𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 :: 𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯

Twenty-one.

DECEMBER 3, 1966

ANOTHER DAY OF BEING AWAKE AND ANOTHER DAY OF BEING RIPPED AWAY FROM PEACE. Felicity's mind felt free when she was out, it felt like every war she had been through ended, and there was nothing but silence in her. Of course she didn't want it to be forever otherwise she'd be leaving Dallas alone, god knows what he would've done if he had lost Felicity.

Dallas returns with strawberry jello cups for him and Felicity, something she had been living off of for the past few hours. The food in the hospital was never in her favor, having to eat it in front of the nurses that served her the meals.

"This is our fourth one, why don't you just eat the food they give you?" Dallas chuckled while getting comfortable in his chair.

"That's actual dog shit, are they trying to keep me alive or kill me?" Felicity complained.

"This is why I hate hospitals, man."

Felicity placed her cup on her bedside table, forcing her attention on Dallas who was picking at his jello.

"Why aren't you eating yours?" She giggled.

"I'm full." Dallas debriefed, a short one.

"Dally, I didn't say you also had to eat them." Felicity reminded him. "If you aren't going to eat that then just throw it out, you already wasted enough food here."

"I just thought you'd be upset eating alone, that's all." He shrugged while getting up to throw out the smushed jello.

"I'm already crippled, what more could I be upset about?" Felicity referred to her leg.

Dallas leaned over to Felicity, brushing down her hair with his palm. In his eyes— he had pain, relief, and love. He hated seeing Felicity like this, how the popped vessel in her eye traced a bloody mark.

If he could, he would've taken all of her pain off her and suffer just for her. He'd do anything for Felicity, it was a new kind of love for Dallas— the one that made him feel like he was married to Felicity.

"Have Aubrey and Dean stopped by, they're going to be so worried." Felicity said.

"I called them on my way down to get your stupid jello cups." Dallas assured her with his insult.

"They aren't stupid, they are a hospital delight!" She defended the sweets.

"Whatever," he shook his lead with a small laugh, "they'll be swinging by soon. You should've heard the Dean guy, man, he thought I was the one who put you in here."

Realization hits Dallas hard— he hadn't told her yet.

"Did they ever get the person who did it?" Felicity asked, playing with her blanket.

He could've told her, but there was so much in her heart that she couldn't take.

"No, doll, they didn't." His lie felt like a stab to the heart to him.

Momentarily, Dean and Aubrey come in with Aubrey's favorite snacks and her Sylvia Plath book that was left at work before her birthday and accident. Aubrey rushes towards her side, sitting down on the edge of the bed while holding onto Felicity's hand.

Dean stared Dallas down who didn't notice but kept his gaze on Aubrey and Felicity.

"We came as soon as we heard, we were so worried as to why you didn't come to work." Aubrey cried.

"Oh treats, thank you!" Felicity cooed while taking the Mr. Goodbar.

Dallas helps Felicity unwrap the chocolate as she struggled to get it open from her crazy cravings. When they watched her take a bite of the chocolate bar, she only displayed her five year old self with nothing but pure innocence.

Dean stood by Aubrey with his arms crossed.

"May I ask, is this the boy you've been seeing?" He questioned with skepticism.

"This is Dallas, we've been seeing each other for over a month now." Felicity introduced.

"Well isn't he a handsome one, good choice Felicity." Aubrey congratulated.

Dallas laughed quietly at Aubrey's comment.

"Break off a piece for me, will ya?" Dallas requested Felicity. "I've been living off of jello cups with you."

"Again, I didn't say you had to." Felicity remarked while breaking the other half of her chocolate bar off.

Dean studied their connection, he didn't avoid himself telling him that Dallas was the one for Dallas, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions for Felicity. All he wanted in life was for her to be happy and find someone who could match her perkiness. It was Dallas Winston all along.

When he looked at Dallas and Felicity, he saw nothing but him and Aubrey from 40 years.

1946.

Dean was discharged from the pacific while serving in Okinawa during World War Two. Upon his return to Tulsa, he went into this diner to grab a bite before he came home to his family officially. Dean sat by the counter to wait for his eggs and grits.

It was when Aubrey had walked past Dean in her polka dot dress and hair curled, she was alone in the stool two meters away from him. Dean had seen many beautiful women in his life but no one like Aubrey. He went over to her with full confidence as if he had nothing to lose.

When they did get to talking, he had realized that their relationship might be frowned upon due to their status in the social hierarchy. Dean was a greaser while Aubrey was a soc. However, they still made their relationship possible and it's been happily ever after since.

When he looked at Felicity and Dallas, he thought of him and Aubrey.

They were going to make it in his eyes.

𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