Southampton, England 1912

Jeff landed hard in an alley. Through the sounds of the city, he heard a loud clang as the omni hit the ground near his head. His blood still boiling, Jeff scooped up the device and opened it, checking to see if he had landed in a future where he could find the medicine Rebecca needed. The blinking red light slowed him down just enough to become more aware of his surroundings. He could smell the sea and practically taste the chicken roasting at a nearby restaurant. The only incongruous sound was a light retching that didn't fit in with the noises made by the motor cars on the nearby street.

He looked around for the source of the sound, eyes widening when he found it. Behind a crate, Bogg lay on the ground doubled up and gasping for breath. The anger in Jeff's brain subsided just enough to process what he was seeing. Then the memory hit him like a ton of bricks. He had hit Bogg, the man who had cared for and protected him for nearly five years, his only family. Bogg was hurt, and it was his fault. His hand slackened, and the omni hit the ground with another ringing clang. Jeff sank to his knees, horror-struck at what he had done.

"Doesn't... need... more... dents, " Bogg gasped.

"Bogg!" Jeff pushed the crate aside. The searing anger he had felt just minutes ago vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Jeff shaky and filled with guilt. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... Are you hurt?"

"If... I say no... you gonna... hit me... again?" Bogg wheezed as he struggled to sit up. Jeff felt the blood drain from his face. Bogg hadn't sounded so cold, so distant, since their first Voyage when he'd wanted to leave Jeffrey in WWI France. Once Bogg got his back against the alley wall, he held out his hand. "Give me... the omni." There was no questioning this was an order. Jeff picked it up and wordlessly handed the device over. Once Bogg had it safely closed in his fist, he gestured for Jeff to sit. Jeff crawled over to the wall and leaned against it, waiting for Bogg to get his breathing under control and then for the yelling to start. This time he wouldn't argue; he knew he deserved it. Finally, Bogg was able to take a breath that didn't end in a cough. Jeff waited a full five minutes before anything was said, then what came out of Bogg's mouth surprised him. "Jeffrey," Bogg's voice was level, "what happened back there?"

Jeff looked down at his hands. The calm question was worse than angry shouting. He wanted Bogg to yell at him so he could scream back, so he could get rid of the anger and fear he felt. "I don't know," he replied in a small voice. "I just... I lost it." He shook his head, feeling tears forming in his eyes. "I don't know what happened."

He raised his head to find Bogg examining him carefully. Then Bogg lowered his gaze to the omni and opened it. "Southampton, England, April 8, 1912." Bogg's forehead wrinkled as he thought. "Why is that date familiar?"

Jeff groaned. "The Titanic. It's a few days before the Titanic's maiden voyage. I don't think I can deal with this. Not right now."

"Jeff," Bogg said gently, "we don't get to choose. We go where we're sent, and we fix what needs to be fixed. That's the job." Bogg leaned his head back against the alley wall. "Most of the time it's exciting. We get to meet people from all over the world and help keep history moving in the right direction. " He snapped the omni shut. "The flip side is the bad stuff we're not allowed to change – the Holocaust, the Trail of Tears, the Titanic."

"And the people we can't save," Jeff said. He looked up Bogg, despair filling his eyes. "How can you do this year after year? We've been shot at, blown up, buried alive..." His voice trailed off. "Bogg, I don't think I can do this anymore."

"Okay," Bogg said slowly. "If you don't think you can handle being a Voyager right now you have two options." Bogg's voice was firm but compassionate. He waited to be sure he had Jeff's full attention before continuing. "I can bring you some place, some time zone, that's safe and leave you until you're older and ready for the academy. Or, you could change your mind. You could decide you don't want to be a Voyager."

"What would happen then?" Jeff asked, puzzled by the finality in Bogg's tone.

The answer was blunt. "Your memory would get wiped." Bogg said. Jeff was stunned. "You were eleven when you left 1982, so they'd probably arrange it to look like you were kidnapped or something to explain why you've been gone so long. Maybe stage some kind of accident to account for the gap in your memory. Then they would find your Aunt Elizabeth and send you back to her." Bogg's voice sounded flat, and Jeff could tell he was working hard to keep the emotion out of it.

