Always (a Deryck Whibley Fanfic) RMS Titanic / WWI AU

XXII: Troubled Times (Post-War Part 2)

Wednesday 17th July 1946

Ajax, Toronto, Canada

STEPHEN-PAUL'S POV

It is a year since I was awarded with the Victoria Cross, a Cross of Valour, the Order of Ontario, a Medal of Bravery and a Medal of Sacrifice for my participation in the Battle of Britain and the RCAF. The past year hasn't been very eventful, as in nothing interesting has happened since I attended my award ceremony with my Mum and Dad and the rest of my little crew and the RCAF, I was quite glad to see my friend Douglas who awarded me with my respective medals. With regards to my Thalassophobia which is the fear of deep water due to my near-death experience in London six years ago, it's only bad when I'm near like a large body of water ie, a lake, river, or even the ocean. I'm not one of those ones that's scared of being in the bath, I mean because that's just dumb in my opinion anyways. Again, like my Dad my wartime injuries aren't physical they're psychological, although I think my fear is quite common which I guess is sort of a relief. Since we entered peacetime last year after the dreadful war was over, I've been looking for a permanent place in the RCAF because I'm still ranked as Captain, even if it was for a short while in the Battle of Britain so I guess I can head up to Ottawa again and go to the National Defence Headquarters again and see which jobs are available to captains. I can make my way back up to Ottawa tomorrow and see what I can get, maybe I'll get promoted to a higher rank in the RCAF, maybe I'll be promoted to Major that'll be fun. I've let my Mum and Dad know about my decision to go to Ottawa and see if I get a permanent placement in the RCAF. My Mum is a bit worried about me going back to Ottawa and going back to the Air Force, Mum I'm nearly twenty five, I can make my own decisions, but I know she has my best interests at heart and is anxious about me going back into the Air Force because of what happened to me in England but as they say, you can't dwell on the past you have to move on. My Dad on the other hand, is actually alright with the idea of me joining the Air Force again despite what had happened to me years ago, he seems to be glad that I get to continue fighting for my country (even though there's no war going on anymore) since he didn't get the chance to when he was discharged from the Canadian Corps on medical grounds in 1917, twenty nine years ago.

THURSDAY 18th JULY 1946...

Today, I'll be going back up to Ottawa to the National Defence Headquarters to see if I can apply to any jobs that are different or similar of those that I did leading up to the Battle of Britain or get promoted to Major. I've contacted Douglas, who is in London to give me a hand with the job search so he's flying over and arriving in the next couple of hours. Douglas has now arrived in Ottawa and of course so have I, so I can go job searching for the RCAF whenever I find a senior officer here at Headquarters. Within the next few hours that Douglas and I have been here, I finally get called up to meet with one of the senior officers of the Air Force to discuss my career options, he mentions that the job offer of the title of Major is available and if I wanted I could take it up and become a Major rather than a Captain, which I am just now. The officer mentions to myself and Douglas that there will be a ranking ceremony on Monday and if I want to be promoted to Major, then I can attend the ceremony and be given my new title in the Air Force. I have written to my parents informing them of the situation of me becoming a possible Major which I'm obviously looking forward to, but it doesn't necessarily mean that I will receive the new rank I think I'll be up against other competitors. If in the slight chance that I become a Major, I think I could be in charge of my own squadron like Douglas was in the RAF during the war, I'm looking forward to the event that's coming on Monday because I hope to be awarded with this post-war promotion. There's not many twenty four (almost twenty five) year olds that get this opportunity of a lifetime, is there?.

MONDAY 22nd JULY 1946...

It is the day of the ranking ceremony that I was invited to on Wednesday of last week, my parents arrived in Ottawa by train last night so they're here to watch me get promoted to Major (that is if I get the position or not). I am just as excited as they are, apparently my 'uncles' Dave, Jay, Frank and Tom have tagged along to the ceremony which is a surprise, but a nice one at least. My ceremony is now underway, one of the senior officers of the Air Force starts off with welcoming and thanking everyone who has come along to the event, he then lists the receiving officers who could possibly be awarded with the impending new promotion, of course myself included. After a while of waiting, the officer is given an envelope that will reveal the name of the person who will receive the title of Major, he then says to the awaiting crowd:

"The officer who will receive the promotion and title of Major is... Stephen-Paul Whibley!" I can't believe I've been promoted to Major! I didn't think I'd get it, I thought one of the other boys would be a more suitable candidate than myself, but oh well I have my newly earned promotion to receive from the officer. I go up towards the stage where the officer is standing with a Canadian Forces' Decoration for me so I can complete my journey from Captain to newly appointed Major. The officer then awards me with the medal, and then turns to the crowd and says:

"I am proud to announce, Maj. Stephen-Paul Whibley of the Royal Canadian Air Force who endured equipment failure and a near-death experience whilst fighting for King and country during the Battle of Britain six years ago". I am glad to be promoted to Major, because hopefully I will soon be in charge of my own squadron like Douglas was in the RAF. I guess I feel sorry for my fellow comrades who are still either Captains or lower, but that would mean that I'm gloating so perhaps I should stop. I thank the officer as I make my way down from the stage as I look towards my parents and 'uncles' who all look happy for me since I've been promoted to a higher rank and been given a new award to go with my Victoria Cross, Cross of Valour, Order of Ontario, Medal of Bravery and Medal of Sacrifice. I guess my parents are proud to see me get this far up in the Air Force after everything that went on during my time in London with my accidental drowning and the aftermath of it which is of course my developed common fear of deep water, Thalassophobia. I am grateful that there won't be any war to fight in, because we've all been through two world wars, my parents and my 'uncles' have endured the sinking of the Titanic 34 years ago and the aftermath of the disaster, with that came the death of my late 'uncle', Steve who I'm actually named after as my Mum probably told you already. So, as you can see we've all experienced some form of trauma and difficulty over the past few years but we've got by it which I'm glad, because if we didn't then I certainly wouldn't be standing here with a job, a new promotion and many medals that I can be proud of, on that note I probably wouldn't even exist if my Mum and Dad hadn't survived the sinking of the Titanic or even my Dad surviving the Battle of Vimy Ridge either. So, with my ceremony over it's time to catch the train and head back home to Toronto and with my new position in the Air Force I can probably gain more opportunities than I did when I was just a Captain, I can't wait to be put in charge of a full squadron of planes and their pilots who I'll be in command of too. I am due to start my first day as a Major next Monday, so that's certainly something positive to look forward to, also I think I'll be away quite a lot due to the position's high demand so I won't be seeing my Mum and Dad very often which is a shame, but that's just the way it has to be I suppose and as I have mentioned previously, I can't be relying on my parents every two seconds for the rest of my life can I?.

What good is love and peace on earth
When it's exclusive?
Where's the truth in the written word
If no one reads it?
A new day dawning
Comes without warning
So don't think twice

We live in troubled times
We live in troubled times

What part of history we learn
When it's repeated
Some things will never overcome
If we don't seek it
The world stops turning
Paradise burning
So don't think twice

We live in troubled times
We live in troubled times
We live in troubled times

We run for cover
Like a skyscraper's falling down
Then I wonder like a troubled mind

What good is love and peace on earth
When it's exclusive?
Where's the truth in the written word
If no one reads it?
A new day dawning
Comes without warning
So don't look twice

We live in troubled times
We live in troubled times
We live in troubled times
We live in troubled times
We live in troubled times
We live in troubled times
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All rights go to: Green Day
Written by: Billie Joe Armstrong
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