Fields of Gold
A songfic for Hank and Emily Stanley. I might wanna warn you: this is kind of sad.
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He had already said goodbye to his men. It had been hard, and yet easy all at once. He didn't want to leave them alone to face the flames under the supervision of a new Captain, but he knew that the man would take good care of them. He was very competent, and would make sure nothing happened to them. He also knew that his men would eventually adapt and they would all take good care of each other – they were all brothers in every way sans blood ties.
They all had known that their Captain would have to move on sometime, but when it came right down to it, they didn't want him to leave them. They had somehow hoped that he would always be their Captain, he would always be their leader. But times changed. People moved on. Now it was time for Hank Stanley to move on.
The well-loved fire Captain stepped out of the woods and into the field, dressed in his formal department uniform. He had laughed outright when he realized that was what he was wearing. You can take the man out of the firefighting, he supposed, but you can't take the firefighting out of the man. It was in his heart. It was in his soul. Beside him, his wife Emily sighed. A breeze swept through, making the leaves rustle and ripples pass across the Oregon hills of barley. There was just one more thing they had to do. This was it, and they would do it together.
In silence, they walked together down a path through the field that was so achingly familiar. This was the path that ran between Emily's old property and the neighbors. Hank knew that nobody lived in either homes, anymore, although they used to.
Emily smiled as she remembered the many early mornings she spent, walking down this path with the neighbor boy before sunrise. She closed her eyes, imagining that boy, walking with her right now. His short black hair, all tousled from having hurried out of bed that morning to meet her; his relieved smile that appeared when he saw that she had waited for him that morning, even though he was late; his fast pace as he ran to catch up with her on the path and took her hands in his; his merry brown eyes that danced when he stared deep into her starry sapphire blues. Young Emily Shells gazed back into his eyes and knew that even a blind man could see the boy's love for her. It was so plain, so obvious – and Emily returned that love, with all her heart.
So what if he wanted to be a fireman? He could be a cowboy, sailor, politician, or even a plumber for all she cared. She just wanted him – she knew she wanted him. And he wanted her. And that was all that mattered. She loved him, and no matter what he wanted to be, no matter how dangerous the career he chose, she would always love him for who he was.
Emily paused in her walk to close her eyes and take a shuddering breath. Hank put his arm around her shoulders and held her close. He knew this was hard for her, but he also knew that one day, she could look back on these memories and be happy for them. One day, she would be able to treasure the memories in her heart without her heart breaking. Of course, she would always be sad that she would never be able to make any more memories with that young neighbor boy anymore, but she would always be happy for the memories that she had of him. And as long as Emily was happy with them, than so was her husband. Emily sniffled once, then wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. With her shoulders back and her head raised higher, the brave woman resumed her walk up the path towards the top of the hill. With his arm still resting across her shoulders, Hank walked with her.
Emily took off running up the hill, laughing. She had started the race early.
"Hey! No fair!" Her best friend called to her, then started running to catch up. They both reached the top of the hill – it was the biggest one in the field. But when Emily skidded to a stop at the top, she lost her balance and began to fall forwards. The boy pulled her back quickly and they both fell, and rolled back down the hill. They stopped at the bottom and lay there, panting for breath. Then they laughed.
Emily leaned over the boy. He smiled at her. "Wanna try again?" he asked, offering to race her again to the top.
Emily pretended to think for a moment, then shook her head. "Nah; I like it here, where I am." Her auburn hair slipped down in front of her shoulder as her face hovered above his. The boy could smell the flowery scent from the shampoo that she used to wash it. On impulse, he reached up and touched it. Yep – it was soft. And rich. And beautiful. Just like her. Unable to stop himself, the boy smoothly moved his hand from the side of her head and cupped it around her neck. Without much persuasion, he pulled her closer to him as he lifted himself up a bit from the ground. They kissed.
Emily smiled to herself as she remembered the first kiss they shared together. She wished that he were here with her now, to tell her what to do. But he was gone. She would never see him again. How could she live without him? How would she survive when she felt herself crumbling to pieces? How was it that a heart broken such as hers could continue to beat? Every movement felt painful, and almost wrong, because he wasn't there anymore, beside her. He was no longer able to share her burdens, or her joy. He would never come back. When the doctors told her that he was gone, Emily felt as if half of her own soul had been torn away from her and buried along with him. His funeral had been beautiful – for a funeral. And the memorial service had been touching and tear-filled. Emily wished that he had been there to hear what his friends had to say about him. She wished that he was still alive. She wished with all her heart that he didn't have to die. But no amount of wishing would ever bring him back. No matter how much she wanted it to happen, it was not to be. Emily stifled a sob as she finally reached the top.
