"So..." Jim started, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them.
Claire had pulled half of her shirt off to properly breastfeed Cassidy with the tube. Biting her lip not in pain but in guilt, feeling terrible for what she'd said." I'm sorry,"
"Claire," he sighed, tugging on the back strands of his hair." It's not your-"
"Yes, it is!" She interrupted, just too loud Cassidy woke up. Jim looked up to help coo her but only felt his heartbreak seeing tears flooding her hazelnut eyes."You've even up so much for us. It... it isn't fair of me to call you him after everything. It's your job your duty to protect and I have no right to yell at you for doing your job. I'm so so sorry."
Leaving space for Cassidy, Jim hugged her, rubbing her back gently as she tried not to sob."Claire, you have nothing to be sorry for."
"Yes, I do."
"No," he stated, pushing her forward so he could look her dead in the eyes." Clarie you have no reason to apologize," he assured her, wiping the tears away from her cheeks."Okay? None of this is your fault in the slightest."
Her lip trembled and hold on Cassidy tensed as she continued to sob now longer and louder."I can't lose you!" She cried.
Jim's face whitened hearing those words."Claire you're not going to lose me."
"If you'd died that day in the woods, I...I can't do it on my own. Cass needs you, I need you." She sobbed, grateful in the back of her mind Cassidy was at times a good sleeper, not interrupting the heart to heart.
So that's what this is about, Jim thought, not having realized how hard it must've been for Claire to sit there, waiting to see if she'd ever see her boyfriend again, only finding out she was pregnant hours in advance."I won't let that happen. I promise I won't ever stop fighting to come back to you and Cass. I will never let our daughter live without a father."
"What about our other children?"Clair eaksed, attempting to lighten the mood.
Jim released a breathy laugh, genuinely shocked by the question since they hadn't discussed having more kids anytime soon."You wanna try?"
Claire's one-second pause let him know it would be a possibility soon but not then."Let's wait,"
"Not too long hopefully," Jim said, tone deep and sultry.
"Guh your teen boys are so sex-driven," Claire complained though she couldn't sound herself out.
"Pah-lease," Jim cracked, pulling away to give Cassidy some room to breathe."I heard what you said to my younger self. The poor boys probably traumatized."
"It wasn't that bad, believe me, I could've been much worse," Claire assured him and Jim bought it. She might look all see ton the outside but Claire Nunez could be a devil. Her amused face turned annoyed grunting as she looked down at Cassidy." God I feel like she's already got teeth coming in." she stated though it was impossible at the tender age of three months for her to have teeth.
Jim frowned, gently massaging her shoulders though it didn't seem to help."Go," Claire said."Douxie's probably being overwhelmed with questions."
He nodding, chuckling as he let his hands part from her dainty shoulders."You're probably right." Before parting, he leaned over and Claire did the same. Both shred a passionate and loving kiss, parting after at least a minute, taking all the time they needed to cherish one another properly." I love you," he whispered."So much."
Claire smiled, kissing the top of his forehead, inhaling the scent of his shampoo and conditioner mixed together."Te Quiero mucho,"
Parting with one last kiss and a kiss on his daughter's head, Jim began down the hall. From the midsection of the stairs, he caught the end of his younger self and Toby's conversation.
"You think they're...?"
"No, it has to be loud."
"What! No, it doesn't."
"Jimbo, trust me. I know these things."
"Okay-hey wait! What do you mean you know these things? You haven't had sex."
"No, but that doesn't mean I am nothing but an expert on the subject."
"I seriously doubt that."
"And I second that," Jim said, continuing his way down the stairs, grinning at the embarrassed faces of his younger self and friend. Sitting across from both Jim waited patiently for the pantheon of questions that would be laid on him, but no such questions came. just silence as both teens stared at him."You going to interrogate me or what?"
"I thought you said meddling with history is bad?" his younger self reminded him, Jim shrugging as he heard the statement.
"Such is but I've been dying to try out a memory tampering spell and such prompts the perfect opportunity," Douxie said, showing off just a bit of his magic to amaze(and frighten) the two.
"Ya, you're not using that on me." Jim's younger self said.
Both Jim and Douxie laughed, trying to keep it quiet so Barbara - who was miraculously still asleep - wouldn't wake."Don't fear, you won't remember it ever coming." Douxie mumbled to himself.
"But as future Jimbo was saying yes I have many questions," Toby said, emphasizing the word many.
"Ask away," Jim said, unsure what else they could really do, awaiting Nari's awakening so they could hop back to their own time.
"Okay, Nunez said something about me dating someone so who?" Toby asked in a very serious tone.
Jim laughed, he'd forgotten how love crazy his best friend used to be." Darcy Scott." he answered, smiling in anticipation of his friend's reaction. As expected, Toby went silent, eyes widening and jaw becoming loose. His younger self had the same shocked expression.
"Don't tell me," he said.
Jim laughed."What?"
"Was she the mole?" he asked, Toby, breaking from his trance.
Jim nodded. His younger self seemed surprised while Toby on the other hand had lost it. Walking towards the living room he began to rant about how he and Darcy Scott could get together and how he was correct about the mole being a girl. While Jim just continued to laugh his younger self was silent, fidgeting with his own hands."What is it?"
"It's no-"
"Just ask it."
"Why does she need the breathing tube?"
Not the question he was expecting but was glad that he wasn't asked any questions on sex or anything else."Oh," he said, the subject still sensitive to think about and talk about." Cass was born early, by a month." he stopped before saying why."Claire was in a car crash and in it Cass got hurt. She's perfectly fine now but her lungs are damaged and underdeveloped so she needs the oxygen tank."
"W-was she okay... then?" his younger self asked, tone choked up.
Jim shook his head." If it hadn't been for Nair she would've..." he stopped himself there, the message able to be read by just the way he phrased it.
"Is Claire-"
"Jim, get Claire and Cassidy," Douxie said his tone rushed.
"why?"Jim asked.
"Nari is wake but she's still out of it, I'm unsure how long she'll be up until blacking out." Nari still looked awful, entirely out of it but conscious.
"We're here," Claire said, coming down the stairs with a crying Cassidy in her arms. Douxie nodded setting the time map on the table nodding towards Nari to start it up. Though her magic was weak, Nari managed to get it going with help from Douxie. As they were about to be consumed by the portal, Jim reached to grab Claire's hand but missed,d falling through the portal with her and Cassidy.
He hit the ground. Hard. But it felt strange. Cold. It was stone. It wasn't the wood floor of the dining room back home. Even the air was different, moist, and empty. Opening his eyes, his head and back throbbed."Ugh," he grunted sitting up. He looked like he was in a Forge of some sort but not like the one back in Troll Market. This one was dark, the only light coming from small cracks in the ceiling of the cave."What the-"
"Pure," a deep sticking voice grunted from the corner.
Jim turned, unable to see who or what was there."Hello?"
"Pure!" the creature bellowed rushing towards him.
Sorry for this chapter... being crap but I've literally been refraining from writing the next one for WEEKS and I can't stand it anymore. So to make this piece of crap up to you I promise that the next one will be at least 3000 words.
