AN: Here's the final chapter! This will be followed by a sequel to come after I've had a rest... Also, this chapter contains sexual content!
CHAPTER SONG: "I See the Light" by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi (From Disney's 'Tangled')
Will and Emmy went up to the second level in the Imperial Grand Hotel, hand in hand with each other. The American brunette had to refrain from smiling so wide that her cheeks hurt, her heart beating with adrenaline and estrogen-filled bliss flowing through her veins.
She glanced to see Will's hand tighten around the key given to him by the maitre'd after requesting the room. A blush reddened her face as she imagined what was going through his head...
Recollecting from her previous experiences with other men, she had a good idea what it was...
And the serotonin electrified her mind knowing he desired her the way she wanted him. And the trembling heated sensation between her legs almost made her lose balance before they finally arrived to the room.
Emmy clutched the box of her new books tightly to her chest as she reluctantly released Will's hand so he could unlock the door with the key.
She heard him take a deep breath as the door opened, revealing the ornately decorated room bathed in golden lamplight. Her hands clutched onto the box to keep herself from dropping it as Will turned to face her, brushing a curl of brown hair behind her ear, his blue eyes locked on her with adoration.
"Here we are, my love." Will's voice spoke with a deep whispering tone, almost nervous but sensuous in pitch.
Emmy smiled up at him, taking his free hand in hers whilst still holding the gift box with the other so she could pull him into the room. "What are we waiting for? Let's go."
"Wait, Emmy." Will softly objected, pocketing the key so he could gently grasp her shoulder to stop her just barely from walking through the doorway. He smiled lovingly at her as she glanced at him with confusion. "I've been imagining something..."
She saw the sparkle of boyish mischief in his eyes and immediately knew what he was thinking. A joyous squeal erupted from her lips as she was swept up into his arms with chivalrous care, her body cradled to his chest as Emmy situated the gift box in her lap and her other arm folded around his neck.
"Is this totally necessary, Corporal Schofield?" Emmy giggled, her fingers caressing the fine hairs at his nape.
"I want to get my practice in. Perhaps the next time you let me do this... I'd have to marry you first." Will crooned in her ear before imprinting a lingering kiss on her forehead.
Emmy absorbed the context of his words, a dreamlike smile gracing her features as their eyes met, Will continuing to hold her securely in his toned arms as he carried her over the threshold, kicking the door closed with his foot.
"You must be tired of carrying me around like this, Will." Emmy teased, reveling in the feel of his elegant suit fabric as he walked into the center of the room, facing the decorously made bed. She began to wiggle her legs, kicking her feet up to signal that she wanted to be placed back on the floor.
"Never, my darling. I would never tire of any chance to hold you in my arms, to assure you that I'll always keep you from harm." Will delicately lowered his arm hefting her legs up underneath her knees, settling Emmy back into standing on her own two feet.
She sighed, stretching her legs before setting her gift box onto the floor at the base of the bed. Will went to make sure the door was locked, ensuring their privacy.
Even with his back turned to her, Emmy could see the lean muscles of his army trained physique underneath the jacket of his suit.
And she was more than ready to undress him and feel his warm scarred skin on hers.
A freezing shiver riddled her spine as Will turned away from the door, immediately meeting her eyes as a seductive silence filled the room around them.
They were truly alone together now. Nobody in the next room to interrupt them...
And who knew when they would get an opportunity like this again.
Emmy shakily rubbed her upper arms as she sat upon the edge of the bed, never leaving Will's eyes as she saw his dark black pupils widen with desire and arousal and her heartbeat accelerated in her ribcage.
He approached her however with a slow cautious gait, like one would approach a wild animal, entranced by her beauty whilst being afraid she would bolt away in fear.
She didn't move an inch as she slightly lowered the neckline of her dress, the sleeves slipping off her shoulders. In response, Will loosened the collar of his dress-shirt, gulping from deep within his throat as though he were choking on air.
The atmosphere of wanton uncertainty permeated the room as Will came to kneel before her upon the floor by the bed as she sat perched on the mattress. His eyes landed on the Catholic medallion resting on her bosom as Emmy reached behind her neck and unclasped the chain, removing the trinket from encircling her throat... then her emerald bracelet from Joseph carefully removed as well along with the angel wing earrings borrowed from Molly.
She reached over to the bedside vanity and placed all pieces of jewelry onto the wooden table.
Will did the same with his watch, removing it from his wrist and setting it by her bracelet.
Her hands began to quiver as she met Will's eyes, seeing the patience and concern in his gaze overwhelming his lust as he took her hand within his, kissing her fingers.
"You're shaking, Emmy. Are you alright?" He asked with a husky croak to his voice, soft with worry for her. His healing hand reached up to touch her pink cheek. "If... if you've changed your mind... we don't have to do this if you don't want to. I... I would never..."
"No, no." She quickly interrupted him, taking a deep breath as she set her index finger to his lips, effectively silencing him. Her free hand went to his head and stroked through his wavy brown hair to comfort him. "I want this, Will. I want you. I love you..."
She only slightly pulled away her finger from his lips, only for him to take her hand and kiss her fingertips. Then he kept ahold of her hand, his thumb stroking her knuckles, his other hand somewhat hesitantly resting on her knee.
