Disclaimer: all the usual
Chapter 37
Amelia POV
Climbing out of the yellow cab she nervously tugged at the jacket of her dress uniform, her back firmly turned on her final destination.
She heard the cab pull away and suddenly longed for its solid presence standing as an obstacle between her and the face brick home which loomed to her back.
A familiar weight settled on her lower back, immediately steadying her nerves. She looked up to find Babe standing beside her, his brown eyes wordlessly reassuring her.
Taking a deep breath she turned around. A narrow paved path led to the stairs which would take her to the brown front door. Roses lined the walk-way on either side, red on the left and white on the right. She smiled, remembering all the stories she'd heard about those roses over the years.
Straightening herself up to her full height she lifted her chin and started for the door, the rhythmic clicking of her heels almost deafening to her ears.
They reached the front door and as she reached for the doorbell her hand faltered, her finger hovering an inch away from the white button.
"You can do this," Babe's deep voice sounded from her other side.
She nodded and crossed off the last obstacle standing between her and Derek's family.
The chime of the doorbell was quickly followed by two pairs of feet, one light and the other heavy.
She heard muffled voices coming closer and stepped back, her nerves making her heart beat at a thousand miles per hour.
The door swung open and they were greeted by two faces she'd seen dozens of times before but never actually met.
Derek's mother was a short woman with thick chocolate brown hair which matched Derek's exactly. Her face was plump and kind, but worry and war had aged her, turning her green eyes paler and etching fine lines into the corners of her eyes and mouth.
In many ways the man that stood protectively behind her was her exact opposite. It was clear where Derek had gotten his height and muscular build from, his father was still an impressively strong looking man even it has age. He was quick with a smile, which made his steel grey eyes dance, something she thought she'd never seen again.
She swallowed twice to clear her throat and push down the emotions tightening her chest.
"Sir, ma'am," she greeted the couple, "We spoke on the phone last night. My name's Amelia and this," she gestured to Babe, "is Edward Heffron."
The woman closed the distance between them and embraced her, planting a motherly kiss on Amelia's cheek. "I would have recognised you anywhere darling. We've seen so many photos of you."
As the woman took a small step back she said, "I'm Veronica and this is David."
Derek's farther stepped out of the house and took Babe's offered hand, "We appreciate you coming all this way before heading to your family."
Babe nodded, his face more serious than she'd seen it since the news broke that they were going home.
"It's an honour to meet Derek's family, sir. He was a great man."
David pursed his lips, his eye dropping to the ground for a second before he turned to her.
Offering his hand to her she took it, giving it a firm shake.
"Amelia, finally we meet the woman behind all the stories. I trust some of them are true?" he asked with a mischievous glint to his eyes.
"Only the good ones."
He smiled down at her and she caught Derek's mother smiling up at her husband, adoration pouring out of her for this man.
"Come in," David said with a nod in the door's direction.
She and Babe followed the older couple into their home. The interior was modest but very comfortable. All dark wood, deep browns and lush greens. Veronica led the way into a sitting room. The room was dominated by a large, emerald green upholstered sofa which could easily seat three people. Opposite it stood two comfortable looking armchairs with a low coffee table in the centre.
She turned towards the sound of someone running down the wooden staircase which led to the second storey. She would have known the man that came bounding down was Derek's brother from a mile away. He looked just like his brother, the only real difference being that he had his mother's eyes instead of his father's.
Stopping in-front of them he said, "You must be Amelia? My brother sent me a picture of the two of you once. To be honest I thought he was lying when he said you were fighting with him."
"Gareth!" Veronica scolded her younger son.
Through her own good humoured chuckle she said, "It's perfectly all right. That was the general reaction. It's wonderful to meet you Gareth. Derek often spoke of you."
Gareth nodded before greeting Babe.
"David," Veronica spoke to Derek's farther, "please take out guest to the living room. I'll bring tea."
David smiled at his wife and ushered them into the sitting room as she scurried away. He indicated she and Babe should take the sofa and they dutifully did so as he and Gareth each took an armchair.
"So, Gareth, where did you serve?" Babe asked, looking for something to talk about until Veronica returned.
