"Inventing the Future"

Author's Note: Sorry for the long gap between this chapter and the last one! I've been very busy these last couple weeks, but I haven't abandoned this story. Updates might be a bit more slow than they were in the beginning, but there's no end in sight.

"Chapter 39: Homecoming"

Lin listened attentively as Jaming explained (with Meredith chiming in from time to time) the reason for their visit. She gave her head a slow shake. "I'm sorry. I don't know anything about this paint."

Jaming looked crestfallen, but he didn't seem surprised. "I was afraid of that. I knew it was a long-shot."

Lin tilted her head back to look up at him. "Master Crest has...well, had...many books I haven't even looked at yet."

Even though she didn't mean to sound accusatory, Jaming visibly shrank back when she changed tenses from present to past. Lin hadn't done it on purpose. To this day, she still caught herself occasionally speaking of Crest as if he were still alive.

She continued, "The information might be in one of those, but it will take me some time to go through them all, and I still have my studies. There's also the Moon Crystal...but I still have a lot to learn."

Jaming nodded, surprised that she agreed to do it. "Then I suppose we're done here."

Meredith could see that he was anxious to leave, not just Lin's presence, but this entire valley. She felt bad for encouraging to come here. This trip has been horribly stressful for him, and Lin's world had been turned on its ear once again.

"Well," Lin began to move towards her house, but still half-faced Jaming and Meredith. "I'll send you a letter if I find anything, but like you said, it's a long-shot."

"I appreciate it, thank you," Jaming replied rather stiffly, then shook his head. "I...I wish..."

Lin paused at her door, expecting him to finish his sentence, but he didn't. Even so, she knew what he was trying to say. Hating this man hadn't brought Crest back. And letting him leave without saying something important would be unnecessarily cruel on her part. "I forgive you."

Meredith saw his jaw tighten as he clenched his teeth, but this was the only change in his expression that she could see. In a way, being told that seemed to hurt far worse than being told 'I hate you'. There was the sound of a closing door as Lin went inside, and Meredith gently touched his back.

But Jaming did not break down. He sighed, as if setting aside a heavy weight, and put an arm around her shoulders. "Come, my dear. The train doesn't leave until tomorrow, and we've got the room for one more night. I, for one, could use some rest."

The next morning, Jaming and Meredith boarded the Blackstone One for the journey home. They almost didn't make the train, though, because just as they were about to leave their room, Meredith had to run to the bathroom to be sick. Jaming had read that small, frequent meals were one way to cope with the symptoms of morning sickness, and he was able to persuade her to eat something before they hurried to catch the train.

Jaming felt incredibly guilty as he sat next to Meredith on the train. He knew exactly why she felt ill that morning, and he also knew that she would probably be this way for a while. 'This is what happens when people aren't careful!' He mentally berated himself as he stared down at his folded blue hands. 'I know we wanted children, but she's ill because of me. And we're not even married! Her mother will love that. And I'm the dirty, rotten thing who couldn't keep his-"

"Gilda for your thoughts?" Meredith lightly touched his knee, and he took her hand.

"It's nothing...How's your stomach?" He asked.

"Ehh...a little iffy, but not too bad. It's better since I had that toast. I'm more worried about you, though." she told him.

"Me? I'm fine."

"Really?"

He thought about it, and his pride told him to keep insisting. She could read him pretty well by then, though, and he could see that she wasn't fooled. Sighing reluctantly, he looked down once more. "I feel responsible."

"Hm? For what?" Meredith then realized what he was referring to. "Oh. Well, if it comes to that, we both are."

"I know, I know..." he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed again. "I just wish you didn't have to go through all that. And...oh lord, I forgot all about labor..."

"Yeah, kinda not helping," she chuckled, then grew serious again when he put his head in his hands. "I'm sorry..."

"No, it's...it's just been a stressful few days," Jaming mumbled, looking over at her. "And then there's that business with Lin and the gold paint. We never did get the answers we came for."

Meredith had his hand again, and she was running her fingertips over the small calluses on his palm. "I'm not so sure. It might have actually worked out for the best."

"What are you on about?" Jaming squinted, not really annoyed, but unsure what she meant by that. Also, he was beginning to find that her playing with his fingers was more distracting than it should have been.

"Well, Lin didn't know the answer. So, if everything went according to plan, we would have left empty-handed." She smiled as he put an end to her hand-play by lacing his fingers with hers. "I know it was hard to face her. But somehow, the two of you were able to put a pretty big demon to rest. And, now that you've mended that bridge, you might still get the answers you were looking for. So, I'd say this wasn't a wasted trip. Wouldn't you?"

Jaming's mouth curved up in a loving smile. "You're one of those 'the glass is half-full' people, aren't you?"

"No," she smirked, "I'm the one who drinks what's left while the optimist and pessimist are arguing about it."

"Ah, and I suppose that would make you an opportunist, then?" he laughed softly, "No, all joking aside, you're an optimist. I'm sure of it."

Pau was the first one to spot them when they got off the train.

"Hey, they're back!" He hurried over to greet them, his ears bobbing as he ran.

"That's great!" Donny called from where he stood on the docks, "My TV's broken again, Jaming. Can ya look at it when you get a chance?"

Jaming looked resigned. "Maybe tomorrow, Donny. We just got back."

"Okay. Great to have ya back!" Donny waved and ran off to join Claire, who shyly averted her eyes when she saw him coming. Jaming had to smirk. If those two didn't eventually end up together, it would come as a surprise to him.

"Hey, Pau," Meredith sounded tired. "Did we miss anything good?"

"Not really," Pau shrugged, falling into step beside them as they went down the ramp and began to cross the beach. "but the Shigura will be coming back to Veniccio soon! I want to introduce you to Shingala. Oh, and the other ones, too."

Jaming raised an eyebrow. "Both of us?"

"Um..." Pau scratched his furry chin. He had nearly forgotten about what Jaming had done almost a year ago! "I think it would be okay, but you better let me talk to them first. The Shigura aren't a violent race, but..."

Jaming nodded. "I understand."

It took them longer than usual to get back to Jaming's garage because so many people stopped them along the way to welcome them home. Meredith, of course, was happy to see them as well, but it surprised Jaming that he was just as glad as she was. Granny Rosa. Julia. Old Cap. Several others. When had these people become his friends?

It must have happened when he wasn't looking.