AN: Thanks for your kind reviews – each one is appreciated. And X-Files fans – don't give up. We will be back to the present soon where Mulder and Scully will do what they can to set the situation right. Well, when they aren't causing trouble themselves…

Chapter 6

His first conscious thought was that he felt rested, and much better. He couldn't detect an ounce of pain, which was his last real memory. He stretched and took in a deep breath, expelling it slowly and smiled. He felt good. His heart beat strongly within his chest and…wait, what?

The Captain bolted up into a sitting position and opened his eyes. He found himself in a bedroom that he was not at all familiar with and quickly became aware that he wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing. And he was sticky in an area of his anatomy that could only lead him to one conclusion; just who was I with and what have I done?

He groaned, having no idea where he was or when it was for that matter.

He heard noises from the adjoining bathroom and realized that someone was in it. Steeling himself for some sort of confrontation he drew a deep breath, and for just a moment marveled at the feeling of it, and then focused on the door to the bathroom anxiously waiting to see who was going to come out of it.

When she emerged in a casual blouse and respectable shorts, there was no mistaking who it was, though much younger, it was Carolyn, his Carolyn. He was speechless.

"Oh, so you're finally awake?" She walked over to him, crossed her legs and sat down on the bed next to him. He almost jumped as she leaned in to place a hand on his forehead. "Your fever is gone, thank God! I had no idea how I could get you to a hospital.'

He looked at her, uncertain what to say or what to do. "I was sick?"

"You had such a high fever I was afraid for you." Her hand caressed his cheek in a very familiar gesture.

"I was delirious?"

"Very. You said some most interesting things…Daniel."

He raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "So, you know that I'm Captain Daniel Gregg."

She nodded.

"And you are Carolyn Muir?"

"Muir?" She laughed at that. "I know a Bobby Muir, but I am Carolyn Williams and definitely not married."

"Oh." Was all that he could think to say for a moment. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-three."

"You will think me quite old. I am thirty-five."

"Old enough to be interesting," she laughed.

"None of this makes any sense," he said.

"What doesn't make any sense?" Her sharp eyes were fixed on him.

"Nothing makes any sense." He paused for a moment before looking at her. "What is today? I mean the date?"

"It is Tuesday, April 2, 1957."

"1957? Good God what am I doing here?"

"Being taken care of by a wonderful young woman," Carolyn smiled at him and it was so carefree that he felt his heart leap within his chest. Which reminded him of something.

"You are that, and you have my eternal thanks and undying gratitude for your effort in saving me."

"You're welcome."

"Now if you would be so kind. I would like a knife, and some clothes," he said remembering the other thing that he needed to attend to.

"The clothes I understand, and I have some for you in the chair on the corner. I hope they fit. I did my best to guess but I'm not used to buying clothes for a man."

"I'm sure they'll be just fine. Now do you have a knife?"

He laughed at the sour look she gave him.

"I assure you that I mean myself no harm, but there is a matter of the utmost importance that I have to check."

"You promise you won't hurt yourself?"

"I swear to you that I will not. And if you will give me a few minutes I will get properly attired."

"Of course. Just come out to the kitchen when you are ready," Carolyn said and with a last look over her shoulder at him, left the bedroom so that he could get dressed.

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He emerged ten minutes later, dressed and looking rather dapper in the dress pants and dress shirt that Carolyn had gotten for him. In the end she couldn't bring herself to go to the local thrift store to shop for him, she wanted to see what he looked like all cleaned up. Instead she stopped in a store where she had gotten suits for her father and bought him some clothes. He was quite a sight to behold, more handsome than ever, and she tried to stop her heart from the flip flops it was doing in her chest.

"Everything fits all right?" She asked, fussing with the dark blue sweater he wore over his shirt.

"You did an excellent job estimating my size in clothing. Thank you for your kindness." His blue eyes gazed into hers with sincere appreciation and she felt that odd melting sensation once again.

"Why do I feel like I know you?" she blurted out and then felt embarrassed by her outburst. "Sorry."

