1800 Hours, by TheVulcanPrincess
Spoilers for I Do Over.
Disclaimer: I don't own Eureka, and no copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: This is my first Eureka fiction. I don't normally write for shows that are still on the air because my work tends to be rendered non-canonical rather quickly. However, I couldn't let the travesty of I Do Over stand. Here's my fix, until it goes AU when the writers of the show go a different direction. This is un-betaed, so I take full responsibility for all mistakes.
A/N 2: I apologize for having such a long chapter, but the story didn't have any logical chapter breaks.
Hour 0- 6:00 pm Saturday, August 16
"I'll always be here for you, no matter what. You know that, right?"
"Where's Nathan?" Allison asked, afraid she already knew the answer.
The look on Carter's face said it all. Allison wept. They sat in silence for several minutes before Carter said, "I'm so sorry."
"What happened?"
"He saved the universe." Carter reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He handed it to Allison and said, "He wanted you to have this."
"It's beautiful," Allison exclaimed. Jack placed the logic diamond around her neck.
Jack gave Allison an embrace, and she cried on his shoulder until she was out of tears. They heard rustling at the tent's edge and released one another. Henry walked in with a concerned look on his face.
Jack motioned to Henry to have a word with him outside. They stepped out of the tent, leaving Allison alone. Henry said, "He didn't have second thoughts, did he?"
"No." Jack said. "Henry, Nathan is dead."
Henry looked at the ground and shook his head. He said, "She won't want the condolences of the town just yet. I'll go inform everyone. You stay with Allison, and I'll let you know when the people have left."
Jack went back into the tent, and Henry walked to the pulpit with a somber look on his face. He addressed the gathered crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen, you were gathered here for a wedding, but I have some sad news. Dr. Stark has passed away."
There was a collective gasp. The guests stood up in an effort to move toward the tent. Henry raised his hands and said, "Please give Dr. Blake her privacy. There will be plenty of time to offer your condolences at a later date."
A few people still headed in the direction of the tent, but Jo stopped them. She looked commanding and intimidating even in an evening gown.
The crowd dispersed, leaving only Allison, Jack, and Henry.
Hour 1- 7:00 pm Saturday
Nathan Stark looked around the time chamber room. He felt light-headed and tried to remember why. He realized that he could see beyond just the room. He could see any place in the world he wanted to. He could see any time he wanted to. Future, past, they were all the present to him.
He tried to look at his hands, only to realize that he had no hands. He had nothing. Near as he could tell, he was an incorporeal haze floating near the ceiling. The last thing he remembered was stepping into the chamber to repair the machine, and telling Carter to take care of Allison.
'Allison!' he thought with alarm.
Suddenly his vision shifted and he could see her.
Allison sat numbly in the tent, staring at the wall, absently fingering her diamond necklace. Carter said, "Come on, Allison. I'll drive you home."
She nodded, and he helped her into his Jeep. They made the short drive to her house, and he walked her up to the door. He shifted, cleared his throat, and said, "I don't think you should be alone tonight. Do you want me to call Jo or someone to come over?"
Allison shook her head. "No. I don't want you to call anyone."
Before Carter could put up an argument, Allison continued, "Jack, you've always been a good friend. Better than I've deserved lately. Will you stay?"
Distinctly uncomfortable, but true to his promise, he said, "Sure."
Hour 9- 3:00 am Sunday, August 17
Jack Carter woke up in an unfamiliar bed. He sat up and the memories of the last few hours, well, days, really, flooded back. The time loop, Stark's death, his promise to take care of Allison. He heard sobbing coming from down the hall. He walked out of the guest bedroom down to Allison's bedroom, where she was sitting on the edge of her bed, crying.
He sat down on the bed next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned against his chest, and her sobs slowed to sniffles and then stopped. He held her like that for about 15 minutes, until she fell back asleep. He gently tucked her into bed and then went back down the hall to the guest room.
Hour 15- 9:00 am Sunday
Carter went downstairs to the kitchen. He took out eggs, bacon, and pancake mix and began to prepare breakfast. The doorbell rang, and he went to answer it. He saw an elderly woman standing on the porch with Kevin at her side. The woman said, "I'm Christina, Allison's mother. We came as soon as I heard the news."
Carter said, "Pleased to meet you, Ma'am. I'm Jack Carter. Come in."
Christina said, "Oh, you're the sheriff. I've heard so much about you. Allison speaks very highly of you. I can't thank you enough for being there for her."
