DISCLAIMER: This story is based upon the series, Charmed, that was created by Constance M. Burge. All Charmed characters are the property of Spelling Productions. Some scenes in this story originally appeared in the Charmed Season One episode, "Wicca Envy", which was written by Brad Kern and Sheryl J. Anderson. The character of Kalu originally appeared in my R&H story, The Visitor.
THE PLACE: PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA
THE TIME: OCTOBER 28, 2009
"Come on, Hannah, we'll be late." Rex Buckland said as he stood in the main hall of the apartment that he shared with Hannah Webster.
"Take it easy, Rex." Hannah replied. "We have plenty of time to get to the movie."
"Well, it's supposed to start in twenty minutes." Rex said as he glanced at his wrist watch. "If we leave now, we just might make it to the theatre on time."
"Rex, the movie never starts at the time they say it does." Hannah said. "You have at least ten minutes of previews to get through. And if that isn't bad enough, they now have commercials. Commercials in a movie theatre, for God's sake! I'm paying ten bucks to see something I could watch for free by turning on the TV set!"
Ah, Hannah, you sure do love to gripe at times. Rex thought. I suppose I could use my translocation powers to get us there, but I don't want to take the chance of accidentally being seen arriving out of thin air. That would be a bit hard to explain.
"Why don't we just stay home, wait a few months, and rent the movie when it comes out on DVD." Hannah suggested. "That way, it doesn't cost as much, no commercials, and we can skip over the previews."
"Come on, Hannah, you'll see that this movie was worth the trouble."
"Well, when the commercials and previews start to get annoying, Rex, don't say I didn't warn you." With that, the two of them headed out of the apartment and into...
IN ANOTHER TIME AND PLACE
...a totally unexpected destination. What the hell!? Rex thought as he looked around. Instead of the hallway outside their apartment, he and Hannah how found themselves standing in a familiar office.
"Is this where I think it is?" the equally astonished Hannah asked as she looked around.
"Yes, this is my old office at the Auction House." Rex said slowly, recalling his and Hannah's original assignment to Earth, over a decade ago, to acquire the powers of the newly revealed Charmed Ones. They had used fake documentation to assume control of Buckland Auction House (with Rex posing as the owner, hence his last name being the same). There they had remained until the Halliwell sisters had defeated them a few months later.
"But this is impossible." Hannah said. "Remember what we found out on the Net a while back. The Auction House went bankrupt five years ago, the building was torn down. How can we be here now? Is this some kind of illusion?"
"No, it's very real." a new voice said. Rex and Hannah turned and saw someone they had seen only once before, and under very unusual circumstances.
"Kalu?" Rex said as he recalled the young historian from the 34th Century who had paid him and Hannah a visit a few months earlier. Kalu had stated that magic was no longer a secret in her time, and that Rex and Hannah had been favourite historical figures for her (because of their leading of The Insurgents against the Source). Kalu had requested that Rex and Hannah tell her personally about leading the revolt, and when that had been done, she had returned to her own time. However, Kalu had claimed that they would meet again someday. Now it seemed that day was here.
"Yes, it's me. It's good to see you both again, however, I was hoping it would be under better circumstances." Kalu replied.
"Yes quite." Rex said. "Kalu, what is going on here? Why did you bring us into the past like this?"
"I didn't. The Temporal Enforcers did." Kalu said. "Think of them as the Time Police. When time travel entered into the public domain, laws had to be written to make sure that no one attempted to alter the past. The Temporal Enforcers were created to enforce those laws. Their job is to monitor the time line and make sure no major changes are being attempted. If they detect such a change in progress, they have a free hand to deal with it as they see fit."
"And where do you fit into this, Kalu?" Hannah asked.
"Because of my intimate knowledge of both of you, the Temporal Enforcers asked me to be their spokesperson during this mission."
"I see. And what is this mission?" Rex asked.
"Well, as I said a moment ago, the Temporal Enforcers monitor the time line for any major changes being attempted." Kalu replied. "They detected one, and traced it to this period in time."
