Ch. 24

I woke the next morning feeling groggy. I still felt exhausted. It was probably from all the crying I had done the night before. I had so many mixed feelings about what was happening in my life. I was thankful I had Danny, but angry at him at the same time for letting my father in. I was happy that my parents were alive after all, but so pissed at them for disappearing from my life the way they did. Part of me wishes my dad had never showed up last night, but the other part is grateful that he did. I had so many questions, and I wanted them to be completely a part of my life. I think.

By the time I was through with my thoughts, I looked over at Danny's side of the bed, and realized he wasn't there. I sighed. I needed him now more than ever. Where could he be? I felt like Danny and I were drifting apart. We were closer when he was in the military than what we are now. It didn't make sense. Although, a lot in my life didn't exactly make sense. I decided to get up and put my swimsuit on. I needed some relaxation before I faced the one person who could make sense of all this, Ms. Leslie.

When I got out to the pool, I saw Danny swimming around. I couldn't help but smile. I was happy with him, I was happy that he was mine, and I was happy that, with everything we've been through, he still hasn't left me. I don't think he ever will, but I worry. I sighed with frustration. I never had these thoughts before, why now? Why all of a sudden am I worried I'm going to lose him again? It was probably just the pressure of my parents being here. That in itself was strange. Once again, I had gotten lost in my thoughts. What was wrong with me? When I looked back up, Danny was no longer in the pool. Where was he? I looked around everywhere, but he was nowhere to be seen. I started panicking. If he had seen me, he would have spoken to me. Something wasn't right. I needed to call someone. I decided to call Evelyn.

I got out my cell immediately. I had to hear her voice. I had to know that Danny was ok. Something didn't feel right. When I called, the phone just rang and rang. This was not good. What was going on? Evelyn always answered the phone for me. Even if she was mad at me. Before I could go to call anyone else, my phone rang. I jumped 5 feet in the air before looking to see who it was. It was Emily.

"Hello?"

"Ally, have you seen Red? Is he there? What about Rafe and Evelyn? I had stayed here last night with them, and now I can't find any of them anywhere. What's going on, Ally? I'm scared."

She was panicking. I was panicking. I was terrified. It was like they had all up and disappeared. What the hell was going on? I had to be the calm one. Emily was no good in a crisis. Although, admittedly, neither was I. I had to get her to calm down. Tears were streaming down my eyes.

"Meet me at Ms. Leslie's in 10 minutes."

Before she could say another word, I hung up the phone, and went to get ready to leave.

We had gotten to Ms. Leslie's at almost exactly the same time. I put on my brave face for Emily, and got out of the car.

"Alyssa? What's going on? What are we doing here?"

I just sighed. I stifled a sob, and tried to calm her down.

"She's the only one that knows what's going on. She's the only one who can help. You know this."

She just nodded her head, and held on to me for support. We walked to the door, and knocked.

When Ms. Leslie answered the door, she took one look at us, and immediately knew something wasn't right. Even after Emily and I had moved out of here, we didn't come visit except for a weekly dinner, or if it was highly important. It wasn't time for our weekly dinner, so she knew something was wrong.

"Come in, have a seat at the kitchen table, and I'll put on some coffee."

She ushered us in, took a hard look around outside, and shut the door.

We both sat down at the table with somber looks on our faces. We had just lost everyone we loved. How we didn't know, but my only guess was that Ms. Leslie did. Something wasn't right, and I could tell by the worried look on her face.

After the coffee was made, Ms. Leslie sat down at the table with us, and gave us both a stern look.

"What happened?"

Emily looked at me. She didn't know where to start or how to start. I guess I was going to be the one doing all of the talking.

"Danny was swimming in the pool, next thing I knew, he was gone without a word."

She looked at me worriedly. On the outside, I wore a brave face, but on the inside my heart was breaking. She knew it, but she looked at Emily now. She needed to know what she knew.

Emily saw the look Ms. Leslie was giving her, and she knew she had to speak.

"I woke up this morning, and Red wasn't in the bed. I thought he was downstairs, but nobody was there. They were all gone."

