AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for the reviews! Hopefully some answers will be found in this chapter. Other questions will be answered as the story progresses, so I don't want to give any spoilers. I will note: to anyone regulating the time system (in this story at least), almost all the time jumps will seem to happen instantaneously. We have a sense of time elapsing because we're following Julian and Laura, but to anyone monitoring the time stream, it would depend on where in the continuity they are doing that from. But all will be explained...hope you enjoy!

Chapter 3

04/03/2011
14:21 EST
Easton, PA

Laura came to about twenty seconds after the impact, her ears ringing, and her nostrils filled with the scent of burning fabrics and plastics. The fire was quickly approaching the fuel tank. "Julian!" She reached over and shook his shoulder. He was slumped over the console."You need to-"

She stopped. He had no heartbeat. Her eyes sunk down to his abdomen, to the area where the steering column had been shoved into his torso, crushing it. Her eyebrows drew together. She had only moments to act. But that would be enough. She twisted her arm and punched in the numbers.

04/03/2011
14:15 EST
Easton, PA

"Laura...getting tired…"

Laura's eyes snapped open. She was sitting in the pilot's seat again, and Julian was still carrying them, his hand pressed against the console, and his head bowed, sweat rolling down his profile.

She paused. "Set us down, now. We need to fix the engine."

"...sure…" he partially opened his eyes. They were still glowing green. "Where?"

"There is a field a mile from here." Laura knew because they had passed it. This time, she did not mention the airport.

"Right." He swallowed. "I'll be fine. I got this. Could probably t-take us to the nearest-"

"No, you cannot."

Julian's lip curled. "Don't fucking tell me what I can't do, clone-"

"'Not you,'" Laura finished for him. "I have just returned from a future in which you failed. Please, begin lowering the jet while you have the strength to do so."

"..." He gritted his teeth. "Didn't need to know that."

"You would not listen otherwise."

"...fine." He gritted his teeth, but a few moments later, the aircraft began to lower itself incrementally.

Laura remained silent, hoping her choice of return time had been sufficient. What if he had too little energy left at this point? Then I will return to an earlier point, she told herself firmly.

The clouds began to part again. Far below, she could see the small field that they would attempt to land on. She began to switch on the relevant console switches, preparing herself again to steer the plane in for a landing, just in case.

Julian was beginning to tremble, and his face was filling with uncertainty. "Laura...j-just in c-c-case we...we d-don't...m-make it-"

"I told you that you cannot do this!" she snapped. "You are not capable!"

"Wha-" his eyebrows drew together. "The hell're you-"

She pointed ahead of them. "Focus!"

"...don't think I…"

The ground was rushing up to meet them, much too quickly. Laura closed her eyes. If her device was destroyed in the crash, she would not be able to save Julian again. She turned her wrist over and began punching in numbers. This time, she would allow herself longer to correct the error.

04/03/2011
14:02 EST
NY - PA Stateline

Laura sat bolt upright. "Julian, land the jet now!"

"Ahhh! What the-" he exclaimed, starting. And letting go of the console.

Her eyes widened. "No-"

"Fuck!" He slammed his prosthetic fingers back on the console. Green threads of energy began to spread again, but they disappeared almost instantly. "Shit-I'm out of juice." Julian paused. "Laura...I think we're in trouble."

She made an impatient noise and turned over her wrist.

"What're you-"

04/03/2011
13:21 EST
Westchester, NY

Laura's vision cleared just in time to see Julian about to climb the ramp of the Blackbird. She bounded up after him and grabbed his wrist, yanking him backward. "Do not enter the jet!"

"..." he looked at her, his forehead wrinkled. "The fuck?"

"If you enter the plane, you will die. The engine will not carry us through flight. We must either repair it, or find another way."

His eyes widened. "Wait, did you-did you come from the future?"

Laura gave him a flat look. "Yes."

He paused. "Hold on...I'm just dealing with the fact that there are two of you right now."

She made an impatient noise. "No. Clearly, I am the only one. I replaced my past self."

"This is getting weird."

"Yes."

Julian paused. "So, uh, what happened?"

"You caught the jet with your mind when we began to fall at the end of the tunnel, but could not carry us the whole way. The aircraft crashed several times."

He hesitated. "And I...died?"

She paused. "Once. The others, it was apparent that the situation would be fatal, and I did not want to risk my device being destroyed."

"Damn. Well, thanks, I guess."

Laura said nothing.

"So... you know anything about fixing jet engines?"