They walked back inside and Carter finished cooking breakfast. He had just served Kevin and Christina when Allison came down the stairs. Her eyes fell on Carter first. Despite herself, she smiled at the sight of him standing in her kitchen making breakfast as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then she saw Kevin and remembered why they were all there.
Kevin ran up and hugged her, and she cried again. He said, "It'll be ok, Mom."
After cleaning up the dishes, Carter went home, secure in the knowledge that Allison had her family there for her. As he was on his way out the door, he said to Allison, "If you need anything, call me. Day or night. I'm always here for you."
Hour 38- 8:00 am Monday, August 18
Allison Blake walked into the lobby outside her office at Global Dynamics. The few employees who were in that early scattered at her presence, like cockroaches at bright light. Only one brave soul dared approach her. Looking at the ground, Douglas Fargo said, "Good morning Dr. Blake. I'm so sorry about Dr. Stark. I tried to talk him out of it."
"I know you did, Fargo. Sheriff Carter told me everything."
Before they could say anything more, Eva Thorne burst in, barking orders. She looked up and saw Allison looking somber. She said, "What are you doing here?"
"I work here," Allison said tartly.
Her voice dripping with syrup, Eva said, "Oh, dearie. You've just lost your fiancé. Don't you need time to grieve? I can handle everything here for you."
"The best way for me to find closure is to find out what happened to Nathan. I can't do that at home sobbing into a pint of Ben and Jerry's," Allison said. Her unspoken words were, 'Besides, I don't trust you anyway. You'll probably fire everyone in my absence.'
Eva said, "I've already talked to Sheriff Carter. He confirms that no crime was committed. As chairman of the board, I've decided that there will be no investigation."
Allison was fuming. "The director of research was killed while saving the universe from obliteration! Standard procedure requires an investigation."
"Investigations cost money, and all the investigating in the world won't bring Dr. Stark back. If I find that you've gone anywhere near the lab, I'll have you arrested."
Eva walked out and began her rounds. Allison looked around and saw Fargo cowering behind a pillar. "You can come out now," Allison called.
"What are we going to do?" Fargo asked.
"Consider yourself promoted, Fargo. I'm appointing you the director of clandestine investigations."
"What?"
"You're the perfect person for the job. You were there. Find out what happened."
"But you heard Ms. Thorne. I don't want to be arrested."
Allison sighed. "You won't be arrested. She only threatened to arrest me. Besides, even if Eva demands it, Carter won't arrest you."
"Ok. I'll do it."
"Just be discreet about it. If you're caught, I'll have to deny involvement."
Hour 48- 6:00 pm Monday
The entire town of Eureka gathered for Nathan's funeral. He wasn't well-liked, but he was respected, and they wanted to be there for Allison and Kevin. Carter had changed into a suit for the occasion, feeling it was more appropriate than his uniform.
Henry conducted the service. He stood and said, "Nathan Stark was a pillar of our community. He made many discoveries, earned the Nobel Prize, and led Global Dynamics to greatness. He made the ultimate sacrifice when he saved the universe from obliteration. He is a true hero. He will be greatly missed."
"I would like to invite any of you who wish to do so to say a few words," Henry continued before taking a seat.
Fargo was the first person to stand. "Dr. Stark was my mentor. He took me in and taught me everything I know. I wouldn't be the person I am today without his help."
"When a wolf dies, the other members of the pack gather around the fallen wolf and howl. This one is for you, Nathan," Taggart said before letting out an ear-splitting howl and then sitting down.
Carter got up to speak next. "It's no secret in Eureka that Dr. Stark and I didn't really get along. However, I've come to greatly respect him. I want to tell you about his last few moments in this world. We had 10 seconds to perform a very dangerous procedure to stop the universe from exploding. Dr. Stark insisted on being the one to take the risk. He knew he would die as a result, but he made that sacrifice willingly. The Bible says that the greatest expression of love is to lay down one's life for one's friends. I can honestly say that Nathan Stark loved the town of Eureka and considered us his friends. God rest his soul."
Vincent, Jo, Zane, and many other townspeople got up to share stories. There was a lull and Henry was about to stand up to conclude the service when Kevin Blake walked to the front. He stood timidly as he began to haltingly speak. "Nathan is the only dad I have ever known. He treated me like I was his own son."
