Original subtitles

Previously on "Army wives"...

Professor chandler. Uh, I'm not sure you know.

I'm married To the post commander

At fort marshall.

Oh, yeah. I-I'm aware.

This is a tough case, And I want my best team,

And that means you.

You used me. No, I did what was best For the client.

And that makes it okay?

(woman) the functional m.R.I. Confirms

What we suspected, Colonel burton.

You're suffering From traumatic brain injury.

Joan, you won't be deploying With the brigade.

(voice breaks) I feel like I...

Might never see My husband again.

(whirs)

***

(engine roars)

(mindy smith's "Surface" Playing)

Mm.

(sighs)

* everybody's searching

* trying to find a reason

* to live in this world

* of fallen kingdoms

* looking for a little truth

* 'cause maybe Just a little truth *

* will get us through

* so you find yourself Believing *

* you can jump Into the deep end *

* and still survive

(computer chirps)

* still survive

* but you're coming to...

(michael) Dear claudia joy,

It feels like an eternity Since we kissed good-bye.

I've been going 24/7

Since we put boots On the ground in kandahar.

Mostly my days are taken up With shuras--

That's afghan for meetings, Meetings and more meetings.

I swear I've never had So much tea in my life.

Frank's working with Our n.A.T.O. Counterparts...

(clicking keyboard keys) Though I think The officers from france

Would prefer He didn't try to speak french.

(frank) you should hear me Parlez the français, d.

I sound just like a native.

There are 42 nations In the coalition,

And I'm the liaison With all of 'em.

There's Some cultural differences,

And it can get confusing,

But the assignment Has its perks.

The germans... The germans have beer

Flown in to their base camp,

So I might just have to ask For a tour.

Well, I sure hope That baby molly is easing up

On the jujitsu So you can get some sleep.

I've seen jeremy. The boy is Settling in just fine.

Try not to worry About him, d.,

Though I know That's easier said than done.

(jeremy) hey, mom. Sweatin' my butt off here.

Would give anything For a shower

Longer than three minutes. No worries, though.

Sergeant leblanc Pushes us hard,

But we know He wants to keep us sharp.

(trevor) hey, babe. I think of you all the time.

No matter what I'm doing,

You and the boys are always With me.

I bet fort marshall's A ghost town since deployment.

(clicks keyboard keys) Hope you're finding things To keep busy.

That's it for now. Love you.

Miss you tons. Hugs to the boys for me,

And enjoy the peace and quiet.

Trevor. (lucky barks)

(objects clatter) (t.J. And finn) mom!

(sighs and grunts)

***

(baby fusses)

(baby crying)

(voice breaking) can I-- Can I say good-bye?

Go ahead. (crying)

Mommy's gonna Come get you real soon, okay?

(crying) promise. Mwah.

I'll see you soon.

I can't believe You're doing this.

I came back on my own.

Child protective services will Take good care of your daughter

While this gets sorted out.

(baby crying)

It's been a long time Since I've had to think

About breathing technique. (chuckles) what about me? Lamaze class again?

Oh, you are doing fine. Mm. That's 'cause I have A great coach.

(turns off engine, Jingles keys)

Hey.

(laughs)

Roxy, what's up?

You guys are not gonna believe What I just saw.

I mean, I don't even believe it. What?

You know that soldier who went A.W.O.L. Before deployment? Mm-hmm.

Yeah, specialist stiles, Um, the single mom. Yeah, yeah. Apparently she Returned to post this morning,

And the m.P.S arrested her,

And they took away Her little girl.

(buzzer sounds)

(door clatters)

Hi.

I'm claudia joy holden.

Uh, general holden's wife.

Yes. I'm also head Of the f.R.G.

I was wondering If I could help.

Well, that'd be-- That'd be great. Why don't we sit down, Specialist?

Please, ma'am, Call me amber. Sure.

Look, I know what they're Saying about me--

That I didn't want to deploy, But that's not true, ma'am. No?

It's my daughter maddie.

