A/N: For my amazing friend meetmeinstlouie (belovedrival on tumblr), to celebrate her birthday. When I asked if she had a request, she replied that she'd like an "After the Fall" supplement chapter starring Daisy and Juliet.

After reading (and reviewing, if you're so inclined), please pop over to tumblr and wish her a Happy Birthday! She's deserving of all the good things … trust me.

Best wishes for a beautiful day, my dear! {hugs}

CSotA

August, 2019

"Come here, you," Daisy laughed, pulling Juliet by the armpits and dragging her through the waves. "No going too far; what did I tell you?"

Juliet laughed. "I'm not!" she squealed, shaking her head vehemently. "Papa said I could go that far!"

"I don't believe that for a second," Daisy told her. "What did he really say?"

"The buoys!" Juliet shouted, pointing at one. "No going near the buoys!"

"Exactly. And where are we now?"

Juliet scrunched up her eyebrows and thought hard, but she wasn't sure what Daisy meant.

"In the ocean?" she muttered, and Daisy snorted a laugh.

"True," she admitted, now holding firmly to Juliet's hand as the girl moved her feet about under the water. "But we're too close to the buoys, so let's swim back."

"Let's race!" Juliet shouted.

"Alright," Daisy agreed, glancing up to be sure her Mam was still on the beach and watching them. Juliet was a really good swimmer, as was Daisy, but she wasn't at all comfortable with the idea of being totally responsible for her sister in the water - even if Juliet did still use her water wings.*

Not that Mam would allow us to be alone anyhow.

"Ready," Daisy said, teasing Juliet. "Seeeet," she said, much more slowly.

Juliet was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Go!" shouted Elsie from the beach, taking both girls by surprise. "Come on, then!"

Daisy took off rather slowly, preferring both to let Juliet win and to be able to keep her eyes on her.

Juliet took off like a shot, paddling her hands furiously and letting the waves help her, just as her Papa had instructed. She held her breath and ducked under the water for a moment, kicking strongly, and reached the sand well before Daisy.

"I won!" she shouted, running up the beach as she wiped water off her face. "Mam! I won!"

Elsie leaned forward and extended her hands to her youngest. "Congratulations, little one."

Juliet allowed herself to be tugged up, and she wrapped her arms - and her very wet and sandy self - around her Mam.

"Thanks for that, Juliet" Elsie said, playfully brushing sand off of her arm as Daisy made her way over.

"Looks like you got wet anyhow," Daisy smirked. "See? You should have just come in with us."

Elsie laughed. "I suppose you're right at that. Now, how about you two help me pick up? If we hurry, we can have dinner ready for when your Papa gets home."

"Tommy working late again?" Daisy began gathering some of their things, and Juliet helped by picking up her sand toys and putting them all in her bucket.

"Yes, he is. He loves it, though, and he's been a huge help to Beryl."

"And she feeds him," Daisy laughed, and Elsie agreed.

They were quiet for a moment, and then Daisy asked a question that had been on her mind earlier. "Why is Papa helping so much with this memorial thing? He didn't even know any of those people."

"True," Elsie replied slowly, folding the blanket. "Here, help me with this."

They shook the sand off and folded it with the ease of those who are on the beach every day.

"I think he just wants to give something back to the community," Elsie explained. "And we do know the families of many of those men and women who died. One of them is Ethel's brother-in-law. Did you know that?"

Daisy shook her head, silent.

"Anyhow, I think he was rather surprised to have been asked," she continued.

"Particularly by Mrs. Wigan," Daisy said, scrunching her nose in distaste. "No one even likes her."

"That's not very kind, Daisy."

"It's true, though. You don't even like her."

Elsie bit down on a retort as she put the blanket into the beach cart.

No, I most certainly don't.

Aloud, she said, "Well, he was asked, and he agreed. And he insisted that Aunt Mary also be a part of it, because she really needed something to do, so today is the first meeting that she's attending. I think he just wants to keep an eye on her."

"Yeah," Daisy said. "Uncle Evelyn said she's been going mad sitting at home with the baby all day. He said she even misses running the newspaper sometimes."

"I'm sure she does." Elsie finished packing away their things and Daisy pulled the cart while Elsie took Juliet's hand.

They crossed the beach to the house, and Elsie instructed Daisy to leave the beach cart by the deck so that everything could be hosed down later. Removing as much sand as they could from their feet, they headed in to change and to start dinner.

"Come on, you," Daisy said to her sister. "You need a little nap before Papa gets home."

Juliet, usually so adamant about not taking a nap, didn't fight the idea today.

"Okay," she yawned. "Story?"

Daisy smiled softly and nodded. "You got it."

"Thank you, Daisy," Elsie said gratefully. "We just need to be sure we don't let her sleep too long, or she'll never go down tonight."

