Interlude [h.s]

twenty-six

"I hope there's a good reason for me to be out here today," Alouette says warily. The memory of the last time she went in the city and Harry's anger is still too fresh in her mind. She almost ruined everything she had going on, and even though she knows— or hopes— it won't be the same this time, she can't help feeling nervous. "I don't think I'll be able to gain the President's trust a third time around." And I'm terrified of what he'd ask me to do this time, she adds in her mind.

Nathan chuckles. "Don't worry Lark, we're safe. We weren't followed, and this is my apartment. Nothing evil is waiting for us on the other side of the door." He twiddles with a set of keys, looking for the right one. He's already typed in a code, but the door hasn't opened, surprisingly. The only place she's seen a double lock is the upper floors of the Palace. "You can never be too careful when you have things to hide," Nathan comments, noticing her look. He finds the key and unlocks the door. "A door locked by two different mechanisms is harder to get through, always remember that."

He pushes the door, and it opens silently, revealing the dark inside of the apartment. There's light coming from some other room, illuminating the entrance just enough to help Alouette not to crash against anything when she walks inside.

"Won't anyone find the two locks suspicious?" She asks. "It's like hanging up a big sign that says, I have secrets, please rob me."

Nathan laughs. "Understandable, but many doors in older buildings still have a lock— it just isn't used, and the keys are lost."

"Yours isn't, though."

He shrugs. "I had it made by a friend of mine."

"Of course," Alouette murmurs. She supposes all kinds of people are affiliated with the Revolution— she's never truly been aware of how large their system is until now, though, considering all she used to do was hiding away inside one of the main buildings. "So what's the plan?"

"There's something I want to show you," Nathan says, locking the door again and pointing towards a door on the right. "In the living room."

Alouette frowns, starting to feel wary of the situation, but follows him into the other room anyway.

In the second she goes inside her mouth falls open. She takes a step forward in shock, not believing her own eyes.

"Elijah?!"

He turns to look at her in the second she speaks his name, and a blinding smile shows on his face. "Al!"

She runs to him and hugs him. He wraps his arms around her tightly and spins her around the room, and Alouette is so happy she could cry. She squeezes him harder, breathing in his apple scent that makes her feel so at home. If she closes her eyes, she can pretend she's back at the Revolution already, surrounded by her friends, instead of in the cold city of Northfair, where everyone is out to get her.

"I missed you so much," she cries into his neck, and he lets her go, cupping her cheeks and cleaning the happy tears that escaped her eyes with his thumbs. She didn't think seeing a familiar face would hit her so hard, but there she is, crying in front of her best friend.

"I missed you too," Elijah says, "I've been counting the days until you come back."

Alouette takes some time to properly look at him, noting the differences in her mind. His muscles are harder than they used to be, a reminder of the job he took on. He seems to be tired and there are dark circles under his eyes, his face tense. He's a fighter now, there's no trace of the soft, happy man he used to be anywhere but in his eyes. His chocolate eyes are just like she remembers them, and it makes her want to cry harder.