She's 2.

My mother was gonna take care Of her in tallahassee.

That's my hometown.

But she got sick And had to back out. What happened?

Kidney disease, on account Of her high blood pressure.

She's on dialysis now, Three times a week,

But she can't come here And leave her job,

'cause she needs Her health benefits.

So I tried to find someone In charleston--

Neighbors, People from church...

What about maddie's father?

He's not in the picture Anymore.

Okay.

(sighs)

I met him After my first tour.

(sighs)

I thought We were in love,

But when I told him I was pregnant, that was it.

And then deployment came,

And you had No family care plan.

I understand the army Gave you an extension.

It ran out. Look, I didn't know what to do,

So on the day before deployment, I went back to tallahassee,

Tried to find anyone To take maddie.

You knew You were a.W.O.L.

I couldn't show up on the tarmac With my daughter in my arms.

When things didn't pan out In tallahassee,

I came back...

Voluntarily.

I mean, I didn't expect them To take maddie from me.

I didn't expect To end up here. What did you expect?

I don't--I don't know.

I was--I was just hoping Things would work out.

Okay. Has the, uh--

Has the army assigned you A lawyer?

Yes, ma'am,

But a charleston law firm Called

And said they'd represent me For nothin'. Pro bono?

Right. Mm.

They said I was better off With an outside lawyer.

And you are. Without question. (buzzer sounds)

Professor chandler.

Claudia joy.

Uh, specialist stiles, I'm grant chandler.

Y'all know each other?

Well, she's a student Of mine in law school.

Uh, specialist, Would you mind terribly

If ms. Holden and I had A word outside?

Sure.

Excuse us.

(buzzer sounds)

(door clatters)

(grant) actually, you were Gonna be my next call.

How would you like to Assist me again on this case?

Because of my knowledge Of the army,

Not because of My army connections.

Well, I couldn't have said it Better myself.

You did say it,

Last time We worked together.

You certainly jumped On this case in a hurry.

Well, It's an important issue.

You've heard the expression, "Mission first, people always."

Well, here's a case

Where the army is separating A mother and her child.

There's more to it Than that.

Well, sure, but isn't that What it comes down to?

I mean, isn't that Why you're here?

As head of The family readiness group,

My job is to advocate For families.

So... Sounds like We're on the same side.

What do you say?

You in?

Yeah. Yeah.

Good. Let's go talk To our client.

(jet engine roars in distance)

So you did this how?

We were-- The game was tied, Time running out.

Giron takes off In a post pattern. Playing football. Life and death.

It was against The air force. Aah!

Yeah. Way to go, soldier. You dislocated your shoulder.

(chuckles) happy?

I held on to the ball.

(chuckles) only because I put it Right between the numbers. Oh.

I can reduce the dislocation Right now.

I'll give you something For the pain first. Nah. Just do it.

You sure? Yeah, I can take it.

(sighs)

Okay, tough guy, on three. One...

(crack) Aah!

Mm. Good as new, giron.

You'll need to wear a sling

For a couple of weeks To immobilize your arm.

Nurse parker will help you With that.

Take ibuprofen for any pain.

Come back in a few days For a follow-up.

Your government thanks you

For taking yourself Out of action

For blatant stupidity.

(chuckles)

She wants me.

Right.

(amber) they want To court-martial me?

(sighs) this country's At war, amber.

They want to make An example of you

By trying you In military court. Why?

Because there are 20,000 other single mothers

Out there Who are on active duty. W--

They don't want to lose control Of the situation.

What professor--

What mr. Chandler is saying Is that

The army has to be concerned About setting a precedent.

How they handle this case Could affect

A lot of other single parents In uniform.

Exactly. (sighs)

So if they want to go To court-martial,

I say, let 'em.

I mean, let the government Try to show that it's justified

Separating an iraq war veteran From her little girl.

Army service separates soldiers And children all the time.

