Justice League 1. Thanagarian Cravings

**An/ Against my better judgement I've decided to start this series, I've got a fair few other things I want to write as well but I couldn't keep this one under some control :) **

**This series will like 'Hearts and Minds' be dedicated solely to John and Shayera throughout, the difference between the two however will be that this is going to be a series of oneshots and not drabbles. I could post them all individually but the amount of them I get, well I figure it would be better and more practical to put them all in one place. The other thing I want to mention as well is that in this series I want to focus on the positives between them and not the angst and complications. For the most part they will more likely than not be based before 'Starcrossed' or after 'Destroyer'. **

**Well anyway I guess I better let you get reading. I can't say how fast or slow updates here will be, I've got assignments for college to do and loads of other things, I'm about four chapters into writing Advocacy as well and as you can imagine I really want to get that one done :D**

**Anyway, of course I don't own Justice League, Shayera Hol or John Stewart.**

**Hope you enjoy reading :)**

Thanagarian Cravings

Detroit had always been a quiet town, the people were nice, the crime was low and best of all you were granted your privacy should you have want of it. It was one of the reasons John lived there, not just because he had grown up there and not just because it was one of his favourite places on Earth with its familiarity, but because he was left in peace...even when his significant other was an alien. At the current time though John was unconcerned with the street life outside as the sounds of cars and the infrequent flash of lights indicated that Detroit was still very much awake even in the early hours, the Green Lantern of sector 2814 was much more concerned with sleep.

A siren flared in the distance and neither occupant in the room made much move in response but one however did open their eyes sleepily. Shayera hazily glanced at the clock, closed her eyes again and gently felt for John with one of her wings to draw comfort from his presence and to check that he was still there, he hadn't been sleeping well lately. Just as soon as she was comfortable and drifting back to sleep her eyes shot open unexpectedly. She had felt a twinge and she concentrated for a long moment as she tried to gauge whether or not she ought to be alarmed by it. Once is passed and she was comfortable that it was nothing to worry about she once again made an effort to go back to sleep, but something else was now on her mind. She was hungry. Grumbling quietly in annoyance she tried to move but her rather large stomach made such an attempt quite a challenge, not helped that she was facing towards the window to make sleep more comfortable. With her wings centred down the middle of the bed between her and John, she hardly had the manoeuvrability she would require without waking him in the process.

"John?"

There was nothing but a mumbled response that frustrated her further, enough that she forgot all former ideas on trying not to wake him and started to try and get up. Heavily pregnant Shayera struggled into a barely sitting up position, one hand lying protectively on her stomach while the other pressed into her pillows supporting her. Letting out a choice expletive in her home language Shayera began attempting to shuffle backward on her bottom, awkwardly hitting her elbow on the bedside cabinet in the process which earned a sharp intake of breath followed by half a growl. Eventually after all of her efforts Shayera managed to sit against the headboard of the bed, her wings spread enough to either side that it was almost comfortable but it would later lead to cramp, another pain she would have to put up with along with her already continuous backache. Throughout all of this John had remained in blissful, uninterrupted slumber.

Scowling for a brief moment, Shayera balled her fist and punched her life-partner in the shoulder, hard.

"John!"

"Wha? Ow!" John's voice was sleepy and disorientated as he groggily began absorbing the details of his surroundings. His back was to her and she watched him with growing impatience as he deduced that there was nothing to worry about and collapsed back against his pillows.

"Get up!" Shayera snapped, now shoving at him to encourage him up while still keeping a hand against her stomach.

Eventually she managed to get through John's sleep filled mind "Shayera? What's wrong?"

He turned and looked at her and before she could say a word he became a flurry of action. "It's going to be okay!" He yelled reassuringly as he launched out of the bed before running to the cabinet and grabbing a button up shirt and a pair of trousers.

Shayera watched with a combination of amazement, irritation and humour as John hastily grabbed at the emergency duffle bag by the bedroom door while at the same time tripping over the unassembled crib that was still in its packaging. At last after he was done frantically grabbing extra items and reaching for his communicator he took a moment to check her again and noticed that she hadn't moved from her position on the bed.

"Are you quite finished?" She asked amused now, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth "Or are you going to carry on rushing around like an idiot?"

"I thought..." He stared at her, his shirt buttoned up wrong, one sock on, the duffle bag and a pillow under his arm "You're not in labour?"

"No."

"So...I don't need all this stuff?"

"No."

John let out a sigh "You could have said."

"I could," Shayera's smile was fully born then "But it was too much fun watching you."

He rolled his eyes, dropped the bag back by the door and gently tossed the pillow in Shayera's direction who caught it easily and set it back in its place beside her.

"So what did you wake me up for?" John asked while he moved the unmade crib somewhere more practical and stripped back to his boxers but left the still wrongly buttoned up shirt on.

Shayera shifted awkwardly in an attempt to rid the ache in her back and the one beginning in her wings "I'm hungry." She replied "I can barely move and-"

"What do you want to eat?" John cut across already stood by the doorway, "I'm not going to China this time to get you eel heads, so it better not be that." One morning, just as early as this one he had flown all the way to China because every local Chinese restaurant was closed. The things he did for the woman he loved.

She laughed "No not eel heads. Ice-cream?" Really she just fancied something cold and easy to eat; something that wouldn't give her indigestion like most other things seemed to lately.

John sighed in relief "Now ice-cream I can do." He smiled at her "I won't be long, just ice-cream right?"

She nodded in the affirmative and watched him leave. While he was gone she attempted to get more comfortable but found she just couldn't, almost resentful she glared at her swollen stomach even as her hand gently rubbed it with a maternal affection she was sure people didn't think she possessed.

"All this aggravation you're causing me." She felt herself smile again "And your father..."

In the kitchen John made his way over to the cupboards and selected a bowl, he probably should have switched a light on but he could navigate his way fine, besides he was still comfortably caught between sleep and awake and didn't want the sharp glare of the lights to ruin the pleasant atmosphere.

"Do you want a drink as well?" He called as he remained with the cupboard door held open and his head turned towards the bedroom.

"No, I'm fine."

"You're sure?" Even as he asked he pulled a glass out for her and opened up the fridge to retrieve the freshly squeezed fruit juice that she liked.

"Maybe just a glass of juice then."

He grinned to himself already pouring out the requested drink, he loved how in tune they were with one another, it was almost surreal at times but wonderfully reassuring, he really felt as though he was connected to her on some higher level. Setting the juice on the side he then procured the tub of ice-cream from the freezer, he wondered why she fancied some at this hour of the morning but it was probably the most normal craving she had gone through yet. Some of them he just wanted to forget like those weird slimy things she had sent him to the Omega quadrant for, he never wanted to lay eyes on those again.

Once he finished scooping out a generous portion of ice-cream into a bowl he gathered up everything along with a spoon and returned to their bedroom armed with his gifts. When he entered Shayera was impatiently fidgeting while she tried to get comfortable, a frustrated groan was all she had managed to accomplish. Dutifully he gave her the bowl of ice-cream and placed her drink on the side table.

"Here, let me." He sat down beside her on his side of the bed and grabbed the pillow he'd snatched up earlier. In his hands he folded it along its length before placing one hand on Shayera's furthest shoulder and gently leaning her forward. Slowly she obliged, holding the bowl of desert in her hands all the while. Once she was as far forward as comfortable, John slid the folded pillow down and in between her wings filling the space between them as well as the one between her back and the headboard. The idea had popped up in conversation sometime ago when Shayera complained about Earth chairs, Thanagarian chairs were designed with a very thin back that fit perfectly between their wings, or with an extra mound that accomplished the same as John's pillow was now.

"Better?" He asked, both hands on her shoulders as his thumbs absently circled as much to relax her as it was a display of his affection.

"Much." She replied and as he leaned away she brushed a kiss against his cheek "Thank-you."

"I aim to please." John settled down next to her and adjusted his remaining pillows so that he could sit up beside her without hurting his own back. The last thing they needed was both of them struggling with back pains.

"Didn't you get something?" She asked with a mouthful of the iced treat.

He smiled and shook his head "I'm fine, it's a little late for me...or early."

Shayera stopped then, the spoon hovering between her mouth and the bowl that was neatly balanced on her bump.

"I'm sorry for waking you." She apologised sincerely and John touched his fingers to her shoulder in a reassuring gesture.

"It's fine." He stretched his arms hearing a pop in his elbow.

"But you haven't been sleeping well as it is."

True, he hadn't but that was because of the false alarms she'd had a week ago. A few nights in a row she complained of stomach pains and despite J'onn giving the all clear, John couldn't get the worries out of his mind. They were being especially careful because of potential complications seeing as how their baby would be a cocktail of Human and Thanagarian physiology, he hadn't slept properly for days as he worried that something could go wrong and she would need him. Only the talk they'd had the previous day had finally soothed him enough to allow him to find some sleep, Shayera insisting that she needed him fully rested and not a walking zombie and he had agreed.

"I'm fine Shayera. Don't worry." He didn't want her worrying over anything... that was his job.

Her expression remained concerned for a few moments longer as she was clearly torn over the subject but she eventually relented and continued to eat her ice-cream. Once or twice she offered him a spoonful which he accepted at the same time as trying to keep himself awake without her noticing his fatigue, she saw right through him however.

Having finished her ice-cream and placing the bowl on the side, Shayera held her arm up "Come here Lantern." She said softly and the gentleness of her voice was hard for him to ignore.

Slowly he shifted and moved closer to her but stopped as she shook her head "Take that off first."

He looked down and realised he was still wearing the shirt he had grabbed in his haste earlier. Undoing the wrongly done up buttons, John slipped off the garment and chucked it somewhere not much caring where. Once again he moved closer to Shayera and she remained still as he started to curl up against her side, his head pillowed by her chest which she assumed was probably a lot more comfortable than normal thanks to her current condition. Once he seemed comfortable she put her arm around him bending it at the elbow so that she could gently caress the top of his head, ear and cheek to soothe him back to sleep, she was fairly comfortable now and probably wouldn't go back to sleep for a while, in the mean time though she could draw warmth from John while he snuggled with her.

Comfortable and warm Shayera reached out for the glass of juice sat on the side, grasping it she took a few sips and set it back, in the process of this action John had gently pushed her pyjama top higher to reveal her large baby bump. She was in the last trimester now and would soon be due at any time, Thanagarian pregnancies were naturally longer than human ones so it had been generally expected that she might go a little longer than nine months. A smile spread on her lips as John lay his warm hand a top her rounded stomach and lightly caressed, he seemed to snuggle closer to her as well and Shayera felt his other arm come around the base of her back providing her with additional support.

"Are you warm enough?" He asked in a hushed tone. He had been constantly fussing ever since she had told him she was pregnant, she at times found it irritating but other times like now she felt quite the opposite.

"Yes." It was hard not to be warm with John cuddled up against her. With a rustle of feathers Shayera's wing opened slightly and enveloped John down one side of his body keeping him covered but free to move should he want to. The soft pleased groan he emitted confirmed his approval as he enjoyed the soft down of her feathers against his skin. Settled and comfortable, Shayera gently kissed the top of his head affectionately. "You will be a wonderful Father, John."

"You think so?" He asked and she knew he had been worried or at least anxious about the responsibilities that were soon to be his.

"I know so." And she leaned her head against his, her mouth resting near his temple.

John nuzzled his face into the warm crook of her neck and gently breathed against the skin there, his hand still caressing her bump where their baby boy was growing and being protected by her. He found it awe-inspiring that they had created this life between them, a tiny person that would be the perfect combination of them both, something that would immortalise them. With their love for one another they had created the most precious thing in the universe, they had created life, had given life and it was John's hope that they could give their love as well. He knew they would.

In Shayera's arms and for now the one wing, John started to drift into a wonderful sense of peace and comfort, his heart rate slowing until he was sure that it beat in time with the one he could hear against his ear. For one amazing moment John was certain that the quiet but strong thud against the palm of his hand, the heartbeat of his son, also beat in time with his and Shayera's.

It was a perfect moment that John knew he would never forget.


	2. Going Full Circle

**An/ Wow its been a long, long time since I uploaded anything! Sorry about that, I've been so busy with work, I should be finishing up soon though so I'll get more writing time. Anyway here's a little something I hope you guys will enjoy, its a little different ;)**

Going full circle

The sand was warm and surprisingly soft as her bare feet sunk down into it; she found that she didn't mind the sensation even as the tiny gritty particles managed to find their way in between her toes.

"Where are we going?" She asked as she continued to navigate the soft terrain, her wings ever so slightly open to aid in maintaining her balance. She grasped her sandals in one of her hands while she eyed the man beside her paying close attention to how the sun seemed to radiate from his skin giving him a healthy and attractive sheen.

"It's a surprise," Bashari replied coyly, "No point in my telling you...otherwise it won't be a surprise."

"I don't like surprises." She replied pouting slightly, she was getting uncomfortably hot in this heat, not helped by the headdress that she adorned almost at all times.

"We're almost there, my Queen."

A frown adorned her features at his words, she hated it when he called her his Queen, even Katar addressed her as a Queen sometimes and she absolutely despised it. Rather than scold him however she decided to save her energy, there wasn't much point anyway it seemed to be a problem of habit rather than anything else.

"Here we are." Bashari declared happily after a little while longer of walking.

Chayera glanced ahead of them and spotted a small temple surrounded in greenery and beautiful flowers while a decorative fountain gushed with cooling water. The garden plants were obviously wild and had been left to their own devises but the temple itself seemed to be in immaculate order.

"What is this place?" She asked taking a step forward in order to better examine this new sight before her.

Bashari smiled beside her as he watched her investigate the small temple, he watched as her golden wings shimmered in the desert sun while she seemed to forget all semblance of her regal air as her interest in the temple grew.