"Yes, and where, or should I say when, are we?" Rex asked.
"This is a pivotal time in both your lives and those of the Charmed Ones." Kalu said. "The current date is January 13, 1999. I'm sure you both know the significance of this date."
"Yes, that's when I began my final scheme against the Halliwell sisters, the one involving the Romanov Tiara." Rex said. "I framed Prue for stealing it. My plan was to blackmail her and her sisters into giving me their powers, which I would then deliver to the Source."
"Yes, we are now soon after you, your past self, that is, used your astral projection powers to trick Prue Halliwell into hiding the tiara at Halliwell Manor, after having her inadvertently stealing it from here. Thus setting your scheme in motion." Kalu replied.
"So why are we, meaning the Rex and I from 2009, here?" Hannah asked.
"Because the Temporal Enforcers have conscripted you two into fixing this attempted change in time. As I said, they have a free hand to deal with any attempted changes in the time line as they see fit. They felt that you two were best to do the job, since your past selves could be involved in this potential time change."
"I see. What, or who, is attempting this change?" Rex asked.
"His name is Vosk, he's a Demon." Kalu said. She used a hand held device to project a holographic image of Vosk, so Rex and Hannah would know what he looked like. Although a Demon, Vosk appeared to be a middle aged human male with thinning red hair. Kalu then continued. "The Temporal Enforcers were able to trace back to where and how he started all this. In the year 2032, Vosk was the leader of a group of Demons who planned to go back in time and change many key historical events, allowing them to take over the world. However, before they could put their plan into action, they were discovered and defeated by Wyatt and Chris Halliwell."
"Piper and Leo's sons." Hannah said, nodding her head.
"Correct." Kalu replied, as she switched off the hologram and put the device away. "Wyatt and Chris discovered the hiding place of Vosk and his Demons from intelligence that you two had provided them with. As a result, all the Demons were vanquished, except Vosk, who managed to escape into the past, to this time."
"So is Vosk here to kill us? The past us, I mean." Rex said.
"No, quite the contrary, he's come here to make sure your plan to acquire the powers of the Charmed Ones succeeds." Kalu replied grimly. "Think of it, had that plan succeeded, the Halliwell sisters would be killed in 1999. The Source would never be vanquished. Wyatt and Chris, and all the next generation of Halliwell magic, would never be born."
"That's true." Rex said. "The Source ordered us to kill them, once we had acquired their powers. If that were to happen, all the good the Charmed Ones did over the next decade would be wiped out, plus all the good their descendants will do in decades to come."
"And our people would still be slaves to the Demons." Hannah said slowly. "The Source punishing Rex and I for failing to get those powers motivated us to turn against him and start The Insurgents."
"Exactly, you and Rex would have continued to be loyal to the Source. The Warlock Insurgency would be eliminated from history. Finally, all the good you two have done since finally freeing your people would never happen. Many forces of good would be erased from history. Also..." Kalu then trailed off.
"Also what?" Hannah asked.
I wish I could tell you two the truth about myself. Kalu thought. That my name is actually Jenkalu Hannah Buckland, and I am your descendent. You two will start my family line. However, if you both had stayed loyal to the Source, that would never have happened. My own existence is on the line here too!
"Hello? Kalu!?" Rex said, waving a hand in front of Kalu's face.
"Uh, sorry." Kalu said, snapping out of her thoughts. She reached in a pocket and produced two rings, that she handed to Rex and Hannah. "Wear these."
"What are they?" Hannah asked as she and Rex donned the rings.
"They're Temporal Phase Cloaks." Kalu replied and then saw the blank looks on Rex and Hannah's faces. "Uh, I mean that they allow the wearer to become slightly out of phase with the time they are currently occupying. In terms you can understand, as long as they are activated, no one in this time can see, hear, or touch you. You can watch and listen, without being detected. The wearers of the rings can see and hear each other, of course. Our field historians use them when they visit primitive times."
