Chapter Seven:

Believe it or not everyone have things that they hide
Believe it or not everyone keep most things inside
Believe it or not everyone believe in something above
Believe it or not everyone need to feel loved~Nickelback: Believe it or Not



Harper looks over my home and says, "Willocia...I thought you said I wouldn't be able to pronounce it?"

I look at him and say, "I lied, I was telling you my "Trance truth." I've had to do that so many times."

"Why?" he simply asks.

I look back at the scene in front of me watching the sun finish setting and say, "To protect you from my people, but I've failed. I'm sorry Harper that you have to go through this, but I promise, you will be well in the end. Once Tribunal is over, you will be safe, I swear."

"Trance, what exactly is Tribunal?"

I walk over to my bed and sit, Harper plopping down next to me. I turn around, sitting cross legged in front of him. I sigh and say, "Harper, Tribunal is kinda like what you would call a trial, except the defendant is the jury. My people have a technology that will bring up and show past memories as though they were a movie."

Harper looks at me funny and I clarify, "Don't worry, you have to be connected to the machine for this to work. It's not like we can read minds or anything. Well, the Elders will ask me about the dates in question that I am accused of abusing my powers and...other things, personal things, from the future I came from, the bad one."

"Trance I know I've never really asked, but I'm curious, what went so wrong in your future," Harper asks. I pause, I don't want to tell about what we migt have been, but I know he'll find out soon enough. I go to answer when sudddenly the door to our room opens and Azaelia comes in, carrying two clothing cases.

"Trance, the Elders want you to know that Tribunal is tomorrow. They say that your human must watch *everything* as it is his punishment. Good-bye Trance, see you tomorrow." And as quickly as she has entered, Azaelia leaves.

Harper stands, arms crossed over his chest, and says, to the already gone Azaelia "Human! I have a name you know! How rude, but, uh, what's in the bags?"

I go over to them, find mine in the first bag and hand the second unopened one to Harper. "In Tribunal, we must wear the proper attire. Mine is a simple dress and yours is a simple shirt and slacks, of what kind I am not sure."

"So, we have to dress up. Please tell me there's not a tie involved," Harper says.

I giggle and say, "No, Harper. You'll like this outfit, I hope, I mean if you were actually in the Tribunal, you'd be wearing a robe...kinda like what Rev wore." I see him cringe slightly and I can tell he is imagining himself in that robe.

"Good, I can deal. So, uh Trance, I know this is kinda sudden, but I'm starved!"

I never thought about that. I mean I'm not really an eater, there really being no need to. I look around trying to find something and to my surprise there was a food processor.

"Ok, Harper give me ten minutes with the food processor-"

"No," Harper says as he jumps up. He puts out his arms in protest and says, "We all know your history with machines, so I'll fix us both something. I mean you have to be hungry as well." I am not but I nod anyway.

Ten minutes later Harper has two plates of what he calls Pasta. After we eat Harper asks the question I have hoped he wouldn't ask again, "Trance, I know I already asked you but you never answered, what exactly went wrong in your future?"

I stand from the table and say, turning away, "Everything, Harper, everything. I was so blind, I could have stopped it before it happened but I was too naïve. I let everything go wrong, that's why I came back to fix everything from the point of my biggest mistake."

He stands too, sensing that I am getting upset. "Trance, what was that point. When did everything start going wrong? Are we already past that point, is it over?"

I look at Harper and smile. I might have thought he will have connected my time of return and my saving his life as the fixing of my biggest mistake, but he has not. I knows that he will soon discover everything while watching Tribunal. So the only thing I say is, "Yes, Harper, almost everything is as it should be."

Harper grins and says, "Good because I'm not sure I could live through what you seem to have went through, seems almost as bad as earth." I say nothing because Harper did not survive my future and hopefully after I am gone he will be able to survive on in this one....without me.

"Harper, it's getting late, I think we should go to sleep."

He gives me a grin and says, "But Trance, you don't sleep....much."

"Anyways, you do need sleep."

"Trance I slept the entire way here. I'm wired right now." I cross my arms and give him my, "Do as I say" look. He chuckles, runs a hand through his spikes and says, "OK, I know that look. Wow, lookie here, I'm strangely tired now." He looks around and says, "Which bed's mine?" I point and he jumps on it, bounces a little and quickly grabs the sheets as he nearly bounces off. I giggle as he says, "See, I am the king of smooth."

"Uh-huh," I say as I grab some sleep wear from my bag and go behind a changing curtain to change.

"Harper, I brought your bag if you want to change into something more comfortable."

There is a slight hesitation and I know he is getting ready to make one of his remarks, which he does. "Trance, how do you know that I don't sleep in the nude?"

"Because you never did on the Maru, you either slept in you work clothes or boxers."

"Well, Trance, you know me all too well."

I finish dressing and say, walking out from behind the curtain, "That I do Harper, that I...what?"

He is staring at me. "I, um, I've never seen you in that." I look down at my tank top and shorts that I got from Beka a few weeks before. They are tight to say the least and a little low cut but I never thought anything about it until now.

I can see Harper looking me up and down. I put my hands on my hips and say, "Harper stop staring."

Harper shakes his head and says, "Sorry, I had no idea that you....sorry Trance." He quickly turns around his cheeks getting red. I smile.

He hasn't looked at me like this in years and it feels good. He starts to undress and I get into bed. Still smiling I say, turning out the light, "Night Harper."

He answers, "Good night, Trance."

TBC

On to the next new chapter!!!!