Authors Notes: This is set before the Baudelaire fire, but after Ike died, so both are very much single, and have not cared for the children next. 999 is the UK police number, just in case anyone didn't already know.
WILLOW-A STORY OF MEMORY
"We used to hang around here, didn't we?" the dry voice of Montgomery Montgomery mused in the crisp sun. Josephine swung her body around, so that they were facing each other.
"Oh yes-I remember all those memories Monty," she replied brightly," I remember all those days, and all those times we would sit and let the wavy catkins dangle over our shoulders and mess in our hair."
"I remember how we thought they were magical," Montgomery replied, turning towards the catkins hanging loosely,"and how we thought they were enchanted…that they could take us to another place-"
"A place of peace," they both murmured together, resting their heads on anther as they stood by their sacred willow tree, moving in a mysterious silent way in the small breeze.
"But thing aren't like that, Josephine," Montgomery huffed, shaking his shoulders slightly as he gave a large sigh," Thinks aren't as simple as they were with the afternoons with the tree-now everything's different-nothing's relaxed or casual."
"I know, I know," Josephine muttered, lifting a hand up slightly, and letting a catkin wrap around her finger," Things are different…thing are…I don't know how to describe it."
"I do," Montgomery replied," VFD."
"Don't blame it on that Monty," Josephine replied calmly.
"What else is there to blame it on then?" Montgomery replied, still quietly. A tear filled the bottom of his eye," What else is there to do?"
" I don't know, Monty," Josephine replied," Maybe there's nothing. Maybe we just sit here, and drown in memories under here." They held hands. The feeling between them was not the same as Josephine's with Isaac-not the loving feeling they gave each other, but this was a moment of such friendship and caring, as if they never wanted to let each other go, but to stand there forever, their minds whisked away in old times. Eventually, minutes later Josephine pulled herself down into the depths of the catkins, pulling a willing Montgomery with her. They leant again the light, soft bark of the tree, letting the catkins get in the way, like they had done all those years ago.
"What is life for?" Montgomery asked," When you are asked to be whisked from place to place, rarely to ever be to same person, but kitted with so many different clothes. We're not living lives, Josephine, we're running forever only left with what we had…what can never be returned."
"You have your snakes, a decent home, loving friends…it could be worse, Monty. It could be worse."
"I'm not sure if it can, Josie," Monty sighed," I think they're as worse as they can get."
"Monty, Monty, Monty," Josephine said," No…no they're not. I have Ike."
"And who do I have?" Montgomery asked.
"You…you have me," Josephine replied, and turned giving a faint smile to her old friend. Montgomery gave a smile back at her, friends finally reunited after 40 years of being separated.
"I know Josephine," he replied," But I need more then just friends…I need more."
"Just friends?" Josephine whispered," What's wrong with me."
"Nothing Josephine," Montgomery replied," But. I need…I need-I need love, but with VFD in the way, that can never be possible"
"It is," Josephine reassured," I found Ike in VFD."
"But I won't find love like you did, Josie," her old friend replied," You saw Ike when you were young and pretty-now I am not young and handsome like I used to be, I'm old and ugly…I'll never find love now. It's too late…I had the chance. I just blew it." But before he could continue, he saw Josephine turn to him, and kiss him on the lips. They devoured this moment together, from friends drifted apart, to lovers, now reunited, lips on lips, as the sun shone a bead directly over the old willow tree. Finally, they parted, eyes staring right into each other's with deep hope and confusion on the past seconds.
"Josephine." Montgomery felt paralysed. Was he happy? Certainly. Josephine had kissed him-he had found love. But was he upset? Of course. This wrecks the friendship they owned, the memories and happiness could end soon…and they could be alone in the world once more.
"This isn't right, Josephine," Montgomery whispered smoothly," We should leave this, and forget this."
"But Monty, you wanted love, I wanted love…we never wanted to be alone again. And now we don't have to be…we can stay around together, even in VFD work."
"But what about the friendship, Josephine? What about all those years we spent together."
"They can be more memories," Josephine," More memories to devour on and remember one sunny afternoon-like today."
Silence whisked around the trees trunk, the two friends heads together, and legs out flat on the green grass, the only sound audible the faint sound of the winds.