"Of course." Rex said. "There is already a Rex Buckland and Hannah Webster in this time. Can't have two sets of us running around."
"Correct." Kalu said. "Activate them now. I'll activate my own."
"Okay." Rex said. Both he and Hannah felt a slight wrenching as the Phase Cloaks took effect. "Is everything working okay?"
"It's fine." Kalu said. "Unfortunately, while we know that Vosk will arrive from the future during this incident with the tiara, we don't know exactly when and where that will happen. That is where you two come in. Keep an eye on your past selves, watch for any sign of Vosk. When you see him, slap one of these on him." Kalu produced two flat disks, each the size of a cookie, and handed them to Rex and Hannah.
"What are these for?" Rex asked as he examined his disk while Hannah put hers in her pocket.
"This will instantly return Vosk to his own time, where Wyatt and Chris will vanquish him." Kalu replied. "If you are successful, you will both be returned to your own time. If you fail, well, I don't have to tell you what that means. Oh, and remember this, no matter how much you might want to, no matter how tempting, do NOT attempt to change anything yourselves. Believe me, the Temporal Enforcers show no mercy when it comes to prosecuting criminals who try to change time for their own personal gain." With that, Kalu opened a portal and vanished through it.
"Well, Hannah, this is not exactly the evening I was planning. I never thought we'd find ourselves drafted into helping a police force that doesn't exist yet."
"I'll say one thing, Rex. Our lives never seem to be boring." Hannah replied.
Several hours later, the Auction House opened for business and the employees started arriving. Rex and Hannah watched as their past selves pretended to just notice the tiara missing and call the police. Soon events starting rolling, just as Rex and Hannah remembered them. Show time. Rex thought as he watched his past self talking to the Prue and Phoebe Halliwell of this time. After having put Prue in charge of matters involving the tiara, Past Rex then mentioned a concert he was attending that night.
"Oh yeah? Who" Phoebe asked.
"The Verve." Past Rex replied.
"Get out! Are you serious?" Phoebe asked.
"Why, you know them?"
"Know them? I worship them." Phoebe replied. "Bittersweet Symphony is like the best song ever."
"Really? I have an idea." Past Rex said, seeing an opportunity open up in front of him. "Why not join me tonight I'm sure I could rustle up another ticket." He turned to Prue. "Well you wouldn't mind, would you Prue?"
"Of course not. Why would I mind?" Prue replied.
"Then it's a date. Well figuratively speaking of course." Past Rex said.
"Well, it's happening just as I remember." Rex said as he and Hannah stood nearby, unseen, watching it all.
"Yeah, and I remember not being too thrilled about you taking Phoebe to that concert either." Hannah replied.
"Speaking of which, our past selves are about to have a little tete-a-tete about that any minute now in my office. We better get there ourselves, Hannah, in case Vosk turns up."
Soon Rex and Hannah were in the office, watching as their past selves argued. "I can't believe you're taking that little witch to the concert." Past Hannah protested. "Rex, that was MY ticket!"
"Hannah, kitten! Grrrrrrr!" Past Rex said as he walked toward Past Hannah. "You know I'm only doing this to upset Prue. All the better to frame her and force her sisters to relinquish their powers."
"How do you know they even can?" Past Hannah asked.
"There is a special spell in the Book Of Shadows." Past Rex replied as he circled around Past Hannah and put his arms around her. "When the time comes, they'll use it. Trust me." With that, the two past versions of Rex and Hannah sunk into a kiss.
"Is it wrong that I feel like a voyeur." Hannah said as she watched their past selves kissing.
"I know." Rex replied. "However, we can't take a chance that Vosk won't show up and... Damn!"
"What is it, Rex?" Hannah asked.
"I just remembered that you went home while I took Phoebe to that concert. That means we're going to have to split up, to keep each of our past selves in view."
"Well, that's no problem." Hannah said and held up her disk. "If I run into Vosk, I can handle him."
"Yes, but I just don't like our resources being divided at such a crucial time, Hannah."