"It has been here since I was a young boy," Bashari explained as he slowly caught up to her, well practiced in walking amongst the sand and carried no fear of dropping the basket he had brought along with him. "It was the first temple built when you and King Katar arrived; it was built in your honour."

"Why is it so far from the city?" Chayera asked as she ran her palms over the intricate carvings and symbols that lined the walls almost everywhere she looked.

"Katar wished for the city to be built further south and built a new, bigger temple in the centre of the new settlement." He moved beside her and pressed his own fingers to the carvings, dipping his finger in along the hieroglyphs and clearing them of any sand granules that had gathered there from the winds. "This place has been long forgotten."

She smiled, a light sense of mischief at the corner of her lips "And you are the only one that visits here?" she questioned wondering quietly to herself whether this temple was so well kept because of his efforts or that of another.

He nodded "I assume so. This temple was deemed as unworthy when it appeared that it did not satisfy the Go-"

"Bashari..." She said his name patiently "Please stop referring to us as Gods."

"But..."

Chayera ignored him and moved towards the entrance of the temple, intrigued and curious by this place that she was certain she didn't remember seeing after they arrived here. It appalled her that such a beautiful and lovingly built place could be so easily abandoned simply because Katar wanted one somewhere else. It suddenly made her realise how little she had really influenced their expanding kingdom. True she helped in some matters but Katar often pushed her into less influential areas while he busied himself with extending the reach of their rule, it saddened her for a moment but she quickly shrugged the notion away.

Inside, the temple was lavishly decorated with trinkets and items she was sure were the most precious things the people here owned before the land became prosperous and healthy. A slender finger touched a small carving of a bird that was sat to one side amongst golden idols and Chayera traced the lines and grooves of the wooden item before she turned back to Bashari.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"It is a beautiful place; I thought that you would appreciate its splendour."

She nodded and idly stroked her fingers over his broad chest letting her nails gently press into his skin while she continued to look about the small room. Bashari's lips pulled into an appreciative smile, he liked it when she chose to touch him, he felt honoured but at the same time he felt a giddy sense of warmth seep into his body, warmth he dare not confess as the love he was sure that it was.

"It is beautiful." She spoke after a moment of silence "I...it shouldn't have been left like this...so much work and care was obviously given here."

Bashari nodded and only hesitated for moment before carefully touching the small of her back with his hand, when she sidled closer he let out his pent up breath and further wrapped his arm about her. He was at times a little nervous around her but it always faded as soon as she smiled at him. The truth was that she was far more comfortable around the likes of him than she seemed to be about her own palace.

"Perhaps we should show our appreciation of their fine masonry by dining here?" He sent her a warm smile that she returned before linking her arm with his.

"Lead the way, General."

With a mock bow he led her back outside and beyond the decorative entryway until they were amongst the wild yet naturally beautiful outer garden where bright and delicately perfumed flowers hung on almost every branch. The unruly trees and foliage provided both shade and privacy, the latter in greater requirement as both their time together and their visit to this place would be deemed to be unacceptable. On the sandy yet cooler ground Bashari set the basket he had brought along while at the same time offering his hand to Chayera to help her lower herself to a comfortable seating position on the ground. Shifting to get comfortable she patted her clothing to dust the sand away before she cast a glance at her companion.

"Aren't you going to join me?" Her tone was playful and only carried a slight hint of a command.

"Yes, of course." Bashari replied before seating himself beside her and leaning close almost as if to gift her with an affectionate kiss but he stopped in his tracks and looked at her, an expression that Chayera could only place as expectancy which amused her no end.

"You don't like this mask do you?" She asked even though she already knew the answer, the people here were not accustomed or entirely comfortable with concealed faces.

He seemed to struggle over his words before he bowed his head and glanced away from her "It is not my place."

Chayera smiled and tilted his face up with her fingers, running them along his jaw before reaching down and grasping both of his hands in hers. A moment later and she brought his strong hands up to her face, encouraging him to touch the gleaming headdress that covered the majority of her face.

"Why don't you take it off?"

Bashari noticeably swallowed before gripping the sides of the headdress and slowly lifting it up, his dark brown eyes alighting with wonder as he revealed her face fully, but it was her emerald eyes that fixated his attention.

"You rival the temple with your beauty...Chayera."

The headdress was set to one side even as she laughed softly, an almost imperceptible blush growing on her cheeks from his flattery.

"You would say that."

He nodded with a humble smile "Perhaps...but I have never been known to lie."

Brown eyes met green and they both appeared to lose themselves for just a moment before Chayera shuffled slightly closer to him and made to investigate the basket he had brought. As she lifted the fabric away that protected its contents, Bashari touched his hand to hers and encouraged her to let him continue the action. While she waited for him to remove the various food items she watched him carefully, tracing the lines of his face with her eyes even as her finger tips alighted over his shoulder and back.

"Bashari?" Instantly he stopped his work and looked to her "Tell me...what do you love of this place?"

"Of the temple?" He asked as he finished removing the rest of the items and seated himself more comfortably, tearing a chunk of bread from the loaf he had packed and handing it to her.

"No," She accepted the piece of bread and scooped up some of the spiced dip he had also brought along "I mean of this place, of the desert and places beyond."

Across his face she could see the furrows of thought as he gathered a handful of nuts and dried fruit and began to sift through them she suspected to select his favourites.

"That is a tough question," He chuckled "This land is certainly challenging and I have always enjoyed a challenge." He looked to her with a gleam in his eyes "But most of all, I love the people here and the places that are waiting to be discovered."

"You do seem to have a sense of adventure, Bashari."

He nodded "There are many more places to be seen...I do not think I will live long enough to see them all."

For a time they sat in silence and continued their meal, quietly enjoying each other's company and companionship. Sometimes they talked about various things but they never spoke of Katar or her duties and position as Queen. Once they were finished eating, Chayera moved closer to Bashari and leant against him slightly as a contented sigh past her lips, Bashari slipping an arm around her as he traced non specific patterns over the back of her hand.

"Chayera...I pray to the gods that we could spend eternity together but I fear that our time is short, Ka-"

"Shhh..." Chayera silenced him with a finger against his lips "Do not speak of what may happen, I only wish to make the most of our time together, however short it may be."

Her silencing finger was removed and she instead replaced it with her lips, capturing his and bringing him into what became a passionate kiss as she cupped his face with her hands and traced his broad, sculpted jaw with her thumbs. At first their relationship developed as a friendship as Bashari was invited to spend more and more time in the palace as King Katar's guest, but in time his original infatuation with the Queen seemed to grow...more so when she appeared to reciprocate his attraction. Eventually their denied feelings towards one another bubbled over and they shared a tender moment together, a moment that Chayera insisted could not happen again but her longing and desire for him coupled with his for her sent them into a forbidden love affair that she knew would be doomed from the start. Doomed perhaps, but she no longer cared she only wished to bask in Bashari's love and affection for as long as she could because nothing else compared to how he made her feel, how much in love she felt when her heart stammered merely at his presence. While they kissed Bashari had leant back, lying down on the soft sand as he held her about her waist. Soon she parted from him a shaky smile on her flushed features, a giddy laugh escaping her as she leaned down and wrapped her arms around him, embracing him in a way she never had Katar and Bashari returned her gesture.

"I love you..."

Bashari's heart leapt into his throat as his ears registered what he had heard, even his stroking of her fiery hair seemed to cease for a moment as he processed in his mind her exact words. The feeling he felt all over his body he was sure must be what she felt when she flew on the winds on her golden wings.

"I love you too." He finally confessed in return having, up until now, been reluctant to confess something so thrilling yet dangerous at the same time, he was sure that as soon as he let the words out that he had signed his own execution.

For a while longer he simply held her wondering to himself how long they may or may not have, thinking to himself how they could tell Katar, if of course they could tell him at all. Of course he would be furious.

"The Gods..." He began but she cut him off with a tired sigh of disapproval.

"Bashari, please..."

"No, I mean...I pray to Anubis too. I pray that he will allow us to be together in the next life."

Chayera didn't believe in gods, her native planet had once had a god or at least a creature that posed as one. She didn't believe in the idols that the people here worshiped, the ones they gave gifts and sacrifices to, but for one moment she wished with all her heart that such a thing was possible.

"Pray for me too Myr'a." She moved slightly and kissed his collarbone before nestling her head into the crook of his neck. In the moment of tranquillity with the sound of trickling water in the background, Chayera took a deep breath of his scent and let it consume her.

"I will." Bashari promised "Because somehow...we'll be together forever." He tilted his head and kissed her forehead "I promise."

* * *

><p>The darkness was almost unexpected when he opened his eyes; it took a few moments for his vision to adjust and enable him to see even if it was just simple shapes in an indecipherable dark hue. As he made to move he realised that there was a weight against his body, something warm and when he looked down he saw that she was lying against him, her fist grasping his shirt tightly as she slept soundly.<p>

He smiled and adjusted them both gently to ensure that she was more comfortable. Even at that slight motion she had already begun to unfold her ash coloured wings until she had semi wrapped them up in what he liked to call, her feathery hugs. In the quietness of his apartment he heard her snore softly and mumble something in another language he didn't understand but he smiled and nestled closer to her. Thoughts filled his mind of his dream, at least he assumed it was a dream but at the same time he wondered if it might have been a side effect of the Absorbracon and wondered if it had actually happened at all, but he put his concerns to rest as Shayera stirred in his arms.

"...John?" She mumbled still half asleep "What time is it?"

"Go back to sleep," He said gently "It's still early."

"Okay..." She agreed without question and further huddled into his warmth "Aren't you going to join me?" was her sleepy question as she seemed aware that he had made no move to go back to sleep.

John smiled at the question feeling the familiarity of it from his dream of Bashari, or memory, illusion, madness...he didn't know and he realised that he was past caring.

"Yes, of course." He answered before closing his eyes and letting himself fall into the safety of her love as he likewise fell back to sleep.

"_I pray that he will allow us to be together in the next life."_

"_Pray for me too Myr'a."_

**An/ So I really hope you liked this, it was a different perspective for me but it was a lot of fun as I had to do some research as well for it :D I might do some more in future with Bashari and Chayera as well if you guys like this one :)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Simplest of plans

**AN/ Now I said that this series would be devoted to the best times between John and Shayera, but I've had this stuck on my computer for ages and after re-reading it I've decided to post it. It doesn't quite fit the description but if you look hard enough I think you'll find the underlying positivity. Next one though will be much closer to the original summary description. Promise. This is just a little deviation from me :)**

**Hope you like it anyway. **

Simplest of plans

The Watchtower continued to orbit casually around the Earth, a silent testament to the sworn vow those aboard had taken to ensure its safety and protection. Below on the Earth itself there was a second base, an Earth base designed to bring the guardians of the planet closer to those they protected, a successful departure that left the satellite rather empty for many of the League favoured the closer proximity of the Metro Tower. Even so there were still a select few that favoured the orbiting base and amongst them was Shayera Hol.

There was no set time on the Watchtower, there was no day or night and the various time zones of Earth were kept in constant consideration, but everyone chose to honour the time as it was in Metropolis in order to keep in synchronisation with their Earth base. While the Metro Tower was steeped in the night, so then was the Watchtower leading to the satellite being quieter than normal as the majority of Leaguers slept. It was at this time that Shayera bumped into the Flash, quite literally.

As she turned a corner on her way to her own quarters a red and yellow blur rushed past almost knocking her over from the air turbulence alone. Just as she teetered uncharacteristically on the spot in the process of trying to regain her balance the red blur returned and a pair of arms grabbed her, steadying her and righting her. Shayera frowned as the Speedster she knew as Wally and as one of her closest friends proceeded to zip up to her, a large grin plastered across his boyish face even if she could only really see his chin for the time being.

"I've been looking for you." Were his first words to her as he fiddled with one of the lightning bolts on the side of his head.

"Well you found me." Shayera replied dryly as she began walking again in the hopes that she could soon curl up in her warm bed and try to get some sleep.

"You're not busy are you?"

Somehow she held in the groan that tried to escape her upon hearing those words.

"Why?"

"Well..." He darted in front of her halting her and managing to ignore the brief glimmer of impatience that appeared on her features. "There's a Javelin in the bay that needs maintenance. Terrific asked me to take a look at it but you know me..."

Shayera pursed her lips "Wally, I'm tired and I want to get some sleep." Side-stepping him she continued on her way "Can't someone else take care of it?"

"You would think so." Wally once again blocked her path and automatically took a defensive step back when Shayera glared at him "But there's no one up here, the ones that are...well they're asleep."

"Lucky them." Shayera muttered before she released a defeated sigh "Which Javelin?"

"Shay, you're a life saver. It's twenty-two."

Shayera waved her hand dismissively "Whatever Wally, but you owe me for this. I haven't slept in forty-eight hours."

"I'll make it up to you I promise."

Before she could reply the scarlet speedster was gone. Shaking her head both in annoyance and amusement she changed course and headed towards the Javelin bay, with any luck there wouldn't be much wrong and she could get the job done quickly.

Elsewhere on the satellite John Stewart had just finished making himself a late night coffee in the deserted cafeteria, soon he would be heading down to his apartment in Detroit. Originally he had intended to go straight home as soon as he had finished his monitor duty but he had decided that he very much fancied a decent cup of coffee first. It wasn't a fantastic idea, he knew the caffeine would keep him up but for the time being he didn't much care. Turning around with his freshly brewed cup of coffee in hand, John was suddenly startled as the cup was knocked clumsily out of his hand and onto the floor.

"Wally!"

A gust of air, the very same one that had blasted past him less than a second ago, returned and stopped long enough to reveal the culprit.

"John, I'm so sorry." Flash quickly bent down and grabbed the fallen cup in his gloved hand, thankful that it was a simple paper cup and not a porcelain one.

"What's the rush anyway?" John asked mildly irritated but accustomed to the speedster's antics, in particular the clumsy ones that often left John picking up the pieces. Literally.

