Time Swap

Disclaimer: I don't own the shows!

A/N:

Chapter 38 (Fall from Grace)

Adrenaline fueled him as he ran through the doors of the MegaCorp building. He kept the man in sight, bystanders flocked out of the way. Spencer couldn't understand why nobody would actually stop and help! "I told you Spencer, I always get what I want!" Jonathan screamed out. Spencer cussed under his breath as Jonathan entered a door leading to the stairs. Where was he going with Charlie?

His eyes widened as he feared the worst. The Roof! There were fifty floors to this building, five less than the tallest building in Denver. If Jonathan insisted on running up all of them, then he was going to have to run up them too. "I won't let you hurt her!" He heard Charlie calling out for him as he bolted up the first set of stairs. He could see Charlie attempting to kick Jonathan and remove herself from his hold. "Charlie hang on! I'm coming!" He nearly tripped going up the second flight of stairs, then scrambled up the third.

Making it to the fourth floor, he stopped at the bottom of a set of stairs to see Jonathan glaring at him from the top. "What do you think you're doing, Spencer?" Jonathan taunted. Spencer narrowed his eyes as Charlie gazed fearfully in his direction. "You honestly think this girl's mother will give a fuck about you if you try and save her daughter?" His heart strained at the taunt and his teeth clenched tight. He wasn't concerned with winning Angelica's approval.

"I only want to get my daughter away from you. I already told you to stay away from her!" Jonathan laughed and started up the next set of stairs, Spencer roared and charged after. Chances were likely the police were going to enter the building soon enough. Whether or not Jonathan succeeded in his plan, he was screwed. Spencer's main concern now was making sure Jonathan didn't succeed. "Get back here and face me like a man!"

"The hell you know what being a man takes, you're just in it for the pussy." A chill ran down his spine and anger rushed through him. His eyes burned into the back of Jonathan's blonde curls. The hate he felt for this man was powerful, but he had to put that aside and find a way to protect Charlie. Hopefully Harold was doing his best to console Angelica. It would take everything for him not to come running.

"Not around my daughter!"

"Who cares? She's as dead as her mother's going to be when I'm done with them!"

"You'd have to deal with Harold, and that's only if you manage to kill me first!" He heard Jonathan scoff. Charlie screamed again and Spencer's rage flourished once more. "Damn it Jonathan, put her down!" He gripped the steel railing, panting and breathing heavily. As he gazed up, he saw Jonathan's head poking over one of the railings, smirking dangerously at him.

"I don't think you want me to do that."

"What is your problem!" He knew Jonathan was angry towards whatever it was Charlotte had done to him in the past, but what was driving him to try and go after Angelica and Charlie? "Why are you so damn persistent!"

"I have my reasons."

"They never did anything to you! Charlie did nothing to you, asshole!" His heart was racing and his shirt was drenched in sweat. His legs were burning with each step he ran, but he had to keep pushing. He couldn't give up, not for a moment. If he even dared to pause, then Jonathan would keep moving. However, he knew one thing was going for him. He was the football star, Jonathan was just a crotchety old man. Growling, Spencer tore off the sweat drenched shirt and continued running, pushing himself harder than he'd pushed himself in his life.

He knew he was getting closer to Jonathan, for as they ran they shouted at each other, and Jonathan sounded closer each time. He heard the man wheezing, he was definitely growing tired. The only thing adding distance was Spencer tripping over a few steps every now and then, stumbling as his rage-fueled adrenaline pumped through his body. He was beginning to wheeze himself, still pissed with Jonathan.

"My father didn't do anything to you either, yet you still shot him. You tried to kill my mother. You're responsible for Amy's death and you still show at the funeral." He breathed in sharply, shouting out each word between breaths. This was the most he'd ever climbed, the most he'd ever run, and it was beating him. His vision was beginning to blur and his lungs had expanded as far as they were going to. "You killed Angelica's mother. Haven't you done enough?" He grabbed the end of one railing and turned to see Jonathan glaring from the top of one set of steps, growling angrily as Charlie struggled in his grasp. The man was breathing heavily and sweating from head to toe.

"You think I would be satisfied only killing Mrs. Pickles? No. Not until they've all paid. Not until they've all felt the pain of losing everything as I have!" Spencer raised his eyebrow as Jonathan's eyes narrowed sharply. His hand tightened on the railing as he turned his eyes to Charlie's frightened gaze.

"So you'd hurt an innocent girl because her grandmother fired you?"

