Chapters for some aren't posting so this was probably posted days earlier so my apologies. I'm working hard to get a lot of chapters out because I know that they take at least a week to post. I want to thank you all for continuing to read this story and hope that whatever is going on with my crappy computer ends soon. Can you all view chapter 35? If not, it's mainly just Jim and Cassidy talking. Not much plot happens if you were wondering and if you can't view the chapter then I'm sorry and I'll try to get it working.

Remain calm, remain calm, remain calm, Jim repeated to himself over and over again. Rowan - the person his daughter loves, the person who got his daughter pregnant, and the person who he was told was dead - at across from him, still catching his breath as he wiped the mud off his face." Thanks again, I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't been there." he thanked, groaning as he grabbed his arm that was quite beat up.

"How's your arm?" Jim asked, removing his armor. He wasn't sure if he should be happy or not since yes Rowan was alive but now he had to refrain from killing him.

"Fine, thanks," he said, letting his arm go and rubbing at his eyes." Shit," he muttered continuing to rub at them.

"What?" he asked, getting a look at Rowan Halaway. Thouhg almost entirely covered in mud, he could make out he had naturally dark brown hair that sat neat but messy at the same time. His eyes he was continuing to rub were dark grey and below his right eye was a small beauty mark. He was dressed in a muddied dark long-sleeved red shirt and dark grey pants. Across his shoulder, he could see a pretty dark and obvious bruise that he assumed the troll caused. In his back pocket, Jim could see a plastic bag with something inside, but he couldn't tell just what that something was.

"Those assholes back there broke my glasses, and of course I don't have my contacts. Though I shouldn't really be worried about that right now," he stated, sighing as he stopped rubbing his eyes, returning to rubbing the mud and dirt off of his body.

"Ya why are you even out here and how did you get in the mud?" Jim asked, wondering how he could've been confirmed dead months prior but bee found by him, alive in a hoard of zombified trolls.

"I was out hiking with some of my friends and we kinda lost track of the time. We got back to the car and realized that he forgot his dumb dog. Anyway, I was an idiot and offered to run back and get it. I found the dog and the trolls. I tried to run but they outran me so I hid in the muck. Eventually, I thought they were gone so I tried to get out but I was stuck and I didn't have my glasses so I couldn't see anything. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep and I could make out your foot so I grabbed on, hoping you'd notice me." he explained.

For five months, Jim thought, since he knew it was impossible to sleep for five months without any food or water."Where were you all hiking and with who?"

"Huh?" he questioned."Oh, just with some of my friends and my girlfriend's brother,"

"Jaime?" Jim asked something he accidentally said aloud.

"Uh ya, Jaime, wait who are y-"

"That doesn't matter." Jim interrupted, glad that the person before him was basically blind."Now, where were you?"

"Just outside of Arcadia," Rowan answered, sighing with relief as he grabbed the bag out of his back pocket, whatever it contained precious to him.

Jim nodded, still wondering how he survived and why everyone thought he was dead, but at that moment he wondered the contents of the bag."What's in the bag?" he asked.

To his surprise, Rowan wasn't secretive of its contents and showed him. Inside was a simple, not fancy more expensive, necklace with a charm in the shape of a firefly, similar to the one Cassidy wore."When my girlfriend, Cassidy, and I were kids we had a field trip to a fair. While there I won her one of those cheap necklaces but she loved it and still has it even after years. I just thought I'd get her a nicer looking one."

Jim stared at the simple necklace, something about his daughter's boyfriend's explanation catching his attention. Kids. They'd known each other since they were kids meaning his Cassidy would meet him in a matter of years. Still, it was years. But knowing that his daughter would meet the person she'd fall in love with, in just a few years was mind baffling.

"l-lucky girl," he stuttered, as it hit him that there was someone else in there. Cassidy and the others had said they hadn't seen another human or even another animal besides themselves and Lurge. If everyone had just disappeared, then why hadn't he? Why was he the seeming, only survivor?"Do you have any idea why there like zombies?" he asked. He didn't feel the need to explain what trolls were since Rowan seemed to know that they were trolls and hadn't seemed passed by the sight of them.

