Friday, June 5, 1987-Evening

For the past year, Julie's Friday evenings were often spent watching 14-month-old, CJ, son of former resistance members Chris Faber and Maggie Blodgett. While Julie enjoyed her time with the tot, Steve Maitland often accused her of vicariously living her own dream of becoming a mother through another couple's child. Steve hadn't seen any sense in it, often reminding Julie of his wish to fulfill her desire for motherhood. When Julie's relationship with Steve became increasingly dominated by his insecurities and control issues, she knew she couldn't spend the rest of her life with him. Still hoping for children and marriage, she decided not to look for a suitable partner until Steve was out of her life for good. Meeting Donovan at Kelly's tonight made her wonder if he was the one she should've made a life with, or how often he'd spoken to the bar-maid Becky about her.

Keys in hand, she climbed the long flight of steps to her Santa Monica apartment and found Maggie waiting on the landing with CJ.

"Where were you?" Maggie asked.

"With Donovan," Julie said, unlocking the door.

"Mike Donovan, your ex?" Maggie scowled. "You were on a date? I've been waiting for you for ten minutes."

"It wasn't a date. He interviewed this Dr. Pico who worked at Science frontiers. Pico lied to him about my research there." She took the blue diaper bag from Maggie's shoulder then placed it on the coffee table. "Donovan thinks if he can get Kyle to let us into Science Frontiers, I can get my research records and prove Pico's lying."

"It sounds serious. Are you planning on suing for defamation?"

"I don't know yet. I'm sorry I kept you. Do you need to call Chris? He has to be worried."

"No, I'll just be on my way." Maggie shoved the toddler into Julie's arms.

Julie smiled at the boy. "Hi buddy."

CJ returned her grin as his mother slipped out quietly, but not unnoticed.

He started to cry.

"It'll be okay," Julie said.

CJ continued his fit, squirming against her.

The push button telephone on Julie's end table rang and she picked it up with her free hand. "Hello?" She pressed a kiss to CJ's left cheek, trying to calm him down to no avail.

"I just got off the phone with Kyle," Donovan announced. "It sounds like you've got company. Should I call back?"

"No, just hang on a minute." She put the phone down and pulled a bottle from the diaper bag. CJ grabbed the bottle from her as she sat down on her chintz sofa then shifted him into a lying position.

"Sorry about that." She muttered an apology into the receiver.

"Whose kid?" Donovan asked.

"Maggie and Chris'. I forgot I was sitting for them tonight. Maggie just dropped him off, and he's not happy about it."

"They have a kid?" He seemed surprised.

"They named him after Chris. See, if you'd keep in touch with your old friends, you'd know about these things," she teased.

"I'll ignore that." He chuckled.

"You were saying you talked to Kyle?"

"Yeah. He said he can be at Science Frontiers for ten tomorrow. Are you game? Or will you still have company?"

"Maggie's picking CJ up at a quarter 'til nine."

"That's cutting it close. Wanna reschedule?"

"It's fine for me. What about Sean?" she asked, realizing she'd forgotten to inquire how his teenage son was doing.

"Sean?"

"Oh, I guess seventeen-year-olds don't need babysitters."

He paused for a beat before saying, "He's not with me now."

"He's not with you? Is he staying the night with a friend or something?"

"No."

She waited for additional information, but he offered none. "Is something going on with him?"

"He's at the O'Brien State Hospital in Santa Clarita."

Julie frowned, familiar with the place which specialized in rehabilitating children and youth brainwashed by the Visitors.

"I'm sorry. How long has he been there?"

"A while," he said. "It's getting late, and I know you've got your hands full. Why don't I tell you about it some other time?"

"Okay."

No sooner did she hang up the phone, it rang again. She guessed it was probably Donovan calling back, having decided to confide in her after all.

"Miss me already, Old Pal?" She teased into the mouthpiece.

"Old Pal?"

It wasn't Donovan's voice on the other end. Julie's stomach knotted up in annoyance. "H-hi, Steve."

"Did you ascertain anything more about Dr. Pico?"

"Not yet." She said, hoping he wouldn't drill her for answers. "Donovan and I are meeting at Science Frontiers in the morning to do some investigating of our own."

"Investigating?"

"I can't give you the details now."

"You didn't converse about our assignment, did you?"

"It didn't come up."

"Good, because if the press gets wind of it, you can kiss the contract with Metzgar goodbye."

"I trust Donovan. He'd never share anything I told him not to."

"Trust him?" Steve scoffed. "You haven't seen him for what, two years?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. You know your mother phoned a bit ago? I thought she knew you left me again."

You would change the subject… "I'll call her soon." No doubt it would be a conversation where her mother would blame her for her problems with Steve.

"I still think your leaving was a mistake. It was the first time. It was this time. I love you Julie. You have no idea how much I love you."

"I can't deal with this now. I'm watching CJ!"

"That's it, keep using someone else's kid as an excuse to push me away."

"You think I'm using him? You've been jealous of him since the day he was born!" Disgusted, Julie slammed the receiver onto the cradle.

Maybe if nothing else, I can persuade Donovan to make Steve back off…