"Don't worry, Rex, I'll be fine." Hannah said with reassurance in her voice. "It's Vosk who better watch out!"
QUAKE RESTAURANT
After the concert, Past Rex had taken Phoebe to Quake for dinner, meeting up with Prue and Piper there. Present Rex had followed them and was watching as, after having made some small talk with Prue and Piper at the bar, Past Rex and Phoebe had taken a nearby table.
"What did I miss?" Hannah asked as she arrived on the scene. "My past self just went to bed. I don't think Vosk is gonna show up there. So, what's going on here?"
"Well, Phoebe and myself just got here and are having dinner." Rex replied as he glanced at his past self and Phoebe, and at Piper and Prue, who were talking at the bar. "It's strange."
"What is?" Hannah asked.
"Seeing the Charmed Ones at this point." Rex replied. "They're so new to the magic scene, they've only had their powers for a few months. They have no idea what lies ahead for them." Especially Prue, who will end up laying down her life in the process. He added in his mind. Indeed, many of the greatest adventures of the Charmed Ones were still in front of them at this point in time.
"Not to mention Paige." Hannah said, thinking of Paige Matthews, the half-sister of Prue, Piper, and Phoebe. "She won't be entering the scene until nearly three years from now."
"That's true, Hannah. Right now Paige is still in university, and totally unaware of who and what she really is."
"It is tempting, isn't it." Hannah said. "To go and talk to them. To tell them of what lies ahead."
"Yes, it is." Rex replied. "However, that's not why we're here, Hannah."
"Yeah, I know. So what's our next move, Rex?"
"Well, after the date is over, we follow past me home, and stand guard while he and your past self sleep." Rex said. "And tomorrow, we'll see what happens."
BUCKLAND AUCTION HOUSE
THE NEXT DAY
Rex and Hannah had followed their past selves back to the Auction House. They were watching as Past Rex, in astral mode, was trying to get Inspectors Andrew Trudeau and Daryl Morris, who were currently at Halliwell Manor, to find the tiara. However, Piper had been faster, and kept freezing the two police officers before they could see the tiara and arrest Prue for stealing it.
It's almost funny, watching it from this vantage. Rex thought as he watched his frustrated past self come out of the trance.
"Witches!" Past Rex growled as he knocked some books off his office desk.
"Well did the police find the tiara?" Past Hannah asked. She was seated in a chair, opposite the desk from Past Rex.
"No." Past Rex replied as he got up and began to pace. "Piper kept freezing them and moving it."
"Well how can we frame her if they can't even find the evidence?" Past Hannah snapped.
"Shh. We're gonna have to up the stakes." Past Rex replied and then began to explain his new plan to Past Hannah.
"Oh my God! Jaime!" Hannah said, as she remembered what that new plan entailed. Jaime Lopez had been a security guard who had been working at Buckland Auction House at this time. When their initial plan to frame Prue had ground to a halt, Rex and Hannah had murdered Jaime and planted the tape, on which Prue could be seen leaving the auction house with the tiara, by his body. By framing Prue for murder, they had raised the stakes so Prue could face life imprisonment if she, and her sisters, did not relinquish their powers.
"I know what you're thinking, Hannah." Rex said, when he saw the look on her face. "You want to try and save Jaime."
"Well, of course I do. I was the one that struck the blow that killed him, don't forget." Hannah replied. "Damn, it all seemed so simple, how could we have been so naive?"
"Because that is what the Source and his minions taught us." Rex replied. He recalled coming up with the plan. Since Jaime had been an orphan, with no family or close friends, he would not be missed much. It all seemed so clean and neat to us back then. Jaime was simply a means to an end, nothing more. he thought.
"I don't think I can do it, Rex." Hannah said. "Stand there and watch an innocent man die. It's inhuman."
"Hannah, listen to me." Rex replied and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I know how you feel, but there is no other way. This may sound cold blooded, but Jaime is one man. If Vosk gets his way and changes time, hundreds, if not thousands, could die. I hate to say that it's a numbers thing, but it is."