After Kevin spoke, there wasn't a dry eye in the crowd. Allison took Kevin in an embrace and held him like she was afraid he would disappear. Henry got up to say, "Thank you all for coming. Zoe Carter will favor us with a hymn, and then anyone who wishes to can go to Cafe Diem for a celebration of Dr. Stark's life."
Zoe stood up, slightly nervous. She had done a little singing in LA, but this was her first solo. She pressed the button on to start the musical accompaniment, took a deep breath and began to sing.
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side;
with patience bear thy cross of grief or pain;
leave to thy God to order and provide;
in every change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
to guide the future as he has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
his voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
and all is darkened in the vale of tears,
then shalt thou better know his love, his heart,
who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay,
from his own fullness, all he takes away.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
The atmosphere at Cafe Diem was lighter. Vincent served all of Nathan's favorite foods, and the residents of Eureka shared stories late into the night about him.
Hour 67- 1:00 pm Tuesday, August 19
Nathan Stark was having fun with his newfound abilities. He had watched the Big Bang, the invention of the wheel, the apple falling on Newton's head, and the discovery of nuclear fission. Omniscience had its perks. He gazed in wonder again at the formation of the galaxy. He decided that was his favorite event to watch.
'If there is a God, this must be what he feels like,' Nathan mused to himself.
He saw Fargo walk into the lab and start looking around. He screamed, "Fargo! Fargo! Look up here! I'm right here!"
Fargo didn't look up. Nobody can hear a cloud.
Hour 205- 7:00 am Monday, August 25
Carter sat down at his desk to catch up on paperwork. He had gotten behind with everything going on lately. Normally he would have just done it at home, but Lexi's cats were irritating him.
Just as he picked up his pen, the door opened. He looked up and saw Allison blaze through the door. "What can I do for you?" he asked her.
"You can buy me coffee," she said.
Re-hashing their familiar conversation, he said, "The coffee is free."
She flashed one of her smiles and said, "Well, in that case, I'm buying."
They walked to Cafe Diem and got coffee. They sat down at a table in the corner. Allison hesitated for a moment and then said, "Fargo figured out what happened."
Jack paused, waiting for Allison to continue. "He found Nathan's notes." Allison took a deep breath and adopted a clinical tone to her voice. "Apparently Dr. Stark had been working with Dr. Weinbrenner on creating the time deceleration machine. The purpose was to try to connect with the Akashic field. Someone misplaced a decimal point in the calculations, and instead of connecting with the Akashic field, they connected with the temporal field."
Jack placed his hand on top of Allison's in a platonic gesture of strength. She looked up at him and said, "I haven't been to the lab yet. I just couldn't do it. Will you come with me?"
"Sure."
Just then, Jack's phone rang. He answered it, "Sheriff Carter."
There was a pause, then he said, "I'll be right there."
He hung up the phone and said, "Sorry, Allison. We're going to have to take a rain check. There was a..."
He was cut off by Allison's phone ringing. "Dr. Blake speaking."
"Fargo? Slow down. Ok. I'm on my way."
Allison hung up her phone and said, "Fargo called. My office at GD was broken into."
Jack said, "Yeah. Jo called and told me the same thing. Do you need a ride?"
Hour 206- Monday, 8:00 am
When they arrived at Global Dynamics, there was police tape surrounding the entrance to Allison's office. Allison walked over to Fargo, and Jack walked over to Jo.
Jo said, "Fargo and I were walking by when we noticed Dr. Blake's office had been broken into. The lock was busted, and there were papers scattered everywhere. I dusted for prints, and the results should be coming up soon."
"Don't you have to send those to a crime lab?" Carter asked.
Jo pulled a gadget out of her pocket and said, "Nope. This is Eureka. We have a portable forensics lab right here."
Carter frowned. "Why didn't I get one of those?"
"You didn't ask."
Fargo said, "The security cameras malfunctioned between 6:45 and 7:05 this morning. Jo and I walked by at 7:00. We heard shuffling but didn't see anything. I think we scared off the perpetrator."
Allison said, "You called me at 6:40 with your results. I think it's safe to say someone doesn't like what we've found."
Carter said, "So, just what were the two of you doing here together at this hour?"
Fargo and Jo both blushed, and Carter said, "Never mind. There are some things I don't need to know about."
Just then, Jo's gadget beeped. She looked at it and said, "We have a match."
