Hello all of my readers. Well...here it is. The final chapter of the story. *sobs* I can't believe it! It's been so long since I've actually finished off a story, and finished it off...semi-well. I'm very proud of this story. It's easily one of my better ones on this site, and it's hard to wrap my head around the fact that it's almost over (I've got a epilogue planned for next update).

SadenAnderson: Well...he isn't really "gone"...well...you'll see. I explain that early on this chapter. Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you like it :)

The Doctor: I'll see you Monday, and we already discussed chapter 11.

RextheCoeulurosauruvus: Those three reviews were mind blowing. I've never really thought about the number of animals in the menagerie until now. Hopefully you'll notice the little animal occurance towards the beginning ;) Thank you for your reviews. Hopefully you'll continue reading.

I'll do a BIG thank you next chapter, but for now, I believe that's it. So, onward with the story! Enjoy :D

Chapter 12

The hub seemed to have sparked to life overnight. The lab tables had been pushed aside and the floor was now covered with equipment. The ASD stood a few feet away from the empty center circle, there were some ACDs on a nearby table, and soldiers were scattered throughout. The team stood sporadically as well, giving help whenever it was need, but mainly trying to occupy themselves. The room was loud; however there were certain voices that stood out over the others.

"No! Absolutely no. I am not allowing more people on this mission than needed," shouted Lester as he tried to turn away, but failed, for Emma grabbed his sleeve and turned him back around.

"But sir," said Emma. "Government regulations state that no one person can cross through an anomaly unoccupied."

Lester sighed with a slight roll of his eyes, as if he was giving his reason for the thousandth time. "Which is why we are sending a soldier with you," he reasoned.

"But I don't want a soldier. I'd rather go with Alex."

Once again, Lester sighed, except this time it was more in defeat. With a slight wave of his hand, he said "Alright, go. Alex, get a bag and tranquilizer and meet Emma when you're done."

"Thanks gov!"

And with that, the two teens quickly left the presence of their boss and headed towards the supplies tent. Lester sighed, and scolded himself. His job was to make sure the kids of his father's employers won't get killed. It had been a stretch letting Emma go, and now this? He was really getting soft.

"How's the hand," asked Emma.

Holding up his left arm and sighing deeply, Alex shook his head sadly. Emma casted her gaze towards her tranq gun, upset.

"Slowly leaving me," Alex continued. "Do you think this might actually work?"

The other day, the two teens had concluded that maybe, if Alex went on the mission, it would prevent from further disappearing. It was a long shot, but they were willing to take the risk.

"We can only hope."

Not too far away, Danny was lying on his back, trying to rewire the ASD. For some strange reason, Emma thought it would be fun to bring Sid and Nancy to the ARC the other day, and they had chewed through all the wires. The new ones had just come in, so Danny, having no idea what he was doing, listened to Conner with open ears and followed his instructions religiously.

"So, green to purple, purple to red, and red to…yellow?" Danny asked.

"Y-no, no, no, NO! Red to yellow equals bad expensive explosion that'll come out of our pay. Red to blue, then blue to yellow."

"Oh, of course, red to yellow equals bad expensive explosion," murmured Danny as he connected the last of the wires.

Just as he finished up, the familiar sound of high-heeled boots clicking against the tile filled his ears. He didn't have to look up to know who had come up to him.

"Hiya Jen," he said. "What's up?"

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Her tone was serious, and told Danny that it was something urgent and important. He quickly stood up and took Jenny to an empty corner in the hub.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I went to that medic," she replied. "And got some…news."

"Oh god, it isn't cancer, is it?"

"Umm…no…it—"

Danny let out a sigh in relief, though, confusion etched deeper into his features. "Okay, not cancer, that's good. Leukemia?"

"No?"

"Oh, wait, I've got it. Its diabetes isn't it?" Jenny laughed softly at this. Danny didn't find it funny at all. He was on the verge of worried. "Well tell me! More or less severe? I need to know if medical insurance will b-."

Jenny placed a gentle finger on Danny's lips, which instantly shushed him. They locked eyes, and Jenny smiled.

"I'm pregnant."

Unbeknownst to the Quinn couple, Sarah and Abby had been eavesdropping on their conversation and smiled at each other when they heard Jenny's confession.

"We so saw that coming," said Sarah.

"It was obvious," added Abby. "Danny didn't see it coming, though. I mean, just look at his face."

The two adults laughed. Danny was truly shocked. The confusion was still there, except the worry was gone, and replaced with utter shock and bliss. After taking one last look at the soon-to-be parents, Abby and Sarah returned to their work.