Emily spoke quietly, and looked down at her coffee when she was done. She was visibly upset.

Ms. Leslie looked between the two of us. She knew something was terribly wrong. She looked right at me before she spoke again.

"Did you happen to see your father within the past day?"

Mine and Emily's eyes both got wide. How could she have possibly known? Did he have something to do with this? I was getting angrier and angrier by the second. Tears had started spilling out of my eyes. What did he have to do with this? He knew something, she knew something, and I wanted nothing but Danny and my friends back. How was I going to pull this off?

"I see."

She got up from the table, and went to her bookshelf. The book she pulled off the shelf was old and dusty. It looked like it hadn't been touched in decades. She flipped through before finding a page she was satisfied with, and sat it in front of us.

"There was a reason your parents had to leave you, and it wasn't because of what I had in store for you both."

Emily and I were looking at the page intently while we listened to her. We were shocked by what we saw. Both of our family names were on this page, and it wasn't pretty.

"When both of your parents found out what you two were destined for, they wanted nothing to do with it. They actually were trying to stop it. You see, they also have powers like I do, except their powers aren't used to bring happiness to others. They use theirs to tear people apart no matter who they are."

I looked up at her in shock. How could this happen? Why did this happen?

"They tried to hurt you both, and that's when I interfered. By that time, I had already gotten close enough with them that I became your godmother. Police interfered, and gave you both to me. Your parents had skipped town, and that's why I told you the horrible story of them dying. I never wanted either of you to have contact with them. I had the best of intentions, and they didn't. I just wish your fathers would have seen how happy you two were and not interfered the way they did."

I was fuming mad. I was mad at Ms. Leslie for taking our parents away, but I was even madder that mine and Emily's fathers had something to do with the disappearance of the people we had come to know as our only family. Why couldn't they let us be happy?

Emily was the first to speak.

"So, how do we get them back?"

Why didn't I think of it? If we were meant to be with these people. If they were meant to be in our lives. There was a way to get them back. There had to be.

Ms. Leslie looked at us with a smile of determination, but she also looked sad. She got the mysterious book on Pearl Harbor off of her bookshelf. It was the one I had the night I went back in time.

"My father, he must have foreseen this happening. He had written me two letters before he had left for the war. I told you about the first one, but not the second."

I looked at her with a confused look. How could he have known all those years ago? It's true. Everything does happen for a reason. Ms. Leslie flipped through the book to a page. I could see a piece of paper sticking up from it. I was never in my life as curious as I am now.

"Girls, we have to go back. This time, all of us."

I was in shock. What did she mean all of us? Wouldn't it be awkward between Betty and Emily? Would they even know who we were? How would we stick with Ms. Leslie? I was so confused.

Ms. Leslie sat down at the table. She read over the letter.

"You may not recognize me when we go back, but we will all remember each other. I will have the power to send you all back to this time, as well. The time line has been altered some. My father had foreseen this. We are post war girls. All you need to know is, Danny is alive and well, and Betty does not exist. Any questions?"

Emily and I both looked at each other confused. Danny is alive after the war? Betty never existed? I was never more confused in my entire life. I knew this is what had to be done, though.

"No, ma'am."

She smiled at us.

"Good, let's get started."

Ms. Leslie had instructed us to lay on her couches. She wanted us as comfortable as possible for the transition. She lit some lavender candles, and had started saying some sort of incantation. Before I knew it, I was drifting off to sleep. I started dreaming and awoke with a start.

I was window shopping in Shelby. I wasn't watching where I was going. Emily was by my side talking my ear off. I looked at myself in the window intently. I was wearing a '40's style dress, with my hair in a bun. When I turned to keep walking I bumped into someone.

"I am so sorry."

I looked down sheepishly, and when I looked up I saw dark, brown eyes staring at me, with a half-smile, and an army uniform. My heart melted.

"It's ok ma'am. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I smiled at him sheepishly. Emily was talking to the man standing beside him.

"I'm Alyssa, and this is my sister, Emily."

I held out my hand, smiling at him. He smiled shyly back, and shook my hand.

"I'm Danny, Danny Walker, and this is my friend, Red."