Rowan shook his head."Not a clue. Last time I was in the market they all seemed normal," Jim was put off by him saying he'd been to Troll Market before, how comfortable he was saying it, making it sound like he'd been there a lot.

The silence between them was unbearable, so Jim brought up the only common interest between them. Cassidy." You said you have a girlfriend?" he asked, wanting to get a look on the guy who'd nock up his daughter.

"Ya, Cass, we've been friends since we were like five and started dating a few years ago," he answered, stuffing the bag back into his back pocket. Jim let out a long sigh. They'd known each other since they were five. That meant he had five years to prepare before he hunted down and murdered a five-year-old."Wh do you ask anyway? I know I thanked you but what's your name?"

Jim flushed pale." uh doesn't matter, just curious about the person I saved and what you were doing out here." he attempted to switch up the tone of his voice, assuming the teen before him, was familiar with his future self's voice.

Rowan shrugged it, standing up."Never mind, I'll go get us some firewood." he said, turning and walking away. As he did so, Jim noticed a bite-sized mark on the back of his neck. Jim froze, run running cold. This was the choice Cassidy had feared. The choice to risk his, his fiance, children, and unborn grandchild lives or the choice to kill the boy his daughter loved.

. . .

"Here," Cassidy said, sliding the last full apple slice to Aron. It was a rare find, but they managed to find three apples that weren't gross of moldy. With the blade of a dull knife, Cassidy had diced them up, handing them out accordingly. Aron was doing better,r but was sweating immensely, curled up on Claire's lap. Claire took hold of the apple slice, hand feeding it to the small boy on her lap.

"Cassie," Emilia started, slowly nibbling down on her half an apple."Why don't you have one?"

Concerned mother mode setting in, Claire quickly turned to Cassidy who was forgiving a smile, only one slither of apple in her hand." I don't like apples," she lied, eating the entire chunk in one bite, her smile remaining even after she'd swallowed.

Claire frowned, able to detect the lie the other's seemed to not notice and brush off."Here," she said, handing her the last piece of the apple.

She could see the want and hunger in the frail teenage girl's eyes, but she quickly she shook her head."No, I'm-"

"Eat it," Claire stated, like a mother trying to force her three-year-old to eat broccoli." You and the baby needs it," she made sure to say the last quietly, the baby still a sensitive concept for her. Reluctant at first, Cassidy gripped her shirt that was too small, beginning to ride up over her growing stomach. Pulling the sides of her sweater over her stomach she took hold of the apple slice, slowly eating it.

"Thank you," she mumbled between cherished nibbles.

Claire hadn't realized her just how bad their situation was if a simple apple slice was such a gift."You don't have to-"

"We should get going," Estelle said, standing up, Emilia on her back, wide awake but drooling after her half an apple that was like a feast for all of the children."Lurge typically roams to caves around noon so we want to get down there before."

Claire turned back. She didn't really like the sound of leaving the forest and heading back down into the caves below while Jim was still searching for the root who knows where."Dad will be fine, mom. I sware," Cassidy assured her, hand resting upon her shoulder.

"Thank you," Claire said, smiling at her daughter's assurance. Though she trusted her, she couldn't help but worry."I just worry. Our Cassidy needs him, I just can't imagine a world without him," Claire immediately felt horrible after she finished seeing the sadness upon her daughter's fac.e"Oh Cass sweetheart, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have said anything especially after you-"

"Mom it's fine you don't have to apologize," Cassidy said, pain lingering in her voice. Jaime walked up behind her, questioning if they should get going or not. Cassidy gave him a wave replying yes, hoisting Aron off the ground with a heave." C-can you..." she asked, nearly dropping the sick child.

Claire luckily swooped in, catching Aron who jolted awake before falling asleep once in the safety of his mother's arm. She frowned looking at Cassidy who was holding onto a tree, grabbing at her stomach."Are you okay?"

"Yes," she blurted out between gritted teeth. An exhale followed and she stumbled as she began to walk. The frown still remained on her face as she played with her firefly necklace, an action claire observed.

"Do he give it to you?" Cassidy turned to her, playing with her necklace an act she never noticed she did."Rowan, did he give you the necklace."

