Okay, before you read, a few notes:

I received a couple of comments describing how confusing my story was so far. All I can say: Great! This story may confuse you, make you think, and even frustrate you, and that's all awesome! That's what I want.

Time will move quickly in this story, back and forth between different scenes each chapter, so watch the dates carefully. Some story elements will not be explained until later in the story. Be patient.

Also: I don't know exact dates, so I'm approximating them. Honestly, there are no exact dates, but don't crucify me if I'm a year off of fanon or something.

April 29, 1992

Abby twirled a strand of blond hair about her finger thoughtfully. He was there again, the young, handsome man across the park…she'd seen him for the past few weeks, always out beneath the big tree, always with his nose in a book. Connor had done mad things to her if she was noticing some geeky boy with scraggly blond hair.

"Walk over there," she finally told herself, getting to her feet.

When he looked up at her, he gave her a lopsided grin.

"Well, hello there, miss," he said in a thick Scottish accent. "I've been wondering when you'd come over here, now."

Abby inhaled slowly. "You…were?"

"Sure. I'll have to warn you, though, I've got quite an entourage of ladies trying to get at me." There was a mischievous glint in his eye, and Abby released a tense laugh that grew easier over a few moments.

"You're making fun of me," she said, sitting down beside him.

"Oh, no, miss. Don't you see all the ladies?" He raised his hands, gesturing at the empty grass around them before winking at her. "I suppose I'll just have to tell my other girlfriends to scram for the night."

Abby raised her eyebrows. "Are you making plans?"

"Depends. You free tonight?"

Abby smiled gently. "Every night," she nodded before reaching to his lap and snatching up his book. "You're quite the ladies' man, Mr…Paleontology."

"Evolutionary biology," the man replied, reclaiming the book. "I know, dinosaurs in it you'd think paleontology, but evolutionary biology is—"

"You don't just study the past, but the present and the future, too," Abby finished. The man raised his eyebrows, impressed. "How everything connects. The missing pieces."

"May I ask, are you a college girl then, miss?"

"Dropped out," Abby replied before thinking. "I mean—I got offered the job of a lifetime halfway through first semester. A keeper at the zoo—only, not anymore."

The man blushed scarlet. "Oh," he said before glancing at his watch and doing a double-take. "Oh, shite!"

He pulled his books to his chest and got to his feet quickly. "Ten minutes late for Chemistry—new record for earliness, actually—gotta go."

"When and where tonight?" Abby asked eagerly.

"Ah—the fast food place over…that way," he said, pointing off vaguely, (though she could guess at where he meant) fumbling with his things.

"My name's Abby, by the way," Abby called as he scrambled away.

"My Abby!" he repeated in a dramatic shout, walking backwards and throwing his hands into the air, and she giggled. "The name's Nick Cutter!"

Her smile fell into a small 'o' as he turned and ran off towards the university.