Well, here it is. Thank you guys for reviewing and sticking with me throughout this story. Means a lot to me. This chapter is a little different but I think/hope it works.

Again, any and all mistakes are mine. Hopefully there won't be too many.

Anyway, enjoy. :)

Refresher: On the way back to the B&B, Myka, Claudia, and Bailey ran into Joshua and his girlfriend Jennifer. Upon entering the B&B, Joshua, Jennifer, and Bailey left the room to let Myka reconcile with the rest of the team.

In her twenty years of living, Bailey never thought it would happen. To be fair, she didn't think a lot of things would happen but what she'd been through in the past week – or was it two – was low on the list. Or really, it wasn't even on the list of things she thought possible. But as it turns out, there are mysterious artifacts in the world with strange powers. And it just so happened that she found the one that could send her back in time.

So here she was, in an era before she was born – before she was even thought about – sitting next to the two people she came to terms with never seeing again.

When Pete made his appearance at the top of the stairs, Joshua thought to give the family as much privacy as possible and silently led Bailey and Jennifer into the dining room. There they sat in uncomfortable and nervous silence, doing their best to ignore the pieces of conversation that floated into the room periodically.

An irresistible aroma made the feast set on the table impossible to miss, just waiting to be devoured by the whole team, or rather, family. There was a place setting missing – apparently Joshua kept Jennifer a secret even to Leena – but Bailey didn't care at the moment, nearly falling into the closest chair. Fatigue and the emotional strain of being in the wrong place – and wrong time - were weighing her down. Her entire body felt like it was covered in concrete, she didn't want to move or talk to anyone. She wasn't sure how long she'd be able to fight it.

If she was honest with herself, she wasn't sure how much longer she wanted to.

Joshua's soft, caring voice drifted into Bailey's senses and she reveled in his familiarity for a few moments before realizing he was trying to get her attention. Blinking, Bailey came out of her thoughts enough to hear Joshua ask if she was okay.

"I'm fine," Bailey mumbled but knew even a five year old would know she was lying. But at the moment, she didn't care. She felt worn-out ever since Colorado, a constant headache throbbed her brain, causing her grief at all waking times. Her unconscious moments were the only times she was unaware of the pain, but her dreams took up the slack – leaving her little with rest.

The fever she supposedly broke earlier had also returned full force to add to her discomfort. Bailey wasn't sure if anyone else knew that quite yet though and she was glad for it. There wasn't anything that could be done to help her anyway.

She could feel Joshua's eyes on her and knew he was aware of her lies but it was a nod to his character and trust in Claudia that he didn't ask her again. At least, not until Jennifer excused herself to seek out the bathroom.

"I know you're lying," he said quickly and quietly. "You're being affected by an artifact. How are you really feeling?"

Bailey closed her eyes and sighed wearily. She didn't want this. She didn't want to explain what was going on again. Especially not to him. "Listen, I appreciate it," she started once she met his concerned eyes. "I really do but there's nothing you can do to help." As much as she hated it, she couldn't keep the desperation out of her voice.

"I might be able to do something," he said. She should have known better; he wouldn't have been a Donovan if he gave up that easily. "I was stuck in an inter-dimensional field for twelve years. I think I know a thing or two about the affects of artifacts," he reasoned with an almost smug smirk.

"I know," Bailey mumbled. "Claudia mentioned it to me once," she lied easily to relax his suddenly puzzled face. Bailey didn't know what else to say after that and so stayed quiet, hoping pointlessly that he would drop it. But again, he was determined to find out what was wrong and what he could do to put a stop to it.

Bailey felt her eyes start to sting and had to look away. She couldn't tell him, she wouldn't tell him, but his compassion, his overwhelming concern for someone he didn't know was only making her feel worse. It was only making her miss her parents that much more. Her heart clenched at every word that exited his mouth and her emotions were waging a war inside her body. She didn't want the attention anymore; she just wanted to go home, to be home with her own family – in the right time – not twenty something years before.