"You are my only love, Emmanuelle. Since that night in Ecoust, I've desired you beyond reason... and to be with you here now..." Will paused, inhaling a quaking breath so he could continue speaking. "I'm not as experienced as other men my age are... I've never been with... I'm afraid that I'll hurt you... but all I want is to show you how beautiful and precious you are to me. I... I don't want to frighten you away."
Emmy blinked back tears from her eyes as she saw Will doing the same, one lone trail of water escaping down his cheek, which she reached over to wipe away. Her fingers still wove into his hair as she leaned over and pressed her forehead to rest on his own, their noses brushing. "I'm not scared, Will. I know you could never hurt me. I just feel you... and I trust you."
Will sighed in relief, exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he was holding onto until his lungs began to ache. His head began to slowly nod, a sense of reassurance flowing through his mind. He looked up into her gorgeous evergreen irises and saw nary a hint of apprehension or untruth.
Here she was waiting for him to do something, anything...
And so she took the initiative to start guiding him with what to do first. Emmy took his large hand into her own petite ones and kissed the prominent scar along the width of his palm. Their eyes met then and she smiled down at him, her voice whispering with full confidence in his affection.
"Undress me, William." She positioned his hand on her stocking-covered calf as she slipped her feet out of her shoes, wiggling her toes. "Just follow what you're feeling now."
Will's fingers grasped the cotton fabric of clothing covering her leg, ever so slow and careful as he began to peel the stocking down past her ankle. As he did the same with her other leg, his fingertips petted the back of her calf, causing Emmy to giggle at the tickling sensation of his roughened fingers on her skin.
Such a lovely sound from her mouth brought a smile to his own lips, looking up to see her leaning her head back as she removed the hairclips from her glorious tresses of chocolate flowing down her back. Both stockings were removed from her feet, revealing her pale, smooth limbs of creamy luminescence ... and how much he hungered for her.
His hands each held one of her legs and he saw tiny goosebumps riddle the white flesh of her skin and he looked up toward Emmy, seeing her eyes dilating down at him.
She pulled up the skirt of her dress a few inches past her knees, revealing the lacy petticoat underneath...
A foreign aroma of feminine pheromones alerted Will of her own sexual arousal, and a single nod of encouragement from Emmy gave him more of an idea of what she was wanting.
His hands cupped the back of her leg, stroking along her calf. He placed kisses near her ankle... slowly making his way further up to the middle of her leg, then above her knee... then to the inside of her thigh, that of which his tongue dared to savor the taste.
Emmy leaned her head back as her hair dangled down to the mattress, and a mewling coo of satisfaction emanated from her larynx, signaling to him her gratification with his ministrations...
And from that moment, as Will's fingers worked his way to remove her petticoat and undergarments, needing to kiss even more of her he had never touched before, any hesitation he felt vanished, driven by the sounds of his name being moaned with such pleasured reverence.
He didn't even know exactly what he was doing, but he was doing it superbly according to her reaction, her fingers caressing his hair again...
Will aided his beloved in removing her dress, untying the strings fastened at her bosom with delicate attention and care, having already taken off her bloomers and petticoat before tasting the most sacred fruit between her legs... sampling her honeyed nectar.
He saw how she covered her lopsided breasts with her curled lengthy waterfall of hair, slightly dismayed at how her self esteem was still affected with her appearance. She stepped out of the dress as the ocean blue silk pooled on the carpet at her dainty bare feet.
He had to pause pulling his jacket off his shoulders, letting it drop from his hands unceremoniously to the floor.
Just like when they were sitting downstairs in the restaurant amidst the candlelight and the chandeliers, she glittered in the lamp's glow and flames dancing in the fireplace. Her body had refilled out to healthy proportions, the curves of her thighs voluptuous and delicious, more so than any steamy photographs of random scantily clad girls he had stolen a peek at back in France...
Every inch of her was perfect, flawed and human as he loved her so.
And then she brushed her hair behind her shoulders, uncovering her breasts. Uneven and blossoming like budding flower petals, waiting for his hands and lips to touch and worship...
She walked toward him completely naked, Will having backed away a few feet to give her space to gather herself.
"My Emmy... my beautiful angel." His whisper caressed her face like a soft breeze as she placed her hands on his chest, her fingers unbuttoning his white shirt.
Green met blue as their eyes locked together, and she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. Her fingers undid the final button of his shirt, allowing her to pull the hem out of his waistband and feel the warm, carved marble muscles of his chest and earthquake rumble of his heart beating for her.
She could have sworn his musculature had increased in bulk just slightly since he had been back from the front...
And then, her own scarred hand reached beneath his naval, feeling the fine trail of hair leading further down, her eyes never leaving his as she saw the emotions of joy and incredulity canvas his face. Emmy's hand traveled further down underneath his trousers knowing what she was searching for...
And just like she fantasized, he was most certainly well-endowed as her hand enveloped around him...
Will released a guttural growl, primal and thunderous than Emmy had ever heard his voice before. Audible in his own arousal of her touch, his grunts reminded her of a wild canine, feral in his desire as she petted and stroked his manhood...
