"Janie. I'm over seven hundred and fifty, I know when small children are telling fibs." Not that Lynn had been very convincing, possibly deliberately.
"Anyway, it's my guess, you could only change everything if you managed to stop Vahl going forward in time. And he was much more dangerous those few months back."
"Okay. So what's happened that wouldn't have happened in this timeline?"
A kid. He has a kid. A son. Oh yes, Phoenix now has a baby boy, and he'd probably tear up half the universe to keep him. There's also the case of an extra Lynn in existence - he wonders if that's occurred to Janie.
"I.." He's seen Janie this way before, all she seems to be able to see are her own perceived faults, nothing beyond that. ".. I know you had Lynn, before. In your other timeline - But I didn't have Sam. I'm not sure I was meant to, either."
"I will." That spoken in a low, but 'just, anyone, DARE' tone of voice. Phoenix sighs and tries hard to drop the belligerent tone.
"Maybe you're right about that, I hope you are, maybe I am, but it's unprecedented and I can't explain it. But the fact remains, if things were to be fixed.. and I'm not saying you're gonna do it, but IF you did... you'd wipe the second version of Lynn out of existence."
"How do I know that would happen? I can't even explain how she came into existence! I don't want to wipe them out, I only want to make things better, for everyone."
She wanted away, a bar full of drinks and to pass out somewhere safe. No, she wanted to go somewhere, alone, just to sort her head out.
"Well, maybe there's some way we can find out? And if you want to make things better, think of this.. If everything happens the way it originally happened, then Vahl won't have been found out, he'll be psychically torturing five young immortals for over another century..."
Phoenix trails off, realising that everything he's listed affect him. And it's Janie who's lost so much, there is no upside for her.
"Honey..." He reaches out to touch her shoulder, somehow 'I'm sorry' seems pathetically inadequate.
"I'd have to go back further to fix that." Her face fell a bit as she realized it wasn't such a good idea. "I only want to fix it all. Everything is such a big mess." Janie went quiet when Phoenix touched her shoulder.
If he wasn't feeling very awkward lately himself, Phoenix would ignore Janie's sudden silence and just pull her into a hug... he should do that. He really should.
Instead he draws his hand back. "I know." He says softly. "And I know it sucks too. In theory you have the power to do it, and it's you who's lost the most."
"Uh, yeah, me too." He lies, abou tto let her get on with it, then Phoenix changes his mind and decides to at least try - After all, how much worse could it get?.
"No wait. Waitwait... this is dumb. We haven't fallen out or anything.. s'just... dumb. We're grown adults for Christ's sake."
She's just about to teleport out when Phoenix speaks.
"I can't- not right now. You're too important to me for... what happened. Did it happen? I know I shouldn't avoid you but I don't know how to behave for this." There, she said it, and was ready to get out of there if that somehow made things worse.
"Too important?" That sounds consoling in its way, but a little strange too. "Sweetheart, that's our problem.. we see sex differently. I see it as you know, love, obviously - but also a friendship kinda thing. You see sex as... Actually, I have no idea how you see.. sex..."
Okay. He's just said the actual word to Janie. In direct relationship to them. Three times. Oh gods.
"It's physical" Janie explained "Lost all emotional connection for me, except if... You're the closest person to me other than Lynn and I can't use you in that way. It's too confusing."
She'd just told him what she hadn't told anyone else, and now felt vulnerable.
He'll be fine in a minute, he's just a tad bit.. gobsmacked. And a little upset for his friend, that she's lost such a wonderful connection in her life.
"You didn't use me." Phoenix manages eventually. "Even if you had, it.. Honey.. we uhh.. it didn't happen."
"You don't have to lie to make me feel better. If we didn't do anything, then why did we wake up like that in the same bed? You're worth more to me than a one night stand."
She misunderstood the silence and felt like am idiot for sharing her feelings with Phoenix.
"Why would I lie? You can deal with the truth. Look, Janie, we got bladdered, you went to bed, I stumbled about a bit in the dark and ended up passing out in the wrong bed. I know nothing happened."
