What is the biggest mistake you ever made in a relationship?

[abetterlie]

Wow. Is that supposed to be a trick question? I mean, define "biggest", "mistake" and "relationship". "Big" as in had bad results for the relationship? The other person in the relationship? Me? The rest of the world? And mistake as in "wrong informed decision" or the "if I only had known..." kind or whatever? Is "relationship" a romance only thing or not?

I'm going with not, I guess. And I don't know about biggest, but it definitely was the worst. I think. See, I'll never know what other people saw when they looked at Jasmine. Except that whatever it was, it couldn't have been what she looked like to me, because when they didn't see it anymore, they freaked out and hated her. And she knew that would happen.

But what she didn't know was that I had seen it all the time. She tried to keep it a secret from me, too; that's why she didn't tell me why she had to hide Cordelia, or how Fred had managed to infect change Angel. She must have believed I would hate her too, that she needed her power with me, and she never did. She was my daughter.

So - if I had told her. I mean, it took me a while to figure it out, that the way I loved her wasn't the way everyone else loved her, and that they saw something different, when they looked at her, but I did figure it out. I didn't tell her. Really, I didn't want to be different from anyone else around her. I wanted to be part of all that, that perfect peace and happiness everyone else was feeling, and I thought if I faked it long enough, I would be. I'd have done anything to make it true.

Here's what I should have done instead. I should have shown her that I didn't love her because I had to, that I could make my own decisions no matter what she said, but that this had nothing to do with not loving her. She only knew those two states, you see. Either people worshipped her, or they hated her and turned against her, like Fred had done the moment she got in touch with Jasmine's blood.

When she sent me to capture Fred, Angel, Wesley and Gunn. That's when I should have done it. I should have said: No. Let them go. And let us go, you and me. Let's leave Los Angeles together, we can change the world much better if we travel through it, much better than if you rule it, and I'll be there for you. You don't have to -

Anyway. Perhaps it wouldn't have worked. She was a Power that Was long before she became my daughter. Perhaps worship was the only form of love she could have understood, and the whole free will thing wouldn't have mattered to her. But the point is, I should have tried. And I didn't.

Instead, I lied to her and everyone else until it was too late.

Comments

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

There is totally sex pollen and you really don't want to know.

Also, I'm kinda mad at you for stabbing Kara? But, also, mitigating circumstances and I'm pretty sure you feel guilty any way, so, no shouting; I figured that went without saying, but apparently I was supposed to say it, so, there you go.

[abetterlie.livejournal.com]

Noted, and also noted to the second. You could shout anyway, you know; I think it would work better for Kara.

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

Seriously, though, did you guys take weapons to a birthday bash? 'cause that's all kinds of fucked up right there.

[abetterlie.livejournal.com]

Define weapons. No knives, guns and so on, if you mean that. Well, the uninvited crazies from Arkham had those... But you can make pretty much anything into a weapon if you're motivated enough. And have the practice.

[shaman-x.livejournal.com]

That's ... no, actually, this still fucked up, it's just fucked up in a different way.

Dude! What is up with Arkham?! Have you looked at their records? They lose inmates all the time! Ooh, which, segue to other rant: you have a public birthday bash for rich people, you should have much better security. Especially in Gotham! Gah!

[abetterlie.livejournal.com]

Talk to Bruce Wayne about it. He organized the whole thing.... okay, that's unfair, he couldn't have known this would happen, and Harry told me Bruce talked him out of killing someone later, so.

Arkham: yeah, I've checked their records now. No kidding. I don't know why they don't close the place down and send the criminally insane to other prisons with better security.