The Pendant

        Elizabeth was running as hard as she could towards the door of the airship, with sounds of fighting behind. The gunshots and shouts filled her ears as she ran, hoping to find refuge aboard the dirigible. She only glanced behind her to see a tall man fend off yet another Vox squad, blasting them apart with a flaming ball and turning to follow her.

 

        She got to the airship first, breathing hard as she stopped and turned around again to see Booker running after her. Tension still held her as she watched Booker come closer and closer, but it felt too slow, as if everything was slowed down. First Lady it wasn't, but both Booker and she figured it didn't matter what ship it was, as long as they could leave that blasted city behind.

 

        "Booker, come on!" She waved with her hands, motioning to him to hurry up, but the walkway still felt too damn long. That is when she felt big, leather-clad hands wrap around her waist and throat.

       

        "Finally caught ya, little birdie!" The voice was one of a man, rough and unpleasant, and Elizabeth noticed the red-tinted rags wrapped around the man's arms and legs.

       

        She screamed in shock and surprise, but started to struggle and punch against the man, as he held her and attempted to pull out a gun. Booker was almost there, somehow managing to run even faster.

 

        "W-will you stop-ARGh!" Elizabeth's punching and kicking brought a result, stomping with her heel on the Voxer's leg and pressing her elbow hard into his plexus. Battered but not completely stunned, the Voxer still held on to her throat. Luckily, Booker was already in the ship and with a punch staggered the man.

 

        "Agh!" As he let go off her neck the Voxer tried to hold on and caught the choker in his fingers. The thing pulled on Elizabeth painfully and tore, staying in the man's hand. Elizabeth quickly stepped away and touched her throat, while Booker delivered another solid punch to the rebel, who fell on the controls and the airship suddenly turned.

        They all stumbled as the airship turned hard but that did not stop Booker, who landed another solid punch and threw the man towards the open bomb bay of the airship. Elizabeth backed away towards a metal wall of the airship and observed, trying to steady her breath and massaging her throat. That is when she noticed her choker lying on the edge of the opening.

 

        Booker didn't bother waiting for the other man to get up, but simply grabbed him by his coattails and hefted him out of the opening.

        "Well, that does it, we should be finally safe. Are you alright?" He approached Elizabeth.

        "Yeah, I'm fine- Booker, watch out!" The airship was on a collision course with a floating building. Rushing for the controls, he turned the dirigible around in the last moment with a hard turn. Elizabeth held onto a metal beam on the wall, but the choker sailed out of the open hatch, with the brooch still on it.

 

        "Ohhh, my choker!" Elizabeth gasped and sighed in disappointment.

        "What is it?"

        "Nothing, its nothing. Its fine Booker, I'm glad that we are safe," she replied, crestfallen.

 

***

 

        Cold wind was blowing over Hudson and Booker shivered in his coat, trying to wrap it around him tighter. Another boring assignment at the docks, watching stuff being unloaded and sniffing for someone. But then he had little else to do, having been dry and out of any games for a while now. All that he had right now was getting home while observing the dark, oily waters of the river.

       

        His life was turned upside down several times now, but finally it seemed to settle and turn out for the best, if not quite as comfortable as he wanted it to be. As his thoughts wandered and his sight skipped across he riverside, he caught a glimmer of something in the water. At first it looked no different than a reflection of light on the water, but the reflection was metallic and it appeared to be an item floating on top of some flotsam.

 

        Booker stopped and got closer, looking at the thing that now stopped and stuck itself to the wooden pier. Kneeling down to get a better look, Booker saw that the glimmer was from some round object, hidden in the tangle of the rubbish it floated upon. The water was freezing but his hand went in it anyway to fish out a stick that floated nearby and he used it to get a hold of the thing. It turned out to be a small round item, stuck to a piece of soggy, faded cloth.

 

                "Now, what's this?" He held the thing between his fingers and cleaned it with his thumb. As he cleaned it and got a better look, the object went from being merely curious to unbelievable. Despite some damage at the edge and the completely rusted pin at the back, a silver bird was clearly visible on it.

 

        "Well I'll be..." He tore away rotted cloth that quickly came off with the pin, leaving the round brooch alone. He double-checked that this was it and the silver mark at the back, with Columbian stamp on it was the proof. Booker held the broken brooch tightly in his hand and started walking briskly towards his home.

 

***

 

        "What is it Booker?" She asked him quite openly. She sounded vague, but both of them knew what it was about.

        "Just some work stuff I had to take care off." He didn't look at her as he replied, trying to remain inconspicuous behind the unfolded screen of his newspaper.

        "Come on, you don't skitter around and go out quietly in the evening just to go to work, I know you." Her voice was not accusative, but it was enough to make him uncomfortable.       

        "Some urgent business they called me on, that it all." He tried to remain natural and composed, still concentrated on his paper, while Elizabeth packed last items into the hamper.

        "You do know I will get it out of you sooner or later, don't you?"

