Chapter 3: The Compromise




Elizabeth had high-tailed it out of that peculiar world as soon as she got what she came for. Watching the brilliant green light fade away, she tucked the cube and its pin her breast pocket before making it down the cobbled streets toward the cathedral.

"Even if I were going to attempt to like you, you would have just ruined your chances right there."

Elizabeth wheeled around to face the hatchling, eyes narrowed. Without so much as a how-do-you-do she scooped her up in her arms, turned, and stormed down the street. Vvinu wasn't making it easy, squirming like a wild beast in her arms in attempt to free herself from Elizabeth's grip. She merely tightened her grip around her furry body and hoisted her up under her arm.

It wasn't as if she didn't want to dislike her. Elizabeth's reasons for standing at that clutch had been purely to acquire something that would help her world, but she would have liked to have brought home a partner. Someone who would have had the same essential goals as her own.

But she didn't. And really, she hadn't expected to.

"Let me down!"

Elizabeth clenched her jaw and quickened her pace.

They reached the church in moments and Elizabeth backed into the door, slipping inside without much difficulty. It was warm, unusually so. Frowning, Elizabeth craned her neck and turned to see that a congress of people had gathered in the pews. Must be Sunday. She caught Simon's eye from across the room and slipped into the confession booth before setting Vvinu down. Immediately, she moved toward the door, sinking her little claws in the wood and sliding it across.

"Don't go out there."

Vvinu shot her a frown and poked her head outside the booth,” Why not?" Her tone softened a little,” Look at all of them..."

"With scabies, anemia, or worse,” Elizabeth curled her lip in disgust,” Don’t go out there."

"Oh, now you're worried about me, are you?"

"You won't be much help if you're dead."

Reluctantly Vvinu backed back into the book. Elizabeth reached across her and slid the door shut. She was just a child, she reminded herself, and it would do Elizabeth no good to lose her patience with her. Elizabeth sucked in a deep breath and leaned back against the far wall.

"Why are we waiting here?" Vvinu turned away from the door and sat down,” How long is this going to take?"

"I don't know, I've never gone to church."

The door to the opposite booth slid open and Simon crawled in, taking his place beside the grate,” You haven't been gone long, Elizabeth. Did you...bring something back for us?"

Elizabeth eyed Vvinu through the darkness and jerked her head toward the grate. Cautiously, Vvinu padded toward her, perching herself on Elizabeth's crooked knee so she could see into the next cubicle.

"Elizabeth...?"

Elizabeth ran her fingers through her hair, pushing her bangs back out of her eyes,” I know she's not much now, but her mother's a phoenix. When she's an adult, she'll be-."

"Able to bring fire to your world, sir,” said Vvinu,"But not yet,” she lifted her wings, bringing her little feather-nubs into view,” I can't do anything until my plumage has come in."

"Oh, Elizabeth,” Simon’s expression fell into one of adoration and he moved closer to the grate, wiggling his fingers between the holes just far enough to stroke Vvinu's little beak,” She’s perfect."

Vvinu flicked her ears back, quirking her mouth into a hesitant smile.

Simon glanced back up at Elizabeth, over the hatchling's head,” But no one can see her, not like this."

Elizabeth's brow furrowed. She nodded her head,” Even when she's grown..."

"Child,” said Simon, turning his attention back to Vvinu,"Can you disguise yourself? When you're an adult, will you be able to hide the fact that you're plumage is...fire?"

Vvinu frowned, recoiling a little,” Why? Why would I do that? I need to help these people,” she jerked her head toward the doors,"Those people, how can I do it if I don't-"

Elizabeth reached into her pocket and produced her lighter. She flicked it open, letting the flame burst and flicker for seconds before snapping it shut again,” Do you know what people would do for that?"

Vvinu frowned up at her, shaking her head.

"Here, people would kill for that,” Elizabeth gave a chortled humorlessly,” Not that there's much fluid left in it now, but it's enough. Something like that,” she dangled the lighter before Vvinu's eyes,” Might save someone's life."

Vvinu reached out a paw to grab it, but Elizabeth snatched it back, shoving it into her pocket.

Vvinu sneered, eyes narrowed,” What do you need it for, pirate?"

Simon stiffened in the opposite booth,” Don’t say that here."

Vvinu snapped her mouth shut and nodded, but her frown did not let up.

"A fifteen year addiction, sweet heart, and I'm not about to give it up."

"Elizabeth, please, back to the matter at hand?" Simon sighed, leaning back against the wall opposite the divider,” You’d cause wars, child, if you allowed your...abilities to be known. And you wouldn't be safe."

Vvinu's fur puffed out,” How can I help anyone? How am I supposed to do anything without...without being me!"

"You, will, child, you will. But we have to be discreet,” Simon switched his gaze back to Elizabeth,” And above all else, Elizabeth, Thomas and his crew can't know about her."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, letting her head fall back against the wall,” What do you propose I do then, Simon? Tell him I picked up some kid off the streets out of the goodness of my heart?"

"Elizabeth..."

"No! No, Simon, no. He's not stupid, for fuck's sake-"

"Cover your ears, child."

"I can't say much for the crew, but they don't want some snot nosed brat on board. I need a better reason than that."

"Well you'll just have to think of something yourself, Thomas can't know. Do you know what he'd do to her?"

"It's not Thomas I'm worried about."

Simon recoiled,” What do you mean, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth, paused, and snapped it shut again. Simon shook his head, running his hand through his thinning hair and shaking his head,” I told you to bring back something we could burn."

