June 5, 2023
The weekend finally came and with it, sunshine and life back to normal. By Friday, when classes had been in session just for the day and the weekend seemed too close and the students bored with being back to work, Logan's mind wandered all over the place. While he felt his class to be a success for the day, since he was working with history prior to 1973, he still felt out of place and thought every eye in the room noticed. What bothered him the most was what he saw earlier and what was slowly leading to his courtship with Danielle in this lifetime.
It seemed too easy to think back on that time and believe that what they were doing was good. It really wasn't, the way they treated Ellis as an enemy to be defeated and being in charge of a region that required more attention than most. Logan could pinpoint all of their mistakes already in retrospect, planning out what they did wrong and what other pathways they could have taken. However, there was nothing he could do unless he wanted to undergo another travel to the past to change something. Once was enough, he mused. He did not want to repeat the experience.
Finally, as the clock struck the hour of release, the students rushed out of their desks, dropping off their devices with their essays and activities logs with Logan. He stared at them for a few minutes, realizing that he had so much to do over the weekend if the other kids were coming home, and sighed. He got up, placing all of his students' work and answers in a canvas bag and walking out. He went downstairs and hooked the few turns required to get to the music room, where Danielle had her last lesson.
Logan leaned into the doorway, watching Danielle. He was sure she knew that he was there, but chose not to say anything regardless, hoping for the element of surprise. It was just fun to watch her quickly grade her work and input the score into her own apparatus. Logan even saw a smirk run across her face. He had to copy it too, thinking back to the Danielle he used to know and love. One and the same person through time and space, but nonetheless so different, beautiful and poisonous, all at once.
Yet (and all at once too), the Danielle that Logan knew was so similar to this one, but was so different too. The experiences of that past endeared the two to each other and their mutual goals had made them a team bent on sacrifice, including their own lives on the run. Now? They had been friends first and then lovers and then married sometime after that. It was extremely odd for him, especially since he had been noncommittal for several years and never actively looked for a woman.
Except for Jean. Logan had tried his hardest to break with Jean, but that had been cut short when he met Danielle, all that time ago. It seemed like it was a mutual attraction at the first meeting and one that proved to be fatal as well, which led him to the choices made at the Chinese monastery.
All and all, it was a positive experience, even if there had been negative consequences that they had yet to figure out. Indeed, it just seemed like Logan and Danielle danced around each other since his arrival and that they worked as a team, even going as far as going on with the relationship like they normally do. Falling back in love? Being the same couple as before? That was a totally different story and one that Logan realized was unfolding for the both of them. It seemed optimistic, although the results had nonetheless could not visibly be seen.
After ten minutes of this, Danielle looked up from her work and directed her gaze a Logan. "Ready to head home?" she asked him.
"We are home," Logan replied, crossing his arms. The bag swung behind his back.
Danielle laughed, shakily getting up from her chair and gathering her things. "No, silly. We are heading home, to our house. Fiona and Jax are coming with us just for tonight and heading back after dinner."
"What do you mean?"
"Didn't you forget that Michael and Riley were in town? They just called this afternoon after the roads cleared. They'll be here in a few hours."
In all of this time entranced with the storytelling, the storm that took down the power and catching up to the new future, Logan did forget. "I did. When are we leaving?"
"Soon." Danielle sighed. "I'm going to warn you though. The place is different."
"What do you mean by different?"
"It was rebuilt fifteen, sixteen years ago. It had to be."
"Why?"
Danielle's lips twisted in a weird grimace, recalling something terrible most likely. "You'll find out later. Now, Michael is bringing his boyfriend. Riley mentioned his flavor of the week was coming too. Devon has yet to call, so I'm hoping he'll be here soon and not lose track of time. It's going to be a full house."
"You open the place up when you're not here?"
"Yes, we do. During the school year, we're usually here. Every so often, one of us heads back there to check piping, house structure…things like that. It's there to get away and to think. We've also had animals settle in every once in a while or had a hunter on the property. Sometimes, we just need to clear it out."
"Like now?"
"Like now," Danielle confirmed, smiling. "Come on. We'll grab the kids and take our car and head out."
That was easier said than done. Danielle and Logan headed back upstairs to corral Celeste and Daken, who had taken two diverse directions and stayed well hidden. They soon found the latter and not the former. Once Celeste was found, Daken had up and disappeared. It took an hour to find him again. They then locked the two siblings in their bedroom and told them to pack enough for the weekend, tossing their bags and clothes in just so that they did not run off again. Logan kept guard at the door, even growling at Celeste if she tried to escape.
