Thanks again to everyone who read and commented on my story! I was super nervous when I first started posting since it's my first OC story, and I wasn't sure if I could realistically capture the characters. The comments mean a lot and provide a motivation to write since I don't want to leave you all hanging! Sorry for the long wait, homework and midterms are kicking my butt right now and I'm too interested in the election to pay attention. Anyway here is chapter 5. I'm so glad I just finished watching Season 3 because it inspired me while writing this chapter! I hope you enjoy. Oh and if you're eligible, please go out and vote tomorrow!

Chapter 5

Caleb looked around confused. He was standing in the gardens of what looked like a spa getaway. It certainly didn't fit with his feeling of gloom a few moments earlier. Perhaps the future wasn't as bad as he predicted. Hearing voices, Caleb looked ahead and saw a group of people sitting on the terrace. He headed in that direction, knowing there had to be a reason he was here. Caleb was surprised to see Kirsten standing in the center, twisting her wedding rings nervously.

"Hi everyone. I'm Kirsten Cohen," Kirsten weakly said.

"Hi Kirsten," the group answered back encouragingly. Realization dawned on Caleb. "No, she couldn't be," he muttered to himself.

Kirsten took a deep breath and spoke again. "I'm Kirsten and I am an alcoholic." Kirsten laughed nervously, "It does get easier over time to say that. Umm… my time here has allowed me to understand why I turned to alcohol in the first place."

A man in a white coat nodded. "That's great Kirsten. Would you like to share more with us?"

Kirsten smiled. "Yes, I would. Umm… I guess it all begins and ends with my Dad." Caleb felt like he'd just been stabbed. Kirsten was here because of him. What the hell did he do?

"All my life, I wanted him to be proud of me. However every decision I made seemed to be the wrong one. I was living my life the way he wanted it, not the way I wanted it. After my mom died, I worked even harder to please him. But nothing -,"Kirsten sniffed back a sob.

"But nothing you did, no matter how hard you tried, pleased him," a blonde woman sitting next to Kirsten finished. Kirsten looked at her surprised. "I'm sorry," the lady apologized hastily.

"No, it's okay," Kirsten said. "You took the words right out of my mouth."

Caleb didn't hear the doctor commend Kirsten on her progress and break up the session as he was too engrossed in examining his daughter. She looked thinner than usual and there was something about her that seemed off. The life appeared to be sucked out of her and her eyes didn't hold that familiar sparkle. He watched as the mysterious blonde woman came up to Kirsten as the crowd cleared out.

"Hey Kirsten. I didn't have the chance to introduce myself. I'm Charlotte Morgan," the woman said, reaching out a hand. Caleb immediately felt an instant dislike towards her. There was something sinister in her eyes and he didn't like the way she was staring at his daughter.

"Hi Charlotte. Pleased to meet you," Kirsten said, trying to form a smile.

"I want to apologize again for interrupting you."

"No, it's okay."

"It's just that I could relate to what you were saying. The rich dominating father and the not being able to live up to his expectations."

"I'm glad I didn't bore you."

"Definitely not. I wish I was as good with overcoming this as you. I overheard Dr. Curtis telling you that you were making real progress and could go home if you want."

Kirsten smiled. "Yeah, I'm really nervous about it. I'm not sure if I can handle it but I miss my husband and sons so much."

Charlotte looked concerned and took Kirsten's hand. "If you don't think you can handle it, are you sure you want to go home? You don't want to relapse."

Kirsten's head shot up at the last word. The look in her eyes demonstrated that relapsing was her greatest fear.

Charlotte continued. "Look, I know what you're going through. This is my third time here. You should really ask yourself if you're ready. You don't want to let your family down."

Kirsten looked stricken and Caleb felt the urge to crush her into his arms and tell her that she was the strongest person he knew and that she would be able to fight this. He also wanted to give Charlotte a piece of his mind and tell her to stay the hell away from Kirsten. He saw right through her manipulation and concluded that she was probably after Kirsten's money and taking advantage of her vulnerable state. After being chased by gold diggers all his life, Caleb could spot them a mile away.

"Where the hell is Sandy when you need him?" Caleb wondered out loud. He heard a noise behind him and was surprised to see the hooded spirit behind him. Caleb had forgotten about him for a moment. The spirit raised his bony arm, which clamped down on Caleb's shoulder.

The next place Caleb found himself was the Newport Group office. It looked like he came in the middle of a meeting between Sandy and two men who Caleb recognized immediately. Mr. Durbin and Mr. McConnell were two men who the Newport Group frequently did business with. Caleb wondered what the hell Sandy was doing in his meeting room and why he wasn't there to kick his son-in-law out.

"Mr. Cohen, we were expecting to meet with your wife," Mr. Durbin said, settling into his seat.

Sandy sighed. "My wife is away for a couple of weeks. Under the circumstances, I think you can understand why."

