Rm 217, late Monday afternoon

[fantastic_torch]

Johnny didn't have any classes till Thursday which meant he could totally take advantage of his free time.

So, sitting behind the cheap set of drums he purchased, he was banging away, actually sounding pretty good. And when he really got into it, he lit the drumsticks Reed made for him, on fire, and wasn't that so freaking awesome! Chad would be proud of his progress, Johnny thought.

The door was wide open.

[So is the post!]

Comments

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

She laughed softly. "I had the idea that you might like that."

[fantastic-torch.livejournal.com]

Yeah, just a bit. Johnny leaned in and kissed her. "Have any classes today?"

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

She kissed him and nodded a little, maybe even bouncing.

"I had Destiny and Free Will and Karaoke for Fun and Profit."

[fantastic-torch.livejournal.com]

He grinned. "And which one did you enjoy more?"

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

"I like them both a lot, but I get to sing and dance in the Karaoke class."

[fantastic-torch.livejournal.com]

"And I bet you're smokin'," he said, wrapping his arms around her to pull her close. "Free will? What's that one about?"

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

She curled into his embrace. "Today's discussion was whether we believe more in destiny or in free will."

[fantastic-torch.livejournal.com]

"Destiny," he said, giving her his own answer.

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

She smiled. "How come?"

[fantastic-torch.livejournal.com]

"Because that's life. It's already been mapped out for you. Good. Bad. All of it. You may have the free will to choose your own path, but destiny rules that free will. Everything is as it should be, whether it is liked or not."

[Bed for me! SP is love!]

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

Savannah bit her lip and looked down before he could see how sad she looked.

"Oh," she said softly. "So, you think no matter how much you use your free will to change the destiny that has been set for you, you can't change it?"

That possibility didn't bode well for her future.


[[SP is definitely love]]

[fantastic-torch.livejournal.com]

He ducked his head a bit, trying to look at her. "You can try, but I believe destiny is never failing."

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

She swallowed and then looked into his face since he had ducked down to look at hers. Her eyes were troubled.

"If that's true, Johnny, then no matter how much I work, how much good I try to do... I'm going to end up being nothing but dark and evil and kill those that I love and are close to me." She took a breath. "That's what Leah and the Nasts said was my destiny. That's what everyone who knows my mom and who my dad was says my destiny is. If you can't change destiny... "

She frowned. "I don't want that to be my destiny."

[fantastic-torch.livejournal.com]

Ah, man, he really stuck his foot in this time, didn't he?

"Savannah, just because I believe a certain way, doesn't make it true," he replied low. "Believe in what you believe, sweetheart, and believe in yourself. You are a good person."

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

She looked at him and pulled him closer. "It's like something I wrote in the letter to you." The one she hadn't given him yet because they had been... busy. "Something I talked to Isabel about and she also said to tell you." She worried her bottom lip. "When we were fighting, you asked me how come when there was danger, I always had to go out into it." She looked at him. "I want... I need to talk to you about it and tell you... if you have time?"

She was hoping that Isabel had been right.

[fantastic-torch.livejournal.com]

"I'm not going anywhere, Savannah," he said. "Talk to me."

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

She nodded and touched his cheek lightly before dropping her hand in her lap. "I go out into the danger because I feel that there are things that I have to do, Johnny. Atonement that I have to make for what happened to my father. Atonement for the boy that those dark witches killed when I was twelve in that ceremony to open me up to that part of my power. He died because of me and I have to try to do things to make up for the bad things I've been a part of. I have to fight and help because... I don't want to become the person that so many people have told me that I have no choice to become."

There was more she needed to say, but she wanted to see his reaction to that... before she told him the more important stuff that she told Isabel she didn't want to say.

[fantastic-torch.livejournal.com]

He reached to hold her hand while she spoke to him and he was open while she did so, taking in everything she was saying and listening intently to her.

When she paused, he brought her fingers to his mouth, kissed them gently. "The faith you have in yourself is so strong; I believe you can do whatever you set your mind to, Savannah."

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

Her worry about telling him certain things was melting away when he kissed her hand, and when he said that.

"I want to be that person, Johnny. I want to be the person that helps people -- not hurt them. I want to be someone that good people want help from and bad people run away from." She drew in a breath. "The other part I need to tell you... I want to say right now that I'm not expecting you to do anything other than you already do for me, okay? But I told Isabel some of my fears and why I had them and what you meant to me and how you ground me and she said that I needed to tell you because you needed to know." The last part of that came out in a babble.

"All I ask is that you hear me out first, please?" She squeezed his hand. "It might sound kind of odd to you... but she said that I needed to talk to you about it and be open."

[fantastic-torch.livejournal.com]

"What do you mean? That I ground you? I... keep you from doing darker magic? What?"

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

Savannah looked him in the eyes and it was obvious that she wasn't sure about telling him this.

"You ground me because you're like an anchor, Johnny." She swallowed hard, not allowing herself to look away from him. "You anchor me and remind me that there is something more powerful than all of the darker powers that I am tied to. Your love and your light -- don't laugh, I know it sounds cheesy, but it's true -- help keep me from sliding down that darker path that no one wants me to get stuck on." She blushed and fought not to duck her head. "You've told me how much you think I make you a better person, well you do the same for me." She bit her lip. "Johnny... when you go out to fight, it scares the shit out of me. Not because I have any doubts about how capable you are and how powerful you are. I have so much belief in you and what you do, Johnny. Remember how Storm kept pointing out that you were my super hero? Well you are." Her hand was shaking when she laid it against his cheek. "I'm afraid of me. I'm afraid of what I would do if something happened to you."

And that would be Savannah holding her breath, scared to death that it was too much and she had just frightened him away.

[fantastic-torch.livejournal.com]

No, no, she hadn't frightened him, but it was a lot to think about, to mull over. Johnny suddenly felt so much responsibilty for her; that she had just laid so much on him. Not negatively, but... he wasn't that special. At best he was an egotistical prick.

He looked down, away from her, humbled completely. "You set me so high, Savannah..." he finally said, his voice low.

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

She saw his reaction and her heart dropped. "Maybe... maybe you set yourself too low," she said in a soft whisper. "Please understand, I'm not asking you to do anything or for more than you already give me. Just..." She looked at the bed and her fingers started moving through Destiny's fur. "I was given the thought that you would want to know."

[fantastic-torch.livejournal.com]

"No, I'm glad you told me, I love you... I want you to be able to talk to me," he said, his hand moving to her lower back, caressing.

"I just... what if I fail you?"

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

"What if I fail you? What if the next time something from my world comes after me and I'm not strong enough?" She leaned into him. "Isabel said that if we both are going to fight when there is danger... we should try to work as a team." She swallowed. "I never said anything before because I didn't want you to think I doubted you -- or that I wanted you to always take care of me. I love you, Johnny. I just didn't want to tell you this stuff because... I was scared that you would feel too much pressure and it would push you away."