I think maybe what you mean Is that in this case,

They didn't give Specialist stiles adequate time

To find care. Well, the fact is,

We've got m.P.S forcibly taking Her little girl out of her arms

And putting the child In the custody of the state.

I don't want to lose maddie.

And you want to stay In the army, correct?

Yes, sir. The army is my life.

Exactly. So what we're gonna do

Is make sure that You maintain your career

As well as proper custody Of your child.

All right?

Mm-hmm.

Okay. So we're done here. Guard!

We'll come back tomorrow,

And we'll discuss How we're gonna go from here.

(clicks latches) Any questions?

(chair scrapes)

Ms. Holden? Mm.

Would you mind Going to see maddie?

I just... Need to know She's okay. Absolutely.

Thank you. Of course.

Bye.

(buzzer sounds)

(door clatters)

(door clangs)

(man) * morning sun

Roland. Lunchtime special?

No time, rox. I'm just here To pick up some gumbo.

It'll save me from having To make dinner tonight. (chuckles)

There's not much Of a lunch crowd. Well, with the deployment,

This is kinda the new normal Around here. Hmm.

Hey, did you hear About the soldier

That got arrested For going a.W.O.L.?

And they took her kid, too.

Claudia joy's Gonna help her out. Hello.

Yeah.

What's up?

Nothin'. Okay.

I had to take joan To the doctor,

And she wasn't ready,

Which made me late Getting back to piedmont,

Which put me behind All day, so...

Ah. Hey, lori, Will you tell chief

That this order Gets top priority?

And add an order of shrimp To it, on the house. Rox.

The shrimp is to gulp At your desk. You gotta eat.

Thanks. I tell you what, rox.

I can't remember the last time That I read a book

Or worked out or even vegged out In front of the tv.

That's not good. I'll be all right.

Come on. Next to shrinks, Bartenders know best.

Ahem. Dr. Roxy is in. (chuckles)

Let's hear it.

It's joan.

I thought She was getting better.

She is... Slowly.

You ever hear Of caregiver burnout?

When joan came back From iraq,

I thought I was gonna get Some help with sara elizabeth.

Instead, I've been Babysitting for two.

Sounds exhausting.

Now my life revolves Around their schedules,

Their needs, their moods-- Like you don't know.

(chuckles) And I know It's not joan's fault.

I mean, nobody wants to get Better faster than she does,

But there are times When I just want to-- Scream? Throw things Against the wall?

Yeah. Yeah.

And then I get angry with myself For getting angry at her,

And then I just resent The whole damn thing--

Joan, the army, all of it.

Well, it sounds to me

Like you need a break.

Blow off some steam.

Mm. When? Here you go, roxy.

Thank you.

(sighs) it's okay.

I'll get over it.

(chuckles)

(exhales deeply)

***

Hey, wait. Your change.

No, ma'am. That's for the session.

Thanks, doc.

(laughs)

***

(bell rings)

(woman) mrs. Gunderson, So nice to see you.

Come on in.

(indistinct conversations)

Excuse me. Are you katie moran's mother?

Uh, your name tag.

Oh! Right. (chuckles)

Bob wilson. Katie's friends With my daughter emma.

Of course. Emma's such a sweet girl.

Pamela.

Being here brings back Memories...

Mm. Most of 'em bad.

Most of them involving Gym class. (chuckles)

(chuckles) See, all I can think about

Is sitting outside Sister karen marie's office,

Waiting to get detention.

A hell-raiser, huh?

(chuckles) Well, glad to see you were Able to turn your life around.

(laughs) right.

You know, your emma Was so nice to katie

When she started At garfield.

You know, it's hard to be The new kid midyear.

Yeah, emma went through All that.

Divorce.

Yeah. Me, too.

(woman) ms. Moran? We're ready for you.

Uh... Well, it's nice To talk to you...

Bob. Bob. Nice to talk to you, bob.

You, too, pamela.

(michael) so you're working With chandler again?

Mm. Total coincidence.

I was visiting Specialist stiles,

And he'd already Contacted her.

