Once again, my apologies for not updating sooner, but I've been busy. Just letting you know that there will probably be only a couple more chapters in this story, and then it will all be over. I'm afraid that this chapter is raw, and by raw I mean just written and unedited... hope you like it all the same!

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When we appear in my dorm room (again) my father drops the suitcase he was holding, and looks at me with wide eyes. "Gemma, I am dreaming, correct? I will wake up and reappear on the ship, am I correct?" He gives me a pleading look and I only laugh.

"Father, the magic is real, and you are going to have to accept that. Now, Felicity is staying at the inn down the street, and I would like you to get a room there as well."

Isabelle nods in agreement with my plan, and then her stomach growls loudly. She blushes pink, and says, "It may be early still, because of our... trip, but I'm starving. Can we dash down to that Café next door before we do anything else?"

I am suddenly acutely aware of my own hunger, and from the looks on their faces, I can tell that my friends could all do with some food as well.

"Fine, let's go. Father, you can leave your bag here for now."

He drops his bag obediently, and then they all start their trek to the Café. I turn to follow them, but a hand on my shoulder stops me from leaving. I can instantly tell, by the tingling feeling which is running up and down my spine, that the hand belongs to Kartik.

"Gemma, before we eat, may I have a word with you?"

"Of course."

"Gemma, last night while you were asleep, I left the university in search for employment, and I succeeded in securing a position at the docks. As soon as we have rescued your brother, I will be going to stay down there."

For a second I am stunned, unable to speak. Then I find my voice, "But Kartik, I thought that you were just going to stay here with me!"

Kartik let out a soft sigh, "But Gemma I…Alright look. You know how in all those romance novels, the hero and heroine always say that all they need to survive is each other's love? Well, Gemma, that's…well its complete rubbish."

I let out an offended huff and begin to protest, but Kartik interrupts me, "No, honestly Gemma. I know that I owe you my life –"

"Actually you've saved me plenty of times as well so –"

"Gemma let me finish." Kartik looks slightly annoyed now, and he says, "I know that I owe you my life, but it is still my life not yours. And although I love you more than anything else in this world, I can't be content just waiting around in your dorm room and then in your house, waiting for you to get back. Gemma, I've spent my whole life being given missions, assignments, tasks and jobs; it's what I'm used to. I'm not the sort of person who can just wait around aimlessly and bask in happiness with no objective or goal."

I sigh. I suppose I sort of knew all along that Kartik wouldn't just sit around in my house and wait for me to come home so we could love each other. But if not that, then what would we do? I mean, Kartik couldn't marry me, and I sure as heck was not going to give him up. "Alright Kartik, I suppose you're right. You would never be able to enjoy a happy ending properly, so we shall not have one."

With what I hope is an angry, pleading and alluring look all at the same time, I leave Kartik to follow me down to the Café.

When I reach the Café I find my friends already seated around a large table which is piled with food. "Hey there Gemmy! Gemmy's beau! Beau – boo! You're really gorgeous, you know that?"

I rush to Isabelle's side, and I notice that she is flushed and giggling loudly. I can smell alcohol on her breath. "Fee, I leave you alone for five minutes and you get Isabelle drunk!" I shriek.

Felicity shrugs and says, "I just let her take a few sips of the wine I ordered, and this happened!"

My father nods, "Its true Gemma. None of us could have predicted, well, this." He gestures towards Isabelle who is now twirling one of her beautiful mahogany curls and batting her eyelashes at Kartik, who steps away from her cautiously.

Suddenly I hear my professor's voice coming from behind me, "Miss Smith, Miss Doyle, is that you?"

Please, please don't let Professor Hignea be behind me…PLEASE!

I turn around. "Good day, Professor. What brings you here?"

Hignea looks at me curiously and says, "I was hungry, Miss. Doyle."

Gemma, you are an idiot.

"Now then, when I saw you young ladies here, I came over to ask Miss. Smith to help me out with one of these advanced arithmetic equations. Miss. Smith, your aptitude for mathematics continues to astound me, especially as you are a young woman. Would you lend me a hand?" He holds up an impossible looking problem for Isabelle to read.

My heart beats faster than I would have thought possible as I turn to the drunk Isabelle to hear her response. In retrospect, I suppose that her response could have been worse. She simply said, "Hey there, Higgy! Aren't you looking porky today! Especially now that you are standing next to gorgeous Kartik there!"