Wally shrugged as he set the cup on the side "I was just coming to top up the tanks." He affectionately patted his own stomach "Fuel's getting low."

"Of course." John mumbled as he finished wiping up the spilled beverage.

"Let me make you another one GL, won't take a minute." He zipped off for a moment before returning with an armful of items "Besides I can make a better drink than that, when was the last time you had an iced mocha?"

John raised a suspicious eyebrow "What have you done?"

Flash's expression was a combination of innocence and puzzlement "What do you mean?"

"You don't make iced mochas unless you've done something wrong." John paused as he eyed the scarlet clad man before him "Or you want a favour."

"John! How could you think such a thing?" Wally looked appalled "I just want to make my friend a replacement caffeine kick. You have such an untrusting disposition."

John folded his arms continuing to keep his eyebrow raised.

"Okay, fine!" Wally gave in under the Green Lantern's neon gaze "I'm supposed to do maintenance on Javelin twenty-two but I don't know what I'm doing."

The Green Lantern's lips pressed into a line "Nothing new there then."

"Hey, space ships just aren't my thing GL."

"So you want me to do it?"

"Would you? That's so kind of you John." He grabbed a new cup from the nearest cupboard "While you're doing that I'll make that iced mocha."

John shook his head halfway grinning "Whatever Hotshot."

* * *

><p>The Javelin bay was as usual quiet and slightly chill, nothing but row upon row of Javelins and large observation windows. Shayera peered at the lines of space shuttles as she made her way through the long room towards the end, her eyes automatically scanning for the numbers on the ships. Of course many of them were missing either currently in use elsewhere or were yet to be replaced; very few Javelins seemed to make it back in one piece. Eventually Shayera's eyes found the numbers twenty-two on a secluded Javelin to one side of the bay but in the process of this her eyes also caught sight of someone already working on the shuttle.<p>

"John?" She called out in question, surprised to see him.

The figure that was stood on a raised platform that the engineers used, bent over with their head under the raised panels of the Javelin, stood up and turned their head to look in the direction of the voice. Indeed it was John Stewart a look of surprise in his eyes too but also apprehension.

"Shayera?" He replied "What are you doing here?"

She looked at him, unconsciously scrutinising him before she replied "Wally said he needed someone to ..." She cut herself off, realisation dawning on her as she put two and two together. It was a set up. Wally had fed her the story on the Javelin so that she would not-so-coincidently bump into John. "I'm going to kill him." She finished darkly, the edge in her voice confirmation enough that although Wally might survive his encounter with her he was at least going to have a number of bruises.

John was equally as puzzled but like her, as soon as she had said the name of the Scarlet Speedster he knew that they had both been set up. In truth he wasn't sure if he was angered by it or not.

The bay became quieter than it had been a few moments ago, the quietness now rife with a tension that hadn't been there before. Shayera shifted her feet and unconsciously twitched her wings before she came to a decision.

"I obviously don't need to be here so I'm going to bed." She turned on the spot and began to march back out of the bay, she hoped for Wally's sake that she didn't see him between now and when she got to her quarters. Things between her and John were complicated, difficult and painful, the last thing she needed was Wally trying, she was sure in his mind, to help.

"Shayera, wait!"

She froze, anyone else and she might have just kept walking but John stopped being just anyone a long time ago.

"I'm tired. I really want to get some sleep." It was the honest truth but also a handy excuse for her to dismiss herself. John seemed to hesitate and it grated on her nerves, already aggravated as it was by the scheming of her adopted Brother. "You are quite capable of maintenance John."

He finally found his voice "There's something wrong with the hyper-drive." He said too quickly, he wasn't lying but he was more than capable of fixing it, he just didn't want Shayera to leave. "You're better with them than I am."

It was a lousy excuse even he knew that, which was why he was more than a little surprised when Shayera appeared to accept it. In a few moments she was walking towards him and the Javelin, a tired and slightly irritated expression on her features as she tilted her head to get a better view of him on the raised platform.

"Have you at least got some tools?" If she knew him as well as she thought she did, he probably didn't.

John shrugged offering her an apologetic but tentatively amused smile before turning fully on the spot to reveal the green construct wrench in his fist. Of course he had just been creating the tools he needed as and when he required them. It was enough at that moment to break the stoic features of the former Hawkgirl and grace them instead with a hesitant smile. On autopilot Shayera crossed the room towards a set of reinforced metal cabinets many of them distributed at even intervals throughout the bay for convenience. Grasping the handle she yanked the drawer open and examined the contents before shoving it closed again and opening a second one. She found what she was looking for, a large metal box filled with an assortment of tools. Once armed with the large case the Thanagarian woman turned back towards Javelin twenty-two and subsequently John Stewart, she hoped he didn't notice the deep trembling breath she took.

The soft thud and the gentle shake of the platform informed John that Shayera had landed beside him but he was currently forcing his attention on the innards of the shuttle, his mind was in overdrive. A loud metallic smacking sound indicated that Shayera had very loudly set the box of tools on the ship with further rustling reaching his ears as she opened it up and rummaged inside for the various items she wanted. She was an old hand at fixing and working on shuttles, a fact he was acutely aware of as he felt her eyes bore into his back. Removing himself from under the hood of the shuttle, John gingerly cast a glance in Shayera's direction. She didn't make eye contact nor did she look at him, only moving past him to examine the engineering of Javelin twenty-two and John found himself obligingly stepping to one side to give her adequate space.

There _was_ something wrong with the hyper-drive so he hadn't lied, but she wasn't impressed either. The fault with it hardly demanded her attention and it annoyed her no end that he had used it to keep her there although an inner voice murmured in the back of her mind.

'_But he _wanted _you to stay here, he made an excuse to keep you here...that means something, right?'_

She quickly squashed the voice and continued to examine the inner workings of the shuttle, her quiet frustration and continued lack of sleep made her rather snappy.

"What the hell have you been doing?"

John blanched for a moment at her harsh tone he hadn't spent much time around her or even near her so was for the moment unused to her sometimes abrasive attitude. He replied just as she yanked something out of the ship.

"What do you mean?"

She continued to keep her gaze away from him as she pulled more cables from their places.

"Hooking the Javelin up like this isn't practical you can't just plug them in where you want."

"I wasn't, that's where they go." Even he was starting to feel a tickle of annoyance growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Well, there are more efficient ways."

"Of course you would know that." He shot back forgetting all semblance of trying to keep their interactions as civil as possible.

"Seeing as I fly them more often than you do, I should think so." Shayera still had her head under the bonnet, still refusing to look at him, to acknowledge his close proximity or even to the extreme of his existence. It was too painful and Shayera didn't like pain...especially not _this_ kind of pain.

John forcibly bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from retorting, they hadn't been in the room for longer than ten minutes and they were fighting, it was frustrating but in another respect gave him a large dose of nostalgia. He remembered in a split second all of the bickering, all of the little arguments and fights over stupid things that didn't really matter, the memories did nothing now but trigger a hard throbbing in his chest. At the same moment as he put the brakes on their back and forth bickering, John noticed as Shayera took a deep breath, he saw her hand pause still holding the tool she had selected before the moment disappeared and she returned to her work.

"When did you get so familiar with these shuttles?" John asked, careful to keep his voice neutral so that she couldn't misunderstand him and go off into another rant.

When her voice came back it was slightly muffled, she was pulling more cables out from somewhere and redirecting them elsewhere.

"Sometimes I tinker on them when I've got time," She paused for a couple of beats "Or if I can't sleep...it gives me something to do."

"Looks to me like you've done more than just tinker with them." John replied, her hands were skilfully rearranging and adjusting various things within the shuttle.

"I like to be acquainted with any ship I might have to use. Never know when you might need to redirect power to the shields or the hyper drive."

John nodded, another memory itching at the back of his mind, it was a fond one, one he decided he wanted to share with her.

"Do you remember when you used to work on Javelin Seven?"

The effect on her was instantaneous and she finally retreated from the innards of the Javelin and steadied her gaze on him for the first time since she arrived. A small nod was confirmation that she remembered.

"You used to help me if you weren't on duty," Her voice was suddenly softer and less harsh, at some point in the last few moments she had brought her guard down. She laughed wistfully "Sometimes you would tell me stories about the Marines."

He nodded, smiling a tiny amount as Shayera tossed the socket wrench she was holding into the box.

"Of course," She went on suddenly, her voice picking up again "Javelin Seven was mostly bodged together. I don't think there was much really holding it together."

John laughed "True, how many times did we have to repair it?"

"Too many times." She focused on him again "It took us days of work after it was trashed by us while under the influence of that rock Wally was trying to save us from."

They both stood there for a rare moment of ease and comfort before John filled the silence with sound.

"We've got some good memories haven't we, Shayera?"

Her almost bright smile started to fade at his words, soon her eyes were away from his again and looking at nothing in particular as she struggled with the connotations of his simple sentence. Was everything they once had just a memory? Was it all it could ever be now? Shayera wanted more than just memories, she wanted life, she wanted love, most of all she wanted to give it in return. To distract herself she returned to the Javelin picking up a different tool and going back to work on the ship.

"Yes, we do." She muttered softly while trying not to wonder if John held those memories as close to his heart as she did. "Could you pass me the next size up?" She stretched her arm behind her and waited for John to take the wrench and replace it with a slightly larger one.

Taking the wrench from her hand John picked up another and handed it to her, speaking as he did so.

"Leave Wally to me, okay?" He asked her quietly but firmly, she couldn't quite tell if he regretted what he had said, she felt as though she couldn't read him quite as well as she used to.

"Why?"

"I don't want you doing any permanent damage." He kept his voice light in the hopes that it would break the uncomfortable tension that he had previously managed to create. It felt alien to him to call what they'd had a memory, it was more than that and he knew it deep inside but he couldn't confess that to her no matter how much he wanted to. "I'll just give him a talk about interfering with other people's relationships."

Shayera took the new wrench from him and poked a cable out of her line of sight with it. John took her silence as an invitation to continue, either that or the increasing silence was making him uncomfortable, she supposed that it was the latter.

"The last thing we need," He said softly "Is people trying to...make things better."

In the moment it took John to swallow the lump that had nestled in his throat, Shayera had stood and fixed her eyes on him again, the look there unnerved him slightly. For a flicker of a second he saw hurt, rage and hurt again before she awkwardly shrugged and tried to smile. _Tried_.

"It's not like it would work anyway, is it?"

Her words echoed in the empty room and they both stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, almost as if they had entered their own pocket dimension that consisted of only them and nothing else.

John's gaze intensified, his eyes carrying a depth of emotion his voice could never hope to convey "Is that what you really think?"

Shayera's eyes likewise bore a turbulence of emotion, there were unshed tears there glazing her eyes and brightening the emerald colour of her irises. "Isn't that what you really feel?"

She watched his reaction, watched him as he skipped a breath and probably a heartbeat, watched all the tell tale gestures that were so wonderfully familiar to her but yet so unfamiliar at the same time. A leap, she wanted to take a leap and tell him again how deeply she truly felt for him, but like always her guilt and her shame weighed down on her like heavy iron anvils bound to her wings. All she managed was to slightly outstretch her hand towards him before retracting it back to the safety of her own personal space followed by the quiet but now raspy sound of her voice.

"Isn't it the truth John? What we had..." She swallowed and felt the burn down the back of her throat, a sure sign that the tears she had been holding in for so long, the ones she refused to accept were close to forcing their way through her emotional fortress which was quickly beginning to crumble. "It's gone isn't it?"

John opened his mouth but closed it again, his frown deepened for an instant before it softened along with his expression, he wanted to tell her the truth, explain that what they had was so precious to him that sometimes he grieved it, cried for it, let all of the inky sea of sorrow consume him in his darkest moments. She meant everything to him, he knew it, but for the sake of his broken heart he kept his distance from her as much as physically possible, he tried to convince himself that it was for her sake as well as his. His silence stretched and he was sure the thickness in the air had become tangible. Shayera seemed to retract away from him, her body turning away from his silence as she bent down into the open maw of the Javelin.

A shudder ran through her body as she bent further inside into the darkness of the ship's innards, all he could give her was silence and as an unruly tear slowly made tracks down her cheek Shayera realised that she had to try and let it go. It was gone. She had blown everything that they had once had and everything they could have, she had to accept that it was done and the damage irreparable...she had only herself to blame. All of those chances to confess to him her mission, to tell him about the promised one she had back home, in some part of her mind she had felt as if she was protecting him, his naivety of her situation ultimately going to prevent the taking of his life. Of course that hadn't stopped Hro once he added two and two together.

Her heart feeling as if it trembled inside her chest cavity and her voice struggling to come out as more than a croak, Shayera quietly spoke over her shoulder careful not to show him her face.

"I could use some light."

In an instant she and the engine of the ship were bathed in the warm glow of John's ring, emerald light touching and caressing every surface leaving nothing in darkness, it reminded her cruelly of his touch, the way he used to hold her and she would feel the safest she'd ever felt in her whole life.

John could hardly breathe and his voice had disappeared, retreating to the inner confines of his mind as he watched Shayera forcibly turn away from him. Obliging to her request he had supplied light so that she may continue her work but the small space she had decided to work on was further inside the Javelin forcing John to sidle closer to her to provide light where she needed it. As close as he was to her he could feel her wing against his shoulder and back, could smell the fresh smell of her hair and the earthy scent of her skin. He felt himself slipping against his desires and it was the thought of Mari that spurred his thoughts back into a neutral gear.

"Pass me another power socket."

Her voice was cold, detached, everything she wasn't and John shuddered at the unnaturalness of it, but none the less he extended a construct hand to grasp a replacement socket so that he could give it to her. One of her hands grabbed the item and their fingers briefly brushed against one another but Shayera appeared to be unfazed, concerned only with the shuttle and nothing else. The slight crunching sound that emanated from her confirmed that the new socket had been put into place, without so much as a warning Shayera forced her way out of the Javelin and away from John, slamming the hoods down on the shuttle before she tilted her head in the direction of the cockpit.

