Number eight: Free.
Pairings: Arrow/Elizabeth, Arra/Larten, Gavner/Liz.
A/N: Thanks to Amela333 for letting me use Elizabeth :D
Disclaimer: See chapter one.
...
THE EVENING SKY WAS melting with warm colours, soft clouds floating across the setting sun.
Elizabeth stood in the garden, a frown plastered to her face: Arrow was leaving again on a mission tonight, and she desperately didn't want him to go. She didn't want to be left alone.
Four birds skirted across the sky, their black outlines very dramatic and prominent against the soft backdrop of the summer evening sky. Her eyes followed their movements, and she found herself envying them their freedom. Why couldn't she be free like the birds? Why couldn't Arrow?
"Elizabeth?" She turned slightly at the sound of Arrow's deep but caring voice and the frown slid from her face, "I'm leaving now."
"When will you be back?" Elizabeth asked, walking across the grass until she was safely enclosed in her husband's arms.
"No longer than two months." She nodded against his chest, feeling the usual tears well up in her eyes again.
"Promise me you'll be careful." Her voice was quiet.
Arrow sighed, but nodded, "I promise."
The four birds landed on a nearby tree as the couple shared one last passionate kiss, and then as Arrow hoped over the small picket fence shielding their garden from the outside world, leaving his wife once again to wonder and worry whether she'll ever see him again, the birds took flight, following the vampire out into the world.
Elizabeth watched both vampire and birds until they all disappeared from her view.
And she was left alone again.
...
"I miss being free." Larten sighed, shifted his gaze from the sky and moved to lie on his side. He looked across the small pile of wood that was smoking softly and his eyes settled on his mate. The night was cloudy, the moon completely gone from the sky, and even with his vampiric sight he found it hard to see her properly: only when an occasional ember sparked into life and reflected against her bright grey eyes did he know she was there.
"Am I supposed to know what you're talking about?" Arra cast her gaze briefly from the pile of wood to his general direction, and then back again, trying to get the wood to light.
"I miss being free," Larten repeated, his green eyes scanning the darkness, "I hate living with such strict rules." He paused to see if she would answer, "Do you understand?" He asked when the only reply he got was the crackling of wood.
"Yes, but those rules are there for a reason," an ember flickered into life for a moment, and he managed to catch sight of her eyes pinned directly on his own, "Without them, we wouldn't know what was right or wrong. What was allowed and what wasn't."
Larten sat up, "But that is exactly my point!" Another ember flickered and he saw her look away, "If we were free then everything would be right, everything would be allowed. Would you not like to live like that?"
"No," Arra sighed and poked at the wood again, "Because that would mean that murder would be right, and killing freely, and war." Larten hesitated, his thoughts coming to a halt: he hadn't considered that.
Silence enveloped them, and they only spoke again when the wood finally caught fire and light was cast over the area. Larten blinked, his eyes adjusting to the sudden light, and the first thing he saw were four birds sitting on a tree branch, their beady eyes watching the scene below them carefully.
"Birds are free." Larten muttered.
"We aren't birds, Larten." Arra snapped, throwing a stick at the birds: they cawed and took to the black sky with a lot of flapping, "We're vampires..."
...
"But wouldn't you like to be free from the responsibilities and duties of a General for just a day?" Liz asked, her voice strained.
Gavner shrugged his broad shoulders, "I don't know. I guess not: I like being a General." He smiled over at his human counter-part and she rolled her eyes.
"I don't get you." Gavner laughed and tickled Liz's side gently, "You're very confusing."
"Vampires are supposed to be," The vampire General answered, "It's part of our charm."
Liz snorted and Gavner tickled her again until she finally succumbed and told him that his vampire charm was irresistible, "Thank you." Gavner laughed again, shaking the bed.
"Aren't you supposed to hiding from the sun right about now?" Liz asked, gazing out of the window: birds had just started their dawn chorus and the sky was beginning to get light. The trees in the garden were covered with leaves, but within them Liz could just make out the figures of four small birds, none of which were singing.
Gavner snuggled against her neck, "If you shut the curtains I'll be safe and sound." Playfully, he pushed her out of bad and she only just managed to stumble to her feet before she hit the floor. She gave him a look – he grinned apologetically – but pulled the curtains shut, giving the hidden birds one final glance before climbing back into bed and curling up against the vampire.
"I love you, you great clumsy vampire." Liz smiled against his chest, her fingers gently grazing a scar on his stomach.
"And I love you, you magnificent human." Gavner kissed her hair and they both erupted into a fit of laughter.
...
A/N: See how the birds brought out the reccuring theme of 'Free'. It's random, I know, but random is good!