(A/N): We're back with Evie, Pip, Vi, Hettie, and Lou. This chapter was originally written to be chapter 565, because I originally swapped the 1966 (Evie) chapter with the (1975) Ellwood Clan chapter, in order to have that one be the Valentine's Day chapter, because I thought it had more hope for romance than an Evie chapter. When I finished that chapter and it didn't, I then wrote another chapter, which ended up being the 1966 Jerremyah chapter, which I swapped with this chapter, and then had to switch that chapter and the Ellwood Clan chapter around so they were back in the correct order. So, this chapter went from having supposed to have been 566, to being 565, to then getting kicked out and moved here, to 570. In this chapter, we learn more about Hettie's family/past, and what she and Pip are into.

Trigger Warnings: Hettie's family are buttheads, particularly her mother.

January 16th, 1966

Evie

They had all taken everything surprisingly well- better than I had expected. Everything except me keeping secrets from them, that is. Sure, Pip's immediate response had been... not the best, but it was Pip- we all knew he didn't mean it. Vi's reaction was... complicated; yes, she had been supportive, but if anything, she had been a bit too supportive- to the point where it almost felt false. Patronising. I knew she didn't intend it that way, so I forced myself to be as patient with her as she was being with me, and encourage Hettie to do the same.

It wasn't surprising to me that Hettie was by far the most careful about trying not to offend me when it came to issues surrounding traditional, 'womanly' life goals, considering the endless criticisms her mother had about Hettie's lack of 'success'; she only cared about her daughter's romantic prospects, with the intention of having her start a family of her own. She not only didn't care about Hettie's career as a mechanic, but she absolutely hated it; Hettie had told us that her mother had gone so far as to try to pay the few clients Hettie had managed to accumulate during those early days to take their business elsewhere, which had caused the row of a lifetime. Her mother, of course, thought Hettie was in the wrong- and while her father took Hettie's side, it wasn't because he supported her career or life choices, but because he had never been able to turn down the chance to badmouth his ex-wife behind her back. Or to her face, for that matter.

No, while Hettie wasn't typically someone who was all that concerned about offending people, her friends were the exception, for the most part- especially on subjects such as this. Lou's lack of reaction was equally unsurprising, if only because I knew she probably wasn't awake enough to form much of an opinion- that was clear by the fact that her only real question was about my position on the roof, rather than anything we had just told her. "Chores," I told her simply, just to watch her grow even more confused. "Have you had breakfast? Coffee? Tea?"

She shook her head automatically, then eyed me wearily, as if somehow she knew I wasn't supposed to be mother-henning anymore. "Had breakfast before bed; I chugged some juice on my way out here, didn't want the coffee to make me jittery... and tea and I aren't on speaking terms, at the moment." Why not? Because her tea had gone cold before she could drink it, this morning? Yeah, that sounds like something Lou might hold a grudge about. "What sort of chores require you to be on the roof?" She didn't emphasise the 'you', despite the fact that we all knew what she really meant- 'why are you on the roof, not Hettie?' "I'm guessing you aren't planning on doing any vacuuming, up there." I flashed her a smile to let her know I was amused, even if I couldn't quite muster a laugh.

"Just some light dusting, I'm afraid. No, we're finally relocating that bird nest and reattaching that shutter- you can help Pip hold the ladder, if you want, or... whatever." 'Whatever you want to do', I meant to say, but somehow it came out sounding more like, 'whatever, I don't care', to my ears- which wouldn't do. "I mean- I don't know whether you feel up to physical labor on so little sleep, so I didn't want to just put you to work, but I also felt like sending you back inside to rest wouldn't go well-"

She huffed out a laugh and held up a hand to calm me down. "Evie, Evie- stop. It's okay, it's fine- I'm not offended, or anything." I relaxed slightly, if tentatively. "I don't know if I'm 'roof ready', just yet, but I can keep Pip company, at least- and this way, if you need anything from inside the house or shed, you don't need to have Pip leave you unsupported while he fetches it. Sounds good?" I glanced at Hettie before nodding, since she was expert on this kind of thing around here- at least since Vi and I's father had passed away... not that he had been capable of taking care of any of the chores that involved ladders, but that was beside the point.

"Sounds great- especially because I know Pip would complain about having to go in the shed, if it came down to that." It was a joke, but Pip reacted like he thought I was genuinely annoyed.

"Hey," He said softly, as though he was trying to soothe both of us at the same time. "You know I'd go to the ends of the Earth for you girls, but… that shed-" He cut himself off with a shudder, and I couldn't help my smile.

"Pip. Joke." Relief flooded his face immediately, and a sunny smile was soon to follow. "You know I don't like going in there, either- for multiple reasons- and I don't begrudge your right to complain about anything, let alone something I don't even want to do, myself. In fact, I love listening to you complain- it's the only time you let yourself be dramatic, and dramatic Pip is a real hoot."

He flushed a deep pink and waved a hand like he was waving me off. "Pshaw," He said, obviously flustered, and leaned against the ladder as though it was the only thing keeping him upright. "You don't have to flatter me, Evie- you said you were joking, I believe you." I frowned slightly.

"I'm being completely honest," I told him as genuinely as I could, and he stared at me for a second before blushing an even darker pink as he seemed to come to terms with the fact that I was telling the truth. "We don't just like you when you're sweet and happy, Pip- we love you all the time, even when you're grumbling and moaning about gears, or wires, or... whatever else is in those machines you're obsessed with." I gave him my most supportive smile, especially now that I knew his family had been calling him weird; Pip would never feel weird on my watch, if I could help it. "Girls, tell Pip we like him unhappy just the same as when he's happy." Vi and Hettie nodded immediately.

"You're always there for us when we're not at our best, Pip- why do you think we'd feel any different when it's your turn?" Vi asked rhetorically, calmly, tone brokering no room for argument.

"Don't look at me, Pippy Dip- you know you're my favorite person to bitch and whine with, even before you take into account that no one else understands what I'm talking about when I get technical. Who else is gonna share my frustration about tiny, fiddly little bolts slippery with grease, or mysteriously sticky pistons? No one, that's who!" Despite Hettie's aggression, Pip looked incredibly touched by this. Or maybe, partially because of it.

Lou stepped up next, knocking his shoulder with hers and making the ladder rattle against the eave of the house. "We've all got our limits; spiders are yours, public speaking is mine." He snorted quietly, then buried his chin in his chest as though he thought he could hide it posthumously. "You handle the speeches, and I'll handle the creepy crawlies- deal?" She held out a hand to him, and he stopped leaning so heavily against the ladder in order to shake it.

"Deal," He said, then leaned close to whisper something in her ear- something I couldn't hear from my position on the roof, but made her huff a laugh and a mischievous glint form in her eye.

"Count me in," She told him, and I had the feeling this boded very poorly for me.

(A/N): Lou only holds grudges about petty things (foreshadowing)

So, Hettie's a mechanic (with her own shop, which is probably pretty rare for the time period), and her parents are divorced (also fairly uncommon). Pip works with machines, and we know he likes watches and stuff like that, so he's definitely very technologically minded. When I wrote this, I wasn't entirely sure yet if he was an engineer, exactly, but he's definitely something in that area/to that level, which we find out more about, later. (foreshadowing)

I finished writing chapter 702, the Anniversary chapter for 2027, which means I'm now officially exactly two years and three months ahead, and with this chapter being uploaded, we have passed 1 million words... but the fact that there's over 130 chapters waiting to be uploaded means that there is at the very least like, 150k more, on top of that million. If they're all around 1,500 words (which is what I try to aim for) then it's closer to 200k. It is now, officially, my birthday.