AN: Thanks to all for your kind reviews – you are wonderful!

Chapter 16

The Captain studied the girl in the crib as she slept, her small face planted against the blanket. He sat on the floor beside the crib and watched her sleep, delighting in every breath that she took. Carolyn came up behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"She's so marvelous, she's perfect."

"No, not perfect. Just a normal child."

"Perfect," he said.

She reached her hand down to him. "Come on, get up."

He allowed her to assist him to his feet and pulled her close. "Thank you, for the most prized of gifts. There are simply no words."

"I wish you would have been around for her birth."

"As do I," he said glumly and sighed. "I still think she's perfect."

"I'll accept that. But since she's sleeping I think it's time we accomplished something."

"What were you thinking?"

"Dinner for one, we need to build our stamina, don't we?"

"Ahh, yes, indeed we do." He kissed her tenderly, slowly and she opened her mouth to him. Their bodies pressed together, and they breathed each other in, holding each other tight. "Dinner, first?"

"Yes, call room service."

"Consider it done."

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They lie together late that night, the Captain on his back, Carolyn draped across him. Neither of them was asleep, but were content in the moment, happy just to be with each other in the aftermath of their passion. He rubbed her arm, tracing slow circles on her skin, his eyes still closed.

"Daniel?"

"Yes, my dear?"

"Do you love me?"

"Always." He sighed. "I cannot tell you how it troubles me to continue this course of action."

"You mean making a baby?" She laughed. "You didn't seem too troubled a few minutes ago. Enthusiastic I might even say."

"That is because of you, and the fact I want to please you. I do please you, don't I?"

"How many times have I compared you to God?"

"Many while in the throes of passion, and I am more than flattered." He paused, and she heard the smile in his voice. "You may have heard me comparing you to several deities myself."

"Yes," she said with a self-satisfied purr. "Well, we can't be faulted for lack of trying."

"Is this something that you want? I mean truly?"

"I hadn't until you showed up in my life again. And knowing you will disappear doesn't make this something I would choose, not until you explained your whole, strange story. And insane as it I believe you, I want my son back. He deserves a life with us."

He sighed and held her close. "He's a remarkable young man. I wish I could be here when he is born, but that cannot be."

"Then this is the last time I will see this version of you?"

"Yes, when I leave again, if all things are now correct, we will both pursue the timelines that we are meant to."

She laughed and raised herself up on an elbow and looked at him. "Does that mean that someday we'll be back here again?"

"What on earth? Oh, no, I don't even want to think about that. I hate paradox's." He sighed. "But someday we will both be in the same place and free to start a life together and it will all be worth it." He gently nuzzled her neck. "And we have many happy years together while I am still as spirit. I can do some remarkable things, you know."

"Like what?" Her curiosity was getting the better of her.

"I shall not tell you. I will let you imagine what you will, besides, it will give you something to look forward to."

She slapped his chest, and as he was laughing she noticed his arousal. "Already?"

"Only if you want my dear. The child is still asleep."

"Hmm," she said and brought her leg over him so that she was straddling him. "I will have to put that to good use," she said and sheathed him within herself.

The groan he gave her came from the very core of his being, and she knew she had permission to do whatever she wanted with his body, it was something new to her to have such latitude with a man, but she found she relished it. Somehow, she knew they would always belong to each other.

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The next morning the Captain survived his first breakfast with a toddler that was not particularly interested in eating. His clothes had milk and juice stains and there were a few fragments of cereal in his hair and normally immaculate beard.

"Is it always like this?" he asked as Carolyn openly laughed at him.

"Not always, but often enough," she said as the Captain scooped Candy up in his arms and washed the milk mustache off her face. Then with a gleeful scream she latched her small fists into his hair and pulled.

"Da," she gurgled, and two hearts melted on the spot.

After a few moments of collecting his composure there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get that," he said, clearing his throat. When he opened the door, Martha stood outside of it stalwart and battle ready as usual. The Captain gestured for her to enter and after just a moment she did, pausing to survey the three of them.

"What happened to you?" She asked the Captain, seeing the food stains and cereal, but also the painful swollen black eye he was sporting.

"Well, this naughty little girl didn't want her breakfast…"

"That's obvious, but this little one doesn't pack that much of a wallop," she said, and she pointed to his eye.

"Oh, that. Well, dear Martha, I had the misfortune of stopping a fist with my eye…"

"How did you manage that? You don't look like you would lose a fight."

"It was a cowardly attack and I was unprepared…" he began.

"We were in a park and ran into Bobby, he was unhappy that I was with Dan…Roger and reacted," Carolyn said.

Martha studied the Captain for a moment. "I won't believe that you can't take Bobby Muir in a fight."