"No, it's quite all right. If I were you I would be confused too." He paused and entered the kitchen, looking around until he found a set of steak knives sticking out of their block. "Yes, this will work just fine," he said as he removed one, and then with only a slight grimace, drew the knife across the top of his arm. A red line of blood immediately appeared, and he stared at it in shock, blanching at the implications.

"Daniel, are you all right?" Carolyn rushed over to his side and grabbing a clean washcloth began to clean the blood on his arm.

"My God," he muttered at last. "How is this possible? How can this be possible? My God, I'm alive!" Without thought he pulled Carolyn to him and kissed her passionately. When he released her, he suddenly remembered that it was not his Carolyn that he held in his arms. "My profuse apologies, I meant no disrespect to you, nor to take any sort of advantage of you…"

Carolyn stared at this odd man, trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

"I think we need to talk," she said.

"Agreed. Oh, you've prepared coffee? Please allow me to get you a cup." She sat down at a chair at the kitchen table and he returned a few moments later with a cup for both her and himself, her coffee was fixed just the way she liked it.

"How do you know that?"

"What?"

"How I like my coffee?"

He frowned but remained silent as he sat down. "Where should we start? Maybe you should tell me how you found me? And fill me in on what has happened since you did?"

"Okay," Carolyn said with a slow nod, unsure of how much she wanted to tell him of what had already transpired between them, especially if he didn't remember on his own. "I was out in the yard, pretty much just staring at the lake, I have a lot on my mind," she said. "And suddenly you were there. There was no where you could have come from without me seeing you, it was as if…as if you fell out of a hole in the sky or something. But that's not possible, is it?"

Daniel tugged on his ear and waited for her to continue.

"You were conscious, but barely. I didn't think I could get you into the car to drive you in to the hospital. And I certainly had no idea of how to explain a naked, delirious man that just happened to be at my residence, I'm afraid my parents would have a fit. That makes it almost worth it though," she gave him a wicked little smile and he laughed.

"A bit of a rebel, are you?"

"Just a little. I get tired of being told what to do, who to see, and so on. It gets very old."

"I can imagine," he said gaining another insight into his beloved.

"You were just functional enough for me to get you into the guest bedroom before you lapsed into unconsciousness. I called a friend of mine that's a nurse and she told me how to cool you off, what to do to try to bring the fever down. I'm not strong enough to get you into a tub filled with cold water so I did the next best thing and that was to cool you down with ice water."

"I'm guessing it helped that I wasn't clothed?" He teased her just a little and was rewarded with a lovely blush.

"Yes, well that," she ducked her face. "It did help," she squeaked. "I did as I was told and continued to bathe you with washcloths dipped in ice water." She shyly met his gaze again. "You are very hot…"

"I am? Don't you mean I was very hot?" A smile played on the corner of his mouth.

"Yes, that's it. I mean you were very hot. I'm very glad that you're feeling better now."

"As am I. Thank you for your tender care." He gave her an intimate look that made her blush again.

Then he cleared his throat uneasily. "And there is a matter that I am reticent to bring up, but I feel it needs to be addressed. My apologies if any of this subject matter embarrasses you."

After giving him a curious gaze, she gave him a nod to continue.

"That is to say, well, when I woke up I found…" he cleared his throat again. "Oh, blast! Why is this so damn hard to say?" He swallowed and gave her an earnest look. "Nothing untoward happened to you, did it? I did not do anything to compromise you? Or cause you dishonor?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because I don't remember a blasted thing and because it is in my nature to…well to be with a woman."

Carolyn's heart sank, was he a playboy?

"Oh, I see," she said in a defeated tone.

What was she expecting? He was obviously a handsome, intelligent, well-travelled man, and she was just a young New England socialite who had very little experience with men. She was surprised to find that part of her was nurturing some feelings for this man who was still a stranger to her, but the rest of her was busy raising her defenses so that she didn't get hurt by a playboy, no matter how charming he may be.

"Well? Did I do anything reprehensible?" His expression was so earnest and concerned that she almost laughed.

"Did you what?"

"Did I compromise you? You look very much like the woman I love so I wouldn't be surprised if I tried to do something that I have no right to do."

