Alternate Universe

1. Disclaimer—the characters of…wait a second…aren't the characters from remember the

titans real-life characters? Then they don't belong to Disney. Alright then, more than half of the

characters in this story belong to themselves. I made everyone else up, but they own themselves

to so you're free to use them so long as you ask them first.

Intro:

This is an au (alternate universe) story. Not au like forever and beyond au, but alternate universe

that breaks the bonds of pure, unchangeable history. If these sort of stories bother, annoy, or are

in any way your pet peeves, then just spare yourself the annoyance right now. For everyone else

that doesn't care, please continue. Thanks!!

Peace,

Kora

Chapter One

1. Wipeout

"Mom! Dad! I'm going out boarding!" Kate called over her shoulder. She grabbed her knee and

elbow pads, helmet, and skateboard, and jumped down the porch steps. She dropped her

skateboard onto the sidewalk and hopped on top of it.

Kate soared down the mid-suburban streets of Alexandria. Humming a tune from The Sound of

Music, the musical she'd been in last spring, Kate turned the corner into the older section of

Alexandria, where her parents grew up. The sixteen-year-old couldn't help but shiver, even in the

oppressive August heat, when she passed a worn-down white-washed house with maroon

shutters. She'd found out from her mother that that was where her father grew up. Kate's father,

Alan Yoast, never talked about his childhood (except to tell stories about his adventures with J

and Gerry). From what Kate picked up from her mother, grandfather, and others, she didn't blame

him.

The dark feeling lifted as the ghost house disappeared behind her back; Kate smoothed around

another corner. She smiled fondly at the house quickly approaching her line of vision. Coach's

house. Kate slowed as she neared, searching for a sign of Coach. Spotting her grandfather, Kate

giggled. He sat on the porch in his favorite rocking chair with a book on his lap, fast asleep.

The redhead stuck her foot down and kicked at the ground, which propelled her board forward,

causing it to pick up speed. Kate zipped past Coach's house and into a section of the

neighborhood thick with emotion. This was the street that Gerry used to live on. Not his mother's

house, that was a few blocks to the right, but the house that Gerry'd bought for himself after

college.

Even though Kate kept up her speed, her mind left skateboarding. This was her favorite and least

favorite part of Alexandria. Favorite because she wished she'd known Gerry, and least favorite for

the same reason. All of the things she'd learned about Gerry all her life from everyone (including

that she'd have been named after him if she'd been a boy) made him the single person she most

wanted to meet more than anyone else in all history.

Suddenly, Kate's skateboard flipped at a strange angle. She stumbled, fell, and the world went

black.

***

"Hey, lil' girl, you okay?" Kat woke to a familiar voice, and a strong but gentle hand shaking her

shoulder. Slowly, she opened her eyes. The world was blurry, but she vaguely made out a shape in

front of her. Then the pain all over hit. She felt like she'd ran into a brick wall, that the wall

collapsed and the bricks fell on top of her, and then she'd been dragged on a rope through a field

of rocks.

"Oww…" she moaned. The figure in front of her winced.

"Looks like you took a nasty fall. Here, lemme help ya up. We can go inside my friend's house and

find a spot for ya to lie down while we figure out what to do next." Kate managed a nod, and

tried to order her body to stand up, but it wouldn't listen. The person, a man she knew by his

voice, sensed her plight and helped her up. "Alright, here we go, it's not far."

Now upright, Kate was able to get a good look at the man's face. It was Julius! "Unc…Uncle

Ju…" she tried to say, but another moan came out instead.

Julius shook his head, "this isn't going to work," and lifted her easily into his arms. His powerful

strides got them into the house and Kate onto the couch in a matter of seconds. "You get

comfortable here, I'll be back in a second," Julius said, tucking a blanket overtop of her. He

disappeared into the next room. Soon, Kate heard voices, one Julius' and other unfamiliar. Kate

tried to discern what they were saying, but a mist flooded her brain.

Sleep tugged at her eyelids. Right before the blackness reclaimed dominance, Kate saw someone

enter the room. She fell asleep with a heart leaping and pounding in her chest; there was no

mistaking that the "someone" was Gerry Bertier.