"We didn't fight," the Captain said with a scowl. "I had Candy in my arms when he hit me. I did my best to shield her…"

"And he sucker punched you?"

The Captain nodded.

"Why didn't you clean his clock? God knows he deserves it…"

Carolyn asked me not to." he said in a mild voice.

Martha laughed and gave Carolyn an admiring look. "You've got this one on a leash? Good for you."

"Here now!" the Captain began to bluster, and Carolyn just laughed.

"it's a good thing, Roger. Carolyn has always deserved better than Bobby and you just may be the man for her." Martha gave him an approving nod.

"Grudging approval from you? I am flattered beyond all reason," he walked over to her and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek, and to his surprise, she blushed.

Candy tired of being quiet, grabbed her father's hair again and pulled, hard. He bit his lip and then chuckled.

"It seems she has some of her mother's traits," he said and exchanged a knowing look with Carolyn, who now blushed profusely. The older woman laughed at the lot of them and finally gave the Captain a smile. "Let me have the little one. I'll take her home with me," she reached for Candy, but she burrowed into her father's chest. "Da," she said again.

Daniel closed his eyes and held her as close as he could without hurting her, realizing that this would be the last moments he would have with her as a little girl, and that he would never have any with Jonathan. When he opened his eyes, he had to blink back the tears as he kissed Candy on the cheek. "Always remember that I love you, my girl, and I will see you soon." And with great reluctance he handed the girl to Martha.

Martha, moved by his emotion was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Take care of them all for me when I am not around, and please remember that things are not always as they seem." He paused and looked at Carolyn who now stood by his side. "I love them dearly and I will always love them, all of them." He squeezed her arm and they shared a private smile.

"You're going away?" Martha gave him a suspicious look.

"Carolyn and I have worked everything out, she understands."

Martha gave Carolyn a sharp look and was relieved when her charge, and friend, gave her a reassuring nod. "Part of that conversation we will have later?"

"Yes, but believe me, Martha, when I tell you that I do know what I'm doing and it's my decision." She exchanged that private look with the Captain and he gave her a tight smile.

"Okay, your business." She paused for a moment. "Your parents have been asking about you."

Carolyn frowned. "What did you tell them?"

"That you needed a break and swore me to secrecy."

"And they know better than to push you. Thank you, Martha."

"When will you be back?"

"Today's Friday, so Sunday I imagine," she looked at Daniel who gave her a sad nod.

"All right, sweet pea, let's go home. You can see your parents later."

They both gave Martha startled looks and she laughed at them. "Seriously, how stupid do you think I am? She looks like you, you know that don't you?" she addressed the Captain. "It won't take long for anyone to figure that out if they see the two of you together. I just thought you should know that," she said with a nod to the two of them.

After Carolyn gave her daughter a quick kiss, Martha departed the hotel suite, shaking her head at the girl's parents.

He stared at the closed door, a melancholy expression on his face. She sighed, and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight.

"Daniel, she'll be all right, we'll be all right."

He kissed the top of her head. "I know. It just seems so…final."

"Hey, enough of that," she stared into his eyes and fisted her hands in his hair until he protested. "And that's for embarrassing me in front of Martha…"

At least he laughed, and then she drew him down for a greedy kiss.

"Carolyn?"

"Well, you need a shower. You're covered in food and…"

He pulled her against him and kissed her until she couldn't see straight, then she rubbed against his trousers until he groaned.

"I am taking you shopping…" he murmured halfheartedly.

"Not until after our shower…or bath?" She raised a curious eyebrow at him.

"Bath?" His eyebrows drew up in speculation.

"That does create some interesting possibilities…"

He followed her and the trail of rapidly shed woman's clothing.

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Standing on the balcony of his suite, he stared out at the water of the harbor, dark at night, the street lights reflecting on the water creating a colorful cascade on the dark background. It had been a long day, but a wonderful one. It was spent with Carolyn and Candy and he couldn't imagine anything better. This was what life was all about, this was what his life was supposed to be, he was supposed to spend his life with them; loving them and protecting them.

And in a weird convoluted way he would end up with them in his life once again, only this time he would be the children's father in every way possible, but he wouldn't be here to see their birth, nor to see them take their first steps. The version of himself that meets them will have no idea for many years that they are his children, and he will not believe Carolyn unless she is able to convince him. That could only be done with some of the small items he brought from the future, his present, to give to his love. They were now nestled inside his suit pocket where he could retrieve them easily when Carolyn rejoined him at the hotel.