Carter glanced over and raised his eyebrows in surprise. Just then, Eva Thorne came into the lobby. She looked at the yellow tape and said, "What happened here?"
Carter walked over and said, "I think you know what happened. Your prints are all over the place."
He took out his handcuffs, grabbed Thorne's wrist, and said, "Eva Thorne, you're under arrest for breaking and entering Dr. Blake's office, and for sabotaging the security cameras. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney."
Eva interrupted him, "I demand that you unhand me! I run this place! I can't be arrested for breaking in."
"Ms. Thorne, please come with me," Carter said.
Carter escorted Thorne out of the building and said, "Deputy Lupo, please stay with Dr. Blake. Have her look through and find out if anything is missing, and then take her statement."
Hour 226- 4:00 am Tuesday, August 26
226 hours since the accident. Nathan wondered why he even bothered counting the passage of time. When you can see the past, present, and future, time becomes a meaningless concept. He had watched all the important scientific developments of the last 5,000 years, and he decided that he wanted to move on to other topics.
Nathan Stark was lonely. He missed Allison greatly. He was at least relieved that Carter had been true to his promise, looking out for her.
The thought of Carter and Allison caused him to see scenes from the past that he had never known about.
Allison Blake and Jack Carter were standing nude in decontamination before entering the biosphere. Their backs were toward each other, and the room was filled with tension. In an attempt to break the ice, Allison said, "This isn't exactly how I pictured getting you naked."
"You wanted to get me naked?" Carter asked.
Nathan frowned, or he would have if he had a mouth.
Allison stood in her office attempting to get out of the wedding dress she had tried on. The zipper was stuck, and she couldn't reach. Carter walked in. Allison asked for help undoing the zipper. Jack gently and tenderly lowered the zipper, his hands lingering on her back for a few seconds longer than necessary. Allison turned around, and they shared a soulful glance before getting back to the business at hand.
Knowing that nobody could here him, Nathan shouted. "I want to punch Carter in the nose!"
He wanted to stop watching these scenes, but they kept coming.
Carter had broken three ribs. He stood shirtless in his bedroom while Allison bandaged him.
"I was a doctor before Kevin was born," she said.
Carter fell asleep on his bed, and Allison fell asleep beside him. She snuggled up to him. They both had contented smiles on their faces until they woke up and realized where they were.
He tried desperately to shut off the flow of images, but the harder he tried, the faster they kept coming.
Allison walked into Nathan's office with an envelope in hand. She gave it to him. He looked at it. Outwardly he gave no emotion, but inwardly his heart was breaking. He read the words over and over to make sure he wasn't imagining it.
PETITION FOR DISOLUTION OF MARRIAGE
Nathan swallowed. "I understand, what with everything going on between you and Carter."
Allison paused. She couldn't look Nathan in the eye as she said, "This has nothing to do with Carter."
Nathan wasn't so sure.
He remembered the time Vincent's flowers made everyone except for Jack and Zoe lose their inhibitions. He never asked Allison what she did during that time, but now he saw.
Carter walked in and said, "Allison, where are you?"
Allison walked seductively toward him and undid her dress, revealing lacy undergarments. She said, "I'm tired of playing games. I've made my decision."
She advanced toward Carter, who backed up. He said, "I can't take advantage of you like that. You're not yourself right now. That's the spores talking."
Nathan was relieved. It appeared that it was all one-sided on Allison's part. Carter had been a perfect gentleman throughout the entire time in Eureka. Then he saw the time loop. The first time through was picture perfect. The second time through made his blood boil.
Carter walked into the tent where Allison was getting ready for the wedding. She was wearing a robe. Carter walked up to her and planted a passionate kiss on her lips.
Allison said, "You waited until right before my wedding to do this? You thought that was a good idea? I'm not going to deny that there's something between..."
'This must be it,' Nathan thought. 'I'm in Hell. This is my eternal punishment for something or other.'
Hour 232- 10:00 am Tuesday
The phone rang. Jo answered it, "Eureka Sheriff's Department, Deputy Lupo speaking."
There was a pause, and then she said, "Of course. He's right here."
She put her hand over the receiver and said, "Sheriff, it's the DOD. They want to talk to you about our guest." Jo gestured to the cell where Eva Thorne sat glaring.
Jack took the phone and said, "Sheriff Carter."
He frowned and said, "Yes, sir. I understand. No, of course that won't be any trouble. Thank you. You, too. Goodbye."
