Time Travel

Part One: Chapter Four

Standing off to the side in silence, so that Armistead, Hancock and Pickett could talk, Dana heard Nurf's voice and poked Star. She had already heard it and was looking in that direction. "What's General Nurf doing here?"

Hobbes, having wandered away from the group, started to sniff the air. "I think they're around here somewhere. Very close…"

He continued sniffing near the ground, right by Dana and Star's feet. "They're close… very, very close."

"Well hello there Hobbes," Star said, seeing him, "You came back."

Jumping about five feet in the air before realizing who it was, Hobbes looked at them. "Star! Dana! It's you!"

"Yup, it's us. Now… What took you so long?" Dana said at the same time that Star said, "Yes, it's me Hobbes. Are you surprised we didn't vanish into thin air after chasing Lo out of the time machine?"

It was then that Nurf, after saying her goodbyes to the generals, walked over to Star and Dana. Star smiled and looked at her. "I didn't expect to run into you here."

"Hi, Nurf!" Dana gave her friend a hug and Star quickly joined in.

"Thought I'd let you have all the fun eh?" Nurf replied.

Looking around, Hobbes remarked, "Hang on, where's Calvin."

"I don't know…" Star replied, "Do you expect me to keep track of everyone here?"

Also looking around like Hobbes was, Nurf said, "I thought he was just here…"

At that very moment, Calvin ran by, attempting the rebel yell and wearing a stolen confederate uniform. Hobbes eyebrows shot up when he saw that while Nurf also raised an eyebrow. "Umm… alright…"

"Problem solved," Star said simply, "Calvin is found."

Hobbes tackled Calvin then held him upside down by the ankle. "I suggest we get going now, before more trouble is caused."

Star's eyes widened then. While she had willingly gotten into the time machine when it seemed like she had no choice, she decided she wanted to take advantage of the situation. "Get… going…? But I haven't found Lawrence yet!"

At the same time, Nurf said, "But… but I just got here… And we haven't seen Tom yet either."

"I don't want to go either…" Dana said.

"Yes, we've got to find more people," Star replied.

"I'm not leavin' yet," Nurf said with a shake of her head.

Star grinned and nodded. "Let's go look for Lawrence now!"

"Let's go then," Nurf agreed, "We have people to meet!"

"Do you know who Joshua Chamberlain is?" Star asked, turning to look at Calvin.

Calvin looked up at the sound of his name. "Never heard of the guy. He do something important?"

Star's mouth feel open. "Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is the hero of Little Round Top, the fighting professor from Bowdoin Collage, the father of two kids, the brother of Thomas Chamberlain and the best soldier to ever wear blue! And now that that's taken care of, let's go!"

"I agree." Hobbes nodded. "Maybe I can collect some signatures for my scrapbook."

"What scrapbook?" Calvin asked, "You don't have a scrapbook!"

"He could get a scrapbook," Star pointed out.

Hobbes looked uncomfortable. "It was a mere figure of speech!"

While Calvin rolled his eyes, Dana remarked, "Somehow I think you and George would get along well, Hobbes."

"C'mon!" Nurf was getting impatient with them and she turned and started walking in the direction of the 20th's position.

"Yes, they would." Star agreed with Dana before followed her friend. "I'm with you Nurf!"

Running ahead Calvin shouted, "CHARGE!" But he turned and looked back for a moment. "Or not…"

"Calvin, the battle's over," Star pointed out.

"Darn!" Calvin said.

"Maybe the next time eh?" Nurf asked.

Star smiled. "You should have come a day sooner, then you could have charged with Chamberlain."

"I think I'm gonna like this Chambersburg guy, whoever he is," Calvin said, grinning, "Let's go!"

Star quickly corrected him. "It's not Chambersburg! It's Chamberlain!"

Nurf gave him a better explanation. "Chambersburg is a place… his name is Chamberlain…"

"Fine, whatever." Calvin shrugged, "Let's find Mr. Chambermaid."

"CHAMBERLAIN!" Star corrected him again.

"It's alright Star." Nurf smirked and noticed men with the 20 on their kepis.

Star also noticed the kepis and started running, grabbing a random soldier by the shoulders. "Where's Colonel Chamberlain?"

All at the same time, Dana's, Calvin's and Hobbes' raised their eyebrows in surprise. "She's lost it I fear…" Dana remarked.

"She's going to scare the whole regiment…" Nurf said.

The soldier that Star grabbed quivered slightly, staring at her. "Where is he?" Star demanded, staring directly back at him.

Taking Star by the shoulder, Nurf said, "Let's just look and not let everyone think we're crazy…"

"But his men might know," Star said, watching the soldier hurrying away from her.

"They might know but… there are other ways." Nurf smirked and walked up to another soldier who just stepped out of their tent. "Excuse me? Could you tell me where the Colonel may be found?"

"I saw him earlier, that way." The soldier said, pointing in the correct direction. "He was with his brother."