"Pacific. 1st Marines."
"We heard it was rough."
Gareth nodded and his eyes took on that far off look she'd become very familiar with. "Yeah, it was pretty rough at times."
Looking at Gareth it was easy to forget that he'd been the younger brother, being only nineteen when he'd deployed. She wondered if people looked at her and thought she looked old, warn.
Veronica bustled into the room, breaking the silence that had fallen over them.
Gareth cleared his throat as his mother set down the tea tray on the low table.
"Please, help yourselves," she said, taking the open space next to Amelia.
Everyone waited for someone else to start the conversation they'd come here to have.
"Did you get all the things I sent? Derek wanted you to have all his things," she nervously started off.
"Yes, yes. Thank you. We appreciate it. So many of our friends never saw anything that belonged to their boys, only their tags if they were lucky," Veronica answered.
"He told you?" Peter's deep voice asked.
She turned her attention to him, quirking her head to one side.
"That he wanted us to have his things. Or is that just something you're saying to give some comfort to two old people?" he clarified.
Amelia felt a shiver run up her spine as she was transported back to the blood drenched snow, cold and dread washing over her as if she was kneeling down next to his body at that very moment.
Babe took her hand and gently squeezed it. She snapped her head to him and he held her gaze, worry practically coming off of him in waves.
"Here," she heard Gareth's voice and was relieved to see him holding out a cup and saucer.
Taking it she smiled gratefully at him.
She took a sip of the overly sweet tea and allowed the warm liquid to buy her some time to pull herself together.
She turned her attention back to Derek's parents, "He never liked talking about what we should do if one of us got hit. He said it would be bad luck."
Derek's mother smiled and shared a knowing look with her husband.
"But at the end, he asked to make sure you got his things. He um…..he also wanted me to give you each a message."
Locking eyes with Derek's mother she continued with a shaking voice, "He wanted you to know that he loved you. Deeply."
His mother gave her a thin lipped smile, a lone tear quickly dashed away by a white handkerchief.
Amelia turned to Derek's farther, determined to give her friend his dying wish before she broke down into tears.
"He told me you were the best man he ever knew. He wanted you to know that, sir."
David dropped his head, a shuddering breath shaking his shoulders for a few moments before he sat back into the chair. His eyes were moist, but he managed to keep his tears at bay.
"How did he die? And don't give us the Army lines," Gareth asked.
Putting down the tea she held his gaze, wondering how much she should say. He'd seen and done enough to know most soldiers didn't die bravely in some epic battle. But his parents, they didn't really need to hear all the details of how their eldest son died.
Two soft hands enveloped her free one and a gentle voice said, "It's OK Amelia. We want to know the truth."
She looked over to Veronica and then David, who gave her a firm nod. Babe tightened his hold on her other hand, encouraging her and at the same time giving her the strength she so desperately needed.
"We were in Bastogne. It was the middle of winter in Europe, so it was snowing and freezing. We were under supplied and the line was stretched really thin. The two of us were making our way back after being out on patrol all day. He was joking, making plans for after the war."
Her lips twitched into the start of a smile as she remembered their final conversation, but then she remembered the sounds of bullets and the deathly silence that followed and the smile was wiped out in an instant.
"Six German soldiers wandered into our lines, they didn't know we were there. There was no safe way for us to get away from them and if any one made it back to their lines it would have compromised our men. The Germans didn't realise how few of us there really were."
Gareth eased back into his chair, his face the perfect blank mask of an experienced soldier. David had inched forward, his elbows resting on his knees and Veronica still held onto her hand.
"We fought the six of them. At some stage during the fight Derek was shot, but not before he killed three enemy soldiers."
From the corner of her eye she saw Derek's farther nod approvingly, pride mixing with his limitless sadness.
"He was still alive when I was able to get to him, but it was a fatal injury and he knew it. He gave me the messages to give to you, and gave me some advice and then he was gone. Two American soldiers stumbled upon us after some time and helped me get his body back."
Looking to Gareth she finished, "So, he really did die a hero."
