The next morning, when it was still dark, Kate opened her eyes to see
a dark figure creeping through the window. She whispered to Leopold to get
up, shaking him slightly. Leopold woke, caught sight of the figure, and
lunged out of bed, tackling the intruder to the ground.
"Ughh! Leopold, that is one thing I will NOT remember you for," Stuart's voice groaned, muffled. Leopold leapt up, horrified, and helped Stuart up. Kate threw her robe on and rushed out, mouth forming a slight O.
"Stuart!" she hissed. "Just because we are from 1876 does not mean we don't know natural instincts of when someone enters their home in the dead of night, through a WINDOW!" She switched on the light to reflect Stuart's expression.
"I always come through the window," he said pointedly. Leopold, by now, had taken a seat on the couch, truly regretful for attacking Stuart. "Look," Stuart continued, voice low. "I didn't mean to come to you guys like this, but…" he looked for the right words, but found he didn't need it.
Leopold stood, and tilted his head in acknowledgement. "It is time to go home," he murmured, his voice catching unexpectedly. Kate's eyes widened, and she walked up to give Stuart a hug, who backed off, shaking his head.
Kate's eyes flickered. "Charlie!" she exclaimed, running to the phone. Her fingers shook as she punched in the numbers, and Leopold went to her side, kissing her head reassuringly. The phone rang incessantly, until there was a click, and Charlie's groggy voice answered.
"hull-llo?" he mumbled into the phone. "Kate? What're you…is Leo OK?" he asked automatically. In the background, he heard Leo whisper something to Kate, and Stuart piped something in the background. "Oh...shoot," he groaned.
Kate heard the soft click of the phone being set on its cradle. Her shoulder's dropped and she bowed her head. She turned to Leopold and Stuart. "He hung up," she whispered. "He hung up before I could tell him why I called. Am I going to leave without saying goodbye to my brother?" Leopold put his arms around his wife, and rested his chin on her head.
"Charles would not hear of us leaving without saying good-bye," Leopold said reassuringly, his chin lifting confidently. Stuart looked at his watch, and shook his head slightly.
"We gotta go," he said, sadness lurking in his eyes. Leopold, despite the assuring look he tried to keep on, felt a lump form in his throat, but he nodded. Kate, on the other hand, was not so composed. Something within her snapped, and her head shot up.
"NO!" Kate's voice broke. "I-am-not-leaving-to-go-back-100-years- without-saying-goodbye to…" a figure tumbled through the window. "CHARLIE!" Kate had never seen a more welcome site than her brother, jeans put on haphazardly, shirt backwards, and hair tousled, eyes heavy lidded with sleep.
"Talk about an entrance," Stuart remarked, grinning with relief, as Kate enveloped her brother in a desperate hug, sniffling quietly. Charlie glanced over Kate's head with a puzzled expression. Stuart made a gesture that looked like two figures jumping, then he pointed at Charlie and shrugged. Charlie's eyebrows shot up in understanding, and he hugged his sister tighter.
"How long do we have?" Leopold asked Stuart, who shook his head.
"Not long," he replied. "Half hour to be safe." Leopold nodded briskly.
"Let us be on our way," the duke said, subdued. He walked over, and took Kate's arm, gently. "Kate, we must get down to the bridge. We shall say…"his throat tightened. "we shall say our good-byes then. Kate," Leopold wrapped his arms around her. "Come."
Kate nodded dully, and walked toward the front door. She turned for a moment, eyes sweeping her apartment, to the kitchen, to her bedroom, to outside. So many memories flooded through her. She imagined Charlie belting out one of his routines, causing her to bowl over with laughter. She saw herself flopping on her bed, listening disinterestedly to Stuart, who rambled on about some crack in time. The image formed into a vision of herself sitting sleepily at the table, while Leopold served her toast with strawberries. Now she stood in that same apartment, leaving it, forever…
"Kate?" Charlie appeared next to her, his warm eyes racked with the grief she felt. "Kate, we…you gotta go. C'mon, portal's gonna close." Kate nodded silently, her eyes misting over. She walked out of her apartment and punched the elevator's Down button, tapping her foot. The metal doors slid open, and she stepped in, Stuart, Charlie, and Leopold close behind.
Inside, Leopold's fingers grazed the engraving inserted into the wall. "Otis," he whispered as his fingers roamed over each bold letter, his eyes shining. "Good God…Otis! How did they, good Lord…how did they know of Otis? And to think they included his name as a part of such a marvelous invention!" Stuart chuckled as the elevator chinged to a halt at the first floor.
"Of which we would be walking the steps our whole lives if not for you, Leopold. All the more need for you to go home," Stuart said, and added on a more light-hearted note. "No Leopold, no elevator. No elevator, no sanity. It's all a pattern, my friend." Charlie nodded his agreement as they got into a waiting taxi.