Michael.

I'll be honest, claudia joy. I don't like the guy. I know.

He's a glory hound, After headlines.

He has a long record Of supporting good causes,

Pro bono--

Environmental groups, The homeless, senior citizens.

He's not in it For the money.

No. (chuckles) He's in it for the ego.

Ohh. Michael.

Look, he may be A fine teacher

And an upstanding citizen, But he would love to make

A bigger name for himself By bashing the army.

Well, then it's a good thing I'm there--

Make sure That doesn't happen, right?

I guess you're right. (chuckles)

Hey, I got another meeting.

Send my love to emmalin. I will.

I love you.

I love you, too. Mwah.

(sighs)

(riggs) hey, I'm telling you, Man. It's the tigers' year.

(laughs) dream on, riggs.

The yankees already have The series in their back pocket. You wanna bet?

Yes, I would love to. Let's do it.

(chuckles)

(helicopter blades whirring)

Later.

Careful engaging the enemy, Sherwood.

Specialist gabriel.

It's gabriel.

G-gabriel.

Uh, could I buy you a cup Of terrible coffee?

No, thanks. Lukewarm soda pop?

Forget it. Come on. You gotta let me Do somethin'.

You fixed My buddy's shoulder. (scoffs) that's my job--

To treat soldiers... Even irresponsible idiots.

Ouch. Now that's Kinda harsh, isn't it?

You don't even know me. Works for me.

Way to go, sherwood.

(chuckles)

Told you.

Thanks for coming.

No problem. I work The late shift tonight. Oh, yeah?

(sighs) Mwah.

Michael isn't thrilled I'm involved with this.

I assured him I just want To see amber is treated fairly.

Mm. Like all of us.

No. No, not like all of us. I'm getting e-mails.

From soldiers?

And their wives.

They're saying amber deserves Whatever she has coming to her.

Mm. "This is wartime. She should've Been ready for deployment."

A few are even questioning Why she had a baby

If she couldn't take care Of her. Well, I guess You can't blame 'em.

It's hard To be understanding

When a soldier tries To get out of deployment. Amber doesn't want out of it.

She just wants Her daughter cared for.

Mrs. Holden?

Yes. Hi.

Hi. Mrs. Sherwood.

Hi. We're ready for you. This way, please.

Okay. As I explained, It's rather unorthodox

To have non-family members check On a foster child's welfare,

But under the circumstances, I thought it was warranted.

Thank you. We do appreciate it.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. There's maddie.

Ohh. How's she doing?

Cries a little at night For her mother,

But she's A bright and loving child.

How long will she stay here? This is only temporary, Correct?

Yes. The goal is to find A suitable relative or friend

To take maddie.

And at the same time, We'll also try

To identify a family Who will care for her

On a lifelong basis If necessary,

Either as legal guardians Or through adoption. Adoption?

Specialist stiles Is maddie's mother.

Granted, But in situations like this,

The court will decide Maddie's future.

I don't understand why you're So eager to take this to trial. A court-martial is Actually to our advantage.

See, we want amber up on The stand telling her story.

It's emotional. It's heartbreaking.

The army's not gonna want That kind of publicity.

But will that get amber What she wants?

Well, if we apply Enough pressure,

It should give amber Enough time

To find proper child care And then, uh, deploy.

Hmm. Well...

You don't know the army.

What do you mean?

They don't respond well to Being embarrassed in the press.

Well, too bad. I haven't found A single precedent

To support your strategy, Either.

We'll be creating precedent.

If we win.

Mm. Well, There's always that risk.

But we're talking About a mother and child here

Being separated,

Possibly forever, If she were to go to prison.

Well, claudia joy, The history of social justice

Shows us That there's always someone

Who's gotta stand up first To be counted.

Yes, but are we sure amber Wants to be that someone?

Are you suggesting That I don't have

My client's best interests At heart?

No. No, no, no. I'm--I'm suggesting

That maybe there's another way To deal with this.