"Yeah, I know you're right." Hannah replied, after having weighed what Rex was saying in her mind. "But that still doesn't mean I have to like it."
"Nor should you. However, Hannah, we are no longer them." Rex said and gestured to their past selves. "We have grown and learned from our mistakes, as they will. Our job is to make sure that happens."
"So I guess this means we have to split up again." Hannah said. "I'll follow me, and you'll follow you."
"That's right." Rex said as he saw his past self calling Phoebe and arranging a fake dinner party with her. "And so the next phase begins."
PAST REX'S FAKE APARTMENT
THAT EVENING
Rex quickly followed his past self and watched as Past Rex entertained Phoebe in his supposed apartment. In reality, the apartment was vacant, but Past Rex was using his powers of astral projection to make Phoebe see a posh and fancy dwelling. I really was a bastard, wasn't I. Rex thought as he watched his past self going through the motions. Soon, Past Rex excused himself, supposedly to check on the sushi. In reality he was sneaking away to put the next part of the plan in motion. There I go, off to use my astral projection power to trick Phoebe into thinking Prue is in danger. Right now, Prue is at the Auction House, trying to find out more information about Hannah and myself. Ah, here we go. Rex saw Phoebe stiffen as a premonition, a fake one provided by Past Rex's astral powers, flowed through Phoebe. As Rex watched, Phoebe came out of the premonition with a worried look on her face. When Past Rex reentered the room, Phoebe made an excuse and dashed out. Past Rex then snapped his fingers, ending the illusion of a lived in apartment, and called the police on his cell phone, pretending to be someone who felt his life was in danger. He gave his supposed location, Buckland Auction House. The plot thickens. Rex thought grimly.
BUCKLAND AUCTION HOUSE
Hannah stood in the store room and watched as her past self came in and hid herself away. Soon, Jaime will come, and I'll kill him. Hannah thought to herself. Despite what Rex had said, she found herself staring at the Phase Cloak ring on her hand. Part of her wanted to shut it off, rush over to her past self, and talk to her. Maybe she could do it, talk Past Hannah out of going through with this insane plan, but she knew she wouldn't do it. The time line had to be preserved and for that to happen, Jaime had to die. There was simply no other option available. A few moments later, footsteps were heard and Jaime entered the store room, making his evening rounds. Go back, Jaime! Get out of here while you can! Hannah shouted in her mind, although she knew it was useless. Hannah winced as she saw her past self sneak up behind Jaime and hit him with an elaborate carving, a carving heavy enough to deliver a fatal blow. As Jaime collapsed, Past Hannah dropped the video tape of Prue taking the tiara beside him, and slipped out of the room. As Hannah watched, she saw Jaime's spirit come out of his body and appear beside it. Whoa! Hannah thought as Jaime's spirit locked eyes with her. Can he see me? she thought. Looking into his eyes, she saw no hatred there, only understanding, if Jaime knew what was going on. Before Hannah could do anything else, Jaime's spirit vanished as he crossed over. Well, that was strange. Maybe I'll never really know what happened here, but I feel that Jaime, wherever he is now, doesn't hate me. That's a relief on my mind. Hannah then watched as Prue and Phoebe arrived and found Jaime's body and the tape. Soon the police came, alerted by Past Rex's fake call, and in no time, Prue was arrested for the murder.
THE POLICE STATION
LATER THAT EVENING
Rex had stuck to his past self like a shadow and watched as Past Rex snapped a Polaroid of Piper and Phoebe breaking Prue out of jail. "Quite photogenic. Now I should think that the police will find this very interesting, to say the least." Past Rex said with a smile.
Yes, I was a bastard. Rex thought.
"Rex." Prue said.
"Wait, how did you know that we..." Phoebe began.
"What, that you'd be here?" Past Rex said, interrupting Phoebe. "Well, let's just say that I've been watching your every move. Without you knowing it, of course."
"You bastard." Prue growled.
