Thank you to WillowTree1221, marianafilhadomar and susan-black7 for your wonderful reviews but I can't take all the credit, after all ,this wonderfully peculiar world was dreamt up by Ransom Riggs and we wouldn't be able to enjoy these fanfictions without his creative genius!

Susan-black7: you asked and I delivered!

Chapter 34

"That's Miss Avocet. She's as close to royalty as we peculiars have. . . today there's not an ymbryne worth her wings who didn't pass under Miss Avocet's tutelage at one time, myself included!" {Miss Alma Peregrine, pg 153 book 1}

After they had returned from the beach they all went their separate ways, some went to take a nap, others wanted to play and some still had their daily chores to do. Aurora found herself a few hours later in Millard's room sitting on his bed with his book-in-progress on her lap. Millard walked in shortly after, removing his sweater and placing it over the back of the desk chair, he'd gone into town to observe some finer details he needed for his work. He approached Aurora who handed him is leather bound journal with a smile.

"It's really coming along." She commented bringing her hand to her shoulder.

"Are you alright, darling?" he asked noticing her rubbing the juncture between her neck, collarbone and shoulder. She shrugged, then winced from the movement.

"I was just helping Emma with her chores and I think I pulled something when I held the rope for her." She explained rubbing harder.

"Take your shirt off." Millard said and Aurora turned to him bewildered. Millard noticed how misconstrued his words sounded and stuttered as he tried to explain himself, "I mean – I - just – just trust me?"

Aurora paused for a beat of silence, she did trust Millard – with all her heart, and knew he'd never pressure her into anything. She slowly pulled the bottom of her white shirt from the waistband of her skirt, she winced again when she had to lift her shoulder to remove it and she felt Millard helping pull the fabric over her head. He threw the shirt aside and placed his hand on her upper arm pushing her back onto the bed.

"Lie down" he instructed, his voice like a whisper. Aurora did what he asked, her arms folded over her chest as her self consciousness rose. Millard had never seen her so bare before, even her swimsuit didn't reveal this much, she felt a blush creep onto her cheeks.

"Turn onto your stomach." She did, and pulled a pillow toward her, folding her hands on it and rested her chin there. She felt the bed dip under Millard's weight as he placed a knee on either side of her, straddling her waist. She felt his hands trace up her spine until he came to her bra. He unhooked the back and slowly, hesitantly pulled the straps down her shoulders. She hummed in bliss as he began massaging her hurt shoulder working out the knots. He used several techniques, his thumbs, his knuckles and his palms as he massaged the pain away.

"Better?" he asked.

"Much." She said in delight as he continued to work, now also massaging her bare back. She gasped in surprise when she felt his lips start kissing up and down her spine. After he came back up to kiss her shoulder she sat up a bit straighter and turned to her side. Millard sat up too wondering if he'd gone too far.

"Sorry." He apologized as he re-hooked her bra, "I didn't mean to – "

Aurora cut him off mid-sentence by sitting up, pressing her lips to his and pulling him down on top of her. Millard responded just as passionately to her enthusiasm as they kissed senselessly. Aurora's fingers ran through his short hair as they ran out of breath and Millard started kissing down her neck. As he occupied himself with the spot just under her jaw – a favorite spot of his she'd noticed – she began unbuttoning his shirt. She gasped again as she felt his hands trace her ribs as she finished with the last button.

Her hands immediately began running up and down his chest, all the way to his navel where she felt a trail of fine hair that led even lower. From there her hands moved under his shirt to his back as she desperately held him as close as she could. But her grip wasn't enough as Millard's kisses moved lower as well, her hands returned to his hair as he kissed down past her collarbone, down her chest and started leaving hickeys on her stomach. After he'd left multiple marks he returned to kissing her lips and she happily let him take her breath away. She began tracing his chest again this time letting her fingers run along the waistband of his pants when Millard froze and pulled away.

"We have to stop." He said suddenly, taking deep breaths to regain the air he'd lost. Aurora sat up leaning on her elbows.

"No we don't." She said trying to coax Millard back into the moment.

"Yes we do." He said more adamantly, "It's not right. Not proper." He said before a brief pause fell over the pair.

"You don't want to?" she asked as her self-consciousness wormed its way back inside her head. Was it her? Was there something wrong with her?

"Believe me I do want to." He said making her more confused.

"Then why -"

"Because I love and respect you too much to allow myself to give into the temptation." Another long silence fell then Millard adjusted himself so he was sitting next to her.

"Aurora, I – " he took a deep breath, "I'm honored that you want to go all the way with me. I just – I'm not there yet. . . and I'd appreciate if you could respect that."

She leaned in and gave him a short sweet kiss, "Of course I can." She smiled and with her hand on his cheek felt him blush.

"Thank you." He turned and retrieved her shirt and passed it to her. "I'll leave you to dress." He got up and left the room. After he'd closed the door behind him he walked at a brisk pace to the bathroom where he intended to take a very cold shower.

oOo oOo oOo

When Emma returned from escorting Jake through the loop she was holding a small bird and looked quite worried.

"Miss Peregrine!" she called as she walked through the door, desperately searching for the headmistress. Upon hearing her name the Bird came rushing down the stairs, holding her skirts so she wouldn't trip.

"Emma what is it? What's – is that Miss Avocet?!" she asked noticing the black and white bird in the girls hand. Emma nodded, her blonde curls bouncing as Miss Peregrine reached her and she handed the ymbryne over.

