Admiral Nelson stood outside the cabin door, listening to the voices within, and wondering what he was going to say. There was no doubt in his mind that an apology was required. His outburst in the control room had been unforgivable. Understandable perhaps, along the lines of a parent's anger after the anxiety of searching for and finding a lost child. But no less unforgivable… No one in that control room was an errant child in need of a scolding. And no one else in that control room had any memory at all of events beyond the events that had just happened. They didn't remember the horror of their captain lying cold and dead in his cabin with an honor guard posted outside. Nor did their minds hold any memory of that heart-stopping moment when a bullet had dropped their XO to the deck, dead before he fell.

Those events only lived in Nelson's memory; the sorrow for the first, and the guilt and disbelief for the second were his alone…

God, how he hated apologies. Admitting he was wrong went against the grain. But in this case, he had been monumentally wrong. He had told himself that he could live with the death of anyone else on board this boat… Anyone, so long as it wasn't Lee. Only to find that he had lied to himself. That he hadn't after all forgotten what it was like to watch someone he cared for die. He hadn't forgotten the pain and the loss and the utter waste of a life. It had been like watching John take that bullet all over again… A bullet meant for him.

And you know that I never had a second thought about it, Harry. I'd do it again in a heartbeat…

John's thought… But Nelson suspected that it would be Chip's thought as well…

He had believed that one of those young men had eclipsed the other, that if he had to choose, he could make that choice with no regrets… But in the end, he had chosen both, because there was simply no other option. Whatever Pem's unholy plans had been, he had damned them with his choice, and he hoped he would never see the man again.

Nelson squared his shoulders. He had let things get badly out of hand. There might not be a road back, but he knew he had to try. Even if it meant admitting he was wrong. Reaching out, he turned the knob, frowning when he found the cabin door unlocked. But this wasn't the time to address a breach of policy. He pushed the door open and went in.

Both his young officers leaped to their feet, standing at attention. Admiral Nelson reflected that he should have known Lee Crane would be here. Attempting damage control, no doubt.

You should be glad someone's willing to, considering how badly you've messed up.

Oh, how he wished that John's voice in his head would shut up, sometimes. He stepped to one side of the door and gestured to Lee. "Clear out, Lee."

The captain hesitated, his eyes darting from Nelson to Chip anxiously. A protest would be forthcoming. "Sir…"

"Clear out, son." Nelson cut across the words; later he would explain to Lee what it was he needed to do here. Later, he would also caution Lee that he needed to be more careful, that it was necessary to constantly keep in mind the fact that he was working with someone who would willingly step into the path of a bullet for him. Because if Nelson had understood that one inescapable fact of John's character, he might have done things differently, and John might still have been captain of the Seaview. Nelson would never get another chance to save his friend. But Lee should know that every time he put himself in danger, he was dragging another in as well. He should have the chance to weigh that fact against the importance of the mission. Nelson nodded at him, a promise that they would talk later. "I promise to be on my best behavior."

With no real choice, Lee left the cabin, but he was clearly unhappy about it. Nelson closed the door behind him, and inspected the remaining officer carefully.

Chip was back in form, thoughts and feelings locked down behind the impassive mask, eyes perhaps a bit apprehensive, but cool and direct. Not nearly so easy to read now, as he had been an hour ago in the control room. He might not realize that it was already too late, that the admiral had a clear idea of what was going on behind that impressive poker face. Nelson moved to stand in front of him, noting the slight flinch that greeted his proximity. "Sit down, Chip."

"Thank you, sir. I'd rather stand." The voice was as carefully expressionless as the face. From the way he was standing – straight and stiff – Chip was clearly expecting to be called on the carpet. After the scene in the control room earlier, Nelson really couldn't fault the assumption. It was easy sometimes for him to forget just how young the man was.

"Sit down, lad." Nelson suited his own actions to his words, settling comfortably in the chair Lee had vacated. After a few seconds, Chip sat down as well; his mask had slipped a little, revealing his confusion.

Now came the hard part. Nelson took a deep breath, still not knowing exactly what he was going to say. "I know I'm not the easiest man to work with…"

Chip shook his head and opened his mouth to speak, but the admiral cut him off. "You never complain, but we both know I have been guilty of taking you for granted." This was more difficult than he had thought it would be. Apologies were not his strong suit. He despised them. "But you should know that you are a valuable member of this team…" Hell. This wasn't coming out right at all. Nelson rose from his chair in agitation. Perhaps it was best to just come out and say it. "I will not always remember that. In fact, I will go right back to taking you for granted, probably very quickly indeed. So here is what you have to remember." He paused, trying to choose his words carefully. "I had to go back twice to get this right. The first time was to save Lee, as you very well know. But the second time…" He took a deep breath and targeted those intense blue eyes. "The second time was for you."

