Jack and the guys left Medda's close to dawn. They each hugged her for a full minute, not wanting to leave her but wanting to make sure she hadn't been a dream. They smelled of Chinese food as they changed into their work uniforms and left their apartments for the construction site.
They were quiet for most of the morning, each lost in their own thoughts of all the information they had gained, all the answers…and the new questions they had. Their thoughts changed frequently, from thinking about laughing with Medda to thinking about their names plastered on a newspaper, listing their ages under the headline that they would never forget…
But Jack riled them up, just as he had in Medda's penthouse. A second chance. A fresh start for all of them.
"Ya can feel bad for a little while," he said. "I knows I'm not about ta forget what I read, what I rememba…but we can't stay down. Tha's not us, fellas."
So they cut up at the work site, picked on Race, listened to David's ideas for a plan as the students walked around them. The fall weather was definitely beginning to set in as chilly breezes washed over them. Some of the guys pulled on their company hoodies.
Mush, Race, Bumlets and Snoddy were on the scaffolding above Jack, David and Specs , dripping calk through the cracks onto Specs' hat.
"Really?" Specs shouted irritably, making the boys laugh harder.
Then the girls' volleyball team walked by in torturous spandex shorts, and David knew he'd lost all their attentions.
David looked at Jack, who was laughing his ass off.
"It's a wonder we get anything done," David said as he shook his head, reaching for his tool belt.
"Ya hear back from the Times yet?" Jack asked casually without looking up from the window seal he was working on.
David's head snapped up, staring wide-eyed as Jack smirked.
"Saw tha cova letta on your desk a few days ago," Jack said only loud enough for David to hear. "When will ya hear from 'em?"
David inhaled and sighed, "I dunno…I jump every time my phone goes off."
"I hope ya get it, Dave. Ya deserve it."
"Thanks, Jack," David said with a gentle smile.
"An' 's perfect," Jack said, laughing a little. "Sellin' headlines ta writin' them…full circle."
David laughed with him. But their heads turned up when they heard Mush and Race shouting Jack's name from the scaffolding above their heads.
Race was on his knees above Jack's head, looking out to Washington Square Park.
"Cowboy, there she is," Race said. "Same time as tha otha day."
"10 am," David said, checking his watch. "Must be the time of her first class."
"Nah", Jack said absentmindedly. "She came for extra studio time. 's why she came in tha otha day. Heard her say it."
It felt nice to Jack, knowing why she was there, knowing a part of her daily schedule. One more secret solved.
The guys looked at each other and their eyes flickered between Jack and the young woman, watching him watch her. He was leaning against the iron bar at the end of the scaffolding, his arm relaxed as he leaned, his stance not as aggressive as usual. He seemed more relaxed to them, knowing she was here. They felt relief and their own sense of peace as they watched them both.
And Jack was sure he could pick her out in a crowd now. The throng of students parted enough for him to see all of her, wearing a blood red crop top and jeans that hugged her hips, a flannel shirt tied around her waist. She looked like she belonged here, in this era…straight out of an MTV 90's music video.
Her dark hair was up in a thick messy bun today, and she had ear buds in. He wondered what she was listening to…maybe the music she dances to, for a show…
Her walk alone was enough to render him useless, watching those hips swing back and forth, her hard set shoulders, her confident stride—
Someone stepped in front of her suddenly, standing immobile like a pillar dressed in an expensive black suit.
Jack dropped the arm he'd been leaning against, pissed that this asshole ruined his view. It was a guy, about 6 foot, but he could see her face over the guy's shoulder. She knew him, and she was annoyed.
Jack saw it in her eyes. He knew that expression very well.
"Tha fuck is this wise guy?" Specs said irritably.
The guys all watched intently, and Jack wondered if it was Rockefeller, his blood running cold.
But Rockefeller had darker hair, this guy had blonde—
"Holy fuck," Racetrack said loudly from above, sounding panicked. "Holy fuck, Jack."
"Oh my god-" David sounded like he was having a heart attack. "Jack, that's-"
Jack's ears were ringing. Everyone was sputtering at once, unable to form complete sentences. Jack felt chills all over, the hair on the back of his neck standing up.
But at the moment, Ira—Tiffany—slapped the guy hard across the face, her arm as fast as a gunshot. Passers-by stared at them in amazement, some laughing.
Jack and the guys' eyes widened, and were ready to jump off the scaffold and run the guy down if he did anything. Ira's eyes were blazing as she said something to him.
"Oh I know that face," Race said, laughing a little. "She's tellin' him off…wish tha son of a bitch would turn—I know it's 'im-"
Ira stepped around the guy, and he turned with her, his lips smiling as he said something in her ear. His head lifted as he watched her walk by him, coming toward the scaffolding to get to the dance hall.