"Stuart's right, Leo," he said. "If you don't go back, NYC in 2001 will never be the same. And…if Kate doesn't go with you, A) people will wonder where their duchess disappeared to, and B)…"
"I would never be born," Stuart mumbled quietly. Charlie, Kate and Leopold whirled to stare at Stuart in utter shock. Stuart nodded and cleared his throat. "Leopold is my great-great grandfather. I found it out by accident," he said, ducking his head.
Kate just stared at Stuart, her face twisting strangely. "Y-You mean…that if I…if we…" She didn't complete the sentence, Stuart's abashed face told it all. "Oh my God, STUART BESSER!" she shrieked, drawing attention from the cab driver, who looked with distain at Kate.
"please Kate, I don't want you to leave like this. I had to tell you…" Stuart pleaded. "cmon.."
Charlie looked from one to the other, stifling laughter, before it exploded. "Stuart, you…dating…your great-great grandma. Gimme a cell phone to call Ricki Lake!" he joked, but inside he was churning. No, he wasn't entirely shocked by this news. Hey, if over a short period of time a duke from 1876 came to 2001, left, and came back with his sister was entirely possible….nah. nothing was so surprising.
Kate bit back a reply as the cab slid to a stop. No…she wasn't ready to say goodbye, not yet. She looked at Charlie, teasing Stuart mercilessly. She cleared her throat, and nodded outside, unable to speak. Charlie's face fell as the bridge loomed into view. Trembling, she got out, hands lingering on the taxi's steel frame. She grinned slightly. She was over exaggerating. She would see a taxi again, and an elevator. The first elevators. She'd see many new things in her time, but…
"Charlie." Unconsciously, the foursomes had made their way to the bridge, and were looking over to the depths below. "Charlie…"
Her brother shook his head. "Tell him/her about ole Charlie, ok?" he said simply. Kate's heart wrenched. He was talking about the baby…his niece or nephew…his only niece or nephew.
"Kate, you guys gotta go," Stuart said urgently, looking at his watch. Kate looked at Leopold, whose face looked strained. Together, they eased onto the girder, Leopold first. "Oh, and Kate?"
Kate turned. "Yes, my great-great grandson?" she said teasingly.
"Be quiet," he teased back. "Look, Kate…Godspeed, ok?" Kate nodded tearily.
"Yeah…"She looked to her brother. "Charlie? You know I love you. You know it."
Charlie nodded, forcing down the lump in his throat. "Yeah, I know. I know." He looked toward Leopold. "Leo, take care of my sister, ok?" Leopold nodded.
"Of course, Charles." Leopold murmured.
"Stuart, thank you," was all Kate said, she didn't need to say anything more. Stuart just nodded. Charlie looked, teary eyed, at his shoes. When his raised his eyes, Kate and Leopold were gone.
"Ughh! Leopold, that is one thing I will NOT remember you for," Stuart's voice groaned, muffled. Leopold leapt up, horrified, and helped Stuart up. Kate threw her robe on and rushed out, mouth forming a slight O.
"Stuart!" she hissed. "Just because we are from 1876 does not mean we don't know natural instincts of when someone enters their home in the dead of night, through a WINDOW!" She switched on the light to reflect Stuart's expression.
"I always come through the window," he said pointedly. Leopold, by now, had taken a seat on the couch, truly regretful for attacking Stuart. "Look," Stuart continued, voice low. "I didn't mean to come to you guys like this, but…" he looked for the right words, but found he didn't need it.
Leopold stood, and tilted his head in acknowledgement. "It is time to go home," he murmured, his voice catching unexpectedly. Kate's eyes widened, and she walked up to give Stuart a hug, who backed off, shaking his head.
Kate's eyes flickered. "Charlie!" she exclaimed, running to the phone. Her fingers shook as she punched in the numbers, and Leopold went to her side, kissing her head reassuringly. The phone rang incessantly, until there was a click, and Charlie's groggy voice answered.
"hull-llo?" he mumbled into the phone. "Kate? What're you…is Leo OK?" he asked automatically. In the background, he heard Leo whisper something to Kate, and Stuart piped something in the background. "Oh...shoot," he groaned.
Kate heard the soft click of the phone being set on its cradle. Her shoulder's dropped and she bowed her head. She turned to Leopold and Stuart. "He hung up," she whispered. "He hung up before I could tell him why I called. Am I going to leave without saying goodbye to my brother?" Leopold put his arms around his wife, and rested his chin on her head.
"Charles would not hear of us leaving without saying good-bye," Leopold said reassuringly, his chin lifting confidently. Stuart looked at his watch, and shook his head slightly.
"We gotta go," he said, sadness lurking in his eyes. Leopold, despite the assuring look he tried to keep on, felt a lump form in his throat, but he nodded. Kate, on the other hand, was not so composed. Something within her snapped, and her head shot up.
"NO!" Kate's voice broke. "I-am-not-leaving-to-go-back-100-years- without-saying-goodbye to…" a figure tumbled through the window. "CHARLIE!" Kate had never seen a more welcome site than her brother, jeans put on haphazardly, shirt backwards, and hair tousled, eyes heavy lidded with sleep.