"No kidding," Daisy muttered. She remembered only too well how, last week, Mam had let Juliet sleep too long … and how her Juliet had kept Daisy up half the night by running into her room every half hour, wide awake.

"What was that, Daisy?"

Daisy smiled sweetly at her Mam. "You're welcome."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Daisy helped Juliet change out of her wet suit and wash up a bit before putting her in a dry outfit.

"Good job!" she praised the young girl - turning four in a few short months - for managing the snaps on her shirt.

"I'm a big girl," Juliet managed through a yawn. "I'm tired, Daisy. Can you tell me the story?"

"Let's see," Daisy said, watching Juliet climb onto her bed and then sitting on the floor beside it.

Juliet dropped her hand down and Daisy took it in her own, allowing Juliet to swing them slightly as she spoke. "You must want the story with the dragon, right?"

Juliet giggled. "No, silly! You know!"

"Hmmm." Daisy stuck the tip of her tongue out and furrowed her brow, feigning the need to think very hard. "Oh! I know. You want the story of the day Mam rode Scarlett on your birthday!"

"No!" Juliet was now squealing with delight, her giggles interrupted once by yet another yawn. "Timmy!"

"Ohhhhh, that story," Daisy teased her, reaching up and tickling Juliet's belly until she erupted in peals of laughter. "I didn't know you wanted that one."

"Silly! You did!"

"Well, maybe," Daisy allowed with a wink. "Alright, let's see if I remember it."

"You do," Juliet nodded, now struggling a bit to keep her eyes open. She settled back on her pillow and added, "It's your favorite."

"Yeah, it is," Daisy said quietly. "Yours, too."

Juliet nodded again.

"Okay, here we go. Once upon a time …"

As she got lost in the story once again, a story of a young puppy named Timmy who could never manage to stay out of trouble, Daisy watched as her little sister fell asleep. She told of Timmy's tumble in the muddy river and having to be pulled out by the scruff of his neck, of his uncanny way of escaping from his fenced-in garden, and of his favorite Christmas Eve ever, when he'd been allowed to curl up with his little girl in front of the fire and wait for Father Christmas to arrive.

Daisy felt Juliet's grip loosen, but past experience had taught her not to let the girl's hand go until a few minutes after; she knew that if she timed that too quickly, Juliet would only wake up once again.

" … and they lived happily ever after."

Juliet was now fast asleep, and Daisy slipped her hand free and stood, managing not to make a sound as she tiptoed out of Juliet's room. But as she turned out of the doorway she almost collided with Elsie, who had run upstairs to drop some laundry into the washer.

"Oh!"

"Shh," Daisy advised. "She's out, and she's positively exhausted."

"Yes, I heard you finishing the story," Elsie smiled, reaching out to smooth Daisy's hair. "She loves that one, you know. Does she know it's all true?"

"Yeah, she does." Daisy smiled wistfully, and then asked, "You don't mind, do you? That it's her favorite story, too?"

"No," Elsie said, her voice soothing Daisy. "Of course I don't mind. It's a lovely story, and in a way it's your story. Your Mum should always be a part of your life, Daisy."

"But Juliet never knew her."

"I know. But I bet she feels like she does know her. And your telling of your Mum's story will keep her spirit alive in your heart."

Daisy smiled, feeling a bit happier now. "You're right."

"Ha!" Elsie laughed, slinging her arm around Daisy's shoulder as they made their way back downstairs. "I'm writing this moment down so that I can remind you of it later."

"I really love her so much."

"Your Mum? Of course you do, sweetheart."

"No," Daisy replied, shaking her head. "I mean, yes, of course … but Juliet. She's such a pain sometimes, and I know she often prefers to spend time with Tommy, but when it's just us, it's pretty special."

"Well, to be fair, you both like to have your brother to yourselves," Elsie pointed out. "But there is something to be said for sisters. Even when they're young, women understand one another in a way that sometimes doesn't extend to men and boys. If you try, you and Juliet may very well end up the best of friends when you're grown."

"Like you and Auntie Becky?"

Elsie smiled and drew her eldest daughter into a hug. "Exactly," she whispered, dropping a kiss to Daisy's forehead. "Now, come and help me before Papa gets home, alright?"

Daisy smiled. "Sure. What do you need me to do?"

"I was thinking," Elsie said with a fond smile, "that I'd have you make the pie."

Daisy giggled. "Sounds good. And if an oven mitt happens to go sailing in your direction, just ignore it."

"We'll see about that," Elsie replied, laughing at the memory. "Oh, that was a good day."

"Yeah," Daisy sighed happily. "It really was."

*No idea what those are called outside of the US - they're the inflatable arm bands that kids wear around their biceps when learning to swim.