(1939-09-03) Full Circle at the Borough
Details for Full Circle at the Borough
Summary: While doing some grocery shopping Elly runs into Simon who's just trying to keep his head down and take his mind off of the War starting. It's quite funny as that's where they first met two years ago.
Date: September 3rd, 1939
Location: London - Borough Market
Related:
Characters
EllySimon

Borough Market
It is a summer night. The weather is warm and fair.


The Borough Market is one huge Victorian styled warehouse roof with an Art Deco styled entrance sitting over more than four acres of side-to-side market stalls. Except for the large aisles to allow customers to browse the food, there isn't an inch wasted. Any type of food produced in Europe can be found somewhere in this vast market, even the rarest of gourmet foods can be purchased here.


Well, Warsaw has been invaded. It's everywhere. One can hardly move a foot in Muggle London without hearing something about it, and as soon as you pin a rank on someone, people immediately think he has the answers, especially one as recognizable as a friend of Field Commander Montgomery as Simon is. He's currently making his way through the clouded streets of the Bourough Market, hands tucked deep in his olive, woolen overcoat, trying his best to avoid anyone's glance on his way to grab a drink.

"Well as I live'n'breave." Comes that familiar lilting and musical bit of cockney. "Fings come about full circle, ay." Since they first met not a hundred feet away in the same market. "Good on ya Major." She greets with that warm and beaming sunniness that never fails, even in the shadow of war. A bunch of tomatoes are tucked away into her basket so that she can wave.

Simon hangs his head and huffs before he says, turning slowly towards the source of the voice, "Look…I don't have anything more to say on the subject. Direct your questions…Elly?" It's been quite some time since he's laid eyes on the girl, having not treated her so well. The care packages continue to come, but Simon has made sure he is never there to retrieve them.

Elly giggles sweetly and leans in to give him hug mindful of the large lump in a sling of fabric slung about her covering her chest and belly. "Simon. All pestered hmm? Poor dear." Reaching up she pats a little bit of misplaced hair back into line over his ear. "There ye are. I be shoppin' for yer care package, fancy tha' righ?"

Simon is looking a little worse for wear these days. The well-groomed, well-dressed Romeo she once knew has been replaced with a haggard-looking picture of a British officer in a time of war, "Yes…things have…sort of spiraled out of control and I've been doing my best to try and keep a since of order in the barracks. Alcohol requisition orders have gone through the roof." He chuckles…weakly. He clears his throat and offers her a warm smiles, looking around the place and recognizing its importance. Another chuckle escapes him; this one a little bit more mirthful than the last. "Yes. Things do come full circle, don't they?"

Elly takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh, "It's da troof. Well iffin ye evah need a bit o 'elp gettin yourself some spirits, leave a request wif da boys an' I'll bring some all tucked away in me basket." She lowers her voice that remains sweet and helpful. "It won be the brands ye be used to, but it'll knock yer socks off, garters and all."

"Who told you I wear garters?" Simon asks with a grin, trying to inject some humor into the situation as his hand moves up to pull more hair out of his face. After a moment, the young major takes a breath says, "Elly, I want you to know how dreadfully sorry I am for how I treated you. I know it's been quite a while since it happened, and you always were one to bounce back quickly, but…I may be deploying any day now and I just wanted you to know that I am fully aware of my mistakes."

Elly laughs and looks down at his ankles. "Con't reveal my secrets. But I'ave me ways." The laugh set that lump in the sling to squirming and she pets at it and starts to bounce-dance in place as she rubs. "Coor, it was such a long time ago. Another world, another time loverly. Fanks for sayin' tha' though. Apology accepted o'course."

Simon offers her a warm smile and tilts his head at the lump on her chest, asking bluntly, "Dear Elly…have you had a child since we last spoke?" His eyes brighten at the prospect and his hands slide out of his coat pockets, moving to rest on his hips.

Elly giggles and lights up all the more. It might be noticed that a very thin and extremely simple wedding band is on her finger as she moves to fish out her roughly nine month old son with his short spikes of white blond hair and blue eyes of an angel. "Aye, I call'm Squidge. But dis is Jack Jr. Sleepy 'ead. Grocery shoppin' always puts'm righ out like a light." The baby is barely awake and peeks eyes open at the man when his name is said. "Squidge, dis is Major Simon. Say 'ello?" The boy curls and opens his fingers slow and lazy before he reaches to grab up the sling and cover himself. "Oh alrigh!" She giggles out and helps the boy back into his little kangaroo pouch.

"He's gorgeous," Simon remarks, smiling warmly to the woman before he says, "Though, he does seem a bit too grumpy to actually be your son, but I'll let that slide for lack of sleep." He grins and gestures to her ring, asking, "You're married, now, then?"

Elly takes another deep breath, and lowers her head to hide the faulter in her typical sunniness and nods her head. "Aye, married on Valentine's Day, two years ago. Dis lil man came last November, bout nine months now." She make it obvious she's searching out any wedding bands on his fingers. "Wot of ye? Any lucky girl finally get ye after all those oats were sown?"

Simon smiles warmly at her and says, "He's a lucky one, Elly." To her question, he shakes his head, "Oh, no; nothing like that. Nobody'll have me." He chuckles and tilts his head, saying, "I'm sure there will be someone for me when I come back." His smile falters a bit, knowing his father must have said something similar.

Elly pretends like she's got a little something in her eye and she rubs and dabs at it to sweep away the tear she couldn't fight off any more. "Aye." She grins wide though it doesn't reach her eyes and she takes another deep breath. "Sure ye do. Or maybe ye'll find'r in some Polish Village, a pretty land owner's daughter, ready for the rescuing."

"Well, I always have wanted to play the hero. Ever since my father died in The Great War. Always wanted to help bring someone father back home." Simon says with a thoughtful smile, reaching over to offer her a comforting pat on the arm before his hand slips back into his pocket.

Elly rubs his arm right back, a bit more genuine beam returning to her expression. "Would ye like to have some supper? Get a good real mean in ye. Get some color back into those cheeks. Maybe a bit of a shave and cut too."

Simon grins at her and says, "I can't see the trouble in it. Here I was just going to drink myself into a gutter somewhere." He chuckles and holds his hands out towards the basket, "Here, let me take that from you."

Elly passes the basket over and then takes up his elbow, "Wot would ye like for Supper? Anyfink ye like loverly. The whole borough is your pantry." Her free hand rubs at Junior in his sling against her. The noise of the market really does seem to sooth him into sleep.

Simon smiles down at Elly's motherly instincts and says, "You know, I could really go for steak and green beans right about now. I haven't had much time away from the base and I'm really craving something that isn't served to me in liquid form on a metal tray."

Elly giggles and nods, "Sure the rationing will start soon enough too, get it while the getting is good ay?" His arm in her hand is given a pat and she leads the way like a trail guide quick and sure to get a large bundle of green beans in the basket, some bacon and some garlic, fresh butter, rosemary and red pepper flakes. With a bonk to her head she veers off and also picks up some peaches, cinnamon, cream, flour, sugar and a tiny piece of vanilla bean, those things are expensive! "Righ, that should do it! Ready? Now, apologies for the state of the place." It's clear she's talking about the fact that it's going to be well beneath him in the status and wealth department. After they've paid she leads the way, towards the market exit.

"My dear Elly, I've been living in barracks for the past two years. I'm sure wherever we're going will be heaven by comparison." He chuckles and shall follow along with her, the basket he so generously offered to hold, now much heavier.

That basket is great! It really must distribute the weight very evenly because it really does carry well and not feel as heavy as it maybe should. "Well, off to Hoxton it is then. Ready to get your exercise an' walk?"

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License