synthneon | oceanview || ❝ two worlds colliding, there ain't no bargaining. ❞

[ A woman who could be my sister?

Beth's eyes narrow slightly in thought, but she keeps any comments or questions to herself. She waits for him to steady himself. Then, her arm pulls back, and she crosses them underneath her chest. All she can think is that he saw what she had seen. A potential death of her--maybe another her. This Alan can see things after all. She's sure hers can, but, if he does? He never talks about it.

Ever. ]

It's not every night, but, let's not take any chances. Not when you're more in control of your powers. Who knows how the Shadowed are going to react. [ She turns slightly and heads back inside. The door only closes once Alan steps back inside. Then, she locks it. ] It wouldn't be weird to talk to yourself?

[ She enters the living room. Tim is gone, as to be expected, with the television turned off. That's probably for the best. Beth doesn't want to see anything else of that interview. Maybe Alan will sit and watch it but she won't. Inevitably, Barry will be calling in the morning and asking Alan how he feels about it all. The book is releasing within the week anyways. ]

...Where did you want to sleep for the night?

[ Alan doesn't know any more about what he saw than Beth does, but what he did see was enough to leave him reeling. Still, maybe now isn't the time to discuss it. She probably doesn't want to talk about how someone with her face was shot in the head.

Maybe she doesn't want to talk at all, because he's not her Alan. ]

Yeah, that's probably a good idea. I can fight them off if I need to, but that's probably not what you or anyone else needs, even if you are used to that kind of thing. [ And after what he saw, he really doesn't want to do anything that might put her in harm's way. ] I mean, probably, but my bar for "weird" is kind of screwed up.

[ He wonders how her Alan would react if he saw himself standing there next to Beth. Hopefully he doesn't end up being the one taking a bullet.

In any case, he follows after Beth into the living room that's now quiet and empty again. He looks around the room when Beth asks the question, and then he just nods at the couch. ]

The couch is fine, although if you want your house back, I can find somewhere else to go.

[ Beth sees the whole situation as if it's an out of body experience. Someone that is her, but isn't, dead with someone that looks like Tim there. Not Alan. It springs to mind too many questions. Did that version of her know Alan? Were they ever together? If she had known Alan, would she still end up dead?

Will she end up dead that way even if she knows Alan?

Beth simply nods. It's good this Alan knows how to fight off the Shaded Individuals. How much he's had to embrace of all of it though... should she even ask? ]

How did you learn to fight them?

[ Too late. She's already asked.

She frowns slightly at his statement. ] There's other guest rooms you can take. Sleeping in our--the master bedroom--might be too weird. I get that. You don't need to sleep on the couch or even get out of the house. It's big enough for other people in it.

[ Alan can tell just by watching Beth that a lot of thoughts and maybe even questions are running through her mind right now. She may not be Jesse, but so many things are similar between them, and even when she's thinking, her thoughts have a way of showing on her face. Still, Alan isn't about to assume he knows what might be on Beth's mind. He'll let her tell him, or ask him questions, and he'll wait until she's ready. ]

It was a long time ago, now. I met someone who helped me... a man in a diver's suit. He told me how light affects the Taken, how it can be used to make them easier to attack. I've kind of had a long time to learn how to really fight them; thirteen years, if you can believe it, although it feels like so much longer.

[ I died so many times trying to fight my way out. That's probably why it feels like it's been so long. And all the loops didn't help either. ]

Would you really want someone else in your master bedroom? [ He's not sure he could do it, or even should do it. It would feel incredibly wrong and disrespectful to the Alan that she knows. ]

If you have a guest room you don't mind me using, I'll take that. I won't mess it up or damage anything.

[ Somehow, that feels important for him to say. ]

[ Her eyebrows knit slightly. A diver suit? Eyes travel to the side in thought. It rings a bell. Hadn't Thomas Zane, the local poet who died in Cauldron Lake, been a diver? She'll need to look into it tomorrow. ]

Thirteen years. [ She pauses and looks back up at him. ] You've been fighting the Taken as long as I've known my Alan. 2010, right?

[ Does that mean any version of Alan always comes to Cauldron Lake then?

Beth shrugs. ] No one else is using it right now. But, the guest rooms are down the hall. I have the one furthest down. [ Then, a shake of her head. ] It doesn't matter to me if it's messed up. That shows someone is living in it. Right?

Yeah, 2010 is where it all started. I had no idea what I was getting into back then, but- strangely, I don't know if I'd take another path then or not. If I did, I wouldn't have met Jesse. I wouldn't have gone through hell, but who knows where I'd be now if I hadn't?

I don't know if I would have been better off or not. Not that you needed to hear all that.

[ Alan lets out a sigh at her admission that no one is using the master bedroom. So much about this is wrong, and all of it bothers Alan. ]

This sucks. I know I can't do much to fix it, but I want you and your Alan to patch things up. To be together again. It's not right.

[ A wild idea enters Alan's mind, and it probably shows on his face, but reason tells him he really shouldn't suggest it. It's a terrible, insane idea. ]

[ Beth crosses her arms. ] Jesse is worth that much to you? You'd go through everything you did with Cauldron Lake JUST to meet her? [ She pauses. ] She's lucky.

[ A ghost of a smile touches her face at his apology. Then, a shrug. There's not much either of them can do. Alan is stubborn -- as this Alan most likely knows. All she can do now is just... wait. Continue on like she can. She can't dance anymore--her injury proved that. Maybe once this Alan returns home hers will come back and either hug her or... serve her divorce papers. ]

I want that too. Maybe he doesn't.

Yeah. She's- Well, she's worth everything. And I know it sounds insane, but I think that your Alan still thinks that about you too. [ It's just figuring out how to make him remember it. ]

I know it was something I'd never wish on my worst enemy, but if it meant the difference between meeting Jesse and never getting to know her, I'd do it again in a minute.

But you're lucky too, and I'm going to make sure that you get what you want too. [ Somehow. ]

I shouldn't be doing this, but- I bet you miss sleeping in the master bedroom. You should go back in there, even if it's just for tonight. If you don't want me next to you, I'll take the floor. I just think you shouldn't be in the guest room anymore.

( cont here )

oceanview || ❝ two worlds colliding, there ain't no bargaining. ❞

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