"Tom!" Dana said brightly.

Nurf nodded to the soldier and smiled. "Thank you. Let's go."

Calvin cheered. "Alright!"

As soon as the soldier pointed, Star ran off and saw Chamberlain, halting just in front of him before throwing her arms around him in greeting.

Running up as well, Calvin greeted him. "Hi, Colonel Chamberspike!"

Tom, who had been standing next to his brother, raised an eyebrow. "You have uh… something on you… Lawrence…"

Dana groaned as Star tightly hugged Chamberlain and moved to try and pry her friend from the Union Colonel. "Star!" Nurf said, "What if he can't breath!"

"He'd tell me," Star said, a calm certainty to her voice as she looked at Chamberlain. "Won't you Lawrence?"

"Don't call him Lawrence!" Calvin said quickly.

Nurf put her face to her palm as Star continued to cling to him. "I've always called him Lawrence, at least for a very long time I have."

"No really go ahead, call him Lawrence…" Tom said.

Dana, still trying to get Star off of Chamberlain, started to tickle her to make her let go and Star twisted around to swat at Dana. "Hey! Stop that!"

Jumping away, Dana grinned. "Yay, it worked!"

Star glared at her friend as Chamberlain stepped back and looked at her curiously. "If you do that again…" She said.

Eyes widening, Dana ducked behind Hobbes and Nurf spoke in a teasing voice. "What? Ban use from the forum?"

"I'd never do that!" Star protested.

"Oh, good," Dana said, peeking out from behind Hobbes.

Nurf laughed. "Thought not."

"No, what I'd do is…" Star pounced on Dana.

Yelping in surprised, Dana fell backwards, Star on top of her. "Hobbes! Help!"

Hobbes just stood back and watched, Chamberlain and his brother exchanged a look of surprise and Nurf went to pull her friends apart. "We're not here to rough house!"

Rolling away from Star, Dana curled up like an armadillo while Star stood up and looked at her with a slight smile on her face. "That's just a warning there Dana."

Still curled up, Dana nodded. "Yes, mon General…"

Star raised an eyebrow at the fact that Dana hadn't stood up yet and reached down, helping her back to her feet. Nurf glanced around at all of them. "Love these awkward silences eh?"

"I always throw cannonballs at the awkward silences," Star said with a shake of her head, "With Dana."

"Cannonballs?" Calvin perked up. "Where can I find one of those?"

Star looked at him. "I'm not letting you near any cannonballs Calvin."

"Good choice," Hobbes said, nodding.

"Aw, man…" Calvin replied.

Nurf smirked. "That's all we need… Calvin with a cannonball."

Dana snorted with laughter as Star glanced from Dana, to Nurf, to Calvin, and finally to Hobbes. "No one's stopping me!" She moved to hug Chamberlain again.

It was at this time that Buster Kilrain walked up and studied the scene before him. "Ak, lass, ye might want to let the colonel up now. He has his duties, here, ye know."

"Buster!" Dana's face lit up in excitement.

With a gasp of surprise, Star let go of Chamberlain to leap onto Buster.

"No!" Dana leaped on Buster right after her.

While Tom smirked, Nurf put her face into her palm. "I'm so embarrassed right now…"

Both Dana and Star hugged Buster as Chamberlain looked over at Tom. "They haven't jumped on you yet…"

"That's ok…" Tom took a step backwards.

With a raised eyebrow, Buster glanced at Chamberlain. "Colonel darlin', would ye mind explain' what exactly's goin' on here?"

"I don't know…" Chamberlain said, staring at them as Dana tried to pry Star away. "No! My Buster!"

"No!" Star protested, clinging to the Irishman even tighter, "I want Buster too!"

Smiling at Buster, Nurf said, "Well… how to explain…"

"Just start at the beginnin', if ye feel like it," Buster said, looking at her.

"That's a long story sir…" Nurf told him, "To put it plain… they are fans of yours… very big fans…"

"Actually." Star glanced back at Chamberlain. "I love Buster, but I love, love, love, love Lawrence and Lo!"

Buster frowned slightly. "Fans, ye say? Don't rightly know why that is…"

"Because you are awesome! And you're friend with Lawrence! And you fought on Little Round Top!"

Dana gazed adoringly at Buster. "Because you're you!"

Turning towards Nurf, Tom looked at her for a moment. "They alright?"

"Yeah…" She replied.

"I'll let you have Buster all to yourself now Dana." Star stood up and went to stand beside Nurf, still staring from Buster to Chamberlain in happiness. She looked at Tom for a moment then too. "I don't think we introduced ourselves properly. I'm Star, and my friends are Nurf and Dana."

She pointed to each of them in turn as Dana finished. "And these two are Calvin and Hobbes."

"You seem to know our names already…" Tom said curiously.

"Yes, I do indeed Tom, I do indeed," Star said, "We've heard about you all before."

Dana nodded in agreement. "Yep and you probably wouldn't believe or understand half of it."