Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed.

A/n: Sorry I'm a day late with this one. I worked most of this weekend and the mall is opened late because of Christmas. But you all get two in one day because of the delay. I'm not sure if that's a good compromise or not. Anyway, thanks so much for the reviews.

Tales of December

a story by Ryeloza

Lillian: December 20, 1941

Lillian stepped out to the front porch and pulled the wrap she'd grabbed on the way out more tightly around herself. She was perfectly aware of Leo sitting on the porch swing, lightly rocking back and forth, but she faced the other direction, looking off of the porch at the tree-lined street. Deep down she knew exactly what Leo was there to tell her and she wasn't going to be the one to initiate the conversation.

She stood and Leo sat for nearly ten minutes before Leo finally said, "I go away to school in two weeks."

"I know," said Lillian, nodding at the night sky. She still couldn't bring herself to look at the boy she'd loved for more than two years now. Not with the certainty of what he would say weighing so heavily on her heart.

"I've already decided that when I turn eighteen in May that I'm going to enlist. But you knew that."

Lillian's breath caught at the words even though she had been expecting them. After all, her older brothers had all enlisted just last week. She'd known Leo would too; it was the kind of person he was. Still, part of her had hoped that with him graduating early and starting medical school in January that he might not. At least now the burden of anticipation had dissipated.

Slowly, she turned and looked at Leo. He was watching her with anxious eyes and instinctually she crossed the porch to comfort him. She sat beside him, so close that their legs were touching, and entwined her hands with his. Before she could say anything, Leo said, "Lillian, I want to marry you."

Lillian smiled sadly and squeezed his hands. "I want to marry you too," she said. They'd discussed this before, always thinking about far into the future, once Leo had finished school. Now that future seemed much more foggy and unclear.

"I mean now, Lillian." She looked up at him, surprised at his words. She was still in high school; how could he mean… "As soon as you graduate. Right before I go away. I want to marry you."

"Leo…"

"Say yes, Lillian. You know I love you. More than anything. More than anyone. I want to know that I have you to come home to even when things are at their worst. You're already my reason to keep going even when I don't think I can. That can only mean more if I know you're my wife, just like we've always planned. And I love you."

"You said that already."

"Say yes."

Lillian nodded. "Yes."