Mere moments of safety.

Rain's POV-

Danielle slipped her arms around my waist and held me close. Only she knew just how badly our fight in the Hive had affected me, only she understood just how I felt every time I picked up a gun. How defenceless I now felt. But I would protect my woman at any cost.

I looked down into her young, bright face, empty of worries; as, for the moment, she felt completely safe. Her blue eyes sparkled as she smiled up at me, her cheeks pinkening from the fierce wind.

"Hey." She said softly, resting her head against my shoulder. "Are you okay, Rain?"

I looked into those trusting eyes for a moment then nodded. I knew I shouldn't burden her.

She smiled ruefully. "I do know you're lying. Please tell the truth." Her time in the Hive had changed the way she spoke and sometimes, when stressed, she slipped back into the polite, old fashioned way of structuring her sentences.

"Calm down." I mumbled, slipping my hand into hers.

"Then, please, tell me." She said, more sincerely now, the happiness slowly slipping from her face.

"How can you still love me?" I said in a rush, looking away from her as soon as the words left my mouth.

She laughed. "How can I not?" Then. "Why, would I not love you?"

"Because, I let my team die." I said hoarsely. "I couldn't help them, how can I protect you?"

"That isn't actually your job, honey." She said smoothly. "But you do it oh so well anyway."

"I love you; of course I protect you."

"Then, why do you no longer share my bed? Why do you sleep alone, if you claim you still love me, why remove yourself from my company so often? Why do you not look me in the eye?"

It took me a few moments to process what she had said and change it to a normal way of speaking. She would start saying thou and thee soon. "I'm ashamed." I admitted. "I feel inadequate. You don't deserve someone who's inadequate."

"Do I not get to decide that myself. For, I love you deeply, Rain, I loved you long before you took my hand."

I could remember that day, even though it was almost 18 months ago and so much had happened since. "No, you can't decide. You are blinded and you can't see me for me right now."

"So, everyone is blinded?" She said tersely. "Every one of your friends has this sudden blindness. They all fret for you, Rain. All of them."

I looked long and hard at the teen that stood in front of me, her hand resting lazily on her automatic Glock handgun. Standard state issue for American police forces. She had several; she had stolen them while we were running. "I stole some tablets from the Hive. I know they work. They make you forget the biggest thing in your life. You should take two, and forget about us."

A saw a tear well in her eye but she brushed it away. "You know you once said that we were a match made in Heaven. We weren't. I was your match made in the Hive. You would do well to remember that" And with that she walked away.