He slammed the receiver down and walked to the corner, gesturing for Jo to join him. He spoke in a low voice and said, "Something fishy is definitely up. The DOD is taking custody of Ms. Thorne. I'm guessing they're going to let her get away with this little stunt."
Jo said, "Dr. Blake said there's nothing missing from her office. There's not much we can do."
Hour 309- 3:00 pm Friday, August 29, 2008
Something got Nathan's attention. He saw Eva Thorne meeting with a room full of brass. She handed them a vial filled with blue liquid and said, "It works!"
An Air Force general said, "Excellent, Ms. Thorne. Does anyone suspect?"
"Just the sheriff, but he's not all that bright. I'm sure the scientists will ignore him."
A Navy admiral said, "Please explain to us exactly how it works."
Quite pleased with herself, Eva said, "It's a revolutionary intelligence gathering tool. We still have to work out a few bugs. The first time around, our subject created a time loop and died in the process. However, our second subject dematerialized as expected. He now exists outside of time, with the ability to see anything anywhere, anywhen."
"What is the retrieval procedure?"
"You see that vial there? It's the re-coalescence serum. In three years, after our subject has had a chance to gather all the knowledge of the universe, we'll spray it into the air in the chamber room. Dr. Stark will rematerialize, remembering everything. We'll be like God!"
A Marine general muttered under her breath, "We all know what happened the last time man tried to gain knowledge and become like God."
Nathan had flashes of what his friends had been saying.
"Global Dynamics is a place of scientific discovery, not a military installation."
"You've strayed, Nathan. You used to be interested in pure science, now you're a bureaucrat."
He wasn't sure what he could do, but he would be damned if he was going to help Eva Thorne advance her sinister agenda. 'I guess I'll just have to wait for them to rematerialize me,' he thought glumly.
Hour 343- 1:00 am Sunday, August 31
Allison was in the time chamber room with Kevin, and he evaporated into thin air. His last words were, "It's beautiful, Mom. I can see everything. Don't be sad, I'm coming back."
She sat up with a start, taking two deep breaths to stifle a scream. It was only a dream. She put on her robe and walked down the hall. She tiptoed into Kevin's room and watched him sleep, an angelic look on his face.
Secure in the knowledge that he wasn't going anywhere, she went back to bed and fell into a fitful sleep.
Hour 352- 10:00 am Sunday
Allison and Kevin sat in the pews of the First Church of Eureka. The organist played the prelude, and Allison was lost in thought. A tear escaped her eye as strains of Finlandia floated through the air. The same tune Zoe had sung at Nathan's funeral.
'37 and widowed twice,' she thought. She corrected herself, 'Well, technically Nathan didn't leave me a widow, but close enough.'
Her reverie was interrupted when the preacher began her sermon.
"I would like to take my remarks this morning from the first epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, fifteenth chapter. This is a topic that tends to be addressed only once per year, but I think we need to be reminded of the glorious and joyous news frequently."
Everyone opened their Bibles to the appropriate passage, and the preacher continued, "Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."
Kevin put his hand on Allison's arm and smiled. Allison didn't hear the rest of the sermon; the wound in her heart was still too raw. When the service let out, Kevin said, "Don't be sad, Mom. Nathan is coming back. The preacher said so."
Allison said, "Honey, the preacher was talking about Heaven. I know we'll see him then, along with your father. They're both there now watching over us. But it's a one-way trip."
Kevin didn't say anything. He just sat down on the sidewalk and started drawing equations with chalk.
Hour 354- 12:00 pm Sunday
Nathan watched in amazement as he saw the formulas Kevin drew on the sidewalk in front of the church. Those were the rematerialization formulas! He shouted to the world, "Somebody! Anybody! Listen to Kevin! I'm not dead!"
Nobody heard him.
Hour 423- 9:00 am Wednesday, September 3
Carter sat at a table in Cafe Diem drinking a cup of coffee.
Allison walked in, ordered a latte, and sat down next to Carter. She smiled as she said in a lighthearted voice, "I haven't seen you around GD much lately. I'm beginning to think you're avoiding me."
"Your mad scientists have been too well-behaved. Nobody has tried to unleash a plague, blow up the town, clone their pets, or create a black hole in over a week."
"Well, I'll just have to ask them to be less careful, then."
Carter smiled. It was nice to see Allison crack jokes again. He said, "How are things going over at GD?"
