A Peculiar Time in 1944 - A Millard Fanfic (Miss Peregrine's Home) #wattys2020

Chapter 16

EMMA P.O.V.

Emma, Olive, Hugh, Enoch and Horace were in Hugh and Horace's room after the latter three had found out about Millard and Aurora's relationship.

"So they know that Emma knows but they don't know that Olive knows?" Horace asked.

"But that doesn't matter now." Hugh replied, "Because now enough of us know so we can just tell them we know and this secret nonsense can end."

"Or we don't say a word and have some of our own fun." Enoch suggested.

"Enoch don't be mean." Emma said.

"Oh come on. Like living the same day over and over doesn't get boring?"

"Don't you think it's a bit immature?" Emma tried to dissuade them.

"Sadly, Enoch does have a point." Horace agreed, "We could use some fresh entertainment."

oOo oOo oOo

MILLARD P.O.V.

"Hey Millard, want to come out and play soccer with us?" Hugh called from the hall as he and Victor made their way outside.

"Actually, I was going to go into town, maybe start observing some of the farms for the book I'm working on." He replied as he made his way down the stairs, though he was actually going to meet Aurora at the beach.

"Oh great!" Fiona said walking in from outside, "Hold on a moment!" Fiona rushed out, then quickly came back with an old woven bag, "Would you be able to bring back some manure for my garden?"

"Uh. . –"

"Thanks! That would really help me out!" she said joyfully thrusting the cloth bag into Millard's arms then running back outside.

AURORA P.O.V.

Aurora was in her room getting ready to meet Millard at the beach when Emma walked in with Olive.

"Going somewhere?" Olive asked.

"No, just. . . cleaning up." She tried to reply as nonchalantly as she could.

"Oh, good then you can help me with this letter!" Emma exclaimed.

"What letter?"

"Well, you know how Abe has been writing less and less frequently. I'm trying to come up with something to say that doesn't sound too needy or whiny. Here, I have a few drafts so far." She said thrusting multiple pages of writing at Aurora.

oOo oOo oOo

For the next two weeks it went on and on. Every time Millard and Aurora would try to find some time alone they'd be interrupted by Horace, Hugh, Fiona, Enoch, Olive or Emma. They didn't have it in their hearts to turn down their friends requests but they did find it strange that in most cases their friends didn't give them the chance to say no. Until one night when Aurora and Millard were able to corner Emma, it was after curfew and the others were all asleep when they roughly shook Emma awake and demanded the truth.

"Emma, we need to know if you told anyone."

"I haven't. I swear I didn't tell them."

"Them?" Millard repeated, "Who's them?"

"Uhhh..." Emma tried to come up with a response, her slip up now making her brain fully wake up.

"Emma." Aurora said sternly.

"Olive. . . and everyone but the Bruntley's, Claire and maybe the twins." she sighed.

"Emma, how long has this been going on?"

"Olive has known for a few months, the others just the past couple weeks. That's why they haven't left either of you alone, they thought it'd be fun to mess with you."

oOo oOo oOo

Dinner that night had been an unusually quiet event. The only sound was forks and knives scraping against plates as the children ate, those who weren't in on the secret kept looking around questioning their friend's strange behavior. As they neared the end of their meal Miss Peregrine had had enough of it.

"Alright." She said gaining the attention of the room, "Whatever has been going on I want it put to an end right now."

The room stayed silent, those who knew kept their eyes turned down at their plates. Miss Peregrine turned to Emma who sat at her left.

"Emma?" she asked expectantly. The blonde slowly turned to face the headmistress.

"There's nothing to say." She then turned her gaze back to the table. Miss Peregrine took a deep sigh and stood up.

"I know something has been going on." She said eyeing Aurora and Millard, "I don't mind a person or persons keeping something to themselves, you're all entitled to your privacy. But since it has seemed to cause such a disturbance to everyday life in this house I must insist that now it comes out in the open." She said as she walked around the table staring down each child as she passed them. She stopped at Horace and put her hands on his shoulders, she knew he was the weakest – though she would never say it aloud – but she also knew that with his peculiarity he'd most certainly know what was making such a fuss.

Everyone watched as Horace began to sweat, small beads of perspiration appearing on his forehead.

"Well –"

"Fight it Horace!" Hugh shouted causing Miss Peregrine to snap her head in his direction. The fierce stare she gave him caused him to tilt his head down again. Horace was now looking even more nervous. Aurora looked across the table to Millard and they both knew they couldn't keep up the charade any longer. Well it was fun while it lasted.

"Alright." Millard spoke up causing everyone to look at him, or rather look at what he was wearing. "Aurora and I are a couple." He said calmly.

The twins started bouncing in their seats, Claire and Bronwyn exchanged grins so wide Aurora thought they would escape their faces and Victor's knuckles were turning white from how hard his hand was gripping his spoon.

"Since we came to the loop." Millard continued, "And we know a fair lot of you knew and that toying with us was rude and immature!" he said defensively.

"Sorry mate." Hugh shrugged, "It just gets boring sometimes."

"It's alright." Millard accepted his apology then turned to Fiona, "But you really had to ask me to collect manure?" Everyone at the table laughed – except Victor who got up and left the room. Aurora noticed how bent his spoon had become and felt a pang of guilt over his hurt feelings.

"Well." Miss Peregrine began as she returned to her seat, "Now that that's all cleared up can we resume our evening as we normally do?" Several heads nodded as they returned to their meals, Fiona apologized to Millard about the manure bag and Olive kept asking Aurora questions. She noticed that Olive kept peeking at Enoch but didn't mind, her attention was elsewhere as well. She kept looking at the door Victor had left through and eventually was only moving her food around the plate because her guilt made her stomach tie up in knots. She knew Victor was just as possessive as Enoch but with a bigger temper and she worried what would happen now that her and Millard's secret was out.