She pulled her hand out after a few moments, wanting to hear his full roaring howl when he would be inside of her. He panted to catch his breath, a smile brightening his face as his pupils once again darkened, matching her own.
Taking charge, she pulled gently on the collar of his shirt before pushing the obstructing fabric off his shoulders and allowing him to remove his arms from the sleeves.
And he stood shirtless, his unfastened trousers covering his lower body, but not for much longer.
She wrapped her arms around his abdomen, her hands feeling the war wounds along his back.
"Make love to me, Will." Emmy crooned those five words and he had no cause to deny her this time.
"That's exactly what I'll do, then." His voice was still soft but rough as he spoke, his thumb tracing along her rosebud lips, blooming open temptingly... "Come here, up you go."
Without another second to delay, Will lifted Emmy again, hoisting her up easily by hitching her legs around his hips, and she hooked them tightly about his waist.
Her weight without all the extra layers of clothing bore little burden to him, his lips peppering kisses onto her neck, feeling her teeth nibbling on his shoulder and he carried her to the bed.
Emmy was the one to undo the final articles of his clothes, wanting to clarify with him that she wasn't about to change her mind like he feared. She pulled his trousers down his well-built legs, and then went to disrobe him of his underwear, her nimble fingers adoring in their touching of his most vulnerable anatomy...
She pushed him down to lay against the pillows, a glint of slight worry in his eyes as she absorbed the visual of seeing him fully nude.
And from what she had felt while pleasuring him moments before, the sight of him certainly did it justice. There was no further question in her head that he wanted her as she desired the same...
An ecstatic smile brightened her face as she crawled over into his lap, hovering over him as Will stared up at her in an enthralled daze, her long hair tickling his face, her voice a perfumed breeze against his lips. "You're beautiful, William... You're all I want and need."
And no more words were spoken, their bodies communicating for them as Will pulled her close as humanly possible, his arms around her with Emmy's legs encircling his waist again.
She guided him in the act of lovemaking, intertwined amongst the covers and bed-sheets for additional warmth. Will kept his eyes on her face, maneuvering his hands along every inch of her body that he could reach.
And they finally joined together in body, welded in tangled limbs, an electric mixture of disorientation and rapture intoxicating them. Moving in unison with their arms locked around one another, alternating between Emmy on top, and then rolling over, allowing Will to be above her...
Neither of them controlled the other, they were equals in making sure the other was comfortable and fulfilled.
As they separated from their biblical union of intimacy, Will achingly pulled himself from within her, catching her in his arms as they both collapsed on the pillows, beaded with perspiration while remaining entangled together under the wrinkled silken sheets.
"That was..." Will burrowed his nose into Emmy's curls as he spoke an octave deeper than normal, his esophagus raw from the climaxing roar expelled from his chest during his entering Emmy.
And he could have listened to her melodious notes of bliss in response to him for the rest of his life.
They lay on the same pillow, Emmy turning to face him, her hand reaching to stroke back a lock of hair from his sweaty forehead. "Are you okay?"
Her voicing concern for his wellbeing in the afterglow of post-coital rest made Will smile at her with a relaxed expression as his body gave off a betraying shiver. "I'll be alright, my love. Don't worry about me. What about you? Are you in any pain?"
"No, I'm just a little dizzy..." She only slightly lied for his benefit, the throbbing ache in her lower regions fading into a numbing feel as exhaustion began to set in. Emmy's head laid against his pectoral, her hair tickling his jaw as he kissed the top of her head. "For someone who hadn't done what we just did before... you really seemed to know what you were doing."
She slyly smiled up at him, meeting the starlit gleam in his eyes. "I...I just did what you said, following my instincts in wanting to show my love for you."
"Are you seeing stars? How many fingers am I holding up?" She held up two digits from her hand within his eyesight, moving them in front of his face.
An amused chuckle sounded from his mouth, his lips turning into a humored smile. "Two of your lovely fingers I can see."
Will took ahold of her raised hand and kissed her fingertips, before slightly entering them seductively into his mouth. Emmy inhaled an exhilarated breath at the intimate gesture, seeing his confidence grow in front of her eyes.
"What you were doing... with your mouth between my legs... what possessed you to do that?" She asked, allowing Will to pull her fingers away from his mouth so she could stroke his awry hair with the same hand. Her eyes briefly closed as she recalled the touch of his tongue down at her core...
"I...I'm not really sure why I did it. I just really wanted to kiss you down there." He smiled in that cheekily British way that made her both want to roll her eyes in annoyance and then kiss him ever so madly. "Every part of your body I've tasted and kissed tonight... I loathe the thought of leaving this bed, of not keeping you in my arms like this forever."
"I know, baby." Her thumb stroked his prominently sculpted cheekbone. "Don't be sad. What we just did... I have no pains or regrets at all. You've made this one hell of a birthday for me."
Her ivory smile brightened the room around him as Will carefully situated his body to hover over his love, his hand caressing her ribbons of chaotic hair surrounding her head on the pillowcase. "I'm glad you've had a wonderful birthday, my Emmy. Tonight has been the most unforgettable night of my whole life, as sentimental as that sounds."