Meanwhile, Alex and Emma were signing the numerous release papers from Lester. Apparently, after talking to the government, there was more that they needed to "read" through and sign. Luckily, Claudia came up to them and asked to pull them away for a moment. Lester did hesitate at first, but after stating it was crucial to the mission, he let them go. Beckoning the teens to follow her, Claudia strolled to an empty area in the hub so no one could eavesdrop on their conversation.

"How's the hand?" she asked Alex in a hushed whisper.

"Still gone," Alex replied while setting down his backpack. "Do you really think me going will stop the disappearing?"

"Positive," responded Claudia. "You're disappearing in this time. If you go backwards, it'll be like you disappearing never happened."

"Well that makes perfect sense," Alex muttered to himself sarcastically.

"What is it you wanted to tell us?" asked Emma, as if trying to apologize for Alex's rude remark.

"It's a warning," said Claudia in even more of a whisper. She glanced around a bit, making sure no one was eavesdropping before continuing. "What you are doing is preventing the energy from being created. Without the energy, Stephen, Nick and I would not be here, so when you return, your team will not recall our visit. It will be as if we never came."

"Simple enough," said Emma. "We just keep it to ourselves then, yeah?"

"Well…there's more," added Claudia. "In reality, your parents from the past should not have stayed this long, so they will not be here upon your return."

"It'll be as if the energy was never created," continued Emma.

"Precisely," said Claudia.

"Then what will our team think when we pop out of an anomaly in the middle of the hub?"

"They will all be under the impression that you were chasing a velociraptor out of the ARC and back to its home."

The two teens gave a small chuckle.

"Who decided a velociraptor?" asked Alex.

"I did," said Claudia with a proud smile. "You lot seem to run into them a lot. I figured it would be the most realistic of situations."

The three laughed at the statement, all wondering why that was. However, their happy moment was soon interrupted by the sound of Conner's voice from the ASD.

"I think that's it," he announced, sounding quiet pleased with himself. "Cutter, could you put in the coordinates. I have to…uh…do…something…"

At this point, Alex had gone to grab the AHDS and an ACD while Claudia went to help Cutter, leaving Emma alone in the small corner. She was surprised, but pleased when Conner turned and started walking in her direction.

"So…you're not going to tell me what this super-secret mission's about, are you?"

"Nope," replied Emma, a smile growing on her face.

"Or why you and Alex are the only ones going?"

"Nu-uh."

"Or how the Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode ends?"

"Sorry mate," she shrugged.

Conner paused, pursing his lips in concentration, as if he was trying to stump the teen. Finally, he sighed and threw his hands up in surrender."

"Is this how it's gonna be in a few years?" he asked. "Cuz I don't know if I can live with two Abbys."

Emma laughed and flung her arms around Conner, pulled him into a hug. She had realized lately that Conner's hugs hadn't changed over the years. They were just as she liked them: warm and reassuring. As the two pulled apart, Conner looked Emma in the eye, seriousness overtaking his features.

"Be safe now, yeah?" he said. "I'm sure that when future me returns he'll want to see his daughter in one piece."

Emma simply smiled and gave Conner a nod.

"I'll be safe," she said. "Always am."

With one last hug, Conner left Emma to make sure the coordinates on the anomaly creator were entered correctly. It wasn't long before Conner started typing frantically on the keyboard and pressed the enter key. An invisible bean shot out from the antenna, and within the blink of an eye, the glowing portal had appeared in the center of the hub. Like most times when the ARC sees a new anomaly, a silence fell in the room as everyone took a moment to gaze upon the bright beauty. However, as usual, the silence soon fell a few short seconds later.

Standing side-by-side, Alex and Emma faced the anomaly, waiting for the all clear from Cutter. As they waited, Emma felt a soft tap on her left shoulder. Turning on the spot, Emma found herself face to face with Fowler; however, something seemed a bit off with him. His usual confident military stance had been replaced with a more casual slouch. He was also shifting his weight from foot to foot and seemed to be struggling with eye contact.

"Fowler," Emma greeted. "What's up?"

"I just came to…uh…wish you a successful mission."

"Oh," she said, a bit confused at his motive. "Thank you."

"And, don't forget to be safe."

An awkward silence fell between the two of them, but it didn't last too long. A small beeping sounded throughout the ARC, signaling the all clear.

"Alright Alex, Emma, you can go through," said Cutter once the beeping stopped. "We're sealing the anomaly for a half hour. Hopefully you'll be done by then."

