The Next Time We Meet

You're late.

"Haz?" Alexander looks at me.

"You're late." I say, walking away from the door, and they follow me inside.

"Hazel please." Alexander says pleadingly, and I turn on him.

"Do you 'Hazel please" me. You haven't written to me in YEARS. I thought you were dead. And you!" I turn to Daisy, who, for once, looked uncomfortable and nervous, "I thought you had died. AGAIN. There wasn't even a funeral, because technically you are legally dead. And now you two show up after YEARS. YEARS, and all you say is 'Hello.'. No letter, no phone call or telegram, just showing up on my doorstep with a 'Hello'. You haven't even said sorry." I pause to breath, and they just stand there sheepishly. "Well? Explain yourselves."

"I think you should tell us whats going on over here first." Says Alexander.

"Oh right well, nothing much," I say sarcastically, "The usual, you know, Kitty is engaged to goodness knows who and has stopped communicating with us, Lavinia is an air warden for our area, and she lives with me, ooh, what else? I work at Bletchely Park as a code breaker, and I am top of my class in English, Philosophy and History." I finish smugly.

"You done?" Daisy says.

"Not in the slightest. You two are both missing, and are being hunted by the army, as apperently, you both know valuable information. George is undercover in The Netherlands, doing goodness knows what, and I haven't even finished."

"What?" Alexander looks nervous.

"Beanie was a nurse in Belgium." I stop, to collect myself.

"Was, what do you mean, was?" Daisy actually sounds nervous.

"Somehow, I don't know exactly how, so don't ask me, she was injured. She, she can't remember, daisy, she thinks it's 1936. She doesn't remember the war. We, Lavinia and I, I mean, are going to see her tomorrow."

"When?" Daisy chokes out, from behind with held tears.

"Two years ago."

"I'm so sorry Hazel." Alexander gulps.

"No. NO!" I'm crying now. "I haven't even told you about all of the losses."

"Losses?" He whispers.

"Lavinia's mother. She died in a bombing last New Years. Binny, died in a factory accident. Rose, and Jie-Jie. George's grandparents. and..." I cannot look at Daisy, "Uncle Felix."

At this Daisy breaks down.

"No. No. You're lying. Heroines and Hero's don't simply DIE. They don't." She's stuttering, madly.

Alexander looks at me, tears running down his face.

"When?"

"Eight months ago." I stutter out.

"What else?" says Daisy, trying to compose herself.

"Bertie was injured in a bombing, he's in hospital, and," I look at Alexander, "Your parents have left to go upstate. I've been writing to them."

We all pause for a minute, and I can see that Alexander is upset, but relieved his family is okay, and that Daisy is heart broken, however much she is trying to hide it.

I take them to the kitchen, sit them down, and get some food out from lunch, because they look like they haven't eaten in days. I hand them each a plate.

"Eat." I command, and after around ten minutes, they finish.

"Now," I say, sitting down.

"Why are you two here?"