"I have some mechanical training." She moved over to the access port and looked at it for a moment. "I will most likely need the following tools…"

Some time later, Julian crouched down beside Laura. "Figure it out?"

She crawled back out from under the access port, her eyebrows drawn together. She reached up and wiped her forehead, then sat up, frowning. "The engine fan belt is damaged and will break if it is not replaced. We will need to find a new one."

"Shit." He frowned. "Don't think we can. The other jet was missing, and I doubt they just kept spare engine parts lying around. Besides, the X-jets are totally different from the Blackbird."

"Can you repair this one?"

He considered this. "Never hurts to try, right?"

"No." She shifted to the side so he could sit down, then watched as he pulled himself under the jet.

"Which part am I looking for?"

Laura sighed, then scooted back under the jet herself. "That."

"This tape-thing?"

She pointed. "The belt-"

"Got it." He reached up and ran energy through his fingers, then scowled. "No, dammit! It fell apart."

She sighed. "We will need to find another method of travel."

He turned his head to look at her. "Yeah. But we're not going to be able to use public transport, not with all the shit Stryker has. Other ideas?"

Laura bit her lip. "No."

Julian reached out and rubbed his prosthetic thumb over her forehead. "You had engine grease or something."

She said nothing, just watched him.

A moment passed.

He turned his head again and looked at the engine, his eyebrows drawn together. "There's...there's got to be a way we can get there, without dying. Just think. Is there anything here at the school? Like, a teleporting dohickey? We have time travel devices, so why not that?"

"I have not heard of any." Laura paused. "It may be worthwhile to look."

"Wait a minute. Why don't we just go back to when it was safe for us to travel? Then we can return when we're actually in Peru?"

"We have already recently spent several hours in the past...and I do not believe the biohazard estimate was correct. I do not think we would have enough time to travel with. Besides, we would need to remove our devices at the airport, and would be sent forward again."

"We could just go back to when the Blackbird was pristine."

Laura considered this. The Blackbird should be able to cover the distance much faster, if the engine was functional. Within several hours, at top speed. She glanced at him again. "We can try it. However, I do not know what will happen to our past selves at that time."

He grinned. "Let's not think too hard about it. So, when we going back to?"

"Perhaps 22 years, to be safe. Before we were born. Then we will avoid replacing ourselves at the school." She frowned. "I believe the Blackbird is approximately 25 years old. The X-men should have acquired it by that point."

"So...1989. I like it." Julian turned over his arm and began to punch in the numbers, sticking his tongue out as he tried to use just his fingertip.

"Your dexterity is improving." Laura paused. "Can you feel with your fingers?"

Julian hesitated. "No."

It was obvious that he did not want to discuss the topic, but still an improvement over his anger when she had looked at them before. She looked down at her own watch and began to type in the numbers, hoping that she would not need to do this many times more.

After a moment, they both pressed the Send buttons.

04/03/1989
13:21 EST
Westchester, NY

"Shit!" Julian rolled over and vomited on the floor, then groaned.

Laura sat up, frowning. The hangar was empty. The Blackbird was out on a mission.

"Fuck…" he sat up too, holding his head. "Never going to get used to that…wait...where the hell is the jet?!"

"Out." Laura got to her feet. "It is the primary transport for the X-men during this era."

"Aw, man." He struggled to get to his feet too, but failed. He accepted the hand she offered him, and swayed slightly, but did not collapse. "When'll it be back?"

Laura gave him an incredulous look. "Why would I know that?"

"..." Julian paused. "I have no idea anymore. My head hurts."

She glanced at the mess he had made on the floor. "Please clean that up."

"There a roll of paper towel in here? I don't want to use my mind."

"Again, there is no logical reason for me to know that."

"God, fine! Do you have to be so you?"

"..."

Julian gritted his teeth and stomped toward the entry to the school.

There was a rumble in the distance. Then the sky split open. Or, more accurately, the upper hangar doors opened as the basketball court above lifted, and the Blackbird began to make its final descent.

"FUCK!" He panicked, grabbed Laura by her wrist and dragged her along toward a small closet where he'd found tools earlier.

They had barely closed the door behind them when the Blackbird finished touching down, and the side door began to open.

He closed his eyes. If either Logan or Jean Grey stepped out of that jet, they were both toast. But luck was on their side, as the person that stepped out of the jet was Scott Summers, unmistakable thanks to his red visor and rumbled brown hair. Although he looked much younger, and his outfit was only vaguely familiar, one that they had both seen in old photographs. He was dressed in a blue spandex uniform with yellow accents, including a piece that resembled a pair of speedos or brief underwear, and a pair of knee-high boots with padding. Across his chest was strapped a bandolier of some sort.

