comment and wiped your eyes free of the salty liquid that threatened to escape your eyes. You were thankful to have Matthew with you when Alfred wasn't. Things would never be this peaceful if he wasn't.

"Oh, that also reminds me, ______. Since Alfred isn't here to throw his usual "Christmas Bash", he wanted me to throw it for him, and he wanted you to be there," said Matthew. You shrugged and shifted uneasily in your place. It didn't feel right to go to a party that was supposed to be hosted by Alfred Jones, if he wasn't even here. Made you feel like you were betraying him somehow. But, Matthew was a good person to you, and if Alfred wanted you to be there, you just had to go.

"Alright, I'll come," you said softly, flashing a faint smile at him. Matthew's smile grew to a grin.

"Great. It's going to be at my house, tomorrow at 5:00. You better be there," Matthew wrapped his scarf securely around his neck and opened the front door, disappearing out into the snowy weather. You stood in the doorway, watching Matthew's silhouette getting fainter and fainter.

"I will. For Alfred,"

Time Skip: Tomorrow at 5:00

You walked up the pathway to the doorstep of Matthew's house. Every time you told yourself you weren't going, Alfred's voice and obnoxious laughter would ring through your mind, and it was indirectly telling you that you had to go. You did play it simple though, wearing a plain black dress that stopped mid-thigh and black pumps. Your (h/l)(h/c) hair was tied up in a neat bun. There was no reason to get all dolled up for a Christmas party. In your heart, you knew it wouldn't feel the same without the one person that even made the party alive.

Before you could raise your fist to knock on the oak door, it flew open to an overjoyed Matthew. A huge cheesy grin was plastered on his face. You've never seen Matthew this happy before, and it made you awfully suspicious.

"______! You're here! Come in, please," Matthew stepped out of the way and you cautiously walked in. Everyone, which was practically every one of Alfred's friends, had the same goofy grin on their faces. Now you were really suspicious. Even Lovino was smiling, which kind of scared you. What's with the dorky grins? You were spotted immediately by Alfred's close friend, Gilbert.

"Hey, _____! The awesome me is happy to see you again," Gilbert said obnoxiously to you. You smiled pleasantly and nodded shyly at him. On the other hand of everything, you were pretty happy to see everyone in a good mood and with a smile on your face. Last year, it was like a funeral. No one spoke, everyone kept their heads down, and emotions went wild. And it was all because Alfred wasn't here.

It was about two hours into the party, and you were having the time of your life. You had chatted up a conversation with Antonio and Francis, even though it ended shortly when Francis tried to put a hand up your dress. That earned him a good kick in between the legs. You and Antonio talked for a little longer, before you decided to mingle with the rest of the crowd. Things were going excellent, until you heard Matthew call your name.

"What is it, Matthew?" you asked as you walked over next to him. The blonde man was staring out the window and he went incredibly pale. Curious and suspicious, you pulled the curtain back far enough for you to see outside as well. A black SVU parked itself right outside Matthew's house. Seeing a black SVU was a military's wife worst nightmare. Nothing good ever came out of it.

"Something's wrong....," Matthew whispered, his voice stern and serious. You, on the other hand, were nowhere near stern and serious. Your body trembled and tears brimmed your eyes. The guests of the party seemed to feel the tension in the air because they all swarmed by the window. A man in dress blues stepped out of vehicle and started up the pathway. You and Matthew maneuvered yourselves out of the crowd and made a run to the front door. You were the one to open the door, just as the man was about to knock. Matthew stood next to you.

"Are you ______ Jones?" the man asked, his voice hollow and cold. Just hearing those words broke you into a million pieces. Tears finally escaped your eyes and began pouring down your face. Your worst fears had come true. The fear that every military wife has. The fear that her husband would never come home alive. Matthew spoke up for you.

"Yes, this is her," the man cladded in blue nodded and removed his hat. You clung onto Matthew and sobbed loudly into his shirt, not wanting to hear what the man had to say. You knew what it was. You knew Alfred was dead. You knew that he was going to be coming home in a box.

Suddenly, your ears picked up the sound of a car door opening and closing. You didn't want to look at who it was, but your curiosity got the best of you. You peeked to the side and saw another man in his dress blues. He had dirty blonde hair with a stubborn strand in the front that wouldn't stay down with the rest of his hair. His sea blue eyes could be seen through his reading glasses. You blinked numerous times, trying to comprehend what you were seeing.

"A-Alfred.....?" you whispered softly to yourself, the tears still going down your face. A crooked smile formed on the blue eyed man's face, and that was all you needed to know that the man was indeed your husband, Alfred F. Jones.

"Alfred!" you tore yourself away from Matthew and ran past the other man, darting yourself to him. You lost your shows somewhere along the way, but you didn't care. You were nothing but a few feet away when Alfred opened his arms and you jumped into them, hugging him as tight as your arms would let you. This time, tears of happiness rained down your face. You felt Alfred wrap his arms around you and embraced you, holding you securely in his arms as he spun you around a few times. After a few spins, he set you on the ground and smiled down at you.

"You came home," you whispered to him, placing one of your small hands on his warm cheek. Alfred tenderly placed his hand on top of yours and stroked the back of it softly.

"I'm sorry I didn't call and tell you, but I wanted to surprise you," another tear fell from your eyes. You threw your arms around Alfred and hugged him tight, burying your face into his shoulder.

"Welcome home, my soldier,"