This was the end of the path. Nobody knew why it stopped here, but it did. At the top of the biggest hill, the boy slowly knelt down onto one knee. Behind him, the setting sun was casting its golden rays over everything below. Emily's eyes widened when his cupped hands opened to reveal a small, black velvet box hidden inside. She knew what was in the box. She knew what he was going to ask. And most importantly, she knew, without a doubt, what her answer would be.
"Emily Shells," he began in a husky whisper, "I love you. I have loved you since..." he faltered. Emily refrained from giggling like a little girl. Tears welled in her eyes and she found herself needing to be reminded to breathe.
"I have loved you ever since the day we met, here, in this field – from the moment I saw you," he finally continued, carefully observing the girl's reactions. "Although there was a time when I thought that if I said something, our relationship would change. I didn't want it to change; I liked it just the way it was. I wasn't ready to move on." He opened the box and revealed the shiny diamond engagement ring. "But now I am, and I hope with all my heart that you are too. Emily Shells, would you do me the honor of marrying me?"
Emily nodded vigorously before her voice could function properly. "Yes," she said.
"Would you stay with me, even though I have chosen a dangerous career that does not guarantee me to come home to you, uninjured, or even alive?"
Emily continued to nod. The tears now ran freely down her face, and even through her blurry vision, there appeared to be tears brimming in the eyes of her lover as well.
"Would you be my love, forever and always, through sickness and in health, even if I were to become an invalid?"
"Yes."
"Through richer or poorer, no matter what?" A fireman's pay was pretty modest, to say the least.
"Yes."
"Will you cherish me and be my lawfully wedded wife until death do us apart?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Emily cried out and flung herself into his arms, her sudden and unexpected gesture making him drop the ring box into the dirt. She didn't care about the ring. All she wanted was Hank. And now she could finally have him.
He had stayed with her, and she with him, just as they had promised. They stayed forever faithful and true. Sure, sometimes they each broke a promise or two, but they always forgave each other.
Many years had passed since then. When he was promoted from a linesman to engineer, Hank and Emily had moved to Los Angeles County, where Hank served under Captain McKonikee. But before then, they had already had two children: Andrea and Tim. The children ran and played and rolled around in the field, too young to understand the significance of this special place. Hank and Emily watched them play until sunset, before heading back home. Even after they moved, they had regularly returned to the place of Emily's childhood, where she grew up. Hank had only become her neighbor when he was fifteen and she was fourteen. He had moved in with his dad, his mother having died when he was ten.
Now, all five of their children were adults and moved on. Andrea, Tim, Alex, Cassie, and Kristen. Andrea, Tim, and Alex were all happily married. Cassie was engaged and preparing for her wedding, although it had been postponed since her father's death. Kristen had a steady boyfriend.
And now Emily stood here, alone, at the top of the hill as the sun went down. It was time. Emily removed the lid from the urn that held her husband's ashes and slowly poured out its contents. A wind from the west blew and scattered them. Emily sighed deeply. She would miss her beloved Hank.
Beside her, Hank also sighed. It was time for him to go. Before he left, though, he had to do one last thing. Even though she couldn't see him, Hank stepped in front of his wife, wrapped his arms around her, and held her close in a tight embrace. Then he kissed her, one last time. "I love you, Emily," he whispered. He stroked her hair with his hand, just to feel it one last time.
The wind whispered and waved her hair. Emily closed her eyes, and she could have sworn that Hank was standing right there, saying goodbye. She felt his presence and replied.
"I love you too, Hank," she whispered, two glistening tears escaping from under her lids and coursing down her face. "Goodbye."
Then the presence was gone. Forever. But Emily kept her beloved husband's memory in her heart for the rest of her life. As she drove back home to Los Angeles County, a song played on her car radio that embedded itself into her memory:
You'll remember me
When the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in fields of gold
So she took her love
For to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold
Will you stay with me
Will you be my love
Among the fields of barley?
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left,
We'll walk in fields of gold
Oh, we'll walk in fields of gold
Many years have passed
Since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
Among the fields of gold
When we walked in fields of gold
When we walked in fields of gold
Oh, we walked in fields
Of gold...
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A/N: Yes, I killed Cap; but I DIDN'T maim him. See, I can't do both at once in a story. If I maim someone, I have to heal them. But I absolutely cannot maim and then kill them, or permanently disable them. That would be too cruel for me.
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For the record, I personally prefer the Celtic Woman version of this song the best. Please review!