Emmy laughed, pulling his head down to bury her face into his throat, purring in post-lovemaking delight.
Will continued to loom above her, his strong form protectively shielding her as she lay in a most vulnerable position on the bed, nothing but her unclothed body under the covers. His voice rumbled through his chest, vibrating through to her bones. "I can't believe that's what I was missing all this time."
"I bet this never happened when you would wank off in the trenches." Emmy mischievously prodded at his ribs, creeping her hand around his stomach to the light thin hairs on his chest.
"No... not at all like that. To be in bed with the most incredible woman to walk this earth..." Will leaned down to place various kisses anywhere he could see on Emmy's face. Her forehead, eyelids, cheeks, lips...
Then he journeyed down to her throat, her collarbone, the valley between her breasts...
And the deal was sealed for them. They wouldn't be getting much sleep at all tonight.
"Let's do it again." Emmy gasped aloud, pulling Will back up to kiss him on his sumptuous lips.
She rolled over to be atop of him upon the mattress, his large and safe hands clutching her amorously.
Had he any idea how he made her skin tingle and her heart gladden...?
And the evening closed around them, leaving the era-crossed couple in their personal paradise neither wanted to abandon.
.
.
The next few days after their night together were a wistful blur for both Emmy and Will.
While they never explicitly said anything to Molly, she most certainly knew what they had done after not coming home until the following afternoon.
A blushing color of rosy tint never left Emmy's cheeks after that night, radiating through her whole face every time she and Will made silent eye contact or their hands connected.
They were both love-struck and Molly had a feeling with Valentine's Day approaching, the Schofield matriarch knew something was coming regarding her brother and his American paramour.
The 14th of February arrived, and Emmy had left the house to take Cici and Elle out to the village so she could purchase a gift for Will. With the snow finally melting, everyone was eager to get out of doors and stretch their legs.
Will took advantage of his beloved being absent from the house and went to ask Molly a very important question.
"Mol, I was thinking about what to give Emmy... something better than going out to London. But, I'll need to see the safe Father left you." Will asked his sister, hoping and praying she would understand what he was requesting.
"What would you need from there, Will? There's hardly anything left but what James managed to not pawn or gamble away." Molly felt dread squeeze her heart at the mention of her deadbeat black hole of a husband. If she could even call him that anymore; he may as well have disappeared off the Earth and they were all the better for it...
As they sat in the parlor on the chaise together, Will took her hands in his, comforting her with his presence at the mention of her husband. Molly wiped a few oncoming tears from her eyes, never allowing her strong demeanor to completely crack in obscuring her vulnerability.
Will swallowed back the rage boiling inside him at the mention of his disgraced brother-in-law. He didn't want this day to be overcome by the traumatic memories of the past.
He stroked Molly's knuckles with his thumbs as he next spoke of what he needed from the Schofield family vault. "Mother's ring. That's what I want to give Emmy."
"Do you mean...?" Molly held her hands to her lips in astonishment, an overjoyed smile illuminating her features.
"Yes... I'm going to propose to her." Will couldn't help but laugh just slightly at the notion of asking the woman he loved such a huge question that could change everything.
"Oh, William!" Molly almost yelled in her happiness, wrapping up her kid brother into an embrace, which he instantly returned, immense relief radiating through him that his dear sister approved. "It's about damn time you did. I thought you would never ask her before this bloody war is over, for God's sake!"
.
.
Later that afternoon, Will knew he had one more person to tell about his planned proposal.
Lieutenant Joseph Blake...
He made his way up the small hill leading to the Blake house, noting how the structure appeared to be of improved condition. New fresh wood panels and immaculate glass windows he saw within the exterior.
The corporal was glad to see his friend keeping up his family's home and not letting it go beyond reparation.
Joe had lost everyone else he loved and seeing that made Will understand truly of why the lieutenant had attached his heart to the wonderfully selfless woman who had bravely took him into her arms at his most devastated moments of grief and weakness.
Will made his way up the porch steps, clutching the aged velvet box in his hands containing his late mother's ring.
He could hear Myrtle whining as she most likely heard him coming to the front door, along with the boot steps of Joe Blake. Will knocked on the door anyway, wanting to alert his friend of his arrival.
The door opened, revealing Joseph Blake, his face newly shaven and his previously growing ebony hair cut into the army appropriate style similar to how he had appeared when the two men at first met at the Second Devons' encampment.
"Will..." His deep brogue of a voice slightly seemed caught off guard at the younger soldier's standing on his porch, but he immediately followed with his next words. "I wasn't expecting you today. Is everything alright? Is Emmy...?"
"She's well. We're all doing alright." Will quickly reassured him, knowing how easily he worried about their girl. And he didn't blame him after everything he had endured.
Will would admit to acting the same way if he was in Joe's position.
"Come in, please." Joseph said, allowing Will to walk through the doorway. He set his eyes on the small box in the corporal's hands. "Can I get you something to drink?"
"Yes, thank you. We both might need a drink. There's something important I need to inform you about." Will perched down on the chaise, reaching out to pet Myrtle on the head, scratching behind her ears.
