Archive of Our Own ^beta

Marjorie gratefully takes Heron’s hand as he holds it out to her, his grip unfailing as she steps from the little tug boat onto the harbour steps, the white silk of her dress trailing across the seaweed and little barnacles attached to them. She gracefully continues up the steps, coming to a standstill behind Gus March-Phillips and Richard Heron as the rest of the men clamber off the boat behind her and join them. 

A quiet noise reaches her ears over the sound of the military prison van trundling towards them and she turns to see Apple hugging Haysey tight against his chest, one hand protectively over the back of his head and the other around his shoulders. Marjorie smiles as she spots the young Irishman clutching Apple’s shirt just as tightly, murmuring something quietly into the space between them and Gus makes a happy noise to her right, pride and something else, something private, radiating off him as he watches Haysey be fussed over by their second in command. 

Anders and Freddy keep a polite distance as they peer around them, Freddy giving the prison van such a disparaging look that it makes Marjorie laugh out loud. Freddy grins at the sound of her laughter and nudges Anders with his elbow, leaning up to continue a previous conversation, hands waving wildly in the air. Gus nods once at all of them as the prison guards walk over, attempting to use their body language to be threatening but none of them pay any attention to them, too concerned with their own injured soldier to care for intimidation tactics. Marjorie turns her best unimpressed look on the closest prison guard and he pauses as he reaches out to try and shove her into the back of the van alongside everyone else. 

She makes a show of hiking her skirts to climb in and nobody misses Gus’s sarcastic snort at the guard’s reactions, eyes going wide at her legs suddenly on display. Apple still has an arm around Haysey’s shoulder and he growls softly as the other guard tries to separate them. Haysey murmurs something under his breath, whatever it is enough to calm Apple slightly and they slide in opposite Gus, Marjorie and Heron, Anders and Freddy taking the final two spaces on either side of the van. The doors slam shut once they’re all seated and the van begins moving almost immediately, jostling them all into each other’s shoulders. 

Haysey makes a quiet hissing noise between his teeth and Marjorie gives him a sharp look, worried for the state of his shoulder but he reassures her with a short nod, curling up under Apple’s arm once more as he tucks his bad shoulder into the safety of Apple’s chest. Freddy keeps a warm and steadying hand on the young man’s thigh as they wobble about and Heron copies him, steadying Marjorie gently and she pats his hand once in thanks before curling the pilfered blanket tighter around her own shoulders. 

Thankfully the journey is short and the van doors are thrown open with a bang that makes them all turn and glare outwards. The guard goes sheepish and then remembers his duty, ushering them out with a sharp glare of his own. Anders goes first, unintentionally intimidating him with his sheer size and everyone else follows, Apple still protectively curling his arm around their youngest. The guard tries to split them up but Apple simply stands his ground and gives the guard his best “I am a Superior officer” look. Gus snorts again, fondly remembering the last time Apple pulled the same face and got the same reaction he does now - the guard shuffling awkwardly away and back to his spot outside the prison doors. 

Marjorie leans to one side and nudges Gus with her shoulder. 

“You’re really quite proud aren’t you?”

Gus gives her a smirk but says nothing in reply, the pride practically radiating off him, eyes fixed on Apple and Haysey. Marjorie gives a quiet giggle and nudges Gus once more.

“I wasn’t on about young Henry, Gus. I was on about Apple.”

Gus goes silent beside her, cheeks reddening slightly and Marjorie laughs again, winking across at Haysey as he peers curiously at them both over Apple’s shoulder. Haysey spots Gus’s expression and grins, tucking himself back against Apple as Anders slows down to speak to them both. 

“What are English prisons like? I have never been in one before.”

“Pretty boring, old chap.” Apple replies with a forced nonchalance as Haysey rolls his eyes. 

“Doubly boring cos you’re stuck with the English,” he jokes softly, nudging Apple jokingly as he stands up and eyes the prison warden waiting for them. 

Anders makes a soft noise and looks around again, understanding exactly what Haysey is suggesting as Freddy reaches the warden first, tapping his foot impatiently as he makes a show of waiting for the others to catch up.

The warden begins speaking, his monotonous tone making even Heron roll his eyes. 

