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

Chapter 86

"She's had a bit of her soul removed, tends to numb the brain." {Jack/Caul, pg 314 book 3}

AURORA POV

Aurora was hugging Millard to her chest as the tears ran down her face in rivers.

"Come back." She whispered her voice betraying how utterly broken she was, "Please come back, you promised." She sniffled, "You promised you'd always come back to me."

Then the door burst open and Hugh and Enoch rushed in, they both stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Millard. He was fully visible now and as much as Aurora had always wished she could see him now she wished she never had – not if this was the price. She ran her fingers through his short hair the color a lovely chocolate brown, except where there was dried blood in it, and she rested her cheek atop his head. She didn't want to look at him, not when his ivory skin was marred with bright red cuts and scrapes and several purple bruises. His eyes were more beautiful than she'd ever imagined a bright blue like the sky on a clear day but they were empty. He showed no signs of noticing anything that was happening around him, his eyes blinking every now and then but not focused, just staring off into space. Hugh and Enoch began to argue but to Aurora their voices sounded miles away, that was until Enoch shouted as he grabbed a sharp operating tool from the shelf.

"Well someone has to take care of this damn problem!" he yelled and made to approach Aurora and Millard. Aurora shielded him with her own body wrapping herself even tighter around Mill.

"NO!" she shrieked as Hugh blocked Enoch's attack.

"Is that what you'd want if it were you?" he asked.

"Yes." Enoch spat in his face then took a few calming breaths before he turned to Aurora as she unwound herself and looked over her shoulder at him, "Come on Aurora, we all know Millard wouldn't want to live like this. The humane thing to do is end him and let what's left of his soul move on to whatever's next."

More tears moved silently down her face as she looked back to Millard, part of her knowing Enoch was right and in his own odd way he was only trying to help. But there was a knot in her gut at the idea of giving up on him, she knew he'd never do that if it were her.

"We can't." she replied quietly.

"Aurora –" Enoch tried to reason with her.

"We can't." she repeated this time more sternly, "Not until we've at least tried."

She saw the fight leave Enoch's eyes as he dropped the scalpel in his hand. She sniffled again as she turned to Millard remembering the last time she saw him and she wondered how he ended up like this.

oOo oOo oOo

MILLARD POV – flashback:

Aurora looked dead and the newly formed wight standing above her looked very much alive and well. Caul shook hands with his colleague and the three wights led him away to change and get something to eat. Then Caul turned his attention back to Millard who was still being restrained by two guards.

"Don't worry Millard, we have an excellent team of doctors, your dear Aurora will receive the best medical care I assure you. Then when she's better I'll give her another hollow to heal and she'll do it without hesitation because she'll think she's keeping you safe."

Millard's head tilted up to look at the man questioning his choice of words, "You swore you wouldn't hurt me." He said angrily, not concerned for himself but outraged that he'd lied to Aurora, "You made a deal, you gave her your word!"

"Indeed I did. I swore I wouldn't hurt you, I said nothing about those in my employ." Millard was silent as Caul's true intentions sank in, nothing would change he'd still be tortured out of his mind. Caul laughed at Millard's silence as the guards hold loosened, everyone clearly seeing from his sagging shoulders that Millard had lost all will to fight back. "You're smart Millard, what did you honestly think was going to happen? That you and your friends – mere children – stood a chance against us? That some way some how you'd find a way out and be reunited with Aurora like some kind of fairytale? That together you'd prove that true love can really conquer all!?" he mocked loudly too absorbed in his monologue to notice Millard shaking in anger.