"Alright, before we go in there, we need to talk about a couple of things." Lincoln puts a hand on his son's shoulder.
"I already got the don't stare at the blond version of me from mom." Trevor says impatiently, as they stand on the doorstep of the Bishops. He wasn't too keen on being here anyway.
The bridge had been reopened for almost six months now and this was the first time after a lot of coaxing, that his parents had allowed him to cross over and instead of being allowed to explore, he was being dragged to some strangers' home for dinner.
"Yes… now that we're on that subject. Don't do it. You'll make her self-conscious. But that's not the blond I am talking about." He chuckles, looking at the confused expression on the boy's face. "You're going to meet their daughter Etta today and under no circumstances will you get any ideas about her. Do you understand? She's strictly off limits buddy." He says in a very grave voice.
"Dad…" Trevor rolls his eyes. "First of all how can you assume that I was going to try anything with her and secondly say I did want to, why is she off limits?" He looks at him with a slightly defiant stare.
"Umm you're fifteen and hormonal… and she happens to be beautiful and brilliant, so of course you would." Lincoln shrugs knowingly. "And as to why not… genetically you share the same mother so that makes you more than related. And if that's not enough, her father is Peter Bishop and unless you're not terribly opposed to the idea of going back home in a body bag…"
He never gets to the end of the sentence because the door opens just then and they're greeted by a petite young girl.
"I thought I heard voices." She beams at them, all alabaster skin and lustrous blond locks and the most dazzling blue eyes Trevor has ever seen. "You must be Lincoln." She says then, holding out her hand to his father. "I am Etta. Come on in, we've been waiting for you."
She then flashes a quick smile at Trevor before she's calling for her parents and ushering them inside.
He curses inwardly.
He really hates it when his father is right.
It's ridiculous how she looks almost exactly like his mom. Well her mom really…but that's really the same thing and the thought alone is enough to dispel the initial hormonal knee jerk reaction he has to seeing her for the first time.
No, he doesn't think he'll be getting any ideas about someone who resembles his mother so much, even if she happens to be the most beautiful creature he's ever seen in real life.
But all the same he's intrigued by her. This girl, possibly the only one, who shares his story of origin, with different versions of the same woman for a mother and a father from a different universe.
But she's also different in many ways, descended from a long line of geniuses, related in theory at least, to the secretary of defense no less, with a surname that often preceded federal laws and ordinances.
In his world, she'd be nothing less than royalty.
Suddenly Trevor feels a little more than inadequate, unable to stop himself from comparing, as his eyes drift through the house, the signs of her pedigree everywhere, science trophies and medals of academic excellence and the general air of prodigious intellect she wears with too much ease, much like her father, the man he's told was responsible for reactivating the machine to open the bridge again.
But she catches his eye then and winks at him, in a way that said she knows exactly what he feels like.
To be the only two people like them…
"So is it all much the same like over there?" She asks him as she takes him around Cambridge later that evening, leaving the adults back at the house to talk about things that they probably wished to talk about in private.
They talk about many things, about Aunt Rachel, whom he never got to meet and her cousins in Chicago and he in turn tells her about his grandmother, the one who died here long ago, about visiting his grandparents grave earlier today in Philadelphia with his father and seeing the street on which he grew up.
"More similar than I expected." He nods, leaning over the bridge as he looks at the river. "Though I have to say it's really weird seeing Harvard without all the amber. I've never been allowed this close to the campus area."
"Yeah dad told me about that." She nods. "But the bridge's been reopened so it'll probably get better now right?"
"Probably. We're optimistic." He nods. "What do you think they're talking about, back at your place?"
"Super-secret classified stuff probably." She shrugs. "My parents never tell me anything about their work. Or you know… maybe they're just sitting around swapping baby pictures of us." She jokes.
"You're awfully unfazed about all of this." He tells her looking at her with some amount of surprise
"I wasn't two years ago. But I've gotten better about it." She nods. "The first time my parents told me, I seriously considered the possibility that they had lost their minds."
"Tell me about it. I just found out a few months ago when the bridge reopened and it literally blew my brains out. I almost didn't believe it till dad actually brought me over here and I saw for myself. To tell you the truth I wasn't expecting it to be so… "
"Normal…" She finishes for him knowingly.
"Yeah… I guess." He nods looking a little chagrined.
"Well I promise you we don't bite." She laughs. "And this is your world too you know… in a way."
"I know. My dad's been talking to me about his life here and it's weird to think about the choice he made. He talks very highly you know… of your parents and your grandfather too. My mom's told me so much about him."
"She's lucky." Etta nods, her voice suddenly lighter than before. "I can barely remember what he looks like anymore."
"Aren't you curious?" He asks then, trying to change the subject quickly. "To see the other side?"
"To see Harvard in amber and Boston deserted?" She raises a somewhat amused brow at him. "It might just break my heart. Plus having to go without coffee, I might not survive it."
"Not all of its bad." He says somewhat defensively. "We have zeppelins."
"Like from World War I?" She asks interest rife in her eyes.
"Yeah…you should come over and we can take a ride in it. I'll show you around." He nods. "You can meet my mom too, bet that'll be quite the otherworldly experience for you."
She laughs at that. "I bet it will be something. My dad said he might take me someday… he wanted me to meet Elizabeth. That's his mom." She explains. "We'll see…"
"You know when my dad told me we were coming here today; I really didn't want to go." He admits then, his expression sheepish.
"Well, who could blame you?" She shrugs, an understanding smile on her face. "First time in a different universe and you have to spend your evening making small talk with strangers. Not the best vacation."
"But I am glad I came. I am glad… I met you." He tells her sincerely. "It's nice to know there's someone… who gets it. Someone like me."
Etta simply smiles at that and leans to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "Right back at you. Now come on, I promised mom we'd get some ice cream on our way back. You do have ice cream over there right? If not you're in for a treat."
Trevor rolls his eyes at her mischievous grin.
"Yes we have ice cream."
"Awesome, what other deserts do you have?" She asks excitedly as they begin to walk back. "Do you have pecan pie? What about cotton candy, do you have that?"
This was going to be the start of a beautiful friendship, Trevor thinks.