The words fell between them into silence. For a moment, Nelson thought Chip wouldn't react at all, that he was frozen, whether in shock or disapproval, Nelson didn't know. But then, he closed his eyes and lowered his head, clearly hiding what he felt. When the silence began to be uncomfortable, he struggled to speak. "Sir, I…" Words failed him, but he kept trying, exhibiting an uncertainty that Nelson had never seen before. "I have never doubted for a moment that I am an important member of this team…"

That was a lie; the admiral knew there had been doubts. Considering their rocky relationship in recent years, there had to have been. He forestalled whatever painful attempt at explanation might be coming next. "Let's agree that you are at least as important as Lee Crane…" It was close to the truth anyway… Lee was the son he had craved since his academy days… He had relinquished Chip to John's need, but he understood now that he had never really lost the affection and respect for the younger man that had led him to follow Chip's career and select him for Seaview. "And that you won't be stepping in front of any more bullets." That was non-negotiable. And undoubtedly that was the one part of this conversation that would be continually and blatantly ignored.

And indeed, despite Nelson's seriousness, the statement awoke the ghost of a smile. "I'm afraid I can't promise that, sir."
John all over again. John who had always taken matters into his own very capable hands, and pulled out a win when defeat seemed inevitable… John who had just as deliberately chosen to sacrifice his own life for Nelson's. The admiral had never imagined that in the short year they'd worked together, John's influence on his XO would be so enormous. "Then I guess you'll have to get used to Chief Sharkey following you around like a watchdog." Nelson spoke with a mock sternness that finally elicited the full-fledged smile that so charmed the ladies. It had been a long time since he'd last seen that smile, and a long time since he'd felt this kind of relaxed camaraderie between them. He hoped it would become a permanent fixture. "Good night, lad." He headed for the door, but as he touched the doorknob, he remembered something else and turned back. "I believe this door is supposed to be locked?"

Chip flashed him a mischievous look out of laughing eyes. "If Sharkey is going to make a habit of standing outside all night, I hardly think it matters."

"Oh, it matters." Nelson opened the door; naturally Sharkey wasn't standing outside anymore. The COB thought the danger was past, and it undoubtedly was. But there would be other dangers. This, too, was non-negotiable. "Considering the crazy things that happen on this boat, it definitely matters." He stepped into the hall. "So lock the door." He pulled it to, and waited in the hallway until he finally heard the lock click into place. Then he made his way to his own cabin, satisfied.

But as soon as he entered his cabin, he knew something was wrong… A soft curse told him someone else was in the room with him; someone who had faded into a dark corner, but couldn't hide the pale blond hair that stood out even in the shadows. Nelson eased over to the safe by the door, but he knew he wouldn't be able to get it open before the other man made a move. Instead, he bluffed his way through. "Who the hell are you?"

Another soft curse, then the intruder eased out of the shadows.

For a moment, Nelson thought that Chip had somehow beaten him back to his quarters… Only for a moment. Then he realized that this man was older by at least a decade, in his early to mid forties, and his blue eyes were closer to gray, much stormier, though at the moment, they merely held exasperation. Most intriguing, he wore four stars on his collar. "In and out… I've done this a million times. See what happens when you get promoted?" He perched on the admiral's desk as if it were his own. "You lose all your field skills. I'll never live this down."

"You haven't answered my question." Nelson felt absolutely no sense of threat from this stranger… Just an odd sense of déjà vu, as if he knew the man, though manifestly he didn't.

The man contemplated him for a long minute, as if speculating what he could say. But no answer was forthcoming. "I can't really tell you, Admiral."

Nelson looked the man over; too young to really have those four stars he wore, yet he certainly had the air of a four-star admiral. "You do know that impersonating an officer is a serious offense."

The stranger crossed his arms and glared at Nelson with an icy stare that seemed vaguely familiar. "You do know that I get that a lot. I assure you, I am not impersonating myself, admiral."

