CHAPTER 2
Kelly swallowed hard when 2011 Adalind suddenly asked about his Dad. "Um…about Dad? Um…"
"Yes?"
He's Nick Burkhardt. Kelly wanted to say. However, he can't since she's from 2011 and worse, she's from that night in the Bremen Ruins.
2011 was not the best year between his parents. No one in the family and their closest friends are alien to their former animosity to one another and the incident in Bremen Ruins was the worst of that. During that time, neither would hesitate to hurt the other with his mother more than willing to resort into any underhanded method to either hurt or harm his Dad. His Dad had also killed his Mom's Hexenbeist power during that night, the most precious to her back then.
This woman beside him is the living remnant of that time of hatred. If he tells her right now that years later the two of them will be married with kids, she will surely freak out.
Ring! Ring!
Fortunately, his phone rang. And taking advantage of this sudden interruption to sway from her probing, he answered it without looking at the caller. "I have to take this," he said and swipe the screen and answered. "Hello?"
-WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!?
But when he did, the loud and angry scream of his Mom boomed against his eardrum. And jerking in response, he pushed the phone away from him.
-I TOLD YOU THAT YOU SHOULD BE HOME BY 10. YOU'RE STILL IN THAT BITCH'S HOUSE, AREN'T YOU!?
The phone was not on loudspeaker but her voice was loudly and clearly heard within the car. Even 2011 Adalind flinched upon hearing the familiar voice angrily screaming from the other line.
Kelly's face paled and fearfully replacing the phone back against his ear, he said, "Hey Mom. No, it's not what you think."
-We warned you, young man! She reminded, teeth clenching. -Your Dad and I might be permitting your relationship with her but it doesn't mean you two can do whatever you want! You should have been home an hour ago!
"Really Mom, it's not that," Kelly insisted. "I was already on my way home but I meet some trouble in the road."
-Trouble? Her voice turned worried. -Why? What happened?
"Can you shift to videocall?" Kelly requested. "There's someone I want you to see."
-What? Who? His Mom asked but didn't insist further as she did as he asked. "What is it?"
When the dark screen surface reflected her face, he positioned the phone in front of his Mom's 2011 version. "I met someone you might know," he said.
Upon seeing her through the phone, her future self's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Hi," Adalind nervously greeted.
Followed by an exclamation. "What the hell? Kelly!?"
"Yeah?"
"Who is that woman and why does she looked like me!?"
"Mom, she's you," Kelly explained.
"What nonsense is that?"
"She's you but not the 'You' you. How can I explain this...she's the 'You' from 2011."
"2011? I don't understand."
"Remember the night at Bremen Ruins during that year?"
"How can I forget?"
Adalind frowned. When Kelly reminded her future self about that night at the Bremen Ruins, Adalind noticed that she doesn't look or sound angry. On the contrary, she reacted like she's reminiscing a pleasant memory. 'What the hell?' That was when that damn Grimm ruined them.
"She's from that night. She said that after the death of her Hexenbeist power, there was an explosion and when she woke up, she's already here. 20 years since that night."
"What!? How was that possible?"
"I don't know too. That's why I'm bringing her home. Maybe you and Dad could figure out something."
"Are you sure she's me? She could be a poser or a shapeshifting Wesen trying to trick you."
"I'm certain, I scanned her. She's genuinely you except that she's only 26 years old."
Her future self nodded. "Let me talk to her."
Kelly handed her the phone.
"Hey?"
"Hi," Adalind greeted back.
"I'll be honest, this is so unbelievable but, I've been through a lot of weird things over the past decades so I guess this is just another Tuesday for me."
"Sound like I've been through a lot."
"You have no idea."
Adalind then took the opportunity to observe her future self. No wonder Kelly immediately recognized her. Even after the passing of 2 decades she barely aged. However, the composure of the 'Her' of this timeline is a world apart from the current her. There's peacefulness on her, calm, and an overflowing confidence that's not pulled from her nature as a Hexenbeist.
Above all, she looked happy.
Adalind then glanced to Kelly then to the fancy vehicle they are riding. 'She had everything. Everything she wanted in life. Everything I wanted in my life.' Adalind couldn't help rejoicing inside. Just a few hours ago, she thought she'd lost everything but now, she's seeing the future where everything she could ever wish for -love, family, wealth- are all hers.
It's overwhelming.
"By the way…" Then, her thoughts were interrupted when all of the sudden, Future Adalind asked her, "Were you the only one who got pulled in here?"
The younger version of his Mom shook her head in reply but it was Kelly who verbally answered. "Da…" he almost said 'Dad' but managed to stop himself. "…The Grimm also crossed along with her."
"Yes, Nick Burkhardt is also here!" The younger Adalind exclaimed venomously. "I don't know where he is now but he was with me when I woke up."
Hearing that, his mother woged. "Kelly?" She looked at him and the side of her face twitched.
"Yeah," Kelly replied, and decoding his mother's gesture, they switched back to normal call and he replaced the phone against his ear.
-I'm safely assuming you haven't told her.
"Of course."
-Good. You shouldn't. That woman is the lowest impression your father had on me and he isn't wrong. Don't tell her anything not until you get home. She might snap. It's too dangerous.
"Yeah Mom, I understand."
-By the way, your Aunt Rosalee called your Dad's phone earlier. She said she's with someone who needed our help. When I asked her who, she said she'll just explain when they get here. With what my past self said, I believe it might be the younger version of your Dad. Rosalee and Monroe were the only ones back then who knew and assist him in his hunts so if he's here, they're the one he'll surely contact. Call her to confirm that. I'll try to contact your Dad over here through Diana.
Kelly nodded and said softly, "Yes, I'll do that."
-Alright. And oh by the way…
"Yeah?"
