Throughout It All

40 | Memorial | November 15, 1923

Who is ready for this? Not me.

Not only is this the last chapter, but it's also going to have a lot of feels.

So...

Enjoy! :)

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Jack visits the Argonne Cross first thing in the morning. He's not usually an early riser, but here he is, with the sun still rising too--which, to be fair, isn't as early as it would be in the summer, but there's still something intimate about being here with the sun rising.

He looks at the cross that represents all those who fought in the Meusse-Argonne offensive, for all those had lost their lives fighting there. Like Spot did. It's been five years and four days since Spot died. 

He was here when the cross was first erected two days ago. He just likes coming here without the crowds. Right now, Mush is in a cemetery in Queens, visiting Kid Blink by himself. So he understood when Jack said he needed some time to himself.

"It's been five years, Spot," Jack says softly. "And you fought till the end."

Of course, he wasn't there with Mush and Spot. Over the years, Mush has disclosed little by little what he had seen in the war, what Spot's last moments were like. And slowly, Jack and David recount what they had been through as well.

And of course, there's Antonio. All those years ago, once they learned that Antonio didn't in fact have any place to stay, they insisted that he stayed with them. He kept insisting that he would find his own place eventually, that he would be out of their hair soon enough. They tell that's fine, but he's welcome to stay. And so he has. By now, it's like he's always been a part of the family. Of course, it's strange having someone nearly 30 in their house when they're all nearing 40 (or in Jack's case, now 40), but since when was their found family ever conventional or normal?

Jack wanders the cemetery. He knows that Antonio is here too, at Race's grave. He joins him silently. He doesn't disturb Antonio murmuring soft words and little lullabies for Race. Instead, he stands back and lets the brothers have a moment.

EDWARD HIGGINS
November 1 1883 - November 9 1918

Jack still misses him. He misses Race every day. He misses Spot every day. Every night he is plagued with nightmares about Dave dying right before him. Lately it has been getting better, but he still experiences more nightmares than he wants.

"I miss him, Jack," Antonio murmurs quietly. "I miss him a lot."

Jack sighs. "Me too."

"I just hope he's in a better place now."

"Me too."

Jack leaves Antonio be, and continues wandering around.

So many soldiers. So many names.

Sardinia is here too, and so are Kid Griffo and Chick Tucker. Jack knows that they are all at Dave's grave right now.

Sardinia has not and will not stop. He comes here every day, whispering sweet words to Dave, and telling him how he'll make all of it right again. Dave never got proper justice for everything when he was alive. So Sardinia will spend the rest of his days making sure Dave gets the proper justice now.

Kid Griffo notices Jack, and nods in greeting. Jack dips his head in return.

Watching Dave die before them had traumatized both of them in ways that only the two of them know. They can't explain it to their friends, not even to their lovers. This is an experience only they share, and even now they still spend time together to talk about it, or just sit there together silently.