"You better turn it on and see how it runs."

Nodding, John floated from his position next to her and towards the cockpit, once inside he started the engine which seemed to purr softly after Shayera's unauthorised modifications. To his disappointment however, as soon as Shayera was satisfied with the functionality of the Javelin, she leaped from the platform and landed neatly on the ground already stowing the tool box away by the time he had exited the ship. By the time he had shut down the space vehicle she was halfway to the exit, a spiteful inner voice thought that walking away was her answer to everything, how often had she done it before? But he stamped on the voice and the thoughts that went with it as he called out to her.

"Shayera, wait." It seemed like he was constantly trying to keep her in one place, constantly trying to keep her still long enough to communicate with her despite his defensive need to keep her at a distance.

"John." Her voice was hard but tired "I'm _really_ tired and I just want to go to sleep."

"Just, stay here with me for a little while." He was sat on the roof of the Javelin "_Please_."

"Why John? What else can I possibly give you?"

"More than you think Shayera...please, just come and sit with me."

The pleading in his voice kept her anchored and eventually the softness of his expression forced her to reluctantly step forward, to keep walking until she took off with a beat of her wings and landed nimbly on the roof beside where he was sat.

"Happy now?" She questioned sarcastically.

"Not yet." He gestured to the space next to him and watched as she reluctantly sat, tucking her wings in close and turning her head to look out of the observation window beside them. "Those times when we worked on Javelin seven...they used to end like this too."

Shayera snorted "What, barely speaking to one another?" she was tired, hurt, wanted to kill Wally and wanted to curl up in a tight ball where no one could hope to find her.

John despite himself chuckled "Sometimes." He looked towards her "But most of the time we used to lie down on the roof and watch the stars through the observation window in the ceiling. We used to talk about everything and anything."

"John, those times are gone. I'm not...I'm not _her _anymore."

"Who?" John was puzzled by her choice of words but thankful enough that they were finally talking, he couldn't remember the last time they talked properly...no he could but the memory hurt too much.

She let out a heavy sigh before she looked at him long and hard "Hawkgirl." She frowned almost scowling at even the thought of her former alias "She was a lie."

"Then what we had was a lie?" He knew it wasn't but he had to make her see what he saw, just this once before they went back to the way they were and this brief interval of rare openness disappeared, Shayera didn't like talking about herself.

Her head snapped around and this time the glare was fastened on him and him alone, her eyes shone with a fire that almost made him move away but he didn't.

"I told you, I _never_ lied about that. Why do you-"

She stopped as John pressed a gloved finger against her mouth to gently silence her "If you never lied about that, then you are still the Shayera I've always known."

Statement made John slowly leant back until he was lying on his back looking up at the ceiling, the observation window was open, on a rare moment of spontaneous decision he had switched the heavy metal reinforced panels to open revealing the Plexi-glass that existed behind it and the stars that lit the dark space outside. He expected Shayera to leave, their somewhat planned meeting had been difficult and hard and painful and many other things, but John hoped that some of the tension between them was at least alleviated. To his surprise Shayera continued to sit quietly beside him and eventually in time slowly leant back as well until she lay next to him.

"Maybe we should go easy on the kid?" John asked not bothering to hide the light-heartedness in his voice.

"Not yet, should at least make him sweat first."

John laughed and Shayera laughed, the sound sent a warmth through him right down into his heart.

Somehow the future didn't seem quite as frightening as before.


	4. On stolen time

**An/ Back to the good times :p**

On stolen time

Below them she could see the rolling landscape change and mutate as they flew, urban cities of grey becoming rural patchworks until finally becoming Earthy and ragged. She cast her eyes below at the tapestry of raw land that clearly remained untouched by human hands. It appeared as if a watercolour painting had been sprawled out below her but as riveting as it was, Shayera's interest was mainly devoted elsewhere, that is upon the man who accompanied her. Earlier on when the beaks of boredom had been picking at her and irritating her with their squawks of silence, an alert had finally arisen and J'onn had suggested that she and Green Lantern take care of it. She could find little problem with that arrangement. The alert had been a simple scuffle during a botched bank robbery, nothing that a Thanagarian warrior or an experienced Green Lantern couldn't handle, and soon enough they had been on their way again. Although neither had said a word since taking off and leaving the police to handle what remained, the two of them had silently agreed to spend a little stolen time together.

From the corner of her eye Shayera looked to him as he flew along beside her giving ample space for her wings as he always did. An unreserved smile began to tease the corner of her mouth. Beside her John Stewart was completely fixated on the land before them, eyes focused and steady as he remained poised for anything out of the ordinary. For the moment the Green Lantern was still stuck in his _serious mode_, the frown of his eyebrows forming a notch between them, his eyes still unwavering. Even with her blatant watching of him he continued to remain attentive and she wondered where exactly he expected danger to come from, there was nothing out here except for them and the animals below them living amongst the untouched land. A part of her however knew that he was just being vigilant if a little crafty. They had only been together for a few short weeks but already she had discovered that he sometimes feigned his Marine look in order to catch her off guard when he decided that he wanted to be playful. Shayera was a grown woman but even she had to confess that she liked playful, in fact she liked it _very_ much.

At last he seemed to notice that her attention was fixed solely on him and although she could glean nothing from his expression, she knew from the sparkle in his eye that he liked it. After a few moments of flying alongside her and looking at her without averting his eyes, John finally lifted away the serious expression that had adorned his features. Shayera couldn't help but laugh as he grinned at her and waggled a suggestive eyebrow, coming slightly closer to her before he flew over her and around, finishing up beneath her on his back. Looking down on him she raised an eyebrow.

"What?" He asked as if completely unaware of what exactly it was he was doing, his eyes upturned to look into her face as he continued to fly beneath her.

A further smile alighted upon her lips before she adjusted her feathers an unnoticeable amount and slightly dropped in height, enough that she leaned her weight onto him if not completely. As close to him as she was she leaned ever closer until the beak of her mask touched the tip of his nose, her lips mere inches from his as she gently breathed warm air onto them. Of course his face had changed from one of playful humour to one of excited expectation, but as she pressed her palms into his shoulders and playfully shoved him away with a victorious smile, his expression dropped to that of disappointment.

"That wasn't fair." Was his mumbled retort as he straightened out and resumed flying along beside her. He sulked then as if he were a child who hadn't gotten what he had wanted.

"I don't remember ever saying that I would play fair." Shayera replied still smiling.

At that he grinned wolfishly "Where'd the fun be in that?"

That earned him a playful slap to the arm and he chuckled amused by it as he reset his attention on his flight path, even if it was a little more broken than before. Shayera meanwhile turned her attention to the feel of the wind around her, enjoying the breeze while amongst her blissful happiness. The breeze today was cool, lavishing her in gentleness and quiet companionship because that was what the wind and its cousins was to her, it was her companion, her friend and aid. To her the presence of it made this simple flight with John worth even more, she felt as though she was sharing something with him, sharing the companionship of the element that seemed to be as much a part of her as her wings. She closed her eyes and not due to the wind in her face as the lenses of her helmet protected her, she shut them through contentment and through the temporary sense of peace and tranquillity that she felt.

When she did finally open her eyes it was to find John watching her attentively, a silly smile on his face.

"Why are you grinning like the Cheshire Cat?"

His smile only grew "I was watching you flying."

A gentle blush began to creep up across her cheeks, she was thankful that it was for the most part hidden beneath her mask. "Why?"

"Because you looked so beautiful." And he meant it. There was nothing quite like watching Shayera fly, she was always so tranquil and peaceful...she belonged up here.

"John..." She rolled her eyes to try to show her irritation but as she looked away from him her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. In truth she really loved it when he complimented her, not that she would ever admit as much.

John simply smiled triumphantly, clearly proud of himself for being able to make the esteemed and generally frightening Hawkgirl blush.

"Are you blushing?" He asked cheekily.

"No."

It amused him no end just how quickly she had answered him, not only was she blushing but she was trying to hide it. For the time being he decided to let it go.

When fully recovered Shayera decided to look back at him again, John had turned his gaze back upon the landscape and the sky before them, he didn't have much idea where exactly they were but for the moment he didn't much care. Shayera then mirrored his earlier actions and chose to watch him fly and in doing so, she came to realise something. Automatically she began to wonder just what his relationship with flying was, just how much he gained from it because she wanted to know if this shared moment between them meant as much to him as it did to her. As she considered it her eyes alighted on the ring that gleamed on his finger and the emerald aura that bathed his entire form from head to toe.

"Can you feel the wind?" Shayera asked with her head tilted so that she could get a better look at him.

"Hmm?" John had seemed to be someplace else but he focused on her and her curious expression "What?"

This time she gestured to his hand "Can you feel the wind through the ring?"

Bewildered by her line of questioning John humoured her and shook his head "No, my personal field protects me from all of that." He had figured that it was something she already knew.

He saw her frown and bite her lip slightly "So that's not really flying then."And she turned away as if the case was closed while he still puzzled, wondered what exactly had just transpired.

Deciding that her statement was completely illogical he chose to make a point of demonstrating his obviously groundless situation. Mockingly he stretched his arms out at either side of him and swayed his body from side to side in the air, waving them beneath him as if checking for some invisible surface beneath him. All the while she watched him and shook her head with a roll of her eyes immediately detecting his own personal brand of charming sarcasm.

"Looks like flying to me." John pointed out as if he had conducted a considerable amount of research.

Her reply was simple "There's more to flying than just getting from A to B, John."

John raised an eyebrow and tilted his head at her words, of course he knew there was more to it after all there was little that could compare to the sights of space and of the world from this perspective. Before he could ask her though just what exactly it was that she meant, Shayera had beaten her wings and lifted up above him, making him lose track of her exact location. Looking around to find her he was about to roll onto his back when a pair of arms came around his chest. Along his back he could feel her body pressed against him, her weight only barely upon him as she continued to flap her wings. She spoke softly into his ear.

"Do you trust me?"

His answer was immediate "Yes."

The lack of hesitation he had expressed surprised and even frightened her, but she carefully ignored the things that whispered in the back of her mind. Nothing would ruin this moment. Nothing would stop her from sharing this with him.

"Stop flying."

Again with a complete absence of hesitation he dropped his personal shield, releasing the emerald light that had kept him up until now, suspended. Instantly he felt his body drop slightly, Shayera adapting to the sudden change as she took on his weight, but it didn't hinder her, she was able to carry three grown men so John was of little issue. Without his ring, John had nothing but the deceptively strong yet slender arms of Shayera to hold him up, a thrilling if nerve wracking notion. Once he got past this however, he instantly became aware of the air that was around them, of the wind that blew into his face and eyes and took his breath away.

"Can you feel it now?" Shayera asked gently, the beak of her helmet now pressing beneath his jaw as she touched a kiss to his neck.

The combination of the wind and her touch sent a shiver down his spine "Yeah."

He could feel her smiling even as her arms tightened around his torso. The wind in his face wasn't a first time experience for John though, and neither was flying with Shayera for she had carried him before after she had broken him out of the advanced World War II jet that Vandal Savage had employed. What was different though was his perspective. Then he had been dangling from her hand, now he was completely beneath her as if he were experiencing it all through her eyes, it made him feel as though she was trying to show him something that was precious to her.

"You should relax a little." She coaxed gently.

"I am relaxed."

"No you're not." And as if to aid him she continued to softly kiss and nibble his neck until she felt his body ease in tension below her. "That's better."

"I see that you're still not playing fair."

"Of course not...where'd the fun be in that?"

John smiled at her reply and devoted his attention to the sensations he could feel, concentrating on how the wind caressed his face. During this he couldn't help but feel as if he were missing something, something very important and Shayera seemed to notice this as well. Carefully she withdrew one of her arms from around him, slipping her fingers over his hand where his arm was still pointed behind him. She took it and brought it around, lacing her fingers over his knuckles as she extended his arm out beside her and beneath her outstretched and beating wing. John's concentration automatically shifted as she had anticipated his eyes now focused on the movement of her wing as she kept them safely suspended miles above the ground. To her pleasure he freely stretched out his other arm to the other side, both of them mirroring the movement of her wings as if he were guiding wings of his own.

"You have to _feel _the wind John." Shayera whispered.

John was transfixed "I feel it." He replied softly.

She nodded "Adapt to it, work with it, don't fight it. Become one with it." For a fraction of a second she wanted to tell him that those words were the very same ones her mother had shared with her when teaching her to fly, but she kept it to herself not wanting to involve Thanagar in this wonderful thing she had found. She wanted to protect him from that part of her, immersing herself in this new person she had become, this person that had fallen in love with someone so passionate and moral and had been lucky enough that he had fallen for her too. Automatically she nuzzled into his neck protectively, never wanting to let him go.

"Shayera?" His voice was soft and warm "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine John." She paused and held him closer "Just watching you flying."

John smiled "Your perspective is a different one, I won't deny that."

"So do you understand that flying is more than about travel?"

"I think so." He admitted "But then again we are still technically travelling."

Shayera smirked "Oh really? So you wouldn't complain then if I did..._this_?" And she pulled her wings in against her body.

There was a brief second where they continued to move forward in the air until their combined weight tipped them forward. A moment later and they began to fall into a headfirst dive straight for the ground, Shayera's arms still holding him securely as he kept his own outstretched to either side. Together they raced toward the ground gaining speed with every passing moment, Shayera unfazed by the sheer velocity of their fall as she smiled widely, adrenaline beginning to surge through her veins as she suspected it did in John's. He let out a light whoop of exhilaration which pleased her no end, although she wasn't done yet. John's joyful whooping became a surprised whoa as Shayera slightly opened one wing and sent them into a turn, twisting them in a tight circle. For many minutes Shayera continued to put John through a number of acrobatics, various manoeuvres she had both learned and taught herself throughout her life and it was at the last moment that she fully spanned her wings and brought them up from their death defying dive.

