What is Choice?
By Melissa(dettiot@yahoo.com)
Rating: PG-13 mostly, with one NC-17 epilogue.
Spoilers: Through Chosen.
Author's Note: Spike/Buffy, but only kinda. This story is a bit odd. Also posted on my website(http://lostinwonderland.org/buffy/fanfic.html).
The title of this chapter comes from "Breathing" by Lifehouse.
Epilogue One: Sit Outside Heaven's Door
"You know, that's not really fair," commented Lachesis. "I mean, that was a hard problem you gave us, and then, you completely undermine the decision we made."
The woman to whom Lachesis was speaking turned away from the events unfolding on Earth, a mischievious expression on her face. "Oh, come on, don't tell me that wasn't much better than what might have happened," she said, her brown eyes twinkling.
This woman was known by many names. Some were common, some were known only to a few people, or even just one. Usually, though, she answered to God. Pompous, she would say, but true. She usually didn't like being called that, thanks to all the baggage the word came with, so she was content to be called the Woman, or the Great One, or just Boss.
"That's not the point! Why do you even bother having us if you're going to stick your oar into any problem that draws your interest?" Atropos said angrily.
Woman drew herself up to her full height and towered above the three Fates. "What are you going to do, go on strike?" she asked, her voice thunderous.
"Now, now," the Powers interjected. Once agin in the form of the Irishman, the Powers moved forward to placate the two parties.
He turned towards the woman who was in charge of everything. "No need for this. The Fates knew of your interest in this case so it's understandable why you wanted to watch the situation closely. But you have to conceed that the Fates have performed their duties admirably, especially in this situation. Sending him back with no memories? Brilliant!"
The injured parties looked at each other, and then, their feathers smoothed, went back to normal.
Clotho, who had been gazing dreamily off into space, said, "It was so romantic. And you did such a good job of talking to Will!" she said, turning towards the Great One.
The woman plopped down on the grass next to Clotho. "Quite happy with that, I am. Always tough, putting things in terms that mortals will understand."
The Powers nodded in understanding, taking a seat across from Clotho. "Aye, boss. Good work, that."
"Well, it was worth it," the woman said, her eyes soft. "I don't think there's many people on the planet that were so deserving of happiness with so little chance of achieving it."
Clotho sighed in agreement, and a silence fell over the group.
Lachesis joined them, sitting next to Clotho and saying, "There was one thing I didn't understand. How did Will's first book come about?"
They looked around the circle, and suddenly, Atropos came over and stared at each member of the group. "Oh, that's just too much!" she said, pointing her finger at the brown-eyed woman. "I can't believe that you meddled with that! You completely forced the issue!"
Everyone looked at the woman in fear, wondering what action she would take with the angry Fate. But she merely looked at Atropos, and said, "I did what was necessary. You can't tell me that the situation was going well. They were happy, but it was an ignorant happiness, a false happiness. They deserved to know that they were happy because they had suffered. Otherwise, it's just an illusion in a magic show."
Atropos flopped down grumpily next to the Powers. "I thought the point of giving them happiness was as a reward for their past actions. But what do I know?"
"Not much, obviously, with the way you're baiting the boss," the Powers grumbled to her.
"Oh, shove it, you wimp. You've never said one word against anything she's done. You just go along, toddling off to the mortal world and being all cryptic," Atropos snorted.
The Powers rolled his eyes and groaned. "You're going to be the death of us."
Clotho leaned over towards the woman. "They're like this all the time. Couldn't you make them corporeal for a week, so they could have sex and get it out of their systems?"
The woman grinned at her, and said, "I'll keep my eye on it."
Lachesis whispered to Clotho, "Bad idea. They'd be corporeal long enough to strangle each other."
"That's what you think, sister dear," Clotho muttered back.
They watched their sister argue with the representative from the Powers for a few moments, before Lachesis leaned over towards their boss. "Why did you take such an interest in this pair? It's so unusual for you to be this involved."
The woman sighed gently. "I just had a feeling about those two. So many were hoping for their happiness, and it seemed so unlikely they would get it. It was almost like the more hope there was, the less chance for success there was. So, I exercised the privilege of divine intervention."
"Plus, have you looked at the man? Hot," Clotho commented as she giggled.
"Officially, that played no part in my decision," the woman said, but she winked at Clotho and resumed her position watching the activities on Earth.
Lachesis stood and moved away from the group, gazing out over their grove. Clotho noticed her sister's pensive expression, and joined her.
"Are you troubled by the outcome of these events, Lachesis?"
Lachesis nodded. "I feel like this situation unfolded badly. The two souls went through pain, and despite the Great One's insistence, I can't help but believe it was unnecessary suffering." She glanced around, and whispered to Clotho, "Soap opera fan, you know--all about the pain," nodding towards Woman.
Clotho shrugged her shoulders. "Ah, sister. It's worked out well, and they have a long, happy life together now. You so rarely have to make such decisions. It's logical that you won't always get them completely right. You'll be ready, then, for the next knot in the thread."
Lachesis sighed. "I hope you're right, Clotho."
Suddenly, the Great One snapped her fingers. "Wow, Neruda and sex! He is good!" she said, her attention riveted on the events occurring in one small bedroom in one small apartment in one big city.
The two sisters looked at each other. They glanced over at Atropos, who was still locked in a battle of dueling wits with the Powers' messenger. Lachesis raised her eyebrow at Clotho, and Clotho grinned back. Then, with movements in near-unison, they joined the brown-eyed woman and gazed at the Earth.
Lachesis watched the two happy mortals, and thought to herself, "Now, this is the perfect solution."