"Talk about an entrance," Stuart remarked, grinning with relief, as Kate enveloped her brother in a desperate hug, sniffling quietly. Charlie glanced over Kate's head with a puzzled expression. Stuart made a gesture that looked like two figures jumping, then he pointed at Charlie and shrugged. Charlie's eyebrows shot up in understanding, and he hugged his sister tighter.
"How long do we have?" Leopold asked Stuart, who shook his head.
"Not long," he replied. "Half hour to be safe." Leopold nodded briskly.
"Let us be on our way," the duke said, subdued. He walked over, and took Kate's arm, gently. "Kate, we must get down to the bridge. We shall say…"his throat tightened. "we shall say our good-byes then. Kate," Leopold wrapped his arms around her. "Come."
Kate nodded dully, and walked toward the front door. She turned for a moment, eyes sweeping her apartment, to the kitchen, to her bedroom, to outside. So many memories flooded through her. She imagined Charlie belting out one of his routines, causing her to bowl over with laughter. She saw herself flopping on her bed, listening disinterestedly to Stuart, who rambled on about some crack in time. The image formed into a vision of herself sitting sleepily at the table, while Leopold served her toast with strawberries. Now she stood in that same apartment, leaving it, forever…
"Kate?" Charlie appeared next to her, his warm eyes racked with the grief she felt. "Kate, we…you gotta go. C'mon, portal's gonna close." Kate nodded silently, her eyes misting over. She walked out of her apartment and punched the elevator's Down button, tapping her foot. The metal doors slid open, and she stepped in, Stuart, Charlie, and Leopold close behind.
Inside, Leopold's fingers grazed the engraving inserted into the wall. "Otis," he whispered as his fingers roamed over each bold letter, his eyes shining. "Good God…Otis! How did they, good Lord…how did they know of Otis? And to think they included his name as a part of such a marvelous invention!" Stuart chuckled as the elevator chinged to a halt at the first floor.
"Of which we would be walking the steps our whole lives if not for you, Leopold. All the more need for you to go home," Stuart said, and added on a more light-hearted note. "No Leopold, no elevator. No elevator, no sanity. It's all a pattern, my friend." Charlie nodded his agreement as they got into a waiting taxi.
"Stuart's right, Leo," he said. "If you don't go back, NYC in 2001 will never be the same. And…if Kate doesn't go with you, A) people will wonder where their duchess disappeared to, and B)…"
"I would never be born," Stuart mumbled quietly. Charlie, Kate and Leopold whirled to stare at Stuart in utter shock. Stuart nodded and cleared his throat. "Leopold is my great-great grandfather. I found it out by accident," he said, ducking his head.
Kate just stared at Stuart, her face twisting strangely. "Y-You mean…that if I…if we…" She didn't complete the sentence, Stuart's abashed face told it all. "Oh my God, STUART BESSER!" she shrieked, drawing attention from the cab driver, who looked with distain at Kate.
"please Kate, I don't want you to leave like this. I had to tell you…" Stuart pleaded. "cmon.."
Charlie looked from one to the other, stifling laughter, before it exploded. "Stuart, you…dating…your great-great grandma. Gimme a cell phone to call Ricki Lake!" he joked, but inside he was churning. No, he wasn't entirely shocked by this news. Hey, if over a short period of time a duke from 1876 came to 2001, left, and came back with his sister was entirely possible….nah. nothing was so surprising.
Kate bit back a reply as the cab slid to a stop. No…she wasn't ready to say goodbye, not yet. She looked at Charlie, teasing Stuart mercilessly. She cleared her throat, and nodded outside, unable to speak. Charlie's face fell as the bridge loomed into view. Trembling, she got out, hands lingering on the taxi's steel frame. She grinned slightly. She was over exaggerating. She would see a taxi again, and an elevator. The first elevators. She'd see many new things in her time, but…
"Charlie." Unconsciously, the foursomes had made their way to the bridge, and were looking over to the depths below. "Charlie…"
Her brother shook his head. "Tell him/her about ole Charlie, ok?" he said simply. Kate's heart wrenched. He was talking about the baby…his niece or nephew…his only niece or nephew.
"Kate, you guys gotta go," Stuart said urgently, looking at his watch. Kate looked at Leopold, whose face looked strained. Together, they eased onto the girder, Leopold first. "Oh, and Kate?"
Kate turned. "Yes, my great-great grandson?" she said teasingly.
"Be quiet," he teased back. "Look, Kate…Godspeed, ok?" Kate nodded tearily.
"Yeah…"She looked to her brother. "Charlie? You know I love you. You know it."
Charlie nodded, forcing down the lump in his throat. "Yeah, I know. I know." He looked toward Leopold. "Leo, take care of my sister, ok?" Leopold nodded.
"Of course, Charles." Leopold murmured.
"Stuart, thank you," was all Kate said, she didn't need to say anything more. Stuart just nodded. Charlie looked, teary eyed, at his shoes. When his raised his eyes, Kate and Leopold were gone.
