THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mimmi: Yay! I achieved unexpectedness! :D. Oh, well, most of your questions will be answered in this chapter, so I won't answer them all here. Thank you. I knew what my ending was going to be, so I knew it had to be sped up about a year. I love Eric too! I have a friend quite similar to him, and it's always funny to see him mirrored in Eric's character. Aw, thank you. I can only hope you'll like the ending as much as I will. :). And I'm going to miss this as well. Though I might have a sequel, it won't be the same. This was the first story and it'll always be special to me. And thank you for commenting on my updating. I knew I probably wouldn't get it finished, or updated in a timely fashion if I didn't make a promise to you guys that I'd get it done. Though it's been challenging at times, lol, I've loved it nonetheless. I've enjoyed the challenge. :). Thank you again, and see ya next week.
DD2: Lol, aw, I don't want it to end either! Thank you, DD, and see ya next week!
Hazel: Thank you, and see ya next week!
Kiwi: I know, I can't believe it's almost over either! *cries* Thank you, and see ya next week!
Carby24/7: LoL, no, I don't intentionally make you suffer!!! But it looks like you hung in there! Cause look! Here's the final chappy!!! :D. Oh, thank you, I will be so sad when it ends as well. Thank you so much for such nice comments and see you next week!
CharmedMummy: Hey there! Well, I had to look at Grace's perspective as well. Though the anniversary was coming up, it wasn't the only thing on her mind. But I did put, "One year later" on the header! Don't I get brownie points for that? 8^D 8^D 8^D. Aw, I hope that headache cleared up fast!!! Thank you, and see ya next week!
kristymcg: Hi there! Nice to meet ya! Wow, you read all 11 chappys at once??? My, my, lol. Thank you! See ya next week!!!
Pissed Off Poet: LoL, well, it was a year, and I'm sure sparks flew as Harm and Mac began to realize they really were "meant to be." And my shipper heart couldn't take anymore of the teases. :D. Tsk, aw, I know, I don't want this to end! Ack! But there will definitely be an epilogue, and maybe a sequel next month or something. Thank you so much again, and see ya next week. Ah! And look! You're lucky number ~*270*~ on the review list! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, POET!!!!!!!!!
Maggie: Hi!! Thank you! Ms. Nolson was the key to help Grace, and she'll have a small part at the beginning of this chapter, and then her work will be done. Thank you, and see ya next week!!!!!!
Jagsister: Hey there! Aw, thank you so much! Well, I'll probably be making a sequel to this, or writing a different JAG story (or finish one of my previous ones), and then write a sequel to this, but it would be short. Anywho, do keep an eye out for more of my stories. Thank you again and see ya next week!!!
ArwenUndomiel: Heehee, well, you'll just have to see what Grace decided when you read below. :D. LoL, yeah, I got the review as I was just about finished with chapter 11, and i'm like, whoo, she's cuttin' it close :D. LoL, what's happening on JAG? Heh, well, you kinda have to see season 8 finale, then everything makes sense. But let's just say Harm is making some huge decisions right now. And, well, I'm sure you've seen the name "Mattie" mentioned in the stories around here quite a lot. Basically, everything's a little confusing at the moment. But after the episode they left off at a few weeks ago, I think stuff will start to smooth over a bit. Anywho, thank you and see ya next week (btw, look a few names down for your second review response)!
Annebd: Aw, thank you! Yes, the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. I had a hard time thinking of the title, but I wanted to use something that resembled Grace's home. And the alphabet thing looked cool so I used that, thank you for pointing it out. :). OH, I'm so glad you're updating!!!!!!! It's been on my fav stories list for a while and I keep checkin' it, but then i get sad when I see no new chappies have been up. I'm gonna keep my eye out for it!!! See ya next week!
Cassie: Hey there! LoL, yay, suspense, thank you :D. Hope you enjoy the chapter!! See ya next week!!
Moonlights Sundance: LOL, cliffhangers aren't fun, are they??? At least not for the reader...(i'm evil, i'm evil!). Aw, thank you! That really means the world to me when you say that!!!! Thank you again, and see ya next week
TZMaverick: Are you kidding me??? That does sound familiar. Hm. Okay, thanks for the heads up if you even read this :D.
