Kate opened her eyes, although they felt like they were glued
together. She turned to look for Leopold, but first spotted two figures
receding away into the distance. She cleared her throat and called out one,
solitary word.
"Charlie!" The figures paused, and both turned. Kate could only wonder what her brother thought…he was too far off for her to see his face. But all she knew was that Charlie was flying back toward the Bridge as fast as his legs could carry him, Stuart not far behind.
In an instant Kate had her brother in a huge hug, and Charlie was at a lost for words, before bursting out, " You didn't go to Leopold?!" Kate drew a sharp intake of breath. It will all begin from where I jumped Kate mused. She had a lot to explain to her brother. Kate then remembered Stuart, who hung slightly in the back. Kate went over and gave him a friendly hug
"Charlie, it's going to sound weird, but I've been away for nearly a year!" Charlie's eyebrows raised, and his mouth dropped incredulously. Stuart popped in.
"I told this to Leopold before he left. When he jumped off the Bridge to return to 1876, I explained to him that it would be like nothing happened. Nobody would notice that the Duke of Albany was gone." Charlie nodded, seeming to understand.
"Umm, one question," Charlie said slowly, and Kate and Stuart turned to him. "Where is Leo anyway?" That's when Kate realized it as well, Leopold was nowhere in sight. Kate broke out into a pale sweat. Charlie continued, "Kate, did you bring him? Did Leo come with you?"
Kate tried to bite back the pangs of worry digging at her. She bolted back toward the Bridge, tears now choking her. A pair of arms wrapped around her, and Kate's NYC in 2001 instincts kicked in. she fought wildly and was ready to break the attacker's arm if necessary. "Let me GO!" she spat.
"Kate! Kate! Calm down, please!" Leopold's voice flowed over her. "its me!!" Kate took a deep breath and relaxed. "I see you are prepared for New York again," Leopold said gently. Kate just nodded mutely, and melted into Leopold's arms.
Charlie and Stuart had come running at top speed when Kate had yelled. Charlie slowed as he approached her, trying to view Kate's attacker in the dark. His face split into a huge grin. "Leo!" he yelled happily. He leaned forward excitedly, and stuck out his hand.
"Charles, its wonderful to see you again," Leopold smiled, and took Charlie's hand. Kate looked, smiling, over at Stuart, who shrugged, grinning. Leopold and Charlie were definitely quite a pair. Charlie, for one, refused to let anyone call him Charles, and as for Leopold…he wouldn't hear of anyone calling him Leo.
Stuart was quiet, a smile was on his face, but it was clear to see his mind churning. He was looking intently at Leopold, then at Kate, then back again. He acted as though his ex-girlfriend and her duke boyfriend appeared off the Brooklyn Bridge from 1876. He just listened interestedly as Kate and Leopold relayed the past year…or the past few minutes for himself and Charlie.
"Geez, Kate, so you guys are married?" Charlie exclaimed, obviously stunned.
Leopold laughed lightly. "Charles, we were married the moment Kate stumbled… I mean stepped…into the room."
Kate piped in, "Actually, loyal Leopold here was about to name some rich woman as the Duchess of Albany, when I gracefully swept into the room." She glared teasingly at Leopold, who seemed lost by her sarcasm.
Charlie was ecstatic. "Kate Mckay! Ummm, I mean…Duchess of Albany, I cannot believe that you, my sister, got married! To a duke!" he cast a sidelong glance at Leopold. "Not that I'm surprised, I mean, if anyone, I knew it was gonna be you, Leo."
Leopold grinned and held Kate close. "I'm the luckiest duke this century!" he proclaimed loudly
"umm, Leopold/Leo?" Kate and Charlie inquired simuntaniously. You're the only duke this century!" and they burst out laughing.
Leopold laughed uncertainly, when Stuart stepped in, squinting toward the rising sun. "Sorry to, um, cut the party short, people. But suns goin' up and we're going to have early morning joggers heading out and wondering why the heck two men are hanging out with a couple dressed to the extreme."
Leopold looked slightly baffled, and opened his mouth to protest. Kate silenced him and slid her hand into his. "You're right, Stuart. Lets head home." Home, Kate mumbled to herself.That apartment isn't home. 2001 isn't home. She glanced over at Leopold, who seemed to be interested in something Stuart was saying.My home is 1876, as Duchess of Albany, wife of Leopold.
"so. you two set?" Stuart was saying. Leopold looked wary.
"I'm afraid I don't follow you. What does this Mr. Levi make?" he asked lightly. Kate hadn't been following what was going on, and faithful Charlie noticed that.
"Leo," he said, as much to Kate as to Leopold. "We can't have you guys walking around like you're straight out of the 18th century." Kate raised an eyebrow at him. "well…you got what I mean. We're gonna head back, Kate, you come back to the apartment with me. Leo, you go with Stuart. Kate and I will just come up when we're done."
Leopold and Stuart nodded, and even Charlie seemed surprised. It wasn't like him to initiate orders like that. Leopold smiled. "alright. And I believe Kate may want to do some catching up with her brother. A year for us was a couple of minutes for them."
Kate grinned at her husband. Sometimes he just knew her every thought. Leopold walked over and planted a kiss on Kate's forehead, making Charlie break into a grin.
"Man oh Man, Kate." He flicked into a Ricky Ricardo impression. "Ka- ate. You got some 'splainin to do!" Everyone laughed, except Leopold, who just smiled with a curious expression.
Charlie linked arms with his sister, his duchess sister, and grinned boyishly into her face. The two looked back at Leopold and Stuart, who were deep in conversation. Leopold looked up at Kate, and Charlie caught a secret glance pass between the two. Charlie smiled.
If it takes a man from 100 years back to brighten my sister's workaholic, love deprived life, so be it. Just so long as that man is Leopold Kate and Charlie grinned at each other, and set off to meet the past…present…future. Whatever.
