Chris heard his cell phone ringing. He had just got done chatting with Mohinder. Could he really do what Mohinder had done? Could be find people with abilities? Could he himself evolve? Opening the cell phone, he secretly wished that it was his wife. Instead, it was a number that he didn't recognize. In anxiousness, he answered.

"Hello?" Chris asked.

"Hello. Chris Michaels. Don't be disturbed, I just want to talk with you." The person on the other line. Chris couldn't determine if this was someone his age or what.

"Do I know you?"

"No. Not yet. I know you. I saw you at Mohinder Suresh's lecture. I heard you two talking. I saw the hope in your eyes. It's unmistakable. I want to help."

"How?" Chris said excitedly.

"Listen closely. I want you to find someone with abilities. Somehow. You can let them find you, I don't care. Just find someone and then call me. Don't call until then. Chris, I can help you. I can help you find the hope you really are looking for." The stranger said, and then hung up. Chris looked at his cell phone, wondering who the man was and how he knew that he was looking for real hope.

-----

Ryan walked up the stairs alongside Bryan. His new companion. It was time for action.

"Are you sure about this?" Ryan asked as he held a gun in his pocket.

"It's the only way." Bryan answered. They had been talking the whole plane ride. He had convinced Ryan this was the only way. It was. Ryan looked at the door and then tried to open it. It was unlocked. . Both rushing in with swift footsteps, they lifted their guns. They rushed over to the couch, where a woman and a teenage boy were sitting. They both pointed guns at their heads.

"We have questions. You have answers." Ryan stated firmly. He reached into his other pocket and took out the note. This was her. Alexis Jade. His search was over. He could finally get the answers he wanted.

-----

Kathryn was back into her bedroom. Her experience had been over like a flash. But she had managed to do the two things she wanted. Her room looked the same. Looking at the clock, she found out that she had been gone two hours.

"No way." She said to thin air. Opening her door and walking out, she found her parents who were chatting.

"Mom, dad, you won't believe what happened to me! I went to the future!" She declared. She didn't seem to realize how crazy it was until she had said it.

"What?" They both said.

"I--I went to the future. I know it sounds completely off the wall. I was there. I even brought back this book." She said, handing them the book she had picked out for Jaime.

"Sweetie, it's good that you still have an imagination and you went to this trouble to entertain us. You and Gregory always seemed to enjoy pranking us." Her mother said sternly.

"I'm being serious. I swear to God!" Kathryn gushed loudly, hurt that they didn't seem to even want to consider it in the slightest.

"That's enough, Kathryn. You should go to your room. This prank has gone far enough. You need to quit embarrassing yourself." Her father demanded. Kathryn tried to shrug it off, but she couldn't. She had hoped that they could trust her, that they would. She was wrong. A tear was her only company now.

-----

"Time goes slowly at times, faster at others. The things that we miss are always present in our minds. Our past is always on our minds.

YESTERDAY

Today was the day. After weeks of watching her, Jason had found the opportunity he was looking for. To begin his real mission. He thought of all the people he had known at The Company. They were counting on him. Turning himself invisible, he easily made his way into the museum. He wished that he had Elle there, or any partner. He was nervous. This was his first solo assignment. Alexis was very lonely, lonely like he had been before he found where he belonged. She thought she was alone. She had to know the truth. That she wasn't. Watching her, he decided now was the time. Taking out a gun in his pocket, he shot the glass that held jewelry. The alarm blared loudly.

Now was her chance. He watched her use her telekinesis to retrieve the most expensive jewelry. Around him, people were running in panic. He watched her exit confidently. He watched her blonde-brownish hair and green eyes and fully confident glare. He followed her. She was heading for the Porsche. Running, he got into the Porsche and waited for her. She came seconds later. What could he possibly say? The words were blank, and he couldn't think of what to say. He had only one option.

"Hi there!" Jason said annoyingly.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Your new best friend." With a seductive tone in his voice. In all his months joking around with Elle and acting like a hormonal teenager, he had grown comfortable to hitting on girls. Now, it would have to be the thing that brought them together. After all, he had a job to do.

-----

"The past where we have experienced both bad things and good things. The past that has brought us to the present."

THREE MONTHS AGO

Alexis ran down the sidewalk. She was the one thing she didn't want to be. A criminal. She was a cat burglar. Over the month, she had become an expert with her ability. She had no friends, no family. All she had was money now. She wanted to be rich. It would at least be some comfort for her. Her face said it all. She hated it, but she had to keep stealing. To create a lifestyle she could enjoy.

"Alexis Jade. I've heard about you." A voice said behind her. She could barely make out the face because it was so dark.

"Who--" Alexis said in fear.

"Just call me Gary." The man said walking over to her. He looked like he was not even in his mid-twenties. He wore a leather jacket and slicked over hair. He clearly wasn't from around here.

"Get away from me." She demanded. She was preparing to use her ability.

