(no subject)
It took some nerve, some beer, and eventually, Perdita threatening to do it for her, but Agnes finally went through the door to Tim's bedroom.
"The Door's working again," she said without preamble. "It's time for me to go home."
"Okay, so I'll see you when you get back." He didn't understand.
Agnes shook her head. "I may not be back. Ever."
"Bar doesn't work like that."
"How Bar does and doesn't work is a matter of much debate. I could come back what seems like tomorrow, only now I'm an old woman with a coven of my own. Or I could come back in three years, but it's only been a day for me. Or I may never find my way back again."
Tim frowned. "You'll be back. I know you will."
"Maybe so. But I can't just leave with things between us the way they are."
"What do you mean, 'the way they are'? Things are fine, aren't they?"
"More than fine," Agnes hastened to say. "Wonderful, actually. But that's what I mean. If I'm going away, and I don't know if I'll be back, I can't expect you to just wait for me."
"You're... breaking up with me?"
She shrugged. "If you want to call it that. I love you, and I always will. But I have to know that you're free." He started to speak, but she stepped forward and pressed her fingers to his lips. "I release you from your oath."
"It won't work, you know," he murmured from behind her touch. "I didn't say it to bind me, I said it because I meant it."
"I know you did, my love. And now, given time, you will be able to mean it just as much to someone else. Someone who won't leave you."
Agnes replaced her fingers with her lips, kissing him gently. Then, before the welling tears could escape her eyes, she turned around and purposefully strode back through the door into Milliways.
"The Door's working again," she said without preamble. "It's time for me to go home."
"Okay, so I'll see you when you get back." He didn't understand.
Agnes shook her head. "I may not be back. Ever."
"Bar doesn't work like that."
"How Bar does and doesn't work is a matter of much debate. I could come back what seems like tomorrow, only now I'm an old woman with a coven of my own. Or I could come back in three years, but it's only been a day for me. Or I may never find my way back again."
Tim frowned. "You'll be back. I know you will."
"Maybe so. But I can't just leave with things between us the way they are."
"What do you mean, 'the way they are'? Things are fine, aren't they?"
"More than fine," Agnes hastened to say. "Wonderful, actually. But that's what I mean. If I'm going away, and I don't know if I'll be back, I can't expect you to just wait for me."
"You're... breaking up with me?"
She shrugged. "If you want to call it that. I love you, and I always will. But I have to know that you're free." He started to speak, but she stepped forward and pressed her fingers to his lips. "I release you from your oath."
"It won't work, you know," he murmured from behind her touch. "I didn't say it to bind me, I said it because I meant it."
"I know you did, my love. And now, given time, you will be able to mean it just as much to someone else. Someone who won't leave you."
Agnes replaced her fingers with her lips, kissing him gently. Then, before the welling tears could escape her eyes, she turned around and purposefully strode back through the door into Milliways.