"The bitch overworked me! I had a family, I had a son that I loved. He was born in '93, you know." Spencer froze, recalling the code given when he had to unlock his door to retrieve the dynamite stick. Jonathan had a son? "It led to fights and my wife finally left me, moved away and took our son. She kept him away from me, I've not seen my own family since '99. All I had was my job, but that little twit had to go and make every day of my life miserable! Then I snapped, but I was in the right! I was sick of being bossed around by the little bitch!"

"Quit cursing in front of her!"

"Oh shut up! You think you're so fucking pious that you can lecture me?!"

"Hey! I'm trying, damn it! You could have at least moved on!"

"The hell you know! When that cold-hearted bitch fired me, I truly lost everything! Then her daughter signals me for the woman's murder? No, it doesn't work like that. That bitch has been ruining my life all this time, and now I'm going to ruin hers by destroying everything she holds dear! Starting with her daughter!"

"Stop talking about my momma like that!" Charlie screamed. Instantly Spencer's heart was struck with fear as Charlie bit down on Jonathan's hand and kicked him in the crotch. Jonathan cursed and dropped Charlie, but rather than run towards or behind Spencer, she ran upstairs.

"Charlie, no!"

"Get back here you little brat!" Jonathan screamed, instantly running after her.

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit!" His body was still burning, more than before. There were only about ten flights left to the roof, he would have to push himself. Instead of telling Charlie to come back, he knew that would be far too dangerous. "Charlie! Just keep running! When you get to the roof, hide!" On second thought, he likely should have told her to run into the nearest door she saw, but his mind was in a haze right now.

Sweat poured through his eyes and down his face, his hair was in the way of his vision, and his body was aching. "God this fucking hurts. Can't stop now…even if it kills me, I have to get to Charlie." He swallowed hard and bolted up, not bothering to think of how many steps he was climbing. The top ones were the hardest, but fortunately for him, he could hear Jonathan practically falling down the stairs himself. Charlie was hopefully far ahead of them. "Jonathan! I warned you already what would happen if you laid a finger on Charlie!"

"Call me an asshole if you will, Spencer. I do what I want." The man's voice was weak, strained. Spencer still had more strength and power in his tone and body. This was at least going for him. "You better pray I don't find that little bitch first!"

"Keep it up Jonathan, it only makes me want to get you more!" It was very true, the more Jonathan flapped his gums, the angrier Spencer became. The angrier he became, the less he focused on his own pain and the more he focused on his desire to snap Jonathan's neck. He looked back over his shoulder, hearing a rush of footsteps far below. Police maybe? "Jonathan, this is only going to get worse for you, give up now!"

"Like what your father would have me do? Fuck that, Spencer!"

Spencer huffed and pushed himself further up the steps. His muscles were aching for him to cease, but he wasn't doing so. "Even if it kills me, I will get you! I won't let you hurt Charlie!" No response came, Jonathan may have managed to get to the roof. Panic spread throughout his body and he screamed, pushing all his energy into climbing the next flight of stairs and bolting out the door.

Jonathan was standing in the center of the roof, looking around, his back turned to the door. Thinking not of his own safety, Spencer charged for him, tackling him just as he started looking over his shoulder. Jonathan cussed as Spencer rolled with him towards the edge of the building. The walls of the roof were at least waist high, so rather than roll off, they slammed into the wall.

He soon found himself being pulled up and pushed against the wall, with Jonathan holding his torso over the edge. He grabbed Jonathan's wrists and looked over his shoulder at the ground far below. His eyes widened as he saw people grouping up on the ground below like tiny dots. He could see many red and blue lights flashing below, but that was about it. "You see what's below?! That's where you're going, Spencer! You shouldn't have fucked with me!" His arms were giving out and his body was weak, wasn't Jonathan's as well, though? "Now the second I find that kid, she's going off too!"

Far below, Spencer could just make out two people in front of the crowd. Harold and Angelica, people were beginning to surround them. Angelica was on her knees, clutching her chest and watching the top of the building. Harold was kneeling beside her, glaring up at them. He thought he could connect with Harold's gaze. He was trusting him. Angelica was trusting him.

He couldn't give up, he couldn't let Jonathan win! Spencer clenched his teeth and groaned, ignoring his pain as he started pushing forward. "I…won't let you harm their daughter!" Jonathan gasped out as Spencer slammed the man forward. The older man stumbled backwards and struck the ground.

"Damn it, my shoulder!"

