WillowTree1221: Thank you again for taking the time to review. You are one of the main reasons that this story keeps going and why I try to update it so frequently. You never fail to review each and every chapter and I cannot express my gratitude enough!

On the piano: (take out the spaces between letters in the links)

Aurora: type youtube (.com) in the url then copy and paste this code watch ?v =Pp f6R c5z Y6g

(It's a compilation video, the tune Aurora plays is the first one)

Millard: type youtube (.com) in the url then copy and paste this code watch ?v= wVo JAv T21 yU

(another compilation video, Millard's tune starts at 46:35)

I highly recommend listening to them as you read this chapter

oOo oOo oOo A Year Later oOo oOo oOo

As Aurora had feared things with Victor had become tense. Every time he passed Millard he gave the invisible boy a glare so nasty that the phrase 'If looks could kill' would pass through her head. Victor was a bit more tolerating of her though, she'd smile apologetically at him when she saw him at meals and he'd at least attempt to give a small smile back.

She felt bad that for so long he was under the impression that she was available and he had a chance. It made her regret keeping her relationship with Millard secret in the first place. Had she known how Victor would react she never would have done it, but her and Millard had been in what Emma called the 'honeymoon phase' of their relationship – being completely oblivious to everyone else unless it concerned your significant other.

"Victor will get over it." Emma had told her, "Don't waste your time worrying about it. Besides after nearly twelve years he should have been able to pick up on the fact that you weren't interested."

And she did her best not to, she focused on doing things that made her happy, most which included Millard. She found she quite liked everyone knowing about them – the Victor issue aside – and it opened their world up to so much more. They'd hold hands and walk through the trees and flowers that grew around the house, he'd wrap his arm around her as they sat on a bench and watched the younger children play.

One afternoon Aurora had been sitting in the parlor playing the piano when Millard walked in. He had been in the library reading when he heard the music and followed it to Aurora. He leaned against the doorframe with his book gripped in his hand against his side, his other hand in his pocket. He smiled as he watched her play, she was so absorbed in the melody and he noticed she didn't even have sheet music in front of her, she was simply playing by memory.

"Is that Bach?" he asked and she looked up at him, still playing. He had gone without his sweater and jacket today and was only in a light blue collared shirt, brown pants and suspenders.

"Yes, you know it?"

He shrugged, "I know a lot." Then his cap tilted down as he looked at the floor and gave a humorless chuckle, "That sounded completely conceited."

"But still true. You do know a lot."

He looked back up at her and his sleeve gestured to the piano bench, "May I?" he asked politely.

"Of course." She replied as her tune came to its end. When it did she pulled her hands away and Millard placed his book beside him on the bench and rested his hands against the ivory keys. He began a soft tune and Aurora watched in fascination as the keys moved seemingly by themselves with the cuffs of Millard's sleeves hovering just centimeters above them.

"Chopin?" she asked recognizing the tune. Millard chuckled again.

"Seems I'm not the only one who knows a lot." He said and Aurora laughed.

"Who taught you how to play?" he asked and she became quiet.

"My mother." She replied sadly. Millard knew how much Aurora missed her family – her father excluded – sometimes when they were having a peaceful moment together he could see it in her eyes. When her mind would drift and she'd wonder where they were now, what had happened to them after the war.

"We should go to the beach today." Millard suggested as his playing came to an end. "It's a beautiful day."

"It's always a beautiful day."

Millard shrugged, "Nevertheless, we should still enjoy it. Why don't you go get ready and I'll see if anyone else wants to come along."

oOo oOo oOo

In no time Millard had pulled a group together for the beach, Aurora and himself, Hugh, Fiona, Emma and Bronwyn. Olive had seemed like she had wanted to join them but had opted to stay and help Enoch with his dolls. Victor was locked in his room brooding and Horace had just cleaned his suit.