There was a long silence and Carolyn weighed her options. In general, she believed that being honest was the best thing for all parties involved, but these were unusual circumstances. There were no two ways about it she had sex with a stranger; a charming, handsome stranger but a stranger non-the-less. A man she had only known for a little over three days and for two of those he had been delirious. She supposed she could be accused of taking advantage of the situation. It seemed he had no memory of them and while it made part of her sad, part of her was relieved, because if he didn't remember than none of his actions would be out of obligation to her, but rather because that was what he wanted to do. Some insane unreasonable part of her wanted him to stay, to be with her and find out if they might possibly have something together. Until now, when he spoke of the woman he loved with such emotion behind his words. If he already loved a woman that deeply, how could she ever hope to compete?

"No, nothing happened that I didn't want to happen," she said. It was true enough.

"So, no unwanted advances? Or actions on my part?"

"No, not at all." At least he was making it easy for her to give him an honest answer.

He frowned and drummed his fingers on the table as he stared at her.

"What?"

"Forgive me, but I had dreams of you. Dreams in which we…" he gestured in a way that left no doubt as to what he was referring to.

"Were they good dreams?" She asked, crimson creeping up past her collar and into her face.

"Oh, they were exceptional, and I shouldn't tell you that, should I?"

Yup, she thought, he's flirting with me. She was happy for a moment until she remembered the wife, but then she also remembered that he had called her his wife when he was delirious. Was he compromised by fever or was there something strange going on here?

He reached out his hand across the table to her and she took it, surprised at how natural the moment was between them.

"Where are you from? Your accent isn't American."

"Ireland originally, though I spent most of my life in Britan. So, it's British."

"But you live in America?"

"Yes, Schooner Bay."

"And that would be?"

"Maine." He frowned, wondering if he had given out too much information. She was bright it wouldn't take her long to investigate the facts if she chose to do so. But still? What sane woman would believe in a ghost or a time traveler when the information matched dates over one hundred years ago? Yes, he should be safe. She would probably believe the records got confused, or that he was a liar.

"And how long have you lived there?"

"That is open to interpretation. A very long time is my answer."

"You're not being very helpful," she said with a frown.

"My apologies, my intent is not to add to your frustration. It is just that I am not at liberty to reveal certain details of my existence. I do not wish to change too much."

"Change what? What are you talking about?"

"I can't tell you."

"Of course, you can't." She let go of his hand, leaned back and stared at him, crossing her arms in front of her. "How did you really get here?"

"I assure you that I have no idea. I was in a room filled with gas from a malfunctioning heater and thought I would die of asphyxiation. I remember being in great pain. Except for the marvelous dream, I have no other memory until I saw you a few hours ago."

"You have no transportation?"

"No."

"No clothes except what you're wearing?"

He gave her a sad nod.

"Friends? Family?"

"None."

"A place to stay?"

Again, a sad shake of his head.

"Then what are you going to do?"

"I have no idea. I am hoping that I am only passing through and not here for long. But I am not even certain of that." He sighed. "I do not know if my friends, who are not from around here can get me a ticket home."

"What kind of ticket? Maybe I can help?" She smiled. "I have a bigger allowance than I know what to do with; maybe I could buy you a ticket back home?"

"No, I would never ask that of you."

"You're not asking, I'm offering."

"Thank you, my dear for the gracious offer, but trust me when I tell you it's impossible. I can only hope that I am found and allowed to return home."

"What if you aren't?"

"Then I really don't know what I will do. Find some sort of a job, a place to stay…I'm not quite sure how to do that anymore."

"Why not? It's not that hard."

"This world is very different from the world I grew up in, and I'm afraid most of my skill has to do with being on a ship and on the ocean. I don't know how that would translate into this world." He sighed and looked so lost that Carolyn reached for his hand again.

"Well, you at least have a friend in me, hopefully that's a start? And I'll help you find your way around if you want me to?"

"You would do that for me?" His face lit up with a smile of appreciation.

"Of course. It's the least I can do."

"You are far to kind to me. And trusting I many add. Haven't your parents told you not to trust strangers?" He teased again, and she discovered that she loved the twinkle in his blue eyes.

"They have and believe me when I tell you, that you are an exception to those rules. I feel as if I know you, but how can that be?"

