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“What movie are we watching today Mr. Somnusson?” Miss. Peregrine asked as she handed Horace the eye glass.
“Not sure ma’am. Can’t remember.” He said as the lights turned off and the projector flickered to life, revealing a meadow filled with flowers and bees and butterflies.
Hugh appeared walking across the grass, bees escaping every time he whistled along to a melody.
“That’s you Hugh.”
“Thank you for the brilliant observation Millard.” He scooted closed to Fiona on the couch.
“Is this how you met?” Olive gasped as Fiona was shown sleeping peacefully on a bed of red roses. “Oh how lovely!” She clapped her hands.
The younger Fiona woke up with a gasp, startling both of them.
“I’m sorry.” Hugh apologized. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s alright.” Fiona said with a smile.
“These flowers….” Hugh trailed off. “Did you? Did you grow them?”
“What? Um, no- I-“ Fiona stuttered.
“You’re peculiar.” Hugh breathed out.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Peculiar. Like me. You can grow flowers and I-“ he opened his mouth and bees flew in. “Have bees living in my stomach.”
“Wow” Fiona gasped.
“I’m Hugh.” He held out his hand.
“Fiona.” She shook it.
The meadow dissolved away, showing Fiona and Hugh in a small, run down house. Fiona was making brightly colored flowers grow in pots and Hugh's bees pollinating them.
“These flowers look beautiful don’t they Hugh?” Fiona asked him.
“So do you.” He turned red. “I- don’t know why I said that.”
Fiona’s soft laugh fell away to show her sitting on a tree stump with a rose in her hand.
“He loves me. He loves me not.” She picked a petal off with each sentence. “He loves me. He loves me not.” She repeated until there were three petals left.
“He loves me not.” Two petals left.
“He loves me.” One petal left.
“He loves me not.” She dropped the last petal onto the grass with a sad sigh.
“He loves you.” Hugh sat down beside her, handing her a single red petal.
Everyone tried hard not to react.
Fiona smiled wide. “Really?”
Hugh nodded shyly.
“She loves you too.”
He tackled her in a hug, both of them laughing. They pull away and their lips meet as it showed them leaving a small village.
“So this is it?” Hugh asked. “Leaving home behind to go join a circus.”
“It’ll be an adventure, Hugh.” Fiona exclaimed. “Come on.” She grabbed his hand. “Remember the plan?”
“Get married, join the circus, have a baby, find a loop, and live happily ever after.” He smiled.
“And one’s already done so that means circus is next.”
There were quick glimpses of their life in the circus.
Filled with laughs and smiles and kisses.
Then a scream and a cry.
A little toddler with wild curly brown hair, dark skin, and striking hazel eyes, was shown walking along the grass, holding onto Hughs fingers.
“Let her go, love.” Fiona told him and he pulled away so she could stand without held.
“Come one, sweetheart, come to mama.” Fiona smiled opening her arms.
The baby laughed, taking a few wobbly steps forward until she reached Fiona.
“Good girl.” Fiona scooped her up.
“That’s my little rose.” Hugh tossed her in the air as she squealed with joy, water from a nearby pond started to circle her.
Fiona and Hugh let out a pained noise as fire showed.
“NO” Fiona screamed, trying to get out of Hughs hold. “ROSE NO”
All of the wagons were burning red and blue.
“NO” she kept screaming. “LET ME GO LET ME GO” she sobbed.
“I can’t Fee. I can’t. I’m so sorry.” Hugh held her back as he too sobbed.
“My baby, my baby. Please not my baby. Not our baby,” she sobbed.
The view changed to a man standing in the tree line, a smirk on his face and fire in his hands.
Fiona tried to get out of Hughs grip again. “HE KILLED OUR BABY” she screamed.
Everyone else looked where she had, a few starting towards him.
Tree branches flew out, wrapping around his neck.
“Fiona!” Hugh exclaimed in shock. “Fiona let him go. Fiona don’t.”
The branches pulled hard, snapping his neck.
“Oh my god,” Fiona gasped, in shock of what she’d done. “Oh my god,”
She fell to the ground with a scream, every plant and tree and flower within a mile died and turned to ash.
No one moved.
No one said a word.
No one knew what to do or what to say.
“I miss your voice, sweetheart,” Hugh told Fiona, they all recognized the place as Fiona’s room.
Green vines climbed up the walls.
Flowers scattered all over.