Gareth ran his hand through his hair and nodded at her, his stoic expression slipping and suddenly he looked like the young man he was. A younger brother whose brother had died a hero, but died too soon none the less.
Veronica patted her knee and got to her feet. She watched her walk over to a side table filled to the brim with framed photos.
Finding what she was looking for she selected a photo and walked back to the couch, taking her seat beside Amelia.
Holding out the photograph to Amelia she said, "He would have wanted you to have this."
Amelia took the framed photo with one hand, running the fingers of the other over the two smiling faces staring back at her.
She immediately recognised the picture. It was of her and Derek, taken when they'd returned from Africa but after they'd had a few days to sleep.
He looked striking in his uniform, the soldier girls dreamed about, and she wore a dress which had been the colour of the ocean, her hair tousled by the wind and his playfulness.
They were beaming at the photographer, his arm casually slung over her shoulder and she leaned into him like she'd done a hundred times before and would a hundred more.
Her vision blurred and she dashed away the tears threatening to spill over. She looked to Veronica and said, "I will always love your son and cherish every moment I had with him. For a long time he was my world, and he will always be a part of it. He's family, blood."
The older woman drew in a long breath, the whisper of a smile in her lips.
"We're engaged," she continued, glancing over to Babe who smiled affectionately down at her, "and we don't yet know when the wedding will be. But we would love it if you all three could come to the wedding. It really would mean the world to me."
Veronica laid a gentle hand against her cheek, "Dear, of course we'll be there. As you said, you're family."
XXXXXXX
Babe POV
Train Station, Philly
Glancing to his right he smiled fondly at Amelia as their train pulled into the station. Her entire body was bouncing up and down impatiently as she bit her bottom lip, her large eyes scanning the crowd of faces waiting on the platform.
"There," she exclaimed, pointing to the couple standing on the platform and excitedly looking back and forth between them and him.
He tugged her gently towards him and planted a kiss on her lips. Pulling them apart he studied her. He'd never seen this side of her before. Her childlike excitement and carefree joy. He loved her even more for it considering all they'd been through.
"What?" she asked, an adorable frown on her forehead.
He chuckled planted another kiss on her forehead, right over the frown lines. "I just love you," he spoke against her skin.
"Twice," she replied with a cheeky smile.
The train ground to complete halt and people immediately grabbed their things and crowded into the passage. He stood and pulled both their packs from the overhead rack. Their trunks were stored in the cargo hold and Amelia had arranged for them to be delivered to his parents' home later that afternoon. He'd sent a message to his folks when they landed in New York, telling them they were heading home and that they were engaged. He was sure they were thrilled at the news, heaven only knows they already loved her, but he was still anxious about getting all the formal introductions over and done with.
Shuffling into the passage he protectively placed her small frame ahead of his, her back pressing into his chest as they waited for the line to move. She kept glancing over her shoulder, shooting him excited smiles as she excitedly shuffled her weight around.
A group of soldiers were standing directly in-front of them. The closest two nudged each other and glanced over their shoulders and down at Amelia, both shooting her what he guessed was their most charming smile. He'd gotten used to the attention that came with having her on his arm. In New York he'd assumed it was because of her uniform, not many women had a military uniform and none held the medals she did. But she'd ditched her dress greens as soon as she could after their visit to Derek's parents and the attention hadn't stopped. Before the war the attention she received from other men would have annoyed him to no end, but now he just smirked, knowing they didn't realise who they were dealing with and relishing that moment when they saw she's with him.
Amelia must have smiled politely back, completely unaware of what was happening, because the two men started to turn around, their chests puffed out as they obviously touched the purple hearts pinned to their jackets.
He wound his one free arm around her waist and planted a kiss into the crook of her neck. She giggled, turned her face up and playfully narrowed her eyes.
He gave her a cocky wink and straightened out, making sure to make eye contact with the two men over her head. They both looked from him to her a few times before deciding to turn around and continue making their way out the door.
Seconds later they exited the train right onto a platform swarming with soldiers and those waiting for them.
"Bill!" Amelia shouted, bounding off to where Bill and a young woman were standing.
