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Fitting Together	By : Christina730 Category: Titles in the Public Domain > The Secret Garden Views: 6375 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This is a work fiction, based on The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Chapter List
- 1-Fitting Together
- 1
Disclaimer: I own nothing…I do not know who it does belong to…but it is not I ;)

Rating: Eventually NC-17. But we’ll come to that, (no pun intended)

Twelve-almost-thirteen years old Mary pushed the fork into the earth. She loved the feel of it sinking into the ground. Whenever she sat in the garden, she felt connected. Connected to everything. She lifted her head to smile at the boy opposite her. Almost as though he knew that she was going to do it, he lifted his head and smiled back at her.

Then again, in a way, maybe he had known that she was going to do it, because Dickon was connected too. Connected to her, they were connected to each other.

She sat back on her heels and sighed contentedly. Almost spring, the best time of year in her opinion and she knew it was the best time of the year in Dickon’s opinion as well. Her pausing in work made Dickon look up, “Y’ right lass?”

She smiled and nodded, “Yes. Just thinking.”

“Wha’ about?”

She grinned, “You, me, here, the garden.”

He nodded, running a finger down the head of the crow on his shoulder. He moved around and sat next to her, leaning back against a tree, “Y’ happy?”

She turned and faced him, thinking about how different things were now. Even she was different. She had been at Misselthwaite almost three years now. Three summers, three autumns, three winters and this would be her third spring. When she registered that he had asked her a question it took her another second to answer, “Oh…yes. I am happy. Happier than I’ve ever been.”

It was rare for them to talk about these things. They did not hide anything from each other, it was just that they hardly ever felt the need to vocalise their thoughts, they knew each other well enough. Mary placed a hand on his arm, “I don’t know if I’ve ever really said this before. I don’t think that I have. Probably because when I first realised, I didn’t care enough to say. And when I cared enough to say…well, I just wanted to tell you that,” she paused, not exactly sure how to say what she wanted to say to him, “I want to thank you. There are a lot of reasons I changed and you’re the main one.”

He touched the hand she had rested on his arm, “No lass. Y’ changed yousen. I just showed y’ how.”

Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t know why. She just felt so grateful, for everything, but especially for Dickon. Without thinking, she leant forward and pressed her lips to his cheek.

Before she quite registered what was happening, he touched her face and touched his lips to hers. Mary had never been kissed before of course. But she’d wondered what it was like, she didn’t think it would be like this. This was amazing. As soon as it had begun, it ended.

He pulled away from Mary who had touched a hand to the side of his face, “Stop lass, we shunt do this.”

Mary looked a little dazed, “But…why?”

He put his hands on her shoulders, “Y’ know we shunt.”

She shook her head as though to clear it. She wasn’t sure exactly where the kiss had come from. She had never thought about Dickon romantically before; she hadn’t thought of anyone romantically before. She didn’t really have any knowledge or experience in this kind of thing beyond what she’d read in books ir unr uncle’s library and that was…some. However, as soon as she felt the warmth of his lips on hers, she knew that it was right. She knew that whatever Dickon said, they should do this. It felt so…right.

“I don’t know that we shouldn’t. Why shouldn’t we?” Then she flushed, “Do you not…like…”

He shook his head and cut her off, “Nae lass. But y’ have to trust me. This is not right. You’re only young an I shunt take advantage.”

She smiled, “You wouldn’t be.”

He didn’t smile back, “We mustn’”

Mary felt her eyes fill with tears. He didn’t want her. Then she forced her head to nod. It would be okay. As long as… “Are we still friends?”

He smiled then, “Nunthin’ll ever change that lass.”

Dickon was smiling. Mary turned away and carried on with her work. He continued his.

Mary hunched her shoulders and carried on working.

* * *

Five Years Later

“Ah, Dickon. Come in, sit down.”

Dickon closed the door behind him, walked towards the high-backed chair near the fire. “Thank’ ye’ sir.”

Dickon had been in Lord Craven’s employ since he was sixteen years old. Lord Craven had noticed his skill with animals and all elements of the garden early on. He had always intended to employ Dickon anyway, but more as a favour to the family he respected than anything else. As it was, he was happy to do it. Now he smiled over his glasses, a recent acquisition to accommodate his aging. “I have a somewhat unusual job for you Dickon. As you know, Miss Lennox returns from her tour of Europe in just under two weeks. Master Craven has asked to go and collect her from Plymouth. Of course Mrs Medlock will be joining them. I had hoped that you would not be opposed to be accompanying them. Mrs Medlock I am sure could use the help and it is always advantageous to have a man along. For safety more than anything.”

