Chapter 4

The Truth's of the 21st Century

"Thank you Suzie! See you soon," Lily closed the door and the car disappeared into the night. She turned towards the entrance of the park and sighed, it was one place in this city that hadn't changed.

This park had looked this way when she was a wee one in the twenties, as a teenager in the thirties, coming home after school or taking a shortcut to the cinema to see the latest Jean Harlow and Clark Gable picture, and now; over eighty years later it still had the same basic appearance. She took a step inside and something comforting washed over her, maybe it was due to how familiar the park seemed, she wasn't sure.

"Jack?" she called out.

"Over here Lily," Jack replied as he then walked out of the shadows, she smiled.

"So what was it you wanted me for?" Lily asked.

"I figured we can give Suzie a break and I'll take over with the teaching thing," Jack paused and pulled out a slim black phone out of his pocket, which he handed to Lily.

She looked at it, confusion replacing her smile, "What is it?"

"It's a phone," Jack answered.

"That is not a phone!" Lily exclaimed.

Jack laughed, "The power of technology," he said, grinning.

"How does it work? There is no cord or anything!" Lily asked.

Jack took the phone and opened it, showing her the lit up screen. "You dial the number, the phone sends out a signal which connects to a local cell phone tower. Once connected, you will be able to get a hold of who ever it is your trying to reach," Jack explained.

Lily looked at him as if he was insane; then again the entire day had been a bit insane, "No operator then?"

Jack shook his head, "Nope, then went out a while ago," then he handed the phone back to her. "Just press the button that says send; the screen will show a number and then you just press it again and it'll call," he instructed.

Lily looked at the buttons, found the right one and did as Jack had said. The phone then began to ring and a ringing came from Jack's pocket. She looked at him and Jack answered his phone, "Hello?"

Lily's eyes went wide as she heard Jack's voice through the earpiece, "That is brilliant!" she cried.

"The last sixty-seven years or so have brought some horrible stuff, World War Two and countless other tragic events…but then it also brought some things so simple like a cell phone," he replied.

Lily's smile dropped as she thought about the war, "Who wins?"

"Well if we hadn't won, we'd all be German," Jack answered simply.

"Only Britain is great right?" she asked, half smiling.

"Sounds like something a friend of mine would say," Jack commented.

"So what else do I need to learn about?" she asked.

Jack pulled out a credit card.

"Oh Suzie showed me that one already, the people at the shop thought I was mad."

He put the card away and shrugged, "That was all really," he said, somewhat laughing.

"Do you think we could get some food? Or take me back to the house so I can make something?" Lily suddenly asked as they began to walk.

"Actually, I was thinking about getting some take out or something, care to try Chinese food?" Jack replied.

"It sounds interesting…sure I suppose. I need to get used to this life," Lily began to head towards the exit of the park with Jack, "Is Chinese food a regular thing now?"

Jack shrugged, "Chinese restaurant's are becoming like pizza parlors in New York City, one on every corner," he answered.

"Those were still trying to take off…in the forties," Lily commented.

"Now their incredibly popular, one of these days we'll have to have some. The team tends to get pizza a lot, we always get the same flavor though, which is Meat Lovers, and that just has a lot of different flavors. Then there is really simple stuff like Cheese, and then anchovies," Jack explained.

Lily's face twisted into one of disgust, "Eww! I absolutely hate those things! They are smelly and disgusting!" she exclaimed.

Jack laughed, "Some people have weird taste buds and just like them. I personally don't care for them either."

Lily shrugged and the two continued to walk.

After then spending twenty-five minutes, telling Lily what the different foods were and telling her how they tasted, they ordered their food and fifteen minutes later they were leaving the Chinese restaurant and headed back to the house.

"Tell me about your family," Jack said.

"Well there is my mum, dad, older sister Rose, and my little brother Matthew. I suppose he's an old man now," Lily sighed slightly, "Any chance you would be able to find out?"

"It's possible, if you really wanna know. It isn't always a good thing though. It could wind up causing even more pain," Jack explained as the house came into view.

"Oh…I had a best friend; she was a year younger than me. Alyssa, she was English and could be a right old misery at times," Lily began, she looked to Jack who smiled at her, "But I loved her dearly, she was the only one who ever truly understood me," she continued.

"Lily I'm really very sorry about all of this, it shouldn't of ever happened to you, and if we could control the Rift, I would…but we can't," Jack said as they stopped outside the house.

"That's very kind of you Jack…thank you."

Jack unlocked the door of the house, opened it and stepped to the side to let Lily go first. She walked in and began to go for the kitchen, when she saw the married couple in the living room. She waved briefly and continued walking. They noticed Jack struggle with the bag of food as he followed the new girl.

"See! At least he doesn' make er' carry 'eavy bags!" Lily heard the woman cry in a cockney accent.

She raised an eyebrow at Jack as he came in and set the bag down on the table, "did we upset them or something by coming in here?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it, they were fighting before we came in, they always do and they always make up," Jack answered as he pulled out two cartons of rice.

"Seems a bit silly to fight over the fact that you were carrying the bag. It's just being polite," Lily replied.

"Lily, things have changed a lot since the forties, and most men could care less about social niceties," he explained as he grabbed some cutlery.

Lily sat down and took the fork Jack offered, "That's just appalling," she replied as she then took a bite.

Her eyes went wide and she swallowed, "Jack! That is amazing!" she cried.

"I told you it would be," he answered, sitting down and taking a bite of his own food. Just then the woman from the living room came in, carrying a plate and cup while grumbling about her useless piece of crap husband. She then saw Lily and Jack, "Hi Jack, who is this? That woman came in earlier with bags and said they were for a new girl who was staying here," she said.

"I'm Lily Ainsworth," Lily said, offering her hand for the other woman's.

"I'm Mary," she said.

They shook hands and then Mary left the kitchen, "So may I ask what their story is?" Lily asked Jack.

He shrugged, "Suzie had the idea of renting this place out, so their just renters," he answered.

"That's interesting," she commented.

They finished eating and Lily thanks Jack for everything that had happened in that day, and the Captain left.

Upon going up to her room, Lily heard Mary and her husband arguing. But she ignored it and went into her room. Suzie had left a light on by the desk and it looked like their purchases had been put away already. Suzie really did seem nice. She smiled and pulled her sweater off, which she placed on the desk. Lily took her shoes off and went to the wardrobe to put them away, and indeed her new dresses were hung up. Lily pulled a nightdress out of the small set of drawers and tossed it on the bed. She changed, put her clothes away and brushed her hair.

Lilly crawled under the covers, her quilt from home on top, the only thing she had with her from home, it still smelled like home, and that simple scent was the only thing that helped her sleep…

XX

A/N- So we've learned what a cell phone is, that Lily likes Jean Harlow and Clark Gable, and we've tried Chinese food for the first time! Haha…next chapter I quite like, though it has some sadness thrown in….please send out only the good reviews, and if you must criticize, do it in a polite manner and a constructive manner! Spread the love, and hopefully I'll get chapter 5 typed up tonight, it's already finished…I just gotta write it on the computer! *bangs head on desk* All my love, Beccs! ^_^