A lonely tear betrayed her stoic expression and Joshua reacted instantly, replacing his queue of questions with just one, "What's wrong?"

He reached out to cover her hand in his own before Bailey could react. Heat ripped through them both and Joshua flinched back as if burned.

"I'm sorry," Bailey whispered through the renewed wave of pain. Another tear fell down her cheek as she turned to take in the confusion and worry in Joshua's gaze. "I'm just…" she numbly wiped at her wet cheeks and forced an embarrassed laugh, "I think I'm homesick."

To his credit, Joshua didn't question the strange heat from their connection, instead relaxing his features and asking, "Where's home?"

"Close," Bailey answered without really thinking, "but… far." Her own brow crinkled to match Joshua's at that peculiar reply.

But before either of them could mention it, Jennifer entered the room and immediately took notice of Bailey's badly covered tears. Coming to Bailey's side and kneeling to her eye level, Jennifer asked sympathetically, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Bailey shook her head lightly and a genuine chuckle escaped her lips. How was she supposed to answer that question? Things were too messed up to even attempt to conceive an answer. A piercing pain stabbed her in her forehead and she did all she could to stop herself from clutching at it. Instead more tears fell and Jennifer took it upon herself to comfort the younger woman with a hug.

"Geeze, Joshua, I leave for five minutes…" Jennifer reprimanded her boyfriend in a fake serious tone, "What did you say to the poor girl?"

Joshua gave Jennifer a smile but it turned into a thoughtful frown as he studied the sick girl sitting next to him, "I don't know."

Jennifer ended the hug with a reassuring pat on Bailey's back. Bailey wiped the remainder of her tears on her sleeve but refused to look at either of her comforters. "I'm just a little homesick," Bailey explained, "you know, with Thanksgiving and everything."

Without looking up, Bailey could see Jennifer nod understandably before asking, "Why aren't you at home? If you don't mind me asking."

Bailey met Joshua's eyes for a brief moment before inspecting the food in front of her again. So many answers crossed her mind: It doesn't exist yet; the old married couple that live there now haven't retired yet; my parents only just met; there's no foreseeable way back to my time; technically, I am home.

"I don't know what would happen if I answered that honestly," Bailey said with a hint of resentment in her voice. Joshua's raised eyebrow and Jennifer's nervous glance at her boyfriend told Bailey that they heard the bitterness. Maybe they would just pass if off as exhaustion finally getting to her.

It didn't really matter to Bailey anymore. She was tired of the whole time traveling situation. Constantly worrying about saying too much or too little, reacting a certain way, or even being in the wrong spot was giving her a headache on top of the one she already had. As far as she was concerned, everything was either monumentally screwed up by now or everything would work itself out eventually. It was just a matter of time.

Bailey saw the shared glance between the two but a sound from the foyer caught her attention. Pete was exclaiming how hungry he was and how it was all the girls' fault that he had to wait for dinner.

"I think they made up," Bailey said quietly, to which Joshua and Jennifer turned their heads to in fact see the rest of the group enter the dinning room.

They all had contented and gleeful smiles on their faces, something Bailey was glad to see even if it did make her heart yearn even more for her own family. She sat silently as jokes and comments were thrown into the air and laughed at in a manner not unlike a few months ago, before the H.G. fiasco. The family's struggle to retain some sense of normalcy seemed to be off to a running start with only a little hesitance on Myka's side. Jennifer even found her comfortable position on the field so to speak and quickly acclimated to their unique motions.

The conversation quieted when Bailey finally stood, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. They all asked if she was okay without the use of words, their expressions were enough. Bailey appreciated their worry but decided once again, for their sake, to lie.

She was running out of time and she knew it. The pounding headaches and intense heat and pain running through her body wasn't for fun. She was dying. The artifact's power was burning her up from the inside and no one knew what to do because there wasn't anything to be done. Nothing except let it run its course.

But Bailey kept that to herself, like she kept her dizziness to herself as well as her blurry vision. She didn't mention the fact that she could barely see her friends and family through the cloud of white that invaded her sight. Nor did she mention that all the pain originated from her glowing wrist.