"What would you do?" Jeff asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"My job," Bogg answered. "I'd miss you. More than I even want to consider, but I'm a Voyager. It's my responsibility to make sure history stays on track." Bogg put a hand on Jeff's shoulder. "Jeffrey, I know leaving Rebecca was hard, but it was what we had to do. We had a green light. It was time to go. We couldn't have brought her with us with that fever. She could have died, or if we did give her the Spanish Flu, we would have been carrying it to other time zones. By leaving her in Clarion we know she's safe and being cared for by good people." He sighed. "Sometimes being responsible means doing things you don't want to. Or that hurt. Sometimes a lot. But you do them anyway because you have to. Because they're what's right." Jeff saw a flash of pain cross Bogg's face. "And since I'm also responsible for you, I'll make sure you get back to your time if that's what you decide."

A shadow moved at the end of the alley. Jeff looked up and saw a man in an expensive looking suit and hat staring down at them. "I don't pretend to understand all of that," he said, smoothing his mustache, "and I don't mean to interrupt, but you really should listen to your father, young man. He's very wise." The man pulled a thin silver case from the breast pocket of his suit coat, opened it, and extracted a card. " I could use men with your wisdom in my company. If you ever find yourself in New York City and in need of a job, look me up, Mister..." He looked at them with raised eyebrows.

"Bogg. Phineas Bogg." He gestured to Jeffrey. "This is my son, Jeffrey." They stood and shook hands with the man. "And you are?"

"Alfred Vanderbilt," the man replied, handing Bogg the card.

Jeffrey's mouth dropped open. "The son of Cornelius Vanderbilt?" The man nodded. "I've seen your family's summer home, sir. It's amazing."

Vanderbilt smiled. "Next time you and your father are in Newport, stop by, and I'll see you get a private tour." He tucked the silver case back in his pocket. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to stop eavesdropping and go take care of my responsibilities. Thank you for reminding of that." He lifted his hat to them, then turned and left. Jeff watched him walk away.

Bogg tapped Jeff on the shoulder. "I'm sure if I wait a moment or two you'll explain what just happened," he said, indicating Vanderbilt's retreating form. "What's so special about a house anyway?"

"It's not just a house," Jeff murmured. "You have to see it to understand." He pointed to the omni. "Check it. I bet it's green now."

Bogg flipped the device open and Jeff saw the solid green light. "How did you know?" Bogg asked.

"My folks took me to the Breakers when I was about eight," Jeff responded, looking inward at the memory. "The tour guide told us Alfred Vanderbilt was a hero. He was supposed to sail on the Titanic but canceled his trip at the last minute."

"Sounds sensible to me, given what happened to it," said Bogg. "But how does that make him a hero?"

"He ended up on the Lusitania in 1915," Jeff explained, now back in the present. "After the Germans torpedoed the ship, he and his valet helped other passengers get onto the lifeboats. The guide said he even gave away his own life jacket to a woman with a baby even though he couldn't swim. He died when the ship sank."

Bogg whistled. "That's a hero." He put an arm around Jeff's shoulders. "Look, kid, you've had a rough couple weeks. You don't need to make a decision right now. You know what your options are, and I want you to weigh them carefully. When you've decided you can let me know."

Jeff nodded. "Thanks, Bogg, and I really am sorry."

"I know," Bogg rubbed his stomach gently. "I was a teenager once, too. It's hard. All those emotions, and nowhere to put them." He moved his hand to Jeff's head and patted it. "Look, we couldn't bring Rebecca with us, but if you want, we can go check on her. With that fire, I don't think we can take her back to her apartment, but if she's better, maybe we can at least get her some place with indoor plumbing."

"I'd like that." Jeff looked up Bogg. "Thank you."

Bogg opened the omni and started setting it. "I'll aim for a month or so out," he said. "That should give her time to recover and make it look like we actually left and came back." He squinted at the omni. "That's strange. Some of the dates are locked. I'll get us as close as I can."

Jeff grabbed hold of Bogg's arm, and they disappeared.