Joe nodded his head silently in acknowledgement, going to the kitchen and heading for the modest liquor cabinet. He poured them two half-glasses of brandy, nothing too strong, but enough to keep them both charged in the talk they were about to have.
The lieutenant set both glasses on the table, his hands slightly shaking as he sat on the opposite end of the chaise from Will.
Both men raised up a silent toast to each other's health before taking a drink, allowing the bitterly potent liquid to flow down their gullets. They reveled in the alcohol's taste, setting their glasses at the same time on the table.
Swallowing down his bout of uncertainty, Will took into his hands the small box for Joe to see. The corporal could see in the older soldier's gaze a shine of curiosity.
"What's that?" Joe inquired, petting Myrtle on her head.
Will opened the lid of the box with his fingers, revealing the ring inside. A small sparkling heart-shaped diamond at the center topped on the rounded circle, understatedly simple without outshining the beauty of its intended recipient.
"Bloody hell..." Joe glanced up at Will after staring at the ring for several seconds, his mind momentarily freezing as he understood what the younger man meant in showing it to him.
"Yes... it belonged to my mother. I want to marry Emmy. I'm going to ask her tonight." Will's voice was surprisingly confident in pitch as he revealed his plan to Joe, reminding the lieutenant of when they met at the Devons' medical triage. "I... I just wanted you to know, as our friend. And... if she accepts... I want you to be my best man at the altar."
Joe absorbed Will's words with a reflective aura of contemplation, wringing his slightly trembling hands in his lap. The lance corporal waited with a shiver of anxiety rippling down his spine as he waited for his companion to say something.
"May I?" Joe's gruff voice asked, his hand raised up and pointed toward the box.
Will nodded quietly, trusting him with the prized heirloom from his late mother. He watched Joe delicately take the box into his now steady hands, inspecting the jewel hopefully soon to be decorating the finger of the woman they both adored.
Joseph felt rather than jealousy, betrayal or anger, a sort of relief and happiness at the prospect of them finally getting married, William and Emmanuelle. And the ring he held in his hand reminded him of the one his own mother would wear on her finger, now buried with her inside her casket.
You already know what your answer is, Joe. You and Will went through hell worrying over Emmy, and you being there for them will mean the world, especially to her...
Tom's voice echoed in Joe's head, giving him a steeled confirmation on what he needed to do. For both his war comrade and the woman he loved.
His own calloused fingers carefully closed the lid of the box before placing it back into Will's hands. Taking a deep breath, he chose words with great deliberation with his decision.
He stood to his feet as Will did the same, their backs arched straight and eyes meeting to attention as though they were back in that field in Flanders.
"I'd be most honored to stand with you as best man, Will. You're a good, virtuous sort and deserve to be happy. And I know you'll be the best of husbands to her. Even before I knew what I felt for Emmy... I could see in your eyes that you loved her with not a hint of irony." Joe answered deep and clear, holding out his open hand toward Will for him to shake.
The corporal held the box in one hand while reaching to take that of Joe's in a formal handshake of gratitude and agreement, a cordial smile gracing his face. "Thank you, my friend. I truly appreciate everything you've done for us..."
A slight hint of sadness stabbed his heart at the thought of Tom not being there to support him. But, now was not the time to wallow in melancholy...
"And I echo that sentiment. I can never thank you enough for what you did last year... being there for my brother in his last moments." Joe battled the tears in his eyes, blinking them back. "All I ask is one thing if I'm to be the best man."
"Yes, certainly. What is it?" Will asked, anticipating what he would say next with surprisingly little apprehension.
He knew Joe himself was a good man and had been through so much not including the war. How much he wished he didn't stay in this house alone so much after Mrs. Blake's death. He didn't deserve to be in such solitude...
"I want to walk her down the aisle to you." Joe revealed his condition of being the best man for Will, his voice low and smooth with a brooding baritone. "I know that my own love for her will never really vanish... but me placing her hand in yours at the altar will give me closure... and I'll be able to let her go."
Will listened closely to his words, a sense of empathy flowing through him as he released Joe's hand, to place his own on the lieutenant's shoulder in a platonic grip, nodding his head while also blinking back his own tears.
Joe was giving his blessing while also paving the pathway to moving on from his unreturned love for Emmanuelle. Will could only imagine possessing such self-sacrificing morality.
And Will's scarred hand began to shake with his holding the velvet box, mirroring to Joe how he himself held his dear brother's family rings and army tags in his shuddering palm back in that green Flanders field.
Will's fingers clutched around the box in his grasp, sliding it securely in his pocket, and Joe placed a consoling hand on his shoulder, his instinct as an older brother overtaking him to comfort the corporal as the taller man released his bout of silent tears, grateful for Joe as his friend and sounding board as another male figure to confide in.
No other words needed to be spoken between the two men in that moment.
All they knew was the true extent to Joseph's love for Emmy and friendship with Will.
It went beyond him not pursuing her for himself, or volunteering to guard her in Flanders...
What really mattered to both soldiers was that Joe was willing to let her go while still cherishing her in his heart.
Their souls would always be two halves of one whole being, she had said herself.
