A/N - spoilers through Episode 13. This was inspired in part by a request from MusketeerAdventure. Just a little bonding of those left behind.

x

"Stella!"

Stella paused, the door of Clay's pickup already open. Why they had taken his truck today escaped her, given that she would be the one driving it back to the apartment. Parking this behemoth was intimidating even when she wasn't crying. Brushing away the tears that covered her cheeks, Stella turned to see Naima waving at her. "Yes?"

"I need to get your cell number," Naima explained, phone in hand, apparently getting ready to input the information. "We meet up every Sunday night when the guys are deployed. We rotate houses but don't worry, we won't ask you to host. I don't imagine that you and Clay have child-proofed your apartment yet."

The words caught Stella off-guard. Naima was referring to the apartment as though it belonged to both her and Clay. But did it really? Stella hadn't given up her own place, after all, despite having spent every night at the apartment. She had a key but...the name on the lease was his. The electric bill, the cable bill, the water and sewer, all of it was in his name. Panic bloomed as Stella realized that she didn't know how Clay paid his bills while deployed. Was she supposed to be handling that? There hadn't been time to talk about any of it. Accessing his checking account or contacting him in emergencies or ...

"Stella?" Naima prompted.

Stella wondered how long she been staring at Naima, mouth gaping like a fish. She paused, taking a deep breath to calm herself, trying to think of the words to politely decline the invitation, but she couldn't seem to form a coherent sentence. Was it only days ago that Clay asked her to marry him? Maybe if she hadn't been so confused, terrified that he was only asking because he was dying, worried that he hadn't meant what he said, scared of admitting - even to herself - what she really wanted, maybe then he wouldn't have felt the need to take the question back. What was it that he said? Oh, yeah, - they weren't ready for that. And she wasn't.

Was she?

Maybe if she had listened to her heart rather than her head she wouldn't feel like such an impostor right now. Maybe she wouldn't be standing here staring at Naima like a lunatic.

"Stella?" Naima asked for the third time, her voice gentle.

Stella forced a smile, hating the tear that she felt rolling down her cheek. "It's kind of you to include me. But Clay and I aren't, well, we aren't family and..."

"Please." Naima didn't bother to hide her eye roll. "I've seen enough frog hogs to recognize one when I see her. You're family in every way that counts."

Frog hog? If anything, Naima's pep talk way making Stella feel worse. She didn't even understand the lingo half the time. Stella rolled the ring she wore around her middle finger. "We're still at the getting to know each other stage. That's what Clay said." Realizing that she was revealing far too much about her state of mind to a near stranger, Stella rushed to add. "And he's right. We barely know each other."

"Uh huh." Naima cocked her head to the side, looking Stella up and down, before reaching out to pluck Stella's cell phone from her hand. She began typing. "The first time is the hardest. You have no idea what you're supposed to do. And the guys are no help. They don't know what it's like to be left behind. But we do."

Naima gestured towards the group of women standing across the parking lot. Alanna stood talking with Trent's wife Katie, rolling Micah's stroller back and forth with a practiced hand. To the side Emma appeared to be braiding Jameelah's hair while Michael played with some sort of handheld video-game console.

Stella swallowed. "I thought I had weeks to prepare and figure things out. It's all so sudden."

"I know." Naima reached out a hand to return Stella's phone. "I've where you are. We all have. And we're here to help. All you have to do is ask."