What she did do was give them a reassuring smile. She wasn't quite sure if it reached her eyes but she didn't think it would have made a difference either way. The rest of the group was concerned for her and no matter how much reassurance she gave them they would still worry for her sake. Because no matter what profession they found themselves in, they were all caring, loving people and Bailey was proud to be a part of the family. Even if she only got twenty years to enjoy it.

She frowned. Those last few thoughts were said out loud, or at least she thought so. It would explain hearing it through her ears as well as the expression changes on her family's faces. Eyes widened in shock and realization. Tears welled in some. Understanding but sorrow drew their faces down. Claudia called out to her, tried to reach her, but Bailey stopped her in her tracks with one relaxed look. Suddenly Bailey wasn't afraid anymore. She was content. The artifact did what it was meant to do. It fixed this family. Put the pieces back together harmoniously. She wondered idly what would happen now. Would she blink out of existence just like that? Or fade away and return to the future with no memory of her time here?

Her arm pulsed and she realized she must have been glowing. That was why everyone else was standing stock-still. Bailey smiled despite her pain and met everyone's gaze individually. With the last of her strength, she stood up straight and addressed the group in front of her. "No matter what happens…" she felt tears slide easily down her cheeks once again but continued strongly, "I just want to say I love you guys."

"We can fix this," Bailey heard Claudia force out through her tears.

Bailey smiled at the redhead's resilience, at the familiarity of it, at the passion and pure belief behind her words. "If we had more time, maybe," Bailey smiled sadly and inhaled deeply as she fought off the ever-encroaching white. "Promise me something?" she asked, her calm tone suddenly anxious.

"Anything," Pete answered firmly from his position next to Myka.

Bailey met his gaze, "Don't mess this up." Her lips curved upwards slightly, "because I don't think I could survive a second round."

Every single person in the room grinned and Bailey was thankful that was the last thing she saw before everything was lost in white as if she was watching a blizzard through the windows. A thought crossed her mind then, would they remember her, or blame the inevitable flash of white on a faulty lamp? But again, Bailey didn't have the willpower or time to care.

The bracelet had wanted a happy family. Bailey wanted to see them complete. But more than anything, as the heat engulfed her body and right before the white turned black, Bailey wished to she could see her family the way she knew and loved them.

…

Someone was yelling for her. The voice was crumbling and echoing strangely in the darkness but she could tell it was her name. They sounded scared, worried, but she didn't understand why. Maybe they were afraid of the dark and they didn't want to be alone, she pondered. She heard her name again, this time it was clearer but it still seemed far away. She tried to respond, she opened her mouth and everything, but her response never made it past her dry throat. The voice was getting closer, or at least, a lot louder and she tried again to respond.

Something came out, that she was sure of, but it wasn't anywhere near what she had meant to say. Her response of 'I'm right here' sounded more like a groan, or worse, a grunt. But the voice must have understood because now it wasn't just saying her name, now it was uttering sentences and questions that she discomfortingly found she didn't have the strength to answer, let alone try to decipher.

Another small groan escaped her lips and then it hit her, something hit her, on the cheeks, three times. It wasn't too hard but enough to startle her. Enough to make her realize she was the one in the darkness; she was the one with her eyes closed. The other voice was trying to get her out of her reverie.

Suddenly her whole body felt heavy, every limb, every finger, even her eyes were a struggle to open. Ignoring the voice, she concentrated all her strength on opening her eyes. She recoiled slightly from the harsh light that flooded through the small cracks but once her eyes adjusted, she saw the blurry outline of someone leaning over her. He seemed to smile when she looked at him but his frown was still in place, still worried that she hadn't said anything back to him yet.

Then two things happened at once: one, she realized was lying on the floor and two, she hurt, a lot. Every muscle pulsed dully with each beat of her heart but for some reason, her arms hurt the most. A piercing pain ripped through her body when she tried to move her left arm and her right felt like it was on fire. That's when it clicked. Something bad happened, something horrible and she was hurt because of it. That was why she was on the floor and just coming out of unconsciousness.