Sunchaser2: LOL, yes, many decisions!!! Thank you and see ya next week!!
Cmaf: Hey there! Welcome back! LoL, had to play catch-up a lil' bit?? Hey, I hope you had a holiday!!! Aw, and I missed havin' ya! Heehee, I promise this chapter won't be the last, there will be a full epilogue. :). LOL, oh no! 30 mil!!!! Well, there will be other lottos..hehehe...hey, don't worry, I won't stop!!!! See ya next week!!!!
NavyCB: Aw, thank you! I love the title too! :D. Heehee, well, Navy, you've just given me an interesting idea...:D. LoL, and see? Another week has passed! Now did that take too long??? :). See ya next week!! Ah! And look! You're lucky number ~*280*~ on the review list! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, NAVY!!!!!!!!
e-dog: LoL, computers are stupid sometimes, lol. I'm glad you reviewed anyway. :D. Hehe, well, Grace has to look at the morale part of the story and really think about her choices. Should she go back to where she really belongs, or stay?? You shall find out. :D See ya next week!!!
Winnie Bear: See, I didn't leave...well, for too long anyway, :D. Aw, thank you. It's refreshing to write as well :). Thanks again and see ya next week!!!
Girlgunner: LoL, no, you weren't supposed to know! :D. jk.. Yes, you see the dilemma. Grace has made this life and now she has a chance to go back to her old one. Thanks and see ya next week!!!
ArwenUndomiel: LOL, welcome back, ;). Aw, thank you for the good luck! I know, I don't want it to end either. But before I run out of ideas, I want this to, as you said, end with a bang. But there will be an epilogue, as explained in the author's note below, and probably a sequel (not as long as this story, just depending on what I do). Heehee, well, I'm gonna hold on the answers to ur questions (again? I know, I thought we were over that :D) and let you read about it. :). Thank you again, and see ya next week!!!
Jagchick105: Hey there! Thank you, I hope you had a great and happy 16th birthday as well!!! Uh oh, I'm glad your computer is back!!!! Heehee, I know, I wasn't sure if it was going to be too quick or anything with the time-jump, but it appears that everybody likes it!!! Oh, I know, little AJ is so adorable!!! I wish they had him more often in the show, but you know. Anyway, I can get my cutesie/AJ moments in here :D. Yep, this is the last chapter, but there will be an epilogue on the way, and a possible sequel perhaps next month. When I began the first chapter, I thought it was going to be a short, Halloween fic. And I continued to think that up to the middle of the second chapter, when the thought of time-travel hit me. So after chapter two, I pretty much knew how I was going to end this, and started to even write the last chapter by the time I reached chapter five. That's what has been really motivating me, too. I have something to write up to which is like having a cushy net under me the whole time. So now I've learned an important lesson, don't start until you know the ending, kinda like, don't ask a question you don't know the answer to :D, and you should know allll about that! :). Wow, you know it's interesting, you'd think for the national competitions, they'd have it on Court TV or ESPN2 or something, lol! You said it's new, how long have these programs actually been around?? Oooh, I like fierce competition, muahahahaha, *cough*..*hack*...mm, I gotta stop with the evil laughs...LOL, but I like encyclopedias!!! Heehee, nah, don't stress yourself :). Hope ya had a Happy New year as well!!!
A/N: *shakes head.* Okay...I miscalculated...big time. This isn't going to be the last chapter. It's impossible. With the time I have, and how much I need to write, it's impossible for this to be the last chapter. So either you guys are relieved, or sad, lol, plz realize I DO know the ending of this, but a lot of stuff popped up in between, making this chapter a lot longer than it should be if I were to include the entire ending. So there will instead be two more weeks of this story. Next week will be the conclusion, then another week for the epilogue. Thank you all four your patience!!
~sancti
Chapter 12: Hotel Oscar Mike Echo, Part 20035 ZULU
Eleanor Kingsly's Home
Somewhere in the boonies of Virginia...