"Busy. Now that I'm running it by myself again, everything falls to me. Fargo has been a big help, as has Henry. I don't think I could do it without them."
"Is there anything I can do?" Carter asked.
Allison put her hand on his arm and said, "You've already been doing it. Just knowing that you're here helps."
Hour 644- 2:00 pm Friday, September 12
After a lengthy debriefing, the DOD decided to send Eva Thorne back to Global Dynamics to continue her work of corporate fixing. She packed her bags and headed to Dulles International Airport. She walked to the ticketing counter and said, "I would like a one-way ticket to Portland."
The ticket agent said, "Of course, Ma'am. There is a flight leaving at 3:30. It stops in Denver, and you'll get to Portland around midnight."
'Perfect,' she thought. 'Under cover of darkness.'
Hour 710- 8:00 am Monday, September 15
Allison walked through the lobby at GD when she caught a flash of red hair out of the corner of her eye. She stopped, turned around, and saw Eva Thorne walking through as if she owned the place.
Allison said, "What are you doing here?"
Eva crisply replied, "I work here."
Allison stared in shock. She headed to her office and checked her e-mail. Sure enough, there was a message from the DOD informing her of Thorne's reinstatement. She called Fargo in. Fargo arrived and sat down. "What can I do for you, Dr. Blake?"
Allison said, "Remember that promotion I gave you to director of clandestine investigations?"
"Yes."
"I'm going to need you to continue it. Eva Thorne is back. Keep an eye on her and let me know if she does anything suspicious, or if she goes anywhere near the time chamber," Allison said.
"Ok."
Hour 785- 11:00 am Thursday, September 18
Dr. Nathan Stark, genius, former head of Global Dynamics, winner of the Nobel Prize, reached a conclusion. Disembodiment sucks!
What good was all the knowledge to conquer the world if you couldn't interact with the world? He wished he could go back in time to a few minutes before the accident to teach Fargo and Carter the formulas Kevin had written on the sidewalk.
At the thought of time travel, he saw a flash of a history he never knew.
Zoe Carter delivered her valedictory address. After she was finished, she walked to greet her family and friends. Kevin Blake, looking like a normal teenager, ran up to her, gave her a hug, and said, "Good job, sis!"
Jack and Allison walked toward her, holding hands. They wore matching bands on their left hands, and Allison was radiant with her rounded belly. They offered congratulations to Zoe.
A storm appeared in the sky, but not any traditional storm. The fabric of space-time was tearing apart. Kim was the one who solved the mystery. Four years ago, Henry had changed time to spare Kim from dying in an accident with the artifact. Now it was catching up with them. There was no choice but to go back and fix it.
Despite Allison's protests, Jack volunteered to go back and set things right. "What about the life we've built together? What about our baby?" Allison implored.
Jack took Allison's hands in his and said, "There is no time, no space, no way we don't end up together. You've just got to have a little faith."
'Okay,' Nathan thought. 'Time travel destroys the universe. Got it.'
After he saw the consequences to space-time, the other part of the vision dawned on him. He was still alive in that timeline, but Allison was married to Jack Carter, and they were very much in love.
Nathan sighed.
Hour 906-12:00 pm Tuesday, September 23
Allison had just submitted her travel plan for her upcoming business trip to the Northwestern Forensic Technology Society's annual conference. She took a sandwich out of the mini refrigerator in her office and ate while she completed paperwork.
She heard a knock on her door and looked up to see Eva Thorne standing there. Annoyed, but hiding it, Allison allowed her to enter. Thorne said, "I just got your request for funds for the conference. I'm sorry, but I'll have to deny it. You're still free to go, of course, just not on the company's dime."
"Why not? The head of GD goes every year. It's a great place to recruit new talent and to keep abreast of the latest non-Eureka technological advances."
"I can't justify the expense. Of course, Sheriff Carter is going to the conference. Perhaps you can get notes from him," Eva said before leaving.
Hour 912- 6:00 pm Tuesday
Allison sat at Cafe Diem eating her dinner. Jack ordered a burger and sat next to her. He said, "Are you looking forward to the conference?"
"I would be if I were going. Thorne denied my budget request. She's worried about waste. I mean, really. It's just two nights. When I explained to her how valuable it could be to GD, she suggested I get your notes."
"That's too bad. I know how much you look forward to that conference every year. I'm driving instead of flying this year, do you want to ride with me? It wouldn't cost GD a dime," Carter said.
