[for boom_kaboom and superfluity.]

[smokingtomb]

"Give Papa kiss for me," are Beth's last words to her father before he heads out the door, finally convinced that the stress of looking after his daughter won't make Smith's head explode or something. Beth thinks that's very silly; Uncle Smith feels more normal than he has for a long long time. Can't Daddy tell?

Beth runs to a window to watch her father walk down the sidewalk and waves down at him. He only looks up and waves back once, but she keeps waving until he's out of sight. Once he is, she turns to look up at Smith.

"You have ice cream?"

Comments

[superfluity]

"Eyes can be faked." She leans forward, her voice taking on an urgent tone underneath the softness (which is mostly an attempt to keep her younger self from freaking out.) "Mirrors have so much more in them then your reflection, and most of them will try to trick you. You should never trust anything that tries to convince you through a mirror, no matter who it looks like or says it is."

She pauses, then flashes a smile that's as much sheepish as hopefully reassuring. "Sorry, I'm used to lecturing little Beth. She wants to come through and visit me. You probably won't ever have to know that."

[boom_kaboom]

He twists his lip and nods. It's strange getting lectured by Beth. Older Beth. But he knows she's right. He's far too trusting. "So are you telling me not to trust you, then? Cause that kinda doesn't work out for anyone."

Smith does trust her. He can't imagine anyone wanting to make something like this up. "Well, Bethie is a good listener, then. Cause if it was me I probably would have had restraint at her age."

[superfluity]

She grins, shaking her head. "I'm not trying to get you through the mirror. I can prove to you that I'm who I say I am, but only if you can promise not to act on anything. You never told me what you saw, so I can't promise that you won't see things that you want to change."

She glances down and side-eyes her younger self, who is all of a sudden very interested in the wall. "She tried, and she's very lucky I caught her."

[boom_kaboom]

"I wont act on anything, I promise. I don't want anyone to get hurt or be in danger." That's the last thing he wants and he'll do anything to prevent it. "Okay, I got it."

He pats her little head. "It's always good to listen to your older self, kiddo."

[superfluity]

The younger Beth pouts, crossing her arms stubbornly. "I strong, I kick ass."

"I said no, Bethie. Not until you're old enough to understand what you see."

The little girl hrmphs, muttering very bad words in a language older than the country they're in. The other Beth snickers, shaking her head as she looks back at Smith.

"Or worse. I don't know what would happen if you changed anything; maybe nothing. Maybe everything. I'm already changing the past, as close to what I remember my mirror lady doing."

She bites her lower lip, as though to tug at a lip ring she's never had. Then she shrugs, and raises both hands to press them against her side of the mirror. It ripples, just as it did when the little Beth called her.