They had gone shopping with the credit card that had been provided to him along with his identification upon his arrival here in this time. it was a card with a large credit limit, he had checked before he asked her out on their first date, and he reasoned that he might as well put it to use. He went out with her and gave her the option to buy whatever things she felt she might need for the children, and he insisted on one big item for her, not romantic, but imminently practical, a new car. He remembered well that mechanical contraption that she arrived in that passed for a car. It was a failure and barely ran. He knew he couldn't offer her huge sums of money because he thought it would change too much in the way things would go; and he found out his cash advance limit was severely restricted; but he had enough credit to purchase her a safe, practical car. And that made him feel better because she wouldn't struggle to have a vehicle to get them where they needed to be; home, school, doctors, dentists and finally, Gull Cottage.

He assumed that all these items would stay behind once he left but the debt on the card would be paid in full. The worst that would happen was that everything bought with it would disappear and then Carolyn would be no worse off than she had been before he had shown up for this week. But he would be much happier knowing that she could keep all the things she bought for the children and the car that he wanted her to have.

She had wanted to some shopping on her own, so he left her to it and returned to the hotel suite, feeling the need to reflect on things. He knew he would be leaving soon, and tonight couldn't be more bittersweet.

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The photos had been carefully maintained in the photobooks by her mother since Candy was a child, and like her mother Candy occasionally liked to look at them, to remember the past and how it was that she had gotten to where she was now.

She turned the pages, opening to one that she used to look at all the time when she was a child, it was her mother's wedding picture. In it she and Bobby were together and happy, both smiling at each other, apparently oblivious to all else. Candy liked that photo because when she couldn't remember the little bit of good with her father, she could look at this photo and see it, and know that it was there but something had happened that messed things up along the way. She always took comfort from that thought. But as she got older she knew that he wasn't the right man for her mother. The right man for her was a Captain who had died a very long time ago. As a kid, it didn't scare her that he was a ghost, in fact, he took great care to never do that with either her or Jonathan, so much so that she often forgot that's what he was. He seemed more like a man with extraordinary powers, than a spirit.

Before Candy realized it, the memories of her real father faded, and the Captain without any fanfare became her Dad. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world and she never thought about it twice. When she became an adult, she realized how truly unique her experience was. To have Captain Daniel Gregg as a full-time resident of his home, a ghost unlike any she had ever heard of before, become her father was a miracle of some magnitude. She was grateful for it in ways that she couldn't even put into words.

And now because of a trick of fate, she really was Daniel Gregg's daughter. The photos of her as a child hadn't changed yet, she assumed that was because the final decision hadn't been made, but she knew that they would, they would reflect her new parentage with the Captain as her biological father. Somehow that created a warm place in her heart.

Maybe Fox was right, maybe fate needed to be fixed and this was how it was.

She ran gentle fingers across Bobby Muir's face.

"Goodbye father, I hope you will be happy in your new life," she said and with a quiet sigh shut the photo album.

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When she entered the suite, Carolyn was astounded to see it transformed. The lighting was subdued, the background music was seductive, the candlelight romantic. As she entered the Captain took her hand within his own and brought it to his lips. They brushed her hand ever so softly and the blue eyes that met hers were filled with love and devotion, so much that she could feel her knees begin to wobble under her. He was dressed in a comfortable dress shirt and well-fitting black dress pants and looked extremely dapper.

Unable to help herself, she sighed, her green eyes shining with love for him, and tears of happiness threatened to spill down her cheeks. She surprised him and hugged him fiercely, and felt his arms go around her as he held her close. Unable to help himself she began to cry.

"Here now what is this about?" he pulled back from her and wiped away her tears.

"Happy…so happy," she sputtered.

"Ahh, as I am, my love, as I am," he said and held her close.

Minutes passed before they separated, both laughing at the tears on each other's face. "What a fine pair we are," the Captain murmured; and then taking her hand led her over to the dining table and pulled out a chair for her so she could sit down.

"Daniel?"

"I have something for you."

"No, I couldn't, you've spent far too much on me today."

"Nonsense, all practical gifts for you and the children." He gave her an apologetic lopsided grin. "And hopefully they will stay with you once I depart. I'd hate to see you lose that car."

Carolyn lowered her gaze, trying to keep her sadness at bay.

"But these are small personal things which I hope you will cherish as I do."

She gave him a curious look and sat back to wait as he reached into his jacket pocket.

"This is for Candy, it's a bracelet made of ivory and joined by silver links," he said as he handed it to her.

"The ivory is carved. Pandas? Dragons?"

"A child's bracelet form China. I hope she will enjoy it." Then he pulled two items out of his suit coat and handed her the first one, and her face crinkled into a smile as she regarded the small ship in the bottle. "I think he will like this when he is old enough to appreciate it."

"I'm sure he will," she said tearing up again. "And then there is this for when he is a baby." He handed her a rattle. It is from Tunisa."

"Oh God," she said burying her face in her hands as she began to blubber.

