A/N I'd like to take a moment to thank guest reader Fan of Fanfics for their review of the last chapter. I'm so glad you've been enjoying both Slice and now Time. I love hearing people's opinions, and when possible, always try to take their concerns or suggestions into consideration. Now, on a second note, even though I do love a nice Big Mac once every blue moon, I feel that I must mention that I claim no rights to the brand name McDonalds, nor to their Happy Meals. Damn, now I want a cheeseburger.

As Time Goes By

Chapter 23

It's close to noon time when Rhonda finally makes her way out of bed. She drags her feet as she heads to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. She had been out of the country on a photo shoot for the past three weeks, and was eager to get home, but with a longer than normal layover in the UK, she didn't get in until sometime during the wee hours of the morning. Eager now to get back into somewhat of a normal routine, she grabs a couple of back issues of her favorite gossip magazines and places them on a serving tray. She adds a couple of slices of whole wheat bread into her toaster before filling a small bowl with her favorite peach yogurt. She throws a handful of granola on top of the yogurt just as the beeping of the coffee maker tells her that her morning beverage is ready. After fixing her coffee to her liking, she adds it to the tray along with the toast and yogurt, and takes it outside to the small bistro table that sits on her back balcony.

The familiar sounds of the city comfort her and she savors her first sip of coffee, happy to be home. Grabbing a piece of toast, she takes a bite as she picks up last week's copy of Talk of the Town, a small gossip rag that focuses more on rumor than fact. Her eyes widen when they land on a picture that adorns the tabloid's front page. It's a dual shot of Eugene, showing him first as the well-kept and glamorous star of Broadway, with an obviously photo shopped picture next to it of a down on his luck has been.

She nearly chokes on her toast when she reads the headline. "Bodacious Beefcake Bounced From Broadway." She shakes her head and wonders to herself, "how can this be? How can something like this happen without my knowledge?" Fully aware of how the rumor mill works, she knows that there is more to this story than meets the eye, and is determined not to stop digging until she's found the truth.

Picking up her phone, the first person she calls is Eugene himself. She's not surprised when her call goes directly to voice mail, and she leaves a quick message with instructions for Eugene to call her the minute he gets her message.

With that out of the way, the next person she calls is Jeremy. She had meant to get in touch with the man right after returning from Hillwood, but then an unexpected photo shoot came about and she just couldn't pass it up. By the time she left New York all thoughts of calling Jeremy completely slipped her mind. She is very anxious to talk to him now, though, and practically yells into the phone when he answers. "Jeremy! What on earth has been going on while I was away?"

Luckily Rhonda can't see the roll of his eyes when he hears her voice. Ever since the gossip rags got wind of Eugene's situation with Rats, he's done nothing but field calls from people dying to get the inside scoop. He knows of Rhonda's love of juicy gossip, but he also knows that Eugene is part of the Hillwood gang that the woman is nothing but loyal to, so he is certain that Rhonda's call stems from actual concern for Eugene and nothing more.

He listens now as Rhonda gives her two cents on the matter. "I KNEW something was up with Eugene when he showed up at my New Year's Eve party unannounced! Not once did I fall for his cover, telling us that he missed his friends and wanted to surprise everybody. Now I read that he's been kicked off the cast of Rats. What's up with that?"

Hating confrontation, and always trying to be the peace maker, Jeremy does what he can to calm Rhonda down. "Now, Rhonda, the first thing you need to do is calm down. Actually I'm surprised that it's taken so long to hear from you."

Rhonda throws a hand into the air when she responds. "That's because I've been out of the country on a photo shoot. Honestly, I go away for a few weeks only to come home to this bombshell. I demand to know what happened. What on earth was Eugene thinking to get himself kicked off the play?"

Still confused himself over his partner's actions, Jeremy finds it difficult to come up with an answer Rhonda would believe. "Really, Rhonda, it's not that big a deal, the guy needed a break, and you can't blame him. He's been relentlessly doing two shows a day, six days a week, for longer than I've known him."

"Sure, but five weeks?"

"Well, no. His original plan was to just be gone for a week."

"Well what happened to change that? Did you guys have a fight or something?"

"No, not at all. To be perfectly honest with you, Rhonda – and I don't want this going any further than this conversation, do you hear me?"

"Yes, yes, I hear you loud and clear. Now to be perfectly honest with me what?"