Cassidy smiled weakly nodding as she looked down at the carnival prize."Ya, when we were younger and went on a trip to the fair, obviously when we were just friends, he won it for me and I've had it ever since."

It was nice seeing her smile genuinely, Rowan had obviously been important to her."It's pretty," Claire complimented, wrapping the side of her sweatshirt around Aron to warm the boy as they neared the Caverns that would be frigid that time of year."You said you guys were friends. Which one of you confessed first or when did you realize you liked him?"

"Not entirely sure. We were always really close and I think we ignored our feelings for one another for a while but confessing? It was our sixth-grade Valentine's dance and since neither of us liked or dated anyone we went as just friends. As you can expect, we were pressured to kiss and before leaving did and that was kinda that." she explained."Not the most romantic but I'm happy with how simple it all was."

"Please that's more romantic than your dad's and I," Claire laughed, recalling how unromantic battling trolls and running from goblins was as a way to fall in love.

"Oh pah-lease," Estelle moaned."I was at that party for god's sake, you two didn't stop making goo-goo eyes the entire time."

"But you're a year younger. Why would you be there if Cass was in sixth grade?" Claire asked.

Both girls turned to one another, unsure if they should answer."Our school is different from the ones in Arcadia. The middle schools are kindergarten through fourth, fifth through seventh and highschool is eight through twelfth." Cassidy explained.

"Strange," Claire said, unable to recall any schools in Arcadia that worked like that."Do we move or something?"

"Or something," Estelle said, stopping suddenly as Jaime leaned into the wide cave entrance that Lurge could easily be lurking in."We good Jaime Lynn?"

"Lynn?" Claire asked, wondering if that was his middle name because if it was, it was a strange one.

Jaime glared back at his older sister."Shut the hell up and ya we're clear."

"Mom says no swearing Jaime Lynn," Cassidy mocked, ruffling her younger brother dark hair as she passed.

Jamie's face turned red in anger as his right fist tensed up."It's okay," Claire cooed, rubbing his back. She was very experienced with calming babies down, hopefully, young boys weren't too different.

After a moment, the red died down and he sighed, frowning in embarrassment as they continued to walk."Is Lynn your middle name?" Claire assumed but was surprised when Jaime shook his head.

"No it's my first name." he stated with a grimace."My full name is or used to be Lindsay Jaime Lake,"

Claire wasn't sure how to take the news. Either they chose weird names, which she took since Jaime sounded horrible as a middle name, or her son had been born a girl and changed his name. She didn't want to really look into it but thinking about it, his voice was quite high pitched for a boy, even a young one, and he was slimmer in a way not by being skinny but having a strangely proportioned body for a young boy.

"You don't have to say anything," he responded, voice understanding."I get all of this is strange enough."

"No!" Claire exclaimed."It's not strange I just didn't even guess you could've been..."

Jaime laughed."Thanks," he responded."When I first saw you both I worried my voice would be a dead giveaway. It's been more girly or sounding more girly since I don't have and haven't had my pills that help deepen it."

"No I really didn't," Claire said, still shocked because only when she looked closely she could notice some female-like features, like how in his dress pants and shirt she could make out a more slight hourglass shape, and his face appeared more like a girl than a young boy."How did... I mean you're so young, when did you realize if you don't mind me asking."

"Of course not," he answered as they continued to walk, everyone else a few yards ahead of them."Cass and Ess are older than me so when I was born I dunno it just never felt right. All three of us took ballet and I remember never feeling comfortable in my outfit. I think I realized I was more comfortable like this is when we were over at Uncle Tobe's house and Ralph and I went swimming. Dad forgot a change of clothes so I borrowed some of Ralph's and I don't know but it felt more comfortable than the dresses and more girlish shirts."

Claire assumed this Ralph was short for Ralphie since that had been Toby's dad's name before he passed and it made sense for him and darcy to select it as a name."How did Jim and I...?"

"You guys took it well. I at the time didn't think that I wanted to be a guy I just thought I didn't like dresses and wanted to dress more like a boy. But I was probably six or seven when you asked me in particular if I liked or wanted to be a boy and I said yes. Of course, we had a whole discussion on what that meant but the whole transition felt right. Cass and Ess took it easy and Aron and Em were way too little to even know what was happening but I'm happy with how it all went and I'm happy being a boy."