Adrenaline poured through her veins and she used the momentary strength to sit up. Her arms screamed out for her to stop and she immediately felt light headed, swaying on the spot. Involuntary tears welled in her eyes at the pain, further blurring her vision and she felt like she was going to fall back to the ground again. But to her relief, the man who leaned over her before held her in place as she sagged against him.

His voice resonated through her body as he held her and maybe it was the proximity but she finally understood what he was saying. He was apologizing to her, sorry for what someone else – Alex? Anthony? Andrew? – did to her, to all of them. Sorry he couldn't stop him. Sorry he was too late to help. She couldn't reply, her throat was dry and her feeble attempt to swallow only caused her more pain. He seemed to notice and gave her a small squeeze, giving comfort in any way he could.

Other voices floated into her mind then and she lifted her eyes to see more people surrounding her. They all looked worried but thankful that she was okay. If she had more strength, she would have contradicted them, saying she did not feel okay. In fact, she felt like hell, like a truck collided with her a few times, and she didn't know why. But instead of forming the words, she let the familiar sense of darkness consume her and let them figure out what that meant.

…

A pounding headache was what woke her. Before she even tried to open her eyes, the unnerving silence greeted her. There were no voices this time, just her scattered thoughts that told her she was awake. She was still lying down but this time she was more comfortable, like on a bed instead of the hard floor. The last thing she realized was how numb she felt. Her entire body still felt heavy but the pain from before had receded greatly, just barely hanging on to the edges of her awareness.

When she finally opened her eyes, no one was leaning over her and she could see the faint blue walls above her clearly. Moving her head slightly she saw she was in a familiar bedroom, lying on a bed with purple sheets.

Closing her eyes again, she willed her thoughts into some sense of organization. She needed to figure out what happened. The last time she woke she was on the floor, in pain, and there were people worried about her. But why?

She gasped as torrents of images, thoughts, and emotions suddenly consumed her mind. Darkness, anger, pain, fear and greed clutched her heart with clawed fingers until the light and heat and power unleashed it. Tears gathered in her eyes as scenes played out before her; memories that weren't hers, filled with heartbreak and sorrow, memories that she shouldn't be able to see, ever. She faintly felt the cool tears streak down the sides of her warm face as the memories finally changed. There was a man at the door; he lifted a hand and pain ripped through her chest before her back met a wall, breaking it to pieces. He was hurting her, threatening her family, lusting for ungodly powers and she was the only one with the ability to stop him.

White flashed behind her eyelids and she forced them open, sitting up quickly in the process. She was vaguely aware of crying out but the next thing she knew, someone wrapped their arms around her comfortingly and whispered soothing words into her ear. Sobs unwillingly shook her body but she was helpless to stop them as the images burned in her mind.

"Hey, hey, it's going to be alright, don't worry. Everything's going to be fine," whispered a soft voice that Bailey instantly recognized as her father's.

She reached around with her right arm – something was holding back her left but she couldn't be bothered to figure it out just now – and held tightly to his toned body, as if he were her only life raft in raging white rapids.

"Dad… Andrew – he attacked us –" Bailey choked out between sobs.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore," he assured her with a light squeeze, "He's gone."

Bailey nodded hazily as her sobs gradually faded to silent tears. She could still see him, even with her eyes open, his face contorted in rage, as he demanded the bracelet.

Bailey pulled away quickly and looked at her arm. There was a scar, a single band wrapped around her wrist with swirling tendrils branching off in a delicate pattern, but no bracelet. Her father took her arm in his and gently rubbed his hands over the fresh disfigurement.

"It'll fade eventually," he said, attempting to mask his sorrow and guilt. "But it'll be there forever."

Bailey stared in a daze for a few moments before finally looking up at her father, her hand still between his. He looked older than she remembered. His dark brown hair that was only marred by a few grays, that she proudly took responsibility for, stuck up in impossible ways and he had a few scratches that cut into his skin. He seemed to have a few more lines around his eyes but it was his expression that made him look older; it was one she rarely saw on him and was glad for it. It was full of grief and sorrow, yet relief. He just looked tired. His soft brown eyes remained downcast on her wrist, either not noticing her gaze or not willing to meet her tear filled eyes just yet.