"Not going to work!" He grabbed Jonathan's ankle and pulled him back, slamming him against the wall. The man rose to his feet and growled, swiping away some blood at the corner of his lips.

"Bad move." Spencer clenched his fists, readying himself for a fight. Jonathan swung a right jab, Spencer ducked and shot his left fist forward into his opponent's gut. Next came a knee to the face, Spencer staggered backwards and caught himself, growling as Jonathan started to swing another punch, striking Spencer in the jaw. "You think you got what it takes? You're still a punk."

"At least I know when to quit, unlike some people." Spencer slammed his right fist forward, striking Jonathan hard in the jaw. Jonathan grabbed Spencer and once more spun him into the wall, hanging him over the edge. He saw Jonathan reach into his suit and whip out a pistol. Jonathan's wild eyes glared down at him as he pushed the pistol to Spencer's forehead.

"I'm going to blow your fuckin' brains out right here, Spencer! For everyone to see!" He grabbed Jonathan's wrist, his heart was pounding and his body was finally beginning to give out. He heard the door of the roof open and close and slowly looked towards the corner of his eyes, Mr. Dooley and several officers were making their way out the door. They still wouldn't make it in time. "You should have learned when to quit!"

"No…you should have…" He slammed his free hand into Jonathan's gut, causing the man to groan. With that, he gripped the edge of the building and started to push upwards. His eyes slammed shut and his arm muscles tensed one final time as he pushed himself and Jonathan over the edge.

"W-What the hell do you think you're doing? What are you!" Jonathan attempted to pull his hand away, but Spencer would not release them man's wrist.

"Whether or not I die, I don't care. I am not letting you harm Angelica's and Harold's daughter! You won't hurt anyone else!" The man flipped forward, screaming as Spencer latched his arms to the edge of the building. Both of them were now hanging over the edge, with Jonathan grabbing onto his ankle.

"You fucking fool!" He heard Charlie cry out screaming for him. He slowly pulled himself up, straining as his muscles cried out. He was going to fall at any second, he could feel it. It didn't help that Jonathan was hanging onto him like a coward. As he peered over the edge, he saw one of the police officers holding onto Charlie. She was safe. He began to smile as he met her eyes.

"As long as you're safe, Charlie. That's all that matters. Harold and Angelica love you…and I love you too…" His body pulled down and his head struck the edge. He groaned and peered down as Jonathan began slipping, his fingers clutching tight to Spencer's shoe.

"Damn it boy! Pull up! Pull up for god sake!" Jonathan's hair was a frizzled mess now, his face forever etched in terror. Spencer grew numb, chuckling vainly as he held tightly to the edge and slowly extended his right leg. "What? What do you think you're doing!"

"You said to pull up, right?" He bent his knee, clenching his eyes and straining himself. One final kick was all it would take, and Jonathan would never again be a feared name uttered on the lips of his daughter's family. His father would be proud of him, certainly. "You're not dragging me down with you!"

"Boy, I will shoot you right now if you don't let me up!"

"Then we both die!" He dealt one sharp kick into the side of the building and felt his arm muscles finally give out. His fingers touched the air and his body started slipping backwards. Jonathan let out a loud scream, still holding onto the shoe as it was thrown from Spencer's foot. "Goodbye."

"No!" Someone clutched Spencer's wrist in the last second and his eyes flew open. Mr. Dooley and Harold were holding onto his arm now! Angelica was standing behind them, clutching Charlie close to her and consoling her. Harold strained as he and Mr. Dooley started to pull him up. "Hang in there." The young girl hadn't seen Jonathan fall, this was good.

"Not the right thing to say, Harold!"

"Shut up! We get up here and see you pushing yourself over the edge? What were you thinking?"

"I didn't want Jonathan hurting Charlie, Angelica, or you. That's what." He looked back over his shoulder, grimacing as he saw Jonathan's body sprawled out below. The man landed on the top of a police car, shorting out the red and blue lights. Harold and Angelica may have taken the elevator, unable to stand around while their daughter was in danger.

Once they pulled him over the edge, they set him on his back. His body was completely shot, so much so that he could barely move. His chest rose and fell and his hair clung to his sweat drenched forehead. It was over now. Angelica set Charlie down, letting her run and throw her arms around him. He clenched his eyes shut, letting the tears fall.

She was safe now. Angelica and Harold were protected, the Duncans were safe. This time, Jonathan couldn't go back in time, he couldn't change a thing. The great "time wizard" was dead.

Whoa, now that was tense. What are your thoughts on the whole thing? How did you like the chase?