Well, like what? Uh... A settlement?

We--we could try To negotiate something.

(laughs) We don't have to negotiate.

We've got a strong case--

Exposing the draconian policy Of an overstressed military,

Forcing mothers To abandon their children

Just to put boots On the ground.

Ah, the army has A strong case, too--

Absent without leave,

Missing movement,

Dereliction of duty,

Insubordination.

All The other single parents

Seemed to handle This deployment

Without a problem.

(scoffs) claudia joy,

I know What we're dealing with.

I know.

I don't know if you're seeing it Through amber's eyes.

You don't have a family, Do you?

You know--you know what? I...

I think we're done here Tonight.

Okay. Uh... (clears throat)

All I meant was--

Hey, mom, I-- Hi, honey.

Uh, this is My daughter emmalin.

Mr. Chandler.

Hi. Hello.

(clicks latches) We're working on that case I told you about.

Oh. I-I think It's really great,

What you're doing for That soldier and her daughter. Thank you.

Yeah.

So you're the, uh, hockey player Who's going to woodsen.

Hopefully, yes.

Well, you know, they've got A great pre-law program there.

Any interest? I'm thinking about it.

You know, my firm--it needs Interns every summer,

So... If you want,

You can give me a call. Really?

Sure. Thanks.

I got you Broccoli and noodles. Great. I'm gonna take them Up to my room...

All right. Because I have homework, But it was nice to meet you.

Same here.

Look...

We'll present both sides Tomorrow to amber,

But I think, In the light of day,

You will see that court-martial Is the way to go.

Anyway, thanks for dinner.

See you tomorrow.

Okay. Good night.

(roxy) what's this?

Ice cream And trashy magazines

For taking care Of katie and lucas.

What kind of ice cream?

Double fudge.

Oh, let's hit it Before they find out.

(chuckles) totally. Hey, What do you hear from trevor?

Uh, he is still training With his men.

They haven't gone out On patrol yet.

Well, don't worry. He'll be safe. Yeah.

(cell phone rings)

Oh.

(ring)

(beep)

Hello.

Oh. Hi, bob.

Yeah, I remember.

Tomorrow night?

Actually, I... Am on The night shift tomorrow,

So...

But thank you.

All right. Take care.

'kay. Bye.

Ahem.

You are not On the night shift tomorrow.

And who is bob?

He's, um, the father Of one of katie's friends.

I met him at The parent-teacher conference.

Jerk?

No. He's nice. Divorced. Kinda sweet.

And the problem is?

We've been over this.

Yes, but what is the harm In having a good time?

Don't you deserve it?

Besides, what's the worst That can happen? You're a cop.

If something goes bad, You can taser him.

Can I just have My ice cream, please?

(amber) so she's okay? She's eating all right?

Yes. She looked healthy, Well taken care of.

She made this for you.

(laughs) oh, god.

Thank-- Thank you so much, ma'am.

Of course.

Okay. We still need The magistrate

To review Your pretrial confinement.

We hope to have you released With limitations on liberty

Within the week. What does that mean?

You'll have to stay on post,

And your pass privileges Will be revoked. And if I don't get that?

Uh-- Well, you'll be a moved To a longer-term facility--

The--the women's prison In north charleston.

But you shouldn't worry About that.

That's only if the army Considers you a flight risk. Well, I came back on my own.

I want to do my job. I want to deploy.

And we know that. That's what We're gonna argue at trial.

When will that be?

Considering The court's full docket

And how long it'll take To prepare for court-martial,

It could be, uh...

I don't know. Three, four months. Four months?

A short-term sacrifice For a long-term gain,

If you're willing To stay the course.

Are you willing To do that?

I've always followed through On my missions, sir.

Excellent.

Unless you're released To post,

You do understand,

You'll be separated From maddie during that time?

But what about Visitation rights?

Foster care won't allow her To come here

Or to a prison.

Of course, you know, We could--

We could try For a settlement.

(chuckles) well, considering The army would offer one.

