Nobody said it was easy,

Oh it's such a shame for us to part.

Nobody said it was easy,

No one ever said it would be so hard.

-"The Scientist" Coldplay

Chapter Twelve:

When Elizabeth woke up she couldn't remember what she had dreamed of the night before. Except that she had a feeling that it involved dancing and a field of swaying wheat.

She more or less rolled out of bed, noting the twinges in her legs from her activity the night before and after untangling herself from the blanket she went to the kitchen to make some coffee.

She didn't get all the way there when someone knocked on the door.

XXX

Susan knocked on the door to her grandfather's office. She was wearing her teacher expression, which forbade nonsense. Sometimes she thought her grandfather was harder to deal with then the small children whom she taught. It was sort of embarrassing, really.

She didn't wait for him to invite her in. As she stepped through the door her grandfather looked up at her.

SUSAN? IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN SO SOON. He said.

"I've been to talk with Albert, Grandad. He said you were out last night with that woman." Susan said as means of an introduction.

YES?

"He said you went to a local festival…brought her flowers…"

\INDEED.

Susan lost her patience.

"What the hell are you thinking of? Are you mad?"

PARDON?

"Look, I wasn't crazy about the whole decorator thing, but this is just…I mean…why are you doing this!?"

WHY? Death looked awkward for a moment. WELL…I ENJOY HER COMPANY.

"Fine…but…don't you spend enough time with her here…when she's working for you. I mean…even you have to admit it's…a bit odd…"

Death eyed her curiously.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN ODD?

"Well…" Susan started uncomfortably. "Normally when…I mean…bringing her flowers and taking her to a festival…it's almost like your…"

Death continued to eye her with polite interest.

"Well…you know…like your courting her." Susan finished. She wasn't good with this sort of thing, she had been in only a handful of relationships herself.

AH. Death said.

"Yes…it's like…well, you remember that thing with Time?"

OF COURSE. I NEVER UNDERSTOOD HOW IT COULD BE.

"Yes…" Susan started. She was interrupted.

UNTIL JUST RECENTLY. Death's voice, if it could be called so, was like depth, like creaking doors. It made it's own echoes. It cut into silences like the hands of a clock cut through seconds. There was no menace, per say, to it now, but Susan felt like he had just said one of the most horrifying things she had ever heard. She did what she always did when she did not know how to deal with something. She became angry.

"You can't be serious!"

I AM VERY RARELY OTHERWISE. Death said.

"Well yes, but…I mean…" She stopped, looking horrified.

"You think you're in love?" Her voice was low and dangerous. Death drummed his fingers on his new desk awkwardly.

WELL I…

"You can't be in love!" Susan shouted. She didn't want to wait for an answer in case it was one she wouldn't like. "Dammit, granddad, for once can't you act like your supposed to act!?

I DO NOT SEE WHY YOU ARE SO BOTHERED BY THIS.

"Because, it'll all go wrong! That's why! Your not supposed to fall in love! I mean…you don't even know what love is! How do you think this could affect her? Do you realize how…how destructive this kind of behavior could be? No woman wants to be desired by Death!"

YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT SHE WANTS. Death said a little defensively.

"It doesn't matter! NO woman wants this. It's ridiculous!" Death looked slightly hurt.

WHY CANNOT I BE IN LOVE? He asked after a moment, now obviously irate. AND YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW SHE FEELS. IT IS NOT SO REDICULOUS.

"Look…" Susan said, forcing herself to calm down. "I don't know what it is you think your feeling, but it isn't love. And as for her, well, believe me, it couldn't happen. It would be a disaster. You MUST know that. What could you give her!?" Death seemed to think about this, and apparently was made angrier because he couldn't think of a decent answer for it. He stood.

I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS. IT IS TIME I WENT TO COLLECT ELIZABETH. He said bitterly.

"Wait granddad…" Susan said, as her grandfather went around the desk and headed for the door.