Grace kindly rejected the herbal tea Ms. Nolson tried to offer. She didn't believe she could keep anything in her stomach at the moment. So the elder woman made a cup for herself, letting Grace think for a few minutes about what was just revealed to her.
It was possible to return. To go back exactly where she left off. It was such a wild concept now. All that time she spent missing her real family, and eventually, she just let them fade away. Grace had put the family photograph in a shoebox and threw away the clothes she had first come in. She was determined to not live in the past...or...the future...Grace never tried to break down the science of it.
"You really are missin' somethin'." Ms. Nolson pointed out as she sat down with her tea. She sniffed the steam that arose from the teacup and smiled happily, "Nothin' like homemade herbal tea."
Grace made a friendly smile. The truth was, any kind of tea made her want to wretch, but she didn't want to spoil the woman's good time. So instead, she got back down to business.
"How did you discover how to get back?"
Ms. Nolson put her tea down and sat back comfortably in the armchair. "Through equations you could never understand, Miss Rabb," The woman continued to explain at Grace's expression, "I'm, or was, a scientist—mathematician."
Grace moistened her lips, feeling them crack a little. "Why didn't you go back?"
The woman made a rueful smile. "My dear, by the time I figured out how it worked, I was old, married, had children, grandchildren," Ms. Nolson glanced up with her steely eyes at a photograph atop the mantel. "I'd already made a family. I couldn't stand the thought of going back to a life I hadn't lived since I was, oh gosh, four years old."
"You were four when it happened?"
She nodded her gray head. "And my sister was eight. My parents were middle age."
"What happened to them?"
Her eyes flickered to Grace. Was that anger that flashed over them? No, perhaps it was just the fireplace reflecting in her eyes. "My mother went insane and killed herself and my father was executed by the government because they thought he murdered her."
Grace lowered her eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry."
Ms. Nolson shrugged her thin shoulders. "No skin off my back. I hardly knew them. That's just what my sister told me."
"Where is your sister?"
She sighed. "Dead. Two years ago. She wanted to go back, but I wasn't sure what would happen to me if she went back and I didn't."
Grace couldn't imagine what it was like to go from adulthood back to childhood in the blink of an eye. Ms. Nolson obviously didn't want to experience this. And though Grace only lost a year, it would still be strange to go back in a year-young body.
"But you know now what would happen?"
Ms. Nolson nodded. "I believe once you go back, this world will disappear, and return to the present."
That scared Grace. Everything would be gone? "I don't think I want to go back." Grace murmured.
Ms. Nolson froze in mid-sip of her tea. "Bite your tongue, girl."
Grace blinked. All the warmth and kindness she sensed from this woman seemed to disappear in one harsh sentence.
"What?"
She sighed, the anger dissipating. "I take it you've found a family?"
Grace smiled. "Yeah, my real family."
"Well, then if they're your real family, why can't you go back to the one you started out with?"
"It's a little more complicated than that. I've made friends, I've formed...relationships."
Ms. Nolson grunted and set her teacup down. She then fixed her steely gray eyes on Grace's brown ones. "Now listen to me carefully. You only have a few days until October thirty-first. After that, you will have to wait another year, when you will form even more relationships and grow closer to the ones you've already made. Then you will just keep delaying and delaying until you come to a point where you can never go back! You see, that's the way it works. Something happened to that house when Mr. Dupree died. Something I can't even begin to explain to you. So go back, Miss Rabb...before you can't."
The reality of the situation finally started to set in. Grace understood what Ms. Nolson was trying to get across to her. And she only had six days to make her decision.
***
0314 ZULU
Rabb Home
Georgetown, Virginia
Grace jiggled the key in the front door lock of her house. She cringed when the lock unlatched loudly from inside. Grace opened the door slowly, and stepped inside, carefully closing the door and locking the deadbolt. She tiptoed across the wooden floor and got one foot onto the first step, but she stopped when the light turned on in the living room next to her. Grace shut her eyes and sighed as she turned towards the room where her father sat comfortably on the sofa across the room.