I mean, they've indicated No leniency in this case.

They want a court-martial. Well, what would A settlement mean?

We'd ask For administrative discharge.

Oh. I don't-- I don't want a discharge.

Being a soldier is All I ever wanted to do,

Since I was a little kid.

Besides, in the army, My daughter gets housing,

Medical benefits, security. Yeah, yeah. You're--you're right.

It's a lot to give up,

But we'd argue At court-martial

That you simply weren't given Adequate time to come up

With A proper family care plan.

Look, it's up to you.

I mean, going to trial-- It, uh...

You risk losing.

But a settlement Would mean

That I'm out of the army?

Any settlement?

Yes.

Okay. Uh...

I want a court-martial.

(man) there you go.

(soldiers speaking indistinctly)

Okay, folks. Let's settle.

So we ended Our last session

Talking about what it means To own your feelings.

Wonder if anyone has Further thoughts on that

To get us started today.

(indistinct conversations)

(helicopter blades whirring)

Sorry I'm late, sir.

Not a problem.

Want to introduce yourself? Sure. Uh...

Specialist jeremy sherwood From the 23rd. Welcome to the group, Specialist.

So we talked about

How your feelings Come from your thinking.

Now that doesn't mean

That you should give yourself Happy thoughts

And think Everything is gonna be okay.

It doesn't work that way.

It'd be great if it did, Though, right?

So how do we control Those emotions?

Any thoughts on that?

I have something.

Sure.

Um... (sighs)

About a year ago,

I was deployed to iraq

And lost my best friend.

At the time, I thought That it was my fault,

That if I had Done something different,

That he would still be alive.

(airplane engine roars In distance)

Hey, sherwood.

Hey.

Hey.

I appreciated What you had to say in there.

Takes guts To be that honest. Thank you.

If my story can help someone, I'm--I'm glad to share it.

So that offer for bad coffee Still stands. (chuckles)

(laughs)

Stop by the aid station.

1900?

Roger that.

(woman) dr. Burton, Your 2:00 is here.

Thank you.

(exhales deeply)

It's a new patient, Right?

I can't seem to find Her intake folder.

I don't need An intake folder. Rox?

It's time for your therapy, Doc.

For the next hour, You are all mine.

(jeremy fisher's "Scar that never heals" playing)

Grab your sneaks.

Oh, the hidden talents Of roxanne marie leblanc!

You been holding out on me?

Oh, yeah. This chick's got game.

Oh! Ha ha! Whoo!

Ooh-ooh! I guess so.

(chuckles)

Ohh. I like--whoa!

Oh! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Of course, The doctor's got game, too.

You ready for this? You ready? I don't know. Let's see what you got.

You ready for this? Ready.

You're not ready. You're not ready. Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!

(laughs)

Oh! Come on!

Oh! Oh!

(laughs)

Hey, thanks, rox.

I needed this. Yeah, you did.

(laughs) (chuckles)

Hey, we're looking for a third For a little 3-on-3.

You interested? Well, yeah, but only if My friend here can play, too.

All right. Deal. (laughs)

All right. I got you. Let's go.

You and me all day. All day.

That's plenty. Thanks.

Glad you got out Of your shift.

Yeah. Me, too. Just read The schedule wrong.

Still getting used To the job. I bet.

It must be an adjustment-- Divorce, new job.

Yeah. (laughs)

Tell me about it. Nah. It's not That interesting. (laughs)

It is to me.

I don't know many women that Could've done what you did--

Come back to a job That you left years ago,

And not an easy job, Either. True enough.

Well, what's it been like?

Uh...

Mm. I'm sorry. I don't want To put you on the spot.

(chuckles) I've been out here A little longer than you have.

I remember What it was like,

Just getting back On your feet.

Thanks.

(gabriel) So... Go ahead and ask.

Ask what?

What I was doing In that therapy session.

Oh. I'm guessing you had Your share of trauma over here,

You lost people, Just like I have.

I knew it would happen.