The guys didn't even try to act busy. They watched her walk by them, her pissed off state emanating from her as she passed them.
Jack's eyes, torn between looking at her and the guy in black, followed her all the way to the door, until she disappeared. His head swiveled back around, his jaw tight as he finally saw the guy's face.
And Race was climbing down the ladder when he spoke, his face dumbfounded and his voice far away.
"It's our boy, Jack. It's Blink."
Mush's voice cracked a little, and Jack didn't have to look at Mush to know the heartbroken look in his eyes. "Kid…"
The young man was still standing in the same spot. He had an iPhone to his ear as his free hand rubbed over his jaw. He was dressed in all black, a suite without a tie, the top buttons on his shirt undone. His blonde hair was the same length as it was in 1901, and swept back with some kind of pomade.
Both eyes were working, both the same color blue as the good one Jack had looked at a billion times. It was strange seeing him without his patch…he looked—
"He looks like a fuckin' prick," Specs said darkly.
"Man," Race said as he focused his camera phone on the blonde. "Spot's gonna lose his shit…who he thinks he is, John Cash?"
"Johnny Cash, Race," Bumlets corrected solemnly from above.
"Don't send that ta Medda," Jack said as he looked at Race, who was still clinging to the ladder to his right. "We'll tell her tonight in person."
"This would break her heart," David said. "Wonder what he said to piss her off…"
"He's a fuckin' scabba," Snoddy said, sniffing as he rubbed his face on his hoodie sleeve.
Mush squeezed Snoddy's shoulder. Snoddy always acted tough, but they all understood…emotions ran high for them in this new world. Seeing one of their own was enough to break them down. Let alone seeing them as someone completely different.
"This mean he's woken up?" Specs asked David. "I mean, he knows her…"
David shook his head, "I don't know. There's one way to find out but-"
There was a scream from behind them, coming from the campus. They turned in time to see a young woman run past the scaffolding, not seeing her face, but what she was yelling was perfectly clear in their ears.
"KID BLINK!"
The guys almost fell off the scaffolding when she screamed the name they knew so well. They rushed the ends of the scaffolding, and Race jumped down to the ground, video recording the young woman as she ran at full sprint across the park towards Kid Blink.
The young woman, with short blonde hair and wearing stained overalls, had dropped her books all over the sidewalk, not seeing anything else but the young man in black.
The yound man looked up, his face blank as he realized she was yelling at him. He pulled the phone away from his ear, his blue eyes wide, and Jack felt a pang in his chest as he watched…
If he recognized her—
"KID!" she yelled again.
"Holy shit, overload," Mush said, pushing his hands to either side of his head, his expression pained. "Man, that's Kat!"
"It's fuckin' Kat," Specs said over Mush.
"This is unreal," David said, shaking his head. "Jack, this is crazy-"
"We're finding everyone…" Mush said in disbelief. "'s…like fate or somethin'…"
The guys watched anxiously as Kat came to a stop in front of Kid Blink, throwing her arms around his neck, clinging to him for dear life like she had in the water of the bay in 1901…
But the young blonde man didn't know her: his expression was disgusted almost, his arms outstretched as he tried to separate himself. He said something to her and she staggered back, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. She was shaking her head as she reached for him again, her hands touching his face.
The guy—Kid Blink—laughed as he pushed her hands away, smoothing the wrinkles on his black button down. He smiled at her, touched her chin in one of those dick moves you see in movies, and turned to walk away, not giving one shit about her.
It all happened in three minutes.
"Damn, Kid…" Race muttered, lowering his phone as he stared at the scene in front of him.
"I guess that's our answer," Mush said darkly.
"Can't believe he's such a dick," Specs said angrily. "Imma punch 'im when he comes to."
Jack's chest felt empty as he watched the whole thing play out. He felt sick.
"Kid Blink," she called after him, only to be ignored. "Kid Blink!"
The guy only took out his phone again, still walking away from her.
She tilted her head back before allowing her legs to fold under her, all her energy draining from her. She buried her face in her hands, and her shoulders shook with waves of sobs.
Race jumped down from the ladder and the guys followed him, watching the young woman. Snoddy and Mush bent down to pick up her books—sketchbooks. Their faces were heartbroken as they watched her, still unable to believe she was there.
Jack began walking towards her quickly, not wanting to draw more attention to them even though the sidewalks were mostly clear now.
Jack's eyes watched Kid Blink's retreating figure and he could hear her sobs as he got closer to her.
His eyes moved to the back of her head. Her hair was short now, in one of those long bobs girls wore now…her overalls were worn with paint stains on the legs, and there were paint stains on her red converse shoes. She wore a tight striped t-shirt underneath her overalls, the sleeves stopping at her elbows.
He stepped around her slowly, kneeling in front of her.
