CHAPTER 4

"Diana, go get your Mom." Her Dad ordered her.

"Mom!" The order was unnecessary though. Diana was already on her way to her mother's side. "Are you alright?" She asked but when she touched her, she suddenly felt something is amiss. Her expression stiffened. "What in the…? You're not…"

"Nick stop!" By then, the voice of her real mother boomed from the side. She was with Rosalee and they were rushing to stop her stepfather from killing the other guy who looked like him.

"Adalind?" Her Dad frowned. While still holding his lookalike in air, he glanced back and forth between her Mom and the Adalind beside her. "What's going on?"

A few minutes later, after her Dad healed the other Nick from broken bones and probably brought him back to life as well given the severity of the impact he endured, her Mom and Rosalee explained what happened and who these lookalikes of her parents truly are.

"You're saying that they're from 2011? The night in the Bremen Ruins?" Her Dad said to Rosalee. When Rosalee nodded, his expression instantly turned ugly. "And you brought HIM to my house? Are you out of your mind?"

This degree of anger. Diana rarely sees it but when it does, it scares her.

"He needed help."

"And you also knew what it was back then! He could have hurt Adalind!"

"Nick Nick, calm down," her Mom finally interjected while Rosalee mumbled 'sorry' repeatedly. "Nothing happened, alright. Everything turns out fine."

Her Mom's hands on his shoulders and hearing her soft reassurance, only then did he calm down. He even apologized to Rosalee for raising his voice. Meanwhile, the younger versions of her parents both carried an expression of utter disbelief especially the younger version of her Dad. She heard the stories but the tales are nothing compared to the real stuff. So it was actually that bad.

"So what now?" Her dad breathed deeply.

"Lots had happened. It's late too." Her Mom said. "Everyone is obviously tired. Let's start things again tomorrow." Then turning to their younger versions, "Would that be okay for you two?"

"Yeah."

They both nodded.

"How about you Rosalee? I thought Monroe is on his way here?"

"I missed two of his calls but he texted too." She said, currently checking on her phone. "The triplets took the jeep again."

Her Mom groaned. "You probably should head home."

Rosalee nodded. "I'll bring Monroe along tomorrow. We'll figure this out."

"The two of you must be tired," her Mom said to her and her Dad after Rosalee left. "I'll take care of the rest here. You two go ahead and rest." Then she said to her. "Diana, your luggages?"

"In the car but let's deal with that tomorrow," she replied. "And, you go with Dad. I'll take it from here."

"No Diana, you just flew for hours…"

"No!" She cut her off. "I insist." She tried to hide it but her Mom looked extremely exhausted. Compared to what she'd gone through these past hours, meeting the remnants of her and her husband's old selves and the complications wrapped along with it, her jetlag is nothing. At the same time, Diana is curious to know more regarding the younger version of her parents. She heard the stories but they're already so lovey-dovey when she came around so she doesn't have much insight. Now's the chance to have that.

"So, you two are from that time when those two lovebirds still hated each other?"

"You can put it like that." Adalind replied with a complicated expression especially when Diana used the term lovebirds to describe her and Nick's versions in this timeline.

"I heard the stories but I always doubted its validity. The Adalind and Nick I know would kill anyone who will try to hurt the other. Makes it hard for me to imagine that once upon a time, you two were actually aiming at each other's necks."

"Guess a lot things happened a few years after that night," Adalind said and then asked. "By the way," she started, glancing nervously at Nick. "How long have the two of us been married?"

Nick glanced her a frown but then focused immediately back to Diana, eager as well to hear the answer.

"Together for 16, been married for 15."

"16 years?" Nick immediately made a calculation in his head.

4 years, even less from the time where they're from, he and Adalind will have a romantic relationship, live together, and then a year later, they got married. Wow. Just a year together and they already tie the knot. Makes him think about her current relationship with Juliette. Even if they will broke up next month or next year because Adalind is the one meant for him, they still have nearly 4 years of intimacy and love and yet despite of that when he proposed, she turn him down. Yes, he's hiding stuffs from her and that stops her from saying 'Yes'. But, if their love for each other, if her love for him is as strong as they believed it is, she would have said 'Yes' regardless of the uncertainties. But she didn't. The uncertainties beat her.

Then, the same circumstances had applies too to Adalind four years later from the time they're from. One year. They were together for one year. Several years shorter than what he had with Juliette. And same with her, she had a reason to say 'No'. No, she had a lot of reasons to say 'No'. The circumstances of how they met were through death and violence and all the weirdness this world has to offer. Not including yet the fact that they tried to kill each other and he had the feeling that in the continued timeline from that night at the ruins, it won't be the last time that they would.

And yet…it worked? All those things that could have kept them apart were voided and nulled and they loved each other? It sounded like a sick joke.

"Alright, you two will be staying here." Diana suddenly said, interrupting him from his thoughts. She stopped in front of a double door room. "Rest well."

"Whoa, what do you mean 'you two'?" Adalind complained. "There's a lot or spare rooms in this house. Why do we have to sleep in the same room?"

Nick had the same thoughts.

"You have to tolerate being together if you want to tolerate seeing my parents together tomorrow or the day after that if you two are still around." Diana argued. "I'm telling you, my parents are not actually the shy type in showing their affections. If you know what I mean."

"I can't sleep with him in the same room!" Adalind insisted.

"Me either!"

"Goodnight." With playful smile, Diana ignored their complaints and started to leave. "And don't bother getting into the other rooms. They're locked."

"Diana!?" Their pleas fallen into deaf ears. Diana's figure eventually disappeared, leaving only the two of them.

"Oh screw this!" Adalind suddenly exclaimed after a long silence. "I don't care anymore! I'm tired, I stink, I want to sleep already!"