Claire smiled with pride."I'm glad. So what about your name?"

"Oh, well before I legally changed it, you all just started calling me Lynn, not Lindsay. My legal name now is Lynn Jaime Lake but everyone just calls me Jaime because I prefer it. I dunno, if I could go back I'd make Jaime my first name but really I don't wanna deal with all the paperwork again." he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets."Ess and Cass still pick on me sometimes, calling me Lynn but they never say Lindsay so I don't mind."

"Good, how did everyone else take it?" she asked, curious on how it had been since he was so young.

"Good I guess. I got picked on a little at school, now looking back I think it was the boys that might've had a crush on me when I was still Lindsay." he and Claire laughed at the end of that." I already told you that you and dad were great and comfortable with it all and so were the girls. Grandpa and Gramma were good and so was Abuelo. Abuela was a little put off by it all, and still messes up and calls me she or her, and will even call me Lindsay sometimes, but I know she's trying so I don't say anything."

Claire grimaced. furious at her mom. She'd been good with Cassidy so far, there for Claire when she needed her, but never tried to bond with her." Of course she is," she grunted, readjusting Aron fast asleep in her arms."How are you with all of it? I know you said you were happy but adjusting."

Jaime sighed."Good, I feel more like me like this and much more comfortable, but is still hard. To everyone and on the inside I know I'm a boy but if you physically look at me, I'm still a girl. It's really annoying to look at myself in the mirror and see a girl. It's also hard thinking about the future and stuff. I've only had a few crushes and none lasted long but I'm worried about say I tell a girl I like them and she likes me too, what will she think or say when she finds out."

"I get that," Claire said, thinking about Jim when he'd been a troll. Though the situations were drastically different in some ways they were similar."I wouldn't worry too much about the whole dating thing. You're still young and if she really likes you then she won't care."

Jaime smiled, thankful that his mom, even as a teen, was still the same."Thanks,"

"Of course," she replied, happy she was pretty good at these mom talks. One question, a more personal one was pulling at her ear."Have you had surgery and stuff," Jaime went pink in the cheeks." you don't have to answer I'm sorry if-"

"No no, it's fine." he interrupted."Ya, I've had top surgery and I've been taking pills since I was nine. I was supposed to start treatment to stop my uh... period from happening this summer but I never got the chance since all of this shit happened."

"Language," she muttered, finding it funny how embarrassed he was to talk about periods like most young boys were."Jaime, I'm proud of you. In our time we haven't even thought about Estelle happening and you both are obviously multiple years apart, but I'm glad to know you're happy and in our time, will be."

Jaime smiled."I am, and even when I was Lindsay I was happy but I've gotta say, I like being Lynn Jaime Lake much more."

Claire chuckled."Yes, I can see," she said, pondering why in the world they would choose Jaime as a middle name, sounding absolutely terrible with Lindsay and with Lynn.

. . .

Jim stared at Rowan, still mentally fighting what he should do. He seemed and was acting normal but he wasn't sure how the bites worked. According to all zombie movies, if you got bit then you were infected and it wasn't long before you became a zombie. But this was the real world(a world with trolls, wizards, knights, time travel, and aliens, might I add) and he'd never been through a zombie or troll zombie apocalypse so he really couldn't know. But if he were forced to kill him, he'd then have to tell his daughter he was or had been alive and he'd killed the father of her child who didn't know about the baby, and also the love of her life. He could always not tell her, find the root, and leave the body since they all believe him to be dead but that didn't seem right.

"How far are we from Arcadia?" Rowan asked, the sun almost setting. Jim knew he had to hurry and find the root and in the distance, he could see a cliff that the hoped would have it at the bottom. At most, it would take him half an hour there and back to where Rowan was.

"Oh Ummm an hour," Jim answered, unsure how far he actually was from the town he'd grown up in."Stay here," he ordered,s standing up and silently calling for daylight.