Grace forced a smile and made a small wave. "Hey."
"Eric called," Grace's smile fell into a frown, "He asked if you wanted to come over for dinner."
Stupid. Grace inwardly chastised herself. She should've called Eric to let him know of her plan.
Harm rested a foot up on the coffee table in front of him as he crossed his arms. "Where were you?"
Grace pointed up the stairs. "You know, I'm really beat, and it's a school night, so I'm just gonna—"
"Sit." Harm ordered.
"Okay." Grace immediately sat in an armchair to the right of the entrance into the living room, as if Harm had a remote and controlled her every move.
Harm leaned forward, lacing his hands together. "Where were you?"
Grace didn't really want to get into right now, or even tell him and Mom about this new information. She couldn't let them affect her decision. It was hers, and hers alone to make.
"Please, can you just accept that I didn't do anything that involved drugs, drinking, sex, or anything that could inflict bodily harm on myself and or others?"
Harm made a half smile. "Well, then if it's nothing that'll get you into trouble, why can't you tell me?"
Because I don't want you to know. "Because it's late and I just want to go to bed. Can we talk about this in the morning?"
"Grace..."
"Please?!"
Harm fought with his judgment for a moment before finally giving in. "All right, but first thing in the morning!"
"Great!" With that, Grace leapt from the chair and up the stairs, locking herself in her bedroom.
***
1205 ZULU
Next Day
Mac took a sip of her coffee, and pretended to read the paper, but her eyes skimmed right over the top of the page to get a glimpse of her fiancée. He sat, or slouched back in the dining chair staring at the kitchen wall as if someone had just walked through it. Mac sighed loudly, roughly turning a page of the newspaper, hoping to catch her squid's attention. No such luck.
Mac flattened the paper on the table and cleared her throat. "Ahem." Her eyes fluttered to the sailor, who remained motionless. Growing restless, Mac kicked his socked foot with her own, her slipper coming off.
Harm stirred in the chair and shot a look at Mac. "What?"
"She'll be down. She has to go to school."
"Mmhm." He answered distractedly.
Mac opened her mouth to say something else, when they both heard the familiar clomp of Grace's feet down the wooden stairs. Harm straightened in the chair and cleared his throat, ready for the speech. Mac shook her head and took another sip of her now cold coffee.
The kitchen door swung open and Grace rushed in with her coat half on and her backpack grasped in her hand. She swung the bag to her shoulder and grabbed a piece of toast from Mac's plate. She placed the bread in her mouth as she finished getting her coat on and then quickly waved at them.
"Gotta go, Ewic's waiting out fwont." She said between the toast in her teeth.
Harm's brow furrowed. "Wait a minute—"
Grace dashed out the swinging door yelling out, "Sowwy," behind her. Harm and Mac listened as the front door slammed shut and a car horn from outside honked repeatedly. Harm stared at the still swinging kitchen door as he listened to the engine rev and the car speed away.
"She, um...she planned that whole thing, didn't she?"
Mac was staring at her one lonely piece of toast left on her plate. "Oh, yeah, she did."
***
1207 ZULU
Streets of Georgetown
Virginia
"Can't you go any faster?" Grace urged as she finished her toast.
"Hey, don't get any crumbs on the seat, I just got this thing cleaned." Eric whined, "And no I'm not going any faster because it's a thirty-five mile an hour zone!"
Grace rolled her eyes. "And you're going thirty-four!"
"I am not!" Eric shot back as he stepped on the gas a little bit.
The car slowed down behind a line of cars at a red light. Grace sighed, slouching back into the seat of the Camry. The light turned green, and nobody moved for a second. Grunting, Grace stuck her head out the window. "Hey, you! Mr. Minivan! The light's not gonna get any greener!"
Eric's mouth went agape as he stared at his raving friend.
"Oh, yeah, why don't you come a little closer and flip that!"
Eric reached over, grabbing the bottom of Grace's coat and pulled her back into the car. "What the hell are doing?" He exclaimed, his voice high.