He followed in her path at a more restrained pace, watching as she dodged groups and couples before slamming into Bill, nearly knocking them both over.
He heard his friend's deep, throaty laughter as he joined the group, Bill's face obscured by Amelia's hair as the two friends held onto one another.
As Bill and Amelia slowly pulled apart he dropped one pack to the ground and enthusiastically took Bill's offered hand.
"It's good to see you kid," Bill said, a hint of emotion in his voice.
"You too Bill," he replied, his throat tightening ever so slightly.
"Hey, I'm Amelia. You must be Vera," he heard Amelia say to the pretty brunette standing beside Bill.
Bill shot him a wink before letting go of his hand and immediately placing it protectively on Vera's lower back.
Vera quickly glanced his way, giving him a friendly smile in greeting, before turning her attention back to Amelia. "I am. Bill has told me so much about you. It such an honour and a pleasure to finally meet the woman that could survive a Company of men."
"Oh well, the trick is to just be exceptionally more stubborn and foolish than all of them combined."
"I knew it!" Bill exclaimed.
"That explains a lot," he teased her, earning him a playful slap to the chest.
"Bill has written about you in every letter since he got home. I'm just ecstatic to finally meet the woman that could tame Wild Bill," Amelia said to Vera, a soft smile on her lips.
"Every letter huh? We must go for lunch and you have to tell me everything," Vera replied, her eyes twinkling.
"How about tomorrow?" Amelia asked.
"Done. I'll meet you at 12:00 at Babe's house," Vera said.
Bill cleared his throat and both women looked expectantly over to him, their expression almost identical.
"I see now it was a mistake to introduce the two of you. Not that I ever got the chance to."
Vera playfully rolled her eyes but planted peck on Bill's cheek.
"Vera, this is Edward Heffron, but everyone calls him Babe," Bill said as if everyone didn't already know each other's names, "and this is Amelia Jones. This is Vera, my fiancé."
"What? When?" Amelia exclaimed, her nearly cheeks splitting from the smile she had.
Bill laughed, taking great pleasure in the fact that he managed to surprise his two friends. "'Bout a month ago. I wanted to tell you when you got home."
"Congratulations," he said, shaking Bill's hand again and smiling over to Vera.
"I'm so happy for you Bill. The both of you," Amelia said, leaning into him.
He wrapped one arm around her waist and smiled fondly down at her. She gave him a small nod and he tore his eyes away from hers.
"We actually got some news ourselves," he started.
Bill eyed them both suspiciously, "If you tell me you got hitched in Europe while I wasn't there I'm going to never forgive either one of you."
"No, no, between you and my Ma I'd never hear the end of it. Actually, we got engaged when we arrived in the States."
Amelia had slipped her ring onto another finger when they'd neared the station, eager to surprise Bill with the news. Now she put it back on its rightful place, smiling excitedly up at him and over to the other couple.
"Well it's about damn time," Bill said, slapping him on the back before planting a kiss on Amelia's cheek.
"C'mon, let's get the two of you home before his parents call the police," Vera joked.
From that moment until they pulled up outside his parents' home there wasn't a moments silence as they all swapped stories back and forth.
"Now, we're seeing you two tomorrow night at my folks. They're dying to meet you," Bill ordered as he slammed shut the trunk of the car.
"Yes Bill," Amelia replied, an overly serious look on her face as she nodded obediently.
"You're impossible," Bill retorted and her face instantly morphed into a giddy smile.
He shook Bill's hand and slapped him on the back, "See you tomorrow night."
Amelia exchanged a quick hug with Vera who confirmed she'd be collecting her at 12:00 the next day for their lunch, much to Bill's dread.
They waited until Bill's car had disappeared down the street before ascending the stairs to his parents' front door. He could feel the excitement bubbling up in his chest at finally being home, but it was mixed with a sense of apprehension that had nothing to do with the amazing woman walking beside him.
"Darling, what's wrong?" Amelia asked, placing a gentle hand on his arm to stop him from opening the door.
He looked over to her, trying to find the right words to explain what he was feeling. "I…I'm not the same as when I left."