He knelt before her and placed a long slim, old wooden box in her hands. Heart pounding, she opened it and saw an old fashioned emerald bracelet set in gold, it shimmered with a light all its own.

"It's so beautiful," she whispered.

"No more so than you, my love. It pales in comparison, but the stones reminded me of your gorgeous eyes. You are the only woman worthy of this."

She studied him for a moment and realized that this was very personal to him. "Who did this belong to?"

"My mother, it was one of the few things of value that she had. I always knew I'd never give it to anyone but my wife." He closed her hand around it. "When you feel the time is right make my spirit self-aware of this and the other items. It is hidden in a place you cannot possibly know of, and he, or rather I will realize that. When all of this is revealed it will help smooth the waters."

She nodded, tears clouding her eyes. "Why do I feel like this is goodbye?"

"Because in a sense it is."

"You're leaving?"

He bit his lower lip and nodded.

"When?"

"Soon I think." He sighed, but she also saw the joy in his eyes. "Look at this." He handed her the photograph of her and the children that was taken outside of Gull Cottage. The appearance of the children had altered. Candy looked as she did now, only a few years older. The she looked at Jonathan and gasped. Her son had her green eyes, but his hair was red, and he had the Captain's smile.

"You mean I'm? We're…"

"Yes," he said as he laid his hand over her stomach, and she placed her hands-on top of his. "Jonathan will be again. Thank you, my love. This is the most precious gift you can give either of us…" he choked, unable to continue, and as his legs slid out from under him, she cradled his head in her lap, tears of joy and sadness intermingled in their faces and in their hearts.

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They danced together to a waltz or two and then to slower songs that allowed them to wrap themselves into each other. She rested her head against his chest as they swayed to the music, completely lost in one another.

"I don't want this to end, is that selfish?"

"No, my love. I wish I could stay too."

"Yes, but you will be going back to…me?" She shook her head and laughed. "It all seems so ludicrous."

"It does indeed," he bent his head and gently kissed her.

"And if I find out that you're actually insane and all of this was made up, I will somehow find you and kill you myself." Her green eyes belied a solemn promise.

"As you should. I do believe your sincerity on this matter." He sighed. "But ridiculous as it is, it is all true."

"Will I remember all of this? Or will my memory be erased when you go?"

"I do not know for sure, but I believe that you will remember me and know that I am their father. I feel that your memories of what I told you will remain intact. But you will have to be very careful with this knowledge."

"I will. I promise." She touched his cheek with her fingertips. "And I will take care of our son until I meet you again. You promise that we will meet again?"

"Gull Cottage in about four years or so; but remember that I am not as you see me now."

"And you truly are a ghost?"

"Yes, I am. And our road is wonderful but rocky. We have some spectacular fights," he chuckled as he nuzzled her neck.

"I believe it. This version of you is after many years of training?"

"Many years," he whispered, and she shivered.

"Then it seems I have done an excellent job."

"An excellent job."

"We can't touch at first?"

"No, not for many years."

"Years?" She echoed, her distress apparent.

"Years. Patience is a virtue, my darling."

"Yes, but years?" she was quite put out.

"I do not see that changing, but it is all worth it in the end."

"And you believe we will get to where you are now?"

"We most certainly will, and we will be free to have a new life together, the life we always should have had."

She couldn't help it, she began to cry, not sure if her tears were from happiness or sadness. After a few moments she pulled back enough to look into his face. "Make love to me, Daniel. I need to feel you in me…"

"My love," he took her hand, kissed it and led her to the bedroom.

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Blast and bloody hell!

He was hot, so desperately hot he thought he was roasting alive! As gently as possible he removed himself from Carolyn's sleeping arms and fled to the bathroom where he began dousing himself with chilly water. He fell to his knees as he became disoriented, the nausea beginning, and he knew what was happening…

Carolyn woke when she heard the sound of running water and heard Daniel's groans. She didn't even bother to grab her robe, so great was her fear for him. When she got there, she saw him mouth her name, reach out a hand to her and then disappear as if he had never been there at all.

Stunned, she sat down on the edge of the bathtub, and tried to take it all in. He wasn't insane, what he said must be true because she had seen him disappear before her eyes. Through a trick in time, a paradox that she didn't understand, she was going to have the second child of a sea Captain long dead, but once again alive in the future. It was almost too much for one woman to take. But she would have him with her until they met again, and she held an incredible secret that would one day become most dear to him again. Her hand dropped protectively to her stomach and its most precious cargo. They had given Jonathan life once again, a most outstanding son if the Captain was to be believed.

Though she tried to be strong, she couldn't help it as the tears began to flow down her cheeks.

"Goodbye, Daniel. Until we meet again..."