I mean, you don't go into Medical training not knowing,

You just...

You can't imagine it.

You think You can save people.

And you can, Just not always.

(sighs) no.

Take guys like you.

You mean, Idiots like me and giron?

(laughs) (laughs)

Uh-huh. You're goofin' off Playing football one day,

And you're on my table The next... Oh, yeah.

Your legs blown off,

Faces burnt,

Bleeding out.

You do what you can.

That's all Any of us can do.

(pamela) so you found them In bed together?

Mm-hmm.

Instead of doing my taxes, My accountant was doing my wife.

Wow. I'm so sorry.

Mm.

My accountant-- Total geek.

(scoffs) april 15th is still A pretty dark day for me.

And how long has it been?

Three years.

Well, maybe you just need A little more time.

No.

I don't care What she did.

I want her back.

Bob?

Are you... Crying?

(voice breaks) no.

(sniffles)

I'll be okay. (sniffles)

Uh, check, please.

(claudia joy) I just Don't feel right about it.

(denise) you think chandler's Wrong to want a court-martial?

Uh, I think it's bold,

And it would certainly focus Attention on the struggles

Of single parents In the military, but-- But is it right for amber?

Exactly. You and I have been Around the army too long

To think she can walk away Scot-free.

I sympathize with her. I do.

I-I don't want To see her unfairly punished,

But she did Seriously violate procedure

In a time of war. You don't think You can win in court.

No, I don't. She could lose everything.

Well, can you talk To the army and find out

What they're willing to do? I thought about talking To colonel reddick.

You should. I'm on chandler's team.

You're also head Of the f.R.G.

Doesn't that give you The right to intercede

In personal matters Like this?

Maybe you're right.

I appreciate you seeing me, Colonel reddick.

Of course. Of course. So you're Here about the stiles matter.

Yes, As part of my law studies,

I'm assisting the lead lawyer For the defense.

I've been informed

That specialist stiles wants To proceed to court-martial.

Yes, presently, That's true, sir.

Presently?

(sighs) being head Of the f.R.G.,

I want to be sure Specialist stiles

Is fully aware of all The options available to her.

I see.

Please take a seat.

Thank you.

Well, look...

If specialist stiles wants To play hardball,

The army is happy To oblige.

She took the oath. She knew the rules.

She can't change them

Simply because they don't fit With her present lifestyle.

She has an obligation To the army. I understand.

She also has an obligation To her child.

Does she have to choose Between the two?

If this goes To court-martial,

The defense plans To recall soldiers

From afghanistan to testify. We have videoconferencing For that.

I know, but I believe The defense

Can compel witnesses To appear in person.

I see. Then there's the media.

If they get ahold Of this story--

And you know they will--

That could be A huge distraction to the 23rd.

All right.

You know my position, Mrs. Holden.

What are you proposing?

Well, colonel, um, I guess my question is,

What is the army willing To propose?

(buzzer sounds, door clatters)

Hi. Mr. Chandler Will be here soon.

He's just running A little late. I don't know what to do.

I'm thinking, maybe I don't Want a court-martial after all.

We should wait For mr. Chandler

To discuss that. Wh-what do you think, ma'am?

Um...

I think it would depend

On what you could get From a settlement.

What do you think I could get?

Um... You know, We really should wait.

You know something, Don't you?

(sighs)

I spoke to colonel reddick.

He says you could be Reunited with maddie

And not face jail time.

(voice breaks) that's great.

(laughs) ohh.

Well, what about staying In the army?

That's impossible.

I'm sorry.

You'd be given

An "Other than honorable" Discharge.

Th-that means I'd lose My v.A. Benefits,

The g.I. Bill.

Yes, but it's not A dishonorable discharge,

And that's important For your future employment.

All I want is To be a good soldier

And a good mother.

Why can't I do both?

I know.

I'm sorry.

What do you think I should do?

I can't tell you What to do.