-Knock her out.
"What? Why?" Kelly was shock. His mother is telling him to knock her younger self unconscious.
-An insurance. She said. -Something might slip from you on your way here and I don't trust her to be rational when that happened. It's wiser to completely eliminate the odds instead. Moreover, you're going to contact Rosalee. You can't have around when you do that.
"It's uncomfortable but yeah, I'll handle it."
-Good. If something else came up, I'll call.
"Alright Mom, love you."
-I love you too. Be careful.
"Hey K, what is it?"
-Is the person you're bringing to our house the 2011 version of Dad?
"What?" Rosalee was shocked. "How did you know that?"
-First thing first, can he hear me? Kelly whispered almost inaudibly.
"No, he's not there yet."
-Good.
Kelly then explained what happened while he was on his way home and saved what he thought back then was a random girl. Then there's the talk between his Mom and her past self.
"Thank God," Rosalee sighed heavily in relief knowing that Adalind is safe. "How is she?"
-She's fine but Mom told me to knock her out, so I did.
"That's probably for the best," she reassured him.
-By the way, what did you tell Dad?
"Just the overview. How about you?"
-Same here. You know how it was back then.
"Who doesn't."
-So, I'll see you two back home then.
"Alright, be careful."
-You too.
"What was that?" Nick asked as she puts down the phone.
"Um…a relative of mine staying in town for the week got herself into some trouble and Kelly helped her." Rosalee lied. "He called to tell me that she's okay."
"Rosalee? Is-is," he hesitated. "Is my son a Grimm?"
Rosalee nodded. "Yeah, he is."
Nick was saddened. He knows that it's almost a certain that a Grimm will be sired among his future children but he still kind of hope that they wouldn't. He wished that they would have a normal life far from the madness of the Wesen world. But just like what happened or what will happen with him and Juliette, the future didn't go the way he wanted. At least what the current him wanted.
Their drive continues and deep in thoughts, Nick didn't realize that they'd finally arrived to their destination.
"We're here." Rosalee announced as she turns the engine off.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Nick immediately raise his head up and his eyes went wide in disbelief to what he saw. "This is my house?" He asked Rosalee as they exit her car.
Calling it a house is an insult. This residence is a freaking mansion. Like one of those houses owned by royalties from European countries. How the hell did he even afford to purchase this?
"Yeah, you've been living here for 10 years." Rosalee confirmed. "C'mon, she's waiting for us."
Rosalee lead him towards the front door but before they could reach it, she stopped and faced him. "Nick, before we get in there. Promise me that whatever happened, you will remain calm. Can you do that?"
"Rosalee, I don't understand," Nick couldn't help but frown. It's been bothering him. Since meeting her in the Spice Tea Shop and revealing his identity, she'd been tense all the time. Most especially when she tried to call his future self and the one who answered was his wife. Her state of alarm further intensified. And until now, he couldn't still figure out the reason why. Does it had something to do with the identity of his future wife that she'd been refusing to disclose from the moment he asked? Just who could she be?
"Just promise, okay?"
"Alright, I promise."
Sighing deeply, she resumed to the front door and Nick followed behind her. Beside the door was a scanner, in which Rosalee pressed her palm against.
"Accepted!" A computer voice responded. Then, as the door unlocked, another voice, belonging to a female, boomed next from the speaker. "Rosalee, is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me."
Nick paused for a moment. At that moment, he feels like the universe had acted to take his breath away. That voice just now was the voice of his future wife. The woman who said 'I do' to him in front of the altar and promised to love him forever. Rosalee said earlier that she's someone they knew though he failed to clarify if they'd known her exactly during the time where he came from or from the years later. Because to be honest, he's only acquainted to a very few from the opposite sex. He could not think of anyone he already knew that could have ended up as his lifetime partner. He sort of sensed some familiarity from her but due to the speaker distorting her voice into a robotic tone, his attempt to identify her fails.
"I'm at the living room."
"Okay." Rosalee replied and then told Nick, "Let's go."
The door opened, letting them enter. And once both of them are inside, the door closed automatically and locked again.
"Impressive security," Nick commented and not just towards the hand scanner beside the door. Earlier outside, he noticed the surveillance cameras surrounding the house. The door itself is a composition of tough layers of steel while the walls are nearly a couple of feet thick.
"You learn from experience not to take chances anymore. Though at this point, all of these are barely necessary."
Again, Nick wanted to ask what she probably mean by that. However, he decided not to insist. She promised that explanations will be given later. But for now, the first thing to do first is to meet his family. Starting from his wife.
She was standing in front of the fireplace with her back on them when he and Rosalee entered the room and Nick was filled with anticipation knowing the identity of the woman his future self had married.
She's blonde. The first thing he noticed was her wavy golden hair. Next was the thick grey sweater and the leggings that perfectly hug her well-proportioned body. She's someone too gawked at. Nick can figure out that much.
However, when she turned to face them, the dreamy image in Nick's mind shattered when her identity is revealed. Replaced immediately with horror and panic.
It was Adalind! And she's inside his house.
"What are you doing here!?" Nick roared, reaching his waist for the gun that wasn't there.
Right now, Nick's mind is filled with the worst images imaginable. He imagined his family suffering, harmed by her. He doesn't know how she got here? How she bypasses the tight security his future self reinforced into his home. But she is here and there's nothing good about that fact.
Realizing that he actually does not have a weapon, he tried to charge towards her but Rosalee stopped him.
"Nick no!"
"What is she doing here?" He screamed at Rosalee, struggling from her hold. "Oh my god, what had she done!? Where's my family!?"
"Nick calm down!" Rosalee insisted. "She's not a threat."
"How can you say that?"
"Because she's your wife!"
END OF CHAPTER 2
