Title: Learning To Hunt
Chapter: Section 19
Fandom: The Tribe
Author: PinkTribeChick
Summary: Sometimes, love is just right under your nose . . .
Extended Summary: An alternate-universe Series 4 romance story, from the point of view of Pride, Jack, and an original female character.
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Jack-Original Female Fiction Character, Pride-Original Female Fiction Character, Jack-Ellie, and Bray-Amber, with a few mentions of other pairings.
Author's Notes: Massive thanks to Ariannya and Whit for their thoughts and proofreading on various sections over the years! Enjoy, and please review! Feedback is much appreciated!
Disclaimer: All characters, situations, and song lyrics remain the property of their respective owners. Any original characters are sole property of me, PinkTribeChick.
Learning To Hunt
Section 19
"Liliana . . . Liliana . . . ," the voice called to her from out of the darkness once again. Liliana turned around and around, searching for the source of the sound, but not finding it. It didn't really matter. She knew who the voice belonged to already.
"Mother . . . ," Liliana called out irritably. She rubbed her arms slightly, trying to warm up as a cool breeze swept by her. "Go away!"
"Lili . . . you have to listen to me," her mother said. Her voice was all around Liliana, echoing through the black void.
"No! I don't!" Liliana snapped angrily. "You lost the right to tell me what to do when you shipped me off to Ge-ge's like I was a leper! You abandoned me when I needed you and Dad the most! You made me miserable, you know that? And I'm finally happy again! So leave me alone!"
"Sweetheart," her mother's tone was firm and loud now. "You have to tell him the truth. And soon."
"Who? I have to tell who the truth? Pride? Jack? Your grandson?" Liliana shouted. "You're being too vague for me, Mother. But then - what else is new?!" The sound of laughter rippled through the darkness, and Liliana spun around, trying to see its source.
"You know exactly who I'm talking about, Liliana Sabienne," her mother replied sternly. "Stop being so stubborn about it. It's not doing you or Samuel any good." Liliana's eyes narrowed hatefully. These dreams, or more correctly nightmares, were becoming like an annoying canker sore.
"GO AWAY!" she snarled. "Just . . . go . . . away . . ." She spun around several times, arms out wide, screaming at the darkness, but no sound coming out.
Liliana sat up in bed, breathing heavily and heart racing. She ran her hands through her hair and looked around the room anxiously. It was barely dawn, so it was still dark outside. The rain had finally let up, and she could hear it drip-dropping from the roof outside. She looked over to see Jack laying beside her, asleep. Smiling, she lay back down and snuggled up close to him. He mumbled a little and put an arm around her as he stirred, looking at her.
"Morning," he said softly with a smile. He gently traced the curves of her face with his finger. Liliana leaned forward and kissed him gently.
"Not quite morning yet. It's barely even dawn," she replied. He gave a sleepy laugh, pulling her closer to him. She rested her head on his chest.
"Sleep well?" he asked as she listened to the perfect rhythm of his heartbeat. Thinking about the dream she'd just had before answering, she decided it was probably best not to mention it until she figured out what it meant.
"Yeah, I slept really well. For the first time in weeks," she lied casually. "Must have been cause I had you here beside me, keeping me safe." Jack blushed, smiling again.
"Maybe . . . ," he responded softly. A child's cries could be heard from down the hallway. Liliana immediately recognized them as her son's and slowly sat up with a groan. She looked over at Jack, smiling.
"I'll make you a deal. You go get him and bring him back in here, get him dressed. And I'll go make the three of us some breakfast, and we can have a picnic in here. I can tell you all about Samuel and I while we eat? How does that sound?" Liliana suggested.
"Sounds good to me," he said with a grin, sitting up and giving her a kiss on the cheek before starting to get dressed. Liliana grabbed her nightgown from off the floor, where it had been carelessly thrown last night in the heat of passion and pulled it over her head. Standing up, she walked over to the door and opened it, stepping out into the hallway. "Liliana?" She stopped, and poking her head back into the doorway, looked at Jack.
"Yeah, Jack?" She raised an eyebrow in amusement as he turned red, stuttering as he tried to speak. He'd been fine up until now. She couldn't help wondering what suddenly made him so nervous.
"Well . . . um . . . I just . . . well . . . uh . . . I wanted to say that . . . the thing is . . . ," he began as Samuel screamed a little louder down the hallway. "I . . . uh . . . think . . . I think . . . I . . . uh . . . you know . . . love you . . ." He looked down at his hands as he fidgeted with his pajama pants leg, turning even redder than before, if that was even possible. Liliana had to stifled a laugh from the hilarity of his discomfort - it was just too cute. Trying to keep a straight face, she replied.
"I love you, too, Jack," she said before exiting the room again. Looking up at the empty doorway in amazement, Jack grinned goofily.
As Liliana stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her, Pride stepped out of his room at the same time. Their eyes met momentarily, and Pride's expression turned from one of disgust (at what Liliana didn't know) to total sadness. Liliana looked at him quizzically, not really sure what to say or if even to say hello at all.
Her dream and the words of her mother still rung clearly in her head and ears. She'd known exactly who her mother had been talking about. She could see it in his eyes, something there that hadn't been there previously. Hurt. But how . . . why? There was something else there in his eyes as well . . . a tenderness . . . an emotion opposite the anger she could see he was feeling . . . but could it be, after all this time? Pride averted his gaze and started walking towards her. She moved to say hi and wave, but he pushed past her aggressively without a word.
"Hi," she managed in a weak tone, but he didn't hear her. He just kept on walking to the kitchen as she looked at his back in astonishment. Finally, she snapped out of it and followed after him as the door to her room opened and Jack came out, dressed. He saw the look on her face, but just shrugged and made a mental note to ask her about it at breakfast.
That's all for now, folks! Thanks again for reading, now please go and tell me what you thought of what you read! I love reviews – they keep me going! Toodles until later . . .