The title is the first line of The Time Traveler's Wife, a lovely book you all should read. I was reading Jack's description of getting run through in the wonderful Invisible by Twisted Skys, and it just didn't feel right to me. So then this popped into my head and refused to leave.


They had been walking down the streets of Burgess-that is, Jamie had been walking. Jack had been bounding and skipping in circles around him-when a know of teenagers had appeared in front of them.

"Watch out!" he had called to Jack, who'd been sailing through the air on his back, hands clasped behind his head. jack had started to right himself, but it had been too late. Jamie had cringed, anticipating the crash.

It never came. Their bodies passed right through Jack's (or did his go through theirs?), briefly outlined in blue light. Jamie's face had been frozen in mingled bewilderment and horror.

"Jack!" he had shrieked, pelting through the older kids. They'd turned to stare at the weird little boy who was yelling for no reason. Jamie had ignored them. Jack had been waiting on the other side of the group, wearing an expression of mild irritation. Jamie had grabbed him tightly around the waist, hugely relieved to find that he was solid as ever.

"Jamie, I'm fine," said Jack, raising his eyebrows. But as he watched, two more people had passed through Jack as if he were made of smoke. Utterly focused on Jamie, Jack appeared not to notice. Jamie had clamped onto his wrist and ran, wincing every time he didn't manage to completely avoid the passerby and caught a flare of telltale blue out of the corner of his eye.

He dragged Jack all the way to the lake, where he knew there'd be no one around. Panting he brushed the tears away from his eyes.

"Jamie, Jamie, it's okay," Jack frantically tried to reassure him.

"What was that?!" he shrieked.

Jack looked slightly ashamed. "I guess I forgot to tell you." He seemed to be searching for words. "You know not everyone sees me, right?"

Jamie nodded mutely. "Well...they can't really touch me, either."

"You mever told me about that!" he choked out. "I thought that...that you were going to disappear."

Jack laughed. "Still here," he said, spreading his arms wide.

Jamie sniffled.

Jack lowered his arms. "Sorry," he said. "I guess that was kinda scary, huh?"

"D-Does it hurt?"

"No." Not physically, anyway.

"What does it feel like?" asked Jamie timidly.

Jack had to think it. It was a completely unique sensation, but he couldn't very well say, It's like being run through. That would be like explaining traffic lights to a blind person.

He finally settled upon an appropriate comparison. "it's like falling," he said at last. "You know what happens to your stomach?" It was, in fact, ten times worse, because it felt like his small intestines decided to go skydiving, and had looped his soul and most of his vital organs into the bargain.

Jamie pondered this. "But that kind of feels good," he said, confused. "I love roller coasters."

"Maybe that wasn't the best way to put it." Jack thought some more. "The others say it feels cold, but... things are different for me."

"Mmm." Suddenly, Jamie was overcome by fear. "Jack, did I ever walk through you?" He was afraid to hear the answer.

Jack hesitated. "Just once," he admitted.

"I'm sorry." He truly was. "I didn't mean to."

"It's okay. Course you didn't. Besides," he said, ruffling Jamie's hair, "You made up for it times a million."


People are out there, but there's radio silence. Any comments, question, concerns? You know what to do.