Hughs bees buzzing around happily.
“I do too,”
It was clear what she meant.
Her voice had died with her daughter.
Their were fast glimpses of the first few years on the island.
The first time they heard her speak, first time they saw her smile, the first time she laughed, her and Hugh under a tree, them laying in each other’s rooms, outside late at night while everyone was asleep, sometimes just laying together, sometimes dancing and laughing, sometimes smoking a green plant none of them had ever seen before.
It stopped and showed Fiona sneaking into Hughs room.
“Hugh, wake up.” She kissed his nose.
“Hmm?” Hugh hummed as he woke up. “Hi, love.” He pulled the honey colored covers back for her to crawl in.
“No, let’s go outside.”
“Not tonight. Too tired.” He closed his eyes with a smirk.
“Hugh.” Fiona whined. “Come one, you know what today is.”
“September 3rd, 1940?” He opened one eye.
“No you idiot.” She flicked his forehead.
“I’m kidding.” He chuckled and pulled her down onto the bed. “Happy 100th anniversary, my love.”
“Happy anniversary.” She smiled sweetly. “Now come on,” she pulled him up.
They stumbled out of the house as quietly as they could. Tripping and laughing as they went.
“If you get us caught I’ll put poison oak in your bed.” Fiona warned Hugh.
“Wait,” Hugh stopped and ran back into the house, coming out moments later with vinyl records. “Miss. Peregrine left the record player out.” He ran over and put in a new record.
Soft trumpet sounds filled the garden.
The couple smiled and held hands and started to carelessly slow dance. Laughing as Hugh spun Fiona and dipped her down.
“Kiss me once. Then kiss me twice. Then kiss me once again.” The woman on the record started to sing.
Fiona and Hugh turned serious at the sound of her voice.
“It’s been a long, long time.”
They danced together with a practiced routine. Their bodies moving together with muscle memory. Perfectly in step and perfectly in tune with the other.
Fiona’s flowy green dressed fanned out as she spun side to side.
The moves turned more and more difficult as the song continued. Jumps and turns and dips and spins and kicks.
The song ended with Fiona in a dip. Both of them laughing brightly, not even out of breath.
Hugh brought her back up and kissed her softly. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” She said softly before pulling away and grabbing his hand. “Now come on.”
No one had ever seen Fiona like this. No one could believe she was like this while they were all inside the house sleeping obliviously.
“Where are we going?” Hugh asked.
“To the beach for a swim.”
“But it’s dark.”
“So what?”
“We don’t have any swim wear on.”
“So what?” She asked again and turned around to walk away.
Hugh grabbed her around the waist and picked her up, spinning her around before throwing her over his shoulder and running out of the garden.
They appeared on the beach, in an alcove of rocks, both of them stripping down to their underwear.
“Race ya.” Fiona smirked at Hugh and took off towards the calm ocean.
“Wha-? Hey!” He ran after her.
There were flashes of them playing in the ocean. Picking each other up and throwing them into the waves. Racing each other. Splashing.
They walked onto the sand laughing and soaking wet.
Fiona grew a blanket out of ferns and plants for them to lay down on.
“We should get back before Miss. Peregrine finds out.” She told Hugh a few minutes later once they had caught their breath.
“Shhh. No talking about Miss. Peregrines or any of the other children tonight.” He said. “I’m going to enjoy laying here with my wife, and my best friend, and my lover, and my sweetheart, and my darling,” he kissed her with every word. She squealed with a smile and wiggled around. “And my world, and my heart, and my everything, and my soulmate.” He kissed her on the lips. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” She kissed him, rolling over to lay on top of him, their lips still connected.
Bronwyn and Emma slapped a hand over Claire and Olives eyes as Hugh reached up to unclasp Fiona’s bra.
Luckily it switched to them in one of the villagers houses before anything else could happen.
“Yep definitely pregnant.” The villager told Hugh and Fiona.
They were back in Fiona’s room.
“So, how do we tell them?” Fiona asked.
“Hey we’ve been married for a hundred years sorry we didn’t tell you. Oh and by the way we’re pregnant. Anyone want another serving of dinner?”
“Maybe not exactly like tha-“
All the plants in her room shriveled up.
“What the hell?” Hugh whispered, catching Fiona as she doubled over, biting his shoulder to stop her scream of pain.
“Oh god you’re bleeding.” He breathed out.
It changed to show Enoch in his room.
