Disclaimer: I think you know by now that I don't own it, right? Right.

Challenge: Mirror

Set three years after End of Time. Jen is back in her own time.

All of my memories keep you near. In silent moments imagine you here.

– Memories by Within Temptation

The mirror was foggy and reflected only the bright light from the ceiling as Jen stood in front of it. She reached up and rubbed her hand across it in an attempt to clear away the condensation that had gathered there from her hot shower. As she drew her hand away she saw herself reflected in the small rectangular curve she had made. Satisfied, she picked up her mascara and leaned towards the mirror.

"Damn!" The curse came out without her thinking about it as the small stick slipped from her sweaty palm and clattered to the floor.

Jen reached for it, wondering when she had become so clumsy, and stood back up. From the corner of her eye she caught a fleeting glimpse of something familiar in the mirror. She glanced behind her to make sure she was alone then back to her own reflection. Instinctively, she placed her hand on the cool surface to trace the face she had see, one that she saw every day of her life, but different somehow. Blond hair instead of black and eyes a shade lighter than those she woke up to each morning.

"Wes?" She shook her head and let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. There was no use questioning the mirror, it couldn't talk back.

There was only one explanation for what she had seen; her mind was playing tricks on her. Wes was long gone…

She had thought that she had forgotten him, three years was a long time to hold onto something that was never meant to be, but she had been wrong. So very wrong. The mere thought of him brought memories back to the surface that she thought she had forgotten, feelings that she was sure she no longer felt. She had thought Wes was gone but in that instant she knew that she had only buried his memory, he still burned deep within her.

A flood of memories rushed to the surface and for a moment the mirror was filled with his image. His smiling face, the way his laughter lit up his eyes. The grim determination that he had in the most intense situations, and the way he always made her smile, no matter how crummy she felt. No, she hadn't forgotten, and she hadn't moved on like she thought.

"Jennifer?"

Jen jumped as the voice of a ghost lifted her from her reverie, his reflection staring back at her, concern registering in his sharp gaze.

There he was again…but then she came to her senses, she didn't believe in ghosts.

"Alex," she said calmly, averting her gaze to the sink. "You startled me."

"Are you ok?"

She felt his touch on her shoulder and immediately thought of Wes. "I'm fine," she lied.

She risked a glance into the mirror and saw a dark frown cross her husband's features. He knew she was lying, but he chose not to call her bluff.

"It's almost 6:30," he said, his voice low and infused with a strange sadness. "Hurry up; we're going to be late for work."

Jen nodded and watched his retreating back in the mirror. He knew, she didn't know how he knew, he just did. Alex had this uncanny ability of knowing when she was thinking about Wes. But the thing that frustrated her most was how silent and withdrawn he would become, it almost made her feel like she was back in the twenty first century and he was the cold commanding officer that had taken back the red chrono morpher.

Sighing, she quickly threw on her uniform and finished her makeup before grabbing her jacket and reaching for the light switch, casting once last glance back at the blank mirror before she followed her husband out of their small apartment.

She watched him as they waited silently for the elevator and wondered what he was thinking about. An uncomfortable stillness had fallen between them, forming a gap that neither wanted to be the first one to cross, but Jen caved first.

"Alex," she asked, already knowing the answer, "what's wrong?"

He shook his head but didn't look at her, "nothing."

Jen took a deep, relaxing breath and tentatively placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's something."

He shook his head once more and stepped into the newly arrived elevator. "It's nothing, really. I'm just tired." He met her stare with a weary smile as he reached for the panel of buttons.

"Oh," replied Jen, deciding not to press the issue any further.

The doors slid closed and Jen found herself staring at the mirror that covered the inside of the doors. A mirror that she silently cursed even as she marveled at the sight of herself and Alex in their crisp white uniforms as Alex's hand slowly slid into hers. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Jen smiled back at his reflection, all the while wondering what had happened to Wes in his time.

Knowing Wes the way she did she knew that he had not wasted his life, it had been extraordinary because that was the way Wes lived. Near the edge, but not close enough to fall off. Probably went out with a bang too, always the one to make an entrance there was no doubt that his exit would be any less spectacular.

Staring at the reflection in the mirror, Jen realized that the figure of Wes was gradually fading away, being replaced by a similar face. Maybe one day it would fade away completely, maybe one day she wouldn't be haunted by his memory, maybe one day the face in the mirror would be the reflection of her husband.

Maybe one day…

Yeah, anyway. Reviews are love!