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interstellargatorskinboots1812 · 3 years

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Tapped Into Your Mind & Soul Chapter 5

WARNINGS: It’s an Alfie fic, so obviously SWEARING.

As always, i am a complete comment whore so PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE drop me a line to let me know what you think of the story so far.

All Things are Subject to Decay and Change

Alfie's red Bentley barges it's way through London- a city of vibrant smog which is helping Arabella feel at ease. There is plenty of beauty to her in the soot-hazed stone of the passing buildings and even the Londoners who hunch by with sour faces and their misery reflected in the colour of the sky.

She is glad of the car's padded seats which absorb each of his sharp turns and brutal stops.

'It's like a circus round here', she comments with optimism, pushing her head further out of the window. Miles upon miles littered with curiosities - street artists providing depictions of escape on the cold pavement, costermongers shouting their trade and yards of train advertisements pasted onto lampposts in every colour. Alluring as the sound of jazz and the sight of the Charleston might be, London shrouds itself in so much more potential for her than flappers and frivolity. His irked voice snaps her from her thoughts.

'It's fuckin' 'orrible, too many animals in this circus'.

His knuckles are white from his grip on the wheel, intense focus directed to the trams and wagons weaving ahead of them. The car agitates over the metal tramlines, as a brown Hovis truck cuts in front of the car, coercing Alfie to slam on the breaks.

'Oh fucking hell!'. His tone is booming as he reaches into his pocket , pulling out a pistol to aim at the offending driver. Arabella's mouth slowly drops open, capturing his arm and pulling the gun under the dashboard, obscuring it from view. With narrow eyes she quickly looks around to scan the area.

'Have you lost your mind, Alfie?'

'Treacle, these idiots, they only understand one language.'

'Well, lets not have you arrested on my first night in London, eh?'

A small grunt emits from his throat. He yanks his hand easily from her grip and stashes his gun back into his coat pocket.

'Suit yourself,' he grumbles. The car has been overtook now on more than one occasion, another headache to add to his list. Still, best not to piss her off on her first night and so he turns his eyes back to the road ahead and daydreams of shooting the bollocks off the Hovis driver.

Twisting an unstrung strand of hair repetitively around her finger, she can't help but think about where they are going. It's going to be her new home for the foreseeable future and given the volatile looking environment of his work place, Arabella isn't holding out hope.

Moments later, the noise level begins to filter away as if they have turned down a road that is miles from any civilisation. Thriving with colourful flora within well tended gardens, regency era town houses stand majestically at three stories and with the fanciest of facades. A short and stoutly older woman canters down the pavement, before turning right into one of the houses and desperately trying to manipulate two heavy shopping bags in order to open her gate. Alfie slows the car down to a stop and beeps his horn, making the poor woman almost jump to the moon, she briskly turns around.

'Oh, vey Alfie! Are you trying to bring me closer to God?' Alfie opens the car door and takes the bags from her hands, opening her cast iron gate with ease.

'What did I tell you Mrs Goldman, mhm? No lifting and carrying these heavy bags, eh? Ishmael can take you to the market and bring you back.'

'Ah Alfie that poor lad does everything, I don't need him helping me as well. I ask God not for a lighter burden but for broader shoulders'. She simpers at him with a twinkle behind her brown eyes that Arabella did not observe before the lady spoke with Alfie.

'Worryin' about you yeh, will be the death of me! Now, tell me that landlord of yours 'as sorted that broken light fixture?'

'He's getting round to it'.

'So, that'll be a no then?' Alfie furrows his brow, making it crease with line after line and tilts his head to the side. 'You need me to have a word with him?'

Mrs Goldman chuckles earnestly before pinching his cheek between her thumb and forefinger.

'Don't be a Schmuck Alfie, the last time you did that my rent went up to pay for his hospital bill. Now, who is this beauty you're sharing your car with hmm?'' Looking around Alfie's broad shoulders, her gaze falls on Arabella who feels rather sheepish under her matriarch stare. Sighing, he pinches the tension from the bridge of his nose. The last thing he needs is for Mrs Goldman to start shooting her mouth off at her knitting circle and have the whole of the Jewish community gossiping before he has had time to formulate how he can position Arabella into his life.

'It should be fuckin' noted right, that nothing gets past you'.

Catching Alfie unawares, she uses her now free hand to provide a sharp whack to the back of his head, making his eyes scrunch. Arabella's eyebrows curve upwards as she swallows down the urge to laugh.

'This is Arabella Shelby, the sister of one of my close business associates. She's going to be staying with me until she gets settled in London'.

So, that's how he plans to play this. Arabella exits the car.

'Nice to meet you Mrs. . . erm...'

'Goldman, dear'. She shakes Arabella's hand, her light touch and weak grip showing just how delicate she is. Alfie was right, she shouldn't have been carrying those bags.

'Please accept my apologies for Mr Solomons lack of manners, I assure you dear, he does possess them somewhere'. She sends her a wink.

'I'll let you know when the search party I've sent out, actually find them.'

This tickles the grey haired lady who stomps her foot letting out a huge guffaw and patting Arabella on the arm.

'I like her Alfie, she is sharp of tongue as well as looks'. She flashes him a knowing smile, one that makes him shift from foot to foot. Much as he likes Mrs Goldman, he can muster no interest in her insinuating words.

'Right, well as much as I'd like to stand here as if i'm fuckin' not and be insulted, we have to get going. Miss Shelby here 'as 'ad a rather eventful day so, goodbye Mrs Goldman'.

She throws a harried glance at Alfie before returning a polite smile at Arabella.

'Now my dear, just you remember that I am but five doors down and that makes us neighbours. Should this Mazik get to you, just pop on to my door and i'll make sure you're always greeted with a cup of tea and a listening ear.'

Alfie knew that her words served only to aggravate him. He places a hand on Arabella's arm to lead her back to the car and curses his poor decision making for stopping here in the first place.

'Lovely to meet you Mrs Goldman, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of one another'. Alfie's gentle push to the car, turns into a shove.

'I'm sure we will my dear, and it's Nelly to you.'

Alfie watches to make sure Mrs Goldman enters her house safely.

'Sister of a close business associate? Dread to think how you'll introduce me to people when I'm your wife.'

'Arabella, that woman has a mouth wider than the Thames, best to give her as little detail as possible and save her choking on gossip'.

Crossing her arm over her waist and tucking it in at her elbow, she turns toward her window. With a roll of his eyes, he starts up the car. They don't have to travel far before the vehicle is once again stationary. Straightening up in her seat, she observes the building in front of her. All of the houses on the street were identical in their architecture, stressed in uniformity – this one however, was built with a desire for individuality.

'There ya go, look. Home, sweet-fucking-home'. He walks around the car to help her out. She is mesmerised by the grand blossom tree that pushes the house into almost obscurity due to it's size, looming over the black front door. Pale pink pieces that have been wooed from the tree by the spring winds, gather under her feet, a reminder of life's fickleness. Concealing herself behind Alfie, her cautious spirit holds an inner negotiation with her resilience as they walk up a black and white tiled pathway. Inside the warmth of the house engulfs them both along with a nauseating charcoal smell. Her foot suddenly slides on something slippy on the marble floor. Bending down she picks up a folded piece of paper that is lay in the doorway. Alfie's name is written on it in the scrawled handwriting.

'Alright now, let's have a look and see if your suitcase has been dropped off... what's that?'

'You tell me, it's got your name on it.'

The blithe and animated Alfie Solomons she is getting to know is barely recognisable now as an ashen and turbulent man stands across from her, a wrathful look in his blue-green eyes. Frantically he grapples the paper from her hands and faces away from her to peek at the contents.

'Must be something awfully important'. She says, standing on tiptoes to see over his shoulders. The note buckles into pieces as he folds it in his fist, harshly.

'Who's asking you?' his quick-tempered reply takes her by surprise and she narrows her eyes at him, making him clear his throat.

'It's a betting tip if you must know. As an occasional bookmaker, I do need to keep a sharp eye out for the fastest horses'.

He stashes the note into his deep pocket. They both stand facing one another, Alfie towering over her by a good few inches. Neither of them speaking, just eyes setting fire to the other pair. The door at the end of the hall bursts open and commotion on four paws comes bounding excitedly towards his owner.

'Oh, 'ere he is look, the behemoth with a wagging tale. Ello mate, did you miss me?' Placing his hand onto his right hip, Alfie slowly bends down to fuss and stroke the solid bulk of his bull mastiff.