"That was amazing." John confessed breathlessly as Shayera levelled them out into a slower and calmer glide.

"I'm glad you liked it."

She felt him nod before he asked her to let him go. Reluctantly she did so and witnessed as he became drenched in emerald light, a light that seemed to extend itself to her as he took her hand and tugged her closer. Shayera wasn't sure what to make of the shield that now surrounded her flesh as well as John's, with his aid she no longer needed to maintain her flight as he did it for the both of them, ascending them higher as he did so. She didn't get much time to contemplate what was occurring before John gently ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek, a tender look in his eyes. His fingers moved towards the edges of her helmet, brushing over it until Shayera closed her eyes and signalled that she was content for him to remove it. Like he did every time he removed it, John slowly grasped the edges and lifted it, keeping his movements slow as he savoured the process of revealing her face. No matter how many times he had done it before the removal of her mask always triggered a little breathless gasp of awe from him that in turn triggered a shy smile from her. Shayera opened her eyes and watched as he held her helmet to one side and the emerald shine of his light surrounded it and held it along with them so that it wouldn't become lost so far above the ground. Once her helmet was safely secure John returned his hand to her face, digits alighting over her features.

"So..." John murmured in a husky undertone, nose slightly touching hers as he took advantage of the helmet's absence "Don't you think you should kiss me?"

As alluring as he was when he looked and spoke to her in that way, Shayera managed to, for the moment, resist.

"I wasn't aware that it was expected of me." Her own voice had taken on its own low murmur even as she laced her fingers along his firm jaw until her fingers found his short cropped hair.

He smiled in such a way that what little of her resolve remained, was instantly melted, also aided by the touch of his lips to her jaw and ear.

"I think allowing you to beat up that robber earlier is reason enough, Shayera."

Saying her name was the last straw and within an instant she pressed her lips against his in an eager kiss. Kissing him always made her feel complete and whole as if they were two jigsaw pieces that were made for each other. Once they finally parted from one another, John smiled at her amused.

"What?" She questioned him haughtily as if he were accusing her of something.

"You're blushing again."

Her eyes widened before narrowing again "So?" The upturn at the corner of her mouth indicated that she wasn't as indignant as she made out to be.

He merely chuckled warmly, the sound rumbling in his throat as he held onto her more closely "I like it."

"I'm glad." Shayera agreed "So why don't you hurry up and kiss me again?"

Happily he complied.


	5. Legacy

Legacy

Living with an overactive and slightly stronger than average young son wasn't all it was cracked up to be. John and Shayera were the first to point this out when other people went gaga over their son. They cooed him and complimented on how adorable he was and every time Shayera would roll her eyes and John would mutter a "here we go". All the while Rex would outstretch his arms and joyously laugh. He was a charmer that was for sure, Shayera placed the blame on John's side of the gene pool despite the Lantern's arguments to the contrary.

Since Rex had become much more mobile having learned to walk almost as soon as he turned one, a vast array of accidents and incidents had followed in his wake. From broken shelves, ornaments and stools, to torn books, ripped photographs and wrecked furniture. Rex was an endless supply of energy and an endless supply of mayhem, something John blamed Shayera's side of the gene pool for. Oddly enough she didn't argue, only looked upon the carnage with a frown but an ever so slight glint of pride in her eye.

Three years later they were still having the same trouble yet the items that were often broken were now getting bigger. For example within the last week he had managed to break his wooden bed frame, the young Thanagarian hybrid having playfully bounced upon the bed until the poor thing gave way. Shayera had scolded him for doing such things and John had told her to go easy on him, "It's what kids do," he had explained yet she remained sceptical, such things were not common in Thanagarian children. As it were Rex's room was filled with boxes and tools, John amongst them with a paper manual in one hand and a set of Allen keys in the other as he deduced how exactly it was he was going to put the new bed together. Shayera flatly refused to get involved, John having given her the _look_ when she had attempted to assist him. Therefore she would leave him be knowing that he'd get himself worked up and she'd be able to treat him to a nice neck rub later on, something she found much more enjoyable than putting a bed together. As far as she was concerned her situation was a win either way.

While John worked though things around the apartment needed doing and Shayera wasn't one to sit around, not only that but she had discovered that they needed some groceries so she was adamant that she would go and buy some. Grocery shopping was something John always took care of thanks to Shayera's ability to stick out like a sore thumb, but lately she had wanted to do the shopping herself, other mothers did it so why shouldn't she?

"Mummy!"

Shayera was within the conjoined kitchen, a pen in her hand as she put together a shopping list. "Yes Sweetie?"

"Can I have the boxes?" He looked up at her with his bright green eyes and Shayera frowned in confusion.

"What boxes?"

"The boxes from the bed stuff." He was practically pleading with her now.

Shayera put her pen down as she completed her list, the paper adorned with Thanagarian runes as was her practice when she often wrote on paper. It was after all much quicker than writing in English.

"Ask your father."

"Daddy said to ask you." He was tugging on the hem of her shirt now. He wanted this very important matter cleared up before she left. What would he do if she didn't give him an answer? He'd have to wait hours for her to come back!

Shayera huffed a sigh out of her nose before she nodded her head. John was obviously getting agitated and wanted Rex to give him some space to work for the time being. So Shayera being the wife and mother she was, helped both her husband and her son.

Rex shrieked in victory as he began to tear off in the direction of his bedroom but Shayera quickly called him back.

"You can have the boxes, but you have to play with them in the living room okay?" When he looked to her, his attention holding onto her for slightly longer than usual, Shayera pressed on in the hopes of ingraining her request into him. "Daddy needs to work on your bed, so stay in here okay?"

"Okay." He gave her a big smile that warmed her heart and she tussled his jet black hair with her fingertips.

"I'll go and get them for you."

Leaving Rex in the living room where she hoped he wouldn't get up to no good for now, Shayera entered his bedroom to find John sitting on the floor, some of the bed frame put together and the rest of it neatly ordered to one side. John was a Marine at heart and liked things organised and Shayera had instantly put two and two together, Rex undoubtedly having been messing up John's arrangement.

"How are you getting on?" She asked him gently, a hand slightly around him and resting on his shoulder.

"Fine," He replied as he picked up the instructions again "Damn sure I'm missing some bits though."

Shayera smiled and rubbed his ear slightly before ducking down and kissing the top of his head "I'm sure you'll find it. I'm going to the shop, do you want anything?"

He looked up at her puzzled and was about to open his mouth to argue when she silenced him with another kiss, their lips moulding for a moment until she pulled away.

John knew that she wanted to do domestic things so he wisely changed the subject. Arguing with her would only agitate her and then she'd be short tempered when she left. After that it was anyone's guess who she'd end up wringing the neck of.

"I'm fine thanks...although I wouldn't mind another one of those." John remarked with a grin, the instructions apparently forgotten.

"You can have another when I get home," was her promise before she picked up the two larger boxes within the room "Rex is going to play with these in the living room."

"Alright." He waved her off "I'll see you when you get back."

Smiling she departed Rex's room only to find her son clambering up onto the kitchen unit, thankfully her and John had made the house rule of no knives or utensils on the work surfaces. All such items were safely locked away where their mischievous son couldn't get a hold on them. Shayera set the boxes down before she placed her fists on her hips.

She raised her voice easily, her legendary war cry having strengthened her vocal cords over the years.

"Rex! Get down from there, right now." Her eyes were narrowed as she firmly fixed her eyes upon him.

Startled, Rex gingerly peered around only to see his Mother standing angrily in the living room, her wings ever so slightly flared as she made herself seem larger than normal. He was reluctant to get down, the biscuits and sweet treats were only a little way away, perhaps he could reach them if he stretched hard enough.

"_Now_ Rex!"

He jumped slightly before starting to finally climb down from the unit, his eyes downcast all the way even as he reached the floor and stood before her, worrying that she might shout at him for being naughty again. Slowly he saw her feet come into view as she approached him before she suddenly hefted him up by his armpits and held him in her arms, the firm expression still in her eyes.

"What have we told you about climbing up there? You could hurt yourself."

"Sorry." He mumbled apologetically "I was just..."

"Trying to get the sweets." Shayera completed for him "If you'd like one just ask Rex, it's better than you climbing up and hurting yourself." She cast him a smile as she reached up and extracted a treat for him from the cupboard "Now, be a good boy while I'm out, okay?"

"Okay." He grinned and she put him back down onto his feet, patting him on the bum as he ran over towards the boxes she had brought in for him.

Finally able to leave now that her boys were settled and thus far entertained, Shayera grabbed her harness from the coat rack. She hated the ruddy thing but if she was to go out in public without generating an obscene amount of attention, it was the only way. Hastily she began to slip it on, fastening it around her shoulders as she tucked her wings securely inside, flattening them against her back as much as possible so that they would be close to invisible beneath her long and oversized coat. While she did this Rex watched her with interest until he came over to her and helped her with a buckle she had forgotten.

"Mummy?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you wear that?"

Shayera glanced at him as she slipped her coat on "It's a bit chilly out."

He shook his head revealing the sugar that coated either side of his mouth, Shayera was beginning to wonder if that dose of confectionary had been a wise decision but she put it out of her mind as Rex tugged on part of the harness, shaking his head as he did so.

"This. Why do you cover your feathers?"

Shayera was dumbfounded for a moment, her guard caught unawares at the questioning from her young son, she wondered if he was old enough to understand but she ruled it out. He was intelligent for his age but she knew he wouldn't understand such things and she wasn't in any rush to have him have to understand.

"Not everyone likes feathers Rex, Mummy doesn't want to upset anyone."

"But they're pretty."

She smiled heart warmed before kneeling down and ridding his cheeks of the sugar that coated them, afterward kissing his forehead softly "Thank-you. Now be a good boy."

With a final shouted goodbye in John's direction and a goodbye likewise hollered back, Shayera departed the Stewart residence, a grocery mission commencing.

Since his mother had left, Rex had devoted much of his time to the boxes he had been given from the new bed he was having. He climbed into the larger of the two boxes and leaned in and out of it, stuffed cushions in the other, thrown them around, worn them on his head, hidden beneath them like a cardboard tortoise and many other imaginative things. Once or twice his Dad had checked up on him to make sure he was alright and not getting himself into any trouble, but had generally remained concerned with his task.

Some hours later though John finally emerged from Rex's room a tired but pleased smile on his face.

"All done."

Rex peered out of his box fortress and raised his arms up into the air letting out a joyful yell at the news. Within moments he was charging towards his bedroom to investigate the new bed and immediately, despite John's warning, leapt onto it. Exasperated John had left his son to it. This bed frame was composed of metal and should be far more hard wearing. He collapsed onto the couch feeling slightly drained, he couldn't understand why beds had become so complicated to put together. A sigh about to pass his lips John was startled back into the present as Rex returned and jumped onto his lap, hugging his father fiercely and telling him how much he liked his new bed. So much so that he couldn't wait to go to bed, a notion John thought to be quite interesting indeed.

Still tired though he leant his head back on the couch, Rex in his lap as he muttered something to the young boy about watching a film tonight before bed like they had agreed, it was Tuesday after all and that was boys night. They'd get to watch whatever film they wanted and eat whatever snacks they liked, some quality time between the two Stewarts while Shayera quietly read in her armchair.

"Daddy, why don't people like feathers?"

John's eyes opened and he slowly raised his head so that he could see Rex, John's expression bewildered yet curious.

"Who said that?"

"Mummy said it, when she put on her straps."

A frown spread on John's face and he realised why Rex had asked such a strange question. Shayera still wasn't able to freely walk around in public without drawing attention, some of it positive but most of it negative. More importantly she wanted to protect Rex from her life. She wanted him to grow up as normally as possible, like the other human children. She didn't want their son being penalised for her mistakes.

"It's...complicated." John said struggling to find an explanation that would satisfy his inquisitive son "Your Mother is the only person with feathers so it makes her special." Rex seemed to prefer this idea as he nodded, a tiny smile beginning to form on his features.

"But why does she cover them?" Of course Rex would not be satisfied easily. A lot like his mother really.

John sighed heavily "Lots of people don't like them, son. They're afraid of them so Mummy covers them up so as not to upset anyone."

Rex seemed sad at the information, his little face falling and John saw that his emerald eyes did the same thing Shayera's did when she was sad. They lost a little colour, a little vibrancy. John instantly brought his son into a comforting hug.

"Daddy, why don't I have feathers too?"

John couldn't bear to tell him the truth of the matter, he knew the importance of wings in Shayera's culture and he could already tell in Rex that he was sad at not having them.

"I don't have them either, Rex." John offered.

"Can we make some?"

"How?" John was puzzled and so the question just came right out and Rex's answer was to simply point in the direction of the cardboard boxes.

It was some time later when Shayera finally returned home, a number of bags in her hands as she bustled through the door. She was slightly irritable because her wings were aching and sore, aside from that though her trip had been without fault. Relieved to be home she set the bags down and glanced about the living room wondering why the apartment was so strangely quiet.

"Rex? ...John?"

She slipped her coat off and was about to hang it up when she heard an enthused yell from Rex, the young boy streaming out of his bedroom with something flapping along behind him. He was moving too fast for her to see what exactly it was, she wasn't too bothered though, Rex always had something or other with him. It wasn't until John ran out after his son with something trailing along behind him as well that Shayera really became curious as to what was going on.

"You're back!"

Rex leapt up into her arms in one bound, indication enough that he had inherited her strength. It was in mid air that she realised he had a pair of cardboard wings attached to his back with string shoulder straps, the card fluttering as if they were real wings. A whole swell of emotion blossomed inside of her, a combination of many complicated things she couldn't put words to but when she caught him she hugged him tightly.