She tilted her head to one side, a sad smile on the corner of her lips as she cupped his face with her hand, her thumb gently stroking his cheek. "Nobody is my love. How can we be? People grow and change, it's part of the human experience. But you? You will always be at your core the strong, kind, generous, wonderful man that walked down these stairs. That will never change, because that is who you are."
He put both packs down and closed the space between them, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her onto her toes as he pressed his lips to hers. She wound her hands behind his head, wrapping her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. He deepened the kiss and her lips parted, his tongue caressing hers as they shut out the world and all they'd survived.
Reluctantly he parted their lips, resting his forehead against hers as they both tried to catch their breath.
"I love you Edward. Always," she whispered.
"Twice," he replied.
Taking a deep breath he straightened out and smoothed down his uniform.
"Ready?" she asked him.
"Let's go," he answered as he reached for the doorknob.
Amelia POV
The house was a home in every sense of the word as far as she was concerned. It was warm and comfortable, with all of Edwards' siblings, their partners and his parents adding to the joyous chorus of voices bouncing off of every wall.
She was eagerly passed from one warm embrace to the next as if she'd always been an integral part of their lives and had finally made her way back home. The very last person to greet her, since she'd been busy doting over her son since they'd stepped foot inside the house, was Babe's mother.
Joseph, one of Babe's three brothers, had just put her feet back on the ground when he spun her around by her shoulders so she faced the matriarch of the Heffron household.
She was so flustered by the bombardment of people and affection she was still trying to find her voice when the older woman embraced her.
"Welcome home Amelia," Anne said and she felt the beginning of tears stinging her eyes.
She tried to sniff them away so no one would notice, but of course Babe's mother did since they were still hugging.
The older woman pulled away and grabbed her, pulling her towards another room as she shouted over her shoulder, "Get their things to their rooms. We'll meet you in the lounge."
She heard a round of, "Yes Ma," followed by laughter, shoving and shuffling.
The woman held firmly onto her hand until they reached the relative peace and quiet of the brightly lit kitchen. A round wooden table that could seat six people so stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by its chairs. The smell of home cooking permeated the entire room, with the delicious notes of baked apple pie drifting up to her at the very end.
"Here," the older woman said, holding out a glass of white wine to her with knowing look on her face.
She took it gratefully, taking a sip of the cool liquid and leaning against the kitchen countertop for balance.
"I don't believe we've been formally introduced. When you're surrounded by five over excited men manners tend to fly out the window. My name's Anne," Anne said with a warm smile before she took a sip from her own glass.
"My name's Amelia," she replied, immediately feeling silly for stating something which Anne obviously already knew.
Anne laughed good naturedly at the blush that had started to make its way into her cheeks. "Don't fret dear. I can only imagine how overwhelming all of this must be."
"It is," she admitted, "but in a good way. In a wonderful way actually."
"Thank you dear, I can see your mother raised you to have manners, unlike my herd of hooligans in there. I promise my daughter is far better behaved. She'll be over as soon as the school gets out. She's a teacher."
"Oh, she's a teacher? When I had to start thinking about what to do once I got back State side, that's really the only thing I could think of doing."
"Well, they're looking for two new teachers at her school. You two should talk when she gets home. I'm sure they'll love you."
She glanced at the glass in her hand, a shy smile on her lips. "Thank you."
"I can see why Edward's so taken with you."
She looked back up find Anne smiling indulgently over at her.
"The first time he wrote home about you, I knew he was smitten. He of course didn't know it yet, but I suspect he caught on quickly."
"Did he tell you how we met?"
"Briefly, but you know men. Not the greatest fans of detail."
"I'd been away from Easy when he'd joined them, so by the time I'd arrived he'd had a few days to settle in. We were using a barn as a makeshift mess hall, and all the men were having lunch when Derek and I joined them."
The woman quirked her head to one side, a frown between her eyes.
"Oh, Derek was my partner in crime so to speak. We'd worked together before I joined Easy."
Anne nodded, indicating she should continue the story.
"Well, at some stage the veterans had made a bet with one of the replacements to ask me out on a date."
Anne chuckled, shaking her head.
