1945

"Andrew?" There was no response from the ashen young man and Maggie Reid frowned worriedly and laid a gentle hand on his arm, "Andrew, are you alright?"

Again there was no response or indication that Andrew had heard her and she bit her lip as she looked around the room. Andrew had come over for dinner; with Mr. Foyle being away in America Mum was worried he would starve. They had been discussing what book he would read aloud to her and Grace when he had suddenly broken off mid-word, body tensing as the colour drained from his face.

Maggie could hear the sounds of her Dad doing the washing up and the rise and fall of her Mum and Grace's voices from upstairs. She knew she could call for either of her parents but she also knew that Andrew would hate any sort of fuss.

So instead she took Andrew's hand and gently pulled him away from the bookshelf they had been examining, "Come and sit down Andrew," she tried to make her voice as warm and welcoming as Mum's always was when Andrew and Mr. Foyle came over.

To her relief Andrew allowed her to lead him across to the settee and when she sat down and tugged lightly on his hand he sat down beside her. Carefully easing her hand out of his Maggie picked up the blanket from the arm of the settee and wrapped it around Andrew's shoulders, "It's alright Andrew you're home"

She didn't think he'd hear her but Maggie felt better for breaking the silence that seemed to have sucked all of the life out of the Reid's usually cheerful lounge.

"I'll go and make us some tea" Again Andrew didn't respond so Maggie squeezed his arm and taking a deep breath headed toward the kitchen.

Her Dad looked up with a smile, "You and Andrew decide on a book then?"

Maggie hesitated, biting her lip, "Daddy, Andrew…I think Andrew's remembering the war"

Hugh stiffened, "What do you mean Maggie?"

"He just sort of froze when we were picking a book and he's gone all pale." Maggie glanced towards the lounge, "I got him to sit down and I thought maybe tea would help?"

Hugh smiled his most comforting smile as he dried his hands and then pulled her into a hug, "You're right it will, but right now I need you to go upstairs and tell Mum I need to see her and stay with Gracie."

"Is Andrew alright?"

Her voice was high and tight and her father's arms tightened around her as he kissed the top of her head, "He's fine love, just remembering the war like you said. Now go upstairs and don't come down until Mum or I come and get you alright?"

Maggie swallowed hard and nodded against his chest before stepping back and forcing a smile. The war might be over but they still needed to be brave, just like Mr. Churchill always said on the wireless. "Yes, Daddy"

He smiled and kissed the top of her head again before walking her to the foot of the stairs, and waiting until she reached the landing before taking a deep breath and heading into the lounge.

Just as Maggie had said Andrew was sitting on the settee, worryingly pale, his body so strung with tension that the blanket Maggie had put around his shoulders was in danger of falling off.

Hugh took a deep breath, "Andrew?" His voice was soft in a way that he hadn't even known he was capable of before Maggie was born, "You're alright son. You're in Hastings and the war is over." He didn't expect Andrew to respond but he felt the words still needed to be said.

"Hugh?" He turned and found Elaine standing in the doorway, looking between him and Andrew with concern, "Maggie said you needed me?"

Hugh nodded and quietly crossed to join her in the doorway, "Seems Andrew's having a flashback. Apparently it started while he and Maggie were choosing a book. She got him settled on the settee and then came to make him tea."

Elaine nodded, her pride in Maggie's reaction and her concern for Andrew both visible on her face. "I'll go and make us all some tea then." Hugh nodded and squeezed her hand quickly before she walked away and he turned back to the traumatized young man on their settee.

He wasn't naïve enough to think that Andrew hadn't been dealing with flashbacks since his return from Malta but it wasn't something he and Christopher had ever discussed; not even when they had gone for drinks just before Christopher left for America and he had very quietly asked him to keep an eye on Andrew while he was away.

As such Hugh wasn't quite sure how best to help Andrew through this; he took a deep breath and crossed back to the settee, careful to make his steps audible but not loud and his movements slow but steady. Startling someone in the middle of flashback was never a good idea.

"Andrew?" There was no answer so Hugh sat down beside him, not touching him but closer than he would usually sit beside anyone but Elaine or one of his daughters; hopefully close enough that wherever Andrew's memories had taken him he would know he wasn't alone.

When Elaine came back with tea she nodded approvingly at Hugh as she handed him two cups of tea before taking her own and setting it down on the coffee table so she could turn her armchair a little more towards the settee before she sat down.

Hugh took a sip of his own tea before picking up Andrew's, "Andrew have some tea, it will help" Again there was no indication that the younger man had heard him but Hugh simply held the cup to his lips, "Have a sip, there's a good lad"

After a beat Andrew obeyed and Hugh and Elaine shared a look of relief. If Andrew's flashbacks were anything like Hugh's used to be than the fact that he could follow a command like that meant he was close to breaking free of the memories.

They talked quietly about their weekly plans and what the girls had coming up at school just as they did most evenings as Hugh gently encouraged Andrew to drink his whole cup of tea, and managed a few sips of his own while it was still hot.

They were in the middle of discussing what they should do for the girls' half-term holiday when Andrew shuddered and then froze, eyes wide and frightened. Hugh smiled reassuringly, "It's alright Andrew, the war's over and you're home in Hastings"

Andrew blinked and then looked around, "Maggie? Gracie?"

His voice was rough and urgent and Hugh laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, "The girls are fine Andrew, they're just upstairs."

Andrew nodded and scrubbed both hands over his face before freezing again, "Maggie…she…oh god she saw…I'm sorry…"

He sounded gutted and horrified and Elaine immediately crossed to sit on his other side, rubbing his back soothingly, "Andrew you have nothing to apologize for. It didn't scare her; she's13 now, she realized it was something to do with the war and went to get Hugh."