As Rex laughed happily Shayera caught sight of John, her husband too was wearing cardboard wings upon his shoulders and she laughed joyfully.

"Do you like them?" He asked her, reaching around behind her and releasing the buckles and clips she had fastened to hold her own wings at bay. Wings that once released stretched out to either side almost spanning the entire width of the apartment.

"I love them." She responded affectionately "Whose idea was this?"

"Mine! Mummy it was mine!" Rex called, waving his arms frantically as if she might not see him. "But they aren't as pretty as yours."

She awarded him with another hug, holding him tightly and feeling the wealth of emotions start to overwhelm her. Here was her son, wanting the wings he couldn't have, but also showing her that if no one else liked them, he and his father did.

John saw that Shayera began to grow tearful so he brought them both into his arms and hugged them, murmuring something sweet in Shayera's ear while his fingers buried themselves in the cluster of down feathers that could be found in the fold of her wing.

"What am I going to do with you two?" She asked light heartedly.

They remained together for some time, Rex eagerly demonstrating his wings to her as John explained the conversation they had had while she was gone. She wasn't sure if she could tell them just how much it meant to her but she was content to hug Rex as much as possible while she granted John the kiss she had promised and many more besides.

As it turned out though, Rex didn't stop at cardboard wings.


	6. Bloom

**An/ Quick note here. I've decided to alter the summary for this collection somewhat. There will still be a focus on the better times between Shayera and John but I'd like a little more freedom for subject matter rather than restricting myself too much. I write quite a lot of HGGL when I have time and because of the current summary I haven't been uploading some of them. That's all going to change now. Hope you guys don't mind the summary change there. **

**Thanks for all of your support :D Hope you enjoy this one :)**

Bloom

There's a place where flowers bloom. Vast expanses of them across the great plains of Thanagar, their stems swaying and their petals raised high, reaching toward the sky. Shayera remembers them. At this very moment she can close her eyes and see them for as far as the horizon and beyond, like a great sea of crimson, their petals a vivid red and dusted with golden flecks. They sway together in unison like great waves, their scent washing up with each tide and wafting a fragrance of spice and warmth. Delicate yet threatening.

These blooms hold a firm place in her heart but for now she is reluctant to explore it, averse as she is to the memories of Thanagar and the life she left behind and to the planet that she doomed.

When her eyes open once again, she is looking out and beyond her window. Here she is not staring out amongst grand stretches of crimson. Instead she is looking out to the empty vastness of space and the stars that lay beyond. Usually she spends her time staying in her Metro Tower quarters but she has since felt a need for a change of scenery and the stretches of space have never failed to humble her. Almost as if without thought, Shayera looks down and towards the reliable turns of the Earth below, a planet she has fallen in love with since arriving there more than eight years ago and finally she allows herself to succumb to the demands of her memories. She has good reason to avoid her past, it's too easy to fall to the whim of her guilt laden conscience, but having John back in her life has alleviated some of her hurts. Even if it is just a little.

With a breath she moves her emerald eyes away from the marble picturesque of the Earth and instead towards the emptiness of the space beyond. There, only the stars can be seen as if holes had been punched into a great black canvas. Those stars as she stares at them intently slowly begin to alter and change until all she can see are the constellations of Thanagar's evening sky. The new constellations she sees are far more familiar to her in comparison to Earth's _Orion_ and _Little Bear_. Now she sees Thanagar's _Hark'nvesh, Lyrious_ and _Whobian_, the great beasts of her home world immortalised. She blinks and the patterns fade until once again she can see the familiar stars she has become accustomed to seeing from her window. Succumbing to nostalgia, Shayera considers Thanagar and the memories she has of her home world, there are few things about the militant like world that can be considered positive. It's all too easy to see only the despair and turmoil, to see only the war-torn cities and ravaged high towers. Everything riddled with the scars of plasma cannons and destruction and the rain that brought ashes down from the sky instead of droplets. Regardless of this, Shayera can still find the rare beauties of her past home.

Such as the flowers.

Her Mother always loved the flowers.

There were rare times in which their world gained small, temporary reprieve from war and battle and these were the moments that Shayera spent with her parents. Her father would mercilessly train her until she was exhausted both mentally and physically, preparing her as he was for the life she must lead if she was to survive. Unlike her father, her mother was far less enthused by the concepts of battle and training, indeed her mother held more interest in the little things that made their world worth saving from the Gordanians. She often told Shayera that for them to win the war, they had to remind themselves what their world meant to them. Of course, however calm her mother seemed to be, if something stirred her anger she fought without mercy and without hesitation. She was like the wind, calm in the summers but raw and powerful in the winter when the storms came. When Shayera thought of the plains of flowers where her mother used to take her, she came to the realisation that she was perhaps most like her, passionate yet deeply caring in the right circumstances. It wasn't the first time she wished that she could have grown like Earth children in the company and love of her parents.

"_They are beautiful, aren't they…my Shayera?"_

Her mother would say those words every time they landed in the Great Plains that lay beyond the cities and beyond the sky reaching tower of the House Hol, a spire that had been occupied by the Hols for generations. Shayera would always respond the same way when faced with the ocean of red blooms, a smile, a nod, a heartfelt agreement. Those flowers truly were the most beautiful things that Shayera had ever seen in her young life and perhaps even when she was older and far more experienced in the ideas of battle and death. With her growth and exposure to battle, she had learned that a planet at constant war lost its colour. Everything seemed to become washed out and grey as if a watercolour palette had been overturned onto a canvas, the colours running together until they became muddy and blurred. The flowers in the plains would always remind her that the colour could be brought back, that Thanagar could survive and find peace. That she could live a life without her emotionless resolve and ever dominant rage, qualities that had been engrained into her throughout her vigorous training and brutal warfare.

Shayera had taken Hro there once, to the plains beyond her family spire. With those thoughts her expression dropped to one of sadness. Their engagement had been one of office and status rather than one of love and endearment, but Shayera had always hoped that she could learn to love him just as her mother had her father. Hro didn't seem to notice the beauty of the flowers she showed him or their significance to her as the one that had brought him there. Instead he focused on the sky and the rumble of ships overhead, his ears pricked in case he should hear the deeper, threatening sound of a Gordanian battle vessel. In those days he knew of her struggle to reciprocate the love that he had been able to offer her from the start.

But Hro never searched beneath the outer façade of her ways, her battle rage and careful strategy, he never seemed to find the part of her that lay beneath, the part of her that was like her mother. Hro never seemed to _see her_ even if he found it in his war-hardened heart to love and protect her. In time she did grow to love him in ways but it was always her loyalty to him as her Commander that seemed to overshadow what should have truly been blossoming in her heart for him.

For a flicker of an instant Shayera is brought back to the here and now and she sees the vase of flowers that are set upon her desk, brought by John and the source of her reminiscence, the exotic lilies reminding her of the flowers her mother loved. She settles then on thoughts of John and his kind heart and sweetness, his Marine ways, his gentle, loving soul and unending warmth. She feels the flutter, feels her heart swell and her breath lurch as she knows that what she feels when she thinks of John is what she had always hoped to find for Hro. In fact, she knows that the love she feels for John is far greater than anything she feels she could give to anyone else.

John is everything to her, her beginning, her end. Her soul.

For a little longer, Shayera focuses on the flowers that John brought her, eyes tracing the petals and stems as they sit on her desk. Oddly she's reminded of a memory that even now she finds somewhat strange and bewildering. There was a battle that took place on the far side of the planet where the Hol spire resided and when Shayera arrived there, battle worn, battered and filthy, she discovered that it had been brought down. Across the ocean of blooms the Hol tower laid broken and destroyed, crushing the beauty of Thanagar beneath its heavy stone rubble and jagged runes. With that sight before her, Shayera wept. She wept for the blooms and she wept for the spire, a home that was less a home to her than the shelters she had spent the majority of her life. In that moment Shayera felt as though their world could not be saved, that the colour could never be returned and that it was doomed beyond anything she or anyone else could do.

Of course the flowers returned in time, blooming as brightly as they had ever done and subsequently restoring her belief in herself and the cause she fought for on a daily basis. For the times she flew up in battle to meet Gordanians in the sky with her mace against their spears and brutish weapons. For the times she crept behind enemy lines gathering information and discovering secrets and the times when she hardened her heart against the loss of comrades. Restored as she was in her courage and her sense of duty that she accepted a mission to travel to a distant world to learn of its capabilities and to discover if it could benefit from their help, should the Gordanians venture beyond the current system.

Shayera had taken one of the flowers with her within her ship after saying her final farewells to her promised. The blooms of those plains were hardy and vigilant and it accompanied her throughout her trip, lasting right up until the moment she entered Earth's system. It had been the last of those precious flowers she would ever see for the remainder of her years. She would never see Thanagar again either with its two suns and glorious sunsets, its frosty winters and joyful spring winds.

"Shayera?"

The unexpected voice stirs her and spurs her to action, making her turn her head and dislodge her chin from where it rested upon her hand. The voice belongs to a man and one that she cares for deeply beyond a point she can measure. He's standing there in her doorway, a hand resting against the doorframe as he hovers there with uncertainty as if he isn't sure if he should disturb her.

"Hey, John." Her smile is easy despite the heavy thoughts she has been entertaining over the last hour or so. He has enough power over her to bring smiles and laughter from her with little effort and she would rather not allow him to see the darkness that has settled over her.

He approaches her in a few steps, the automatic door behind him whooshing airily as it slides on its hydraulics, promising them privacy. John smiles just as easily as her but dopily as he always does when she is before him. The lopsided smile never fails to put her at ease, it never fails to lift the darkness from her heart. Her response is it to tiptoe when he reaches her at last, and wrap her arms around his broad shoulders. His own slide around her waist.

"How long have you been sat there?"

The question seems innocent enough but she detects that he is attempting to fish for information. His interrogation skills were never particularly impressive as far as she's concerned.

His worrying annoys her.

"I'm fine." She mutters into his shoulder as she holds him, "I was just thinking that's all." When she pulls away she can see that concerned glow in his eyes, gentle green and strangely warm despite their underlying promise of power.

"As long as you're sure?" His concerned tone never wavers.

Shayera wants to hit him just at that moment, because she knows that he spends as much time as her thinking and twice as much as her worrying. Sometimes when he sleeps she can still see the concentrated frown on his face as if he can't cease even then. She knows he worries about the future and she knows that there's still a distance between them, no longer enough to tear them apart but just enough that she isn't sure what to say to him and there's something that has been bothering her.

"Are you afraid?" She asks abruptly, apparently plucking the question out of the air. Yet her expression and the gentle touch to his hand with her fingertips indicate that no matter his answer, she won't pull away.

"Not when I'm with you." He replies softly, his voice sounding like the gentle bubble of a stream over polished stones. It makes her feel weak at the knees and she's thankful that she's holding onto him.

She smiles but frowns and looks away "I meant…that I'll hurt you again?" Shayera's perceptive, she hasn't missed the glances he gives her and the way he flinches sometimes when she sits next to him or talks about things from the past Watchtower, the past life, the past lie.

Its then that she detects his hesitation, sees him fighting with something inside himself, maybe it's always there but she ignores it or maybe she's seeing something that isn't there because she doesn't feel that she deserves him.

"Shayera…I…" He looks at her rather helplessly before he takes her hands into his and stares at them for an eternity. "We both knew when we agreed to this, that it was a risk for both of us, not just to me." Her eyes glisten at his words and the moisture lifts the green to a level of vibrancy that steals his breath away. "These things take time." He says to her reassuringly as he lifts one of her hands and lowers his head to gift her knuckles with a tender kiss.

"You are such a charmer." Shayera breaks the ice with a light hearted quip. It's enough to bring them out of this serious atmosphere.

John lifts his head and cocks a grin "You know you love it."

"Yeah." She replies without denial. There was a time when she would rebuke a comment like that and would hide her blush under her mask and her grin under a scowl, but she's a different woman now and she's content to be open with the man she loves.

However, despite the relief John sees in her eyes, he knows that there is something amiss.

"Shayera…what's wrong?" He pauses for only an instant before he continues "And don't pretend that its nothing, I know you. I know when there's something wrong."

He catches her glancing at the flowers he bought her.

"It's okay if you don't like them." John says gently "I can get you some different ones." In truth he's a little disappointed because he had been more than certain that she'd like them. They weren't pretentious like roses and they weren't so colourful as to drive her crazy. He supposed that he would just have to keep looking.

"No, no…they're beautiful. Really." She reassures him in an instant giving him a soft kiss on the cheek in thanks which she is sure raises a modest blush out of her Lantern. "It's just…they remind me of a flower that used to grow on Thanagar." She is sure her sadness creeps out against her wishes.

John surprisingly seems to perk up with this information, his eyes suddenly becoming alight. Briefly he strokes her red hair before guiding the bangs away from her face so that he can see her more clearly.

"Describe them."

"W-what?" She's taken aback slightly by his abruptness but regardless goes on to explain the blooms she saw throughout her life on Thanagar. Crimson red petals with golden flecks, purple stems and bright, pollen loaded stamen.

John seems to take in every word and every part of her description until his brow furrows and his eyes seem to mist over. Shayera stops talking and watches him with interest as he noticeably fixates on something behind and beyond her. She continues to watch as he raises his ring finger and clenches his fist, his brow furrowing deeper until she can see the crevice that digs itself between his eyebrows. Instantly she smiles, finding the expression on his face quite adorable but John doesn't seem to notice her. The grip on his hand doubles as sweat beads on his skin and Shayera begins to wonder what on Earth it is he's doing, she's about to say something when a green image begins to shiver before her eyes.

