Trembling. He couldn't control it for much longer, he had to decide to shoot or to lower the gun. Surely this was all a lie, something to save her skin. Again he tightened his hold on the trigger, getting ready to pull. But when he looked into her eyes again, her gorgeous green eyes, he saw the little girl he met 18 years ago next to the fountain where he had wished for things to get better. And his wish had come true. She was his life, the source of it, the light of it. She was everything. When he was sad she was there for him, when he felt down she was there to pick him up again, when he felt like he was standing at the edge of the world she continued to make it bigger. Nobody had ever made him feel good, or special, until Ara came into his life. She had saved him when no-one else could, and she didn't even know it. Gradually he lowered his gun towards the floor, until he dropped it, letting it clutter to the ground. He fell to his knees crying. 

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" he sobbed. Stones moved as Ara knelt next to him and wound her arms around his shoulders, holding him against her. They lay in the graveyard of bodies and rubble, crying together. 

"Shh. Everything will be okay" she murmured. He could feel her hands stroking through his hair, holding locks and curling them in her fingers. His arms raised on their own accord and held her in place, pressed up against him. The feeling of her warmth finally next to him again made his anger and hate fester away into nothing, replaced with relief. Tilting his nose into the crook of her shoulder he breathed in her scent, feeling her hair tickle his cheek. 

"I've missed you," he whispered into her ear. Ara drew back to look into his eyes and gave a light smile. 

"I know, so have I." Her lips lowered to meet his where they kissed softly but desperately. His hands cupped her cheeks, stroking her soft skin. However her nimble fingers were tracing his chest and six pack over his uniform, leaving him shuddering at her touch. And now this was alright. It was respectable. It was legal. They separated again and took deep breaths, both savoring each other's image. A light touch to his cheek and the blood from his cut was wiped away with a soft hand, Ara kissing the wound after as if sealing it shut. He looked at her with such fondness he had never felt before, and pride. She was his little angel, bringing sunshine into his life when clouds had been passing over him daily, leaving him dispirited everyday. Life had finally brought itself together, letting things be good at last. 

"Everything can go back to normal now," Ara said, leaving a trail of kisses down to his jaw.

"Not if I can help it!" Both of them turned their heads to where the voice came from. It was Emma, her light blonde hair was sticking out in all directions, the colour dulled with dust and dirt. She had an evil look in her eyes, hatred pouring out of her from all angles. The soldier was holding her gun down at Jack, her hand steady and unshaking. However there was something so familiar about her, like a distant memory that he had locked away in a box as to never see it again. Although nothing surfaced. Slowly, the two got up to their feet, however not losing any distance of each other. They still had hands on their opposite bodies, holding themselves close to one another. Together they were stronger than anybody could be on their own. They knew. The tip of the gun was raised too, in order to stay on target with Jack. 

"Emma," Ara said in a smooth voice, "this war is over, you have no reason to kill him." The blonde-haired woman glared at her and spat at the ground just in front of Ara's boots. She shook her head.

"This war will never be over!" she growled. Jack looked down at Ara before he disentangled himself from her, somewhat hesitantly. Trying to reason with this resentful woman was his only hope of surviving; of both of them surviving. 

Ara felt the hold on her lessen as Jack stepped away from her. 

"Jack, no!" She didn't trust Emma. They may had had a thing, but that was in the past, and now her ex-girlfriend had just seen her with a man. The woman still held the same amount of hatred towards the men even after the war was over. There was no way she could be reasoned with. Any attempt would fail and so it was hopeless to try. Jack paid no heed to her as he carried on slowly walking towards Ara's fellow soldier. As he got nearer and nearer, Ara felt her hand reach for her hidden gun (a small Colt Mustang) and rested her fingers on the handle, getting ready to use it if needed. The nerves got more controlling as Jack got closer, but she bit her lip to distract herself with pain. Casually she could begin to taste blood on her tongue as her teeth broke through skin, however it only calmed her a little. He was going to be fine, he was going to be fine.

"Emma, I'm a person too, just like you." No movement, but she was still glaring at him, her nostrils flaring. 

"Not all men are the same. Maybe someone hurt you so bad that it has made you hate every man in your sight, but that man is one of his own kind, we are not all like that.." No emotion. 

"My brother was not a monster!" Brother? What brother? Emma shifted her eyes to Ara's, apparently she had voiced her thoughts. Her brown eyes were softened with the thought of a brother that Ara had never known about. They had been together for almost two years and no mention of a brother had ever been made. 

"I lied to you during our relationship.. Elijah wasn't an ex-boyfriend I had, he was my brother." 

"Was? What happened to him Emma?" The woman was suddenly distant, her eyes looking towards the sun peeping from behind the buildings that had survived the cannons and gunfire. It was a new day. A tear escaped an eye and fell down her cheek, dripping to the ground. 

"He was so alive, the most energetic boy you could ever meet. He liked to sing, dance, do drama; it was his life and his joy in the world.." A deep breath.

"Until some boys taunted him about it, calling him 'gay' and a 'fag', which forced him into liking things he could never quite enjoy like music, just to fit in!" By this stage her gun had lowered to the floor, hanging limply from her hands. She had a sad smile on her face, the story must have been painful to experience, never mind to hear. Ara couldn't imagine the suffering Emma must have put through, having to pretend that her brother was a boyfriend in order to dodge telling a tragic story again and again. 

"On March the 25th, the police reported Elijah to have been found on the side of a pavement, he had been beaten up bloody, left to die. But he was found and taken to the hospital, and just before he died he gave me a name.. The name of a boy who thought my little baby brother deserved to die because he was different." She was properly crying now, her rich brown eyes hidden by her eye-lids. 

"He was only fifteen, and he had already been taken away from me." Her hands covered her face as she wept her heart out. Ara herself could feel tears running down her cheeks, leaving trails of wetness on her skin. 

"Jake," she whispered, "Come on, let her grieve in peace.." He took her hand and they began to walk towards the Gallery.

"Jake.." The two looked behind to see Emma looking at them with red bloodshot eyes. Horror was imprinted in them as she stared at Jack, her gun was rising again slowly until it was level with his chest. 

"He mentioned you" Ara looked up to see shock in Jack's eyes, and something else, like, recollection. 

"Jake..? What's going on?" His voice didn't answer her; his skin was paper white, his pupils were dilated and his mouth was open slightly. She watched as his body began to tremble, his hand which she was holding began to sweat and his head was shaking a little. No time before had she seen him like this. 

"Elijah Thompson?" he barely whispered. Emma, with stone cold eyes, nodded. 

"Do you remember how you beat him up, Jake? Do you remember how you killed my little brother?"