Before Grace could answer, the car honked from behind them because the cars in front of them had moved. Breathing out a frustrated sigh, Eric sped up as the light turned yellow. It was silent in the car for a while and they were halfway to school when Eric decided to speak up. "So, uh, what was that all about?"
Grace crossed her arms, shaking her head. "I dunno. I'm usually not into road rage. I guess I'm just a little anxious. The wedding and everything." She lied.
Eric bit his lip. "I called your house last night. You weren't there."
Grace stared out the window so she wouldn't have to lie to his face. "I was out."
"Out where?"
"Look, Eric, I don't need the third degree from you too, okay?"
Eric's head snapped back and forth from the road to Grace. "My God, you—you went out with Daniel didn't you?"
Grace jerked her head around. "What? How could you even think that?"
Eric ducked his head into his shoulders. "Well, he has been persistent!"
"Annoying," Grace clarified for him, "he's been annoying!"
"Grace, don't think I'd have anything against you if you went out with him, cause, you know, it's your love life and everything—"
"I'm not going out with him!" Grace shouted.
Eric put a hand up in defense. "Now, just listen to me! I'm sure Daniel's an okay guy; he just doesn't know how to act in front of girls he likes. And...I'm proud of you for giving him the chance."
Grace's mouth just hung open as she stared at her friend, a temporary term at the moment. As they stopped at another red light, Grace leaned over so she was right in front of Eric's face.
"Get something perfectly straight...I—am—not—going—out—with—Daniel. Understand?"
Eric smirked and suddenly kissed her cheek. Grace recoiled a little. "What was that for?"
"You're so cute when you're angry." He said with a laugh.
Grace scowled and fell back into her seat. She quickly found a candy wrapped wedged in between the seat, and she tossed it at Eric.
"Hey, I'm drivin' here!"
***
1230 ZULU
Fairfax High
Virginia
Grace half-listened to the old geometry teacher, who was now teaching them Algebra 2, Mrs. Curry, who had gotten back in February from her fully paid vacation that she'd "won" to the Bahamas. Grace didn't really like her. Or it might have simply been that Grace was used to Webb (who had left with his other spooks a long time ago). Grace figured it was because she knew Webb and wasn't afraid to ask questions. But she was slowly warming up to the woman.
Grace stirred when something landed on her desk. It was folded up piece of notebook paper. Grace looked to the seat at her right. Nancy was next to her and nodded her blonde head to the person in front of her. Grace followed her friend's gaze until it landed on the person two seats in front of Nancy.
Daniel.
Daniel slowly turned his neck and gave Grace a toothy, lopsided grin. She looked down and cringed. She then heard Nancy next to her stifle a laugh. Rolling her eyes, Grace unfolded the note.
Oh, God, it's a poem.
"Do you have something interesting to share, Miss Rabb?"
Grace whipped up her head to see Mrs. Curry standing at the front row, her arms crossed and her hazel eyes glaring behind thick-rimmed spectacles.
"Um...no?"
Mrs. Curry took a stroll down the aisle until she reached Grace's desk. The woman snatched the note from her hands and held it up, adjusting her glasses as she read aloud.
"My sweetest love, your eyes are a deep ocean in which you can see the waves of your glorious beauty and intelligence. Your skin is softer than the silkiest flower. Your hair: a cascade of heavenly strands that flow flawlessly to your shoulders. Your lips, red and full—" Mrs. Curry stopped reading as the giggles erupted throughout the room. Grace had a hand on her forehead as she stared down at her desk.
Mrs. Curry folded the letter. "Well, it seems you care a great deal about someone to write this."
Grace jerked her head up. "I didn't write it. It was—it was for me."
Mrs. Curry put the letter in her pocket and walked back to the front of the classroom. The other students turned around to Grace and snickered. Daniel just continued to stare at her, a lovesick puppy expression plastered on his face.
***
1714 ZULU
Grace, Eric, and Nancy sat under the shade of a large weeping willow tree on the school grounds. Each ate their lunches quietly, but every time Eric felt a laugh come, he stuffed his salami sandwich in his mouth. Grace rolled her eyes as it happened for the fourth time. She put her salad down on the brown paper lunch bag and leaned back against the tree.