I IMAGINE YOU ARE VERY BUSY TOO. He interrupted her as he went.

"Damn." She said, now alone in a room a mile wide.

XXX

Elizabeth cast a curious look at a nearby clock before changing her course.

She stopped in front of the door and, with a yawn, undid the lock and opened it.

"You're a bit earl-" She stopped. It may have been the first time someone was disappointed to not see Death.

"Good morning Miss Shaul. I hope I didn't wake you." Dorjan Corbet smiled. "You must have had a late evening after all."

Elizabeth thought of slamming the door on his face, but he stepped through before she got the chance.

"I did say I had some business with you." He said, as he examined her house in the manner of someone who is used to far greater interiors.

"Did I say you could come in?" Elizabeth asked coldly.

"Now, now. I am here on your behalf, Miss Shaul. Some terrible news involving you has come to my attention and I merely wish to inform you of it."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.

Dorjan cleared his throat, and after a long moment of consideration, pulled a thin sheaf of paper out of his pocket. He held it out to her with a callous smile.

XXX

"This can't be real." Elizabeth said in the hollow voice of someone who is on the verge of hysteria as she lowered the page she was currently reading.

"Oh, I assure you it is." Dorjan said. "I am sorry. This must be very upsetting for you."

"I've never heard of this…" There was accusation in her tones.

"Well, how often to you rummage through the laws Miss Shaul."

"But this is ridiculous! This is my land! My family's had it for years!" She said, her face going slightly red.

"Yes I understand…" She interrupted him.

"Why the hell would you bring this to me now!? This…" She waved the paper, her eyes blazing.

"Calm down, Miss Shaul." He said, his slight disgust masked with feigned concern. "I don't intend to make you go along with this if you had no knowledge of it. That would be unfair." Elizabeth calmed down a little and gave him a suspicious look.

"Oh?"

"Of course. Ahaha. I am not heartless, Miss Shaul. I have, of course, come today to remedy this situation. I would not want you to lose your property."

"Yeah…I've always thought you were a bit of a softy, really." She said, her words thickly laced with sarcasm. She was feeling both confused and angry. She was also feeling a deep urge to hit Mr. Corbet as hard as she could. He sighed and gave her a hurt look.

"You musn't be like that, Miss Shaul. I am here with your interests in mind. I have managed to move back the deadline by five years…quite a difficult task, I do not mind saying."

"Five years…" Elizabeth said, as the anger drained from her face.

"Yes…as long as you find a husband by the end of the fifteenth year after your father's death, you may keep your land."

"But that…that gives me less then two weeks!" She looked very pale now, as if she were starting to believe what she was hearing.

"Does it? Well, you'd better get on it then. I can't move it back any farther. The law is the law, Miss Shaul. It may be slightly flexible on occasion…but not very so." His face radiated polite concern. She knew it was an act…but…

"What do you want? Why are you doing this?" She asked frantically.

" I have been asked to enforce the law. Nothing more. At the end of next week you MUST be married. You may keep the papers. Look through them if you don't believe me." He said while handing over everything he was carrying. The only bit he'd left out was the dates. Elizabeth took them in a daze.

"Now, I must be going. I'm very busy. Good day Miss Shaul." He said as if he had not just turned her life into a living hell. Elizabeth watched him go. She looked at the papers in her hand, then, after he was out of sight, the papers slowly fell to the porch and scattered across the yard.

XXX

When Death dismounted, a piece of thin parchment blew against his robe. It caught a moment and then came loose and scattered away. Death crossed the yard to Elizabeth's house. The porch steps creaked slightly underneath his bony feet. In the corner, the cat slept. The sky was darkening. It looked as if it might rain.

He paused in front of the door, as if considering something difficult, then, he brought his hand to the wood and knocked. Wind drove into the shed nearby, making it moan.

After a few moments Death knocked again, slightly puzzled. There was a quiet sound from inside, then the light clicking sound of locks being undone.

