Title: A Lonely Walk Down Memory Lane
Summary: Eli reminisces on a past love….
Disclaimer: I do not own Boardwalk Empire. I do not own the song, The City, by Joe Purdy.
A/N: I took quite a few liberties with this story. Please review and let me know what you think – this may become a multi-chapter story.


I still recognize her after all these years and she still looks the same
Ah, she still looks the same

The sound of the children's voices echoed throughout the house. One little boy yelled for the others to watch him, followed by a sound that Eli imagined was somewhat similar to a stampede. The home was rarely quiet, although with eight children, that was to be expected.

Eli muttered something to June about needing a moment, before escaping out the backdoor. He loved his children, and was willing to do anything for them, but a long day of dealing with Nucky often left him exhausted and even a bit short-tempered. Taking a seat on the top step, he allowed his gaze to drift towards the stars and his mind to wander even further – to a time when everything was much simpler.

Oh, and we end up in Brooklyn
It was rainin' so hard.

Eli remembered the first woman he had ever fallen hard for. Her name was Anne, and she was incredible.

He had just taken a job as a police officer with Atlantic City patrol, all of nineteen years old. He was patrolling the boardwalk when he stumbled upon a couple engaged in a very loud argument. Well, it was more the man yelling at Anne, who barely looked a day over eighteen herself. When the man raised his hand and struck her, Eli saw red. It may have been commonplace for men to use violence to keep women 'in line', but he could never stomach it.

Through discussion, Eli found that the man was just one of many suitors that Anne's parents had lined up for her. They were a poor Irish family, who thought that by sending Anne out, they were giving her a better life.

And when the girl's kissing my face, my face
She was just kissing my face

Eli fell hard for the young lady. What was there not to love? He mused to himself. She was beautiful, funny – could've, would've been my wife one day.

The two were very much in love, but at the time, Eli didn't have any money to start a life with Anne. He didn't feel that marriage would be right, until he could support her. Her catholic upbringing shunned the idea of sex before matrimony – and as a result, Anne swore they had to abstain until marriage.

Eli was a young man in his prime, and was growing increasingly frustrated with Anne's unwillingness to budge on her morals. Nucky had just been elected treasurer of Atlantic City, and invited his youngest brother to the election party. The alcohol was flowing freely – right down Eli's throat. One of the women at the party was somewhat sympathetic to his troubles, and with the alcohol clouding his thoughts, he gave in.

Just when I was sick and lonely,
There was a shaking on the ground.

The mistake was realized the next morning, but Eli knew that the truth would devastate Anne. She could never find out. As it turned out, fate had other plans.

Just a few months later, the woman, whose name was June, showed up on Elias' doorstep – clearly pregnant.

Anne was horrified, had chastised Eli for betraying her and betraying the lord, and left. He wanted to go after her, to apologize over and over again, if need be. The honorable part of him, however, prevented that. He had gotten the woman pregnant, and had to face the music. He and June were married a short time later.

The screaming of his children brings Eli back to reality, the stampede heading up the staircase, presumably to get ready for bed. It had been ten years, and seven more children, since he had seen Anne, but he had never once stopped thinking about her.

Where was she? What was she doing? Was she married with children? Was she happy?

As he headed inside to tuck his children into their beds, Eli wondered one last time if Anne still thought of him.

She was dancing on the midway,
Just kissing my face.
Dancing on the midway,
Just waving goodbye.