Having 'assisted' Michael Sparrow back through the time-portal, Ron returned inside and dropped into a well-worn leather armchair. The lack of sleep combined with the adrenaline come-down had left Ron feeling incredibly tired; barely a minute had passed before Ron's body fell limp and an unrelenting walrus-like snore filled the shop.

'DING'.

"Shop!".

A tall, slim man stood at the counter, his hand raised over the bell ready to 'ding' it a second time. Ron woke with a start but remained seated; he rubbed his eyes, looked at the 'customer' then rubbed his eyes once more.

"Gary?" said Ron, his voice cracking with emotion.

"Come here you big girls blouse" said the tall man, his arms open wide.

Ron didn't need asking twice; he leapt from the armchair and threw his arms round Gary, his long-lost friend.

"Thanks for this" said Gary, holding Ron's envelope aloft.

"But you've not opened it." replied Ron noticing that it was still sealed.

"I didn't need to." said Gary.

"Eh?" puzzled Ron.

"Michael told me he'd been given it by a strange, scouser in a WWII hat." said Gary, "Who else could it be from?".

The pair chatted for hours, bringing one another up-to-speed on all that had happened in both past and present since Gary's departure; without them realising, the sun had risen and the street beyond the front door was filled with thrum of Friday morning rush-hour.

"I've got to get back." gasped Gary noticing the time. Gary gathered up his possessions and made his way out into the yard.

"You'll come back right?" asked Ron.

"I don't know Ron, my life's back through there now." said Gary pointing at the locked, metal gates.

"Just pop-in." suggested Ron, "You needn't leave the shop. Consider 'Blitz and Pieces' a small extension to your adopted present.".

"Good shout" remarked Gary before turning and striding purposefully towards the locked, metal gates.

'Crash', Gary bounced backwards into the yard.

"No!" yelled Gary clutching the bars, "Not again!".

The time portal had closed once more leaving Gary stranded back in his true present

"I knew this would happen." huffed Gary.

"How?" asked Ron.

"Yesterday was my birthday." replied Gary.

"I gave you a card." replied Ron defensively.

"Not my birthday." said Gary, "My BIRTH day.".

"I see." replied Ron, "So it would appear that the old adage 'You can't be two places at once' is scientifically true".

"Evidently." concluded Gary despondently.

After several more failed attempts to pass through the locked time-portal, Ron talked Gary back inside.

"I can't stay here Ron." said Gary as he paced the shop like a caged animal, "I don't belong here any more.".

Ron slumped into his armchair, leaned back and closed his eyes. Ron's mind raced back through all of the time-travelling predicaments the pair had previously faced, searching for the answer to Gary's current quandary.

"Ripper!" yelled Ron, leaping excitedly from the armchair.

"Aussie slang?" replied Gary, confused by Ron's outburst.

"You can't go back." said Ron, "You can't stay here. Then go forwards!".

Gary stopped pacing, "Forwards?". Ron reminded Gary of the Victorian 'gent' that had met his 'unfortunate' demise atop a car bonnet outside the shop, and how he'd doubled back through the time-portal to 'double-jump' from Victorian London to 90s London.

"So you're suggesting that I try passing through the portal in the opposite direction." said Gary, "Exactly!" replied Ron.

Ron unlocked the metal gates and heaved them open; Gary and Ron ambled through and into the access lane that ran behind the parade of shops.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Gary.

"What have you got to lose?" replied Ron.

Gary took a deep breath and edged forward…