And while the notion in his head to think about the future still wriggled at the back of Will's mind, that was when his own decision was made.
With him leaving for France in the coming months soon, Will knew he would trust no other man than Joseph to look after Emmy should anything happen to him... to care for her, shelter her and protect her.
.
.
"Where are you taking me, Will? This better be worth us coming out here at nighttime in February." A note of playful disapproval colored Emmy's voice as Will held her hand and they walked side by side toward the lake at the woods' border of the village.
"My love, you'll have to trust me, we're almost there." He reassuringly squeezed her hand as they walked across the ground covered in slush and melted puddles of snow with the slightly warming weather, although they both dressed in their coats and winter boots.
She smiled to herself, clutching her gift to Will close to her side. How he hoped he would like it, especially for Valentine's Day.
After some walking with the aid of the stars and moonlight, they arrived at their destination of the lake. A medium sized rowboat sided with two paddles sat at the wooden dock partway in the shallow end water.
Will went to untie the rope keeping the boat from drifting away as Emmy took in the idyllic scene. He was taking her on a romantic boat ride on a moonlit lake...
She consciously fixed her hair, pinned up with the multicolored butterfly clips from her comb and brush kit in an effort to tame her unruly chestnut curls. Although Will preferred her hair down and flowing, all the better to overcome his senses with her splendor.
Emmy heard a splash as Will pushed the boat fully into the lake with his foot, standing to his full towering height with his back to her as she came to join him at the end of the dock.
"I'll step in first, then I'll help you down, darling." Will spoke gently, his voice a cool breeze in the still air around her. "If... if you want to..."
He gave her an opportunity to object, thinking back to their nearly fatal experience at the river in Croisilles Wood, how he had come close to drowning if not for her keeping him afloat with the last of her strength.
A knot of tightened nerves coiled around his gut, but he ignored it, seeing the accepting smile on her face at the notion of being with him on the calm body of water. "Yes, that looks wonderful, Will. As long as you're alright with it, too. Don't feel like you have to make yourself uncomfortable for my sake."
She reached up and stroked his cheek, feeling the slightly faded acne on his skin as his lips turned into a relieved smile. Will pulled her hand away from his face, placing a kiss on the pulse of her wrist.
He nodded his head before leaning down to kiss her forehead, then tilting her chin up to do the same with her sweet magenta lips, sealing the harmony between them.
Turning again away from her, Will swiftly situated himself into the boat, setting his feet first onto its floor, grasping the edge of the deck with one hand while holding his free one out to Emmy to aid her in stepping inside the watercraft too.
Emmy briefly deduced the size of the boat's interior, almost hesitating before she met Will's eyes, his hand still held out toward her. "I won't let you fall in, Emmy. I'd never let any danger befall you."
She saw the steadfast conviction in his blue eyes and solemn promise in his soft voice and she believed him immediately.
From the moment they met, William Schofield had always placed her safety before anything else.
Emmy inhaled a breath, and intertwined her fingers with his, allowing him to then set his strong hands on each side of her waist, lifting her off the deck and within a quick second, he set her onto the wooden seat before she had time to retake another breath.
"There you go, love." He sat himself on the seat opposite her and grabbed hold of the paddles, rowing the boat away from the deck. "Are you alright?"
"I'm good... more than good, actually." A flustered blush glowed on her cheeks as she held her gift for him close to her chest. "I've always felt safe with you, Will. I've never really been scared of water either. If the boat capsizes, I can swim."
"That's good to know. You did pull me from that river, after all." Will wanted to kiss both of her hands and would have right then if he hadn't been occupied with rowing the boat into the lake.
Emmy smiled to herself, surveying the swinging motion of his forearms as they moved. She imagined the muscles underneath his sleeves, warm, lean and sinewy but still able to shield her.
As he continued rowing, she thought to that wonderful night in London... and how they had done the most sacred of acts between lovers, joining in body and heart. Her soul, however, was another matter...
A question came to her mind and she said exactly what she was thinking. "Will... you know I'm not the most religious of people but... most people in this era would say that what we did that night was a sin. Do you... think that it was? Do you regret it?"
They had arrived in the middle of the lake, the starlit night illuminating the ebony sky above them. Will's eyes met hers with concern and confusion as he set the paddles inside by his seat. He inched up forward to her, taking her hands within his, stroking her knuckles with his thumbs.
"When it comes to being a sin... I know God might not approve of what we did. But after all we've been through... all I knew was that I didn't want to waste another second with you. I nearly lost you again and again... but I have no regrets when it comes to you at all. You almost died in my arms that night you woke up... and I knew then if it meant you would be safe and happy, I would throw away my honor and principles, my own dignity be damned. That's all I know, my Emmy."
He lifted her hands to his mouth and kissed her fingertips. Tears of reprieve and contentment came to her eyes.
"I love you, Will." Emmy beamed with her bright smile as she leaned forward in her seat to kiss his mouth. "And though I never celebrated it much before, happy Valentine's Day."
"Happy Valentine's Day, my darling." Will echoed the sentiment, gently releasing her hands before reaching to move a stray chocolate curl from her cheek, feeling her dewy cool skin. "You're not too cold, are you?"