        "It ain't nothing special, don't worry about it," he folded the paper and got up, mindful of the small box in his jacket. He moved as if nothing was on, while Elizabeth eyed him with a roguish smirk.        

        "Here, take the basket. We will talk more after we get back." Booker hefted the hamper while Elizabeth put a wide-brimmed hat on.

        "Jesus, what did you put in there?"

        "Nothing much, just sandwiches, eggs, a salad, apples, some pie, wine..."

        "And you will eat all of that?"

        "No, but I know you will. Besides, we will be there whole day, I don't want either of us to go hungry." Elizabeth turned around to look at him again, still trying to see through him but all she got was a neutral, albeit somewhat puzzled expression. She gave a small laugh.

        "Come on, Mister Secretive."

 

        The carriage was moving slowly through the park, with hooves of the horse beating on the pavement in a steady rhythm. The May sun was shining brightly with small clouds passing by. Elizabeth was brimming with excitement, looking around and enjoying the ride. Booker on the other hand, looked as if he was itching to get off, looking around the place with a strange, pained face.

        "What's wrong Booker? Is something bothering you?"

        "No, its nothing." His voice was as tense as his posture, fidgeting and toying with his sweaty collar.

        "You really are hiding something form me, aren't you? Or are you just embarrassed to ride with me? No one knows about us!"

        "I said I'm fine, let it go." He came off a little harsher than he intended. Elizabeth frowned and huffed, folding her arms and turned her back to him. Now he could see nothing but the brim of her hat shielding her completely from his eyes. Way to treat her DeWitt, some gentleman you are. He couldn't understand why such a simple damn thing was making him so worried. He was definitely making too much fuss of it, although he wanted to do it there. The setting had to be perfect.

 

        Their ride stopped at Bethesda and they were now on their way to a spot under a tree overlooking the The Lake. Elizabeth eagerly placed their picnic blanket on the grass and then quickly got to unpacking the basket, while Booker sat down on the blanket and looked out to the lake and people. He still seemed uneasy, but now that they were a fair distance from other people he didn't appear as tense.

        "Booker, if I didn't knew better, I would have said you hate being with me."

        "What?" She broke him out of his repose. "No, never, what makes you say that?"

        "Because you are so surly and uneasy." She set two small plates on the blanket and started putting out food for both of them, while Booker went for the bottle of wine and a glass. The young woman only gave him a puzzled glance but said nothing as Booker gulped on the drink. Then, an idea came to her as she was nibbling on her sandwich, a roguish smirk appearing on her face. If she couldn't get him to ease up, she would have him boil over.

       

        "Oh, its so hot today," she made an off-hand comment and took her hat off to fan herself with it.

        "Yeah, bit warmer than usual this time of year." His hand went into his pocket. "Eliza..."

        "I think I can take this off." The hat landed beside her and Elizabeth started undoing buttons on her blouse.

        At first Booker didn't seem to mind, still about to do something wih his hand on the little box in his jacket, but as the third and fourth button came off his attention was fully on her. She was now at the bottom of the blouse and was undoing the cuffs when Booker spoke up.

        "What are you doing?"

        "What does it look like?" she replied innocently. "I'm hot, so I'm taking the blouse off."

        "In public, here?"

        "Why not? We're far off, no one will care" She garment was already off, revealing Elizabeth's skin and a purple corset underneath, wrapped tightly around her body. He had it coming and she couldn't suppress her glee.

 

         "See anything you like, Mister Dewitt?" She grinned and leaned forward towards him. She could see his face turn pink and then into delicate shade of red.

        "Alright, you win." Booker sighed, embarrassed and defeated but somewhat relieved. "I wanted to keep it for a good moment, but I'm not very good at keeping anything from you."  

        Booker finally pulled out the small jewelry box and handed it to Elizabeth. Her face lit up as she saw the gift, and after a brief moment of surprise opened the box. It looked exactly the same as a gift she received in a city among the clouds. She pulled it out and looked at the silver bird. With her second had she looked at the fine chain that was attached to it.

        "Booker, what is this? It looks exactly the same as the one... Is it the same? I can't be!"

        "Look at the back."

       

        There it was, plain as day, 'Columbia 1912' stamped into the silver. She noticed small marks, carefully polished out where the hinge of the pin was, and a carefully attached loop through which the chain went.

        "How did you get it? I seriously hope you didn't make some deal with you know whom to get it." She gave him a look of slight suspicion.

        "Nope. I found it by the Hudson waterfront, in the docks. It was floating with some rubbish, I could scarcely believe it myself."

        Elizabeth quickly undid the finding on the chain and handed the pendant to Booker. "Here, put it on my neck." She turned her back to him and he did as she asked.

        The pendant hung from her slender neck beautifully and Elizabeth couldn't contain herself. Booker thought that the enthusiasm she showed at the beach would never come out again, he loved to see her like that.

        "I love it." She moved her neck slightly from side to side, letting the bird glitter in the sun. Booker didn't except to be pinned to the ground however, as the young woman suddenly threw herself at him and wrapped her arms tightly around him.