He gave her a very innocent look and shrugged.

"And when I was…bathing you…you called me your wife and said we had been married for thirty years…"

"I said that?"

"Yes, you were very clear about that and the fact that you loved me."

"Dear God, I must have been very sick."

"None of that's true?" Her green eyes were just a little imploring.

"Well, since we just met how could we have been married for thirty years? You are nowhere near that old."

"And you're married?"

"Yes, happily."

"Then how can you speak of feeling something for me too?"

"Trust me when I tell you it is not a problem."

"You have an open marriage?"

"An open marriage?" He blinked in shock as the meaning behind her words sank in on him. "Good God, no. I would never betray my wife."

"Then how can you have feelings for me?"

"I can't explain. I can only tell you to have faith. That everything will work out in the end and that you will find your true love."

"Is that you?"

"I can't answer that. That is something you will have to discover."

"You called me Carolyn Muir earlier? You think I'm married to Bobby?"

He bit his lip, said nothing, but looked exceedingly unhappy at that thought.

"And you don't like that thought."

"It is not for me to say. I am trying very hard to offer no opinion on the matter as it is indeed your life."

"Why not Bobby? He's handsome, funny, smart, comes from a good family."

"Yes, I suppose that's true." The Captain admitted reluctantly.

"But you don't like him? You've never met him; how can you not like him?"

He shrugged, indicating he wouldn't answer.

"Fine. I'm tired of you and your guessing games. I'm going to leave for a while."

"Where are you going?"

"Into town. I need some more groceries, I wasn't planning on having any company while I was up here," she said with a saucy tone.

"If I am disturbing you, I would be happy to leave." He looked uneasy. "I really should leave." He started to stand up and Carolyn pushed him back into his chair.

"You will stay. You are my guest and despite your oddness I will not throw you out into the world until you can better fend for yourself. And I need to know more about you. There is nothing to stop you from leaving once I go out the door but I'm hoping you will be courteous enough to stay as I would like you to be my guest while I am up here on vacation."

"You're on vacation?"

"Umm, yeah. If I wasn't alone up here I don't know how I would have explained you." She offered him that happy carefree smile again. "It's not like you're a stray cat that I decided to take in."

"Thank you, I think." He offered her the amused look again.

"Stay put and I will get us more food. Feel free to wander about the house and grounds, just don't get into trouble. Remember, I'm trusting you not to be some sort of social deviant."

"Oh, on my honor I assure you that I am not any sort of social deviant. Just a man that is a little lost, I'm afraid." He looked at her sadly.

"Yeah, well we'll work on that." She walked over to a small table in the hall entry way and grabbed a set of keys.

"Carolyn?" he called, and she turned to face him.

"Yes?"

"If I do suddenly disappear while I am here, please know that it is because I had to leave you. Not because I wanted to."

"That's very cryptic."

"At the moment it seems to be what I do best."

"You got that right. Okay, stay put and I'll be back in a bit."

"As you wish," he inclined his head and sighed ever so slightly as the door closed behind her.

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Later that night, Carolyn lie in her bed, unable to sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about Daniel and his nearby proximity in the guestroom. She found herself wishing he was with her, wishing she was in his arms. It felt so right, so natural, as if it was the easiest thing in the world. She could break down and tell him what really happened, and offer herself to him again, but that seemed desperate and that was one thing she did not want to be. But remembering the things he did to her, the way he made her body feel, it was tempting non-the-less.

She willed her brain to shut up and go to sleep, otherwise it was going to be a long night.

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At first Carolyn wasn't sure what woke her up, she was in the house alone at Gull Cottage. She groaned, aware that she was very aroused due to the dream she had about Daniel and making love to him. She was still getting used to her new twenty something body and she was astounded at her level of need just from that damn dream. While she was seventy, she and Daniel did still have sex, but he was respectful, and it was a much more languid pace than that of her younger days. She had forgotten the yearnings of the physical at this age.

Those dreams were so vivid, so real, why did she have them? Was it because she was missing him so? Because she didn't know where he was? When he was?

"Oh, Daniel," she sighed as she sat up in bed. "Where are you? What are you doing?"