"Running away only makes her look more guilty, Mr. Cohen," Mr. McConnell interrupted impatiently.

"I can tell you right now that my wife is completely innocent," Sandy snapped. "The DA is looking at the wrong person and the truth is going to come out. In the mean time, I want to insure you that the company is doing fine so don't even think about backing out of the Laguna project."

Caleb recognized the wary looks passing between his two business colleagues. "What the hell is going on?" he asked the spirit. It was odd how quiet this one was when the previous two at least told Caleb why they took him to places. The spirit remained silent. "Why is the DA after Kirsten? And where the hell am I? Unless I'm in jail… but then why would they be going after Kirsten as well?" Caleb wondered out loud. This was making no sense and he was getting increasingly frustrated.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the last part of Sandy's conversation with the two men before they left. However Sandy appeared to have at least settled their concerns. Caleb watched as Sandy took out his cell phone to dial a number.

"Hey it's me," Sandy said gravely. "Did you find anything?" Whatever response Sandy received, his expression conveyed it wasn't what he wanted.

"Damn it. Well dig around some more. He must have left a trail somewhere. I will not let Stevens get away with this. There is no way my wife is taking the fall for his crimes." Caleb took in a deep breath. Tom Stevens was his chief accountant. Not the most honest man, Caleb admitted, but he knew not to ask questions concerning Caleb's more than questionable business dealings.

"I don't care," Sandy continued with whoever was on the phone. "Do whatever you must. Hell incriminate me. I'll rather go to prison than let Kirsten go." Sandy hung up the phone angrily and sank into one of the chairs wearily. "Damn you Caleb," Sandy muttered. "They can't come after you so they're going after Kirsten. This is all your fault."

Caleb again felt like he was being stabbed. He had no idea what was going on but now he had both Sandy and Kirsten blaming him for whatever the hell was going on. He knew he would never let Kirsten take the fall for whatever he did; he would do anything in his power to protect her. If only he could figure out what was going on and where he was!

Caleb turned his attention back to Sandy who had picked up his cell again. After a couple seconds, Sandy sighed as he was transferred to voicemail. "Seth, this is your father. Call me immediately when you get this message."

"Oh god, Seth," Caleb muttered. "How is he handling all this?" Caleb turned to the silent spirit. "Will you bring me to him?" After a moment's hesitation, the spirit nodded.

At first Caleb wasn't sure where he was since a cloud of smoke was blurring his line of vision. As the smoke cleared, he gasped as he saw Seth sitting on his bed smoking a joint.

"What the hell?" Caleb exclaimed angrily. Caleb was just as startled as Seth as the bedroom door opened with a frazzled Ryan crashing through.

"Seth!" Ryan admonished taking the joint of his hand. "Are you crazy?"

"Hey! Give it back Ryan," Seth pouted.

"What if Sandy had caught you? As if he doesn't have enough to worry about with Kirsten and the company."

"Dad's not home. He's going to be at the Newport Group all day meeting with people to tell them that the company isn't going down the craphole and that Mom isn't guilty of funneling money."

"I can't believe the DA is going after Kirsten; she would never steal money," Ryan grumbled, sinking onto the floor.

"Dad said that the DA is only going after Mom since they can't go after Grandpa," Seth said angrily. "The DA has hated Grandpa for years and Grandpa certainly hasn't done anything to make him appear innocent."

"And now Kirsten gets all the blame," Ryan muttered. "Surprisingly I don't think it's your Grandpa's fault, though. You know Sandy suspects your Grandpa's accountant of stealing the money. Not that I blame Sandy, I never trusted that guy."

"Well we can't do anything about it."

"Actually," Ryan said, standing up. Seth looked at Ryan suspiciously.

"Whatever it is you're thinking Ryan. Don't do it man. You just said Dad is handling enough crap."

"I'm going to help Sandy," Ryan interjected. "Stevens must have some incriminating papers lying around in his house. The DA doesn't suspect him so he's probably not hiding his stuff."

"Ryan, I don't think it's a good idea."

"I will not let Kirsten go to jail," Ryan said stubbornly. "Your family has done so much for me. It's about time I do something for you guys. I need your help though."

Seth sighed. "What?"

"Go to the Newport Group and just hang around there keeping an eye on Stevens. If he leaves, give me a call. I don't want any surprises. Are you in?"

Seth paused for a minute and then rose from his bed. "Fine, I'm in."

Caleb was impressed with both Ryan and Seth, but particularly with Ryan. It was obvious that he cared a great deal for Kirsten and Sandy and would do anything to help them. Both he and Sandy were breaking the law to save Kirsten and where was he in all of this? Everyone has been blaming him for what was happening and Caleb was going out of his mind trying to figure out what he had done and where he was. While Caleb was many things, he wasn't a coward. He wouldn't just run off and let his family clean up his mess.

"Spirit?" Caleb asked turning anxiously back to the hooded figure. "Where am I in this future world? Take me there, please!"