Emma nodded and then turned back towards Fowler. Again, his off-self worried her. What was wrong with him? Surely he wasn't disappearing as well.

"I'll see you in a bit then," she said. She then turned on her heel and started towards the anomaly. Alex had already gone through.

With a dejected sigh, Fowler let his shoulders drop as he rubbed his eyes. Idiot. Coward. Helpless weakling. These and some more insults were circling his head. He had a chance, and he let it slip. Now she probably lost all respect for him, and it was his entire fault. Just as he was in mid-head rant, Fowler felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He didn't have to turn around to know that his co-Captain was behind him; he always more the same cologne.

"Go," Becker said. "You might not get another chance."

That was all it took to get the Captain running as Emma was about to enter the anomaly. Lucking, he was able to grab her shoulder just before she was engulfed in the bright light. Fowler ignored the questioning look swimming through her brown eyes and placed his hand on the back of her neck. It wasn't long before his lips were on hers, and he was tasting her.

Her lips were full and smooth against his, and he could smell her. The strawberry scent from her shampoo mixed with her natural aura fogged his senses, causing him to forget about everything else for a few short moments. He lost himself in her. Everything was her. Her silky, pale skin on the small bit of exposed back. Her smooth hair that tickled his neck, due to their closeness. Her touch, as it slowly went from his biceps, up his neck, and onto his scalp, causing a moan to build up in the back of his throat.

Though it seemed like forever, in reality, the kiss lasted a few seconds. Fowler snapped himself back to his senses, and the pair reluctantly pulled apart. Emma seemed just as dazed as he had been, for she didn't move at first. It took a bit, but eventually she found the strength to squirm out of Fowler's arms and walk towards the anomaly. Fowler couldn't help but feel incredibly lonely without her in his arms, and he tried to push that feeling aside as he watched the anomaly engulf Emma's form.

During this little episode, the entire ARC had been watching with wide eyes. Those who didn't know the pair as well, such as the lab assistants, were in complete shock, while others were just a bit surprised. It was safe to say that no one had been expecting the pair to do it on that particular day; however, an upset Danny could be seen handing a few pounds to a smug Patrick.

"Oh god," said Conner. "Please tell me I'll forget seeing that whenever we get home."

Claudia laughed to herself, having always been amused at Conner's random comments. She stopped herself, though, when she saw Nick Cutter approach her out of the corner of her eye. She watched as he stopped right next to her, facing the same way she was.

"De ja vu," he stated lightly, trying to start a conversation.

"Very," replied Claudia, keeping her attention forward. However tears started to glisten in her eyes as she said it. "Reminds me of the last time I saw you. Well…before…this."

Nick could see Claudia's discomfort and slowly intertwined his fingers with hers. Instantly, her shoulders dropped and she let out a breath. Nick's eyes never left her.

"I missed you," he whispered, giving her hand a squeeze. "Just promise me that when all of this is over, I'll be able to find you."

"I'll be seeing you, then."

As the anomaly sealed behind Emma, she took in the familiar setting. The grass, the street signs, the suburban houses all lined up in a neat row. The anomaly had taken Alex and Emma to the corner of Berry Street and St. James; the end of the street where Emma's house was. They were in Emma's neighborhood, twelve years in the past.

"It hasn't changed much," observed Alex. "Just a bit newer looking."

Emma chuckled as she observed the quiet street. Not a creature was stirring, or a plant for that matter. The wind was dead, causing the trees to be still. The streets were vacant of people and all the lights were out in the houses. The shinning sun, though, gave off a warming, welcoming feeling.

"Wait, so the anomaly's at your house?" asked Alex.

"That's right," responded Emma.

"Then why is the anomaly down the street? Couldn't we have placed it in your front yard?"

"Yes, but the energy radiating from the two anomalies could create a third anomaly. Just wanted to be on the safe side."

"No, you just wanted to make me walk more."

"That too."

It didn't take too long to get to the Temple residence. When they arrived, it looked just as it did in 2032. White boards, dark green shutters and front door, and light grey roofing. However, upon arriving, they did find something peculiar about the house.

"Alex, look," said Emma, pointing to the front lawn. On top of the short-trimmed grass was a fresh pair of muddy foot prints. They weren't animal prints, though; they were human.

"Maybe it's just the mailman," suggested Alex.

"If it was, then why do the foot prints go to the backyard?"

Walking as silently as they could, the two teens crept to the side of the house and took a quick peek. Alex had to cover Emma's mouth to prevent her from screaming. For standing underneath a window was a woman with long, dark hair. She was dressed in long pants, a cargo jacket, and was pressing random buttons on a glass box.