He whistled as he walked toward the door to the school, then began to slip in the puddle of vomit on the floor. "GAH!" as he almost fell.

Laura looked at Julian, her eyes narrowed.

He bowed his head.

"Damn Logan to hell." Cyclops mumbled this under his breath, as he looked down at the mess. "Told him if he couldn't keep it off campus, he should at least clean up after himself…" he looked around, then up. "Uh-Jean-be right in. I'm dealing with something quick." He paused, his forehead wrinkling. Then he headed for the door to the school, as if he had just received some news more serious than the puddle of vomit, although he did pause to wipe his boots aggressively on the doormat.

The pair in the closet relaxed.

Julian snorted.

Laura gave him a questioning look.

"I just...after all the shit he's done to mess up my life…" he grinned. "Let's just say it was one of the best things I've seen lately."

"Stop laughing and assist me with stealing the jet."

"Roger."

A few moments later, they were settling down in the cockpit. Laura noted that the interior smelled differently than it did the last time she was in here. A stronger scent to the leather. A faint whiff of chemicals. The scent of a new vehicle. As she thought, the X-men must have acquired the Blackbird recently.

"Everything should work the same, right?" Julian asked, as he wrapped his prosthetic fingers around the steering yoke. "I mean, other than the engine crapping out, right?"

"Presumably." Laura reached out and began flipping buttons

The engine started, a very gentle, almost silent hum. Clearly, it was in much better shape than before. She felt reassured. This time, it would work.

"HEY! GET OUTTA THERE!" a familiar, muffled voice yelled from outside. Snikt!

Laura's eyes widened. Logan. She had not expected for them to be discovered so quickly. "Julian-"

"On it." He reached out and swept the yellow-spandex blur that was Logan off of the jet's side and into the wall of the hangar with his mind. "We're good."

"Until the other X-men show up." Laura gave him a serious look. "Can you fight Jean Grey?"

"..." Julian paled. "We better get out of here."

Together, they turned the jet and started down the exit tunnel, gradually moving to full throttle for ground control. Laura tried to ignore the sounds of Logan roaring at them in the distance, knowing that they were running out of time if he had already called the others. The jet was halfway down the tunnel when she heard more faint voices in the distance, signalling that their time was up.

Laura glanced at her companion. "Can you boost our speed?"

"Yeah, hang on." Julian laid his fingers on the dashboard again and began to concentrate. A moment later, the jet was surrounded by a green glow, and they were hurtling toward the end of the tunnel, and out into the air.

"We're good!" He announced, grinning. "Peru, here we-"

"Peru, huh?" Logan's voice crackled in on their communications system. "Listen here, you little shits. I dunno who the hell you are, or just where the fuck you came from, but if you think you're gonna take our one billion dollar piece o' equipment about for a joyride, you're sorely mistaken. You have till the count of ten to start landin' or I'm gonna make you regret the day you were born. Your funeral."

Laura's eyebrows drew together, and she checked the radar display. "Logan is following us in another aircraft."

"What other aircraft?" Julian asked.

"The X-men must have had another transport before the Blackbird." Laura hesitated. "He has six anti-aircraft missiles on board. Two are primed for launch."

"So I'll shield us, no big." He put his hand on the console again. A moment later, they were surrounded by a large green bubble. "We'll be-" he paused, and looked out his window, as something caught his eye. "Is that...Storm?"

Laura followed his gaze. "Yes."

KRAKOOOOM!

"ARRGH-" Julian winced and grabbed his head. "Jesus, I think she electrocuted me!"

"This situation is quickly becoming untenable." Laura hesitated. "Should we-"

"No, we need the jet!" He gritted his teeth. "Don't care if I have to fight all the X-men for it. Just keep flying, I'll deal with the-FUCK!" He threw his head back against the headrest. "...yeah...we're not...we should stop…" he reached out for the throttle.

Laura grabbed his wrist and hit the return button, then did the same for herself.

04/03/2011
13:21 EST
Westchester, NY

Laura was falling, falling, toward the ocean far below. Her eyes widened. Was the time device waterproofed? She tried to curl into a ball around her wrist, even though she knew that would accomplish nothing, only-

WUMPF! As a green blur impacted with her.

"We're fine." Julian flew them toward the shore. "Man, that was a close call. I think...I think Xavier was fucking with my head. He was making me think I needed to land the jet."