Dickon nodded, he couldn’t have agreed more. Travelling was not particularly safe and he would be very happy to go. Especially with them having to go through London, “Course sir.”

Lord Craven smiled, “Thank you. It should take about three days to get down to Plymouth and three to get back. There has been some suggestion of spending an extra day in London, as Mary mentioned in her last letter that she might need to make some purchases. I am not sure that will happen, but we shall see.”

Dickon nodded, “Yes sir.”

“Well thank you Dickon. You will be leaving in ten days Mrs Medlock should be able to answer any questions you may have.”

Dickon took that as his cue to leave. He stood, inclined his head and exited the room.

* * *

Dickon closed the door behind him. His hand clutched at the wall to try to stop his knees from buckling. Mary. He hadn’t seen her in almost a year. As part of her education, Lord Craven had sent her travelling for a year in Europe. His first and very selfish thought had been that it would only highlight for her, how little there was of the real world here in Yorkshire on the moors…here with him.

He started to walk towards the kitchens, vaguely thinking of finding Martha. He couldn’t believe that he was finally going to get to see her again. He had missed her. However, every time he had become aware of how much he was missing her, he had tried to forget it. He was never going to have the chance to be with her. She was in such a different…everything to him. Yet…he could not stop thinking about her. He had never been able to not think about her, ever since he had known her. In fact he had liked her even before her knew her. Ever since, he had heard about her from Martha. A slight smile lit his face. No matter whether they could be together or not, for the first time in almost a year, he was going to see her.

In all probability, she was going to marry someone rich. She had been given a substantial dowry by her uncle, very substantial dowry. Lord Craven loved her as a daughter; he wanted the best for her. Moreover, despite how he seemed to like Dickon and his family, Dickon had no illusions about his lack of suitability for Mary.

Another thought crept into his mind, one that whenever it came he tried to force down. There was a possibility that Mary was intended for Colin. Marriages between cousins were common and it was a definite possibility that this was the plan for Mary’s life. Dickon swallowed hard as he tried to imagine how hard and painful it would be for him to see Mary and Colin married.

He realised that he was not going to be able to push down the thought right then. He needed to be alone. Turning on his heels he headed for his home. It was a small two-roomed cottage. Right in the centre of the garden.

* * *

Twelve-almost-thirteen years old Mary pushed the fork into the earth. Dickon watched the joy evident on her face as she worked. As though she felt his eyes on her she lifted her head an smiled, and he smiled back at her.

Maybe she had felt his eyes. They were connected to each other.

Mary sat back on her heels and sighed contentedly. She seems to be in a good mood, and she had a happy smile on her face. “Y’ right lass?”

She smiled and nodded, “Yes. Just thinking.”

“Wha’ about?”

She grinned, “You, me, here, the garden.”

He nodded, running a finger down the head of the crow on his shoulder. He moved around and sat next to her, leaning back against a tree, “Y’ happy?”

She seemed to pause before answering and he could see behind her eyes, a million thoughts going round in her head so he didn’t rush her. When she realised that she hadn’t replied, she seemed to jolt back to reality, “Oh…yes. I’m happy. Happier than I’ve ever been.”

It was rare for them to talk about these things. They didn’t hide anything from each other, it was just that they hardly ever felt the need to vocalise their thoughts, they knew each other well enough. Mary placed a hand on his arm, “I don’t know if I’ve ever really said this before. I don’t think that I have. Probably because when I first realised, I didn’t care enough to say. And when I cared enough to say…well, I just wanted to tell you that,” she paused, not exactly sure how to say what she wanted to say to him, “I want to thank you. There are a lot of reasons I changed and you’re the main one.”

His whole arm felt warm. He touched the hand she had rested on his arm, “No lass. Y’ changed yousen. I just showed y’ how.”

He could see she was tearing slightly, but he never expected what she did next. She leant forwards and kissed his cheek. He had never dreamed that she would do anything like that. It felt so…good. He was not a child anymore. He was not ignorant of what he felt towards Mary. He knew exactly what he wanted to happen between them. Not just then of course. She was still too young. Eventually, he knew that he wanted from her

He felt as thought there were two very strong parts of him warring. Part of him leapt for joy. And it was that part that turned is head to face her, he touched a hand to her cheek and she smiled into his face as he moved to kiss her very gently. He only just managed to keep himself from gasping at the feel of her lips on his. Instead, he sighed into the kiss. Then, the rational part of his mind began to yell loudly over the cloud of pleasure that filled his head. God, she’s twelve years old! You are fifteen and you should know better than this! Stop it right now!