"I think she's hurt and can't turn back." Emma said with worry. Miss Peregrine quickly looked over the fragile bird in her hands, then nodded to herself.

"I'll prepare a tonic that should help her. In the meantime, could you fetch Aurora for me please?"

oOo oOo oOo

Aurora and Millard were relaxing in a swinging chair in the garden. It had two seats that faced each other and had a small roof to block out the harsh mid-day sun. Millard was leaning back in his seat with his book in his hands sorting through more of his notes – he'd been watching the sheep earlier – while one leg was extended far enough to reach the grass, the toe of his shoe pushing the swing back and forth ever so gently.

Aurora sat across from him with a small notebook in her lap. She kept looking from the pad of paper to Millard as she did a light sketch of him. The past couple of decades she'd decided to try her hand at art, teaching herself wasn't easy but eventually she'd gotten the hang of it. She found she had the hardest time drawing people, something about the dimensions of a face was challenging for her – this, of course, made Millard the perfect subject. Aurora could draw the texture of his clothes, the creases from where his sleeves bent at the elbows without having to worry about botching up the way he looked.

What she didn't know was Millard had stopped reviewing his notes ages ago and was now simply watching her. His head still tilted toward his book but his eyes were trained on her. He watched as she would look up from the paper, examine him, then turn back down and draw the details with her pencil. He found it fascinating seeing her in such a concentrated state of mind and couldn't help but smile.

"How's it coming?" he asked curiously. Aurora broke out of her trance and smiled at him.

"You tell me." She said turning the pad so he could see what she'd done so far. It was a basic outline of him in the swing and she'd just started filling in the wood detail to the seat he was in. He nodded in approval, his cap tilting up and down. Before he could make a response Emma came rushing over to them.

"Aurora! Miss Peregrine needs you in the kitchen. One of her sisters is here and she's hurt!"

oOo oOo oOo

Aurora was in the kitchen preparing the next batch of tonic while Miss Peregrine fed Miss Avocet with an eyedropper. They had the radio on and a man was talking about the war while they worked.

". . . from the darkest days, the Canadian army, growing stronger year by year. . . " They heard footsteps approach and turned to see Jake walk in.

"Jake, you're back, how wonderful." Miss Peregrine greeted.

"How's it doing? Emma said it was an ymbryne."

"She not it." Aurora corrected him. "Ymbrynes are always female."

"And Emma was quite correct." Miss Peregrine continued, "This is Miss Avocet."

"Her loop's in Blackpool, England." Jake said taking a letter out of his pocket. Miss Peregrine's eyes turned fierce and Aurora stopped cutting up herbs as tension set into the room.

"That was a private letter Jake." Miss Peregrine said putting down the dropper.

"Who is Mr. Barron?" he asked and Miss Peregrine's eyes grew wide. She took a moment to compose herself before she stood and turned to Aurora.

"She's had enough tonic for now." She instructed, carefully handing Aurora the small avocet, "Use your gift very slowly turning back is a complex process." Aurora nodded, gently taking the bird in her hands and sitting at a stool at the kitchen table. The headmistress turned back to Jake.

"Miss Peregrine, if my grandpa was involved with dangerous people, I need to tell the police."

"Police?" she questioned her head snapping to the side very birdlike, "Are you implying Abe died an unnatural death?"

"I found him in the woods with his eyes missing –" Aurora shuddered as she remembered how she'd found Victor the same way -"I'd say that was pretty unnatural."

Miss Peregrine approached Jake and snatched the letter from his hand with her talon-like nails. "Unless essential, I don't discuss unpleasant matters. An ymbrynes duty is to protect children Jake." She said before storming out into the garden to get more ingredients for the next batch of tonic.

"I'm not a child." Jake called after her, "He wanted you to tell me everything!"

When Miss Peregrine continued walking away Jake turned to Aurora who shook her head silently telling him he wouldn't get anything out of her either. Then he began to leave the kitchen but Enoch now blocked his way, Olive close behind him.

"How frustrating for you. Between Miss Peregrine's rules and my housemates little pact not to scare you off, it's like no one's telling you anything."

"Well why aren't you then? It's not like you want me here."

Enoch paused considering Jake's words, Olive noticed his hesitation.

"Enoch you can't you promised." She reminded him.

"Olive's right. I do know someone who can get away with breaking rules though, want to meet him?"

"Enoch, don't." Aurora warned from her place in the kitchen where she could clearly see their confrontation.

"Why not?" Enoch asked turning to her, "Unless you'd like to introduce them?" he asked harshly and she recoiled. She never went in that room, she never even looked at the shut door when she passed it in the hall.

"I could bring him back for a bit and you two can have a chat. You can tell him all about how he was never good enough and how sorry you are you didn't get to him sooner to help –"

"Enough Enoch!" came a new voice as Millard entered from the yard. He stood in the doorway between the two rooms and put his arm against the doorframe blocking Enoch's view of Aurora.

"If you want to take Jake to Victor that's your business, but you leave Aurora out of it!" he shouted angrily, appalled that Enoch would bring up such a sensitive topic around Aurora.

"Fine then, I will." Enoch said before turning and heading for the stairs, Olive right behind him, Jake hesitating before his curiosity got the best of him and he followed too. Millard turned to Aurora who was looking down at the table, he walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He rubbed her arms silently, and Aurora was grateful, his presence was all she needed to comfort her.