That merited a few pouts from his daughter and a little persuading about skipping this dinner with Michael and Riley. Daken was a little miffed that he could not just run off into the woods and even muttered so to himself. At that point, Logan did not care and only wanted out. Spending so much of his time and energy locating two young teenagers was a waste. His patience was another thing that was fried and on a shorter fuse than most days.
Finally, at about five o'clock, they were off. Danielle and Logan stuffed themselves and the kids into one vehicle while Fiona and Jax followed in the next. Twenty minutes later, they reached the farmhouse and parked in the same dirt driveway that had been there the whole time. Logan got out of the car and studied the great building for a minute. It was much altered, larger actually. It was done in a way that several families could fit in, almost like an old fashioned place from several decades ago (if one was affluent enough), and it retained the quaint charm it always had.
Danielle nudged Logan in the shoulders, excitement radiating from her. "What do you think?" she whispered as Celeste and Daken walked past them in a shuffle, complaining all the way about carrying the bags inside.
"Home sweet home," Logan replied loudly, deciding to follow the kids. He grabbed some of their luggage too and walked inside, almost dropping what he was carrying in surprise.
Again, the kitchen had been the first thing one saw when entering the house. However, it was redone completely. Gone were the old seventies-style counters, walls and appliances. It was more modern and much more durable than what Shannon Mitchell had installed years before. Everything was granite top, even the island in the center with the wooden stools. Above that were pots and pans. To the far wall on the left, there was a bar. Going clockwise, there was the stairwell (with multiple directions to the next floor from what Logan could see), refrigerator and stove, side counters with sink and open windows and wine cabinet.
When Logan walked around, pretending to know where things were as he tried to avoid the human traffic, he saw that more things had changed. The dining room had expanded and had an adjustable table and several chairs, the living room was more open and seemed to be more inviting and there was a full bath downstairs compared to the half from before. He was amazed, but was soon knocked out of his reverie by Fiona. She accidentally stepped on Logan's foot, apologizing profusely, but without the eye contact.
"Don't worry about it," Logan reassured Fiona, but that seemed lost on her. She went on her way upstairs, very distracted.
Jax soon stopped next to Logan, picking up some things absentmindedly before moving on. Now, Logan had not really seen Jax much. At the meetings and around the mansion, he had been evasive, hiding the shadows when he could and not showing his face except in his classes. He was an enigma, a mystery, and nobody knew much about him except that he had been taken as a baby and obviously returned to his family and taken in as a teacher for the school. Jax offered no personal information about himself anyway.
Logan was curious. While Jax was in the living room, he stopped the young man. "Hear anything about your dad yet?" Logan asked politely, feeling embarrassed for even doing so.
Jax's eyes flashed at the interaction, flickering the same hazel that Jay and Danielle had. It wasn't anger really, just irritation. It wasn't about Logan, but about the situation and the mention of it. Too many people inquiring about family business, Logan concluded. It wasn't like the school was immune from gossip. It thrived on it since the school was isolated because of who and what they were. Jay being in a coma and various teachers covering his classes? That was worthy news.
"No changes," Jax finally admitted, but the tone was stiff and formal. Nothing more. "Jean will have more news tomorrow."
Logan wanted to say a million things to the young man, one of them being how sorry he was to have dropped in unexpectedly. He wanted to admit everything, from beginning to end. He had volunteered himself to change the past in order to save the future and instead came into a world with no memories of 1973 and onward, a personality that did not fit in and two worlds that seems to be colliding with each other, causing everything to conflict. It was all his fault, Logan wanted to lament in a scream. It was all his fault.
Jax did not give him the chance to confess though. He continued cleaning and soon followed his mother upstairs. This left Logan with nothing to do and feeling quite awkward that he was standing in a foreign area without a clue.
Danielle soon joined Logan once she saw the children settled in their rooms. "You have yet to see the upstairs," she said cheerfully when she knew that nobody was listening, sensing that he was down. "We have it split. Our side is above the living room and dining room. Fiona, Jay and Jax are on the other side, above the garage and mud room. We have guest bedrooms on all sides."
"That's nice," Logan answered slowly.
"I'd hope we wouldn't hear some noise tonight. That's what I hate about this place. Noises can be heard by anyone and everyone."