"Sure. I'll just pitch a tent in a park somewhere and live off the fat of the land for the weekend," Allison said sourly.
"You won't have to eat grubs. I get a pretty generous per diem when I travel for business. Thorne hasn't touched the sheriff's office budget. I can cover your meals," he said.
"You've got yourself a date," she said.
Hour 948- 6:00 am Thursday, September 25
Jack pulled his Jeep up to Allison's house and walked with Lexi to the door. Allison let them in. Jack loaded the luggage while Allison gave last-minute instructions to Lexi, who was going to be staying with Kevin for the weekend.
They got on the road and chatted amiably. The road trip seemed to fly by, and they got to Seattle by lunchtime. They checked into the conference and attended the first day's lectures.
Hour 962- 10:00 pm Thursday
Jack and Allison left the conference. Allison said, "Could you please drop me off at the Motel 6 so I can get a cheap room?"
Jack said, "There's no need for you to do that. I can sleep on the floor and you can have the bed."
Allison assented, and they headed to the Grand Hyatt where Jack had booked a room. They checked in and brought their luggage in. The room was furnished with a king-sized bed, a table, two chairs, and a couch. While Allison called to check on Kevin, Jack took a pillow and some blankets and placed them on the couch.
They went to bed early to recover from the long day and be refreshed for the next day of the conference.
Hour 995- 7:00 am Saturday, September 27
Allison woke up and looked at the clock. She rolled over and saw Jack sleeping contentedly on the couch. He was clad only in boxer shorts, and she chastised herself for enjoying the view. She hurried into the bathroom to shower and get dressed. Once she was finished, she nudged the sleeping sheriff and said, "Rise and shine! We need to hit the road soon."
He mumbled something that sounded vaguely like "mmphkay" before falling back asleep.
Allison shook Jack again and said, "Good morning!"
Jack sat up and suddenly realized his state of undress. He blushed and pulled his sheet up over him. He tried to muster up as much dignity as possible as he shuffled to the bathroom wearing bedcovers.
They packed up and checked out. Jack smirked as he said, "Breakfast is my treat. What'll it be, IHOP or Denny's?"
Allison said, "Let's go to Denny's. I want to see if it tastes as good for breakfast as it does at 2:00 in the morning."
They ate their breakfast and then got on the road. It turns out Denny's is far superior at 2 am. Allison was going to have to devise an experiment to find out why.
Allison took the road atlas out and started to give directions. Jack said, "I don't need directions. After all, I managed to find Eureka the last time I was heading south from Seattle."
"Just try not to crash this time," Allison said with a smile.
They continued with the friendly banter all the way back.
Hour 1301- 1:00 am Friday, October 10
While Eureka slept, Nathan Stark continued to be conscious. He wasn't the only one conscious, though. Spencer was having his infamous movie night, the one the state of Idaho complained about. He was joined by Vincent, Fargo, Taggart, and Jo. Having nothing better to do, Stark decided to watch as well. It was some b-movie horror flick called Attack of the Zombie Dragonslayer, and it was exactly as bad as the title suggests.
He decided that he would go seriously insane if he had to spend another three years like this. He was starting to plot his revenge against Eva Thorne. She was the one who had misplaced the decimal point that ruined the calculations and gotten him stuck. She was the one who stole all chance of a happy life with Allison. He would have to come up with a creative way to get back at her. Perhaps he could rig her soap to turn her skin purple. This is, of course, presuming that he ever rematerialized.
Hour 1626- 2:00 pm Thursday, October 23
Jack Carter whistled as he drove to Global Dynamics. He hadn't had occasion to go there in weeks, and Allison had invited him to her office to discuss some technology GD had produced that would help in crime investigations.
He arrived and was ushered in to Allison's office. Fargo was there as well. Allison said, "Good afternoon, Sheriff Carter."
Taking the cue of formality, Jack said, "Good afternoon, Dr. Blake, Mr. Fargo."
Allison unveiled the new device, which looked like a fancy baseball cap. Fargo began to explain it. "Instead of traditional polygraphs, which can be fooled by a skilled liar or an extremely nervous truth teller, the Cap of Veracity reads brainwaves. Here, put it on."
Jack put the cap on. Fargo said, "Tell us your current job."
"Sheriff of Eureka."
The cap glowed green.
"What was your previous job?"
"U.S. Marshall." The cap glowed green.