She then opened the room's door and stomped herself in. Nick followed after her, sighing defeatedly in his heart. She might be his future wife but the 'them' with that sort of relationship is not yet the current them. The current 'them' can't still stand being together. Still, it's not a bad idea to at least start somewhere like spending the night inside the same room.

"Rise and shine!"

The next morning, Adalind was awakened by Kelly's loud and energetic voice.

Opening her eyes, she was at first disoriented. Were the things that happened the night before real? Did she truly been thrown into a timeline where her life is romantically tied with Nick Burkhardt? They were more likely just a dream. An output of her life's stresses.

However, clearing her foggy vision paired with Kelly's voice calling out at them, she realized that there's nothing made up of everything that transpired last night especially when she also saw Nick Burkhardt slowly rousing awake on the couch beside the bed.

"Time for breakfast. Let's go."

Believing it's still too early, Adalind glanced to the clock. Discovering that it's only 7AM, she complained. "Hey, it's still early."

"Yeah, but Mom and Dad are leaving early for work. So am I for school. So either you have your queries now or you might have to wait until later today, probably tonight at the worst case."

"Can't they just call it leave today?" It was Nick who had asked.

"Can't do. Dad has a very important meeting with the Secretary of Defense while Mom has an important client to attend. Just to let you guys know, my parent's careers aren't actually as light as the ones you two have anymore."

"Why? What are our jobs now?" Again, it was Nick who asked this.

"On the surface, Dad is Portland PD's Chief of Police. Covertly, he's a Consultant for the Government especially to their covert agencies like the Hadrian Wall. Mom, on the other hand is Portland's DA. She also has her own Law Firm."

Hearing Kelly's narrative, Adalind's mouth widely gaped. "I'm the DA?"

"Chief of Police, Government Consultant?" So was Nick.

"Not yet but yeah," Kelly replied. "Anyway, breakfast now. Chop chop." And then he exits the room.

She and Nick momentarily glanced to each other and then followed Kelly. However, when they arrived to the kitchen, the only thing that greets them was Diana. Her arms folded above her chest. Her mood a little foul. The table is completely barren.

"Hey, where's the food?" Kelly asked.

"Mom said she tasked you to refill the supplies because I'm going home." Diana glared at Kelly. "Then why is it that my kitchen is empty!?"

"Uhmm…" Kelly scratched his head and laugh uncomfortably. "I forgot."

Diana clenched her teeth as her glare to her brother intensifies. "Mom's right. You're goofing around too much with your girlfriend."

"It's quality time," Kelly argued. "And she knows a lot about Wesens too. She helps me with my training especially when Dad doesn't have the time."

"Yeah yeah fine." Diana rolled her eyes. "But we don't have food here. We'll have to go to the other one."

When Kelly leads the way again for them as he follows Diana, Nick asked, "Where are we going now and what just that?"

"The house has two kitchens," Kelly answered then explained, "Diana is studying Law but she's also a Professional Chef. Two years ago, she won Master Chef US. So Dad gifted her with her own kitchen which is near our rooms. I was supposed to refill her supplies since she's coming home but as you can see, I forgot to do it."

"Ahhhhhh!" Three minutes later. They passed through the living room and opened the door of the house's other kitchen. As the first one to enter, Diana suddenly screamed.

Jerked by the sudden scream, Adalind's attention immediately focused on whatever Diana saw in front of them. And her eyes nearly popped out of her sockets.

On the dining table, her future self had her butt firmly pinned onto its edge. Her top had been long ripped apart, revealing her twin peaks. Meanwhile, an alpha male stood in front of her, also topless and is feasting on her flesh.

This alpha male is naturally the Nick Burkhardt of this timeline.

"Oh my god!" Their children simultaneously exclaimed.

"Whoa!" They jumped like cats whose tails were stepped on. They scrambled to arrange themselves. Her future self trying and miserably failing to cover her bust with her ripped clothing.

"What are you all doing here!?" Future Adalind screamed. Her cheeks deep red especially when she saw that she and Nick were also there. Her husband's frame had long shielded her bareness from their gazes after he picked his shirt from the floor and handed it over to her.

"Seriously you two, on the food?" Diana said.

"Oh God, this is going to sting," Kelly disgustedly remarked too, covering his eyes. "Diana, give me something that can make me unsee that."

"I'll drink one too!"

"All of you, get out!" Future Nick growled and without any argument, they left and closed the kitchen's door.

A few minutes later after that commotion, Nick, Adalind, and their future kids are finally inside the kitchen, eating the meal Diana prepared.

"Are they always like that?" Nick asked Kelly. Until now, he still couldn't shake that image out of his head and he probably never would.

"Well, let's just say that you'll find it odd that I don't have a dozen more siblings."

At this same time, after rushing to their bedroom to arrange their clothings, their future selves returned and joined them.

"Sorry about that." Future Adalind said.

"Just hold back a little, please," Diana reprimanded. "As you might have noticed already, there are more people staying in this house right now."

Adalind embarrassingly smiled.

At that moment, Nick's future self's phone rings. "Hello…Okay, I'll be there." Hanging up, he said to Adalind, "The Secretary of Defense is here. I have to go."

"Alright." His wife nodded.

He then captured her mouth and embraced her. "I'll be home by lunch. We'll figure something out by then. For now," he looked at him and Adalind. "Just help them with everything they needed."

"We'll take care of it, Dad." Diana assured.

With a final look at them, 2031 Nick Burkhardt left.

"I still have some time before my appointment," sitting at the head of the table, future Adalind said. "So before then, Nick, Adalind. Last night, Nick and I had talked about this. For all the questions plaguing you right now. About us, about our children, and our lives now. Just ask, I'll answer all of it."

END OF CHAPTER 4