His incensed constitution replaced with playful humour by his four-legged friend. As if sensing the presence of a stranger, his dog bolts into an alert position and begins to bark anxiously and warningly at Arabella. Alfie prepares himself to calm down his probably panicked fiancé. He's not expecting the hand that comes to his elbow, pushing him aside as she crouches in front of the slobbering beast, offering her hand to smell.

'Hello, you. I've heard so much about you, don't you know?' She strokes her hand roughly over the top of the dog's head, which he immediately cocks and begins to excitedly wag his tail. 'See, your gruff and tough owner here is a huge softy when it comes to you, he doesn't shut up about you'. Alfie watches on as she undauntedly makes a fuss, not caring about the amount of froth being drooled onto what looks like an expensive, if not gaudy, coat.

'Well, his name is Cyril and he's supposed to be an all powerful and protective breed, but I will acknowledge that it appears I was fuckin' lied to about that'. He crinkles his forehead as he watches Cyril gracelessly roll onto his back so Arabella can rub at his belly.

'Well I think he's just perfect., i'm sure we'll get on like a house on fire.

'Let's see if you're still saying that when he's all over you at five in the morning because he wants to go out for a piss'.

Arabella looks up at him and shakes her head. 'I can see Cyril here holds all the power in this house'.

'Oh yeh? An how do you work that out?'

She pushes herself up to standing and offers him a condescending smile. 'Because Alfie, power lies in loyalty and I can see how dyed-in-the-wool you are with him'.

'That so? Well, lets see where my loyalty gets him tomorrow when Edna sees these muddy paw prints on her mopped floor'.

'Edna?'

He scratches Cyril behind his ears as he steps closer to her.

'My maid. Lovely woman she is, reminds me of me Mother. You'll meet her tomorrow. Now, do you wanna see your new home?'

****************************************

Arabella piano-plays her fingertips on the dark walnut dressing table, listening to the rain outside as it pelts the windows and drips from the alien roof. She could float half way to heaven as she kicks off her slippers and the plush carpet hugs at her swollen feet. Alfie has spent some of the evening showing her around his impressive home. A big house, one she dreamed of owning as a child with it's polished wooden floors and graceful bannisters. Nothing like her Small Heath dwellings. Is it possible she is beginning to get homesick for a place she isn't even sure exists? One with love and where her soul is understood. However, when he had shown her the fully plumbed copper bath tub, she was ready to say 'i- do' post haste.

Alfie is steadfast becoming a curious paradox – his abode is a beautiful palace, gleaming with a spotless silence. It's king, all the same is harsh and unpredictable with a flare of intelligence and good looks. Although she is hasten to admit it, he intrigues her.

Until Tommy sorts the delivery of the rest of her things, all of her is compacted into the small suitcase that she pulls from the bed to put away She puts on her nightie, a soft cream silk slip – although well worn, still immaculate. After an argument with Alfie regarding sleeping arrangements, they finally agreed that they should be adult enough to share a bed to make their relationship more realistic to his house staff. Standing in front of the floor length, mirror she watches as his mother's locket swings off her neck like a stranger. She pats the soft garment over her stomach - full from a delicious stew his maid had prepared, which she enjoyed alone. Alfie has secreted himself in his downstairs office and she has not seen sight nor sound of him all night..

The sound of smashing glass makes her jump, she can hear the thundering voice of Alfie barking out words she can't make out. Whatever the furore is, it's emanating from the upstairs landing. She quickly steps out of the room and sees the bathroom door ajar. Inside Alfie is desperately trying to wrestle Cyril inside a large fluffy towel. The floor around him is immersed in water and Alfie's shirt is saturated.

'Cyril, keep-the-fuck-still'. His fractious tone echoes off the bathroom tiles as he battles against his dog.

'Alfie, do you need some help?'

'No we've got this under control, ain't we boy'. As Cyril succumbs to submission, allowing his master to begin to towel dry his fur, Alfie looks up to acknowledge Arabella, his eyes immediately give her a once over and he feels the inside of his throat dry up as he spots her legs. Cyril takes advantage of his master's distraction and bounds his way out of the towel, bouncing his head off the copper bath in the process, before galloping his way to Arabella.

'Cyril! Ya daft, mad cunt! Get back 'ere now!' Taking not a ounce of notice, Cyril jumps frenziedly onto Arabella, wet paws pushing away at her.

'Get off 'er now ya demented lad! CYRIL! Fuck sake!'

Uncontrollable barks bite their way back at Alfie who is now tugging at his dog's paws, trying to gain purchase to pull him off her, flattened and trapped as she is against the wall.

'Fuckin' hell Cyril, what are you playing at, get off. . . stop trying to wrestle . . .CYRIL! I'm warning y. . . '

'SIT!' Her voice is loud and stern as she points to the floor with a free hand. Cyril obeys and sits down, Arabella following him to the ground, untwisting the towel from around Alfie's fisted hands and slowly patting down Cyril's blubbery body. The dog sits calmly, with his head held up majestically as if he is content in being obedient for her.

'Right fuckin' turncoat ya are Cyril. Get one whiff of a woman and you forget about me, eh?' He folds his arms and leans against the door frame, watching as Arabella softly finishes drying.

'It's all in the tone, Alfie. You have to be stern not erratic'. She stands up smugly in front of him.

'S'at so?' He looks her up and down once more, only this time he notices just how wet Cyril has made her and he swallows hard. The light fabric of her night dress is now translucent and he can make out the shape of her ample breasts and the enticing colouring of her nipples. The quick glance he gets before looking away is like a blow to his chest. Her body is certainly holding his interest but he knows he can't take any more of her in. He does not want to look at all, but this was unavoidable.

Clearing his throat and picking up the towel from Cyril, he gestures to her chest.

'You might need this, to erm cover . . . ' She looks down and immediately covers her chest with her arms, taking the towel from him to dry off.

'I'm sorry about Cyril, he can be a right lunatic when he wants to be.'

'They're just tits, Alfie', she says as she notices how he has turned his body away from her.

'No, they're not just tits- they're yours and it's not up to my maniacal dog to expose them because he can't keep bloody still'. He moves past her into the bedroom and reappearing a few seconds later.

'You can wear this if you like, whilst you dry that off. I promise it's clean'. He hands her one of his white shirts which she gladly accepts.

'You're nothing like I thought you would be, Alfie'.

'Yeh?' He moves closer to her. 'That's because, right, true power lies in the unexpected'. They both stare at the other, as if taking notes, before he breaks the chain and walks away toward the staircase.

'Cyril, come on', he pats his leg and Cyril follows, leaving her flustered on the landing. Was it possible that Solomons possessed a more human side that contradicts his reputation? She turns away from the stairs and hurries into the bathroom to change. Closing the door, she notices Alfie's black wool coat hanging from the hook. The coat he placed his secretive letter in earlier. An uneasy feeling washes over her, she always respects privacy, to her far too many people can't live in silence for fear of missing applause from an audience who don't even care. She has to see what has him so vexed though - if she wants to be ahead of him and her brother then she has to do some necessary digging. Before she can talk herself out of it, she plunges her hand into his pocket and pulls out the piece of paper. As she turns it over she can see that this is not the same note. This is a pink betting slip- after further rummaging, she realises he has moved the note elsewhere.

'Fuck' she says, annoyed. One final glance and she sees what looks like a phone number on the back.. She leaves the bathroom in a hurry, her hand concealing the slip.

TAG LIST: @clintbartoris @gameofpot @doomwhathouwilt @lokigirlszendaya @inkinterrupted @misselsbells06 @sunshineyourethebesttime

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hrhduchessoflancaster · 5 years

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Chapter Ninety: Uncharted Territory

Disclaimer: see Prologue.

A/N: I know it’s been a very long time since I posted anything but here it is.Thank you so much for all your comments!! The story is almost over. Only a few more chapter to go. xx Bea.

___________________________________________________________________

The Invictus Games held in Toronto that year game Harry a purpose and a new sense of accomplishment. After all the turmoil that he and Elle had been through the last months, being able to be a part of something he was so proud of and really make a difference, shone in him a new light and perspective on what he could do now that he had more influence and power on his hands. Elle had stayed behind since Arthur was still too young to travel and needed his mother.

