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This chapter is dedicated to YouHaveLovelyHair for inspiring me to write the link from the last chapter to this - the dream- and for promising to be brutally honest when reviewing.
Enjoy a terrifyingly hard chapter to write!
It was the day Emily brought thirteen different brands and flavours of air fresheners for Becker to test which he liked best, when the man finally got overwhelmed.
"Stop it, Emily!"
"What?"
"It's too much change, okay? I can't do this!" Becker covered his face with his hands. "It's too much, too fast. I- It's hard, Emily. I don't think I can do it."
The woman took one of his arms and lead him from the open window, where they were spraying the canisters, to the sofa. She gracefully sat next to him, twisted slightly to face him.
"Listen, Becker, I'm going to say this once, okay? I haven't told anyone this. Not even, Matt."
He frowned in confusion but gave no other signs of action, still trying to calm himself from his lapse of control. Emily started to speak.
"Becker, I've read the books you have about my era. The fiction stories, where the main character is a heroine. A young woman with opinions ahead of our time and the brains to argue for her point, the woman who eventually finds a man who will love her for that. And I understand you all think of me to be like one of those women, to have been brash and outspoken and I've allowed you to think that. But I wasn't, I was shy and withdrawn, it was one of the reasons Henry approved of me. Despite all my current actions, I entered into my marriage with Henry because I was ordered to, I didn't contend it or argue back at my family. Because it was the proper thing to do, the way I had been bought up."
Becker listened intently, worry falling from him as he heard Emily's calm, composed voice. He never expected that the two of them would have a relationship which meant that Emily would be so open with him. Especially after the first impression Emily had of him.
"Looking to find what that light was, the day of my wedding, was the first thing I had ever done to sate my curiosity. Up until that point I had always and happily been the model Victorian woman. From that moment I learnt quickly. After traversing three anomalies I found the Time Tribe. By that time I had grown quickly accustomed to adapting to new situations. I had learnt to kill creatures with my intelligence, something I hadn't had to rely upon before. I had set myself rules and regulations on my own actions, what I could and could not change in the time period I was in, when I should move, how. I had never had the responsibility to do such a thing before.
"When I met the Time Tribe and joined them they taught me more. In no time at all I was more accomplished than any other woman of my age. Not only did I possess all the skills required as a properly 'finished' lady of my age; knowledge of modern languages, music, singing, dancing and a refined mind due to extensive reading, but I also had practical skills as I have already mentioned. I became even more adept to survive. I quickly became leader of the Tribe.
"Then the day came that Charlotte became ill. Ethan was beside himself. I made the decision to come into this time but we were too late to save her. Can you imagine how that felt? Travelling through portals in time yet still being too late?
"But that's not the point. I became trapped here, in this place, with what seemed to be no friends, especially after I heard your words to Matt. It didn't matter, though. You may have noticed, but I quickly made my mark here too." There was amusement in her tone. "And then the time came when we found those two anomalies, when Danny came here. The anomaly back to my time."
Emily paused in her monologue to sigh.
"Retuning there showed me exactly how much I had changed. Living through all the times, I had never noticed how many adaptations there had been to my character. But my return home made it clear, all that I had been through, all these things that had been forced upon me, had irrevocably changed me."
Becker started to understand where the conversation was going, started to understand what she was pertaining to. 'All these changes that had been forced upon me.'
"Especially when I was with Henry I knew I was someone else. He knew too and he disliked me for it. It's true part of me didn't want to leave that time but I did return here. You were there, you know what happened. And here I am, Becker. I honestly have never been happier in my life.
"The point I'm making is that, I listened to my surroundings and colleagues. You are listening to your body, learning yourself as I had to learn the world around me. It's human nature to adapt to change. To make yourself stronger from it. And I know you can Becker." She reached for him and squeezed on of his hands.
"We can."
This was a really hard chapter for me to write as, although I love Emily, I found it hard to get into her head as I don't feel I know her well enough.
As you all know I appreciate feedback so hit that review button for me!
Thank you.