"Pete took off the bracelet when… it's safe back in the warehouse now." Bailey watched as he formed and yet struggled with the words. "How are you feeling?"

Bailey's eyes watered once more at the pain and unshed tears in her father's eyes when he finally met hers. She swallowed in a failed attempt to stop her tears. "I'm alright. Just…tired," she breathed out and slouched to inadvertently prove her point.

He gave a small smile but the grief kept his eyes from shinning like she was so used to. A thought glided into her mind and she couldn't help but ask, "How long was I out?"

He swallowed and his eyes darkened a little more. "Three days."

Bailey's eyes widened. She wanted to ask more, ask how it happened, what happened while she was unconscious but the pain in her father's eyes made her heart ache for him. She couldn't imagine what happened between the fight and now. She had no idea what he went through but it was still fresh in her dad's memory so she decided not to have him relive it just yet.

"Does that mean I missed Thanksgiving?" She asked seriously.

Bailey's breath caught when he paused but her heart soared when he grinned. The light found his eyes again, if only a dim one, and Bailey smiled along with him.

"I think there's some leftovers," he whispered conspiratorially. Then laughed along with Bailey as he helped her out of the bed.

…

Although her fatigue and weakness made walking down the stairs difficult, Bailey wasn't going to let it get in the way of filling her stomach. Apparently sleeping for three days leaves you with a huge appetite. With her dad's arms around her shoulders, keeping her steady, she descended them one at a time. But she stopped short when she reached the dinning room.

They were all there, waiting for her like it was her birthday, sitting or standing in various areas of the room. Everyone. Artie was sitting at the head of the table, head full of gray; Leena, standing near the kitchen, waiting for the timer to ring; Claudia, leaning against the wall behind Artie, glaring at the pair of clutches she was holding out in front of her; Pete and Myka, sitting next to each other, holding hands and smiling gleefully at the rest of the group; and her mother, the first to notice the new arrivals and the first to frantically stride towards Bailey and envelope her in a hug the way all moms do when a lost child is found.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so glad you're okay," she said, teary eyed.

Happy tears flowed freely from Bailey as she wrapped her good arm around her mother.

The sound of rubber thumping on the wood floor announced Claudia's presence and mother and daughter broke apart when Claudia spoke.

"About time, for a second there I thought Jen was going to smother you. Of course, I also thought my brother was going to keep you upstairs and make us starve, so…" she trailed off with a smile.

Bailey wasn't sure whether to smile with her or frown, so she did both. "What do you mean 'starve'?"

"Thanksgiving!" Pete yelled from the other side of the table, startling everyone in the room. Myka lightly smacked his arm and rolled her eyes. Pete rubbed his arm but smiled at their routine.

A ringing sound came from the kitchen and Leena jumped out of her revere to get the turkey. Pete stood to help her with the rest of the food.

"Didn't think we'd eat without you, did you?" Myka asked with a knowing smirk and raised eyebrow at Bailey's surprise.

"But I was out for three days…" Bailey uttered in disbelief but a beaming smile graced her face as she added, "Didn't think you guys would have lasted this long."

"Well, you know," Pete said, reentering the room in front of Leena, with arms full of the biggest turkey Bailey had ever seen. "Full of surprises, us," he said with an exaggerated shrug.

The whole group laughed together at Pete's fake nonchalance.

"Besides," Artie's old, gruff voice cut across the laughter. "Can't have Thanksgiving without the whole family here." Artie smiled and Bailey beamed at him, sending and receiving waves of affection.

She couldn't possibly know for sure but she thought any other 'normal' family wouldn't be as fun or loving or as close as they were. Not for the first time, Bailey was thankful for the makeshift family she was born into. And she was positive that if she ever came across some sort of time traveling artifact, she wouldn't change a thing.

END