When he arrived in Canada, he once again met with the Trudeaus. The trio exchanged pleasantries before proceeding to the Prime Minister's home, where Harry would be a guest until they flew to Toronto on the following day.

" I'm very happy to be able to congratulate you in person on the birth of your son. We are all thrilled for you and Eleanor.", said Justin.

" Thank you. We're both very happy. Arthur really is an incredible child and truly a blessing to us both.", said Harry smiling.

"And... we've all been shocked to hear of the recent changes as well. I'm sorry if that is a sensitive topic, but I wanted to talk to you about some bilateral projects, if I may.", said Justin.

" It's somewhat delicate but I'm happy to talk about improving the relationship between the UK and Canada.", said Harry, giving a brief smile. " But for now, let's focus on the task in hand. This year's Invictus Games.", he continued and the Prime Minister nodded his head, not touching on the subject any longer.

On the following morning, Harry flew to Toronto with the Prime Minister and his wife. He was taken in a black SUV to the Air Canada Center, where the opening and closing ceremony would held. As the car approached the venue, he could hear the music and cheer growing louder and louder. Stepping out of the car, Harry waved his hand at the public gathered. He walked backstage, alongside the Justin Trudeau and waited for his queue. As the teams filled the arena one by one, Harry watched as the speeches were made, getting emotional after each story of endurance and hardships that was shared.

" Your Royal Highness, Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to stand before you tonight and welcome our competitors to this year's Invictus Games. But before we can declare this games officially opened I'd like to say a few words. Your Royal Highness, thank you so much for your leadership, vision and strength in realising and guiding this project, which will allow so many of our brave veterans to keep moving forward and us, the opportunity to cheer them on.", said Justin and loud cheers and claps were heard from the audience.

"... and without further ado, here, to declare the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 opened, our patron and founder, Prince Harry.". Harry was then welcomed onstage and smiled at the audience.

" Hello Toronto! Merci beaucoup pour votre hospitalité. And thank you Prime Minister for this warm welcome. Invictus is about the dedication of the men and women who served their countries, confronted hardship, and refused to be defined by their injuries. Invictus is about the families and friends who faced the shock of learning that their loved ones had been injured or fallen ill - and then rallied to support them on their journey of recovery. And above all, Invictus is about the example to the world that all service men and women - injured or not - provide about the importance of service and duty. I wanted to find a way for veterans to be a beacon of light, and show us all that we have a role to play; that we all win when we respect our friends, neighbours, and communities. That's why we created Invictus. Not only to help veterans recover from their physical and mental wounds; but also to inspire people to follow their example of resilience, optimism, and service in their own lives.", said Harry.

" Sadly, my wife could not join us here since she's at home with our little one...", he said and cheers erupted from the crowd. "... but she too wanted to pass along the message of hope we all share today.", he continued and a video appeared on the screen behind him. In it, Elle was dressed in her Invictus Toronto 2017 shirt and had a little Arthur, napping on her arms, dressed in the Invictus baby grow they had been gifted a few months ago.

" Hello Toronto! Hello competitors! It saddens me not to be able to see you compete fiercely in these coming days and cheer you on as I did last year in Florida. But as you can see, I have a very small person that needs my full attention.", she joked and there was a sound of laughter from the crowd. " These games were created so that each an every one of you can see and experience change and teamwork. You are all winners for having reached this far. For cheating death and overcome emotional and physical challenges. I hope you embody the spirit of this games by showing courage and determination that will inspire generations to come. You are proving to the world that everything is possible, even under the most impossible situations. Good luck to you all!", said Elle. As the video ended, another cheer and applauses were heard and Harry grinned.

" Well, as my wife has said, I hope you are ready to inspire, to challenge, to work together, and to change your lives in the next coming days. You are Invictus! Let's get started!", he concluded, to a resounding cheer.

When Harry came back from Canada, he felt invigorated. He was ready to resume his public activities with full force. And so was Elle. With them both back at work, which had had some new additions to their normal workload since the singing of the Abdication document, Harry and Elle spent a lot of time on their engagements around London and the UK as well as working on their side projects. Elle had once again started writing her book, meeting every now and then with Melissa and Trevor to catch up and talk about academia. As for Harry, he was working on expanding Sentebale's work across other African countries.

A new Royal Tour was set for next year, on the Caribbean, which they hoped to bring their son along. Most of the times, if they’d be staying for more than a day, they’d bring Arthur with them. But he did spend a good deal of time with his grandparents, who, on both parts, doted on the little boy, dearly. Even though Charles and Camilla were estranged from Harry, Elle made a point to take baby Arthur to see them from time to time. As for her own parents, Victoria and Rupert adored babysitting their grandson and were completely at his mercy. Elle once caught her father bouncing the infant on his knee as he did with her when she was a child and it warmed her heart to see how much her son was loved by her family.

Not to mention the staff. The entire McClaire gang doted on the little boy. Brandon and Olivia were delighted to have a child on the home again and usually commented on how much they had missed the joy of children whenever Elle was around. Jane and Gregory took upon themselves to play with Arthur whenever they could. As for Margaret and Thomas, they’d school the little boy about everything around the kitchen and garden, respectively. Now that he was starting to eat solids, Maggie was particularly fond of cooking small portions of baby food for Elle to take home with her to see if Arthur would enjoy it. And it had never failed to please the infant, to the chef’s delight.

Once winter arrived, and Elle’s birthday came to pass, she received the best gift she could ever wish for: hearing Arthur properly say his first couple of words, such as mama, dada and lan, which, of course, translated to the three most import things in his life: his parents and Lancelot. He had also mastered his tummy time and could roll on it and then upwards again, as well as sitting without either Harry or Elle helping him. They had a good routine going on of naps, playtime and feeds, with now a few solids introduced as well. The new parents quickly discovered Arthur’s fondness for bananas but his distaste for papaya. Little by little, the three of them were entering new territories.

On the second week of November, Elle and Harry prepared for Remembrance Sunday, as many other members of the Royal Family. That’d be the first big and meaningful event without William and Catherine. They had moved back to Anglesey with the children and Elle had heard weekly from Kate. Dressed in a black dress and matching black hat, she stood beside Camilla, Anne, and Sophie on the balcony and watched as Her Majesty, Charles, Harry, Andrew and Edward all placed the red poppies wreath on the Cenotaph. A tear or two fell down her cheeks as she thought about all the suffering that still went on around the world; about the fight and the people, military and civilians alike that were caught in the numerous conflicts.

That day at the Cenotaph had been the first interaction Harry had had with his father since the Abdication. After the ceremony, once they were all inside, she saw them talking in hushed tones and Harry, although stone faced, was talking back to Charles and even gave a small, tight smile to his father when he showed his phone to him. Elle imagined they were talking about Arthur. On the mend… slowly, but surely., she thought observing father and son.

“ I’m so glad to see them taking again.”, said Camilla, coming to stand beside Elle. The young duchess nodded her head, agreeing with the older woman.

“ Indeed. There’s much work to be done, but the first steps have been taken.”, said Elle.

“ I hope he can do the same with his brother.”, commented Camilla. “… William… it’s been hard on him too. He misses Harry. They all do. Will you talk to him, Eleanor? See if he can, maybe, call him again?”, she asked.

“ I’ll try. I promise. I don’t like this situation anymore than you do, but Harry needs to be allowed to get over the anger and resentment he’s still feeling before he can forgive both his father and his brother.”, said Elle.

************

Long before the whole ordeal with the Abdication had come to pass, it had been decided that Harry, Elle, Arthur and Sir Lancelot would spend Christmas with her family that year, stopping by at Sandringham, to make a quick visit to the Queen and other members of the family, on Boxing Day. So when December came, Elle was more than happy to take all of the Christmas decorations from storage and start giving their apartment the very best of seasonal cheer.

As this was Arthur’s first Christmas, she had outdone herself by making sure he was featured every step of the way, dressing him in the cutest outfits: from little Elf to Rudolf, a Snowman and Father Christmas himself. Harry would often sneak on her and take several pictures of her and of Arthur and sometimes he too would get into them. The album Elle had given him years ago was filling up quickly. Soon another one would have to be bought so they could be cataloging their lives together.

When he went to their bedroom that evening to shower and change while Elle fed Arthur downstairs, he opened one of his drawers to look for that particular photo album when he saw the binder Elle had given him on their first anniversary, a few months ago. In it, there were the unopened letters she had written to him, each for a different occasion. Going through them, he found the one he was looking for: for when you feel lost. Carefully detaching it from the binder, Harry took the small envelope in his hands and opened it. Elle’s elegant penmanship came into view.