"Don't get too angry, Prue." Past Rex replied. "You wouldn't want to injure me with your power. I'm the only chance you have. While you were conducting your little prison break, Hannah was retrieving the tiara from your home. You should have gotten rid of it while you had the chance. Personally, I actually thought that an excellent idea."
"Astral projection." Phoebe said slowly.
"What do you want?" Prue asked.
"Your powers of course." Past Rex said. "That's why I hired you in the first place, you know, to see if you really were the Charmed Ones. Then I waited to test your strength, see how best to make my move, and here we are."
"But why all the drama? Why didn't you just kill us and take our powers?" Phoebe asked.
"Don't give him any ideas!" Piper said to her younger sister.
"No, no." Past Rex said. "I have seen exactly what you can do when you've been confronted directly. That's why I opted for blackmail. See, there is a special spell in the Book Of Shadows that strips you of your powers forever." Past Rex reached into his car and produced a lantern like device. "And this device will capture those powers. Then you'll bring them to me."
"Go to Hell!" Prue said.
"I'd love to, darling. I miss it terribly." Past Rex replied as he held up the lantern. "And this will allow me to return with honours. In return, I'll give you the photo, tell the police I simply misplace the tiara. No theft, no motive for murder, no prison. You really don't have much time. Just until the prison guards realize you've escaped. Well?"
And so it goes. Rex thought as he saw the Halliwell sisters take the lantern and leave. Past Rex lingered for a few moments longer, before getting into his car and driving away. Rex was still thinking when Hannah arrived on the scene. "Well, Hannah, the Charmed Ones have just taken the lantern from my past self and are headed back to their home to give up their powers."
"Yeah, and I just followed my past self from there as she took the tiara and headed back to the Auction House. I suppose that's our next stop as well, since both our past selves will be there, waiting for the sisters to show up with the lantern."
"Perhaps." Rex said slowly.
"Perhaps!? But we have to keep an eye out for Vosk."
"That's just it, Hannah, it's not adding up." Rex replied. "Vosk has had many opportunities to make contact with our past selves, yet has not done so. Why? No pun intended, but time is running out. Soon the Charmed Ones will be heading to the Auction House to hand over their powers. If he doesn't act soon, he'll miss his chance to change history."
"You think Kalu and the Temporal Enforcers could be wrong?" Hannah asked.
"No, it's not that. I think we may be taking the wrong approach. Let me think." Rex said. After a moment or two, enlightenment dawned. "Hannah, I'm a fool!"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that we've overlooked the obvious here. The key event that led to the defeat of our past selves." Rex replied. "Come on, Hannah, we have to hurry!"
HALLIWELL MANOR
Prue, Piper, and Phoebe sat in the attic and all recited the power removing spell.
From whence they came,
return them now.
Vanish the words.
Vanish our powers.
Once the last sister has finished uttering the spell, the Book Of Shadows went blank as their powers left the bodies of the Charmed Ones and entered the lantern device. Slowly, Prue picked up the lantern and the three sisters headed out for their final confrontation with Rex and Hannah.
Excellent! Vosk thought as he emerged from his hiding place in a dark corner of the attic and stared at the blank Book Of Shadows. It's happening just like history records. Soon, the white lighter will come up here to restore the powers of the Charmed Ones just in time for them to save themselves. However, what he doesn't know is that I'll be here to stop him! Thus, the Halliwell sisters will remain powerless and die. Their accursed family will be wiped out here and now. Buckland and Webster will be rewarded, instead of punished, and remain loyal to the Source. That means no Warlock Insurgency. It's a win-win situation for me, and I'm sure the Source will be very grateful and reward me handsomely! Vosk had barely managed to escape 2032, when Wyatt and Chris Halliwell had attacked and vanquished his fellow Demons. Now, he would have his revenge on them, years before either of them were even born. "Good-bye Halliwell family, it's the end for all of you." he uttered.
"I think not." Rex replied as he switched off his Phase Cloak and became visible.
"What? Buckland!? You're supposed to be at the Auction House! How can you be here now?" the astonished Vosk asked.
