Evelyn's Tale

-Forty Six-

A/N: This is the last chapter of Ev's journey. There will be an epilogue coming and I hope to write lots of imagines for Ev and Joe's life and family together. I'm feeling really quite emotional and although the epilogue is written, I'm not sure if it will be posted before the end of the week because I feel a bit scared to say goodbye to the story I've been working on for about 4 years. Chloe x

Evelyn felt numb. She felt totally detached from reality. George had disappeared almost as soon as he helped her to sit up and then placed the baby, her baby, into her arms, going to find Joe and going to find help. When Joe had arrived shortly after, the look on his face had been one of surprise and then awe and then delight as he had scooped up his tiny daughter, cradling her in his arms as though it was the most natural thing.

George had been quick to follow with one of the few Red Cross nurses who were making the voyage back home too. Even as the nurse had helped to make sure the baby was well and that the afterbirth was delivered intact, Evelyn had felt as though she was floating above her own body, watching but not really seeing, and most definitely not feeling. Not feeling anything at all.

Now, as Joe set the baby back into her limp arms, she cradled them instinctively, looking down at the tiny human who felt alien-like to her. She couldn't wrap her head around the knowledge that that baby was hers.

"Ev?" Joe touched her cheek gently, turning her face towards him. "Baby, are you ok?"

Blinking, she could do nothing but just stare back at him; unable to find herself concerned about the frown on his face or the way he glanced anxiously towards George and the nurse.

"Evelyn?" Joe prompted her again. "The baby; she's crying. Think she wants her mom to cuddle her."

"I... I didn't know," she murmured quietly. So quietly that Joe almost couldn't hear her. "I don't know... this isn't..."

"I think she's probably in a bit of shock," the nurse explained gently as there was a knock at the closed door.

"She's not the only fucking one," George muttered, heading across the tiny room, glancing almost guiltily at Joe and Evelyn. "I had to send someone for Speirs. He's in charge and I figured we couldn't hide this and-"

"It's fine, Luz," Liebgott assured him. "You talk to him and tell him I'll be out in a minute."

"Sure thing," George answered, with one final look of concern at Evelyn who was just staring at the crying baby in her arms but doing nothing to soothe it.

"Evelyn," the nurse crouched down beside her and Joe, who was sitting on the cot beside Evelyn. "I know this is a tremendous shock but I need your help. Do you think you can do that? Yeah?"

Evelyn nodded and a tear rolled down her cheek. She felt nothing and yet everything all at once now, and it was overwhelming and it was terrifying.

"Your baby's hungry," the nurse explained. "And she's just as afraid as you are. She's in this brand new world and she needs you to make her feel safe. I need you to make her feel safe, ok? So, dad, why don't you help Evelyn with her shirt and we can try and get this little one fed."

"No," Evelyn shook her head. "I don't wanna... I just..."

"Ev, look at me," Joe took her face in his hands gently and smiled softly as he looked into her eyes. "This is fucking insane, I know, but you can do this. We can do this, yeah? We're a little family and we didn't fucking know we were gonna be one. I'm beyond ecstatic but I would be shitting myself if this had happened to me with someone who wasn't you, and you know why? 'Cause you're the toughest, most brave woman I know. You joined the airborne for Christ's sake and you fought alongside us on D-Day and in Bastogne and through so much other shit. So this? This is nothing. This is a blessing and this is the start of the rest of our lives in peace and happiness. Yeah?" He kissed her forehead, and looked down at the baby, stroking her soft mattering of hair as dark as her mother's. "You did the hard part, Ev. You literally grew her out of nothing and kept her safe in there for nine months, so safe we didn't even know she existed, and then you delivered with just George fucking Luz for help. Whatever comes next will be easy and you'll have me to help you through it all."