"Now are you sure you're okay with running to the grocery store on your own? I can go with you," I asked, looking around anxiously. No one seemed to notice us, or really cared.
I heard her sigh heavily before I looked at her. "I'll be fine. Has anyone told you that you're an overprotective brother?"
I chuckled, "Only by you just about every day. What can I say it's my job." I pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head.
She hugged back and then pulled back, "You know I like some me time. I'll be careful. I'll be fine." She pulled her brunette hair up into a ponytail. "Just do what you need to."
"Alright. We meet here at this cafe," I said, looking to the building beside us. She nodded and we went our separate ways. Though I watched her until she got out of sight.
I knew we needed more money so I figured I should take care of that. I walked along the street looking for the opportune moment. Across the street coming in my direction I saw a man walking quickly with a bag. I then glanced farther back and saw a woman in high heels trying to catch up with him shouting something. I looked at the bag again and realized it was a purse. Why the hell was no one stopping him? I moved in his direction making no move to suggest I noticed a thing. I moved so that when he got up to me he met my shoulder.
He fell back and glared at me, "Watch it, man. This road don't belong to you." He pulled the purse behind him.
"What you mean-like that purse doesn't belong to you?" I raised a brow and crossed my arms. The woman caught up, panting. She stood with her hands on her knees, her ginger hair tumbled over her shoulder as she did. "Now I think she'd forgive you if you'd give her, her purse back. Would that be right, ma'am? Or am I assuming too much?"
"I suppose if everything is in my purse I won't pursue charges, this time," she spat as she caught her breath. She then held out her hand for the purse. When it was placed in her hand she looked through it. "Okay everything is here. Thank you, sir."
"No problem," I nodded. Once she walked away I held out my hand for to help him up. Before I walked away I patted him on the back. "You did good." What he didn't realize was as I pulled my hand away I started moving forward to make it look like I was leaving but I slid his wallet from his back pocket in a fluid movement. When I was out of earshot I smirked, "Too bad I didn't. Though I don't think anyone would have blamed me."
I opened the wallet and found a few hundred bucks and guessed that it wasn't his first time stealing. Feeling content with what I managed to get, I walked back to the cafe and went in. I found a bench and told the waitress I was waiting for someone. My back was to the door, so it took me a minute to notice that someone walked over and was looking at me.
"Professor? Why…" he stopped when I looked at him. I looked up at a brown haired, brown puppy dog eyes of what I could guess was a geek. I slightly tilted my head. His brow furrowed, "You're not the Professor..."
"No, I'm not," I replied, frowning slightly. I glanced outside very aware of the man's eyes on me.
"I'm sorry...it's just you look like him…" he started. He had a nervousness about him I couldn't help but smile slightly, luckily he didn't notice.
"Connor what are you doing in here?" a voice said. I glanced over my shoulder slightly and saw him. I didn't think I would find him this fast. My muscles tightened to keep me in the booth.
"Oh...uh….Professor...Sorry.." the man, Connor, stuttered and ran out of the cafe. I heard the other follow and I relaxed.
A few minutes later I was joined by my sister. She didn't speak at first as she was catching her breath. So I smiled and reached over placing my hand on hers, "You didn't need to run, Gypsy. I wasn't in any hurry."
"Well, I was. We left Bud and we need to get back through the anomaly," she said. She shoved a dark strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't want to lose him."
"I know. But I do think we should get something to eat at least." I pushed a menu to her and she took it. I opened mine. We sat in silence as we looked over the menu. Everything sounded amazing, I guess that's what happens when you have been eating what you could find in the Cretaceous.
The waitress came over and I told her I'd have a soda and to surprise me. Gypsy ordered a cherry pepsi. We both decided we needed more time to decide, so the woman let us be. I set down the menu for a moment to think and noticed a group of four had taken the booth two down from Gypsy. Then I realised that one of them was that Connor person. He was flat out staring at me and I tried to subtly tell him to stop.
"Grey are you alright?" Gypsy asked softly. She was looking over her menu at me. Her blue eyes full of concern.
"I'm fine," I said. "Just...yea…" I let her fill in the rest on her own. I couldn't really say I didn't trust the guy staring at us (I didn't admit it then, but I was drawn to him), but it was disconcerting. I saw the girl next to Connor elbow him which made him look at her.
Gypsy sighed softly, "Oh I got us some camping plates and silverware." She must have my look because she crossed her arms, "I am done eating off banana leaves. You have to admit the grit at the bottom is disgusting."
I shrugged and smiled, "You missed it. I stole from a thief after making him give the woman's purse back." Connor was staring again.
She chuckled, "Why doesn't that surprise me?" She continued to look at the menu. "I don't know what I want."
"I'm just going to order the first thing I see when the waitress returns." I then noticed the blonde haired man look towards the front at the specials board. I knew it was a way to look at me as there was a menu on the table with the specials on it. I looked straight at him, " If you got something to say, say it. Or stop staring."
He smirked, " I see you inherited my observational skills, Grayson." He turned and looked at me as well. His group was now looking at us.
Gypsy froze her menu dropping to her lap. I was glad the cafe was relatively empty. She turned to look, "Dad?"
The confused frown on his face made me slightly angry. "I think we may have been born in different timelines." I reached across to pat her arm. She huffed and turned again. I saw him get up so I quickly moved to where I was sitting next to her.
He sat down and just looked at us for a moment. "I can't believe you are here, Grayson." He then looked at my sister, "I wish I knew you, Sweetheart. And I'll still take you in as my own."
"I'm Gypsy," she said, smiling slightly. Then she frowned, "Does it count as an affair if she had it with you from another timeline?" I looked at her, shocked, then I started chuckling.
When I looked at Nick I could tell he didn't know how to answer so he shook his head and changed the subject, "Where have you two been?"
"Well our mother dropped us off at an orphanage in the Victorian era. Then when she was eight I pulled her through an anomaly and we have been jumping them ever since," I replied. He nodded. "Now since I answered your question, I have one. Who's the Puppy Dog Eyes over there staring at us?" My sister turned to the window to hide her smile.
Nick smirked, "That is Connor Temple. The woman next to him is Abby Maitland. And last but not least, Stephen Hart."
The waitress returned and we gave our orders and she wrote them down. Gypsy who had fallen silent then sat up straight, "Gray, we need to get to Bud!" She started pushing at me.
"Bud?" Nick asked with a tilt of his head. His eyes spoke wonders about what he wanted to say.
"We had a pet… and not a dog or cat, though he'll act like a dog. We left him on the other side of the anomaly," I said, starting to slide out even though I knew Nick didn't like it.
He frowned, "Was it a raptor? With a broken leg?" We froze and he continued, "That's what we went to deal with. We sent him to the ARC for when Abby gets back to try and get a better splint on him. And the anomaly is closed."
I relaxed when I felt my sister relax. "I guess we'll go with you guys then," she said with a smile. We talked a few more minutes and our food came.
As we walked out of the cafe, Nick stopped, chuckled, and then broke out in full out laughter. We all turned to him and he held up a finger as he tried to sober himself. When he finally did his blue eyes were still dancing with laughter, "Lester's going to have a hay day."