The door opened a crack.

HELLO, ELIZABETH. Death said. He was about to say something else, but stopped because he took in her expression. ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?

"Here." She said hollowly, ignoring his question as she handed him something. He took it and eyed it curiously. It was the small sack of coins he had given her so that she could purchase things to aid her in her work.

WHY…

"I don't need the job anymore." She said. "I don't…seem to have a problem with money any longer."

ELIZABETH… She stopped and looked up at him. Behind the blank detached look was one of fear and sadness. Death was not well versed in the way of human emotion, so he couldn't really think of what to say.

YOU DO NOT WISH TO WORK FOR ME ANY LONGER?

"No…I can't…I need…I have some things I need to do."

WILL I SEE YOU AGAIN? He asked finally. For a moment Elizabeth paused. Then, whatever emotion that had flickered briefly in her eyes, faded back into nothingness.

"Yes…" She said, as she looked away.

WHEN? Death asked. He was beginning to feel very upset and bewildered.

"Don't you know?" The door closed softly.

There was a sound of distant thunder.

Sometimes the weather gets it exactly right.

XXX

When Elizabeth shut the door, she started to cry. She hadn't cried for years. Now she did. She sat on the couch in her living room and cried until the sadness and loneliness and self-pity turned into emptiness and weariness. Then, when she was sick of crying she wiped her eyes as the darkness of the storm rolled in and thunder rumbled outside.

Eventually she stretched out on the couch and fell asleep, because it was easier then thinking about what she needed to do.

By the window, the cloth over the painting of Death rustled as the wind blew in from outside.

XXX

When Death returned to his home, he was soaked. He wondered about it for a moment after he walked through the door and stood, staring at the umbrella stand. He had never been soaked before.

He began to walk down the hall. Water dripped off of his dark cloak as he did.

"Master, good to see your back." Albert stated as he came out of the kitchen. "I've made you some tea and…why are you all wet?" Death didn't answer, but rather, continued to walk. Albert felt as though the room suddenly became darker and he shivered slightly.

"Master?" Albert asked. He started to follow him.

LEAVE ME ALONE, ALBERT.

Albert stopped, staring wide eyed as Death vanished into his office.

Boiling hot tea was scorching Albert's wrist and staining his sleeve. It took a moment for him to realize this was because his hand was shaking.

XXX

Death sat in his office, resting his chin in his palm. He felt terrible.

He looked over at the flowers sitting in the vase, glowing with life. Perhaps Susan had been right. Perhaps he hadn't been acting like himself lately.

The flowers began to shrivel. Rose petals fell like rain. The lilies curled in on themselves. Afterwards, he felt even worse. He took them out of the vase and tossed them in the garbage can, recently added. Then, he tried to ignore them.

This was terrible. He wasn't meant to feel like this, as if a void had opened inside him, sucking away at his mind, making him ache in…he couldn't even describe it…in invisible ways. Ways that had nothing to do with physical pain. He shouldn't be able to feel heartbreak. He didn't even have a heart.

No…what had he been thinking? And why not would the pain go away? Where was it even coming from?

The Death Of Rats jumped onto his desk, seeming to materialize from nothing. He sat and watched Death for a moment.

SQUEAK? He asked curiously

I SHALL MAKE IT GO AWAY. He said heavily. The Death of Rats gave him a questioning look. SUSAN WAS RIGHT. I SHALL MAKE IT ALL GO AWAY. He stood. From the desk the Death of rats watched him rise. It seemed to take a long time, as if he were stretching over infinity. When he stopped and spoke again, the small skeletal rodent jumped quickly from his desk and scurried out of the room even before the sentence was finished.

IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE.

XXX

This chapter was a bit short, but I felt that this was a good place to stop. Thanks so much for your reviews. I shall update soon.

Oh…and don't worry too much…there's still a lot of story left (Well enough ne ways) and I assure you things will not end at all like this.