My love, my darling Harry,

If you’re reading this letter, then it means something horrible has happened in yours or our lives and you need to keep yourself grounded, to find a path to keep going forward. I may not know what it is since I’m writing this in the past with no hindsight whatsoever about the future. But, I do know that you’ll always find a way to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel. You are one of the strongest, most kind, good-hearted and positive people I know. You’ll find a way to see past whatever is troubling you because you know, deep down, that it’s not the edge of a cliff, or the end of journey. There’s so much more to be lived! You may be at a crossroads or maybe a very big challenge is what you’re facing… and although it seems like a big deal now, it will be nothing more than a little bump on your path towards a great and happy future. You can do it, Harry. You can face whatever challenge is put in front of you and you can find your path again. I hope I’m there by your side, through thick and thin, as we have vowed to each other. I hope you don’t need to read this letter because I’m going to be there by your side telling everything that is written here. But, in the case that I’m not for whatever reason or that you need to hear it again, and again, again… You can and you will be found. You will see clearer. You will overcome the darkness and the desolation you might have been feeling. Take a deep breath, focus on the good parts of your life, on the people who love and support you no matter what, find your inner strength to battle the urge to

shut everyone out… forgiven and forget, my darling. The storm is scary but it always ends. And the result is a beautiful and clear sky. You may be lost in the middle of a storm right now, but it will end. I’m sure of it.

All my love,

Elle.

Harry eyes were glossy and unshed tears threatened to fall down his cheeks as he read the letter another time. He let her words sink in his brain and heart, reassuring him yet again, that he could do the task that was set for him and that she, his wonderful wife, his marvellous Elle, would be with him, beside him, every step of the way. Sighing, Harry folded the letter and put it on his nightstand. A hot shower was in need.

He was mid shower when he heard the bathroom door open. Harry didn’t turn his back for he knew who was it. Soon, a chilly air invaded the box and a pair of arm encircled his waist. He felt Elle’s breathe on his back, her lips gently kissing his warm skin.

“ Arthur is asleep.”, she said in between pecks. He placed his hands over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze before turning his body to face her. Looking deeply into her eyes, Harry cupped her cheek and lowered his head, molding his lips against hers. They pulled each other closer, basking in the passion of the moment, as the hot water fell on their bodies. Kissing turned into touching, pressing and gasping and soon, Elle had her back against the tiles, moaning. Their love making became more and more intense, the shower long forgotten. Panting, the entangled their bodies and leaned their foreheads together, faintly smiling.

" It's been a while since we've done that, hasn't it?", said Harry, giving her his signature smirk.

" In the shower? Most definitely.", she replied chuckling. Pecking his lips, she reached for the towel and draped around her body before exiting the bathroom. Harry remained there for a few more minutes then joined an already dressed Elle in bed. He got under the covers and pulled her against him, nesting her in his arms. Gently, he began running his fingers through her hair, which earned him soft moans of content from her. In a matter of minutes, Elle was fast asleep. Harry smiled at the sight before him and placed a peck on her temple before closing his own eyes and drifting off into sleep.

************

As Christmas week came, Harry, Elle, Arthur, Lancelot, and their RPO's made their way to Woodenford Castle. Passing through the snowy fields of Wiltshire, they drove during late morning arriving at the familiar majestic site of the 13th century stone castle on early afternoon, just in time for a healthy lunch provided by Ms. Martin, the fabulous chef. As soon as they were past the gates, Elle could see her family eagerly waiting at the front door. Once the car was pulled into a stop, they jumped out of the Range Rover, took Lancelot out and pulled Arthur from his car seat, who greeted his parents with a bubbly smile. The family was soon engulfed in warm hugs and kisses on the cheek offered by Victoria, Rupert and Edward, who soon whisked his nephew away, whispering promises of fun and mischief in his ear, while Logan helped with their luggage.

" I'm so glad you're here!", said Victoria, still holding Elle's shoulders.

"We are very glad to be here.", said Elle. " Specially since it's Arthur's first Christmas. And nothing can compare to our Christmas tree...", she continued as they stepped inside. Warmth and the smell of pine and spices filled her senses, making her instantly more relaxed and happy. As they too off their coats and headed to the Drawing Room, she held her breath in excitement. And she wasn't disappointed. The 25ft Norway spruce was up, its ornaments glistening under the lights.

" Oh wow...", said Elle in wonder.

" We haven't finished decorating it yet. We know how much you love doing it.", said her father smiling. She smiled back at him and nodded her head with enthusiasm. She walked over to the with Arthur in her arms and browsed over the many different ornaments, their shapes and colours twinkling in the light, catching the infant's eyes and sparkling his curiosity. The family around them smiled lovingly at the scene and Harry even snapped a few pictures of mother and son, who seemed to be immersed in their own little bubble of Christmas cheer. They all joined in to decorated the tree. Little by little, the magnificent decor was complete. Harry snuck behind Elle and warped his arms around her, pulling her and Arthur close to him.

" Now this... is what I call a proper Christmas tree.", he said in her ear.

" Couldn't agree more.", she replied, turning her head to the side and pecking his lips. They smiled to each other then looked down at Arthur who was looking amazed at every little thing around him. Elle kissed his chubby cheeks and Harry tickled his belly, earning them both a giggle from the toddler. His smile, a toothy one now, lit up the room. It was contagious and made everyone else smile too.

For the next few days, Elle and Harry took the time away from the city to decompress and have a few dates, just the two of them. Since the snow wasn't deep and they decided to take the horses for a small walk near the river. Bundled up in puffer jackets and very warm mittens and caps, they walked over to the stables, greeting the familiar faces they saw on their way.

" Ahh Lionheart.", said Elle stepping close to her horse's stall. He neighed and threw his mane around, reaching for her hand. She chuckled and caressed his nose. "I've missed you too, buddy.", she said to him. Harry was given Percival to ride, just like on the first time he had been to Woodenford, all those years ago when they reconnected.

They saddled up their horses and slowly trotted side by side, the chilly breeze cutting through their skin, making theirs cheeks red. "Race you to the river.", he said to her and galloped past her. Elle chuckled, remembering how she was the one to do the same last time they did that. She soon caught up with him and they laughed to each other as they reached the riverbank together.

" Even with a head start, you can't seem to beat me, Major.", she said, winking and grinning at him.

" What can I say, you've always been better at it than me...", he replied. Harry then got off his horse, tying him to a nearby tree. He then helped Elle out of her horse and did the same. Elle then picked up the the small basket with water and sandwiches she had brought and hand in hand, they walked to a stone bench that overlooked the river. Sipping on their bottles and nibbling on their snacks, they quietly observed the flow of the water and the breeze on the pine trees, listening to the sounds of the nature around them. Snuggling up to him, Elle sighed happily.

" Feels so good to be here, in the peace and quiet after the months we've had, doesn't it?", she said.

" It really does.", replied Harry. " Sometimes I can't believe all that has happened to us...", he continued, holding her close, playing with her wedding ring.

" I know, darling. It's been a crazy couple of year, filled with good and bad things, and we've faced them all together.", said Elle, looking up at him.

" I have no idea what I'd have done without you by my side, Elle.", he said cupping her cheek. "You bring out the best in me. You're my saving grace and shining light at the end of a dark and rocky road.", he finished.

" Oh Harry...", she whispered, smiling gently at him, teary eyed after his declaration. Leaning in, she pulled him closer and brought his lips towards hers. They kissed slowly, savouring the moment, but eagerness and passion flowed through their mouths and soon they were feeling much hotter than before. Once they finally pulled away from each other in need of breath, they rested their foreheads together, breathing in and out, eyes closed, feeling the heat coming from one another's bodies.

************

On Christmas Eve, the family gathered in the Great Hall of the castle for the Foundation brunch. A tradition that her parents had started as a way of thanking the staff and key members of the community who are a part of the Duke and Duchess' foundation. Cassandra was there and was delighted into meeting the new addition to the family. As were a few other staff members, coordinators and representatives of the small associations connected to the Foundation. Harry was soon whisked away by some veterans that he had met before while Elle was engrossed in talking to new mothers and their children about the literacy projects she had been developing and the work that had been done in the county. At dusk, they took part in a soup kitchen, delivering food and blankets to the homeless and less fortunate of Salisbury.

