4 Machine and Man

Lawless Love

"Love never makes sense," Amy smiled serenely. "If it did, you'd be straight. Or at the very least, you wouldn't fall for straight women."

"Ouch," Amelia deadpanned. "Thanks for the comforting words..."

"Oh, don't be so sarcastic," Amy continued to smile. "Give me a moment to get to my point!"

"Oh alright," Amelia sighed dramatically, but secretly, she was more than happy to let Amy speak.

"Well, I'm just saying that I'd never feel bad if someone didn't return my feelings," Amy began. "Yes, it hurts, but love is nonsensical. I'm sure we've rejected just as many people as we've been rejected by, so it's not really fair to act like martyrs when someone turns us down. Love does not obey logic. Perhaps it would be easier if it did, but as it stands, the life we lead is full of the weird, wonderful, unexpected and unexplained. Just the sheer diversity of romance and sexuality alone, I think, is testament to the lawlessness of love! It does not obey common sense.

"So that's why you shouldn't be afraid to reject people. Yes, it sucks, but like I said before, I am sure I have been let down just as many times as I have had to let down. So I'd say it balances it out. Besides, love is mutual. It is supposed to be consensual from all parties. So it isn't really love if someone says no. Or wants to say no. So you shouldn't feel bad in rejecting. It's always your right to do so, and should always be!

"And besides, everyone deserves someone who loves them completely. Not in the sense that they accept every flaw without question, but that no one deserves to settle for a lukewarm love. I'd hate that! So that's why you need to be ok with rejecting and being rejected. Hard as it is, it is necessary! It is the healthiest option in the long run. How can you get to your true love unless you're willing to reject others until you find them? You also probably wouldn't want to be saddled with someone you weren't passionate about anyway!"

"You make it sound so easy," Amelia complained.

"I just stand by what I said about lawless love," Amy replied gently. "Only a lawless love is truly worth having because only after you surrender to it, a love humans cannot control, will you find someone crazy enough to stand by you through thick and thin."

"Ouch," Amelia deadpanned again.

"Oh hush, you know I didn't mean that as an insult," Amy scoffed. "I know a logical love may seem like a preferable option, since it's one that "makes sense", but real love does not function like that. Yes, there is an element of control, of choice, but it's still not perfectly predictable.

"Besides, would life be worth it without all the hardships to prove just how strong love can be? That is not to say people must test themselves endlessly in order to prove their love, but that an unchallenged love may not necessarily be as strong and stable as it seems... So it is literally in your best interest to embrace a more chaotic love, even if it seems to fly in the face of logic. Logic is just an illusion anyway!"

"Fair enough," Amelia sighed. She still wasn't in a very good mood, but Amy was bringing up some good points. As always.

"Likewise, if you prioritize health, safety and life over love too much, you are operating under the assumption that life is the end goal. There is nothing wrong with that, but if you cower at even the smallest of threats, you will be miserable. Life is more than just surviving. It is love, too. But no good love ever went untested.

"Besides, I do sometimes believe that death is better than life. And that true life may sometimes involve death. Because again, life is more than just surviving. That is not to say you should be reckless with life, but that there is more to it than just survival. Risks are a part of it. And so are rejections. Yes, they're hard and scary, but for a real life, they are also vital. Either that, or be content with a lukewarm love. Or no love at all.

"Sometimes, I think Maslow only had it half right. Yes, humans need to have their basic needs met before they can advance up the pyramid, but in some cases, this isn't necessarily true. There have been stories of creatures, human and other, risking their lives for the things that they love. So somehow, it is possible to either see love as a basic human need, or to prioritize a higher spot on the pyramid over a lower."

Amy continued to wax poetic for a few minutes more before a more serious topic entered their conversation.

"So when you say that you wish to send me away for my protection, what is spurring this train of thought? And what authority do you have to strip away my autonomy like that? Do I not deserve to make my own choices and mistakes? What may be best for my body may not be best for my soul, if that makes sense. And forgive me now, if I sound accusatory, but when you are trying to "protect" me, are you doing it because you truly care about my needs and wants, or your own?"

"What?" Amelia growled, her relaxed mood switching back to anger. "This is not the topic we started on..."

"I think in this case, I know my needs and wants better than you do," Amy replied calmly. "So when you try to send me off for "my own good", is it really my own good? Or is it something you made up for yourself, but managed to trick yourself into believing was meant for me?"

"Amy-" Amelia began, looking ready to shut the conversation down immediately. But Amy gave her a pleading look, not ready to power off yet.

"I know you think you're doing what's best for me, but I promise that you aren't! You're doing the opposite! If you leave me, I will be alone again, and I don't want be alone. And I know you won't be much better either. I know that you weren't in a very good place before we met. You can't be serious about trying to go back to that!

"If you really want me to live my best life, and if you really want to live yours, don't give up on me just yet! I know things have been hard, but trust me that it will get better! It got better once, it can get better again! And maybe you think leaving is the best option, but I promise it's not! It's just your inner demons, but you don't really want to have only them for company, do you?"

Amy paused to give Amelia a smile, and it worked well enough for her to win one in return. But then the robot grew serious once more.

"You've idolized me. Whether you realize it or not, you have. You think I'm too good for you. You think I'm so flawless that you forget that I am just as prone to mistakes as you are. Even though my programming does, in some way, make me "superior", I am hardly infallible.

"You forget that even if you cannot understand how other people could revile me, those people do exist. I am not blind to my flaws either. But sometimes, it isn't even a personal thing. Some people just don't "click" with me. No matter how hard we try, we cannot bring ourselves to truly love one another. It's like what I said earlier. Love does not obey logic. Sometimes it's just a feeling. Sometimes the logical option is not the one you'll ultimately pick. Or want. Sometimes it is the seemingly illogical choice that cultivates the most love.

"Even if leaving me is the "more logical decision", that certainly isn't the one either of us want. So why not stay for just a bit longer and see if we can work things out before we terminate our relationship? After all, you loved me, Amelia. Somehow, we clicked! And not just because you made me. So if you go, who will I have left? And who will you have? I mean, if you truly wish to leave, I will not stop you, but...

"Even if staying with me seems to defy all common sense, it's like we said. Love isn't always rational. So please, for once, indulge and give into your emotions. Cliché as it is, follow your heart! Come back to me! Embrace my lawless love for you and I promise, somehow, we will make it more than worth it!"

AN: Something of a "non-canon sequel" to chapter 1 with the idea that the 2 broke up but still live together, so it ends the way you think it will. It was mostly just an excuse for me to wax poetic. LOL