A/N: This was in BiteMe Techie's theme Challenge. It is the second of two. This one is 44: Two Roads

44. Two Roads- Elizabeth muses on Jack Frost's poem 'Two Roads Diverge in a Yellow Wood'

Elizabeth leaned against the railing of the balcony. She inhaled the sweet sour smell of the sea. She cradled a small white book in her delicate white hands. The binding had been cracked long ago by some person that she knew very little about, the pages had been dog eared, and artwork had been stuck between and drawn directly on many of the pages. She traced the author's name that was printed in faded silver lettering on the front cover. She had gotten it just before they had left for Atlantis almost three years ago. She remembered that day so clearly.

She walked around the used book store looking for anything that popped out to her. She was going to the lost city of Atlantis, and might not come back, so she might as well bring something good to read. The book store sat in the part of town were most of the college students hung out, so she saw many a student here. Most likely English majors, she thought to her self. She felt a tap on her shoulder; she turned to see a college student that wore an apron that bore the stores logo, an employee.

"Can I help look for something?" She asked. Elizabeth nodded. The Youth's hair was a soft brown near blond color that she had up in a bun. She had a blue message bag looped over her shoulder, filled to the brim with sketch books, poetry books, and books in general. Elizabeth wouldn't have been surprised if there was a MP3 player and dairy in there as well. The girl chattered at Elizabeth and walked her around the store. She pulled off various books from the shelves. Prose, poetry, literature, and philosophy were all added to the growing stack. She turned to Elizabeth and handed her the books, Elizabeth looked confused till she examined the titles. They all happened to be ones that she had wanted to read but haven't gotten to it yet.

"Is there anything else you wanted to get? I figured you wanted to read stuff like that if you were looking around here."

Elizabeth smiled. "No, this is exactly what I wanted." The girl smiled and they walked to the cash register. Elizabeth and she talked about many things. What they talked about she couldn't remember, but she knew that the girl was one after her own heart. She bought the books. Then a question struck her.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Finabar, yours?"

"Elizabeth." Finabar smiled and pulled out a book from her messenger bag and handed it to Elizabeth.

"Here take this, its Frost. He's one of my favorites, and I think you'll like what I've done to it."

Elizabeth thanked her for it too shocked to refuse such a gift. Finabar was called by the manager, but before she left, she squeezed Elizabeth's arm, and looked straight into her eyes. Coffee brown meeting a fey green.

"Good luck on your trip."

That night she had packed her bag for Atlantis, sticking in Finabar's copy of Frost in the bottom. She hadn't even opened it yet. Till now. She opened to the page were the yellow ribbon was placed. The page had been drawn on, and a folded sheet of paper stuck in there as well. She read the tile. It was 'Two Roads Diverge in a Yellow Wood'. She saw were Finabar had drawn out a picture of the woods that Frost described.

And I

I took the Road less traveled by

And that made all the difference

Elizabeth traced those words with her fingers. How many times had she taken the road less traveled by? How many times had she taken the road that was beaten into the underbrush? She then opened the piece of paper that was folded into the book, it had no title, but she figured that it was Finabar's.

How many times do these feet walk these paths?

How many times must I choose only to be wrong?

One way or another

I walk down two roads, on two feet

Having two choices

What choice is the right one?

The easiest or the best?

The one that gets the job done or the one that is morally right?

Two paths I face, two paths I chase

Two Roads that lead me, my own two feet placing one foot in front of the other

Elizabeth's gazed soften; it was almost as if Finabar had written the poem just for her. That she was to find the book when she needed it the most.

The door opened, John and Rodney waiting for her. "Elizabeth? Are you ready for the meeting?" She looked at the picture that Finabar had drawn so long ago to go along with her poem. The figure sat on a stone, at the crossroads of life. She was thinking about were she should go. And she saw were Finabar or maybe one of her friends had scribbled at the bottom, make the difference.

Elizabeth closed the book with a simile and turned to her Chief Military Officer and Chief of the Science Department. "Let's get on with it then, shall we?"

A/N2: So yeah, I'm a poetry freak who likes Frost. (well who doesn't?). That at the moment ends my oneshot bit till I figure that I want to do another of the Theme Challenges, or another challenge… But I have a feeling that my ToFF/ WBaL readers and ADM readers want me back… Yeah R&R