"Charlie!" The figures paused, and both turned. Kate could only wonder what her brother thought…he was too far off for her to see his face. But all she knew was that Charlie was flying back toward the Bridge as fast as his legs could carry him, Stuart not far behind.
In an instant Kate had her brother in a huge hug, and Charlie was at a lost for words, before bursting out, " You didn't go to Leopold?!" Kate drew a sharp intake of breath. It will all begin from where I jumped Kate mused. She had a lot to explain to her brother. Kate then remembered Stuart, who hung slightly in the back. Kate went over and gave him a friendly hug
"Charlie, it's going to sound weird, but I've been away for nearly a year!" Charlie's eyebrows raised, and his mouth dropped incredulously. Stuart popped in.
"I told this to Leopold before he left. When he jumped off the Bridge to return to 1876, I explained to him that it would be like nothing happened. Nobody would notice that the Duke of Albany was gone." Charlie nodded, seeming to understand.
"Umm, one question," Charlie said slowly, and Kate and Stuart turned to him. "Where is Leo anyway?" That's when Kate realized it as well, Leopold was nowhere in sight. Kate broke out into a pale sweat. Charlie continued, "Kate, did you bring him? Did Leo come with you?"
Kate tried to bite back the pangs of worry digging at her. She bolted back toward the Bridge, tears now choking her. A pair of arms wrapped around her, and Kate's NYC in 2001 instincts kicked in. she fought wildly and was ready to break the attacker's arm if necessary. "Let me GO!" she spat.
"Kate! Kate! Calm down, please!" Leopold's voice flowed over her. "its me!!" Kate took a deep breath and relaxed. "I see you are prepared for New York again," Leopold said gently. Kate just nodded mutely, and melted into Leopold's arms.
Charlie and Stuart had come running at top speed when Kate had yelled. Charlie slowed as he approached her, trying to view Kate's attacker in the dark. His face split into a huge grin. "Leo!" he yelled happily. He leaned forward excitedly, and stuck out his hand.
"Charles, its wonderful to see you again," Leopold smiled, and took Charlie's hand. Kate looked, smiling, over at Stuart, who shrugged, grinning. Leopold and Charlie were definitely quite a pair. Charlie, for one, refused to let anyone call him Charles, and as for Leopold…he wouldn't hear of anyone calling him Leo.
Stuart was quiet, a smile was on his face, but it was clear to see his mind churning. He was looking intently at Leopold, then at Kate, then back again. He acted as though his ex-girlfriend and her duke boyfriend appeared off the Brooklyn Bridge from 1876. He just listened interestedly as Kate and Leopold relayed the past year…or the past few minutes for himself and Charlie.
"Geez, Kate, so you guys are married?" Charlie exclaimed, obviously stunned.
Leopold laughed lightly. "Charles, we were married the moment Kate stumbled… I mean stepped…into the room."
Kate piped in, "Actually, loyal Leopold here was about to name some rich woman as the Duchess of Albany, when I gracefully swept into the room." She glared teasingly at Leopold, who seemed lost by her sarcasm.
Charlie was ecstatic. "Kate Mckay! Ummm, I mean…Duchess of Albany, I cannot believe that you, my sister, got married! To a duke!" he cast a sidelong glance at Leopold. "Not that I'm surprised, I mean, if anyone, I knew it was gonna be you, Leo."
Leopold grinned and held Kate close. "I'm the luckiest duke this century!" he proclaimed loudly
"umm, Leopold/Leo?" Kate and Charlie inquired simuntaniously. You're the only duke this century!" and they burst out laughing.
Leopold laughed uncertainly, when Stuart stepped in, squinting toward the rising sun. "Sorry to, um, cut the party short, people. But suns goin' up and we're going to have early morning joggers heading out and wondering why the heck two men are hanging out with a couple dressed to the extreme."
Leopold looked slightly baffled, and opened his mouth to protest. Kate silenced him and slid her hand into his. "You're right, Stuart. Lets head home." Home, Kate mumbled to herself.That apartment isn't home. 2001 isn't home. She glanced over at Leopold, who seemed to be interested in something Stuart was saying.My home is 1876, as Duchess of Albany, wife of Leopold.
"so. you two set?" Stuart was saying. Leopold looked wary.
"I'm afraid I don't follow you. What does this Mr. Levi make?" he asked lightly. Kate hadn't been following what was going on, and faithful Charlie noticed that.
"Leo," he said, as much to Kate as to Leopold. "We can't have you guys walking around like you're straight out of the 18th century." Kate raised an eyebrow at him. "well…you got what I mean. We're gonna head back, Kate, you come back to the apartment with me. Leo, you go with Stuart. Kate and I will just come up when we're done."
Leopold and Stuart nodded, and even Charlie seemed surprised. It wasn't like him to initiate orders like that. Leopold smiled. "alright. And I believe Kate may want to do some catching up with her brother. A year for us was a couple of minutes for them."
Kate grinned at her husband. Sometimes he just knew her every thought. Leopold walked over and planted a kiss on Kate's forehead, making Charlie break into a grin.
"Man oh Man, Kate." He flicked into a Ricky Ricardo impression. "Ka- ate. You got some 'splainin to do!" Everyone laughed, except Leopold, who just smiled with a curious expression.
Charlie linked arms with his sister, his duchess sister, and grinned boyishly into her face. The two looked back at Leopold and Stuart, who were deep in conversation. Leopold looked up at Kate, and Charlie caught a secret glance pass between the two. Charlie smiled.
If it takes a man from 100 years back to brighten my sister's workaholic, love deprived life, so be it. Just so long as that man is Leopold Kate and Charlie grinned at each other, and set off to meet the past…present…future. Whatever.
