Disclaimer: All characters belong to CLAMP.

Author's Notes: This is a collection of fics I'm writing for the LJ community insertphrase. That means they're not chapters of the same story, but several one-shots more or less independent from each other. I've rated the whole thing PG-13 just to be safe, but I'll post the rating of every different fic as I post them.

Title: Butterfly Effect
Fandom: XXXHOLiC
Characters: Clow and Yuuko
Phrase: #10 - You have some skill
Warnings/Ratings: G
Synopsis: The beginning of it all...

Butterfly Effect

Yuuko leaned back on her sofa, taking in everything she had just heard. She had expected him to come up with some mad strategy, of course, but not that mad. This was over-achieving even for Clow.

"So this is your plan," she said at last.

"What do you think of it?"

"It's the craziest, most unnecessarily complicated thing I've heard in my entire life," she replied. "Fits you."

He smiled, unconcerned.

"I knew you'd say that."

"If you just babbled about that to waste my time…"

"I meant it," Clow assured her, now serious, "every single word. There is no other way to help them."

"That is," Yuuko said between smokes, "if we get involved at all."

He gave her a long look, without saying a word. It almost made her squirm. Too soft-hearted…

"I hate you sometimes," she finally muttered. He grinned.

"I'm sure you do," he said. "The thing is, we already are involved. We know about those children, and we have the power to help them. We have no excuse to turn our backs on them now."

"I don't have a problem with helping them," said Yuuko. "I have a problem with changing the future of several worlds. I can't believe you would even suggest such a ridiculously dangerous thing."

Clow's eyes lit up as he pushed up his glasses. The witch sighed; here came another speech…

"But I'm not suggesting that," he said. "Time is on our side, Yuuko. All we need to do is set things up- just a little tweaking now, and events will develop on their own. We would only be giving them a push on the right direction, so to say."

"That's exactly the same!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "We'd be taking a great risk, and for what? What's in it for us?"

"You know you'd gain something. That's how things work."

"And you?"

"Me?" Clow asked, his eyes widening a bit. "Since when do you worry about me?"

"I don't!" she replied, perhaps a little too quickly. "But don't ask me to believe you'd do something that isn't selfish, because-"

"Peace of mind," he admitted, interrupting her. Yuuko stared at him.

"Playing with the fate of worlds gives you peace of mind?"

Clow looked away, a sad smile forming on his lips.

"I need to know," he said softly, "that I did everything I could."

Yuuko sat up and shook her head. That man would never cease to confuse her.

"All right. So you started something, and you have to finish it. That part I get," she said. "But that only involves the girl here. What about the others?"

Clow chuckled and turned his gaze back to her.

"I know you don't have the highest opinion of me," he replied, "but if you think I can leave those children alone when I know I'm able to help them…"

"So you are sure that it can be done," said Yuuko. He smiled.

"We can do it, you and I," he said. "You have some skill."

"Some skill?" she shouted. "You call my powers 'some skill'? Who do you think you are?"

He grinned, but didn't say a word. That was almost as bad as if he had started bragging, she thought.

"Fine," Yuuko sighed. "I'll do it. But the minute you treat me as a sidekick, we're through!"

"We have a deal, then," he said, bowing slightly. She leaned back once again, thoughtful.

"And you think we can help the boy, too?"

"He'll be fine," Clow said with a smile. "Eventually."

Yuuko grinned.

"At least that'll be fun."