"So what do you want, Monty?" Josephine asked," Love or friendship."
"I don't know," Monty said, shaking his head," I just want to be free…I just want to live a normal life."
"But that can't happen, Monty," Josephine murmured," That is not the choice we bear." Monty's pale face turned to her.
"Then I choose love," he replied, and leant forward, and planted his face on Josephine's, and they entwined in a kiss once more. The feeling was more natural this time, Montgomery felt passionate and calm, feeling the love he never felt all those years back, all those deadly deeds gone. Josephine parted her head away, and rested it on, letting her mind flow with the breeze.
Monty closed his eyes. Was this really what he wanted? What if they split up? All the years of kindness, all the months of friendship, all those endless days of skipping around that one willow tree-ruined. Monty almost dazed off into a deep sleep, Josephine still resting on his chest and shoulder, but a loud banging noise awoke him. He instantly recognized the sound as a clear gunshot. He didn't pay enough attention to hear how close it was, but he suddenly gave a jump and a murmur of small unclear words, shaking Josephine down slightly, before peering around. No one was in sight. Was it his imagination? Was it anything at all? He settled back against the tree, to close his eyes again, and fall back to sleep underneath the old willow tree, when he felt something on his trousers-they were soaking something in. He looked down to see what it was-had he just peed himself in shock. As embarrassing and strange as that would be, he forget almost instantly as he looked down, and saw a thick, read mixture flowing through the blades of grass. Blood. Fresh blood. He looked down, afraid if his sick thoughts were right.
"J-osephine?" he asked silently, then turned his views to his new lover, and saw her on the floor, with blood poring from her leg.
"Josephine!" he cried out loud, bending down from his comfortable position, and looked down to face his love. Her face was in a loud open movement, gasping quietly and in a high tone in pain.
"Monty…" she murmured," Help me…"
"What happened?" That was Montgomery's first question.
"I…was shot in the…leg," Josephine explained slowly and quietly, her quavering voice giving in how much pain she was in. Tears filled her eyes to the tips, and trickled down her cheek," I'm going to die, Monty. I'm going to die, aren't I?"
"No, dear, no, you're going to make it," Montgomery said, his voice weakening and quavering as he stared at Josephine, sprawled on the grass, bleeding. The man stood up, slightly, still looking down with the most comforting smile he could give, then thought what to do. How to save Josephine, what do I do? Get an ambulance for Christ sakes-how. Phone them…get out your mobile. Ah, yes! It seemed like his mind had frozen in the dramatic situation, but thinking it through, Montgomery whipped out his mobile phone, and dialled in 999 with shaking fingers. After talking to the ambulance about what had happened, and reasoning about where they were and calming the situation, Montgomery ended the phone call, and straight away crowded down to the faint body of Josephine Anwhistle.
"There…don't worry, the ambulance are coming," Montgomery rubbed his hands through the woman's hair.
"What if I don't make it…what if they're too late?"
"They won't be dear," Montgomery murmured," They won't. Let's talk about what we'll do when you get out of hospital…what will you do?"
"I don't know," Josephine sobbed," I don't care. I just want to live, Monty, I just want to survive."
"You will, you will," Montgomery whispered," And we shall buy a house together-forget VFD, and live the rest of our lives happily."
"But…Monty," Josephine started crying heavily, letting the tears flow down her face, and down onto the grass. Monty lifted her head up, supporting it with his hands. "I fell so weak…I feel dead already. I just want to die-I want to get this pain out of the way."
"No Josephine…you won't die."
"But I am," Josephine stopped crying, and her dark eyes stared melancholy into Montgomery's. He stared back, and he stared crying, slowly and gave her a small smile. She moved her mouth up, trying to smile, although the pain had an effect.
"I'm dying, Monty," she whispered," I'm leaving."
"No, don't leave me, Josephine," Montgomery cried," Don't go."
"I can't help it," she replied," Farewell, dearest Monty. These are my final words: Don't feel that nothing is left for me, as you have all these memories. Goodbye, my dearest friend. "
And with that, Josephine closed her eyes, and died beneath that same willow tree-the tree the two adults had played around as children-with her best ever friend.
Please reply…I spent ages on this one J