Disclaimer: So sue me… I don't care. They're not mine and never will be

Word count: 506

A/N: O my... I actually uploaded another chapter within 24 hours... the apocalypse shall now happen... FLEE FOR YOU LIVES... anyhow, back to the story.

Chapter 2: Fears

Characters: Alanna & George

"I can see you're sad, even when you smile, even when you laugh, I can see it in your eyes, deep inside you want to cry cause you're scared"

A scream was wrenched from her vocal chords, forcing the woman awake from a deep sleep. Her violet eyes blazed in the darkness, a pale hand wrapping itself around the ember necklace she never took off. The stench of blood lingered in her nose, causing the woman to shudder, sweat dotting her face.

The inside of the tent was cold and her body steamed with the nightmare's sweat. A flicker of red caught her attention, lifting her dark gaze upward. She had let her auburn hair grow out in the past month, enough so that her bangs could tickle her nose. Desperately, she fixed her gaze on the individual strands, fighting the images that assaulted her brain.

Liam's face flashed in her mind, bloodied but at peace in his death. His muscled body was covered by his bloodstained shirt, the wounds invisible beneath. She traced her fingers over the six arrows that had killed the Shang Dragon, startled as they trembled. Faithful's body came next, followed by Thom's.

The sight of Thom's lifeless face had been her undoing, her wakening fear. She was afraid of her Gift when they were kids and she was just as afraid of it now. It had not been a savior to her twin and she had watched the power-hungry grab for the most horrible spells—even Jon.

She jumped when a hand touched her shoulder, stifling the scream. "Alanna?" George's voice calmed her despite the worry that was laced in his question. She turned to the hand as it moved up to caress her cheek, closing her eyes in the predawn light. A calloused finger swept away a tear from her cheek—one that she had not noticed until its heat had been removed.

"The coronation ceremony." The three words were enough for George who pulled the redhead close, sighing softly. He pressed his lips to the top of her head, stroking her hair and back comfortingly. "That's what the Tribe told me. They've heard you scream the past month and you've been worrying them sick. In spite of your attempts to be "normal" they aren't fooled. I'm not fooled."

Alanna sighed, resting her forehead on his shoulder with a shuddering sigh. "I tried. I even talked with the Wildcat when she came, but nothing seems to work. I find it amusing actually. The Lioness is supposed to never show emotion and look at me now."

She relaxed against him, letting her body conform to his wiry length in a way she had not before. As George murmured softly, she let her mind wander, wondering why she loved him and why she had been willing to settle down for him and him alone. The answer, when she finally came to it, was simple. She trusted him—trusted him with her fears, her past, her future. And most of all she trusted that he would be there to keep her sane, to see through her self-defenses and help her deal with each challenge. After all, isn't that what husbands are for?

A/N: 0-o