"Well, I'd spent the entire night talking with my friends, catching up, when just as I was ready to leave this soldiers I'd only briefly met comes up to me, trying to act all confident, and asks me out on a date. My friends all stood there with the most ridiculously obvious grins on their faces, barley able to contain themselves. So I had to gently let the poor man down, while shooting daggers at the men."
"Was this Edward?" Anne interjected.
"No, one of is his friends, Hashey, but as I'd turned to leave I'd caught Babe's eye. And in that moment, I knew that if he'd been the one to ask me, I probably would have said yes. There was just something there from the very start. Nothing dramatic or shocking, but this subtle pull that felt like it had been there all along, just waiting for us to meet."
Anne smiled, her eyes glazing over as if remembering her own first encounter with her husband.
A loud crash followed by raucous laughter and swearing pulled both of them out of their daydreams and back to reality.
Anne laughed, not a flicker of anger or annoyance anywhere to be found. "That's my favourite sound you know? The lot of them causing havoc."
"I can see why. It used to be the same for me with the men of the Company."
"C'mon, we'd best get in there before they break down the place."
As she followed Anne out of the kitchen towards the booming voices the older woman turned to glance her way and said, "So, I believe we have a wedding to plan?"
Amelia POV
Almost one year later
She turned around in the full length mirror, trying to look at herself from every possible angle. It had been nearly a year since they'd set foot on American soil and so much had changed during that time.
They'd been to half a dozen weddings, she'd become fast friends with Vera and Babe's sister who'd in turn introduced her to all of their friends, she'd found a job as a teacher at a local Middle School, while Babe worked for Publicker Industries which operated a whiskey distillery and recently she'd moved into their future home. Babe of course would be joining her once they were officially married. Not that that fact had stopped them from making sure the place was fit for married life.
And now, here she was, standing in-front of a mirror wearing a long white dress, waiting to walk down the aisle towards the man she loved more than she could explain, surrounded by friends and family. Bill had decided their wedding date would fall on the very first Easy Company reunion, she hadn't argued, she wanted all the men there, and could only giggle at his excitement when all the RSVP's started rolling in with every man saying they would be there.
There was still a good deal of rationing when it came to luxury goods like lace and silk, but fortunately two of the dresses she'd commandeered in the Eagles Next were a light cream made from the best lace and silk in Europe. Anne had a friend who could do magic with fabric and together they were able to design her a beautiful lace wedding dress.
Her hand drifted to the gold locket hanging around her neck. She knew inside she'd find a picture of Derek, smiling at the camera like it was the love of his life. His family was at the church, and she'd been determined to carry a part of him with her down the aisle.
There was a faint knock on the door, two quick raps.
"Come in," she called over her shoulder.
From the reflection in the mirror she saw Gene enter the room, handsome as always in his dress uniform.
He closed the door behind him and made his way over to her. She turned her back to the mirror so she could face her friend. She'd tried to keep in touch with most of the men, but there were those few she did extra effort with and she knew they did the same for her. Gene was always one of them.
"You remember when I asked you to walk me down the aisle?" she asked as she smoothed over the none-existent creases in his jacket.
"We were in Haguenau. Talking about what we'd do if we made it home."
"And here we are."
His smile shifted from joyous to sad and he said, "It was close there for a moment. To close to you not making it back."
Her one hand instinctively drifted to her stomach, touching the place where she knew the scar was from her near fatal shooting.
"But we both made it back," he said, pulling her into an embrace which she melted into.
"I love you chérie."
"I love you Gene."
He took a small step back and this time his smile wasn't clouded by memories they'd all rather forget. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you," she replied, twirling around for him.
He chuckled and held out his arm to her, "C'mon, let's get you married."
"It's about damn time," she joked and they both laughed as they made their way towards the church and the love of her life.
Amelia POV
Ten years later
"Edward, do you have Samantha?" she shouted down the corridor as she rushed from the kitchen to the front door, a large blueberry pie in each hand and her handbag slung over her shoulder.
"Yes, and Derek?" she heard her husband's muffled voice behind her.
"He's playing outside. You know that son of your cannot sit still and wait for more than one minute."