" I think that doing this, helping other people, really shows what Christmas is all about.", commented Elle as they gave out blankets to the people. Harry smiled at her and placed a kiss on her temple.

When finally came time for dinner, they returned to the castle for the much anticipated festivities. Dressed in a burgundy red dress and black pumps Elle patiently fed Arthur while Harry took shower. With only a towel around his waist, he come out of the shower and gave her a peck on the lips, walking towards the closet to get dressed. Smirking, Elle bit her lips and settled Arthur on his Moses basket. She tiptoed to the closet, finding her husband wearing only his underwear. Sneakily encircled her arms around his waist, running her hands up and down his torso, leaving a trail of kisses along his back and neck. Harry groaned and she smirked to herself, nibbling his earlobe.

" Someone's in a mood...", he said huskily.

" Oh darling... you have no idea what awaits you later tonight...", she whispered back, before leaving him alone in the closet.

" Looking forward to it... you tease!", he said, catching sight of her wink and smirk towards him just as she exited the room. Shaking his head, Harry dressed quietly, feeling a little discomfort on his trousers. That little temptress..., he thought. He heard her talking to Arthur and soon he was all alone in their room, which gave him plenty of time to get her gift from his suitcase. Smiling to himself as he looked at it, he pocked it and left the room as well, rushing down the stairs to meet the rest of the family.

The McClaire family was gathered in the Hall, the Christmas tree sparkling bright and under it, a selection of different sized boxes, mostly filled with toys and clothes for Arthur no doubt. The table was set with candlelight and ornaments along its length; a selection of roasts and mashes filled them all and warmed their bodies. At the stroke of midnight, the clinked their glasses in cheerful and joyful harmony, wishing each other a very happy Christmas. Once dinner was over, they pulled crackers and in a selections of colourful paper crowns, gave each other their gifts. As predicted, Arthur was spoiled to bits by their grandparents and uncle. Her parents exchanged comical gifts such as a new pair of glasses for her father and a new crocheting kit for her mother. Her brother gave everyone gift cards to Waterstones, which pleased most of them. Elle and Harry gave them framed pictures of Arthur with each family member, which brought her mother to tears. Finally, it was their time to exchange gifts.

" Mine is a little bit late, but with everything that has been going on, I thought it was actually fitting to give it to you now.", said Harry handing Elle a small, squared package. She tore the paper and inside she found the familiar red box with the logo of the House of Garrard in golden letters. She carefully opened it, finding an eternity band ring, surrounded by tiny diamonds. Picking it up, she noticed that on the inside that was something engraved: Little Bear it read and she looked up at her husband with misty eyes.

" I wanted to give you that for a long time but...", said Harry. Elle smiled and shook her head. "No, no... it's perfect timing... oh Harry... it's beautiful. Thank you.", she said, pecking his lips. She then reached to her side to give him his present. Similar to her own, it was wrapped in a square brown paper. He, like her, tore it to pieced and found a small circular container.

Opening the lid, he chuckled and looked at her. Elle smiled and waited for his reaction. He took the silver and leather bracelet from it and payed closer attention to the marks on it:

51°31'02.0"N 0°10'23.0"W, 19.04.17. Harry instantly knew what it meant.

" It seems I'm gonna start a collection with these ones...", he joked, pointing out to the bracelet. Elle chuckled and smiled.

" Well... it's only fitting since you have one for every part place in our shared history.", said Elle.

" I love it. Thank you, my love.", he said, kissing her cheek.

That night, once everyone was asleep and Arthur was properly placed on her old bedroom which had been converted into a nursery, Elle kept her promise to Harry. She teased him, and toyed with him until he had enough of it and pushed her against the wall, on the bed, in the shower, and on the floor. They released all their bottled up tension making passionate love to each other again and again.

************

On the very early ours of Boxing Day, they made the four-hour journey from Salisbury to Sandringham. With a sleepy Arthur in the back and Ingrid beside him, they drove to the familiar red bricked estate.

" Are you ready to see them?", asked Elle.

" I am. Do I still feel hurt? Yes. Am I going to wallow in it? No. I think I should, no, need to move forward. For my own sake.", replied Harry. Nodding her head, Elle smiled and took her hand in hers, joining their fingers.

" It will be great. And we'll start mending bridges by greeting them properly, alright?", said Elle, and Harry nodded his head in agreement. They parked outside and were greeted by William, Catherine and a very sleepy looking George. Taking a step forward, Harry smiled gently and embraced his brother.

" Hi Will. Happy Christmas.", he said. William, who was a little shocked, embraced his brother back and smiled widely at him.

" Happy Christmas, Harry.", he replied then hugged Elle as well.

" Hello all. Merry Christmas!", said Kate, hugging them. " Had a pleasant trip?", she asked.

" It was pleasant enough. Not much traffic at this hour.", replied Harry.

" How was Christmas at Woodenford? I don't think I've been there since we were teenagers.", said William.

" Oh it was great. You know hoe my mother is with decorations... Arthur was delighted to see everything.", said Elle smiling at her brother-in-law.

" I wonder where Elle gets the crazy Christmas fever from...", said Harry and the adults chuckled. The light atmosphere was enough to settle the animosities and bring back, a little of he camaraderie and love that was severed between the brothers. The sleeping toddler on her arms twitched a bit and they rushed inside, to warm themselves up. Once there, they were greeted by the rest of the family who were about to get breakfast. Charles and Camilla were among the first ones to greet them. Cautiously, Charles approached Harry.

" Son... Merry Christmas.", said Charles, smiling faintly. Harry smiled back and took a step forward to hug his father. Elle could see that Charles was visibly relieved to be hugged by his younger son.

" We're delighted that you've come here.", said Camilla, greeting them with hugs and kisses. " Would you like to have breakfast with us?", she asked. Famished as they were, they joined in and Arthur was soon whisked away from Elle's arms and passed along cousins and doting family members.

" Oh he's so big!", commented Anne smiling.

" He's gonna be a tall lad!", said Edward.

" I reckon he's gonna go into the family tradition and join the military.", said Andrew.

" Now now, he's not even a year old. Let the poor baby be.", said Bea.

The banter and conversation flew joyously and Elle took the time to look around the room. Elizabeth and Philip were still absent but, considering the time, she thought they would both be changing for church. Soon enough, they appeared on the doorstep and smiled at the sight of the new arrivals.

" About time you got here, boy. Lost your way, ye?", joked Philip.

" Let us see the baby...", said Elizabeth, taking Arthur into her arms. The baby cooed and smiled at his great grandmother. "Oh he's just as adorable as I remembered.", she said., making his parents beam with pride. " Oh, that reminds me... I have something for him. Come with me you two.", she said pointing to Harry and Elle. Following her into the living room where the Christmas tree was, she handed them a rectangular box. Opening it, they found a glass bobble with Arthur's name in it, surrounded by glittering green specks.

" Now he has one too.", said the monarch. " We've hanged yours now you can put his next to them.", she continued. Smiling to the older woman, Elle took the ornament and looked around the tree to find hers and Harry's names, placing his it just under theirs.

" Now the tree is complete.", said Elizabeth.

" Indeed, it is. Family should stick together... and I'm happier than I can possibly say to have you here, my dears.", she continued looking at the small family in front of her.

#FATES INTERTWINED #royalfanficcentral #phff #prince harry fanfiction #prince harry fanfic #prince harry #duke of sussex #fanfic #fanfiction #Prince Harry x OC

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breakfastatmilliways · 7 years

Text

I Found the Cure to Growing Older 1/?

Summary: Dan died. Phil thought that might perhaps be the worst of his problems - after all, what could be worse than losing your best friend?

Turns out, it was the zombie apocalypse.

When that’s all said and done, as much as an apocalypse can be said and done, he gets a phone call. Also posted on AO3.

Author’s Note: Because I really needed a second multi-chapter fic going while I’m already writing one, eh?

This one is an AU based on the fantastically awesome television show “In the Flesh”. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. Adorable cured zombies (A.K.A. Partially Deceased Syndrome Sufferers), serious feels, and well rounded LGBT characters? Yas. IT HAS IT ALL. Like seriously, if you have not seen this show, go watch the trailer and immediately become convinced to watch both seasons. I will wait here....