The construct takes on the shape of the flower she described, every detail seems to be there, even the little frills along the edges of the petals. She wants to interrupt him and ask him what he is trying to do but she can see from the level of focus in his eyes that it's best that she stays silent. Again the construct shivers and he emits a little grunt of effort until a splash of colour dances over the green of his hardened light image. It's in that moment that she realises that he is _willing _the flower into existence, not just reminding her of what those precious flowers looked like. Seconds later and he is stood before her, sweat beaded upon his forehead as he holds a delicate, crimson flower in his hand. After he looks upon it in satisfaction, he offers it to her.

Shayera is speechless as she gingerly receives the flower from him, her hands trembling slightly as she accepts it and takes in every detail. Everything is exactly how she described and she almost can't believe it. Overwhelmed she releases a breathless laugh, a fingertip tracing a petal that is speckled with gold and she at last takes one cautious whiff.

It smells just as she remembered.

"John…how did you…?"

He's smiling at her affectionately, there's love in his eyes and it inflates her heart. It's been too long since she's seen those eyes and been able to reciprocate them without fear of rejection. John lifts his hand for her inspection and indicates the ring.

"There's more to the ring than making constructs," he explains casually "It holds a lot of information too. I just had to have something to go on first."

He won't tell her that the amount of effort and concentration such an act warranted is exhausting, all that matters to him is the smile that he brought upon her lips and the wonder to her eyes. He has just given her a gift beyond anything she could ever imagine.

"It's still a construct," He warns her softly "It'll hold out as long as my ring power does."

"That's fine," Her voice is gentle and a tone softer than usual. She admires the flower a little longer before she slides her palm up and over his chest until she snags the top of his uniform and coaxes him toward her. When he's low enough, she kisses him tenderly and smiles into their kiss as he reciprocates somewhat tiredly. Shayera knows that bringing the flower into existence has tired him and she's glad that he's just finished his shift.

When they part John gives her his crooked smile and once again runs his fingers throughout her hair, regretful that he is still wearing his gloves.

"Thank-you, John."

"You're welcome," He looks at the flower only now taking in how beautiful it is "What kind of flower is it?" He asks her as he gingerly takes a sniff of the plant.

Shayera smiles "It's a _Shayera flower_."


	7. Picnic under the stars

**An/ Wow its been too long since I posted some HG/GL. Truth be told I've had a dry spell of ideas lately and its been hard for me to write much, but hopefully that will change soon enough. If you'd ever like to see anything specific or would like to request something between these guys, drop me a PM and maybe I'll see what I can do :D Anyway I hope you like this one, its set somewhere after Destroyer.**

**Happy belated Valentines, I'm always late to these things :P **

Picnic under the stars

She held his arm, her own nestled in the crook of his elbow as they walked together. He seemed to have somewhere specific in mind, his steps sure and confident. John always radiated confidence and assurance, there were only rare moments when she had seen him uncertain and even then he had always remained steady and strong minded. Normally on an occasion like this with the two of them walking together to places unknown, Shayera would grow curious as to where they were actually going, but not tonight. All that mattered to her tonight was John and John alone. When she glanced up at him she couldn't help the little smile that graced her features when he caught her eye. That natural curvature to her lips forming whenever he looked upon her as if the action itself demanded the upturn at the corners of her mouth. He was one of the few that could make her smile so easily, Wally was a close second.

"We're almost there." He informed her softly, grasping her arm with his free hand and giving it an affectionate squeeze, she could read his excitement and nervousness in every one of his actions. For a few more steps he continued to talk to her quietly about different things but all she really heard was his voice rather than the words it shaped. It seemed as though he didn't want to shatter the beautiful atmosphere of the night with his more usual baritone, instead choosing to keep his voice low and soft. She wouldn't have minded either way though, having always enjoyed the sound of his voice caressing the syllables of words, even when he was just talking about the game on the television or how irresponsible Wally had been that day.

When they arrived at John's prearranged location, Shayera hadn't even noticed how far they had walked, or the sights that had passed them. So engrossed had she been with her company, savouring every second with him as if it could be taken away at any moment. Although she hadn't noticed the world around her apart from the invisible bubble she had made around her and John, she did however, notice this.

"...John." She gasped as her eyes wandered over the picnic basket and lights, there were so many lights. Fairy lights and candles were all around lighting up the tiny area in a warm twinkling glow. It must have taken him ages to prepare this scene for this moment, lights hanging from every branch and candles circling everywhere. Shayera had a fondness for candles, flames and torches having been present predominately in her culture rather than the electric based lights of Earth. Candles always filled her with a sense of comfort and familiarity.

John only smiled, glad that she found his gesture pleasing. He had wanted to do something special for her for some time but hadn't been certain what he could actually do for her, or even if Thanagarians appreciated such things as romance. In the past he had offered her flowers and chocolates, traditional Earthly things and although she had always accepted them gratefully, he could always tell that it wasn't quite the way it should be. However when he stopped worrying about her culture and concerned himself instead with what he knew of her, his quandary solved itself. He guided her towards the picnic blanket, a hand pressed to the small of her back and helped her settle down, his fingers lightly brushing against the upper arch of her right wing as he moved around her and seated himself opposite. Knowing her well he had packed everything he knew she loved, soft fruits and chocolate as well as a range of many other things, everything except eel heads. True enough her preferences food wise resided more towards the weird and slimy or just plain nasty, but there were a few sweeter things she didn't mind consuming, much to John's relief. He had briefly considered flying to the Omega Quadrant to purchase her some flurb or other consumables more native to her tongue but had changed his mind at the last moment. Maybe it was something to consider for next time if tonight turned out to be a success.

"You've gone to so much trouble." She said as she smoothed the edges of her green dress, the colour bringing out the green of her eyes.

"It was no trouble." John replied as he offered her a range of caramels and toffees "You're the trouble." He grinned broadly as she raised an eyebrow, but she lowered it again in favour of this perfect occasion rather than her usual stubbornness. Shayera by nature loved a challenge and even more so a fight, but John was the one exception to the latter. She hated fighting with him, now more than ever. Their fights weren't how they used to be, those little meaningless bickerings that were forgotten overnight. Their relationship was more personal now, and so were their disagreements. Oftentimes painfully so. She still thrived on a challenge though and John supplied plenty, but tonight there would be none, it was their night. Just the two of them.

The night was cool, not too cold nor too warm. It was just the way she liked it with a gentle breeze that filtered through her feathers and teased her with the want to fly. Enjoying the night Shayera tilted her head back and glanced up at the sky above them. The night really was perfect, not a single cloud in sight and every star could be seen glittering like thousands of tiny diamonds. It made her wonder thoughtfully about how peculiar the universe was. How it had brought her to someone galaxies away and made her feel so connected to them.

"What are you thinking about?"

She averted her gaze from the sky and rested it upon him instead, a twinkle in her eye.

"Just how beautiful the stars are tonight, I don't always look at them." She confessed with a self-depreciative smile. It was true she didn't look at them much anymore. She used to almost every night, staring up at them and trying to pinpoint where Thanagar might be, but she had realised long ago that there was more to find on the ground. Thanagar had been her home but her life was here now and through thick or thin she would live it however way she could and with the ones she wanted to share it with.

"Me neither." John confessed similarly "When you've lived up there and worked there so long, you begin to desensitise to them." He stared thoughtfully upward at them as if seeing them there for the first time "They never lose their appeal though, even if we do forget about them." He paused briefly "Would you like to dance?"

Shayera stared at him a moment before she glanced around "We don't have any music."

John grinned confidently as he leaned forward and plucked a small portable CD player from the basket and set it down.

"Yeah we do." He confirmed switching it on as he stood to his feet. With his arm outstretched he offered her his hand which she accepted willingly, her smaller one being engulfed in his warmer and larger one. Shayera loved his hands. She had seen him fight with them, wield the most powerful weapon in the universe, yet she had also seen him heal with them, seen him gentle and careful with them. They were strong and reassuring and they made her feel safe even if she was a Thanagarian born with more strength than him.

"Fine, but it's been a long time since I've danced..." The last time had been with him during that faraway time when they had been so happy and so alive with potential. That happiness was slowly finding them again but its journey towards them was slower this time, paced and cautious. Regardless though it was still finding them.

They stood together amongst the little lights and candles, John taking her hand and slipping his other arm around her waist. Shayera was smaller than him and so he bent over just enough to bring his face closer to hers. The contact seeped her skin with warmth and set her pulse racing, being so close to him always had a powerful effect on her even in those early days when she had gone out of her way to avoid him. She remembered the first time he had ever really touched her, a brief touch to the shoulder when they had been abandoned on some trash planet while looking for War World. At the time he was an annoyance, a man she couldn't abide even though she didn't quite understand why. That touch though had awakened her to at least the realisation that John Stewart would indeed be trouble. Blinking the memory from her vision, Shayera mirrored his actions, grasping his hand in return and placing her other upon his shoulder. The fabric of his suit contrasted with the rough padding of his palm and fingers where years of battle and warfare had carved stories. She could read them with her own hands, they too riddled with the imperfections of a life dominated with fighting. They had both seen much battle in their lives and Shayera for one was glad to see a moment absent of it.

The music played on around them, something slow and paced, something that accentuated the atmosphere around them and filled them with a sense of contentment and belonging. After a few moments of getting re-accustomed to the process of dancing, Shayera stepped closer to him, touching the tips of her toes with his, but not treading on them. John held her closely, his cheek resting against her own as he swayed them in unison, his hand gliding up towards her shoulders and over the exposed flesh of her back. When he touched her wings they shivered gently making him smile. She looked gorgeous tonight, her hair resting naturally in its stubborn bangs and her green dress showing off her curves in all the right ways. When she caught him looking at her she adorned an expression that simply made her irresistible to him.

"See something you like?" She challenged playfully, all the while moving with him to the music, never missing a step. The two of them were perfectly in sync, able to anticipate the movement of the other without the need for communication.

"Green is really your colour." He smiled and kissed her cheek, teasing her skin with just a hint of stubble on his jaw.

"That's one thing we agree on." She lightly laughed as he dipped her gently before bringing her back up onto her feet and turning her.

"I thought so." He replied knowingly. "You should wear it more often."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Shayera held onto him as he turned her again both of them laughing and smiling together, simply enjoying each other's company in a way they hadn't been able to for so long.

The music played and they continued to dance, becoming lost in each other's touch and movement. Shayera nuzzled his neck, feeling the warmth there and the gentle fragrance of his cologne before she gently caressed his cheek with her nose. An intimate gesture of her culture, more intimate than perhaps a kiss and she was thrilled when he reciprocated.

There were so many things they had been through, so many trials and tribulations, so much sadness. At that moment though, her face so close to his and his heart beating against her chest, his arms holding her and that loving look in his eyes...it was so easy to forget all of it. For the first time in years it was so easy to forget about the arrival of her people and the complexity of their relationship. Tonight it was just Shayera Hol and John Stewart and she knew in her heart it would remain that way, from that moment onwards when he looked at her and she saw love his there, a love that was just for her and her alone.

He had given her his heart and let her keep it even when things turned bad. Finally she was free to completely give him hers having let him steal it from her when they first met. Having let him keep it hoping that one day they might be able to try once again when there was no longer anything to hold them apart.

She moved and pressed her body against his, looking into his eyes with an intensity of love that could not be outshone. She had so much love to give him, her heart swollen with emotion and desire and a longing to spend the rest of her days with him and beyond.

Her lips were against his ear, her breath warm against his flesh "Make love to me, John." She whispered "Under the stars."

He wrapped his arms around her fully, raising her slightly from the ground to equalise their heights before he kissed her. A kiss that conveyed everything that their relationship was and the transition they had taken from their troubled pasts to their hopeful future, their love alight both galaxies and times apart without fear of ever snuffing out. Shayera cupped his face in her hands as she lost herself to his embrace, the strength of his arms and the purity of his heart, her wings fluttering and her heart soaring, their souls burning brightly together as the stars above them did.

It was a time later, nestled together amongst the picnic blanket, Shayera softly kissing his face as she lay slightly atop him, that their world seemed to finally combine together. For so long they had been disjointed from each other and from themselves but now, everything was where it should be, everything was right in their world. They were no longer distanced by an uncertainty or doubt, no longer did they fear the future of their relationship or where it could take them next. They were at last content with each other and the decision they had made to be together.

John stared at her for a long time, meeting her emerald eyes with his own chocolate brown and it was a moment before Shayera responded.

"What?" She asked smirking, resting her head upon her fist as she trailed meaningless patterns upon his chest.

John's eyes were deep with emotion, a literal ocean that Shayera often allowed herself to submerge within "I was just thinking about how much I love you."

She smiled, cheeks reddening slightly at his words. In response she leaned down and kissed him deeply before leaning away once again and stroking his cheek with the backs of her fingers.

"I'll assume that means you love me too." John said coyly.

"Maybe." She smiled "Maybe it means that I finally realised how big the universe is and how far I was taken to find you."

John grinned "You don't normally get so philosophical." He commented, laughing when she lightly slapped his chest.

"Don't push it." She smiled before she leant down a second time and kissed the corner of his mouth "For the record...I love you too John Stewart."

A soft chuckle was his reply before he scooped her back up into his arms. He would later think about what she had said about the universe. Later realising that when he looked up at the night sky, the stars always appeared close together even though they were millions of miles apart. Like he and Shayera, the stars found a way to be together even with so much distance between their worlds. John realised as Shayera had done the shear scope of the universe and how fortunate they were to have found each other in a world so large and vast.

He would always be thankful for that.