"All right guys, go ahead, laugh all you want."
Nancy made a rueful smile and slumped her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Grace. It's just...he's so harmless, but," the girl giggled, "but so annoying."
"And one hell of a poet," Eric added wryly, "that guy should write for Hallmark or something."
Grace wanted to be mad at them. She wanted to throw her plastic fork at Eric, and a salad leaf at Nancy, but she couldn't. Grace found it difficult to stay angry with the two for long. So instead, she just smiled, picking up her salad.
"You'd think he'd give it up by now." Grace murmured before eating a slice of tomato.
Nancy poked at her yogurt and made a half smile. "There's always going to be a Daniel in high school, Grace."
"Yeah, I guess."
Nancy went to lick her spoon, but froze. The spoon dropped from her hand as a smile slowly spread across her face.
"Oh, my God." She said breathlessly.
Grace and Eric turned their heads in the direction of Nancy's gaze. The girl squealed and jumped up, running past them to the figure a few yards away. When Grace and Eric finally realized who it was, they grinned as well, watching as Nancy ran to him.
Patrick opened his Air Force uniformed arms as Nancy jumped into them. Grace smiled, watching the perfect couple reunite. Eric laughed as Patrick spun Nancy, who'd wrapped her arms and legs around him.
"I thought he wasn't due back until Thursday?" Eric pointed out.
Grace shook her head. "He called me Sunday to tell me he was coming early, and to not tell Nancy."
Eric's brow furrowed. "How come you didn't tell me?!"
"Cause I knew you'd tell her!"
Eric opened his mouth to retort, but realized his friend was correct and continued to watch as the couple hugged and kissed.
"How did those two stay so happy?" Eric asked.
Grace shrugged a shoulder. "They understand each other."
Eric gave Grace a sidelong glance. "We understand each other."
Grace met Eric's gaze and pursed her lips. "We understand each other as friends, Eric."
"How come we've never been more?"
Grace was taken aback by the question at first. Just why hadn't they been more? Because Grace figured that someday she'd have to leave him. It was funny how that worked out. Subconsciously, she knew she didn't belong here, and wouldn't be able to stay. Her gut instincts prevented her relationship with Eric to become anything more.
"I don't know, Eric," Grace lied, "maybe it wasn't meant to be."
Before Eric could answer, the reunited couple walked over to them, Nancy's arm interlocked with Patrick's, her head resting on his chest.
Grace stood and gave Patrick a hug. "Glad you're home, buddy."
Patrick took one of his huge arms and wrapped it completely around Grace. "Thanks for keeping it secret." He said in that deep voice that Grace sometimes thought couldn't possibly belong to an eighteen year old.
"No problem, big guy."
Eric stood as well and shook Patrick's hand. After the four exchanged more words, the couple announced they were going to walk around a little bit and catch up on each other's lives. After the two left, Grace and Eric sat back down on the grass to finish their lunches. The two ate in silence for a bit, and Grace started to become uncomfortable.
"Are you okay?"
Eric wadded up the lunch bag and drained the rest of his Mountain Dew. "Just dandy."
"Have you talked to your parents?"
Eric wadded the bag even tighter. "Yeah...somethin' else came up."
"What?"
Her friend sighed, tossing the balled up bag from one hand to the other. "We're graduating next year."
"Yeah, so?"
"So, Dad wants me to go to spook school."
Grace understood immediately. Joining the CIA was the last thing Eric wanted to do. "Oh...well, did you tell them what you wanted to do?"
He nodded. "Dad said there were already enough doctors in DC. And that I should do something more important."
Grace scoffed. "But being a doctor is important!"
"Well, apparently not important enough!" Eric spat.
Grace fell silent and leaned her head back on the rough bark of the willow tree. Eric sighed and let the paper ball fall into the grass.
"Sorry, I guess I'm still a little steamed about it."
"It's okay, you have a right."
"No, I—"
Grace reached over and placed a hand on Eric's. "Really, it's okay. But...just remember, they can't make you go. You have a choice too, all right?"