“3 square meals a day. 2 to a cell. Regular exercise twice daily. And you will remove your clothing to wear the regulated prison uniforms!”

Another two officers step up, one man and one woman and Marjorie nods to herself, unseen by everyone but Heron. At least she gets some fair treatment in this awful, drab Military Prison. She also doesn’t miss the way Apple slides his arm from around Haysey’s shoulder and takes one tiny step back to stand just in front of Gus, the hand in his other pocket sliding out to brush against Gus’s own free hand behind his back and unseen by anyone but herself. 

She hides a fond smile with a quick glance down to the floor and nobody seems any wiser to it once she looks back up, eyes tracking the way Freddy has started to fidget where he stands, clearly drawing everyone’s attention to himself. The warden gives them one final look and dismisses them to get changed in the little room off to the left hand side. Gus and Apple both turn to her and nod as if to say “you can go first, we’ll wait” and Marjorie smiles at them both, striding into the changing room with as much self respect as she can muster at the current moment. The female officer holds out a hand for the blanket and apologetically murmurs something towards Marjorie, face stiff with no expression. 

It’s only once she’s started undressing that she works it out. 

“I have to make sure you’re not hiding any weapons.”

Marjorie shrugs again and strips down, watching the officer from the corner of her eye. With an almost invisible nod, the officer's eyes stray up to the ceiling and Marjorie dresses in a hurry, the cold of the room curling around her hips, thighs and shoulders and chilling her more than the journey home in the cold, damp cell of the HMS Violet ever did. Once she’s dressed, Marjorie makes a show of clearing her throat, obediently following the officer back into the main entryway. The boys all traipse past her, Heron offering her a wry smile as she sits down off to the side to wait for them to change. 

The sound of them talking quietly cheers her up immensely, taking her mind off their rather perilous situation and she daydreams as she waits, zoning back in as Apple and Anders come out of the room first, whispering between themselves quietly. 

“You take care of him, Lassen. Otherwise you’ll have more than me to answer to.”

“You have my word, Apple. Myself and Freddy will keep Henry safe.” 

Anders uses his most quiet and serious voice as he replies and Marjorie knows he truly means it. In the short time she’s known him, Anders Lassen only ever uses that voice when he’s being truly genuine. She smiles again as Heron joins her, offering his hand for her to stand and the warden scoffs quietly from where he stands. 

“Move along now! Cells 5 to 8. Block 4!”

They all dutifully follow the warden as he leads the way, striding ahead with his nose in the air and Marjorie stifles a sigh, deciding to assess the prison instead of sulking for the time being. All she sees is row upon row of prison doors and it sucks the hope from her heart almost instantly. Heron turns as if he can sense her feelings and offers his best reassuring smile, cheering her up just the smallest amount. 

The warden slows as they reach block 4 and they carry on walking towards cells 5 to 8. Marjorie begins wondering who’ll split with who just as Heron curls his hand around her wrist, gently tugging her into his side as Gus sidles up to stand behind Apple, their broad shoulders not quite blocking out Hayes being tugged into Freddy’s side with a steady hand. 

Marjorie offers her best reassuring smile to Hayes as the warden unceremoniously thrusts open each of the cell doors and practically shoves them inside, irritation clearly written across his face as he deals with the 7 of them. Gus and Apple linger long enough to make sure Hayes is safely into the cell with Anders and Freddy before they walk into their own, making a show of appearing unbothered by the stark white walls and thinly upholstered bedding. 

The warden makes another irritated noise and loudly bangs the doors shut, the sound of the keys jangling and locks clicking on each door far too loud for any of their liking. Anders begins whistling, loudly enough for it to carry through the little barred air vents above each door and Marjorie shares a look with Heron, both of them clearly aware that he’s doing this for more than Haysey’s benefit. Gus joins in soon after and she can almost sense the way Apple will be rolling his eyes at his antics, moving across the cell to sit at Heron’s side. 

Perhaps the next few weeks in these cells won’t be all bad, she muses thoughtfully, the warmth of Heron’s arm seeping into the fabric of her own and distracting her from the odd tune Gus has begun loudly humming in the cell next door as Anders moves onto a rather loud and off key rendition of a Danish hunting song she’s heard him sing once before.