"Silver Bells, Christmas Lights, and Angel Wings"
By: The Angelic Temptress
Disclaimer: None of the borrowed characters are mine. Those people who created the show and its stars own them, but they don't know how to "truly" use them to their full potential…
Rating: PG-13, I hope.
Spoilers: Through "Wake the Dead"
3
"Hello? Are you listening?"
John snapped from his fazed-out state and tried to center on Mari. His mind was wondering off… "Yeah. What did you say?"
"I said you look a little distracted." The dark-skinned woman glanced in the bar's direction and slightly narrowed her unique eyes.
He couldn't help wincing. "It's not what you think."
"Do you need another beer? You've been taking a glimpse of the bar every few seconds. Do you want me to get you a shot of scotch?"
"Mari…"
She offered that faintly wicked smile she would wear when she'd go into battle, and she strode off in Shayera's direction.
"Please don't do anything stupid, Mari."
VV
Shy swallowed her second shot of bourbon and ran a hand through her hair. She wasn't drunk and wouldn't be at this rate. She was Thanagarian, and Thanagarians were the toughest drinkers on their side of the universe…
"Another glass of red wine, please." The woman took a seat beside the hawk woman and sent a look that Shayera couldn't read.
She decided not to say a word.
"I never did get the chance to formally thank you for saving my life that night with Grundy; if it hadn't been for you, he would've broken my back for sure."
"Anyone would have done the same."
Mari nodded and thanked Zatana when the filled glass was placed before her. She sipped her wine and seemed to enjoy the sensation she received as it slid down her throat. "So, what do you do in your spare time?"
"I read."
"I remember Diana telling me you were a master at chess. John's not really good at it. I figured you would have taught him a few of your strategies."
Shayera discreetly clenched her teeth. "He's not that bad. After all, he was a soldier."
Mari nodded and smoothly remarked, "Ah, that's something you both have in common."
She let the comment slide and didn't respond. Shayera wasn't one for comebacks anymore.
"What are you doing here anyway?"
"I came because I was invited, like you and the rest –"
"You misunderstood." Mari turned in her seat and crossed her legs, grazing Shy's hip with her right knee. "I mean, what are you doing here, pretending to be a hero?"
Her jaw almost dropped.
"You don't belong, and you know it. Honey, things have changed since you left them. Things have changed because you left them."
"I didn't mean for any of them to get hurt."
"Really? Somehow, I doubt that."
"You couldn't possibly begin to understand."
"Try me," Mari dared and sipped her wine again. "Looks can be deceiving, you know. You're living proof."
"Please, just leave me alone. I'm not a threat to the League. Not anymore." Suddenly, a glimmer of realization lit Shayera's mind. "But this isn't about the League, is it?"
Mari chuckled. "Great job, Pretty Polly. Took you long enough." Mari leaned in to whisper in Shayera's ear. "You stay away from John. I don't want you hurting him again; he doesn't need to rip open scar tissue, and I couldn't stand to see him aching again."
Shy licked her lips and stood from her stool. Without responding to Vixen's demands, Shayera started for the door, heading for the teleportation room.
Someone grabbed her arm.
"Let go," she softly pleaded as he turned her to face him. His green eyes gazed into hers without waver, and she could feel her insides trembling.
"Where are you going?"
"Back to my room. I don't want to stay here any longer." She ripped free of his hold and rubbed her elbow.
"Are you okay?"
Her wet eyes studied his strong features, memorizing every single worry line. She shook her head in disbelief. "Why don't you forget about me, John?"
"Forget? What did Mari say?"
"Nothing I haven't already thought of." She could feel her mascara bleeding and wiped a tear away. "This was a bad idea. I should have stayed with the Fates."
Before she could whirl around on her stiletto boot, he took hold of her arm again. "You're not going anywhere. We need to talk."
"Let me go, John, or I swear I'll make you."
"We need to talk."
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Shayera screamed and once again broke away from his grip. This time, the entire room went silent. Only Dean Martin's rendition of "Baby it's Cold Outside" was heard.
She wished she could keel over right there.
Before he could utter anything at all, she ran from the party room without hesitation.
VV
"Let her go," the Green Arrow recommended and placed a hand on John's shoulder. "She needs some air. Give her some time to calm down."
"Right." John walked away from the blonde man and straight for the bar. "What did you say to her?"
Mari shrugged. "Nothing."
"Please," Zatana added. "You tried to tear whatever spirit she had left."
Mari glared at the brunette. "Jesus. Just because you're favored by Batman doesn't mean you need to give your opinion every time someone has a disagreement."
The magician rolled her eyes. "Just because you're sleeping with Lantern doesn't mean you have to rub it in her face."
"You said we were sleeping together?" John asked, eyes getting severely narrow.
"No, but I suppose she could have come to that conclusion if she chose to."
He shook his head. "I thought you were above all that." John swallowed hard and noted how much Mari reminded him of Katma. It all made sense. "I didn't want to hurt you, Mari, but that doesn't give you the right to –"
"Tell a traitor to keep her gritty white hands off of you? Don't you see that I didn't want YOU to get hurt, John? I saw you when I first started here; you were broken. She had shredded your soul, and now that you're finally better, you want to swim back into her perilous waters?
"Is she really worth that much? What did she do to you? Why can't you think straight?"
"Because I love her, Mari. That's why she matters. That's why I CAN'T think 'straight.' She was the one who wouldn't give up on me when I had already given up on myself, and I'm not about to desert her, especially when she needs me most."
"You're crazier than I thought."
"Well, love makes you do crazy things."