"No, I'm fine." She assured him, holding up her gift to him from her lap. "I... I wanted to give you this for today. It's not much, but... it's something after all you've done for me."
Will's eyes locked on the carefully wrapped rectangular shape in her hands, bringing to his mind the memory of having mementos sent to him from home while he was in France. He consciously reached to his side and felt the box in his coat pocket. His other hand reached over to caress her chin with his fingertips.
"Emmy, you being here, alive and healthy, is more than enough for me. You are everything to me, just as much with Molly and the girls, part of my family." The tip of his thumb traced along her slightly chapped bottom lip.
She looked down in reluctant reception of his declaration, knowing he meant every word. Gathering the resolve to look into his eyes again, she straightened herself in her seat and eagerly held out the gift for him. "Well, I might be able to give you something like myself."
Will raised his brow curiously as he took the gift into his hands, looking up at Emmy before peeling and ripping away the thick paper from whatever it concealed.
Emmy watched him unwrap the present, her heart bumping against her ribcage with anticipation of his reaction. She hoped he would find some value in it...
He held in his hands after the paper was removed an ornately framed photograph of his lovely Emmy in monochrome color similar to those he kept in his tobacco tin of Molly and the girls. The frame was tin light metal to keep the picture secure, with embedded shaped roses aligning around its edges.
In the picture itself, she was as though she had been borne of the era her whole life. Her hair bound in the customary feminine coiled bun behind her head, allowing more visual of her beautiful face. Emmy's features presented for the camera were soft while not showing too much emotion, her luscious lips closed in a slightly curved smile. Her white blouse contrasted sharply to the grey background surrounding the location about wherever the photo had been taken.
And in the lower right hand corner, her carefully scribed penmanship had been written for him.
My hero, my Will
No matter time or distance, I'm yours and you're mine. Past, present & future.
Love, Emmy XXX
Will read the words over and over silently, feeling Emmy's eyes on him as the water lightly splashed against the sides of the boat in the peaceful night. Then, he raised his head up to meet her eyes and she opened her mouth to explain.
"I... I thought you would want a picture of me to take with you when you go back to France... a picture of me now instead of how I was in 2020. I know...I know it doesn't look like me in the picture I had from my own era, but I wanted to show you how well I can fit in here... but I'm still the same girl you met in France..." She almost found herself babbling to him, desperate to know if he liked it or not.
As he listened to her words, he traced along the image of her face with tender reverence before gently setting it beside him on the seat so he could hold her hands. "It's magnificent, my love. I will keep it safe with my other photos when I leave. But don't ever feel like you cannot be yourself around me. However I might not fully understand this future era you originated from, it's you whom I fell for. The odd phrases you say, your tendency to curse and say the most unorthodox things that leave my head spinning. You're my angel from another world and I would not want to change a single thing about you. In my era or yours, you'll always be my Emmy."
Crystal tears spilled down her face by the time he was done with his speech to her, hastily wiping them away for fear that she looked disgusting. She pulled a handkerchief from her coat and blew her nose, then Will kissed the remaining of her tears off her scarlet cheeks.
"Thank you, Will. You really know how to make a girl want to swoon." She smiled after wiping her nostrils one more time and folding her kerchief into a stuffed ball and discarding it off to the side.
Will chuckled, a youthful grin on his weary face. "I certainly haven't been known around Surrey to make girls do such a thing. That may be more of Joe's way with women."
Emmy smiled as well, looking up to see the full moon brightening the sky. And Will only looked at her, admiring how she made all everything else distort around him, shining in the starlight with her beauty.
She was his dream salvaging him from the nightmares... she was his life beyond this dreadful war.
And he knew now was the right moment.
Will spoke to regain her attention, doing his utmost to keep his voice steady. His scarred hand took ahold of hers as she turned to look at him.
"Emmy... the reason I brought us here tonight... I wanted to do something for you as well. To ask you a really important question." His throat ached slightly as he gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
She watched his free hand reach into his coat pocket and he pulled out the tiny box, gently placing it into her opened palm. His fingers removed the lid, revealing a small, shimmering diamond ring. Emmy felt her heart stop for a few seconds as time seemed to cease around them and her lips parted in astonishment, her brain trying to find words at the sight.
Seeing that she was silent and struggling to respond verbally, Will continued talking while he so wanted to know what she was thinking. "This was my mother's ring, passed down to her from my grandmother."
Emmy found herself smiling softly at his revealing the ring as a family heirloom, bracing herself for what he would say next as she found the internal power to talk again, her fingers holding the box at the base while Will held open the lid. "Oh, Will... it's beautiful."
He smiled as she looked from the enchanting brilliance of the ring and up into his eyes again, the following words flowing with little effort from his lips. "I would get down on one knee, but I don't want to risk capsizing the boat."
"Oh, my God..." Emmy whispered to herself, taking a breath as a disbelieving smile crawled on her lips.
She could hear the audible gulp within his throat as he cradled her free hand in both of his, resting them upon her lap while her other hand still held the ring box.
Will's next words were those of truth and desire, saturated with undeniable devotion and sensual sincerity.
