With or Without You, Here's the Re-Do!

by SpeedyStar

May read as a standalone; however, this is a sequel to the fic - Until the End of Days (The Liar Tells All), also on AO3 Everything from the beginning. The same players are on the board. Will they make the same moves? In which Jon is Helen and Elias' biggest wingman in a situational supernatural office romance. Google: How to make my boss fall in love and prevent the end of days?

8. Interlude

[TAPE CLICKS ON]

ELIAS

Jon, whatever game you're playing, I need you to play nice. Stop targeting Helen.

ARCHIVIST

I have no idea what this game is.

ELIAS

Whatever you think you know, you're wrong. You don't have the full picture.

ARCHIVIST

I think I have a clear enough one.

ELIAS

You're actually being verbally abusive to her for one. You called her annoying, and she clammed up for a week. She got sick!

ARCHIVIST

Why did she get sick?

ELIAS

I think you know.

ARCHIVIST

Seems like you're the one not taking good care of your employees. Actually, you don't, but why do you care so much when it's her.

ELIAS

Jon, stop this. You don't know what you're doing.

ARCHIVIST

You can't have everything, Elias. You can have anything, but not everything, and that includes Helen.

[TAPE CLICKS OFF]

[TAPE CLICKS ON]

ARCHIVIST

Statement of Annabel Cane, regarding Huh...Asteria Solomon.

ANNABELLE

Consider me impressed.

ARCHIVIST

I, uh, thanks I think…impressed?

ANNABELLE

You've been quite sneaky. We should talk more…when we don't have company of course.

ARCHIVIST

Company? Oh, right. Ah, well, if you could talk about Asteria? You did say you would be willing to chat.

ANNABELLE

Ah, Asteria...now there's a fascinating subject. She's like a puzzle wrapped in an enigma, isn't she? So much potential yet shrouded in secrecy. Where to start? Asteria has a tendency of slipping away when you least expect it, I still think it catches her by surprise too sometimes. Or maybe it's all an act.

ARCHIVIST

If it's an act or not, either she is a fool or–

ANNABELLE

Incredibly dangerous, yes. Both pose their threats. One can never be too certain, and the future is far from set in stone. Perhaps she is a master of deception, or maybe she is only deceiving herself. A more important consideration, however, is her penchant for…shall we say, removing obstacles from her path?

ARCHIVIST

You would be referring to the vanishing?

ANNABELLE

Yes, dear Archivist. People have a way of vanishing around her as you know. It is quite the curious phenomenon, wouldn't you agree?

ARCHIVIST

I suppose so. Surely, there must be a logical explanation.

ANNABELLE

He plays his part so well he does. Logic has little place in the realm of the supernatural, and Asteria, she's one of us, Archivist.

ARCHIVIST

Why would you say that? What do you mean by that? Why are you here?

ANNABELLE

I want in, Archivist. I want to work with you. I have a plan. Let's take this somewhere without any prying eyes.

ARCHIVIST

If you so much as-

ANNABELLE

I am only trying to help. I want the same as you.