Caleb found himself in the cemetery and a feeling of dread washed over him.

"I told you to tell me where my future self was," Caleb said to the spirit. The spirit nodded and pointed up the hill. Caleb gulped as realization dawned on him as to why the DA couldn't go after him, why Kirsten was so distraught. Still as Caleb climbed up the hill, a small part of him held on to a sliver of hope that the name written on the gravestone he was approaching would not bear his name. His heart sunk as the words on the gravestone became clearer to him revealing "Caleb Nichol, 1940-2006". Caleb collapsed onto his knees as the weight of all he had witnessed overcame him. Glancing over at the graves next to him, he realized how bare his was. It was completely devoid of flowers and decoration. Even his gravestone was glaringly bare, no words about being a loving father, grandfather, or even an upstanding member of the community. Caleb sighed sadly. Was he expecting anything more? He wasn't any of those things and now his family was suffering because of him. Turning back to the spirit with tears in his guys, Caleb grabbed the cold hands.

"Tell me that my family is going to be okay. Tell me that none of them are going to jail for my mistakes," Caleb pleaded as he closed his eyes to wash his tears.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself back in the Cohen's living room. He turned quickly to the spirit. "Does this mean everything turned out okay? That's why you brought me back here right?"

Caleb was interrupted as he heard the front door slam shut and watched Seth wandered in looking dazed. Ryan ran in from the kitchen shouting.

"Where the hell have you been Seth? I've been looking all night for you! Why didn't you call me to warn about Stevens?" Ryan asked angrily.

Seth remained silent and looked like he was ready to cry.

"I almost got caught!" Ryan continued ranting. "Luckily I was able to run away but now Stevens definitely knows someone is on to him. Man, I hope he doesn't recognize the car." Finally noticing Seth's silence, Ryan became worried. "Seth, what's wrong?"

"You didn't hear about what happened at the Newport Group?" Seth asked quietly.

"No," Ryan said surprised. "I was too busy running away from Stevens and trying to find you. What's up?"

"There was a fire," Seth continued, not looking at Ryan.

"What? How did that happen? Did anyone get hurt?" Ryan asked worriedly. Seth remained silent and Ryan's eyes grew wide. "Seth, what are you not telling me?"

"I set it on fire," Seth blurted out.

"What?!!!!"

"It was an accident! I was doing what you told me and hanging around the Newport Group. However I got tired and fell asleep in Mom's office. When I woke up, everyone was gone and I decided to smoke a joint. I thought I put it out, Ryan, but as I was driving away I heard fire sirens. I'm in deep trouble, aren't I?" Seth groaned as he collapsed onto the couch. Caleb couldn't believe his ears. How did everything get so messed up?

Ryan sank to the couch alongside Seth. "This isn't good," he moaned. Seth nodded. The sound of a car driving up the driveway caused the two boys to exchange horrified glances before heading to the front door. The relief on their faces was evident when they saw Sandy's familiar BMW but confusion washed over when they saw Kirsten sitting forlornly in the passenger seat.

"Dad?" Seth asked worriedly as Sandy exited the car. "Is Mom okay? Is she back for good?"

"I'm not sure, son," Sandy replied wearily. "Today was the will reading, which didn't go so great and then she found out about the fire at the Newport Group. She's not sure if she's strong enough to come back," Sandy finished, glancing over at Kirsten, who remained in the car staring blankly at the house. "I don't know how much she can take."

"Does she know about the DA's investigation?" Ryan whispered, looking at Kirsten concerned. He had never seen Kirsten looking so lost.

Sandy shook his head. "She shouldn't have to worry about that. I'm taking care of it."

"Mom's going to be proven innocent right?" Seth asked anxiously. "She's not going to jail right, Dad?"

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Sandy confirmed. Running his hand through his hair, he sighed. "And now I have to deal with the whole fire thing as well."

Sandy missed the guilty looks between Ryan and Seth.

"Do they know what happened?" Seth squeaked.

"Not yet but the police are reviewing the security tapes to see who was the last person to leave the building," Sandy replied. Seth's eyes grew wide.

Before anyone could say anything, the sound of sirens could be heard. Three panicked expressions mimicked each other and Caleb felt like he was going to be sick. He was dead and the repercussions of his actions were biting his family in the ass. Any of them could be arrested and somehow it seemed like it could have all been prevented. As the sirens sounds got closer, Caleb turned anxiously to the hooded spirit.

"Spirit, what you're showing me is not what's going to happen but what COULD happen right?"

The spirit remained silent but Caleb got more frantic.

"If I change my ways, then the future is not set right? I promise to be a better dad, grandfather, and person. Just please, let me go back and fix it! I can't let my family suffer like this." Caleb sobbed as he watched the police cars drive up the driveway.

Caleb sank to his knees and grabbed onto the spirit. "Please, let me go back. I don't want to see what happens next. Let me go back! Please!"

TBC...