Chapter Text
September 1917
Siegfried removed his hat and stood in the open doorway of his parents bedroom. His mother looked at him.
"Take off the boots, I don't want all that mud coming in here," she pointed a stern finger at him and he knelt down to unlace and remove his army issue boots. It had been years since he'd stepped foot in his parents room. Only ever daring to come near it when there was an emergency of some kind and this was not that. The very opposite.
The war was raging on all throughout Europe, he'd just been promoted to Captain but far away from the fighting tucked away in the dales of Yorkshire lay his home and his brand new brother. It had certainly been a surprise to receive such news in his father last letter. They certainly hadn't been expecting it either with both of them firmly in their forth decade. It was a miracle.
"You don't look well, Ma," he took her in. Alice's complexion was almost as pale as her hair. She shook her head and dismissed her eldest's concerns.
"Never mind how I look, dear, say hello." She picked up the bundle of white blankets from the bassinet and held him out to his brother. Siegfried wasn't sure how to hold a baby, a human baby. With it's two arms and two legs. He couldn't help but make an uneasy expression as he took charge of them.
"What is it?"
"Siegfried Donald Farnon, did you lose your manners in France? His name is Tristan. Tristan Sebastian."
"Oh, he'll love that growing up," he mumbled as he examined the baby's features. There wasn't an awful lot to him. He was asleep so his eye colour was undetermined but Siegfried surmised it was likely to be brown as both their parents eyes were. Although Ma's were far lighter than Pa's.
"Play nice."
"I don't think there shall be much play at all, at least until he can stay awake for more than a few hours a day, Ma."
"When the war is over and you come home-"
"If Ma, if I make it home."
"Siegfried. Don't you dare be so morose while you hold your brother. Both of my boys will live under this roof one day, you shall be happy and healthy and I won't hear any more thoughts of death." Alice scolded him. Siegfried nodded an apology then turned his attentions back to the baby who was starting to move he tensed up.
"What do I do?"
"Stay calm and be there for him. He's going to know exactly who you are and that you'll always be safe for him." Tristan whined his blue eyes blinked up at Siegfried. He tried to break out of his blanket prison but Siegfried got a better grasp of him.
"Hello there, I apologise for the name our parents gave you Tristan but what can you expect when they named their firstborn Siegfried. You and I will be great friends one day, but there is a war on, I'm afraid and I have to fight but now, I know I am fighting so that you never will." he said to the baby who had continued to stare up blankly. He had in fact inherited their Grandad's eyes, perhaps he would have interest in birds, then family tradition of keeping pigeons would live on. Siegfried smiled, having a brother might not be so terrible after all. Alice watched her boys with tears in her eyes. They would be just fine.
December 1982
Siegfried was bouncing little Clara on his knee, his grand-niece was a bright girl took after her grandfather of course. All Tristan's girls did really, he and Charlotte had done a fine job with them.
"Come on, Clara, say goodbye to your Uncle. We're off to meet Grandad and your sisters at the market," Mabel held her hand out, "are you going to be alright here by yourself? Jim'll be round later with pies and Auntie Betty said she's finally cracked the case of Sardines, making them palatable for people that aren't you." Mabel continued as she got Clara into her coat. Siegfried chuckled.
"I shall be fine, Mabel. Go and meet your father before he buys every sprig of mistletoe Albert has to offer." Siegfried waved her off, he had a whole host of visitors these days. He wasn't alone for one second.
"Alright, I love you."
"Bye Uncle Siggy, love you!" Clara yelled over her shoulder. Siegfried settled back in his armchair.
"Why did you teach that child to call me Siggy, dear? I know it was you, so don't pretend it wasn't." He said.
You didn't really think you got away with teaching the wee ones to call me Oddly instead of Audrey, did you?
"Well, I might have, my dearest." He opened his eyes and stared at her chair his brain unable to imagine her response. A sob wracked through his body. He reached for the arm of her chair and squeezed it.
The phone was ringing. Siegfried awoke with a start. The chair was empty. The streets were dark, the market was certainly over by now. He sniffed and blew his nose in his handkerchief. Someone was cooking.
"Phone!" He yelled, he grabbed his cane and banged it on the floor.
"Phone!"
"I have ears Siegfried, I've got it." Tristan yelled back.
"Then use them."