Eric smiled, staring down at Grace's hand. "Yeah."
Grace followed his gaze and she took her hand off his. She didn't want to imply anything, especially after the conversation they'd had a few minutes ago. But it was apparently too late, and Eric leaned over, placing his lips on hers. She didn't resist, though she wanted to, and kissed him back. Eric put a hand around her waist, and one on her neck. Then, like Grace was waking up from a dream, she gasped and pushed him off. Instead of going back into a sitting position, he fell back into the grass.
Grace breathed heavily to regain the air that had escaped her during the kiss. Eric sat back up. Upon seeing Grace's confused expression, he stood, brushing the grass off his shirt.
As he walked past her, he murmured, "Sorry," then headed towards the front lawn of the high school.
Grace slowly brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as the previous moment replayed in her head. What had just happened probably permanently changed the relationship, one she'd liked very much, with her best friend. It was strange. She suddenly felt guilty, like she'd spilled coffee on somebody's art project. It was a good metaphor. Her relationship with Eric had been like a piece of art. It had been worked on tirelessly throughout the year. Keeping so many secrets from him was quite difficult. Then someone she hadn't thought about for almost a year entered her mind.
Clay.
For the first time ever, Grace realized how similar Eric and Clay Jr. were. Except for the fact that Clay, as far as Grace knew, didn't want a romantic relationship with her. Eric clearly did. So why did she feel guilty? Did she somehow think she was betraying Clay?
Grace watched a thin, slender leaf of the willow tree drift down and land on her knee. She blew it off, and watched as the wind took it away across the grass. Grace suddenly wanted to be that leaf. That is until it landed on the grass, and another student walked by and stepped on it.
There was only one way to fix this. And though Grace hated to run away from a problem, she didn't want to make things worse, and she wasn't sure things could get better. She had to go back.
***
2030 ZULU
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Grace hopped off the last step of the metro bus, scrunching her nose as the exhaust blew into her face. Grace didn't like the buses, but she had no other choice since her usual means of transportation (Eric's car) wasn't...available at the time.
Grace stepped slowly down the sidewalk until she reached the guard station. Corporal Fischer stepped out of the little station and nodded at her.
"Afternoon, Grace."
She held up her pass card and Fischer nodded, giving her the visitor's pass. "Go on."
"Thanks."
Grace clipped the pass to her jacket as she entered the building, which was bustling about with military personnel. After taking the elevator to the second floor, Grace walked out slowly, maneuvering around everyone until she reached her father's office, where her parents talked quietly in the two chairs in front of Harm's desk.
Grace knocked on the doorframe and her parents' heads whipped up.
"Hey—" Mac started to say, but stopped at Grace's expression as she closed the door.
"We need to talk." Grace announced.
Harm made a dry chuckle. "Damn straight. Sit down." He gave Grace his chair, and sat in his own leather one behind the desk.
Grace took off her coat and placed her backpack on the floor, then sat down in the chair. "I went to somebody's house last night. A Ms. Nolson. She's eighty-three years old, but technically, she should only be fifty-five years old."
Mac shook her head. "What are you talking about?"
Grace sighed, turning to her mother. "In 1952, Eleanor Kingsly and her family lived in the Dupree Mansion, and then fell back through time to approximately 1920. Her family has died, and she's the only one left."
Harm's anger quickly dissipated, and he was more curious than anything now. "How did you find out about her?"
"Old newspaper," Grace replied, "look guys, she...she told me how to get back."
Dead silence.
Her parents exchanged glances. Mac's lower lip trembled, and Harm's eyes just widened.
Grace nodded, understanding their shock. "Halloween night. It only works then."
Her father leaned back in the chair, thinking about what was just said. Mac took her daughter's hand, and looked her in the eye.
"Do you...want to go back?"
Harm's eyes flicked to Grace. She bit her lip and sniffed. "I should...I have to."
***
TBC
***
Okey dokey, like I said...NEXT week will be the last chapter, then another week for the epilogue. Hope ya'll had a safe and Happy New Year!!!
~sancti