"I can help you. You can go from a cat burglar-- to something bigger, better. I can help you become rich. You have my word. I can help you." Gary said smoothly.

"What do you want?"

"There are a few things I could use some help with. There's plenty of money, Alexis. You can live the life of luxury. Trust me."

"How much money are we talking about?." Alexis said weakly. This could be her first real break. A life of luxury. All she had to do was trust someone. She couldn't turn it down.

-----

The present has a way of leaving us in peril. The future is so unknown, but yet the past seems so far away. The present can leave many pathways up in the air: we have the power to make any decision we want. Whether for better or worse.

PRESENT DAY

"Keep trying." The man instructed his colleague. The colleague who had brought in the latest evolved human. He took one last look at the victim. What a shame, he thought. With one last look, he shined his eyes. Eyes that were envious, jealous, and bitter. Moving away, he burst back out the door. With what seemed to be a smile, he turned and walked away; walking down the hallway in full confidence. He was reveling in what he had. Power. Taking an exit door, Gary tried to decipher his next move. After thinking for a few moments, it clicked. Glancing up at the sky, he studied the moon. Hovering above ground for only a few seconds, Gary then levitated straight up in the air. Next, he took one look north and flew at supersonic speed in that direction. It wasn't all a waste, he thought.

-----

Decisions hang in the balance. Can we make the biggest decision of our life? Can we make the right choice? The future is on the line in each decision we make.

Gregory and Jaime ran back to the house after a couple of minutes. It was one last kid moment. They both rushed inside. Their father was waiting.

"Boys, I saw you were throwing back and forth the Babe Ruth baseball I gave you. There was no harm done. Don't let it happen again. I just don't get why you ran away. Especially you Gregory."

"I guess there is some kid left in me. Kathryn and I were always trouble makers." Gregory said with a smile. Then he spoke again.

"Why don't we all sit down and have lunch together? It's been a long time but it would sure be real cool."

"What do you say, June?" Their father said, as Jaime enjoyed another Leave It to Beaver reference.

"Sounds like the best idea I've heard in a long while. How about you Beaver?"

"Boy that sounds nice. You guys don't have to pretend like we're in the television show anymore. I already have a family. The best one. Plus, it's real." Jaime said.

Gregory nodded, ruffling his brother's hair and then moving over to help set the table. The last meal.

"Are you ready to get back to school Greg?" Their father chimed as they were eating lunch together.

"Oh. Oh yeah." Gregory said awkwardly. He hadn't even thought about school lately.

"I hope you don't fall down at graduation." Jaime joked.

"Me too." Greg agreed.

"What about you, Jaime." Their mother asked.

"Heck I don't know! It will be nice to see the fellas again. I just don't know about those icky girls." Jaime said, sticking his tongue out. Everyone laughed.

"You might meet up with someone like Kathryn." Gregory said, hoping to inspire him.

"Gee, you might just be right."

"Can I be excused?" Gregory asked suddenly.

"Sure." His mother and father both said.

"Hey--uh--thanks for everything guys. Thanks for being a swell mom and dad, and always being there. Thanks Jaime for being such a goofy little brother. Thanks."

-----

Gregory walked slowly out the door, knowing that it was time. He had his final meal, now it was time to start missing everything he was about to leave. Kathryn was outside waiting for him on his porch. They had to do this.

It is all connected: the past, the present, the future, they hold the keys to our lives." -Mohinder Suresh

-----

Joshua's vision around him returned. He stared at the driveway. He had drawn several drawings. One showed Retroman staring up at a black sun, one that looked like it was blocked out practically. He held a newspaper that read: "95 percent of the world's population is dead".One showed Retroman in an apartment, looking like he was in agony. One showed him in Times Square, a complete shock on his face. For some reason, the drawings seemed to almost speak to him. They said that Retroman was from the past. He must have an ability if he drew him. If Retroman had an ability, it could be time travel. It could explain why he was in shock at Times Square and why he was there out of the blue. If Retroman was a time traveler, maybe he had seen the future if he traveled again and is going to try to fix it. The future full of darkness. It all made sense.

"Joshua!" Jennifer said from behind him, walking over.

"I came to apologize. It's not what it looked like. I know how much you hate Nick. Things are different. I just broke up with him. But--I think things are a lot more different than you know." Jennifer paused, seeing all the drawings around her. "This is who you drew. What does it mean?"

"It means: The farm boy is the future." Joshua said, looking at her and adjusting his glasses. This wasn't just her finding it out; they were both finding it out. The farm boy is the future.

TO BE CONTINUED...

You've seen the past. Now, the present is here. Lives are in danger, lives are at stake. Gregory and Kathryn say their final goodbyes and go to the present, but find themselves in an unexpected place. Chris locates the three people with abilities and learns that he has another mission. Joshua learns more about Jennifer and the jock who he hated. Alexis and Jason face off against Ryan and Bryan. Who will prevail? What will happen? On the next Heroes: New Beginnings, nothing is certain.