"..." Laura's eyebrows drew together. She was pressed up against his front, and his arms were around her, one under her knee and the other supporting her back, and she could feel his heartbeat against her ear...and all of this made it quite difficult to concentrate enough to form a response.

A few moments later he had landed on the cliff overlooking the ocean, just above the tunnel. "You okay?" he asked seriously, frowning down at her.

"I…" her forehead wrinkled. She nodded instead.

He winced. "Sorry I messed it up again."

Laura's face felt warm. She closed her eyes. "We need to find another transport."

"Yeah." He paused. "Or maybe I should just fly us there? Like, at regular speed, so I don't pass out? It wouldn't be fast...I mean, probably a couple of days...but at least it should be straightforward, right?"

She closed her eyes. A couple of days of this. "Please put me down."

"Huh? Oh." Julian did as requested. "Sorry."

Laura said nothing.

A moment passed. She found herself comparing their vital signs. The rapid pace of hers, versus the slow, steady pace of his. It was as if her presence had the opposite effect on him than Sofia's presence. Her eyebrows drew together slightly at this thought.

He reached up and rubbed his neck. "So...think it'll work?"

She blinked, trying to remember what they had been discussing a moment ago. Oh, yes, his idea to carry them to Peru. "Yes." Pause. "But you will need to eat first."

He looked toward the school. "Back to town then?"

She nodded.

"I don't get why everything looks abandoned." Julian said this as he set them down again, near Salem village. "Yeah, mutants have been chased out...hunted by all the Predator X's and the Nimrods in this timeline...but where are all the humans, right? They're supposed to be safe?"

"I do not know." Laura surveyed the area around them. As he had said, the town looked abandoned: dark store fronts, no cars, and no people. No signs of life. She inhaled through her nose. No recent scents, either. She shrugged and began to head toward what was once the town corner store, a likely source of supplies.

Julian followed her closely. "Something's not right. I have a creepy feeling."

Laura paused, her hand on the handle. She listened to their environment. Silence, except for their heartbeats, and breathing...her eyes widened. There was another heartbeat nearby. A large one. She looked around.

CRASH! As the glass window beside them shattered, and a huge, silver-coated creature charged through as it pounced on Julian.

There was an explosion of blood. As if he was a liquid-filled balloon that had just exploded.

Laura barely had time to punch in the numbers to her watch before it turned to her. The jaws snapped around air, as she disappeared into the past.

04/03/2011
13:25 EST
Westchester, NY

"Stop!" Laura caught Julian's arm as he started forward, having just landed.

"Wha-" he gave her an odd look. "Thought we were going to…" he paused, seeing her expression. "Aw, god damnit. Did I die again?"

"There is a Predator X in the convenience store." Her eyebrows drew together. "I did not detect it by scent. I do not think it is worth the risk of encountering it again."

"Probably not." He rubbed his face with his hands, then ran his fingers through his hair. An expression of exasperation. "The hell're we going to do? It's like we're cursed. But...we can't just leave things like this."

"No." She looked at the convenience store again. "Stay here." She began to walk toward it, making a fist. Snkkt!

"No, Laura-what are you-" Julian took a step to follow her. That's when he heard it.

"MUTANTS DETECTED."

"Motherfucker." He turned around to gaze up at the towering robot. It looked like a Nimrod, only mega-sized. Like three of them together. His eyebrows drew together as his heart started to race. Every time he saw one, he remembered that moment that his hands had been destroyed. Turned to ash. He was frozen in place.

"STAND DOWN MUTANT." The Nimrod raised one of its blaster-hands.

"..." Laura watched in disbelief as he was bathed in a pink ray of light. When it ceased, a cloud of ash billowed around the place he had stood. As if he had never been.

She could hear the Predator X starting its charge over her shoulder. With a sigh, she turned over her wrist, punched in the numbers, and pressed Send.

04/03/2011
13:21 EST
Westchester, NY

Laura was back in his arms, and he was approaching the cliff, where they would talk about what to do next, and she would agree with his suggestion. Which would lead to his death. Twice. She closed her eyes, shook her head. Not this time. She breathed in his scent, focused on his heartbeat, reassured herself that he was alive.

A moment later, he landed on the cliff. "You okay?" he asked seriously, frowning down at her.

"Yes." She paused. "Julian, we cannot go into town. You will also die there."

"..." he closed his eyes. "Did you...did you just jump again?"

"Yes." She frowned. "We need to find another transport. But we cannot risk returning to town."

"Grr! I'm getting so sick of this." Julian gritted his teeth. "Fine. Back to the school it is. We'll be safe there, right?"

"Yes." She paused. "I think."