Did you watch it? Okay, good. Anyhoo, if you have seen it and are familiar with the canon, you’ll obviously notice that I’m making some changes, mainly in the timeline. The bulk of it will be taking place in 2021, with the backstory taking place around current day. I do otherwise intend to try to keep this shit accurate to the universe, though.

So yeah, prepare your butts for a good old fashioned zambie angst and fluff pie.

Oh, and credit to my good buddy @bad-twin for reading it over and providing a fabulous place to bounce ideas around.

28 January, 2021

“Hi guys! Can you see me?” Phil asked the old webcam on his laptop, giving a little wave at it as he did so. He couldn’t help feeling a little bit nervous- this would be his first live show in nearly four years. It occurred to him that it was a bit silly to be anxious about something as innocuous as talking to some fans on webcam, when he’d literally had to bash a rabid zombie’s head in with a bit of piping to save his own skin in the not too distant past. Then again, his mental processes had always been a little bit out of the norm.

The messages started coming in after a few seconds, and his face split into a grin at the general excitement he was seeing. The chat moved a lot slower than it would have once, but that was to be expected. Plenty of people out there didn’t even have an internet connection back yet, and he was sure that quite a few of his old fans had forgotten him. Something about living through the apocalypse tended to shift a person’s priorities, and his fans were no exception.

“Great! Looks like we’re live then. How are you guys? It’s been ages!” He scanned the chat as he spoke, and laughed slightly. “Katie123 says ‘I’ve missed you Phil!’, that’s so sweet! I’ve missed all of you too. It feels great to be back. I’ve spent almost the last year out of London, staying with the family. They got hit a lot harder up there than we were here, it’s taken a lot of work to rebuild. I’ve missed the flat though, it’s really great to be home.”

A glance at the chat showed that a lot of people were clamoring for a look around, and he obliged, picking up his laptop and doing a quick 180 of the sitting room to show it off before setting it back down in front of him. “Looks the same as ever, doesn’t it? You’d almost think the world didn’t nearly end.”

A few people in the chat were having a small freak out, apparently having missed the sight of the sofa crease, and Phil couldn’t help a small pang at the phrase. It was a fairly unwanted reminder that said sofa crease was empty. He pushed the thought aside, because now wasn’t the time to get down in the dumps, and settled on another question that managed to make him laugh.

“‘Did any of your houseplants survive?’, bad-twin wants to know. Well, have I got a surprise for you, bad-twin.” He hopped up from his spot to cross the room, coming back with a pot in his hands which contained a rather unhealthy looking, but surprisingly living, cactus. “Susan 7 here managed to survive the water shortages, via her cactus-y resilience. She’s looking a little worse for wear now, but I’ll have her fixed up soon enough.”

“Have I seen anyone from the old days recently? ‘Kringlemanger24’ is asking.” He paused, quirking a brow. “What’s a kringlemanger? Do I want to know?” When the chat erupted into a series of caps lock ‘NO!’s, he decided that he would take that advice. “Okay, just going to forget about that entirely then. As for the question, yeah, I have. I saw PJ the other day after I got back to London, and I’ve got plans for Louise to come for a short stay with Darcy in a few weeks. I heard now that the borders are open again, Tyler’s going to try to get across the pond for a while, so we’ll probably have a little meet up of everyone who’s still around. We might even be able to get a few collabs in.”

“MyRotterRomanceattheDisco wants to know how I feel about the reintegration initiative. I think it’s great, really. I understand why some people are against it, the PDS sufferers didn’t exactly make life easy for any of us, but then you’ve got to think, they’re still people. They were our friends and neighbours once, and they didn’t know what they were doing. Some kids are going to have their dads back. You might get a sibling or a mum back. It’s… I mean, it’s a much more positive ending to the war than you’d expect, don’t you think?” The chat seemed to be mostly in agreement with his opinion, despite a few voices of dissent, and he smiled.

That initial feeling of anxiety had swiftly been replaced by warm fuzzy feelings. Phil hadn’t realized quite how much he had missed his fans. They were a mad bunch, but they were a good bunch. Well, most of them. As the live show continued, the occasional troll did show up. The worst of them were the ones that popped in just to comment things like ‘Where’s Dan?! LOL’, and while it stung a little, it was heartening to see the way the rest of the chat banded against the trolls in his defense.

Things were still going well enough, when Phil’s phone went off. He’d been in the midst of answering CuteRandomLlamasxo’s question about his birthday plans when it vibrated on the sofa next to him, and he paused in explaining that Martyn would be coming to visit him in order to pick it up and take a look. “Hang on a second guys, I need to see who-”

He faltered, and immediately went quiet. The chat was filled with expressions of concern, and a few people making jokes about how they hadn’t thought it was possible for him to go paler, but he didn’t even notice. It was as if everything in the room had blurred around him, except for the screen on the phone in front of him. Not even bothering to excuse himself, he simply shut the laptop, ending the stream instantly, and with shaking hands, accepted the call.

“...Mrs. Howell?” Phil’s voice came out as an undignified croak, and he cleared his throat before trying again. “Er… Hello?”

For a long moment, he thought that maybe she had just dialled his number by mistake. He couldn’t hear anything on the other end of the line, and he was just about to end the call when she finally spoke up. “Phil! Hello, dear. How have you been?” Dan’s mother sounded extremely awkward, and Phil couldn’t blame her for that. They hadn’t spoken since the funeral, and he wasn’t doing much better in terms of awkwardness.

“As well as can be, these days. How- how are you? How’s the family?”

Another silence stretched out, and Phil reached up to scratch at the back of his head. This was beyond uncomfortable, and he rather hoped that she would get to the point soon, because he really wanted to hang up.

“Good, good. Well, you see that’s… actually why I’ve called. I have, well, news.”

“Is everything alright? No one’s been hurt, or anything?” Phil’s concern was genuine, even if he still wanted to be doing just about anything other than having this conversation. Regardless of how long it had been since they had spoken, Dan’s family would never really leave his heart, and he certainly cared for their well being.

“Everyone’s just fine, no, no one’s hurt. It’s the opposite, actually.” For the first time since the call had started, Phil noticed that she was audibly crying, and suddenly his stomach began to twist with anticipation about what she was about to say. “It’s Dan. He’s come home.”

***

9 February, 2017

“Phil, it’s been over a week. The birthday milking has to stop.” Dan was saying from his place on the sofa, settled comfortably in his crease. His laptop was balanced on his knees, and he was pointedly ignoring the puppy dog eyes that Phil was sending his way.

“What do you expect us to have for breakfast tomorrow, Dan? Do you expect me to go hungry? So soon after my birthday? We don’t even have cereal.” Phil was expecting the pillow that Dan threw at his head in response, but he still failed to react quickly enough to prevent it smashing straight into his face. “Ow.”

“We don’t have cereal because you ate yours and mine. You get off your ass and go to Tesco’s. I’m the one who’s wounded.”

“You fell down a week ago. You’re fine. You’re at least fine enough to go to buy cereal and pancake mix.”

“This madness needs to end. You can’t try to negotiate birthday favors for the rest of the year. A week is where I draw the line, Philly. If you’re so worried about our cupboards, you can restock them.”

Phil simply stared at him, a pout on his face that he knew probably looked utterly ridiculous, but it seemed to do the trick. When Dan finally glanced up from his laptop screen, he cracked up, shaking his head.

“Okay, no. You’re not going to win me over just by making yourself look like a complete idiot. But, I’m willing to Rock Paper Scissors you for it.”

It was a bit silly that two grown men settled almost every dispute that life handed to them with a children’s game, but it had worked for them all these years, so Phil was more than willing to agree to those terms. Besides, he had rather good luck when it came to predicting Dan’s moves.

Five minutes later, he watched with smug satisfaction as his friend grumbled to himself whilst puttering around the flat, collecting the necessities for a trip into the horrid, cold wilderness that made up the journey to Tesco’s. Dan jammed a hat onto his head, then turned to stare at Phil with a look of pure loathing. Phil just grinned up at him, tongue poking out between his teeth.

“I hate you.” Dan commented, although the words lacked any real venom. “This is literally the last time I’m ever letting you pull the ‘All or Nothing’ card.”

“I hate you too.” Phil replied affectionately, before settling back against the sofa to carry on with his perusal of twitter. “Don’t forget the Crunchy Nut.”

Dan rolled his eyes and headed on his way, calling back at Phil as he headed to the stairs.

