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

Chapter 19

When Enoch and Bronwyn returned with Victor Miss Peregrine immediately brought him into her study. He sat at one of the desks they used for homeschooling while she paced back and forth in front of him, a finger to her chin.

"I'm grounded aren't I?" he asked breaking the silence. She turned to him with a sharp piercing stare.

"Do you have any idea how serious this is? Millard could have died."

"If only." He muttered but the Bird heard it.

"Victor this is no laughing matter. You realize that if Aurora's peculiarity wasn't healing I would have had no choice but to rush Millard to the London Carnival Tourist Loop to receive care for the damage you inflicted? A report would have been filed with the Council of Ymbrynes, I –" she paused and took a deep breath to steady herself, "I need you to understand the gravity of this situation. "

Victor shrugged, "I do. It was just a row."

"Then show me you understand. You're shrugging this off like it was a simple quarrel." She bent down to look him in the eye, "Victor you almost killed someone, choked the life right out of his body."

When Victor had no other response than looking down at the desk Miss Peregrine stood straight again and wrung her hands together, "Grounded, two weeks while I figure this out. Then we'll discuss further punishment and I don't want to see you anywhere near Aurora or Millard, do you understand?"

"I understand headmistress."

oOo oOo oOo

A few days after the altercation with Victor Aurora and Millard were sitting in the parlor after supper. Aurora could tell he'd been off since the incident and he'd yet to bounce back. She sat by his side holding his left hand while he held a book in his right. She could tell he wasn't reading it because he hadn't turned a page in the last ten minutes.

"Do you want to join me at the piano?" she asked trying to lift his spirits. His cap turned side to side as he shook his head.

"Or, we can go into town and do more research for the book you've been working on?"

"Mm-mm." he denied again shaking his head. Aurora was running out of ideas so she used her last resort.

"Want to make out?" she asked with a heavy sigh. Millard gave the smallest of chuckles then closed the book in his lap.

"Thank you, but I'm not in the mood. I think I'll just head up to bed." He said as he stood, letting go of Aurora's hand as it fell back into her lap. She watched with sadness in her eyes as he walked up the stairs. He didn't even bid her goodnight, something he'd always made sure to do every night for the past seventeen years.

oOo oOo oOo

MILLARD P.O.V.

No matter how hard he tried Millard couldn't get Victor's vile words out of his head. Mainly because everything Victor had said -while extremely mean and uncalled for – all had factual truth. Aurora could do better. He was holding her back from being even happier. If he was visible he could take her into town for a proper date, get lunch at the Priest's Hole, go dancing, or horseback riding. His peculiarity kept them from doing all of that, if they did leave he'd have to be naked and she couldn't carry on a conversation with him without looking completely balmy, walking around talking to herself.

Victor might have been cruel to mention it but he hadn't been wrong. Aurora deserved someone who could give her all the happiness in the world. It was only a matter of time before she got bored with him and realized that for herself. He turned and looked at the reflection of his clothes in the window.

Look in the mirror Millard, you're nothing.

Victor's words kept repeating in his head like a broken record.

You don't deserve a girl like her.

AURORA P.O.V.

Aurora was sitting under one of the trees at the edge of the property reading, after every attempt to cheer Millard up had failed she decided that maybe giving him some space would be the best thing to do, it certainly didn't seem like her presence had been making him feel any better anyway.

She looked up from her book when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She smiled as Millard walked over to her with his hands in his pockets, once again he'd gone without his sweater and jacket and the sleeves of his collared shirt were rolled up to his elbows. Aurora stood up and brushed the grass from her skirt as he approached. When he reached her she noticed he still seemed glum.

"Millard I—"

"Aurora can we talk?" he asked her mid sentence. There was still something off about him, but if he wanted to talk she'd gladly listen.

"Alright." She nodded, "Is everything okay?" she asked holding her book to her chest.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking."

"As you always do." She teased playfully causing him to give a slight chuckle.

"I've just come to the conclusion that. . . I mean, with everything that's been happening I just think the next logical course of action would be. . . I –"

"Millard, what is it?" she asked concerned, Millard was usually very articulate, the fact that he was having trouble voicing whatever was on his mind troubled her.

"I think we should end what's between us before things can get any worse."

That made her pause and she had to take a deep breath before asking, "Worse?"

"How much longer do we have before you realize you can do better than me?"

"Is this because of what Victor's been saying? Millard its all a load of rubbish –"

"Technically, everything Victor has said is true. It's quite hurtful, but it's all true. Someone. . . not like me, could give you more. And you deserve more, more that I can't give you. "

"Millard –"

"He said that if I cared for you I wouldn't be able to hold you back, and he's right. I have to let you go."

Aurora's mind spun trying to think of something to say that would change his mind but deep down she knew Millard had already talked himself into this because in his mind it was the logical thing to do. She silently cursed the part of his brain that was so devoted to knowledge because that was the part that was blocking out his heart, his feelings. Feelings couldn't be studied which is why it seemed so illogical to Millard that anyone could love him, that anyone would want him. It also saddened her because she knew there was nothing she could say that would change his mind, she could only hope that in time he'd come to the conclusion on his own, he'd discover that no matter what he did or how much time passed she'd never stop loving him.

"This has to end." He said breaking the silence that had fallen over them.

"It just did." She said quietly afraid that if she said it too loud it would make it too real and she'd break down. "We're over."

There was a long and uncomfortable silence, both of them looking anywhere but at the other one, until Millard cleared his throat.

"There's no reason why we can't handle this like adults. We still live in the same house and there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to handle this like two mature people." He said sounding like he was trying to convince himself as well as Aurora.

"Of course." She agreed as she plucked up the courage to look at him. When she did it only made it harder to hold the tears in, "But you should know, no matter what happens or how much time passes it will never change how I feel about you." She said feeling herself losing her grip on her composure. She put a hand on his chest, "When the Millard I fell for comes back, you know where to find me." She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek before whispering in his ear, "Goodbye Millard."

Then she turned and walked back to the house, her hand over her mouth to muffle her sobs as the tears started falling and her heart broke in two. She didn't look back at Millard or she would have seen the tears that were streaking down his face as well. He'd done the right thing, why did it hurt so much?