"To be perfectly honest with you, I truly don't have any idea what's going on in his head. Every time I try to ask him he just tells me the same thing. 'I'm fine.' Is all he ever says, then he makes some excuse to end the conversation. As far as his absence from the play, I guess they okayed the first week, but as it dragged on longer and longer they had no choice but to replace him. They tried getting information from me, and I tried to stall them, but eventually they had enough and that was that."

"Heh, him pulling a stunt like that is going to make it very hard to find work once he does come back, there nothing people in the business hate more than a temperamental actor. Perhaps if I can talk to him I can –"

"No! You don't need to get involved. If anyone's going to get it out of him it's going to be me. I've been thinking about taking a little trip of my own to your old hometown. Really, Rhonda, I will handle this."

She's used to getting things done her way, so being told to butt out, no matter how nicely, doesn't sit well with her, she'll let Jeremy have this one, and she quietly agrees. "Well, okay, if you insist, but if you need any help at all I'd better be the first one you call, you hear me?"

"Yes, Rhonda, I hear you loud and clear, and I promise to keep you informed as to what's happening as it happens. Okay, are you happy with that?"

She realizes that she's pushed just a little too hard, and tries to soften things between her and Jeremy now. "Yes, that will be fine. And Jeremy?"

"Yes, Rhonda?"

"Just know that this all stems from my deep fondness for Eugene. I really am worried about him."

The sincerity in her voice is not like her, and it touches him to hear just how much she cares for his partner. "I know, Rhonda, I'm concerned for him too. Now please trust that I know how to handle him, and I will do everything in my power to get to the bottom of this."

Rhonda nods her head and relaxes a bit. "I do trust you, Jeremy. Eugene is very lucky to have you in his life, and I know if anyone can get through to him you can. Just, keep me informed."

He smiles into the phone. "Okay, I will. You take care and I'll call you when I have some news. Bye, Rhonda."

"Bye, Jeremy." She places her phone back on the table and picks up the paper once again. She looks at the eyes of her old friend as they stare up at her, wondering just what it was that drove him all the way to the other side of the country.

xxxxx

It's Helga's turn to pick the boys up from preschool today, and they make a quick detour through the McDonald's drive-thru before heading back to the boarding house. With Gerry having missed class due to the flu, there is just enough room in the back seat of her Subaru for three car seats. So with Joy's seat fitted snugly between Phillip and Otto's, she places their lunches on the front passenger seat and heads for home.

The smell of the food makes Joy hungry and she starts to fuss. Otto looks down at her, noting the expression on her face. "Hey, Mrs. Shortman, Joy's crying."

Helga quickly looks at him through the rear view mirror before turning her attention back to the road. "I can hear that, Otto. Her pacifier should be clipped to her car seat. Can you give it to her for me?"

Otto sees that the pacifier has fallen between Joy and the side of her seat. He's developed a runny nose of his own, and uses his hand to wipe the drip away before grabbing the pacifier and placing it up to Joy's mouth. Joy takes the soft end into her mouth and is momentarily satisfied. "She tooked it from me. I think she's happy now."

"Good!" Helga says with a smile. "You've just saved us from having to put up with Joy's screaming the whole rest of the way home. So, how was your morning at preschool today?"

Phillip is quick to answer. "It was good. Otto brung back his metal detector and after lunch we're going to go hunting for buried tweasures in the back yard!"

"Oh, well that sounds like fun. Anything exciting happen at school?"

"Naw, nothing exciting ever happens at school." Otto replies back.

"Yeah." Phillip agrees before remembering one bit of information. "Oh, I almost forgots. We're having a Valentime's party on Friday, and I said you'd bring in cupcakes for everyone."

Not being much of a baker, the news shocks Helga. "What! Phillip, why did you say I would do that without asking me first?"

Otto leans in and whispers in Phillip's ear. "See, I told you she'd be mad."

Helga heard him and comes to her own defense. "I'm not mad, Otto, I just would have liked a little more notice is all. How many cupcakes will you need?"

Afraid that he has indeed upset his mother, Phillip sticks out his bottom lip in a pout. "I'm not sure."

"Well, how many kids are in your class?"

Phillip's lip begins to quiver a bit now. "I don't know."

Trying to help the situation, Otto breaks in. "You're probably going to need to make at least fifty cupcakes."

"Fifty!" Helga yells. "There are not fifty kids in your class. Never mind, Valentine's Day isn't until Friday. I'll ask Miss Francine on Wednesday how many I need to make. But Phillip?"

"Yess, Mommee?"

