(art by Verhalen)
"Vicky, where are we going?"
Victor simply glanced over with a cryptic smile and a chuckle. "You'll see."
As a rule, Yeyette wasn't fond of surprises, and it was difficult for anyone she was Force-bonded with to keep things from her anyway. It was June nineteenth, so she knew it was obviously something to do with her birthday, but that could be a lot of things, and Victor was keeping his mind a bit more tightly shielded than usual just so the surprise wouldn't get ruined. Her only guess was that they weren't going out to a posh restaurant, since there weren't so many of them in Terre Haute.
They were, in fact, out of Terre Haute now. Victor was starting to drive into the rural countryside. This was getting more and more curious.
Victor drove far enough out that Yeyette hoped they wouldn't run into car trouble, as it would be difficult to get serviced out here. There were seemingly endless fields of corn.
"How romantic, you took me to look at corn," Yeyette teased.
Victor grinned. "It's like an infinite bouquet."
Yeyette snickered and elbowed him. "You're too kind."
It was sort of romantic, driving into the sunset. Yeyette admired the fire in the sky, orange and pink blazing the blue.
After what felt like forever - the sky grew pitch dark - Victor finally pulled over to an area that was just an abandoned field, no corn, only overgrown grass and weeds, and some clusters of gnarled trees. When Victor got out of the car he went around to the trunk to produce a cooler and a duffel bag, and handed Yeyette a powerful flashlight. He had her keep pace beside him, and at last Yeyette saw where Victor had pitched a skylight tent by a twinned tree. Not only had he set up a tent, but there was a path of rose petals in the grass leading to the tent.
"Camping? Usually DeKalb's the outdoors guy," Yeyette said - not that she was displeased.
"We're not staying overnight so it's not technically camping. I do prefer to sleep in a bed." Victor smirked. "But I thought taking you out here for a couple of hours would be nice."
"OK."
They got in the tent - the floor of the tent was scattered with rose petals - and Victor said, "And here's why." They sat down and he shut off the flashlight.
It took a moment for the light to fade, and that was when Yeyette saw it - it had been harder to notice with the car's headlights on. They were far enough out into the Indiana countryside that there was very little light pollution out here, and the entire sky was a sea of stars, infinite diamonds. Yeyette's breath caught as she looked up. It was absolutely awe-inspiring, like the world had become enchanted. For all that Yeyette could be cynical and even bitter some days, with the strain of her job, living in Indiana in virtual captivity thanks to Operation Candledark, and now, the threat of the family's ancient enemies out there, moments like this restored a sense of wonder... the feeling that life was still worth living, for moments like this.
That life was still worth fighting for.
Not only were the stars beautiful in and of itself, but it made her think of Palcë, awakening next to Finwë at Cuiviénen so long ago. It felt like something quickened in her blood, looking up at the stars, the birthright of all Eldar.
It was they she was fighting for as well.
Victor took her hand, squeezed it, and kissed it. "We may not have been twins," he said, picking up on her thoughts towards Palcë and Finwë, "but you are still the other half of my soul."
Yeyette's eyes misted, touched so deeply she couldn't make words. She rested her head on Victor's shoulder.
"And..." Victor gestured up at the transparent roof of their tent. "It is as if the stars sing for you. It reminds me of a poem from the Lord Byron."
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
Yeyette smiled. Then she needed to lighten the mood just a little before she cried; she hated crying. "I seem to remember that poem said something about pure thoughts and a mind at peace. Which... is not exactly accurate."
"Perhaps not. But the first verse still applies, I think. You have a darkness in you... but that is where you shine. That is where your fire glows. When you are at your most fierce, your most wild, your most savage, that is when you are at your most beautiful, to me."
"Then perhaps we had better get to beating down Sauron." Yeyette teasingly preened.
"In due time. Tonight... we will celebrate your life, before we commence with the plans for his death."
Victor turned the flashlight back on and opened up the cooler and the duffel bag. In the cooler was an assortment of finger foods - fresh fruit, sliced cheese, assorted tea sandwiches. In the bag Victor had brought a thermos of tea that was still hot... and insulated paper cups for hot drinks. He used the Force to pour the tea so he could multi-task and put the food on plates.
"Tea in paper cups!" Yeyette howled with laughter. "Don't let Nicholas or Anthony see this."
"Indeed."
Yeyette smirked. "I guess you really do like wild and savage."
"Tonight, we shall be veritable barbarians."
Yeyette winked. "Promises, promises."
Victor blushed charmingly, deeper when Yeyette leaned in to steal a kiss.