The reason being somewhat undignified, so he doesn't volunteer the information. "You're worth more to me than that as well. Plenty more."
"No awkwardness at all." Phoenix promises with a grin. Then he grabs Janie's lapel gently, pulls her forward and kisses her forehead. "But I do reserve the right to plant one of those from time to time. Shortarse."
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-15 02:56 pm (UTC)"Alec'll bust your butt if you try it." Phoenix rubs his head awkwardly. "Hi."
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-15 03:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-15 03:10 pm (UTC)"Anyway, it's my guess, you could only change everything if you managed to stop Vahl going forward in time. And he was much more dangerous those few months back."
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-15 03:16 pm (UTC)"That's changing nearly everything, but... it wouldn't just be that one event. I figured all of it out."
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-15 03:22 pm (UTC)He doesn't want to know, but has to ask. "Ian's immortality, for one?"
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-15 03:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-15 03:34 pm (UTC)That was much harsher than Phoenix meant it to sound.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-15 03:44 pm (UTC)"And what are we supposed to do about it? Sit around and watch things go to shit?"
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-15 03:46 pm (UTC)"But there's stuff we.. there's... things.. and... outcomes.. Oh, never mind."
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-15 04:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-16 02:33 pm (UTC)A kid. He has a kid. A son. Oh yes, Phoenix now has a baby boy, and he'd probably tear up half the universe to keep him. There's also the case of an extra Lynn in existence - he wonders if that's occurred to Janie.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-16 04:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-16 05:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-16 05:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-16 05:54 pm (UTC)"Maybe you're right about that, I hope you are, maybe I am, but it's unprecedented and I can't explain it. But the fact remains, if things were to be fixed.. and I'm not saying you're gonna do it, but IF you did... you'd wipe the second version of Lynn out of existence."
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-16 06:17 pm (UTC)She wanted away, a bar full of drinks and to pass out somewhere safe. No, she wanted to go somewhere, alone, just to sort her head out.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 01:26 pm (UTC)Phoenix trails off, realising that everything he's listed affect him. And it's Janie who's lost so much, there is no upside for her.
"Honey..." He reaches out to touch her shoulder, somehow 'I'm sorry' seems pathetically inadequate.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 01:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 03:55 pm (UTC)Instead he draws his hand back. "I know." He says softly. "And I know it sucks too. In theory you have the power to do it, and it's you who's lost the most."
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 04:12 pm (UTC)"I should leave. I've got... things." An obvious lie, but she wanted to be alone somewhere and mope.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 04:21 pm (UTC)"No wait. Waitwait... this is dumb. We haven't fallen out or anything.. s'just... dumb. We're grown adults for Christ's sake."
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 04:36 pm (UTC)"I can't- not right now. You're too important to me for... what happened. Did it happen? I know I shouldn't avoid you but I don't know how to behave for this." There, she said it, and was ready to get out of there if that somehow made things worse.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 04:50 pm (UTC)Okay. He's just said the actual word to Janie. In direct relationship to them. Three times. Oh gods.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 05:14 pm (UTC)She'd just told him what she hadn't told anyone else, and now felt vulnerable.
"I don't want our relationship to change."
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 05:27 pm (UTC)"You didn't use me." Phoenix manages eventually. "Even if you had, it.. Honey.. we uhh.. it didn't happen."
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 05:45 pm (UTC)She misunderstood the silence and felt like am idiot for sharing her feelings with Phoenix.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 06:00 pm (UTC)The reason being somewhat undignified, so he doesn't volunteer the information. "You're worth more to me than that as well. Plenty more."
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 06:18 pm (UTC)"We understand each other. What now?"
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 06:33 pm (UTC)"What now? Well, it's just a-" He gestures some, "-- Thing. That happened. We got slammed and passed out. No biggie."
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 06:36 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-18 01:31 pm (UTC)"Now let's go take the kids out for ice cream."