This is for Melissa because she is sooo awesome. If you haven't read any of her stories: GO NOW! DO IT! FORGET THIS ONE SHOT! GO!!!!!!! I was ready to slap myself when I figured out I hadn't written her one yet, so here it is! It's a bit different because it's pretty AU. Here's the first hint. It's set in the 1940s. :)

Take Care of My Girl

    The big band was swinging as couples danced under the tent at the state fair. Lights flashed, and the rides whirled around. There was an air of joy throughout the entire fairground as many of the American boys had come home. The gaiety was apparent throughout the night.
    The one exception to those celebrating was sitting on a bench out by the road. Under the streetlight, there was the silhouette of a girl. Brown hair curled to perfection and pinned into place, Melissa was just as primped as anyone else. Her painted red lips trembled as she shivered in the cool of late September.
    The music played on in the background. Melissa had no reason for celebration. The war had ended months ago for her. It had ended the day she saw the uniformed man ring the doorbell across the street and Mrs. Kerner break down in tears, holding herself up by the door frame. Looking out the window, Melissa had continued with her needlepoint, hoping the event had only been another one of her daydreams.
    Three years earlier, James had gone off to war, leaving a still fairly naïve Melissa behind. They had been the high school sweethearts, the prom queen and king. Everyone in town expected James to arrive back in town right after the war ended on one knee to ask Melissa to marry him at the first chance that arrived. That moment never came.
    All of the ladies in town had prepared the carnival for the soldiers arriving home. Melissa had come at her mother’s insistence to help put up decorations. However, once people had started to arrive, Melissa had shot out of there as fast as she could. All of her old high school friends were arriving with their vets, and she couldn’t bear to see the light in their eyes. The joy of the time couldn’t pierce her hardened heart.
    A young man stepped out of the shadows. He stood beside the bench, watching as Melissa’s frame shook with sobs.
    “He wouldn’t have wanted you to cry. Not at a time like this.” He said, trying to console her.
    Melissa looked up. Her eyes were bleary from the tears she had shed. She could make out the figure. A man, hazel eyes and brown curly hair, towered above her. His eyes were soft with emotion. He was uniformed, and looking closely, she saw he was in the same regiment as James had been. Gathering up the courage, she stood up and spoke.
    “You knew him didn’t you? Over there in Europe.”
    He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground for a second.
    “Yes. The name’s Kevin Jonas. One of the nicest guys in the regiment, James was. He’d always brag about his great girl at home. He was sweet on you like nothing else. The one thing that always got his mind off of war was your pictures and telling stories about the two of you. It was the one comfort he had.” Melissa wanted to cry. James, her James, was gone. But she had no more tears left to cry. “You wanna know what else he told me?”
    Melissa wiped her eyes, supposing that he’d tell her whether or not she wanted to hear it.
    “He told me to come back here and take care of you if he didn’t make it home.”
    Her knees gave way. Kevin stepped forward and caught hold of her arms before she could fall to the ground. Melissa wanted nothing more than to collapse to the ground right there and never get up. Nevertheless, Kevin held her up. She cried into his chest, but realizing where she was and what she was doing, Melissa collected herself. She looked up at the sky to a twinkling star, their star, and promised herself that she had cried the last of her tears for James.
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I’d gotten so out of hand.” She apologized.
    “No apologies needed.” He said kindly.
    For the first time with a clear mind, Melissa looked at him. He was surely handsome. A strong face, he looked the part of a gentleman. Hazel eyes showed sympathy and kindness. Melissa had to stop herself from grinning as he tried to discreetly scratch his boyish nose. Taking a deep breath, she brushed herself off and stood up straight, preparing to (quite literally) face the music inside. Kevin understood that she intended to head back inside the tent. He offered her his arm.
    Once they were inside, Melissa hesitantly accepted Kevin’s offer to dance. Along with being handsome, Kevin was also quite the dancer. Or at least, he seemed to take a liking to the music, as he easily moved with the rhythm of the swing. Melissa found herself laughing, having fun, and dancing along with the music. As she laughed, she looked up and saw that Kevin’s eyes glinted with happiness.
    Six years later, Melissa was walking down the aisle of the church, wearing her mother’s wedding dress, as she had always imagined doing. However, this time, there was a different man standing at the altar. Almost the entire town was in attendance. Though James was missed dearly, everyone quickly took a liking to Kevin. Even more so, the town fell in love with the couple’s story. It was one of second chances.
   

Melissa wrote There are no words for how much I loved this one-shot. Well, coherent ones, anyway. A;DLFKHA;SGLAHSD;GAHERIOUQOFKLNVAIOFALS!!!!!!!!!!!! REN! GAH! I LOVE YOU! This was absolutely incredible, it literally took my breath away. I can't even explain. I'm so honored to be in this fic, and I just...AHH! It's so amazing. Seriously. I'm going to be rereading this for MONTHS. Thank you so much! : )

XD I'm glad you loved it. :) I'm also grateful that you let me toy with you like a little puppet as my character. :P I am sooo kidding because that sounded REALLY creepy. :D And you deserve it because you are awesome. Simple as that. :)

<3 Ren <3

BRILLIANT!! (in the Grinch's voice =D) no seriously, besides saying awwwwwwwww!!! out loud, i randomly had the grinch's voice going BRILLIANT in my head. way weird. lol. but very appropriate.
I loved it, you're an amazing writer.

~Belles <3

Belles Archive

wicked_cool wrote BRILLIANT!! (in the Grinch's voice =D) no seriously, besides saying awwwwwwwww!!! out loud, i randomly had the grinch's voice going BRILLIANT in my head. way weird. lol. but very appropriate. I loved it, you're an amazing writer. ~Belles <3

Wow......! :D I really feel so flattered to hear that from someone so AMAZINGLY PERFECT. Really though, thank you! And I <3 the Grinch reference. 'Tis love.

<3 Ren <3

Ashley [[is awestruck.]] wrote okay, WHO writes KILLER AU??? yeah, that'd be you. oh wow. ren, this was just so beautiful. really, no words can describe its brilliance. i feel so stupid for leaving this comment, but i can't think of anything to say, stupid or amazing. just, ughhh, this was gold. perfection.

No.........um that'd be you, little miss "Beyond the Mask of Perfection" authress.

But I'm glad you enjoyed it. :D And haha, like your comments could get any more retarded than mine.  :P

:D I'm flattered, this coming from the queen of AU. Love ya, Ash!

<3 Ren <3