"I'd love to explain, but I really don't have the time." Rex replied as he slapped the disk, that Kalu had given him, onto Vosk.
"NOOOOOOO!" Vosk screamed as he vanished, returned to 2032.
"Well, that settles that." Rex said as he reactivated his Phase Cloak. He and Hannah watched as Leo Wyatt entered the attic and used his powers to restore the Book Of Shadows, and thus, the powers of the Charmed Ones, back to their proper owners.
"So this was the moment that Vosk wanted to change." Hannah said as she watched Leo leave the attic.
"Exactly." Rex replied. "I remembered the Halliwell's telling us about this incident. How Leo saved the day for them, at the last moment, by restoring their powers. It seemed logical that this was the event Vosk would have wanted to prevent."
"Yes, and I suppose at this moment, our past selves are being defeated." Hannah said. "Want to go and watch?"
BUCKLAND AUCTION HOUSE
"No! Please no!" Past Hannah was shrieking as flames surrounded her and Past Rex. As the horrified Halliwell sisters looked on, both Warlocks were consumed in the flames and vanished.
"What the hell was that?" Piper asked.
"I think you answered your own question." Phoebe replied.
"Okay, we've got to get me back to jail now." Prue said as she looked at her watch. "Let's go." The Halliwell sisters quickly turned and exited the scene.
"Full circle." Rex said as he and Hannah walked up to the scorch mark left behind when their past selves were recalled to the Underworld. "This is where our new path began. Right now, the Source is punishing our past selves. That led us to turn against him and start The Insurgents. All that, you could say, began here and now. I suppose it's only fitting that we came back here to see it."
"I suppose you're right, Rex." Hannah replied. "I never quite thought of it that way."
"Ah, well, let's go, Hannah." Rex led her towards his old office. The two of them quickly entered and...
PALO ALTO
OCTOBER 28, 2009
...found themselves back in their apartment. "Rex! We're back!" Hannah said as she looked around.
"I guess that means we were successful." Rex replied.
"You were." the smiling Kalu replied as she walked up to the two former Warlocks. "The time line has been preserved. Everything is as it should be."
"Well, Kalu, I'm grateful for that." Rex said. "However, the next time these Temporal Enforcers need our help, I would appreciate it if they would ask us first."
"I'll be sure to mention that." Kalu said. "I'll need the Phase Cloaks and the remaining disk back now." Rex and Hannah quickly handed over the items in question.
"So, Vosk was returned to 2032?" Hannah asked.
"He was." Kalu replied. "Where Wyatt and Chris Halliwell quickly vanquished him."
"So, what about you, Kalu? What are your plans?" Rex asked. "Are you headed back to the 34th Century now?"
"Yes? Why?"
"Because I would like to know what the story really is about you, Kalu." Rex said. "I never bought the explanation you gave when you first showed up a few months ago. Your claim about just wanting to interview us didn't quite ring true."
"Yeah, I agree." Hannah added. "Just who are you, Kalu?"
"Hannah and I know that you're keeping some secret from us." Rex said. "What is that secret?"
"I'm sorry, I really am." Kalu replied sadly. "But I can't tell you, for the same reason that Vosk had to be stopped."
"It would change history?" Rex asked.
"It could." Kalu said as she activated her time portal. "I'm afraid that's a chance I just can't take. Farewell." Kalu then stepped through the portal, which then quickly vanished after her.
"Damn!" Rex said. "I was hoping to get the real story out of her, but I guess that's just not going to happen. Looks like we're going to puzzle over her for some time to come."
"Tell me about it." Hannah said and then changed the subject. "Hey, Rex, it seems no time has passed here in 2009 since we've been gone."
"And?"
"Well maybe we can still make it to the movie on time." Hannah said with a smile.
"Ah, yes, I'd almost forgotten." Rex replied. "Let us be off then." The two of them headed out of the apartment and into the autumn evening.
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT ADVENTURE OF REX AND HANNAH!