Hearts Afraid Of Breaking Chapter 55: Daylight, a tudors fanfic

A/N: Hi, GreenField here! I'm sorry, I've resisted doing a George/Elizabeth for a little while, but I got Maroon 5's new album on Monday and now I have to write this songfic! AU in which Elizabeth and George know that he is going to be arrested when the morning comes on 2nd May 1536. George's POV.

Here I am waiting, I'll have to leave soon
Why am I holding on?
We knew this would come, we knew it all along
How did it come so fast?
This is our last night but it's late
And I'm trying not to sleep
Cause I know, when I wake
I will have to slip away

"You're sure of this?" the tears have gone from my lover's face, and instead there rests a fierce determination to save me in any way she possibly can. She pushes her flaming red hair back from her pale, damp face and fixes her eyes on me.

"Yes" I reply wearily, head in my hands as I sit before the fire, "Yes, I'm sure. Bryan tipped me off"

"Bryan could be lying" her voice holds a thin, reedy shred of hope. I shake my head, look up at her.

"Why would he lie?"

"He doesn't like you"

"He wouldn't lie about this. Like it or not, they're coming for me and for Anne, and the pair of us will be dead within the month"

She rushes to me, grabs my hands, anger in her eyes, "Don't say that! Don't you dare to say that!"

"You and I both know that it is true"

She gulps back fresh tears and, still holding my hands, draws me with her to the window where darkness has fallen on our last night together.

"I've never wanted daylight not to come as much I do now" I murmur, turning my face into her hair to smell the rosewater scentof her curls. She turns her face to mine and rests her palm against my cheek.

"Come to bed" she whispers, and I don't regret the fact that this is what it has come to; my last night of freedom, spent in bed with the mother of my children and the love of my life, her warm kisses on my lips and skin and her soft body moving against my own.

And when the daylight comes I'll have to go
But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close
Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own
But tonight I need to hold you so close
Ooh-woah, ooh-woah, ooh-woah
Ooh-woah, ooh-woah, ooh-woah

Later, as she surrenders to sleep at last, curled up in my arms, I hatch my plan. I will leave these rooms when day breaks; I don't want her to see it when they come for me, I don't want her to hear those vile charges and see them put chains on me. And I don't want to damage her reputation. I've kept her safe for all of these years and I will not ruin it now. That is the least I can do for her.

I pull her tighter against my chest, looking out of the window and praying that this night will last forever, that it can just be Elizabeth and me in our own private little world until the end of time.

But somehow, I don't think God is listening to me anymore.

Here I am staring at your perfection
In my arms, so beautiful
The sky is getting bright the stars are burning out
Somebody slow it down
This is way too hard
Cause I know, when the sun comes up
I will leave, this is my last glance
That will soon be memory

She wakes as I begin to stroke her hair, committing the shade and texture of it to memory, and I curse myself for waking her. Now, I cannot protect her.

Her blue eyes, at first sleepily happy and uncomprehending, recall the situation and fill with despair. She puts her arms around my waist, lays her head on my chest.

"I don't know how to be without you around" she mumbles; I think she might be weeping again, "I don't know how to exist"

"Hey!" I say softly ,"Hey. Aren't you always telling me that you can take care of yourself?"

She looks up at me with pathetic eyes, "I can, but that doesn't mean I want to"

The sky is getting lighter. Both our pairs of eyes slide towards the window.

I never wanted to stop
Because I don't wanna start all over, start all over
I was afraid of the dark
But now it's all that I want, all that I want, all that
I want

"Are you scared too?" she asks, "You don't have to be brave for me, you know. You're allowed to be scared"

"I'm terrified" I whisper truthfully, and she nods calmly, like it makes her feel better to hear those two words coming from me.

"There seems to be so much to say...but I don't know how to say it"

"I know, I know" I smile down at her, "You are beautiful"

"Don't"

"You are. You're the most beautiful woman in the world. You light up whenever you enter a room, and you sparkle like a jewel. You're the cleverest and bravest woman I have ever known. You've given me two beautiful girls and I couldn't have asked for more from you"

"I'll wait for you" she tells me tearfully, "I'll wait for you until I die because I love you, I always have loved you and I love you with all my heart. I wouldn't be me without you. You've made me who I am now and I wouldn't trade what we have had for anything. I love you because you're handsome and witty and clever, because you write me poetry and give me gifts and gave me my girls. And I will be grateful to you for that for the rest of my life"

I kiss her forehead. Our tears mingle. There is nothing more to say.

"Oh look" I murmur softly against her hair, "The sun rises. Daylight breaks"