A/N: The London Blitz started earlier, I know, but historically, this day was one of the most devastating for the city, so I wanted to use it. A little darker than what I'm used to, but hey, one can't expect all of these to be happy, haha.


Blitzkrieg

December 29, 1940 London

An eerie silence fell over the city; it was the time of the new moon and the clouds drifted slowly in the dark, bleak sky overhead. Shadows crept about in every corner in the dim light of the street lamps, giving the streets an unnatural ominous feeling. This was the calm before the storm; and the couple standing quietly outside together knew it all too well.

Mary and Bert Alfred stood in the threatening stillness on the step leading up to their home in the heart of London, their two children fast asleep in their beds upstairs. They spoke little, but their thoughts were racing. For now, they were tentatively calm in the dark of night; Bert's arm was wrapped lovingly around her shoulders and she had snuggled close into his embrace, her head leaning comfortably against his.

"This won't last long, will it?" Bert broke the silence and heaved a heavy sigh, knowing full well what the answer would be.

"All good things must come to an end," Mary said, unable to keep the faint sadness from her voice. She glanced briefly up into the cloudy darkness above and paused. "A storm is coming."

"With this war, a storm is always coming," he replied solemnly.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew down from the sky. It whirled frantically around Mary, its anguished howls echoing in the silent night. Her eyes grew wide and fear, it was a constant companion nowadays, rose within her, but this time it was different; more sinister, more potent, and it was then she knew: the storm had finally arrived. She directed her gaze to the sky, and her eyes saw past the barrier of clouds and far away beyond the confines of the city. Bert followed her gaze and, seeing nothing but clouds, he looked instead into her unfocused eyes. He was startled and frightened at what he saw there; her eyes stared blindly into the distance and shone in the half-light of the gaslights, and he knew that she had seen what was to come.

"They're coming Bert," she whispered. "But… they're not heading for the port this time. They're coming for the city…" her voice trailed off as realisation hit her.

"Mary, take the children and get out of here," he said quickly, taking her by the arm and leading her into the house.

She placed a hand on his to stop him and gazed fiercely into his eyes.

"I won't leave you, Bert."

"I have to stay here, Mary. We knew this day would come. You must go."

"I can't leave you here alone," she said, tears beginning to well in her clear blue eyes.

"Mary, I will never be alone; you will always be with me." He kissed her gently on the forehead. "Return only when it is safe. You know where to meet me." He paused and took her hands in his. "Mary, if I'm not there—"

"Bert, don't speak that way. You will be there." Her voice trembled and she placed her hand against his cheek. "You will be there," she said with determination. Mary tried to conceal her fear with an uneven smile, and she blinked back her tears.

"Now, please, go," he whispered.

She swiftly made her way into the house and gently shook the children awake.

"Wake up, James. Anna. Now, hurry. Pack a few things as fast as you can. Go, quickly."

"But, mamma, why?"James asked groggily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"There's no time to explain, I will tell you later. Now hurry. Please," she said gravely. "As soon as you're finished, wait for me downstairs."

They jumped out of bed and hurriedly obeyed. They ran to their chest of drawers and started throwing clothing into a large suitcase Anna had retrieved from the closet. Mary went to her and Bert's room and packed a few things, and took a final glance around. Tears welled in her eyes again, for she knew in her heart it would be a long time before she saw this place again and was in the arms of the man she loved.

She hastily walked down the stairs, old carpetbag in hand, and found her dear children waiting for her with scared eyes.

"Mamma, what's happening?" James asked, voice trembling. Mary knelt in front of her children and placed a hand on each of their shoulders, trying to remain as calm and collected as possible.

"We have to go away from here for a while," she said, and took a deep breath. "Terrible things are going to happen, and we have to go somewhere safe."

"Are those bad men in the airplanes coming back again?" Anna questioned fearfully.

Before Mary had a chance to answer, the sound all Britons had come to fear suddenly rang through the ghostly silence of the dark night. The air raid sirens reverberated against the buildings, bouncing back and forth getting louder and louder as searchlights scanned the cloudy black sky for signs of the enemy. Bert rushed inside and the door slammed noisily behind him.

"They're here," he said when he saw Mary and the children at the foot of the stairs. "You have to leave."

"But you're coming with us, aren't you?" James asked.

"No, I can't. I have to stay here to help," Bert said delicately.

James and Anna cried and protested, tugging desperately at Mary's coat and trying to plead with her to make Bert come. She looked down at them sadly.

"He has to stay," she whispered calmly. "They need him to stay here."

Suddenly a blinding flash of light followed immediately by an enormous, ear-splitting bang erupted from outside. Bert looked out the window and saw the flames, and more violent blasts could be heard resounding from across the city, and the ground beneath them began to shake. James and Anna cried out in fear and ran to their father. Bert held them both in his arms tightly and kissed them lovingly on their foreheads.

"I will see you soon," he assured his crying children. "Be good for your mother. She will protect you. You will always be safe with her."

"We know," they said quietly in unison.

They nodded in understanding, sniffing and rubbing the tears from their eyes. Bert's eyes drifted from them to Mary and her eyes bore into his, staring deeply into his soul. She continued gazing at him as she ushered James and Anna to her. Her lips quivered slightly as she spoke.

"Goodbye, Bert," she whispered.

"No, Mary. Never goodbye," a few tears finally spilling over his lashes. "Until we meet again." She kissed him one last time and he held her tightly in his arms.

"Au revoir," she said softly into his ear. "Whatever happens… I will always love you."

"You are, and will forever be, my only love, Mary," he said, looking deeply into her eyes. "Now, go. Please, go."

She tore her gaze from Bert and looked down to James and Anna as she spoke.

"Hold on tightly," she said to her children. "Whatever you do, stay close to me, and everything will be alright." They looked up at her, tears welling in their eyes, and nodded. James and Anna clung urgently to her sides, each with one hand on their suitcase. Mary held her bag in one hand, while her other was still clasped by Bert's desperately. There were no more words to be said, and they shared a final glance that conveyed every ounce of emotion present in their hearts. She nodded to him and he nodded back, a silent understanding passing between their locked eyes. She never took her eyes off of him, even as she and the children began to fade away. He sensed the pressure of her hand in his wane and finally vanish completely when they disappeared. Bert felt her absence immediately, but he had to be strong without her, for both their sakes.

He looked out the window as the fires raged amidst the buildings and homes. The planes seemed to keep coming, dropping bombs everywhere. Explosions erupted in every corner of the city, as the deafening sirens continued to blare. Bert grabbed his coat and jogged swiftly out the door. The firefighters would need every hand they could get, and he was not about to sit around doing nothing when he could be helping to end this terror. The air itself was thick with ash; the calm had passed, he knew, and all that remained was the ferocious storm; the lightning storm; the blitz. He walked rapidly, and the last thing he saw before turning the corner was the image of St. Paul's Cathedral, rising above the buildings' façade, shrouded completely in smoke. There was nothing lonelier than walking the deserted London streets, however, Bert knew, he may have been alone in body, but in spirit his Mary was always close by, and he was forever grateful to feel her essence glowing brightly within his troubled, aching heart.