They laid out their towels and Bronwyn set up a large umbrella to give them some shade. Emma laid out in the sun as the others headed for the ocean. The water was cold but refreshing as the younger ones rushed into the waves. Aurora took her time wading into the water, her fingers playing with the end of her french fishtail braid when she felt Millard run past her and dive into the water. She laughed at his antics and swam out deeper to where a large rock jutted out of the water and she sat on one of its flat edges.

She watched Millard swim under the churning waves, his invisibility never ceased to amaze her. It was like watching a large human shaped air bubble move along the ocean floor. Millard was an excellent swimmer but eventually he did need to come up for air. He surfaced right beside her as the waves splashed against the rock, he found another flat edge to sit on and held up a sand dollar.

"For you." She smiled and accepted the gift. It was just like any other sand dollar but what made it special was that it came from Millard.

"Thank you." She said before he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"You're welcome." He said before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling them both into the ocean. She shrieked as her skin came in contact with the cold water again but Millard held on tight. Aurora wrapped her arms around his neck loving the fact that they didn't need to talk to have a moment, just being together was enough for them.

After spending roughly half an hour in the water Millard and Aurora joined Emma on the shore as the younger ones continued to splash around. Aurora sat next to her friend letting the sun dry her off while Millard grabbed a book and read in the shade of the umbrella, the droplets of water and wet sand that stuck to his body the only indication that he was there.

After the heat of the midday sun vanished Fiona, Hugh and Bronwyn returned from the water and wrapped towels around themselves to keep warm. Emma mentioned that it was getting late and Miss. Peregrine would want them back in time for supper, so they collected their things and returned to the house.

As they made their way up the stairs Hugh kept complaining about his bees, "They don't like getting wet but they don't like being cooped up all day either, what am I supposed to do? Never go to the beach again? If that's what they think they've got another thing coming."

Emma rolled her eyes, "You sound like an overworked mother, Hugh." They all laughed at her comment, even Fiona who tried to hide her laughter behind her hand. Hugh glared at her but Emma only rolled her eyes again and went to the bathroom to wash off the sand. Eventually it was only Millard and Aurora in the hall, she still had the sand dollar he'd given her in one hand, the other holding Millard's.

"The beach was a great idea."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." He said before leaning in and kissing her with passion. They pulled apart when they heard a door open and turned to see Victor standing in his doorway. Aurora blushed and looked down at her feet but could tell by the growing tension that the boys were locked in a stare down (which was really saying something since Millard was invisible). She awkwardly cleared her throat.

"I'll see you at supper." She told Millard before nodding at Victor, "Victor." He gave a stiff nod back and Aurora hated how the look in his eye made it seem like he'd caught them doing something wrong. Her and Millard were together, it was perfectly acceptable for them to kiss each other, and out of courtesy they kept their public displays of affection to hand holding and quick pecks on the cheek. Aurora did her best to ignore him and hold onto the good feeling she'd had from their day at the beach, the last thing she wanted was to let Victor's immature attitude ruin her day.

MILLARD P.O.V

After Aurora had gone to her room to get ready for dinner it was just Millard and Victor left in the hall. Millard didn't want a confrontation but there was something in his gut that wasn't letting him leave, not with Victor looking at him like that.

"What Victor?"

"Are you going to tell me to stay away from your girl?"

"Well if I had to do that she wouldn't be my girl. I've got nothing to worry about." Millard replied with confidence in his voice. It was true and they both knew it, it had been close to twelve years now, if Aurora had wanted to pick Victor instead of him she would have done it by now. Victor was just having difficulty accepting the truth, Aurora liked Millard better.

"For now." Victor said casually but his voice had an underlying tone of something else.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Millard demanded.

Victor shrugged, "How long do you think it will be before she realizes you're incomplete? That she can have someone who can give her more?"

"I love her. What could she want more than that?"

"If you love her so much than how can you keep holding her back? Look in the mirror Millard, you're nothing. And a nothing like you doesn't deserve a girl like her."