Christmas night (open) - Darius and Crew

He smiled and shook his head.

"A shame. You deserve to be spoiled."

She shrugged.

"If you say so."

He smiled.

"Are you happy here?"

She nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Very."

He smiled and let her hold him.

"Good. Do you miss your old life at all?"

She sighed.

"I miss the swamp. I miss the house. But I do not miss the life."

He smiled.

"Why don't you go out into the swamps anymore?"

She looked up to him.

"Savannah asked that I not leave the house much. To keep you safe."

He sighed.

"Savannah is over-protective."

She nodded.

"She is, but it made sense. I hold your secrets in my head, and people could get to them there."

He nodded.

"That may be fair and very true, though I do not think my secrets are quite as horrendous as some consider them to be."

She nodded.

"Then I will spend more time in my swamp, and want for nothing."

He smiled.

"Good. I would have you happy."

She smiled, then grew bold, and leaned up to kiss his neck, then his chin, then his lips if he would let her.

It was Christmas. So of course he let her. He tilted his head for her so that she could reach better. When she kissed his lips, he returned the kiss, though his seemed just a touch more chaste than maybe she intended.

She didn't actually mind. She just wanted to show him how happy she was. She kissed him gently, then leaned back.

"Thank you."

He smiled and brushed her hair back behind her ear.

"You are most welcome, my little Elizabeth."

In a lightning quick change of attitude, she looked back to the tree.

"You said more presents?"

He laughed softly.

"Yes. See if you can find them."

She crawled out of his lap and began digging, putting aside the gifts for Savannah, and the gifts from her, all in one pile for later, hunting for the ones from Darius to her.

She found three more under the tree, all with her name on them.

She pulled them out and sat facing him, then began to rip them open.

She found more clothes inside, more jewelry, and of all things, a computer.

She was appropriately girly over the clothes and ear rings, but when she pulled out the laptop, she stopped breathing for a moment. Then she looked up to him.

"Mine?"

He smiled.

"Yes. Yours. Your very own."