"mary, really?" anne asked, shocked. "i was literally over across the seas, fighting nazis, being stuck in their goddamn camps, and you went and got pregnant with some stranger's baby? you are married!"

"yes, um... about that-"

"you're not married anymore? what the actual hell?!"

"no! i'm married, anne. there is a ring on my finger. okay. i... i don't know if i made the right choice, marrying john, though. i kind of, don't love him." mary whispered, looking incredibly guilty. "i... i don't know what i did. it was stupid. i was lonely, i hated myself. i needed that validation, that someone could love me, because i didn't feel loved, anne!"

mary shifted her hands uncomfortably, rubbing her neck. her son, robert, was asleep in his room, and she felt incredibly guilty. she hadn't meant to have an affair. just, she never really knew if she loved john. she felt pressured. but here she was, married.

"well, anne. it's not like the only thing you were doing over there was fighting germans." mary teased, clearly indicating the ring on her finger, and her one child, and another on the way.

"okay, okay. it's a long story, and i don't really want to tell it. alright, yes, i'm pregnant, clearly. but still! at least they're my husband's children, mary," anne fired back, "i'm not an infidel."

"well, i mean, you were the one that used to have all that sex, but you don't see me targeting you about that!" anne joked, letting loose a laugh.

"yeah, but i was safe, darling. i never got pregnant. i should've taught you my secret, honestly." anne brushed her hair from her face.

"well, apparently. it was my last intention to get pregnant. besides, james is in my past," mary spoke.

"oh, god! james? why didn't you tell me before i named my son. i will never look at him the same way again," the veteran stood up, putting most of her weight on the left leg. "you want some tea, darling?"

"no, no, let me get it, anne. you can't.. anne..." mary simply rolled her eyes.

since the war, her sister had walked with a limp. she didn't retell the stories of her wartime memories, but mary knew that they weren't good memories. she stayed at mary's house until her husband returned home from germany, and every night, she could hear her sister awaken, terrified. she wasn't ready to leave forever.

"english breakfast, dear?" anne called from the kitchen.

"earl grey, please!" mary responded, "after all, it isn't morning, really. anne, it's 14:30."

"true, but who doesn't enjoy the occasional early afternoon english breakfast?" she replied, "you're right. that makes no sense. i'll have an early grey, too."

"good, good," mary laughed. "anne, come back here. after you make the tea, of course."

"well, i wasn't planning on leaving," anne replied sarcastically.

mary simply sighed, chuckling at her younger sister. she was still innocent at heart. she had just seen things that she never wanted to see again. she still had the heart of a child. she wanted to go back. that, mary could tell.

her sister tried to suppress the memories. she never spoke about it, so mary was naturally curious. why? what had happened that was so serious?

mary watched as anne finished the teas, carrying them back carefully as possible, trying not to spill the tea on her already-burnt arms.

the glass conked on the table gently, and mary's gaze met anne's.

"you wanted to talk to me, mary?" anne asked, arching an eyebrow.

"yes, darling. i was just wondering.. why don't you ever talk about your past? you seem almost scared," mary scratched her arm, "and that could be because you are, of course, darling."

"mary, it's just... i don't want to. every time i think about it, i get scared, panicked. war is not an interesting time. it's not fun. it's not a daycare. it's bloody. it's quick, but it drags on for hours. you can't hear anything, only the ringing in your ears. you see the enemies on the horizon, and you try to make them faceless villains. but you can't. you've just killed a sentiment human b-be-being, mary. a person with his own life. deep down, you know what you did. you know, you're a monster." anne whispered, her voice suddenly quiet, seemingly scared.

mary gently reached out to touch her sister's thigh, trying to return her to the real world. she shivered, realizing what her sister had done. she was terrified. she thought she was a monster. a villain.

"what happened, darling? you don't have to talk to me, of course," mary asked, her voice only a whisper, "why? is it just death? is that all?"

"i just... i've been in a concentration camp. they starved me, tortured me. i've been shot. that's why i limp. i'm terrified. i try to hide it, really. it's just hard to walk. i can hardly do anything." mary licked her lips, tapping her fingers on her tea mug. "i just kind of feel broken. like an unworking machine."

at this point, mary had been stunned into silence. her words were no more, and she merely looked at her sister, sympathy in her eyes, along with love. she grabbed the tea mug from anne's hands, setting it gently on the side table, pulling her sister, who was filled with anxious energy, closer to her. she wrapped her arms around her. "it'll be okay. i'm here for you, dear," mary whispered, "i love you. no one will hurt you. ever."

she could hear anne take a few ragged breaths, sniffling a bit. she could feel the pitter of her sister's heartbeat, fast against her chest. she rubbed her back, taking a deep breath, pulling herself.

"i-i know i'm safe here, mary. i love you, and i know i'm not going to get hurt. but i'm scared. those memories come back to me. they haunt me. they're in my dreams, in my mind, constantly. they plague me," anne whispered.

"i know, dear. i know. come, sit next to me." mary patted the seat beside her, and watched as her sister stood up, sitting next to her.

the brunette gently reached her arm around her younger sibling, pulling her close. "i'll always protect you, darling. i love you. no one will get near you to hurt you, or your children. i promise."

no response came from anne, merely a sigh. whether it was from relief or exasperation, mary wasn't sure. she knew that she'd always be there for her sister if she was afraid, stand by her side. nothing would harm her little girl.