"But…"

Elaine shook her head firmly, cupping Andrew's cheek and gently turning his head so she could look him in the eye. "No Andrew. I won't let you apologize for the war."

Andrew looked startled, "I'm not…?"

"You wouldn't have flashbacks if not for the war Andrew; so if you're going to apologize for those than you might as well be apologizing for the war I know you didn't start." It was the same argument she had used on Hugh whenever he tried to apologize for his flashbacks and Andrew looked as startled and he had felt the first time she'd said it.

There was a long minute of silence and then Andrew looked down blinking hard and Elaine reached up and guided his head down onto her shoulder and suddenly Andrew's shoulders began to shake and he clung to her, sobbing silently.

Elaine just held him tighter, rocking him gently and shushing him gently just as she did when the girls had nightmares or scrapped knees. Hugh waited for a minute and then quietly collected the cups and went to make them all more tea.

When he came back Andrew was sitting with his head in his hands while Elaine rubbed his back gently. She smiled reassuringly at Hugh's silent question and he smiled back before picking up Andrew's mug of tea, "Have some tea Andrew"

Andrew took the mug with shaking hands and a rueful expression and Hugh smiled reassuringly, "You've done nothing wrong Andrew, certainly nothing Elaine and I haven't seen before"

Andrew looked surprised and Hugh sat down and took a long drink of tea trying to force down the surge of memories, "I had more than a few flashbacks after the last war Andrew, we all did. It's only natural."

"But the girls…"

"Are fine. Grace was upstairs the whole time and as Elaine said Maggie is old enough to understand that not all nightmares happen while you're asleep."

Andrew still looked a little uncertain but he nodded and they drank their tea in silence. Once his cup was empty Andrew set it down and leaned back on the settee with a sigh. He looked exhausted and Hugh and Elaine exchanged a worried look.

"Would you like to go up to bed Andrew?" Elaine asked quietly

Andrew shook his head, "No I…" he hesitated and then said softly, "I can never sleep right after…" There was a heavy pause and then he forced a smile, "Besides I promised the girls a story"

Hugh smiled, "Well they'll love that but if you're tired…"

Andrew shook his head again, "I want to Sir, truly."

Hugh nodded and got to his feet, "Well, I'll go and fetch them then."

Upstairs he found Maggie and Grace reading quietly on Maggie's bed and couldn't help his proud smile, this had been a recent battleground whether Grace was allowed on Maggie's bed, so seeing his daughters sitting together just like they used too warmed his heart.

They both looked up as he opened the door and he smiled reassuringly, "Would you still like Andrew to read you a story?"

"Yes!" Grace leapt off the bed eagerly and would have pushed passed him but Hugh stopped her gently and turned her back towards her bed.

"Just a minute Gracie I need to talk to you about something first"

Maggie frowned worriedly, "Is Andrew alright?"

Hugh nodded, "Yes he is, come and sit down" he sat down on Grace's bed gesturing for them to both sit beside him. Once they had he put his arms around them, "You know how you've both had bad dreams about the war?"

The girls nodded and Grace snuggled closer, "Did Andrew have a bad dream Daddy?"

"Yes, he did. Sometimes when very scary things happen, like a war, you can have bad dreams about them even while you're awake." Grace looked confused but Maggie nodded slowly, and Hugh suspected she had heard similar stories from some of her classmates who had fathers and older brothers who had just returned from the war.

"Did you make him hot chocolate and give him a hug?" Grace asked and Hugh smiled down at her.

"He had some tea and Mummy gave him a hug but I'm sure he'd like another one when you go downstairs." Grace nodded seriously and Hugh pressed a kiss to her head and then Maggie's, "Andrew won't want to talk about his dream so you shouldn't ask him alright?"

They nodded seriously and Maggie said softly, "What do we do if he has a bad dream like that again?"

Hugh sighed and held them both a little tighter, "Exactly what you did this time Maggie, come and get me or Mum or Mr. Foyle."

Maggie nodded, "Or Mr. or Mrs. Ferguson? If you and Mum aren't around and Mr. Foyle is still away?"

"Yes, if you were out with Andrew and he had a bad dream like that and you were close to Mr. Ferguson's store that would be the perfect thing to do."

Maggie beamed and Hugh kissed them both again, "Andrew's tired so it will only be one story and then straight upstairs for baths, no complaining alright?"

The girls nodded again and Hugh smiled, "Good, off you go then"

Grace jumped off the bed and rushed for the door but Maggie hesitated, "Daddy?"

"Yes Maggie?"

"Did you have bad dreams like Andrew?"

Hugh blinked in surprise and then nodded slowly, "Yes I did Maggie, mostly before you were born though."

Maggie nodded again and then wrapped her arms around his neck, "I love you Daddy"

Hugh smiled, "I love you too Maggie"

"Maggie, come on!" Grace called from downstairs and Hugh chuckled, "You'd better go before Gracie runs out of patience." Maggie nodded and hurried out of the room leaving her father to follow more slowly.

When he reached the lounge 10 minutes later Hugh paused in the doorway, struck by how timeless the sight before him truly was. Grace was in Andrew's lap with Maggie snuggled into his side both hanging on his every word, just as they had as little girls; before another war changed the world forever.

Andrew looked more relaxed than he had in days and Hugh wrapped his arm around Elaine's waist as they stood together in the doorway. The world might be changed but time and love could still heal most wounds and he knew they would get through this.