Professor Hignea stands perfectly still, which I think is very impressive all things considered (I would have slapped her or shouted) but his mouth falls wide open. Nonplussed, Isabelle continues talking, "Now then, where is the loo, I'm feeling sort of…Ugh my stomach!" I give Felicity a look, and with a sigh, she takes Isabelle's arm and drags her off to the ladies bathroom.

Professor Hignea turns to me and says, "As we are not actually on University grounds I can't scold you for this, but don't let it happen again Miss. Doyle."

"Yes, Professor."

"Now, could you help me with this problem Doyle?"

I take one look at the complicated problem and I start to feel dizzy. "Er I, well…"

"Sixty four and seven tenths."

Both Professor Hignea and I turn to face Kartik, and in an awed voice, Hignea says, "What was that, young man?"

"Sixty four and seven tenths. That's the answer to your problem."

Professor fixes Kartik with a hard stare, then he sits himself down in the seat which was previously Isabelle's and pulls out a pencil. After about ten minutes of complex math which I don't even want to look at or think about, he looks up.

"That is correct? Young man, you just solved a problem which had me stumped for hours in mere seconds."

Hang on, is Kartik blushing? Aw, he looks so handsome when he is flattered. I must remember to praise him more often

Kartik mutters something about having an excellent education, but Professor Hignea does not seem to be listening. "What is your name, young man?"

"It's Mehra, sir. Kartik Mehra."

Professor Hignea smiles and says, "Well, Mr. Mehra, if you are ever in need of employment, please do consider helping me out with the math department at the University of New York. We could really use a couple more minds like yours."

On the inside I begin to dance for joy. If Kartik worked at the University then I would see him every day, he would receive high pay and become a respected member of society, despite his race. I close my eyes and thank god that math is universal, that you can't discriminate with math, and that Kartik is good at it.

"Thank you, I'll consider your offer and get back to you as soon as I can, sir."

"Please, call me Hignea. Good day Mr. Mehra, Miss Doyle." With that, Professor Hignea leaves our table, just as Isabelle and Felicity arrive.

Isabelle just collapses into a chair, looking drained. I groan, "I suppose we can't go back to save my brother any time soon then."

Felicity grins at me, "Nope, clock girl here is completely washed out." Then Felicity notices the look on Kartik's face, "What happened to him?"

Before I can respond my father answers her, "Well, my daughter's lover, who happens to be our old driver, also happens to be a mathematical genius. So, that Professor over there (Hignea, is it?) offered him a position at the University. By the way, Gemma, why didn't you tell me about your affair with Mr. Kartik earlier?"

"Actually sir, the affair didn't begin until after I quit that job, when Gemma was back at Spence."

"Ah."

I bite my lip and put on a miserable expression, "Father, are you angry?"

"Me? No! Mr. Mehra strikes me as an honorable and honest gentleman who cares for you and will take good care of you. It is your brother who we must worry about."

I smile, not really caring about Tom. My father approves of Kartik and that is more than I could have ever hoped for.

"Oh my head. May I please have some water?" Isabelle startles us all by pulling herself up into a proper sitting position and talking sensibly. I hasten to pass her some water, and soon Isabelle is looking slightly less green than she had before.

After we have all eaten our fill, Isabelle pays the bill and we all go back up to the dorm. I briefly explain to my father that we are all going back in time again, this time to save Tom from Cecilly who intends to marry him, and then we all take each other's hands again.

"Wait!" my father yells before Isabelle can magic us back in time. He lets go of my hand and takes a seat on my dorm bed. "I don't think that I would like to go with you; I'm too old for such adventures and things."

"I'll stay back with him! I could help him check in to the Inn I am staying at", volunteers Felicity. I can see a hunger in her eyes which I can recognize because I feel it too. She wants to have a real parent. One who doesn't lie to her, or put her down, but compliments her and talks to her. I know that Felicity has never had a proper father, so I decide to let her borrow mine, "Sure Fee, you can stay back. Shall we go then?"

Isabelle nods, and then her forehead creases as the concentrates on our destination; Poole Harbor, London on the day I left for America. The day when I found out about Tom and Cecily.