She heard his laughter followed by a high pitched giggle as his footsteps drew closer. He closed the door behind them as she scanned their front yard for signs of their seven year old son.
She found him playing with his toy soldiers in the middle of the walkway. Two neat lines of little green men facing off against one another in some epic battle.
"Derek, we have to go to Uncle Bill's party now."
The child looked up from his play, his dark blond hair flopping from side to side as he looked from her to Babe.
She glanced over her shoulder, a smile crossing her lips without even having to think about it. Babe had their four year old daughter in one arm, her fiery red curls bouncing over her eyes as she giggled hysterically because her father was tickling her with his free hand.
"We are going to be late," she told him without a shred of annoyance.
"'Suppose we don't wanna upset Bill. We'd never hear the end of it," he replied, finally pulling his attention away from Samantha.
"Will all our Uncles be there?" she heard a tiny voice and turned to find Derek standing right behind her, play soldiers clutched in his arms.
"Yes my darling. Uncle Bill, Gene, Joe, Luz and Don. Even Uncle Winters and Nixon, and all the others."
The little boy frowned and she could see the little wheels turning inside his head. "And Uncle Speirs?"
"Yes, Uncle Speirs as well."
The little boy smiled triumphantly and promptly turned on his heels, making a beeline for the car.
"Uncle Speirs huh? Still sounds strange," Babe said as he stopped at her shoulder.
"It really does. But I just love the look on his face when Derek calls him that in-front of everyone. Priceless."
Babe laughed as they made their way to the car, their son waiting impatiently for them.
After bundling their children and the food safely into the car she grabbed Babe's hand, hoping to steal a second of peace together before the evening's festivities.
Reading her mind he placed one strong hand behind her head as the other snaked around her waist. He pulled her body flush against his, his tongue skilfully parting her lips as they kissed, her body moulding to his.
As he pulled their lips apart she whispered, "You had better be planning on finishing what you just started."
"That is my intention Mrs Heffron," he said with a smug smirk.
She shook her head, rolling her eyes even as a lopsided smile pulled at her lips.
She turned to the get into the car, worried that they were now really going to be late when Babe grabbed her hand.
She looked up to him, his handsome features contemplative.
"This is everything you wanted? Dreamed of for after the war?"
She reached up with her free hand and ran it through the hair on the right side of his head before settling it into those at the nape of his neck.
"My love, a life with you away from war is everything I ever wanted. Everything else is a wonderful, blissful cherry on top that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world."
He placed a soft kiss onto the top of her head and whispered into her hair, "You never cease to challenge and amaze me. I love you."
She smiled even though she knew he couldn't see her face, "Twice my love."
As they climbed into the car she watched her beautiful son affectionately tease his little sister, consoling her when she threatened to cry and she couldn't help but see a glimmer of his namesake in him.
She reached into the back seat and ruffled his hair, earning her a giggle followed by a dimpled smile. Samantha reached for her hand, sure and steady in her movements, her light green eyes and the surety they held in their young depths taking her back to long nights spent in London with her sister.
She took her little hand and glanced over to Babe, humming to the song on the radio as they drove to Bill's where their Easy family, their brothers, were waiting.
All I ever wanted. Even when it breaks my heart, this is perfect, she thought.
XXXXXXX
The End.
XXXXXXX
Hi all, wow, I cannot believe this story is done. It's been such a wonderful experience. This community has been so warm and accepting and I cannot say thank you enough for all the love and support. This was the first story I'd ever written and obviously the first one I'd posted. I was really nervous to put this out there, but I've received nothing by support and respect which I cannot say enough times how much it means to me.
I apologise for posting the chapter late, I won't bore you with the details as to why. However I do hope you all enjoyed it and that you feel a sense of closure. I've grown so attached to these characters (obviously I was attached to the BoB characters and the incredibly brave men they portrayed before writing this story, but this has taken it to a new level) and I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do now to be honest.
I'll definitely be writing another story, I feel there's an untold Joe story in my future, but for now I'll take a short break.
As always I love hearing from you and if you have any request or suggestions let me know.
Have a wonderful week everyone. Go kick some Monday ass :)