	8. Sparring

**An/ This one is set somewhere after the Imperium Invasion and just after the events of War World. Felt like writing something Pre-JLU since I don't go there enough. **

**Anyway, hope you like this one. **

Sparring

Today was an easy day, a rare one but an easy one none the less. For the first time in Oa knew how long, John Stewart finally had some time to himself. There was no Lantern business that required his presence in space and there was thankfully nothing too dramatic happening on the Earth. He wouldn't have monitor duty until tomorrow and he was thankful for that if nothing else, it was certainly his least favourite job. With all of this in mind the resident Green Lantern decided that it was an excellent opportunity to check out the Watchtower's facilities and perhaps even press some weights. These days he didn't get a lot of time to really work out and keep himself at his physical peak.

Regardless of the relaxed condition of the day, John continued to walk with an air of military about him, a Marine at heart even down to his mannerisms. However, despite this his shoulders slumped when he arrived at the gymnasium discovering that he hadn't been the only one with a workout in mind today. It didn't take the world's greatest detective to figure out that the war cries that sounded within belonged to Hawkgirl and John couldn't help but groan at the thought. That woman drove him crazy. Her attitude alone was enough without her obsession with irrational violence as well. John had lost count just how many times it had been that he had reprimanded her and scolded her over her hit first and ask questions later approach to her work.

John sighed. Maybe he should just come back later.

Trouble was he didn't know if he'd get another chance to try out the gym, not only that but when he considered the situation, it might prove to be an ideal opportunity to try and find some equal ground with her. They were supposed to be teammates after all and the animosity between them just wouldn't benefit the team as a whole. Mind made up at last the Green Lantern took a deep calming breath, mentally preparing himself before he finally committed to entering.

The Gymnasium was an impressive room, segmented with one area devoted to exercise equipment and the other a completely matted area for sparring. John guessed that the sparring area was probably the more popular part of the room having often heard Diana mentioning her matches in there with Superman and Hawkgirl. Across at the further end Hawkgirl was busy pummeling a punch-bag within an inch of its life, the thing swinging wildly with every strike. From what John could see it was close to either swinging back and hitting her or wrenching itself completely free from the ceiling.

"Looks like you could use someone to hold that for you." John offered as he entered the room. He walked in, glancing around a little more before he settled his gaze upon her and her continued beating of the helpless punch bag. He noticed now that she was dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top, her helmet finishing the peculiar look. It seemed odd but for the first time since John had met her, he noticed how…_womanly_ her figure was. He hadn't really thought of her that way or even looked at her that way. She was always so aggressive and ill-tempered, John spent most of his time trying to avoid her.

"I'm fine." She retorted "I don't need any help."

John tensed his shoulders slightly, finding her snarky attitude grating "Fine, but you'd have an easier time hitting it if it was still."

She shot him a scathing glance, the expression enhanced by her mask "Who asked you anyway?" The bag swung back towards her and even with her eyes on the Green Lantern she slapped it aside with apparent ease "Don't you have something more important to do?"

John held her gaze defiantly, a frown on his face and the crevice dug between his eyebrows "I could think of a dozen things I'd rather be doing, than standing here having a verbal sparring match with you."

"Well go and do them then," She replied dismissively and turning back to her punch bag "I wouldn't want to keep you."

John didn't budge an inch, instead he merely folded his arms across the Lantern symbol on his chest and glared at her "The fact is Hawkgirl, we're supposed to be part of a team."

She punched the bag again sending it swinging madly "Really?" She drawled "I hadn't noticed."

"Now listen here." John wagged a finger in her direction, his patience wearing thin "What exactly is your problem?"

Once again the punch bag swung in the air from the momentum of her strikes and even as he questioned her, he stepped forward and made a grab for the bag. Timing it right, he managed to grasp a hold on it and held it steady in front of him ready to brace it and stop it from swinging around. Hawkgirl didn't waste a moment before she punched it again and John felt the impact right down to his bones, the wind knocking out of him and making him release an oof despite himself.

"I don't have a problem." She supplied before giving the bag a kick "You are the one with the problem."

John braced for another impact to the bag "If you weren't so irrational there wouldn't be a problem."

"So you admit that you have a problem." Hawkgirl paused on her attack of the bag a look close to triumph on her face.

"No!" John snapped frustrated "Why are you so damned difficult? I only wanted to try and get us on the same page." He fixed his gaze on her from around the bag "We have to work together, the safety of everyone could depend on it."

Hawkgirl thumped the bag "You really are full of yourself."

John was exasperated "Fine," He released the bag giving it a little shove towards her "You know what? Forget it. I haven't got time to mess around trying to get through that thick head of yours."

"No thicker than yours." She countered with a snarl. Apparently she didn't take kindly to such comments. She set her fists on her hips, glaring at him darkly "How about we settle this properly?" In her culture such disagreements were settled with battle rather than pointless back and forth conversation.

John raised a wary eyebrow "What do you suggest?"

She smirked and John felt his stomach lurch, Oa knew what she had in mind and frankly a good part of him didn't want to know.

"A sparring match," She stated "Best two out of three has to get off the other's back…and," She raised her finger emphasising her next point "They have to take their monitor duties for the next month." She hated the damned monitor duties. She couldn't imagine anything more boring and mind numbing than staring at a bunch of screens for hours on end.

John frowned uncertain of whether he thought violence was a good substitute for conversation in this case, more so wondering if he wanted to risk pulling double monitor duty for the next month. Reluctantly he finally agreed.

"No weapons." He said "I won't use the ring, and you can't use the mace."

"Deal," She shrugged nonchalantly "It's not like I need it anyway."

"Don't get too confident." John warned her "I don't need the ring either." He wished he was as confident in that statement as he sounded, but lately he really had been growing troubled over the ring and its place in his life.

Both of them made their way to the expanse of matted flooring, the two of them standing a good distance apart, squaring off. John's stance was like that of a boxer, his weight however was distributed on either foot rather than the balls of his feet, his shoulders slightly hunched and his guard up. Hawkgirl seemed to prowl around him like a predator, her stance was coiled and tense, her weight though in contrast to John, on the balls of her feet, ready to surge forward when she was confident of her prey. For the first match John had decided that he was going to let her have the first move, he hadn't fought with her face to face before and frankly, he had hardly seen her fight without the mace. He wanted to see what she could do first.

When their eyes met he deepened his concentration while she grinned with a hunter's gleam in her eyes, she really did have a passion for fighting that could only be rivalled by Diana's. She took the first move and swung at him with a right hook which he dodged, leaning back and letting it pass him harmlessly. In the same breath she rounded on him with a left which would have taken his head off if he hadn't have blocked it. None the less he felt the impact jar his arm and he attempted to counter, aiming to either push her back or pin her in a lock. He certainly wasn't about to hit her. It seemed however that she detected this restraint and decided to use it to her own advantage. It wasn't her problem if Earthmen had an obsession with thinking of their female counterparts as weak. She was no damsel in distress and she could easily take care of herself, she didn't need the self-righteous Green Lantern to look out for her. Warily he moved closer to her trying to get close enough that she wouldn't be able to punch him easily, but the Thanagarian had other things in mind. She feinted another strike aiming for his head and letting him block, her next action was to fluently roll her wrist and grab the arm that had blocked her, twisting it and kicking him in the ribs. To her satisfaction he let out a gasp just before she let go of his arm and punched him solidly in the jaw, sending him flying backwards and onto the mat, flat on his back.

It was a moment or two before he dubiously sat up and dabbed at his now split lip. She had an impressive right hook that was for sure, they would have loved her in the Marines.

"At this rate we won't need to bother with another round." Hawkgirl gloated "I'm looking forward to my monitor duty-free month."

John got to his feet and dusted himself off "I'm not done yet." He assured her.

"Hm, well would you prefer it if I held back a little?" She taunted him now, quite pleased with herself. She had gotten much too much satisfaction out of hitting him. The man infuriated her and completely grated on her nerves. It was made worse by the fact that she couldn't quite pinpoint exactly what it was about him that irritated her, regardless she would be more than happy if she got to hit him at least one more time.

He shook his head at her offer "There wouldn't be much point to that would there?" He smiled at her, a strangely genuine one. It seemed he thought that they were finally making some progress. True she had just socked him but she seemed to be enjoying herself and maybe it was at least a step towards them tolerating each other.

She had to admit that she respected him for that. She was by nature stronger than him and yet he wasn't willing to have her go easy on him. Regardless though, her response was to snort before she settled back into her battle-ready position on the mat.

"Come on tough guy."

This time as they circled one another, John decided that he would take the first move. In the last match he had managed to gauge her strength and her general fighting style, she liked close combat and it would benefit him to keep back from her and only enter her space for quick attacks. Not only that but her strength would now be his, he didn't need to be stronger than her to best her, he need only manipulate her strength to his favour. Plan made, John made as if to strike her knowing full well that she would dodge him, and he bounced backward when she went to counter. For a few minutes he continued this practice, entering her circle, attacking, letting her block or dodge and jumping back out again before she could counter. She noticeably grew frustrated with this approach. As he had predicted her frustration led her to lunge forward, all of her momentum rushing towards him, all he needed to do was counter her at just the right moment as she surged towards him. She reached him and performed a leaping kick which he avoided before she spun and aimed a punch downward towards his shoulder, she was in the air. The moment was perfect. John countered, grasping her forearm and upper arm in both of his hands before he dropped towards the floor and flung her over his shoulder sending her careening to the ground.

Hawkgirl landed awkwardly on her back, her legs in the direction of the opposing wall while her head was pointed towards her opponent. It took her a number of moments to sit up having landed on her wings and had ultimately experienced a sharp surging pain down her back as a result. Truth be told she was surprised that he wasn't treating her wings as a big bulls-eye like all the bad guys did. Still she was annoyed that he had bested her even if it was going to be the only time. She wasn't stupid and she wouldn't fall for the same move twice.

John was quite proud of himself, certain as he was that he had heard her growl angrily in annoyance "What was that you were saying earlier, Hawkgirl?" He chuckled to himself amused as she stood up and glared at him.

"I hope you enjoy monitor duty, Green Lantern, because you're going to be doing a lot of it."

"Why don't you just give in and call me John like everyone else?" He saw her expression change for just a fraction of a second before she frowned again "Or at least call me GL. Green Lantern is a bit of a mouthful especially if we're fighting 'bad guys', as you call them."

"Shut up." She snapped at him, bringing her guard up "I'll call you whatever I want."

John merely smiled. He had to confess that she was spirited. He wouldn't say out loud, but he liked that in a woman.

For the third time the two of them circled one another, John intent and concentrated, Hawkgirl frowning and aggravated. This would be the decider and would determine who would be taking the awful amount of monitor duties for the next thirty days. When Hawkgirl approached him this time she was careful not to let him manipulate her actions, instead she kept her movements sharp and powerful but didn't commit herself to them so much as to allow him to use it to his benefit. They traded a few strikes, John still holding back which by this point only angered her further.

"I'm not some weak human woman," She told him firmly "I can take whatever you can give."

John smirked "I imagine you can."

Hawkgirl's eyes widened a moment, was he…_flirting_ with her? "Well…don't forget it." She retorted if a little flustered. Damn him, how dare he flirt with her with that stupid look in his eyes and that adorable little smile and…damn him! _Adorable?_ What the hell was she thinking?

Her guard weakened, John did make to strike her, with meaning this time. She wondered when she deftly knocked his attack aside if he had done it to make a point or if he had done it to test her. She was beginning to think that she was giving this whole situation much too much thought. However, she saw an opening and determined to put this sparring session at an end, she took it. Lunging forward she planned her attack and committed to it, hoping that she had at least surprised him and would ultimately be successful. John though saw it coming and countered, at least, he attempted to. Instead Hawkgirl's foot got caught amongst his and he fell backward, bringing her with him. Unable to do anything about it the two of them had no choice but to let themselves land on the mat. John landed first, the air being knocked out of him when she landed on top of him. His fingers were still wrapped about her arm where he had begun his counter attack and his other had somehow found its way around her waist. He supposed it was some kind of gesture of protection, not having wanted to hurt her when they fell.

Winded and dazed having hit the back of his head on the mat, John grimaced. His shoulder was throbbing from where the beak of her mask had jabbed him painfully upon landing.

"Hawkgirl? Are you alright?" He asked dubiously, she hadn't moved an inch and her face was still nestled in his shoulder "Hawkgirl?"

"What?" She demanded angrily before she suddenly sat up and nearly pecked his eye out with her mask "What the hell are you doing?"

He raised an eyebrow "What do you mean what am I doing?" He argued "What are _you_ doing?"

"I'm not doing anything!" She snapped.

"Well while you're busy not doing anything, how about you get off of me?" He couldn't help it, he was smiling now.

At that moment John was absolutely certain that her cheeks flushed red, was Hawkgirl blushing? This was too good to be true, the fearless warrior of Thanagar's cheeks were flushing with embarrassment, perhaps it was because she had finally realised that she was sitting astride him.

Her glare could slice through metal "Take that smile off of your face!" She punched him in the ribs, winding him a third time that afternoon and got up onto her feet. "You _are_ taking my monitor duties. Got it?"

John sat up and rested on his elbows "Got it." He confirmed having decided that she was actually quite interesting once he got used to that brash attitude of hers. He appreciatively watched her stalk off and as she disappeared into the ladies changing rooms he called out to her.

"Hey Hawkgirl?"

"What do you want, Lantern?" She shouted back sounding livid.

John grinned, so she had finally decided on what is was she would call him "You've got a mean right hook."

He couldn't see her but she was smiling. Maybe the Green Lantern wasn't so bad after all? She continued to smile to herself as she got changed into her uniform, the smile never fading until she saw him again later that day…scowling at him so as not to let him know that she just maybe liked him.

Only a little.

**An/ Only a tiny amount, right? :P **

**In this one I'm interested to know what you guys think of how I've written Shayera here, I don't often venture to pre-JLU Shayera and she is vastly different in that time zone. So if you can, let me know. It'll help me later on since I'd like to write more for this area in time. Thanks everyone for reading and/or reviewing so far, I really, really appreciate it no end. :D **


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