End, Epilogue One
By Melissa(dettiot@yahoo.com)
Rating: PG-13 mostly, with one NC-17 epilogue.
Spoilers: Through Chosen.
Author's Note: Spike/Buffy, but only kinda. This story is a bit odd. Also posted on my website(http://lostinwonderland.org/buffy/fanfic.html).
The title of this chapter comes from "Breathing" by Lifehouse.
Epilogue One: Sit Outside Heaven's Door
"You know, that's not really fair," commented Lachesis. "I mean, that was a hard problem you gave us, and then, you completely undermine the decision we made."
The woman to whom Lachesis was speaking turned away from the events unfolding on Earth, a mischievious expression on her face. "Oh, come on, don't tell me that wasn't much better than what might have happened," she said, her brown eyes twinkling.
This woman was known by many names. Some were common, some were known only to a few people, or even just one. Usually, though, she answered to God. Pompous, she would say, but true. She usually didn't like being called that, thanks to all the baggage the word came with, so she was content to be called the Woman, or the Great One, or just Boss.
"That's not the point! Why do you even bother having us if you're going to stick your oar into any problem that draws your interest?" Atropos said angrily.
Woman drew herself up to her full height and towered above the three Fates. "What are you going to do, go on strike?" she asked, her voice thunderous.
"Now, now," the Powers interjected. Once agin in the form of the Irishman, the Powers moved forward to placate the two parties.
He turned towards the woman who was in charge of everything. "No need for this. The Fates knew of your interest in this case so it's understandable why you wanted to watch the situation closely. But you have to conceed that the Fates have performed their duties admirably, especially in this situation. Sending him back with no memories? Brilliant!"
The injured parties looked at each other, and then, their feathers smoothed, went back to normal.
Clotho, who had been gazing dreamily off into space, said, "It was so romantic. And you did such a good job of talking to Will!" she said, turning towards the Great One.
The woman plopped down on the grass next to Clotho. "Quite happy with that, I am. Always tough, putting things in terms that mortals will understand."
The Powers nodded in understanding, taking a seat across from Clotho. "Aye, boss. Good work, that."
"Well, it was worth it," the woman said, her eyes soft. "I don't think there's many people on the planet that were so deserving of happiness with so little chance of achieving it."
Clotho sighed in agreement, and a silence fell over the group.
Lachesis joined them, sitting next to Clotho and saying, "There was one thing I didn't understand. How did Will's first book come about?"
They looked around the circle, and suddenly, Atropos came over and stared at each member of the group. "Oh, that's just too much!" she said, pointing her finger at the brown-eyed woman. "I can't believe that you meddled with that! You completely forced the issue!"
Everyone looked at the woman in fear, wondering what action she would take with the angry Fate. But she merely looked at Atropos, and said, "I did what was necessary. You can't tell me that the situation was going well. They were happy, but it was an ignorant happiness, a false happiness. They deserved to know that they were happy because they had suffered. Otherwise, it's just an illusion in a magic show."
Atropos flopped down grumpily next to the Powers. "I thought the point of giving them happiness was as a reward for their past actions. But what do I know?"
"Not much, obviously, with the way you're baiting the boss," the Powers grumbled to her.
"Oh, shove it, you wimp. You've never said one word against anything she's done. You just go along, toddling off to the mortal world and being all cryptic," Atropos snorted.
The Powers rolled his eyes and groaned. "You're going to be the death of us."
Clotho leaned over towards the woman. "They're like this all the time. Couldn't you make them corporeal for a week, so they could have sex and get it out of their systems?"
The woman grinned at her, and said, "I'll keep my eye on it."
Lachesis whispered to Clotho, "Bad idea. They'd be corporeal long enough to strangle each other."
"That's what you think, sister dear," Clotho muttered back.
They watched their sister argue with the representative from the Powers for a few moments, before Lachesis leaned over towards their boss. "Why did you take such an interest in this pair? It's so unusual for you to be this involved."
The woman sighed gently. "I just had a feeling about those two. So many were hoping for their happiness, and it seemed so unlikely they would get it. It was almost like the more hope there was, the less chance for success there was. So, I exercised the privilege of divine intervention."
"Plus, have you looked at the man? Hot," Clotho commented as she giggled.
"Officially, that played no part in my decision," the woman said, but she winked at Clotho and resumed her position watching the activities on Earth.
Lachesis stood and moved away from the group, gazing out over their grove. Clotho noticed her sister's pensive expression, and joined her.
"Are you troubled by the outcome of these events, Lachesis?"
Lachesis nodded. "I feel like this situation unfolded badly. The two souls went through pain, and despite the Great One's insistence, I can't help but believe it was unnecessary suffering." She glanced around, and whispered to Clotho, "Soap opera fan, you know--all about the pain," nodding towards Woman.
Clotho shrugged her shoulders. "Ah, sister. It's worked out well, and they have a long, happy life together now. You so rarely have to make such decisions. It's logical that you won't always get them completely right. You'll be ready, then, for the next knot in the thread."
Lachesis sighed. "I hope you're right, Clotho."
Suddenly, the Great One snapped her fingers. "Wow, Neruda and sex! He is good!" she said, her attention riveted on the events occurring in one small bedroom in one small apartment in one big city.
The two sisters looked at each other. They glanced over at Atropos, who was still locked in a battle of dueling wits with the Powers' messenger. Lachesis raised her eyebrow at Clotho, and Clotho grinned back. Then, with movements in near-unison, they joined the brown-eyed woman and gazed at the Earth.
Lachesis watched the two happy mortals, and thought to herself, "Now, this is the perfect solution."
End, Epilogue One