He saw her long fingers digging into her head as she cried, her throat raw. Her heart was breaking.
"Kat…?" he said quietly, his voice rough.
Her head snapped up, her glassy hazel eyes widening when she saw his face.
She fell backwards, catching herself on her hands as she backed away from him franticly.
She stared at him for a long moment, breathing raggedly, until she calmed down.
Those eyes scanned him over and over again, and she looked over her shoulder, seeing the others standing a few feet away. She began shaking again and Jack edged closer to her, taking her firmly by the arms to steady her.
He thought she was going to push him away. But her hands gripped him as tight as vices, her strength surprising him. Her wide bright eyes read his desperately, her fingers pressing down on his skin. It was confirmation.
She finally exhaled, as if seeing him had knocked the wind out of her.
"Am I dreaming?" she asked hoarsely. She shook her head, her expression breaking his heart as tears flowed down her cheeks. She sounded exactly the same, her voice softened by her slight British accent.
"Is it really you, Jack?" she gasped through gentle sobs.
"Yeah," he said gently, lightly squeezing her arms.
She moved to stand and he helped her, holding her steady until he felt she could stand.
The others came closer too, and Kat's other hand instantly shot out, touching their arms, their chests, keeping one hand on Jack. Her fingers trembled.
They watched her solemnly, seeing realization dawn on her face over and over as she looked at them. They stood tall around her, giving her whatever strength she needed. She looked like she might fall over. She looked so thin and tired.
"But-" she looked back, seeing the tiny figure of Kid Blink climb into a taxi. "If you—if you know me…" More tears came as her voice broke, "He-"
"He hasn't…" David shook his head dejectedly. "He hasn't woken up yet."
Kat turned her head back to them, her light brown eyebrows knitted. Her wet pink lips were parted as she tried to slow her breathing. Her eyes read their faces and they saw the thoughts swirling around in them.
She looked at Jack, "I…I only…remembered everything… 3 weeks ago."
"Holy shit," Mush said, looking at David.
Kat shook her head, her eyes bright now as she looked at each of them, like it was her safety blanket to see their faces.
"I thought I was crazy. I-I didn't know what the hell was going on—my name was Amber and I was an Anthropology student—and I suddenly remembered everything and I…"
Jack stiffened as he saw fresh tears in her eyes, seeing the look on her face. He knew that feeling.
"I had to find him," Kat said breathlessly, her eyes far away over Jack's shoulder. "I knew, I felt it, he was here. But now-"
Racetrack stepped forward and took her by the shoulders, making her met his eyes.
"We'll get 'im back," he said sternly. "Ya hear me? We ain't losin' you, we ain't losin' 'im eitha."
"We've found Medda," David said and Kat's hair whipped around her face as a breeze washed over them. But Kat shivered at David's words. "And Ira."
Kat's eyes lit up and she looked at Jack, "Before I remembered, she and I had classes together. After…remembering, I almost passed out when I saw her again. I didn't say anything to her—but I tried to gage if she…Jack, that's why I thought I would find everyone."
The guys all looked at each other, and Jack's eyes stayed locked on her face.
"Ya know her?" he asked evenly.
She nodded, "She doesn't have many friends, only the ones she dances with. But I would always sit next to her, talk with her. Especially after…"
She shivered again, closing her eyes. The guys were all silent as they listened to her.
"It was so hard…not to say anything. And the headaches-"
"We know," Race said irritably. "They don' go away eitha."
She looked at Race blankly. "So those are… normal? I remember from when I had classes…with her-she gets them too."
Jack rubbed his hand over his face, trying to take in everything that had just happened in the past twenty minutes. He felt clammy all over and dizzy. He took a few deep breathes, letting them out in a huff.
Kat's breathing was shaky, as if she were on the edge of barely holding herself together.
"I still can't believe it," she said as her eyes roamed over their faces again. "I found…him…and you guys all in the same day…I know I'm not dreaming…but even if I am, it's—so—good to see all of you."
Mush put his arm around her, squeezing her shoulder. Kat put her hand over his, as if he were her lifeline.
"We've been working on campus," David motioned to the forgotten scaffolding behind him. "That's how we found Ira."
Jack let out another huff.
"What now, Cowboy?" Mush asked quietly.
"I dunno," Jack answered, looking up at the sky. Clouds were coming in. "But we gotta tell Medda…and I think she'll wanna see you too, Kat. Can ya come with us ta her place tonight?"
Kat nodded, looking like she was in a daze. The excitement left her face but not her eyes. She was excited to see them, but after what happened with Kid…her energy left her.
Racetrack got Kat's number and texted her Medda's address. They hugged each other again, long and hard, before letting Kat go. They watched her walk away sadly, and saw her lift her hand to her face more than once, the October breeze catching her short hair.