"Where are you-"

"No questions," he interrupted."Stay here, I'll be back soon," he ordered, slowly but swiftly backed away. Staring up at the cliff that he was nearing, Jim was careful where he stepped, not wanting to step or run into a troll turned zombie again. There was no swamp in the area, making his pace swifter than before. Beneath his foot, dried fallen leaves crunched loudly. Almost like an echo, he heard leaves crunching behind him. He quickly turned around, holding his sword to strike.

Nothing came forward and there was complete silence, well except for the hushed breeze, shaking the trees. Relaxing, Jim brought his sword down to strike and began his turn back towards the path, when a large grotesque troll emerged. It was one of the infected trolls, missing one of its arms, covered head to toe in what looked like animal blood. Moaning demonically, it quickly and mindlessly lunged towards the TrollHunter, who threw his sword up to block the beast's swing. This troll was stronger than the ones he'd battled earlier. Stronger but just as dumb.

Noticing the stream Cassidy had described, Jim could tell it was skinny and short but looked deep. Pushing his sword up, the motion caused the troll to fall back, barely noticing the fall. Before it could hop up and begin after him, Jim rushed right towards the stream, standing far enough from the edge the ground beneath his feet wouldn't collapse, foiling his plan. Stable, the beast began towards him, arm ready to grab the TrollHunter. Just as it was about to grab him, Jim jumped back, landing on his bottom. He scooted back, watching as the trolls foot hit the unstable ground, causing it to slip into the deep stream. Quickly, Jim got up, stabbing the troll in the back before it could make its escape. Daylight penetrated it, causing it to turn to rubble.

Jim sighed, staring down at the troll. Overhead, the sky grew darker by the second and the air grew colder. Speeding his pace, his armor clinked as he ran towards the area he suspected would have the root. His phone was dead and there was no wifi so he had no way of having Claire update him on their location and how Aron was. It had been about an hour and a half since he'd left and he could guess they were below ground by then, or he at least hoped.

Recalling Cassidy's description, he scanned the thickly wooded surroundings, beside a long stream at the bottom of a cliff. After a second, his gaze landed on hidden roots at the foot of an Elm, not Oak, tree. With a hard tug, the root came undone and he nearly fell back. Examining that the root was good or non-contaminated, Jim nodded, looking up at the sky once more. He rushed back in the direction of Rowan, making sure not to lose grip on the root.

Eventually, the smell of burning wood was present in the air and he paused, eyeing Rowan who was sitting, fixing the fire, and continuing to wipe dirt and mud off of himself. Jim exhaled, grabbing his sword. He wouldn't swing too hard, he didn't want it to seem gruesome." I'm so sorry Cassidy," he whispered taking slow steps forward. Dropping the root on a clean spot of land, he brought his sword up, closing his eyes as he began to bring it down on the innocent boy.

Rowan, who had heard something, snapped around. His grey eyes doubled, though not able to see completely could tell a sword was coming down on him. Throwing his arms up in defense, he caught the sword, grunting as the blade dug into his fingers."What the hell are you doing!?" he shouted, easily pushing the TrollHunter back.

Jim paused, wanting to think he was normal but caught glimpse of his neck again, all of which looked deep purple." I'm trying to help you," he lied, but at the moment that was all he could think of. Quickly, before he could think again, Jim brought the sword up but stopped suddenly, hearing Rowan's responded.

"Mr. Lake?" he questioned, wincing as Jim loosely hit his arm, just breaking the skin. Biting his lip, still shocked, Rowan pressed his arm against his shirt while Jim stared, stunned.

"H-how did you..."

"You're the only one..." he began, sitting down and taking deep breathes."... who's said that to me. But how are you here? I thought you had some meeting with Aron's teacher or something, that's why I took Lynn."

Lynn? he wondered but shook it off, deciding he'd ask later. Releasing his armor, still holding the amulet tight, he sat beside him."I'm... I'm not that Jim." Rowan opened his mouth to question what in the hell he was talking about, but Jim continued."In short explanation, I'm from the past, I'd say 16 years to be exact." he awaited Rowan's response tha took a second. To his surprise, the teen didn't freak out or go crazy but was still.

"O-okay... I have many questions but first, why in the hell were you trying to kill me!" he shouted, Jim, laughing awkwardly."I mean I know you don't like me that much but even before we've met. What could've made your want to kill me?!"