"I am impossibly...indescribably in love with you. Emmanuelle Julia Hunterson... I vow with all that I am to never let you forget or doubt that you are most treasured and loved, every day. I promise to always keep you safe and be at your side to support and respect you. Would you do me the most incredible honor of making me your husband?"
He exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, looking into her vivid green eyes.
Emmy felt a sort of foreign happiness at his words, the tears threatening again to fall down her face, which a few did, dripping down her cheeks. She swallowed deeply, taking several seconds to reflect on all they had endured and just how in this moment, everything felt perfect.
Just for this instance of his proposal... she could imagine there was no Erik, no deaths, no war that only known to her wouldn't end for nine more months...
It was just her and the man she loved, rowing out onto a lake like a normal courting couple. Who would take chaperoned strolls and iced tea on the porch...
Will sensed her quiet pensiveness, knowing that she needed a moment to think of what to say and didn't seek to intrude on her.
With only one word, she could make or break his entire world... and she was able to muster up that one syllable as she spoke with a husky hoarseness, choking on an elated sob.
"Yes." She answered, accepting his proposal as Will also found himself nearly sobbing while trying to mask it with a laugh. "Hell, yes!"
Before his hands could begin quivering with joy, he removed the ring from the box as she held out her scarred hand. He gently slid it onto her finger, lovingly stroking the injury forever marking her skin before imprinting another delicate kiss upon the tiny digit.
He wanted so badly to make love to her again right there and then as she flung her arms around his neck, and he caught her instantly, trying to keep them balanced in the center of the boat which contained both of them surprisingly well.
Will had never heard the word "yes" sound so beautiful until this moment while holding her, Emmy nuzzling her nose against the side of his neck, pressing her lips to his throat and jaw, her now tired voice whispering as she fought back a yawn. "A thousand times...a million times, yes..."
He could have soared into the unknown space of the cosmos, Will had never felt so elated in his life... excited and exhausted. His lips pressed numerous kisses into her hair, upon her forehead and cheeks...
The next several moments were a blur as they reluctantly pulled apart so Will could take them back to the dock.
After tying the boat with the rope again as it'd been when they arrived, he assisted Emmy safely onto the wooden surface of the deck before she did the same, helping to pull him up onto shore. As soon as he was back upon solid land, Will spontaneously scooped Emmy up into his arms and proceeded to walk along the same path they had taken on their trek from home.
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing, Will Schofield?" She laced her arms around his neck as his oceanic blue eyes met her playful glare.
"I'm practicing... for our wedding day. It's tradition, after all." Will answered with a patient sarcasm to his voice. "Don't be upset, my love. I can put you down if you want. I... I'm just so happy right now. You've made me so unbelievably happy in a way I never thought I would feel again."
Emmy smiled, not able to ignore how being in his strong protective arms made her always feel invincible, never infantilized or smothered. The rocking motion beneath her as he continued walking only served to make her feel drowsy, and she leaned her head on his shoulder, a yawn parting her lips as her eyelids became heavy.
The corporal took those signs from her as nonverbal permission to keep carrying her, making the way back to the Schofield house, the stars and moon guiding him.
He couldn't believe his fortune. Emmanuelle Hunterson, the great love of his life, had agreed to marry him and now wore his mother's ring on her finger.
His fiancée...
You see, mate? You have a reason to keep hope alive, and she's in your arms right now.
Tom Blake's voice spoke in his head again, and Will felt a lump form in his throat. He wasn't able to think of words in response to him, just feeling his comrade's presence in his mind's eye.
"I have a date in mind for when I want to marry you." Emmy spoke, slightly raising her head from his shoulder, her voice a husky whisper.
"Yes, my love?" Will prompted her, almost stopping in his tracks.
"April 7th. The day last year when we knew we loved each other... and I knew my life was never the same. The day you saved all those men in Joe's unit." Her voice began to fade as he thought of her words.
The day of April 7th. A week before he had to leave again for France.
It was both one of the worst and best days of his life... a day of horror, love, friendship, uncertainty, anger...
A day his life had changed, for better or worse.
This time, April 7th would be a better day for both himself, Emmy and Joe.
"April 7th it shall be, my Emmy." He only heard a sleeping moan from her in response as he smiled down at her dozing face, his lips kissing the crown of her curly tresses, her pinned hairclips glittering in the moonlight. "My beautiful dreamer."
She slept innocently in his arms as Will carried her, tall and steadfast with each step of his gait, his heart bursting with love so much so he could have collapsed to his knees and never feel more on top of the world.
His Emmanuelle, his sweetheart... his bride-to-be. Whatever trials and hardships the war and forthcoming days threatened them with, Will knew his love for her would remain.
You know I'll be watching for your big day, Scho. You, Emmy and Joe... Mum's over the moon! You all deserve to be happy. Take good care of her.
"Always, Blake..." Will cradled Emmy closer to him, nodding his head to nobody in particular.
Tears trailed down his cheeks, few as they were, frigid on his face.
He kissed each of her closed eyelids with the feather touch of a butterfly's wing.
And the soldier arrived home once more, with his future in his arms.
AN: To be continued in the upcoming sequel "The Homecoming Bride"!