"Wood? Paper? How long would that last, Simon? She'll last forever."

"But she's in danger! You've put a child in danger, Elizabeth!"

"She's more useful than anything you've ever suggested!"

"Shut-up!" Vvinu squawked, puffing herself up and flapping her wings uselessly,” Shut-up! I don't have a clue what either one of you are talking about anymore! Why do I have to go with Elizabeth's crew? Why can't I just stay here?"

"That would...make things simpler. She'd be safer here with me."

"She's not staying with you,” Elizabeth reached down and scooped Vvinu up off the floor, tucking her squirming body under her arm again,” I’ll take care of her." She slid open the door and left the cubicle, slamming it shut behind her.

Simon was out of the booth in moments, hurrying toward her side,” You can't do this, she need to stay here."

"I'll keep her safe."

"No!" Vvinu screeched,” I want to stay here!"

The last few people left in the church turned their heads toward her.

"Shit,"Elizabeth cursed and grabbed Simon's robe, dragging him into a corner,” She’s coming with me. She has to come with me."

Simon frowned,” You don't want to keep her, you don't like children."

Elizabeth scowled, gritting her teeth,” She’s mine."

"I'm not yours! I'm not anyone’s! I didn't bond you! I came here to help...to help people like that!" Vvinu waved her hand at the pews, then at Simon,” Like him!"

Elizabeth tightened her grip around Vvinu's middle,"Simon,"she paused, wetting her lips,” Father, please?"

Simon shook his head, extracting a pen from inside his robes,” Why?"

Elizabeth didn't answer.

Simon gave a little sigh and took Elizabeth's hand, pushing back her sleeve he pressed his pen to her wrist and scribbled something there. He clicked his pen and stood back,” Do that, and then...come back here. If Vvinu wants to stay here after that, she may, if she doesn't, she goes with you."

Elizabeth glanced down at her arm and nodded,” Fine, agreed."

"Agreed?! I'm not agreeing!" Vvinu jerked toward Elizabeth's other arm, trying to see what was written there (not that she could read, but she tried, none-the-less),"I want to stay here!"

"Three weeks, Elizabeth, can you do it by then?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"Three weeks! I don't want to go! I want to stay here, dammit!"

"Child!"

Elizabeth's lips quirked upwards,” We’ll be back in three weeks."

Simon nodded, letting out a resigned sigh,” Very well. Good-bye, Elizabeth."

"Good-bye, Simon."

"No! No good-byes!" Put me down, for god's sake!"

.:.:.::.:.:.

"You can shape shift, can't you?"

Vvinu had finally fallen lax in Elizabeth's arms, making herself little more than a dead weight except for the occasional squirm or two to make herself comfortable or scratch a particularly insistent itch (pirates didn't have fleas did they? She hoped not). At Elizabeth's question she let out a little huff and nodded her head a fraction of an inch,” Yes."

"Then you should do it now, before we're in sight of the ship,” she set her down.

Immediately, Vvinu's muscles tensed and she made to take a run for it.

Elizabeth cleared her throat before she began her escape, reaching back around to the waistband of her pants,” You just remember, sweet heart, that I have a gun and I can get it out a hell of a lot faster than those stubby, little legs of yours can carry you out of range."

Vvinu gasped, scowling,” You wouldn't!"

"I would, and I have. Shapeshift."

Growling, Vvinu squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated. The changes came slowly. Her fur and feathers shriveled up inside her skin, her scales softened and lightened. Her wings folded themselves into her back and out of sight and her limbs began to straightened and lengthen. Finally, she picked herself up off the road, two-legged and frowning.

Elizabeth was gaping. "Shit!"

"What?" Vvinu growled,” What’s wrong now?"

Elizabeth scooped her up again and hurried toward the nearest alleyway, setting her down between a couple trash cans. Vvinu peered over at one, catching a fuzzy glimpse of her reflection in its muddied lid. Smooth, pale skinned, bright eyed (a sort of red-brown color, much more mundane looking than her bright red natural irises), and orange haired. Her face was devoid of freckles, making the red-hair and pale-skin slightly unusual for a human, but she was sharp faced and slender.

And naked.

Elizabeth whipped her gun out of her belt,” Wait here."

Vvinu rolled her eyes,” Make me!"

Elizabeth cocked her gun and pointed it at her,” You don't want me to, sweet hear, believe me." With that, she slunk out of the alley way and into the streets.

Vvinu let out a little sigh and slumped back against the wall. She wouldn't go anywhere, of course. It wasn't safe, wandering around the streets without any clothes on. And she didn't know the way back to the church, though she was loathe to admit it.

With a sigh and scowl she turned her head to look back at her reflection.

You know, she thought, brow furrowed, if you squint just right, she kind of looked a little like-

A gun shot rang out.

...Elizabeth.

The woman herself slipped back into the shadows of the alley, something draped over one arm. She was tucking the gun back under her shirt with the other when she reached Vvinu and tossed the thing on her arm at her,” Put those on."

Vvinu lifted something out of the pile. A shirt, of sorts, not very big, but it would fit her just fine. Looking down at the pile Vvinu found a pair of pants and some shoes and socks as well. Frowning, she dropped the shirt back in her lap,” I’m not wearing these!" she pushed the clothes away,” Did you kill someone?"

Elizabeth kicked them back at her,” I don't kill children needlessly. Put them on."

Vvinu shot her a glare put slipped the shirt over her head. Once fully dressed, Elizabeth grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her to her feet, dragging her out of the alleyway.