Then just as suddenly the warring emotions in his head began to argue.

She is almost thirteen!
But she’s not thirteen yet she’s twelve, and even thirteen is too young to feel about her as you do!
You cannot help how you feel!
You have to try to help how you feel. This is not right. The two of you are not meant to be together.
Maybe we are meant to be together.
Really? You don’t think that she deserves better. Better than the nothing, you can offer her?

That thought penetrated his conscious and he pulled away from Mary who had touched a hand to the side of his face, “Stop lass, we shunt do this.”

Mary looked a little dazed, “But…why?”

He put his hands on her shoulders, “Y’ know we shunt.”

“I don’t know that we shouldn’t. Why shouldn’t we?” Then she flushed, “Do you not…like…”

He shook his head and cut her off, “Nae lass. But y’ have to trust me. This is not right. You’re only young an I shunt take advantage.”

She smiled, “You wouldn’t be.”

He didn’t smile back, “We mustn’”

Mary felt her eyes fill with tears, “Are we still friends?”

He smiled then, “Nunthin’ll ever change that lass.”

Dickon was smiling but another part of him was yelling. This was not fair. He had just lost any chance he might ever have had, and he hadn’t thought the chance was very good. Now even that was gone. He was about to open his mouth and say that he was wrong, that he was sorry. However, before he had a chance, Mary turned away and carried on with her work. He was left with no choice but to continue his.

Mary hunched her shoulders and carried on working.

***

Mary was sat on the swing as he pushed her. It was spring. A beautiful spring this year. Sometimes some of the flowers were damaged be a late frost, this year; the weather had been warm but not too hot, just perfect in fact. Well, almost perfect. Mary was quiet today. It was just the two of them in the garden. Colin joined them most of the time but he was in lessons today. He was being taught to hunt, and those lessons could only take place in spring.

After a few moments, Dickon saw Mary take a deep breath. If he had been Colin, he would have been nagging her to tell him what was wrong. As it was, Dickon knew what Mary needed. She needed to tell him in her own time. And she did, “Uncle told me today that he has something planned for the next year to further my education.”

Dickon let out the breath he was holding. had had been worried that it would be something worse. Mary had never been happy about the schedule that had been set for her by her uncle. He had worked hard to turn her into an educated woman and Dickon knew that whatever he had come up with this time, Mary would probably not be happy about it. “Somethin’ the matter lass?”

Before he realised what was happening he heard a slight sniffle and he stopped pushing the swing. He stilled it. He moved round to the front of the swing and squatted down. After hesitating for a moment, he took one of her hands in his. In all the years that he had known Mary he had only seen he cry once, when Soot had died. “Tell me lass.”

Her eyes met his and his stomach clenched at the sight of her crying, “I’m to go away for a year. Uncle says it is good for young women to see something of the world. He wants me to see Europe. It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, or that there aren’t plenty of things in the world that I want to see. It’s just I don’t want to leave…” her eyes met his briefly and then she blushed, “here.”

Dickon felt as though he was going to pass out. Mary was going away. She was leaving Misselthwaite. Mary was going away. She was leaving Misselthwaite. Mary was going away. She was leaving Misselthwaite. Mary was going away. She was leaving Misselthwaite. Mary was going away. She was leaving Misselthwaite.

Not only that, for a second he had sur sure that she was going to say that she didn’t want to leave him. He knew that she probably wasn’t going to say that, but it was pretty obvious that she was sad about leaving here and he was a part of her life here. And he knew on some level, whether he would admit it to himself or not. That she would miss him as well.

Mary gripped his hand tighter, “I…just don’t want to go without telling…I need to…” Her voice hitched as they heard the door to the garden open.

Colin came in making a lot of noise as was customary with his arrival. He was not the same as them. They could sit for hours in the garden just enjoying the quiet. It was as though; his years alone in his room had filled his quota on being quiet so they did not begrudge him his noise.

Dickon never had, but at that moment, he would have given everything for Colin not to come in for another five minutes.

* * *

Dickon jerked upright in bed. He was shaking. He had been shaking the day that she had told him she was leaving. Apparently, the memory was enough to make him shake too. He had felt as though his heart was going to physically break that day. Now…he was going to see her again. He smiled. No matter whether anything ever happened between them. He was still gong to get to see her again.
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Fitting Together