Everyone looked at the boy in confusion, but he just stared ahead.
The Enoch in the dream stopped working on the doll and a troubled look crossed his face.
He stood up and walked out of his room and down the hall. He raised his hand to knock of Fiona’s door but stopped when he heard crying.
“You’re okay love. It’s okay.” Hughs voice was quiet.
“I don’t want to lose the baby.” Fiona sobbed. “I don’t want to lose the baby.”
Enoch’s eyes went wide and he backed away from the door.
They were all downstairs (minus Fiona)
“When is Fiona gonna come play?” Claire asked.
“She’s not feeling well.” Hugh sounded exhausted.
“Well playing can make her feel better.”
“Claire.”
“I’ll go read her a story,” she started towards the staircase.
“Jesus Christ Claire.” Enoch shouted.
“Enoch O’Connor.” Miss. Peregrine stood up.
“Do you every fucking listen? She said she’s sick so just leave her the hell alone!”
“Enoch!” Everyone exclaimed as Claire burst out crying.
“Since when do you care so much?” Emma asked.
“When it becomes annoying.”
“Enoch O’Connor go to your room right this instant and do not come out until I say other wise. Out, now.” She yelled and bent down to explain why Claire can’t go see Fiona.
Enoch trudged up the stairs muttering under his breath.
He stopped outside Fiona’s room and pushed the cracked door open further with a knock. “Fiona?” He asked softly. “It’s Enoch. May I come in?
“Yes. Go ahead.” Her voice was small.
“Hey.” He took in her pale appearance.
“Do you need anything?” She asked as nicely as she could manage.
“No, no.” He said quickly. “I just- Im really sorry. That you’re not feeling well.”
“Oh.” Fiona blinked, clearly not expecting those words. “Thank you.”
Enoch nodded with a small smile and left the room.
The door was opened as Hugh walked in. “The others are going into tow-” he stopped and surged forward as he saw what was going on.
Fiona sobbed as he ripped the vine off her neck.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?” He shouted.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Fiona sobbed. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
“Fiona, why? Why? Why?” He cried.
“I miss them. I miss them and it’s my fault.”
“It is not your fault. Fiona Apiston look at me.” He pulled her away and cupped her face. “Look at me. It is not your fault. It is not your fault.”
“I’ve been pregnant four times and we have no babies, Hugh. We have no kids.” She sobbed.
“I know, I know but that’s not your fault.”
“I want them. I want them all back. I want Rose back and the next baby and the next and this one, and god I want them back.” She sobbed.
“I know, I know. I know it’s torture and I know it hurts, I know. But you can’t- I can’t. God Fee I can’t lose you. I can’t lose you Fiona I can’t.” He clung to her. “God I didn’t come in when I did. Oh god, please no.”
“I’m sorry I’m sorry.” She sobbed as they held each other.
“I miss your smile,” Hugh told Fiona in her room, just like before.
“I do too.” She said again.
They were laying in a tunnel of vines, the sunlight shining through.
“I want a baby.” Fiona said.
“I do too but not right now.” Hugh said. “If we lose this one… we have a 70% chance of losing it. And neither of us are going to survive losing another. I chance a lot of things but losing you-“ he shook his head. “Never.”
“I know.” She sighed. “I just wanted to try.”
“I mean if you want to try I’m all for it. I will gladly try right now.” Hughs happy voice broke the sadness, followed by Fiona’s laugh.
“You know what let’s try.” He kissed her.
Fiona laughed and pushed him away. “You just said no baby’s.”
“I didn’t say no making baby’s.”
Fiona rolled her eyes.
“Come on this is like, the one time a month we can have sex.”
“Are you serious? We are not having sex outside, during the day. Anyone could walk by.” Fiona shook her head.
“We can cover the entrance with vines no one will know.”
“No”
“Please,”
“Im leaving.” Fiona stood up with a smile.
“What? No come back.” Hugh whined and stood up.
Fiona laughed and ran towards the entrance.
Hugh ran after her and scooped her up, spinning her around. They ran back into the tunnel and the entrance was quickly buried with vines.
Fiona sat on a tree stump in the forest, picking petals off a dog rose. “He loves me, he loves me, he loves me,” until there were three petals left.
“He loves me.” Two petals.
“He loves me.” One petal.
“He loves me.” She dropped the last petal with a smile.
“He loves you.” Hugh sat beside her and handed her a purple petal.
