Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart - GerIta

Chapter 18: Epilogue

((The video attached to this chapter is a tribute to this fanfiction. It is literally the BEST thing ever, and if you love this fanfiction then you need to watch it!))

Auf wiedersehen, auf wiedersehen, we'll meet again, sweetheart...

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Early 1974
Italy

It was a busy, sunny, glorious day in the village. Feliciano strolled the streets with his hands in his pockets, whistling to himself, occasionally tipping his hat and flashing a grin at the pretty girls who passed in the sunlight. Most knew him well and just laughed, shooing him on his way with bright smiles and flippant waves of the hand. But Feliciano was surprised at the amount of unfamiliar faces around town lately. Foreigners in unfamiliar uniforms filled the cantinas, English could be heard on every corner, and here in the town square a big platform had been put up beside a brand new stone memorial. Feliciano had heard there was to be a ceremony of some sort, but he was not sure what all these Americans had to do with it. He did know that it had something to do with the war, so he had not troubled himself to find out more. Feliciano did not like to remember the war. As he walked past a large group clustered around the fountain, he realised that many of the people in the crowd were too young to actually remember it themselves. He shrugged to himself, continuing on his way to meet Ludwig at the old Cantina Rossa beside the square. His heart immediately lightened at the thought.

As he headed towards the edge of square, Feliciano noticed a man standing separate from the crowd, looking both confused and frustrated as he looked all around him. He was wearing a tweed suit and looked a little older than Feliciano, mid-fifties perhaps, with greying blond hair and quite possibly the largest eyebrows Feliciano had ever seen.

"Good day!" said Feliciano cheerfully, walking up to stand in front of the bewildered foreigner. He was not sure about all these Americans, but that was no reason not to help one of them if he could. "Are you all right? Can I help you?"

The man looked a bit panicked at the greeting. "Non... oh, bloody hell... Non Italiano..."

"Oh, sorry, of course!" Feliciano switched to English. "You're American."

"I beg your pardon?" Now the man looked genuinely affronted. "God no, I'm English."

Feliciano was immediately delighted. "Of course you are! I should have guessed from the suit! Tweed in this weather, my goodness, you English people are wonderful. I bet you quote Shakespeare all the time. Are you lost?"

"What? I..." The Englishman furrowed his brow in confused surprise, then continued to glance around the square as though searching for something. "I'm not lost. He's the one who's bloody lost."

Feliciano tried to follow the Englishman's searching gaze, then simply stared back at him. He had always been fascinated by England and the English, so it was a marvellous surprise to meet one unexpectedly in the town square. "Are you on holiday? There are a lot of people visiting Italy, lately. Well, this part of it, anyway."

"I'm here for the ceremony, with my, uh, friend." The man tripped over the word, then quickly tried to hide it. "Yes, my friend, an old friend of mine. He fought here, during the war."

"Oh! My..." Feliciano leant forward and winked, "...friend fought here during the war too. Was your friend in the British army?"

The Englishman looked completely stunned by that. Feliciano just grinned, until the man attempted an uncertain smile back. "No, he's American. He was a fighter pilot."

Feliciano gasped loudly. "No! Really? So was Ludwig! I'm going to meet him now, come have a drink with us! The cantina is right on the street here, and I'm sure your American will find you better if you stay in one place. My name is Feliciano, what's yours?"