"My hands were a little busy with potatoes for a certain someone's supper," Tristan quipped before picking up the phone and silencing it.
"Oh you and your bloody potatoes," Siegfried muttered, "he's obsessed with them. It's all he cooks you know my love," he continued talking to her chair. Tristan watched him, the phone craddled between his shoulder and his ear. He closed his eyes as Crabtree's youngest grandson wittered on about one of the cows.
"Yes, I'll be out shortly. Don't try and remove anything yourself," Tristan advised.
"I've to go to the Crabtree's, Siegfried."
"What?"
"The Crabtree's, you remember them don't you?"
"Yes I bloody well remember them, I'm 90, I'm not senile. You should be so lucky."
"We count our lucky stars that all your ducks are in a row don't you worry," Tristan snarked back and went to fetch his coat, "the shepherds pie is in the oven. I know it's not hers but I like making it."
"I know you do. You were her favourite."
"I think Edward would have something to say about that."
"Out of us Skeldale lot."
"No, I think your wedding ring would say something else."
"Out of you young lot then. You and James, and Helen. She adored you young ones but you, you," he cleared his throat, "you better not have drowned the potatoes in butter it isn't good for the heart they say." He changed the subject.
"Siegfried, my heart is just fine. I could run a marathon, in fact I probably will. Charlotte and I are looking after the twins tomorrow."
"Which set?"
"Both. Lucille and Robin coordinated with Mabel, so all the cousins could spend the day together, I'm surprised Mabel didn't invite you as well. Right, I'll be back in an hour. Don't let that pie burn, it only needs 30 minutes, maybe 45 if you want to add cheese on top. Unless you feed it all to those rats of yours," he put his hands on his hips. Siegfried adjusted his glasses.
"Our rats, I'll remind you that those rats saved you. Made sure your children had the opportunity to get all the silly names they liked out of the way. If it weren't for those rats then you'd have ended up with grandchildren called Mopsy, Raterina, and Primim-Mimadora the Ostentatious." Siegfried wagged his finger. After his dismal attempts at naming the rats, Audrey had drawn the line at Gerald the 3rd, the children of Skeldale got to take on the responsibility. Jimmy had come out with a few corkers but it was Tristan's girls that had really run with the idea.
"I bow down to you big brother, saving our family generations of funny names. Shame you couldn't have stopped Ma and Pa before they came up with Tristan Sebastian." Tristan bowed, grabbing the keys from his pocket.
"Well, there was this little worldwide event known as the great war happening so I didn't meet you properly until you were 2 months old, little brother. I offer my sincere condolences," he covered his heart with his hand.
"Somebody get you a stage and microphone, brother. See you in an hour. Don't talk Audrey's ear off too much when I'm gone will you!" He yelled as he made his way out the door. Siegfried barked out his laughter and in his mind he could her laughing too. He would go on if for nothing else than to keep Tristan on his toes.
Siegfried hummed a merry tune as he removed the pie from the AGA.
"See my dearest, I am perfectly capable of cooking. Now where is the cheese?" he waddled over to the refrigerator, his knees and hips had taken quite the battering after all those years of working down to the bone. He'd had his left hip replaced back in 72, Audrey had her right one done in 78, 79, oh it had been before the new decade. There was a smile on his face as thought about her recovery. She had been miserable and he'd hated seeing her in pain but she had permitted him to look after her properly, and committed to her bed rest after only 2 small hushed debates in the middle of the night. He closed the refrigerator door to find Helen standing in the doorway.
"When did you young lot get so quiet at moving around? Is that the latest invention out of America, noiseless shoes?" He scoffed going back to the counter, then grunting when he realised he didn't have a grater out yet. Helen watched him.
"Siegfried." He looked at her.
"No. Helen."
"Siegfried," her voice cracked.
"No."
"I'm so sorry, Siegfried," she shook her head.
"I can't have lost them both, Helen, please. Let me have one more night, join me for supper. He made her favourite, their favourite. Please." His voice cracked, he looked over his shoulder at her like a child hiding from the scary part in the film. She nodded. Helen walked over to the drawers and got him the grater and placed it in his shaking hand. They sat in silence at the table as it cooked and when it was done, he plated up four servings and she didn't say a word.
"Too much butter, Helen, too much bloody butter."