Genesis: the Beginning and the End | Band of Brothers

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ １０４ － Ｗｅｄｄｉｎｇ】

Chapter 104 - Wedding

Luz found her sat at the end of the pier, swinging her legs over the water.

"Hey Beautiful, how're we today?"

He was starting to worry. That was a lie. He'd been worried for a while now. Everyone had. She was hardly sleeping, drinking to try and get through the night. At least she was eating. Peggy shifted to the side and patted the spot beside her. So George sat down next to her.

"I've never painted before. But I should like to come back and paint this scene here. It's so beautiful. Maybe paint is the medium to convey just how peaceful this water is. I can lose myself here."

She'd avoided the question.

Therefore the answer was not good.

"Hey, Captain Nixon gave me the address of the hospital Shifty's in. It's in Southampton. It's gonna take a long time, but he'll be okay."

He kept his eyes on her profile, and watched her nod, and then again.

"Yeah. Okay. Good. That's good. Yeah."

"I'm gonna tuck it into your address book, okay?"

Peggy hummed and continued watching the water.

That book went with her everywhere. It was almost like she was punishing, torturing herself. No one could understand it. He wasn't sure she understood.

Geroge tucked the slip of paper between the pages and then turned to watch the lake too.

"George, you're one of the bestest friends I've ever had."

Slipping an arm around her shoulder, the pair shuffled closer together. It was nice. Calm. Quiet.

"Who've I got to fight for the top spot, 'cause you know I will."

That made her laugh, and helped ease the worry in George's face.

"Well, Floyd for one, and Gene too, um...actually there are quite a few, Don and-"

"Yeah yeah I get the point, I'm not that special." He laughed when Peggy gently shoved him. "Doc would probably hand my ass to me, but Tab, I could take him easy."

Silence descended, but a companionable one. And it remained until Peggy sniffed, and George started fussing.

"What's the ma-"

"George I love you so much. You're one of the best things to have ever happened to me and I'm so grateful you wanted to be my friend. I'm gonna miss you so much."

A long hard squeeze and the pair of them were holding back tears. He was gonna miss her more than words could say. And to think she was on Death Row. That he really would never see her again once she left Zell Am See. Utterly mad. He couldn't imagine life without her, which was funny given that he'd gone his whole life not knowing she existed. But after two to three months she'd wormed her way into everyone's hearts. And she wasn't even trying to because she had no idea how to make friends or socialise as herself. They taught her that. They helped her to be a human being.

Peggy slipped the book behind her where it was safe.

"Hey George?" He looked at her, and hummed. "Hold your breath."

"What?"

"Hold your breath," she rushed out as she pushed him in.

The only thing was...

George had his arm around her shoulders. So she got dragged in too.

When they broke the surface, he was spluttering and shouting and then he set his sights on her laughing form. She knew it was time to stop treading water.

Of course he was a faster swimmer than her!

And then he was pulling on her trying to drag her down as she screamed out a laugh.

These were the good days.

After not too long, George dragged her out and they flopped back onto the pier to lie in the sun.

Their wet drabs made them cold so they lay as close as they could in an attempt to not get too cold in the early July sun.

But soon the front of their uniforms were dry so they turned over and laid on their fronts and whispered and giggled like they were at a kids sleepover. George talked about the family he would be going home to see, all his siblings, his mum and dad and cousins. He was hesitant at first, given her family situation but she insisted. Peggy said she'd like to meet them someday, and he said that she would, probably around the same time as when he would take her to Broadway.

Bittersweet.

That was how she'd describe it.

Painful after it had happened because then she realised none of it ever could. But in the moment, it was so lovely and wholesome and pure.

"Y'know, I'm happy to walk you down the aisle."

"I don't care if you're happy to, it isn't happening. If anyone's gonna give me away it's Ripley."

If only she could stay in that little corner of the world forever, swimming, joking about her wedding.

George hopped up and then gave her his hand.

"Well, we'd better get back before anyone begins to wonder where we've disappeared to."

He turned to leave but a tug at his sleeve halted him.

"Dance with me George. Just for a little while. Stay here in this moment with me."

"Okay," he whispered, and gingerly took her hand in his. Placing his other hand at her hip, they twirled and danced to the symphony of birdsong.

"You better save me a dance at that wedding of yours. Actually, save me multiple."

Peggy threw her head back as she laughed clear and bright. Of course she'd save him a dance, she'd save him as many as he wanted because she'd do anything for her friends, her family.

_

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