"Next time ask me first before volunteering me for anything, okay?"

"Okay, Mommee."

Otto looks at Phillip and snickers, which causes the corners of Phillip's mouth to turn up into a small smile. Before too long they are both giggling in the back seat. Helga just ignores them until she hears a loud sneeze from behind her. "Bless you! Was that you, Otto?"

Once again Otto uses his hand to wipe his nose. "Yes, ma'am."

"Do you feel okay? You're not getting sick are you?"

"No, ma'am, I feels good." He says before letting out a second sneeze without covering his mouth.

Figuring a sneeze or two doesn't necessarily mean someone is sick, she drops the matter, but decides to keep an eye on him anyway.

Once home, she sets the boys at the kitchen table and hands them their Happy Meals. She sits across from them and places a thin swaddling blanket across her chest. Manipulating Joy under it, she begins to nurse while munching on a hamburger of her own. She thinks about what Olga would say to her if she caught her scarfing down a Big Mac, but doesn't let that stop her from enjoying the 500 calories of deliciousness.

Once the boys are done eating, they grab the metal detector that Otto brought with him and head out back with Agnes close in tow. Helga yells out to them as they run to the door. "Now don't you kids go digging up our whole backyard, and any money you find I call dibs!"

Not really paying attention to what she's saying they both yell out a quick "We won't!" before slamming the door behind them.

Helga sits back in her chair, savoring the last of her French fries and shifts through some emails on her phone. Spotting one from Carlos, she quickly opens it. He has been working with a well-known animation company to get a cartoon made of her Arlo's Adventures books, and had promised to message her the minute a deal was made.

Reading the email, she rejoices at the news that the concept of an Arlo cartoon was picked up, with work to begin immediately. It is Carlos's hope that once aired it will gain enough popularity that he can secure a booth at this year's Seattlecon. It's been a couple of years since she's been able to drag Arnold back to that convention, and she wonders what he'll think about her actually having a booth of her own. She also can't think about Seattlecon without also thinking of her old friend, Misty, and makes a note to message her once all deals have been finalized.

Popping the last French fry into her mouth, she gets up and takes Joy up to the nursery to finish her afternoon nap. Coming back down to the kitchen, she cleans up the mess from their lunch, and takes a peek out the back door window to check on the kids. Her eyes open in shock when she sees them ankle deep in a hole that they have started to dig.

Swinging the door open, she rushes outside to stop them. "Phillip! Otto! What are you doing? Didn't I tell you, not to dig any big holes?"

Afraid of getting into too much trouble, Otto immediately drops his shovel and steps out of the hole, leaving Phillip to stand there alone with the metal detector in hand. Otto is quick with the excuses. "I told Phillip we shouldn't dig such a big hole, Mrs. Shortman, honest."

Phillip shoots a glare at his friend. "Nuh-uh, you saids we was probably going to has to digs to China before we was done."

Helga stands with her hands on her hips. "And just why are you digging so deep anyway?"

"Cause." Phillip says. He moves the metal detector over the hole and it immediately begins to beep. "The 'tector beeps when I move it over this spot where the treasure is."

Helga moves in closer and takes the shovel from Otto. "I'm telling you boys, you're wasting your energy, there's no treasure here." She jams the tip of the shovel into the dirt, only to be rewarded with the sound of metal hitting metal.

The sound causes Otto to jump back into the hole. "Did you hear that? I tolds you there was treasure!"

Both he and Phillip get down on their hands and knees now, furiously digging through the dirt until what looks like a spot of dull, rusted metal begins to show up. "Look!" Phillip yells, "It's a treasure chest!"

"Do you think it could be pirate treasure?" Otto asks.

"Yeah, it's gotta be." Phillip answers.

Taking the matter into her own hands now, Helga finishes digging out what turns out to be a good sized metal box. "I hate to disappoint you boys, but it's not pirate treasure."

"Then what is it?" Phillip asks.

Grabbing the box and standing up, Helga wipes the matted dirt off the top of the box. "I'm not sure, but there seems to be some faded writing on the top. She moves it so the sun hits directly on the words that look to have been written in black marker. "This time capsule belongs to Arnold P. Shortman and was buried on July 1st nineteen-ninety – Oh My God, this was buried the summer right after fourth grade!"

A/N Oh my, what on earth could Arnold have buried in that time capsule? I'll give you a hint, there's ten things. Can you guess what they are? Leave your thoughts in the comments, and we'll see how many you get right. Have fun guessing!