“Yeah, I’ll remember it, and I’ll remember to hide it when I get back so I’ll actually have a bowl of it for once, you living hoover.” He punctuated this statement by slamming the door behind him.

This would prove to be the last time Phil saw Dan alive.

***

28 January, 2021

Phil was glad that he had already been sitting down when he’d answered the phone, because he was pretty sure his legs wouldn’t have held him up for long after that particular bombshell.

It wasn’t as though it was impossible. Everyone that rose from the dead in November of 2017 had died during that year, although Phil had mostly heard of it happening to those that died nearer to the Rising. Dan had died right at the beginning of the year, so technically he made the cut. It wasn’t a possibility that had ever crossed Phil’s mind, though.

He’d said his goodbyes years ago. He’d mourned. He’d even started learning to be happy again when the Rising had come along and turned the entire world upside down. Suddenly, his own grief hadn’t seemed so important anymore. It was still there, and it still hurt, but helping to rebuild an entire society after a horrible event nearly tore it apart really put things in perspective.

He didn’t even know how to cope with this.

“...Phil, are you alright?” Dan’s mum’s voice finally managed to through to his consciousness, and he snapped to attention. He must have been silent for several minutes.

“Yeah, thanks, I just… That’s a lot to take in.” He excused lamely, pushing his glasses up to rub at his eyes and taking a deep breath. His hand was wet when he pulled it away again. He was crying, apparently. That was interesting. “How, erm… what’s he like?”

“He’s Dan.” She replied, and judging from her voice, she was probably still crying too. “Sarcastic as ever. He keeps making jokes about being dead inside at uncomfortable moments.” She was quiet, yet another length of silence stretched out, before she spoke again, in a quiet voice. “He misses you. He won’t say it, but… this isn’t his home anymore. I know it’s a lot to ask, and I know you have a whole life you must be trying to get back to, but-”

“I’ll make sure his room’s set up.” Phil found himself responding before he even consciously made the decision. “I never packed anything away, really, but I’m sure most of his things have gathered a lot of dust, and I don’t know what state the sheets are in, so I might have to pop round to the shop and see if I can find some replacements.”

“Thank you.” The relief was palpable in her voice, and she even gave a shaky laugh. “He would have been so miserable, staying here. You have no idea how pleased he’ll be when I’ve told him.”

Phil didn’t say as much, but he rather thought that he knew exactly how pleased Dan would be, if the enormous grin that had somehow crossed his own face was any indication.

#phan #phanfic #phanfiction #in the flesh au #angsty but fluffy #death isn't permanent here

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itsnelkabelka · 7 years

Text

Speech: PM speech at the London Somalia Conference

Presidents, Prime Ministers, Secretary-General Guterres, I am delighted to welcome you all to London as we come together today to support President Farmajo in building a more secure, stable and prosperous future for all the people of Somalia.

As an international community, our commitment to Somalia matters.

Not just because it is right to help Somalia to overcome the threat of terrorism and the devastating effects of years of famine and bloodshed; but also because these challenges that face Somalia affect us all.

If Somalia is a foothold for terrorist groups like Al Shabaab and Daesh, if global trade is hijacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean, or if millions are continually displaced in a desperate bid to escape poverty and drought, the impact of instability in Somalia is felt across the whole region and the wider world.

But what we have seen over the last five years is that when we work together on these issues we can make progress.

That progress has required exceptionally hard work and great sacrifice, not least from the Troop Contributing Countries to the AMISOM mission – from Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Burundi and Djibouti – from Somalis themselves, and from a broad coalition of other partners including Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the EU, America and the United Nations. But because of these efforts, Al Shabaab has been pushed back, piracy largely contained, and new momentum brought to the political process.

And I am proud of the role that Britain has played in this work.

As a Global Britain, we will continue to drive co-ordinated international efforts that increase global security and protect our values around the world.

And as we are demonstrating with our third London Conference, Britain’s commitment to Somalia’s future remains steadfast.

As we meet today, Somalia has a critical window of opportunity. The election of President Farmajo and his mandate for reform provides a unique chance for Somalia to take control of its security and to build an inclusive political settlement with new economic development that can help to create more jobs and livelihoods for its people.

So our task today is not to tell Somalia what to do – nor to impose our own solutions on this country from afar; but rather to get behind the new President’s efforts and to support the Somali people as they work to build this new future for their country.

President Farmajo, you have already shown great leadership in forging an historic agreement between the Federal Government and the Federal Member States over the future of Somalia’s army and police. You have a mandate to shape a new future for your country. And we are here today, first and foremost, to support your efforts.

So I am delighted to invite you to make your opening address.

Introduction to UN Secretary General

Thank you very much President Farmajo, for setting out such a compelling vision for the future of your country. Your leadership and your commitment to the reforms that you have described will be crucial in building the security, stability and prosperity that you seek – and that we all want to see.

In return, I hope that today you will see a renewed international commitment to support you in this mission. And there is no greater sign of this international support than the ongoing commitment of the United Nations.

This is my first opportunity to share a platform with Secretary General Guterres – and I am delighted that it is here at this conference on Somalia.

Secretary General, the fact you have chosen to attend in person today shows the significance of the United Nation’s commitment to continue prioritising Somalia.

I am very pleased to be able to welcome you here to London – and to invite you to address the conference.

Main Intervention

Thank you, Secretary General, for those powerful remarks and your insight, and for the continued support of the United Nations at this important moment for Somalia’s future.

As we look to that future, it is worth taking a moment to remember how far we have come. Just five years ago, Al Shabaab controlled large parts of Somalia; piracy was costing global trade $7 billion a year and the country was recovering from a famine the previous year which had killed a quarter of a million people, half of whom were under five years old.

But today Al Shabaab have been driven back across Somalia, such that they no longer pose an existential threat to the country. International efforts to tackle piracy have helped to ensure that until March this year there had been no attacks at sea for five years. While the London Conferences in 2012 and 2013 brought new momentum to the political process, supporting the work of the nascent Federal Government.

None of this could have been achieved without the vital contributions of a broad international coalition, especially the African Union and its members.

I know that Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Burundi and Djibouti have taken heavy casualties in the fight against Al Shabaab, as indeed have Somali security forces. But your commitment to the AMISOM mission has been fundamental to the progress that has been made.

So too, has the enormous contributions of countries like Turkey and the UAE, America, and the European Union.

Yet despite this progress, deep challenges remain.

Al Shabaab has tripled its attacks on Mogadishu, and Somali forces do not yet have the capability to take over control of their own security.

The political process still has a way to go, with Somalia once again ranked the most fragile state in the world. While the drought has left more than 6 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and almost 1 million children acutely malnourished, with 2 million refugees living in camps in neighbouring countries and more than a million displaced people within Somalia.

Of course, we must continue to respond urgently to the need for humanitarian assistance. I am proud that the United Kingdom is at the forefront of these efforts, providing £110 million over two years for emergency food assistance, life-saving nutrition, safe drinking water and emergency healthcare.

Other donors have stepped up, and I welcome generous contributions from Sweden, Norway, Japan and Germany, as well as the important work of the UN in co-ordinating international efforts.

But more is needed so that everything possible can be done to help those in the hardest to reach areas.

So we will look closely at needs of the revised UN appeal and we urge others to continue to step up in the months ahead.

But if we are to support President Farmajo in building a better long-term future for his country, we must do more than tackle the consequences of this crisis, as vital as that is. We must also address its causes by building Somalia’s resilience and helping to develop the security and stability that can provide the best hope of preventing similar crises in the future.

This means, first and foremost, agreeing a detailed security plan that will help Somalia to develop rapidly the structures, forces, resources and leadership needed to take control of its own security and to push on with the fight against Al Shabaab and other extremists.

And secondly, it means backing President Farmajo in his efforts to build a more inclusive, federal and democratic state, together with the economic development that can create more jobs and livelihoods for Somalia’s people.

Let me briefly take each of these points in turn.

Security Pact

First, Somali-led security is the essential foundation for political and economic progress.

We know that AMISOM are over-stretched and that Troop Contributing Countries simply cannot be expected to carry the burden of Somalia’s security forever. So Somalia’s forces need to be built up rapidly through a federated model that also brings in regional forces.

The Security Pact that we are proposing at this Conference will build on the historic agreement between the Federal Government of Somalia and the Federal Member States over the size, location, financing, command and control of the future Somali army and police.