"Are you in love with Dr. Blake?" Fargo asked, an impish grin on his face.
Jack blushed. He turned to Allison and saw that she was mortified as well. Jack squirmed and said, "I don't think that question is appropriate for this demonstration."
The cap glowed green again.
"Drat! I was hoping I could get you to lie on that one. Here. Tell a lie," Fargo said.
Jack smirked as he said, "Douglas Fargo, you are not annoying me right now."
The cap glowed red and Allison stifled a laugh. Jack said, "This is a pretty neat invention. I'm impressed."
Allison dismissed Fargo and said to Jack, "I'm sorry. I didn't know he was going to ask that question."
Jack quipped, "It's ok. I mean, my former job isn't exactly a secret."
Allison allowed herself a quick trip down memory lane.
She walked into the crime scene and saw a man she didn't know walking around looking at evidence. She confronted him, "You're disrupting an active crime scene."
"More like investigating an active crime scene," he said. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a badge, and said, "Jack Carter, U.S. Marshall."
Not to be outdone, she reached into her pocket, pulled out a badge, and said, "Allison Blake, Department of Defense."
Carter at least had the decency to look a bit embarrassed. Allison continued, "You're out of your jurisdiction."
"Well, since I'm a U.S. Marshall, the United States is my jurisdiction."
Allison took a deep breath and said, "Jack, you've been my rock these past few months. I don't think I could have made it through without you. I've been doing some thinking lately."
Jack braced himself. This sounded like the windup to a 'let's be friends' talk.
"The morning before the accident, I told you to have faith that things would work out the way they were supposed to. The annual Fermi ball is coming up next Thursday. Will you go with me?" Allison asked.
Jack said, "Are you sure you're ready?"
"Yes. I'm sure," Allison said.
"Then I would be delighted to go with you," Jack said.
The cap glowed bright green, and Jack sheepishly removed it, having forgotten that he was still wearing it.
Hour 1799- 5:00 pm Thursday, October 30
Allison was rushing around her office trying to finish up some last-minute work. Jack was picking her up in two hours for the ball, and she still had one more thing to do before she went.
She spent the next hour doing paperwork, and as she finished up, her hand brushed against the logic diamond necklace that Nathan had given her on what was supposed to be their wedding day. She hadn't removed it since.
She reached around to the clasp and took the necklace off. It was time. She put it in her pocket and left the office.
Hour 1800- 6:00 pm Thursday
Allison boarded the elevator and went down to the time chamber room. She hadn't been able to bring herself to go there since the accident, but she needed some closure.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked in. She wasn't sure what to expect. The room was empty and had an eerie feel, like a haunted house. She thought she could sense Nathan's spirit here, but dismissed it as too much Halloween on the brain.
She looked at the ceiling and began to speak. "Nathan, I miss you. I know you would want me to be happy and to move on. Well, I am and I have. I love you and I'll never forget what we shared together."
She was just about to head out the door when her pocket began to vibrate. She reached in and took the logic diamond out. It was glowing blue, and particles from the ceiling started to coalesce in front of it. She couldn't believe her eyes as the particles began to take the shape of a man.
"Nathan!" she cried out.
Nathan blinked and said, "Allie!"
"You're alive!"
"I was stuck vaporized on that ceiling ever since the accident. You can't imagine how glad I am to be back. Every time Fargo would come in to do research, I shouted at him, but he couldn't hear me."
"I'm so sorry, Nathan. If I had known, I would have come with the diamond right away."
"I know you would have, Allie. It was the most amazing thing. I could see all time and space. I was omniscient," he said.
"You saw everything?" Allison asked in wonder.
"Yes, everything."
Allison was torn. She stood, unable to speak for several moments. Stark broke the silence. "I mean everything. I know about you and Jack. I know you love each other. Go to him. I won't stand in the way. He's a good man. I want you to be happy."
Allison kissed Nathan on the cheek and said, "Thank you."
Nathan watched Allison walk out the door, knowing he had lost her heart to Jack Carter for the second time. He held up a beaker and said, "Cheers, Carter. I hope things work better for you than they did for me."
Nathan Stark walked out the door and headed to find Jo and see about filling out the form to bring him back from the dead.
--The End--
A/N: The hymn from the funeral is Be Still My Soul. The text was written by Katharina von Schlegel and translated by Jane Borthwick. It can be found in the hymnals of many Christian denominations and is set to the tune Finlandia by Jean Sibelius.