"Well, we can always make our own."
"Logan! Don't you think the kids have heard enough already?"
Logan did not answer. Danielle though it quite in character for him to think about them as a couple, but his tone sounded dull and pretty depressed. Sighing, she guided him upstairs to their section, taking the left on the stairwell and practically dragging him to their room at the end of the hallway, about the exact spot where she used to have her childhood room. When sitting Logan on their large bed though, Danielle had to evaluate the situation. All sorts of feelings jumbled in Logan's mind. Initially, it was wonder. This was totally new to him. However, there was an undertone of guilt there too.
And that was a problem. Danielle sat down next to Logan and held his hand. He showed her a lot of things all at once in a distracted sort of way, one of them being the farmhouse from the past. Before it was torched by some rogue agents of Leon Ellis some sixteen or so years ago, it was the same place Logan had always known. However, in his other life, as Danielle knew now, he had to leave it behind because it was a target and a place of horrible events. By the time that happened, they had no choice and they never turned back. After departing, they never saw the farmhouse again except in memory.
Nostalgia tugged at Logan, which was also novel. He never felt much sentiment towards homes and people since he always traveled. Ever since gaining a family and friends, he started caring. This time around, he thought it was his fault concerning Jay, even though it was not his choice that his consciousness landed in this time and era. Danielle tried smiling and cheering Logan up, but even she felt overwhelmed by this feeling. She had to do something to fix this.
To dispel the mood, Danielle got up and switched on the radio. Granted, she could not remember what station she last left it at (it had been months since she was here), but seemed satisfied that it was playing something slow and without lyrics. It was also heavy brass and called to a past that was no longer the norm, a time long by that would remain in books and pictures alone. It was appealing and held some romance, even sounding hopeful that things would be ok.
Danielle could not help herself. She pulled Logan up from the bed (and that was no easy feat) and planted his hands around her and she wrapped her arms around him. Normally, he would lead their steps, but this time, she had to, pretending that they were out in town and having a good time without the kids. She had to get something out of Logan this time, she just had to!
"Hey, stranger," Danielle started. "Seems like this town ain't big enough for the two of us moping."
Logan continued to say nothing. He went along with Danielle though, something she appreciate. It was the beginning of breaking through the ice. That was all she asked for. Indeed, it was all she could hope for.
"Both of us can't be miserable," Danielle continued. "I feel just as bad as you are. I mean, I didn't have to tell Jay anything. I could have kept a secret and made myself sicker. He asked me and I felt…you know. I would certainly hope you remember what I told you. We can figure it out though. Don't worry about Jax and Fiona. They came last minute anyway. They just wanted to see Michael and Riley and leave after dinner. I don't think being away from Jay is a good idea for them."
Danielle thought she saw a shadow of a smile from Logan. "And then what?" he inquired, trying to hide his feelings from her.
"Nice try," Danielle said, giggling as Logan took the lead now and dipped her. The blood rushed to her head before he pulled her back up. "Now, we're going to have a nice dinner. We're not going to say a word against Michael and hurt his feelings. We're definitely not going to give Riley's girlfriend a hard time. We're going to pretend that things are ok. If Michael asks about you and Jay, and I know he will, I won't say anything unless you allow me to. I can always tell him that there are things going on and they are being worked on. Jay can be excused as sick."
Logan avoided Danielle's glance for a minute before facing her again. He saw that she was trying to be fair and that he appreciated, especially since she did not want their circle to be larger than it already is. However, she had a point about having less people in the know, including her eldest son. Something that did not seem to change was Michael's independence and his ability to see a situation and wrestle the truth out. He was perceptive, mature and even persuasive. He also was a pain, but Logan wasn't going to mention that.
"Tell him if it's necessary," Logan clarified, going in for a kiss. He didn't want Danielle prying anymore and sought to keep things to himself for now if he could help it.
Danielle returned it, squealing like a girl when the song ended and Logan decided to toss her on the bed suddenly. As the next musical number began, a little more upbeat than the last, the doorbell rang. Logan was about to close the bedroom door against Daken and Celeste when the whistling went through his ears. He did notice that Celeste did run downstairs, yelling that she got it. Danielle only groaned, cursing the horrible timing her children seem to have.
"Are you sure we don't have a few minutes?" Logan eyes shone with mischief.
"No, not this time," Danielle decided as she sat up. She was just as upset about it as Logan was. "Come on. Michael and Riley are here."