"Helen?" thought Emma. "So she really is behind this."

Alex seemed to recognize the woman as well, for he took a step forward in attempt to get a better look. However, the plan backfired instantly; he accidentally kicked a rock, which snapped Helen's attention away from the box and towards the teens. They were quick and concealed themselves from her view. Out of the corner of their eyes, they watched as she pointed the box through the open window, pressed it once, smiled, and then ran into the trees behind the house.

"Come on," said Emma. "We can't waste more time. Let's get the anomaly sealed and head home."

It didn't take long for them to reach the window Helen was previously at, and what they found shocked them.

"She must have been testing the first ACD," said Emma. "So this wasn't intentional."

For right in their view was the anomaly that Orlando-Emma would be going through at any moment. Using the anomaly creator that Alex brought along, they were able to punch in the right directions and close the anomaly. However, they didn't seem to realize that another gateway had been created about twenty feet behind them, and standing right next to it was none other than Helen Cutter.

"Nice try," she chimed, causing Alex and Emma to snap around and face her, "but you haven't caught me. This is just the beginning. Once I expand on the anomaly creating technology, I will be able forgo with my plan. You've prevented nothing!"

"You think she's from…?" whispered Emma.

"Yup," answered Alex, already knowing what Emma was thinking.

With a teasing smile, Helen then jumped into the anomaly without hesitation. Emma made a lunge towards the anomaly, but Alex grabbed her shoulders, preventing further movement.

"She's from the past, before Stephen died," he reminded Emma. "Let's not cause another history rewrite."

The two then turned around, Emma a bit reluctantly, and headed out of the backyard. Emma, however, did peek through the window one last time, and was relieved to see her five year old self sitting at the little coffee table and coloring. It was as if nothing happened. Alex and Emma rounded the house and soon enough were on the sidewalk. As they headed back towards the anomaly, they didn't seem to notice the soft pat pat pat or even the low snarl coming from behind them.

They were about half way up the street when Emma noticed something out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't much, but the one rustling bush to her side did catch her attention. She pointed it out to Alex, and the two decided to quicken their pace. To say they weren't expecting what happened next would be a lie, for in the back of their minds they could sense it. So when an adult velociraptor jumped out of the rustling bush and pounced towards them, they were just able to leap out of its grasp.

The teens ran the rest of the way, and not daring to look back to see how close the prehistoric creature was to snatching them. Within seconds, they could see the anomaly, except there was just one problem; it wasn't open yet.

"How long have we been out?" asked Emma as she quickened her pace.

"About…28 minutes," gasped Alex as he looked at his watch. "Get the guns out."

Emma unzipped her backpack, took out two tranquilizer guns, and tossed one to Alex, all in one swift movement. As they neared the anomaly even more, they loaded their weapons and turned, ready to shoot, except they found the raptor had disappeared. The teens knew better than to let their guard down. It was hiding.

"Time?" asked Emma.

"We've got a minute," responded Alex.

And so they waited, keeping their breathing shallow and quiet. They dared not move unless it was crucial. It seemed like ages, but once the minute was up, the anomaly promptly unsealed.

"Go, go!" shouted Emma as she pushed Alex through.

She then proceeded to follow; however, she was a second too late, for as she was about to step through, the raptor revealed itself in a pounce in her direction.

Fowler paced back and forth across the anomaly, nervous. Alex had jumped through, saying Emma was right behind him. That didn't prove to be true. Minutes passed and there was no sign of her return, which made him even more nervous.

"You sure there was only one raptor?" he asked.

"Positive," responded Alex.

At that moment, the anomaly began to bulge, signaling something was about to come through. Fowler, ignoring the protests coming from Lester and Becker, ran forward and approached the anomaly, and just in time to catch a mangled Emma. Her hair was messily out of its ponytail and she was covered in bleeding scratches. He wanted to say something, to make sure she was alright, but she beat him too it.

"It's right behind me," she warned. "Close the anomaly!"

Just then, the head of the raptor poked out of the anomaly and screeched, causing the whole room to freeze in momentary fear. Fowler pulled Emma far away from the anomaly. As he did so, Patrick punched a few keys into the controls and quickly sealed the anomaly, causing the raptor's head to slice off at the converging point. Everyone watched as it landed to the ground with a thud and rolled in Lester's director. The man, not daring to touch it, stared down in disgust.

"Could someone call the janitor to wipe off the blood? And who do you think I should call for the removal of this animal head from the facility?"