"You're too young to be a full admiral in just about any man's Navy." Nelson pressed his point, moving closer to the desk, impressed with the way the younger man matched him glare for glare. He certainly had the mannerisms of a four-star admiral…

"Really? And how old was the youngest man ever to make admiral, sir?"

Admiral Elmo Zumwalt… Nelson had known the man well. He had made admiral at forty-nine years of age. But surely this stranger knew the answer to that question. The admiral's eyes narrowed. "Admiral Zumwalt. Forty-nine years old."

The intruder rose from his perch on the edge of Nelson's desk. "By my time, that record has been broken. Twice." He flashed a smile that made Nelson gasp and fall back a step. He knew that smile… He had just seen it on Chip Morton a few minutes before. "I'm the current holder of the title."

"By your time?" Was this stranger from the future? Was he the reason for Mr. Pem's elaborate plot? Was Lee ever the real target at all? "You're from Pem's time."

The younger man sighed. "Well, I've done a poor job of hiding my origins." He laughed and held out a slim, elegant hand. "I doubt I could hide much from you, anyway, sir. I came to retrieve a timepiece that Pem gave you."

Nelson frowned at that. "You came to remove all evidence that this entire mess ever happened."

"You weren't supposed to know about time travel, admiral. There are rules, and Pem has broken them once too often." A snap of the fingers betrayed the intruder's growing impatience. "The timepiece. Please."

But Nelson simply moved past him and sat in the chair behind his desk. He was both older and wiser than this youngster, admiral or not. There was a reason why younger heads generally didn't make the grade. "I have to assume that you'd be willing to give me some answers in return for that timepiece."

The other man turned and looked at him, eyes narrowed, a storm whipping up in them. "Sorry, no. I can always come back, later."

"But there's no guarantee the watch will be here."

A misstep there, judging from the way the intruder lowered his head to hide his smile. "We can track time travel devices. How do you think we knew it was here in the first place?"

Nelson dropped all pretense of cooperation and flung out the question he really wanted answered. "Why? Why did Pem come here, why now? And why my boat and my men?" He looked the other man up and down with a sneer. "Or do I already know the answer?"

The other man moved up and sank into the chair that Lee generally sat in. He studied Nelson, but the steady drum of his fingers against the arm of the chair betrayed his frustration. Chip did that, too, just a little tell that let the men know he wasn't happy. Odd, how much like Chip this man was. Or maybe not so odd. "I can't tell you the answer. I did say there were rules. I can't tell you who I am, or what Pem wanted, because that knowledge might change how you view the future… which in turn might actually change the future."

"And catching you here where you're not supposed to be won't?"

The man splayed his fingers in helpless disgust. "Like I said, I've done this a million times. Just had to be the million and first time that got me into trouble."

Nelson opened the drawer where the pocket watch lay. He already knew he was going to give it to this man; best to get rid of the evidence after all, and Pem had already been caught. But he couldn't resist showing off his deductive skills. "Pem wanted to get rid of you. That's why the elaborate plan. To remove you from history, but if he went right to his target, he might be stopped before the plan worked. So he went at it indirectly." He pulled the pocket watch out, showing it to the man whose name he was pretty sure he knew. The slim hand reached out again, palm up. But Nelson ignored it as he continued. "He had my captain killed, because he knew I'd go back in time to save Lee. And he knew exactly how my XO would react the second time around."

They stared at each other for a moment, neither one backing down. For all his youth, this man made a formidable admiral. Nelson reached out and dropped the pocket watch onto the outstretched palm. "You don't have to tell me anything. Admiral Morton." A risk, but he knew he was right.

Long elegant fingers closed over the watch. Blue-gray eyes rose to Nelson's face. The intruder made a concession to necessity. "I can't tell you whether you're right or wrong. But I'm grateful that you chose to save my ancestor's life." He smiled again, that smile so uncannily like Chip's, clearly knowing that he'd told Nelson everything he needed to know. "The stories about you don't do you justice, sir." He rose from his chair, slipping the watch into his pocket. "I hope you'll remember that I was never here…"

Nelson shook his head, and looked down to get a cigarette. When he looked up, the room was empty.

He would have liked to have been able to tell Chip that his descendant would be the youngest admiral in the history of the US Navy… But he knew that he would honor Admiral Morton's request and say nothing. There was no reason to, after all. Pem would face justice, and the watch had been reclaimed, removing temptation from the admiral's grasp. All was right with the world now.

He couldn't help wondering how long it would last…