That Only A Mother
Title: That Only A Mother
Word Count: 1,240
Fandom: Fifty Shades
Pairing: None
Summary: Christian always thought his mother died in that hotel room. He's wrong.
The police had come and taken Christian away, leaving his mother lying on the bed to await the arrival of the coroner. The child had been very taciturn, not speaking to any of the officers.
The hotel room was dark and freezing cold, and if one looked closely they would be able to see goosebumps rising on Ella's bare arms and legs.
There was a strange sound, like a cork being popped from a champagne bottle, and two tall figures wearing cloaks stepped into the room. The first walked over to Ella, running a strange instrument over her body. “I'm picking up a very faint life sign, but we've got to get her to the Infirmary ASAP. Greta, help me pick her up.”
The second figure stepped forward, and together they lifted Ella's limp body between them. “I don't know why we're doing this, Marie. She's a junkie.”
Marie flipped a switch on the device in her hand, and a green swirling portal appeared in the wall. “Because Delia saw some potential in her, and the last thing I want to do is argue with someone that can turn me into a frog. Also, you Saw what her son will become. We have to prepare her for that.”
Greta sighed. She had Seen what would become of Christian, and no matter how many times she followed the Threads, they all converged in the exact same way, and the Rules forbade them from interfering unless it was for drastic reasons. “What about Anastasia? Can't you arrange it so that she never goes to that interview, and thus never meets Christian?”
“I don't work that far in advance.”
Greta snorted as they stepped through the portal. “This coming from the woman that nearly ended the Renaissance a century before it began. Just what was your reasoning for that?”
“That was different. How was I to know that man was going to become the King? He paid well for my services.”
They entered a small room, furnished only with a large, lumpy couch. Carefully, they set Ella down, and Greta huffed a strand of hair out of her face. “Because, sister dear, you can look backwards as well as forwards. I've seen you Fix things so that entire dynasties never happen.”
Marie sighed. “Those that can be, at least. Well, better get started.” She knelt next to Ella and placed her hand on Ella's forehead, muttering a few words in a strange language.
Ella's pale skin began to take on a healthy glow, and after a few moments, she took a deep breath, slowly opening her eyes. She blinked, then stared at the two strange women looking back at her.
Besides being the tallest women she had ever seen in her life, they were also the strangest looking, with dark hair, eyes as green as a cat's, and skin the color of burnished gold. They looked beautiful and eerily remote. “Wha...?” was all she could manage.
The woman on the right stepped forward, a smoking goblet in her hands. “Drink this, it will help.” She helped Ella sit up, placing the cup to her lips. Ella took a cautious sip, tasting honey. The woman smiled. “Drink slow. You need to recover your strength.”
Ella glanced down at the woman's hands, noticing the intricate tattoo that started on her fingertips and went on to disappear underneath the sleeves of her dress. “That tattoo is amazing.”
“It is my Mark. But you're probably wondering what's going on.” Ella nodded. “My name is Marie, and this is Greta, my sister. Well, that's what we're calling ourselves this millenia. You wouldn't be able to pronounce our real names. No one alive would. We are...I suppose the simplest way to say it is we're the ones that keep things running. Call us Fate, Destiny, Goddesses, what have you. We're not omnipotent or omniscient, but we have a great deal of influence and power. But sometimes, we need the help of humans like you.”
“Like me? What can I do?”
Greta spoke up. Her voice was slightly less accented than her sister's. “It's about your son. He's going to grow up to be...a horrible person.”
Ella's eyes widened. “Then send me back! I'll tell him I'm not really dead, and we'll start a new life!”
Marie sighed. “We can't. Look.” She waved her hand, and two glowing threads appeared, one green, one grey. “These threads represent you and Christian.” She made a sweeping motion, and the threads converged, only to break apart moments later, the green thread fading to a dull brown. “Once the color's gone, we can't make them reconnect. For all intents and purposes, you're dead. But we can still use you...I mean use your help. But it would mean never attempting to contact your son. He must believe that you died in that hotel room.”
“What about my...?”
Greta looked grim. “Your pimp? He is of no consequence to anything. Five months after he finds you 'dead', he is killed in a knife fight. You cannot take any drugs, either.”
Marie turned and faced Ella, who felt herself mesmerized by her large green eyes. “We have many human agents. They do odd jobs for us here and there, helping us keep the timestream from getting tangled. If you agree to work for us, you will be made effectively immortal. However, you are not invulnerable, and can be hurt or killed if you aren't careful. But you will be given clothing, shelter, and more than enough money to live on.”
“What if I say no?”
“Then Greta takes you back to that hotel, stops your heart, and you are buried. Just another junkie that committed suicide.” Marie took Ella's hand. “The choice is yours.”
“Why me?”
“Because of what you could become. You have a chance at greatness, Ella. Don't waste it. What's your answer?”
Ella gulped, staring into her eyes, feeling a sense of pride and determination. She had always wanted to be someone that made a difference. “Yes.”
The women smiled.
Twenty Two Years Later
Ella stepped through the Portal. “It's done.”
Marie looked up from the sword she was polishing. “Ana is sterile?” Ella nodded, sinking down onto the couch. Without saying a word, Marie conjured up a goblet of mead and passed it over. Ella drank half in one gulp.
“I only wish things could be different. But I must say, that son of mine chose a very naïve woman. I just had to tell her I was giving away free drink samples and she gulped down the potion Delia made without question. But Christian's bloodline will end with him.”
“And the other two?”
“Taylor and Leila? I arranged it so he doesn't have to rely on Grey ever again. They'll go someplace he'll never find them.”
Marie sheathed her sword. “Good. Now, go get some sleep.”
After Ella left, Marie sat for a few moments. She hadn't told anyone what she had Seen-Grey discovering that his soon to be wife was sterile had driven him into a murderous frenzy that nearly ripped the time-lines asunder. The Gordian Knot that would result could only be fixed by one thing. Death.
Smiling grimly, she stepped through the Portal.