"I didn't want to first of all," Jim said, gesturing to his neck."When I saw your neck, I assumed you had been bitten and I wasn't sure how you'd react to it and stuff..."

Rowan nodded, frown etched don his face. It wasn't out of disappointment but more of reflection as he scratched the back of his neck."Oh, no it's not a bite."

"Really, what else could it be? It looks pretty bad." Jim observed, leaning back so he could see the mark. Now that he had a better look he could tell it had been healed up but was still quite disturbing appearing, the whole back of his neck either a deep red or a dark purple.

Rowan's frown grimaced, flashbacking to a traumatic event from his youth."It's an uhh bullet wound."

"Bullet wound," Jim choked. Looking at the teen before him and having just two conversations with him, he'd never think of him as the type to get a bullet in the neck.

"Ya, I didn't have the best childhood but that doesn't matter, so how are you from the past?" rowan said, acting like the fact he'd been shot in the neck some time ago wasn't a big and shocking deal.

Jim managed to shake it off, relieved he didn't have to kill the teen, and cursing himself for being so stupid and not examining the wound closer before attempting kill on an innocent man." Really, I have no clue," he hadn't thought about it, but he couldn't think up any reason that they would've been sent to the future. Perhaps the Time Map malfunctioned or something, but Jim wasn't sure if it even had the power to send one to the future.

"The Time Map was destroyed years ago, so it must've been from your end." That came as an icy shock to Jim who couldn't think of any reason to destroy such a powerful and precious devise. But at the moment, he had bigger fish to fry.

"Ya," Jim felt torn whether or not he should tell the teen before him he was reported to be dead and that the entire time of Arcadia had just disappeared, and of course the fact his girlfriend was pregnant. Why can't things ever be easy? he thought, wishing for once his life wasn't crazy complicated. But of course, remembering that his future son was sick didn't make things better, or easier. Thinking hadn't helped and looking up, he planned on forging some excuse like that he still had to find his Claire, or that he'd gone out searching for anyone. But as usual, his plans were foiled when he looked up to see no trace of Rowan Halaway.

"What? Rowan," he called out, confused how an injured person with bad vision could just run off without a single sound. Standing up, he scanned the area and only saw the dying fire, same surroundings, and root that he'd just picked up."Rowan!" he shouted, but received no response.

"It's all a game," an unfamiliar voice responded from what seemed all around. The voice was slippery and slimy, like a snake. The words were chalky and cut short like nails on a chalkboard. Turning in every direction, Jim saw no one and nothing that the voice could belong to.

"Who are you?! Where's Rowan?!" he yelled, calling for his armor. He gripped the sword, turning in a circle as he waited for the disturbing voice."Where the hell, are you?!"

"It's all a game," it repeated."A game in which they are failing and the consequence of their loss will be the loss of their children." the voice laugh demonically as it mocked Jim.

Continuing to turn in circles, Jim thought over the voices peculiar words. It suddenly occurred to him that the children were Cassidy, Estelle, Jaime, Aron, and Emilia. So were the "they" him and Claire? And what was this game, because it sure didn't seem like a fair one to him." I don't care about your game. Now tell me where is Rooo..." his own words seemed to melt as reality itself seemed warped. The forest disappeared and he could see civilization surrounding him. His blurred vision, took a moment to focus and once it did he realized he was on the back porch of his mom's house. It looked exactly the same as always, no difference, and inside he could hear Cassidy whining and his mom calming her while simultaneously talking frantically on the phone. On the bottom step, Claire was laid on the ground, deep in sleep almost like she'd been knocked out.

"Claire," he exclaimed, quickly squatting down to make sure she was okay. His mind drifted between the present and what had just conspired.

"Always a pleasure TrollHunter," a familiar scraggly voice said.

Jim felt himself freeze for a moment before looking up. His breath ran short, seeing the Wizard who he'd been told, turned to dust." M-merlin?"

"One in the same James and I do hope Lady Claire is well. She was much more worried than you therefore explaining why I had to put her to sleep. But don't fear, it'll rub off in an hour or two, or in your case with newborn, probably the entire night." he rambled on as he did when alive.