(inhales deeply)

(exhales deeply)

I do believe, if this goes To court-martial,

The army will do Everything in its power

To make an example Out of you.

In that case,

It might be impossible To get maddie back.

(buzzer sounds)

(door clatters)

What's going on here?

We were discussing--

The army's settlement offer.

I think I want to take it.

What the hell was that?

What?

You make a settlement offer Without my presence?

We were waiting for you.

Amber was asking me What I thought, and--

And so you decided to make And end run around me.

How dare you go to reddick Without my authorization?! I was trying to help,

And I don't need Your authorization

To speak with reddick. I'm head of the f.R.G. I--

Spare me.

You just compromised Our case.

What? You deliberately prejudiced The client

To favor The army's point of view!

You are way out of line. I did no such thing.

But somebody has to care More about amber

Than making headlines.

Oh, all right.

All right, claudia joy.

(inhales deeply)

You are off this case.

I apologize About the disruption. (clicks latches)

It must be confusing.

I'm sorry, sir. I can't.

Can't what?

Go to trial.

The only way I'm sure of keeping maddie

Is to take the army's offer.

Well, that-- That may be true,

But, y-you see, There's more to it than that.

I don't know how much Mrs. Holden told you, but--

She didn't have to tell me Anything.

I love being in the army,

But I love my daughter more.

(emmalin) Mom, you have a visitor.

Thanks, emmalin.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, hi.

I, uh, just wanted To let you know

That amber's settlement papers Are being drawn up.

Good.

Yeah, I thought You'd be happy.

She gets her child back

But has to give up Her army career.

I can't really be happy About that.

Well, for the record,

I-I think She made the wrong choice.

I know.

I came down kinda hard On you today, claudia joy.

I--okay-- I'm not used to having...

Well, subordinates disagree With me,

And so vocally, I might add.

I'm sorry If I offended you.

Don't apologize, Because you're right.

I do go after headlines,

But not for my own sake, For my clients.

It's all part of the game.

Anyway, uh, I'll see you in class.

Mm-hmm.

(door opens)

(door closes)

(roland) sara elizabeth Is finally asleep,

And it only took two readings Of "Goodnight moon."

You got off lucky.

Well, with any luck, She'll sleep through the night.

I brought some work home. I could use a little quiet.

Okay, but before you go,

Uh, I want to record that Documentary on ocean life... Mm-hmm.

But I can't figure out How to do it.

And... Why do we have Three remotes? The mysteries of modern life.

There's one for the tv, One for the audio

And one for the dvr.

Sorry. I know you want To get to your work.

It's not a problem.

Even without a t.B.I.,

This stuff can be Confusing.

(beeps) (man) coming up, As we explore...

Oh.

You know what?

Let's watch it together, In real time.

Yeah?

Yeah. Work can wait. (remote clatters)

We haven't snuggled together On the sofa for a while.

I would like that.

Well, You get comfortable,

And I'll make Some popcorn.

Extra butter.

Woman, who you think You're talking to?

(laughs) (laughs) hmm.

(kim taylor's "Days like this" Playing)

(laughs)

***

Oh, there she is.

(sighs)

Amber.

Ms. Holden. Ohh. Hi, maddie.

Hi. (laughs)

These are, uh, my friends, Fellow f.R.G. Members--

Denise sherwood And roxy leblanc. Hello.

Hi, amber. Nice to meet you.

We wanted To wish you luck.

Thank you.

And thank you, ma'am, For everything you did.

I'm sorry it wasn't Everything you wanted.

I know The army was your dream.

No. I got my daughter. (laughs)

Mm-hmm.

I'll just... Get another dream.

Yeah.

(voice breaks) I'm gonna miss this place.

(normal voice) Okay. Here we go.

Travel safe. Yes, ma'am.

* it will be good for

Okay. Bye.

Good-bye. (roxy and denise) bye.

Bye. Take care.

* that you think About the ones that love you *

(car door closes)

(engine turns over)

* days like this

* have you ever seen the sky Such a clear blue? *