It will improve the co-ordination of international efforts, including the UK’s commitment to train Somali forces in Baidoa, the UAE’s development of a state of the art training facility, America’s training and equipping of Danab Special Forces and Turkey’s work to train Somali officers and NCOs.

And it will make sure that when there are future offensives, there are also the resources and plans to get services and supplies through to areas that have been retaken from Al Shabaab control.

As part of this Pact we want to see more detailed plans for Somali security reform so that Somalia can take responsibility for its own security and enable the drawdown of AMISOM troops as conditions on the ground allow.

We want to see the integration of Somali regional forces and an increase in Somali capacity, as this will be crucial in allowing the resumption of offensives against the remaining Al Shabaab strongholds in southern Somalia, as well as continued pressure on the small Daesh affiliate in Puntland and improved security in Mogadishu. And we want to see Al Shabaab degraded as Somali security forces gradually replace AMISOM across Somalia.

To support this, the UK will provide an additional £21 million over the next two years to bolster our existing efforts to provide training and mentoring to the Somali national army and support wider capacity building for Somali institutions.

And I strongly encourage others here today to make their own commitments to support this process – and to do so, at the latest, by the time of the next security conference in October.

New Partnership for Somalia

Second, we are proposing today a new Partnership for Somalia through which President Farmajo will commit to the development of an inclusive and federal democratic state – and the international community will back him with better targeted support for the jobs and livelihoods that can drive economic recovery.

So through this new Partnership, Somalia will commit to a four year road map of reforms that include closer co-operation between Mogadishu and the regions of Somalia on security and stabilisation - and a political agreement on resource and power-sharing that can lead to a revised federal constitution.

Somalia will also work towards a fairer and more accessible justice system, it will prioritise the tackling of corruption, and set a clear path to One Person, One Vote elections in 2021.

In return, the international community will back these reforms with better targeted support for economic recovery. This will include the targeting of donor support on key investment priorities such as the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors – and support for mobilising development finance and working towards securing debt relief.

We know just how challenging President Farmajo’s reforms will be to deliver. But we know too, just how vital they are. They will enable Somalis to know who is responsible for their security and their access to justice. They will give Somali people the chance to ensure that their resources are managed equitably and transparently. And they will give the federal government a greater ability to raise the vital domestic revenues that can underpin economic recovery, funding public services in areas liberated from Al Shabaab, and paying for the professional armed forces and police that are so important for Somalia’s security.

And by creating more business and employment opportunities, these reforms will also mean that more of Somalia’s brightest and best people will be able to stay in Somalia – or return to Somalia – to play their part in building a new future for their country.

Conclusion

The challenges we are talking about today are great – but so too is the opportunity before us.

There is much work to do – and today is only a stepping stone on the road to the better future for Somalia that we all want to see. But as we have shown in recent years, Somalia is a place where the world can unite. And if we continue to do so; if we seize this moment to come together behind the efforts of President Farmajo; if we work together to deliver this new Security Pact and support the whole of Somalia, there can be a new future for this country.

In what was once called “the world’s most dangerous place”, we can defeat the terrorists, keep them out and bring Somalia the stability and prosperity it deserves.

So thank you once again for your support today. I am delighted that the Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, will be acting as the UK host for today’s conference. And I look forward to hearing the details of your discussions and to working with you all in the months and years ahead, as together we support President Farmajo in building a better future for all the people of Somalia.

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itsnelkabelka · 7 years

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Speech: British High Commissioner's speech marking Commonwealth Day

Honourable Ministers, Fellow Heads of Mission and diplomatic colleagues, dear guests, including several Ghanaian Commonwealth Scholars, some of the over 1,500 such Ghanaian alumni.

We meet today on Commonwealth Day to recognise that The Commonwealth is a unique organisation in the world order.

In the UK, we are proud of our global relationships which have prospered within it. We believe the Commonwealth can be a force for good around the world by promoting freedom, democracy, human rights, development and prosperity. Its strength lies in the shared history, deep and diverse links between our peoples and – at our best – strong common instincts about the importance of open societies and open economies. We value the flexibility of the organisation to deal with the diversity of its member countries and their interests. By coming together as Commonwealth Missions, and as representatives and supporters of Commonwealth organisations, we can draw on these close ties and shared values to discuss relevant issues here in Ghana and more widely.

Our Commonwealth is a great global family with immense potential, deep networks and many friendships spanning the globe. Above all, let us remember that the word Commonwealth, really means the “common good” and that is what our organisation is for.

So, the UK strongly values the Commonwealth and is committed to working with Commonwealth partners to strengthen its core values of democracy, peace and prosperity for all people, just as we did in working with the Commonwealth Observer Mission to Ghana’s 2016 elections, led by former South African President, Thabo Mbeki. At a time of unprecedented global challenges, an organisation like the Commonwealth, based on shared values, has a particularly important role to play. Just look at how the Commonwealth helped influence the outcome of COP 21, by coming together to protect the global environment. Plus, there are many aspects we can take advantage of through being members of the Commonwealth: similar legal codes based on the Common Law and similar parliamentary systems and democratic institutions, plus a shared language, sport and so much more.

Plus of course the immense potential for increased trade, something which Commonwealth Trade Ministers, including the Hon. Alan Kyerematen discussed in London just last week. It is our intention to make the UK a leader in global free trade, working with our friends and allies in the Commonwealth to remove barriers and for greater liberalisation, including as a means to eradicate poverty, spread technology and raise living standards.

In that regard, it’s salutary to remind ourselves of a few key facts about the Commonwealth:

It has 52 members which span six continents and make up a quarter of the world’s land mass. We hope by next year that the membership will expand again to 54 members with Gambia rejoining and our neighbours here, Togo, perhaps becoming the newest member.

the Commonwealth comprises nearly 2.5 billion people, fully one third of the world’s population, with 1 billion of those under the age of 25.

the combined Gross National Income of Commonwealth countries is nearly US$ 11 trillion, with intra-Commonwealth trade estimated at over US$ 680 billion and projected to surpass $1 trillion by 2020, with several of the world’s fastest growing economies, including we trust Ghana, showing the way.

For our part, the UK is the largest financial contributor to Commonwealth institutions and programmes, to the tune of over £55 million last year, including to establish a Commonwealth unit to support member states in countering violent extremism and radicalism, including the work of the Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors network. Meanwhile, we continue to have a DFID bilateral spend of over £2 billion in 38 Commonwealth countries.

We want to build on the successful Commonwealth Summit in Malta in 2015. With the Secretary General leading reform of the Commonwealth Secretariat, we have an opportunity to reenergise the Commonwealth, so that it can better uphold its shared democratic values and deliver greater security and prosperity to its citizens. In Malta, leaders agreed to strengthen the Commonwealth’s contribution to global efforts to tackle our shared challenges like countering extremism and radicalisation, combating corruption, and building the resilience of small states to issues like climate change. We can work on these together. But we shouldn’t just look at what we can achieve through the Commonwealth as an organisation, but also through us coming together as a grouping of countries.

As hosts, we are aiming for an ambitious and dynamic next Commonwealth Summit in 2018. We are working closely with Baroness Patricia Scotland and her team, the Commonwealth Secretariat, other Commonwealth organisations, member states and other interested parties to develop the agenda for the meeting. We want to take an ambitious, creative and innovative approach that makes the most of all the Commonwealth has to offer and demonstrates a Commonwealth that is truly relevant for the 21st century.

And we want to build on the Commonwealth Secretary General’s description of our unique organisation as a “peacebuilding Commonwealth”, tackling violence at the state level, including violent extremism, domestic violence and other forms of bullying and intimidation.

Finally, L&G, at the beginning of a week of Commonwealth activities in London - and on the day a Commonwealth Baton sets out from Buckingham Palace to visit all the nations and territories of the Commonwealth before being opened and read at the Commonwealth Games in Australia next year – let me quote Her Majesty The Queen who in her Commonwealth Day message earlier today reminded us that the cornerstones of the Commonwealth are, and I quote:

quite simply, respect and understanding for one another …. by upholding justice and the rule of law, and by striving for societies that are fair and offer opportunities for all, we overcome division and find reconciliation, so that the benefits of progress and prosperity may be multiplied and shared …. We can find further reward and fulfilment by continuing to collaborate with others in a spirit of goodwill to build a peaceful and abundant future for all Commonwealth citizens.

With that, thank you for your attention and enjoy the evening.

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