“She loves you.” Fiona kissed him.
All the events from before whizzed by.
The tunnel, flowers dying, the kiss on the beach, dancing, laughing, screaming, the fire, baby laughing, the sounds of the circus, it all came to a holt as Hugh stuck out his hand.
“I’m Hugh.”
“Fiona.”
The screen went dark.
Everyone looked over at Fiona and Hugh as the lights came back on.
Tears were streaming down both of their faces.
“Can you show us Rose again?” Fiona asked. “You can do that right? Show specific clips?”
“I’m sorry.” Horace shook his head. “I wish I could.”
Fiona sunk into Hugh, her body shaking.
Emma spoke first. “I don’t even know what to say. I’m so sorry.”
“We- I should be sorry.” Fiona shook her head. “When you first came to stay, I hated you. Every time you made a spark all I could hear was Rose screaming and crying for help. And I was scared to be around you. Scared I would do to you what I did to the man who killed her.”
“You have no reason to be sorry. No reason at all.” Emma stood up and hugged her.
“Enoch,” Hughs voice was gravely. “You knew?”
He nodded. “Just… that. I didn’t want to say anything.”
“Thank you.” Fiona smiled at him. “Really, truly, thank you. For not telling anyone and also for seeing me that day.”
Enoch nodded with a sad smile.
“Olive. You’re trying so hard not to talk that you’re floating off the ground.” Hugh chuckled. “What is it?”
“Oh thank the Bird.” She breathed out like she had been holding her breath. “Why didn’t you tell us you were married? Did you have a real wedding? If not can we have a real wedding now? If you still want kids there a plenty of peculiar babies that need good parents, right Miss. Peregrine?” She didn’t stop to let Miss. Peregrine answer the question. “Can you teach me how to do that dance? What was the green plant? Do you sneak into each other’s room every night? Do you always go swimming at night? Also what’s sex?”
Everyone choked on the last question.
Fiona and Hugh went crimson red.
Millard, Enoch, and Emma had to cough to cover up their laughs.
“Yeah what is it?” Claire asked.
“Something that you will learn about much, much later.” Miss. Peregrine told them quickly. “Now off the bed, hurry hurry.”
“But they didn’t answer the other questions!” Olive exclaimed.
“Oh I suppose not.” Hugh said.
“We didn’t tell you because- I honestly don’t know why. We just didn’t want to. No we didn’t have a ‘real wedding’ and we don’t want one but we know you’re going to make us have one.”
Everyone nodded.
“Adopting peculiar children is a great idea and we’ve thought a lot about it. Sure we can teach you how to dance. The green plant is something you aren’t allowed to have because it will make you really, really sick. Only me and Fee can have it since our peculiarities are from the natural world. We don’t sneak in every night. And we rarely ever go swimming at night. And, yeah, ask Miss. Peregrine or Bronwyn when you’re older.”
“See all questions answered. Now all of you off to bed. Hip hip. Hurry on now.” She shooed them out. “Ah, you two stay in here please we need to have a talk.” She told Hugh and Fiona.
She said her last good nights and turned towards Hugh and Fiona. “You two get settled in while I go make us some tea.”
“Are you okay?” Hugh whispered to Fiona.
She nodded. “I think so. I’m glad they know, but I didn’t want them to know everything.”
“Yeah, me too.” He kissed the top of her head.
“When I saw Rose- I stopped breathing. I still can’t breathe. I’m gonna be okay. I’m not gonna go away. But- god. That hurt.” She addressed the elephant in the room.
“It hurt me too,” Hugh agreed.
“And they now about me ki-“ she shook her head.
“They understand.”
They sat in silence until Miss. Peregrine walked back in with a trey of tea and sweets.
“First of all, I am so so so sorry about your daughter and your other babies.”
“Thank you.” Hugh said as Fiona nodded.
“Now, onto the rest. You two can share a room and seeing as that you are married telling you not to mess around isn’t really fair. But I do ask that you, please, please don’t do it while we are in the house and lock the door.”
They both burned scarlet.
“The sneaking out. That is dangerous. If you want to go for a late night swim, tell me. Also, Olive was right. There are plenty of peculiar children that need parents. If you want to have your own biological children we will make sure it is as healthy as it can be. Given that we don’t know the risk of babies being born in loops. And the last bit I have before I send you off to bed. I’m very happy for you two.” She smiled at them.