He took to the air again, still holding her.

This time, she did not complain.

04/03/2011
19:02 EST
Westchester, NY

"What aren't we thinking of?" Julian asked, waving his spoon in the air as he leaned back on the couch. "There's got to be something we're missing here."

They were in the school again, in the rec room, which they had managed to light with a small fire, built using old TV guides, a deep cooking pot, and a spark from Laura's claws drawn sideways across the stone mantle. After several hours of scavenging and exploring, they were now sitting on the couch. It was still mostly intact thanks to the plastic covering.

Laura was eating popcorn. They had found unpopped kernels, which Julian had prepared telekinetically. He was eating from a jar of peanut butter, which contained more protein and fat. They had also located some stale candy, which was piled on the table, for later.

She frowned. "Dr. McCoy's laboratory may have something."

"Like what?" Julian wrinkled his nose. "Jetpacks? Teleportation pad? He doesn't just leave that shit lying around."

"No." Laura paused. "But you are telekinetic...and I can cut through most locks."

"Yeah, good point." He ate another spoonful of peanut butter. "I vote we check that out in the morning...when it's light out again."

"The sub-basement will be just as dark."

"But somehow less creepy." He grinned. "Besides...I could do with some sleep. Food's good, but nothing recharges my batteries like nine or ten hours of Z's."

"You only require eight." Laura paused. "I require three for optimal performance."

"That explains a lot." He paused. "I'm usually fine on eight, but I've had a rough day and I can tell I'm going to need the rest." Pause. "Good thing the couch is big. I'd feel like an asshole making you sleep on the floor."

"I will sleep outside."

"What? No way." Julian sat up abruptly. The couch made a brrrp sound as the plastic shifted from his movement. "You're not sleeping out there and leaving me all alone in here."

"You will be fine."

"I think it'd be dumb for us to split up. Who knows what might come crawling on past during the night? And I'm not about to sleep on the ground when I can be comfortable."

"..." Laura paused, wrinkled her nose. "Fine."

"Good clone."

Her nose-wrinkling deepend. "Do not-"

"Yeah, yeah." Julian ate another spoon of peanut butter. "I'll stop calling you 'clone' when you stop acting like a clone, how about that?"

She gave him a flat look. "That is a nonsensical statement."

"Now you're getting it." He grinned at her again as he returned to his leaning position, the plastic furniture covering making another brrrp sound. The expression faded. "I swear, that was the couch, I didn't-"

"I am aware." She held his gaze for a moment longer, then lowered her eyes to her popcorn again. For a moment, she found herself wishing she understood him better. Then, perhaps, he would react the same way to her than she did to him. The way he had reacted to Sofia. Would he ever react that way for her? She hesitated. "Julian. I...want to talk now."

"We are talking." He waved his spoon at her again, smirking. "Or, I dunno what you call it in clone-speak. 'Verbal communications,' am I close?" Then his smirk faded. "Oh. Talk."

"..." Her eyebrows drew together. "Yes."

"Uh." His forehead wrinkled. "Thought we were doing that after we fixed everything. Like, I dunno, when we can relax...know all our work is done...chill out. You know?"

Laura gazed at him.

"I just...why now?" He set the peanut butter on the table. "We were kind of having fun."

She said nothing.

"Look." He reached up, ran a hand through his hair. "I think you're everything...the whole package...I just…" he closed his eyes. "I can't go there with you."

Laura continued to watch him.

"I don't see you that way." He paused. Sorry, clone."

"Why?" She heard her voice ask the question, even though she had not instructed it to do so.

"..." he shrugged. "I told you, I'm not over Sofia. I think she's the one." He paused. "And you...I'd die for you, Laura, but I guess I see you as a friend." He paused. "No. You're way more than a friend. Like...like a sister."

She stared at him for a moment.

"I hope you know, any guy is going to be lucky to-"

Laura stood up and headed for the front door, her shoulders very stiff. He was still talking, and following her, too, but she was no longer listening. She slipped into the night air and took a deep breath, reasoning that it should help combat her sudden sensation of breathlessness. It did, but only slightly. She was still trembling. Her fists fell to her sides. Snkkt!

"GRAAHH!" She shouted, charging at the old oak tree in the yard and sinking her claws deeply into the wood. Then she withdrew her claws with a Snakkt and continued to pummel its trunk, pieces of bark flying around her temporarily bleeding knuckles. Eventually, she felt calmer, calm enough to sink down with her back against the tree, head in her hands as she tried to reason her way through the anger she was feeling. The frustration. The hurt.