Ignoring the fact the wizard had put his fiance down, Jim continued to look up at the old man in wonder."H-how are you here? They all said you turned to dust."

Merlin's brow furrowed and he ran his finger's through his beard with a frown."Dust? I always hoped for a more heroic death but doesn't everyone? Now there is a fault in your wording since your Merlin turned to dust, while I am yet too. No at the current moment I am awaiting your more youthful selves break into my tomb and to awake me." he explained.

"Wait so you're from the.. past?" Jim questioned, managing to get claire off the ground, cradling her limp body bridal style.

Merlin nodded, releasing his loose hold on his grey beard. Jim had never noticed but Merlin reminded him of a meaner, scarier Dumbledore. More like the one from the last few movie adaptations, especially in the Goblet of Fire scene, where he was written to be eating calm."Correct. When Hisidoux who I am pleased to see has improved, made a rift in time to send you both to the present, I was able to use some of the very little magic I saved centuries, to redirect your travel to farther into the future than you were intended to go."

"Okay... can you tell me why?" Jim asked, set off by it all, going pale when he realized he never got the root back to kids leaving them helpless, hell knows where, the oldest and most capable weak and pregnant and one of them ill.

"I redirected your course for the one purpose to enlighten you," Merlin said simply, acting as if sending people to their future for multiple days was normal.

"Enlighten me?" he question, slightly angered."How do you expect sending me to a fu-"

"James please," Merlin said sternly, and the TrollHunter shut himself up."Let me rephrase. The reason I sent you and Lady Claire to the future was so you could know what you have to fear."

Jim went pale, nearly dropping Claire."W-what do you mean fear?"

"As you've seen your future is not one to be wanted." Hearing this, Jim became torn once more, excited for the kids(though nervous since Estelle would be conceived in a matter of months if timelines stayed the same or similar) and even excited for his first grandchild even if his daughter was 16, but on the other hand, he had absolutely no clue"I sent you there so you can have the chance to change it and salvage it."

"Me?" he questioned. He had many questions, but one that stuck out was that there was no "we" since both he and Claire went to the future.

Merlin gestured a hand to Claire."The sleep spell I cast will change the memories of the future, leaving her only thinking it was all a dream when she wakes up. But you now possess your own burden as Claire does and your daughter will."

"Claire?" he asked, wondering what memories of the future could be burdening her. Was he talking about the time she thought he was going to die?"Merlin wha-" Jim stopped himself when he saw that the wizard had vanished. He felt anger at how he'd just given him so much information he was now forced to live with. Able to hear, Cassidy's cries from inside, Jim grunted, managing to open the door as he carried Claire in.

"Jim!" his mother gasped, setting her phone on the table while rocking the three-month-old. From what he could tell, only about an hour had passed since they'd first been sent to the past and then to the future, Jim was fearful of."Where have you been? Oh my god, Is Claire okay is she bre-"

"Claire's fine," Jim assured her, lying her down on the couch."She's just asleep."

Barbara seemed half relieved but still worried."Where in the world have you both been?" she asked sternly."I walk in and find Cassidy on the god damn floor. You are lucky she had her oxygen tank on and breathing tube inserted or she could've-"

Jim shuddered, relieve his mom had been there."We didn't try to leave," he assured her, continuing as she began to ask what he meant."Magic,"

That was all Barbara needed to hear, still upset she'd come home from work to find her granddaughter crying on the floor. Cassidy whined in her arms, recognizing Jim's voice and reaching her arms out in his direction."Someone want's daddy," she said, handing Cassidy over to Jim.

Jim smiled, happy to see his Cassidy, smiling chubby round face and the brightest blue eyes." It's okay, daddy's here," he said, rocking her back and forth. The baby immediately calmed in her father's arms. Once Barbara has entered the kitchen to start some dinner and call Walt to tell him that they were fine, he whispered softly to his daughter."I don't care how nice he is, but I'm never letting you near any boys named Rowan."

I can not believe how long this turned out. I feel like this could've been two chapters but I didn't want to stretch it out too far. Sorry for the mini Harry Potter rant, I'm re-watching all the movies while writing this and the next chapter(That should be out in a few days).