The Mysterious Stranger
Spoilers: All Seasons
Disclaimer: I own nothing really, I mean unless I can claim the new timeline minus the characters.
She looked out at the ocean from the cliff of Tuwiuwok Bluff, tears filled her eyes as she thought back to the day she had first stood in the cliff so many years before. She looked down at the ring around her neck and fingered the three diamonds inlaid in the gold. Part of her knew every bit of her planning had been in vain, she'd been too late to stop the very people who punished her.
Even with The Troubles gone she'd always be cursed to walk the world alone, forever cursed with youth and heartache. That was her true curse, the one no one dared to inform them about. So many generations had passed and so many had died and yet she remained, heartbroken as the day she was held down by The Guard and forced to shoot the man she loved.
"Audrey!" She turned to see her guardians, her secret keepers as she travelled the world in search of a way to die of old age, no longer stuck in a youthful body. Her compassion was her curse and her last promise to her beloved the barrier that stopped her from ending her life. The great-great-great-great-great grandson of Duke Crocker and Jennifer Mason stood beside his sister on the edge of the pine trees with a smile on her face. "It's good to see you, we heard the whispers of The Mysterious Woman and knew you'd come here."
The blond shook her head and looked a few feet away to the lone grave that sat on the cliff top. "It's where I always come when I visit." She walked over and bent down beside the grave, beginning to remove the weeds as she always did every ten years. Her hand ran over the engraving, the words so loving chosen by her very hand nearly 200 years before.
Nathan Thaddeus Wuornos
August 12 1976 - May 4, 2012
Beloved Son, Friend and Partner
"Sacrifice is Never Forgotten"
"Lily was at school and overheard something that could help you." He bent down beside her, "help this from never happening."
Audrey shook her head and put a hand on his arm, "nothing can stop this Ethan, it was the only way to end The Troubles. Even now, almost two centuries later I sometimes foolishly believe there was another way."
"But there is," Lily smiled as she bent down beside her brother. "Professor Masters was talking about the new Temporal System the University created. They need someone to test it but no one wants to, says it's dangerous and should be shut down. I asked him if I could get him someone, could they choose the date and he said yes. What if you could go all the way back to the beginning and stop The Troubles before they began?" Audrey looked up at her, "you could save all of Haven, including Nathan."
Ethan nodded, "remember that in 2050 they found the vault hidden by The Teague brothers, which had information on the origins of The Troubles. You could go back to that very day, stop the curse from ever being cast and rewrite all of this."
Audrey looked at the grave stone, "I'd cease to be, I'd just be Elizabeth in 1688…I'd die there." Part of her felt heartache at the very idea of never meeting Nathan, never loving him. "I'd never even meet Nathan."
Lily took her hand and held it, "but he'd be alive and happy, able to feel the world and have a real life. Isn't that what you wanted for him, to live and have a life?"
Audrey knew that was what she had wanted before The Teagues had discovered them, before they'd been dragged outside and held in place by several men. That had been before Vince had put the gun in her hand and held it, pushing her finger against the trigger killing Nathan as he made her vow to keep living for him. They'd had five months together, secret and hidden away by secret meetings on the very spot she sat on. Where their love had blossomed more and where she'd laid him to rest, their favorite place in all of Haven. They'd dreamed of stopping The Troubles and living a life together, of having a child they could raise themselves. But Vince Teague had shattered that in a moment and as she'd held Nathan in her arms, dying with his eyes connected to hers, The Troubles had ended. He'd felt his entire death, painfully agonizing instead of painless like it should have been.
Part of her was torn, knowing it was the right thing to do but also the heartache of never seeing Nathan ever again. She knew what he'd say though and it hurt her to know he'd be siding with Lily and Ethan every second.
"Okay," she looked at them, "for him…for his life. But there's something I have to do first, something I have to take with me."
Haven, Maine 2012
Nathan Wuornos looked at his father as he stood writing up two young stupid kids who'd defaced property. The Chief was going on about how he planned to retire and Nathan was set for being his replacement.
"Yeah, I don't think I'm cut out for that Chief." Nathan went back to his paperwork and Garland Wuornos shook his head.
"I think you are, come with me…it's time you see something that was meant for you."
The walk to The Teagues made Nathan roll his eyes, the old buzzers were the go to source for information but they were also crazy. Stepping into the store, he watched as his father talked to the men about something before they looked at him. "You do know the McKinney boys defaced half of Main St.?"
"I think he should see it." Garland nodded, "he needs to know that he isn't the down beat guy he thinks he is. I think Miss Parker needs to let Nathan know how special he is."
It was seconds later a metal tool chest was laid on the table, "that looks old, like really old but it's the same kind Marcus down at Hardware sells."
"Because it is," Dave smiled and looked down, "but how it came to be like this is the story inside. Read the engraving."
Nathan walked over and looked down to see his name engraved onto the metal. "What's inside?"
"Your past, in another life." Garland held is son's shoulder, "but the person who tells it is worth listening to."
He opened the box and found a small photo album protected by plastic along with a cloth bag that was also protected by plastic. Letters seemed to be contained in plastic as well, preservation not in date with the container.
Spotting a letter folded with 'read me first' printed on it, he removed the bag and unsealed it once again. Opening the letter a picture fell out of a blond woman, Nathan picked it up and studied the photo. The woman was beautiful and part of him wanted to know her immediately. He turned his attention back to the letter.
Hello Nathan,
You must be wondering who would write to you and leave you all these treasures. I have a few things you need to know first before we begin. First, I wish I was there to see your face and hold your hand once again. For me it's been close to 200 years without you but for you, we've never met. Second, don't try to find me because the woman known as Audrey Parker is all part of the story I will tell but she's not me…I existed long ago before you were born and I'm sure I'm long dead if everything worked as planned. Third, I'm so happy you have a life and can feel the world around you.
Anyways, my name is Audrey and in my time you were the man who saved all of Haven from a curse. You sacrificed yourself for so many people and that makes you a good man in any lifetime. I don't know what you are doing now but if I know you, you're working at Haven Police Department thinking you can't get beyond that office…I'm here to tell you that you can. You have so much worth and so much love in you that you just don't realize yet. I'm sorry I'm not there to bring it out in you, part of me regrets that.
Let me tell you a story, a story of a man who saved Haven and the story of the man I loved. I left this for you so you would know the true story of how you came to be as you are. How you went from nothing to everything, from cop to partner and friend and how a Mysterious Stranger gave you back to Haven.
Open the letters and find out how you came to be… just Nathan Thaddeus Wuornos.
Audrey Parker (aka Elizabeth Patton)
Nathan looked at the box and then at the men before him, "who is Audrey Parker?"
"I suggest you find out." Garland motioned to the box, "this was left with my family long back when Haven was founded by a Mysterious Woman who claimed it could only be for you…that you'd be born in 1975 and that to anyone else it would be nonsense."
A/N: And Audrey begins to tell the story of how things came to be...her love letters to Nathan.