Chocolate 6, Papaya 16 [Divide and Rule]
Title: Legend’s Ending
Author: lost_spook
Story: Heroes of the Revolution (Divide and Rule)
Flavor(s): Chocolate #6 (grace); Papaya #16 (what would I do without you?)
Toppings/Extras: None.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 635
Notes: 1960. (Edward Iveson, Julia Graves.)
Summary: Julia can’t leave this time.
***
Julia stepped into the bedroom. “Edward.”
Her husband was sitting on the end of the bed, sorting through a case of papers he’d fetched out from underneath it, and only looked up slowly, before giving a belated start. “Julia! What happened?”
She smiled at him, more sadly than she had intended, and sat down beside him on the bed, disturbing the papers. He didn’t protest as he usually did.
“Someone followed us,” she said, keeping her voice carefully even in case someone was listening. They might be.
“You’re sure?”
Julia nodded. “Oh, yes. So I got out two stops early and took Emily to a tea shop. Then we went shopping for a new blouse for school - and then we came home.”
“You didn’t try again?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t think we’d lost him and, anyway, that was when I realised that I’d never have gone through with it.”
“But we agreed!” he said, and looked at her closely. “Julia.”
Julia put her hand to his arm. “I know, and I thought I could do it for Emily, but I simply can’t. You know what happened in the war. And I know what you said, but I feel sure if I leave now, I won’t see you again. I can’t, Ned, I can’t. To walk away, and never look back - and always wonder what happened to you, to everyone - no, not again.”
“Julia,” he said, and then closed his eyes.
She leant further forward. “I know what I’m saying. I know what the risks are. I’ll take my chances, even if it does mean prison. And I know we were thinking of Emily - but perhaps that isn’t fair to her, either. I wasn’t so much older than she is now when Mother left me at school. But we’ll think again, and if we can’t get her out of the country to Amy, then we’ll find someone else who will have her if the need arises - I’m sure Nancy would if it came to it.”
“But we agreed,” he said again, though with far less conviction.
She made herself laugh. “There’s no point in arguing. Honestly, even if I did change my mind, it really doesn’t look as if they’re going to let either of us leave the country.” She pushed against him lightly, arm to arm, and then kissed his cheek. “You do understand, I know you do. And I think - I believe we should stay together for as long as we can.”
Edward dared to look at her again, brushing her hair back with his hand, as if to see her face more clearly. “You’re sure? You’re absolutely sure?”
“Of course I am,” she said, and leant in against him, her forehead against his jacket. “You don’t still think that I don’t love you, do you? How could you?”
He held onto her, laughing slightly. “No, no. Only sometimes I -” He stopped, evidently giving up on explaining the doubts that would persist.
“How insulting,” she said, and looked up at him with a smile. “Plenty of other people worked that out a very long time ago.”
He kissed her head, stroking her hair with his hands. “But you do know that this is - well, this is the end.” He gave another brief laugh. “Good God, how melodramatic that sounds. But it is true, I think.”
Julia nodded. “What else can we do? Poor Emily.”
“We’ll make sure she’s safe,” he said, at his most solemn again, and he caught at her hands. “I promise.”
Julia kissed him in return.
“Forgive me,” he said, and she didn’t take much notice then, hanging onto their somewhat undeserved happiness together for a little longer, but it came back to her later, and she understood what he must have meant; the weight the words carried.
***
Author: lost_spook
Story: Heroes of the Revolution (Divide and Rule)
Flavor(s): Chocolate #6 (grace); Papaya #16 (what would I do without you?)
Toppings/Extras: None.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 635
Notes: 1960. (Edward Iveson, Julia Graves.)
Summary: Julia can’t leave this time.
***
Julia stepped into the bedroom. “Edward.”
Her husband was sitting on the end of the bed, sorting through a case of papers he’d fetched out from underneath it, and only looked up slowly, before giving a belated start. “Julia! What happened?”
She smiled at him, more sadly than she had intended, and sat down beside him on the bed, disturbing the papers. He didn’t protest as he usually did.
“Someone followed us,” she said, keeping her voice carefully even in case someone was listening. They might be.
“You’re sure?”
Julia nodded. “Oh, yes. So I got out two stops early and took Emily to a tea shop. Then we went shopping for a new blouse for school - and then we came home.”
“You didn’t try again?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t think we’d lost him and, anyway, that was when I realised that I’d never have gone through with it.”
“But we agreed!” he said, and looked at her closely. “Julia.”
Julia put her hand to his arm. “I know, and I thought I could do it for Emily, but I simply can’t. You know what happened in the war. And I know what you said, but I feel sure if I leave now, I won’t see you again. I can’t, Ned, I can’t. To walk away, and never look back - and always wonder what happened to you, to everyone - no, not again.”
“Julia,” he said, and then closed his eyes.
She leant further forward. “I know what I’m saying. I know what the risks are. I’ll take my chances, even if it does mean prison. And I know we were thinking of Emily - but perhaps that isn’t fair to her, either. I wasn’t so much older than she is now when Mother left me at school. But we’ll think again, and if we can’t get her out of the country to Amy, then we’ll find someone else who will have her if the need arises - I’m sure Nancy would if it came to it.”
“But we agreed,” he said again, though with far less conviction.
She made herself laugh. “There’s no point in arguing. Honestly, even if I did change my mind, it really doesn’t look as if they’re going to let either of us leave the country.” She pushed against him lightly, arm to arm, and then kissed his cheek. “You do understand, I know you do. And I think - I believe we should stay together for as long as we can.”
Edward dared to look at her again, brushing her hair back with his hand, as if to see her face more clearly. “You’re sure? You’re absolutely sure?”
“Of course I am,” she said, and leant in against him, her forehead against his jacket. “You don’t still think that I don’t love you, do you? How could you?”
He held onto her, laughing slightly. “No, no. Only sometimes I -” He stopped, evidently giving up on explaining the doubts that would persist.
“How insulting,” she said, and looked up at him with a smile. “Plenty of other people worked that out a very long time ago.”
He kissed her head, stroking her hair with his hands. “But you do know that this is - well, this is the end.” He gave another brief laugh. “Good God, how melodramatic that sounds. But it is true, I think.”
Julia nodded. “What else can we do? Poor Emily.”
“We’ll make sure she’s safe,” he said, at his most solemn again, and he caught at her hands. “I promise.”
Julia kissed him in return.
“Forgive me,” he said, and she didn’t take much notice then, hanging onto their somewhat undeserved happiness together for a little longer, but it came back to her later, and she understood what he must have meant; the weight the words carried.
***