Alex

"I was doing fine on my own for your information."

Mason scoffed as he set his bag down. "You got lucky."

I had a witty Alex retort on the tip of my tongue but I held back. I just wanted to be here with him. He went to the fridge for a snack and peered inside. He seemed incredibly comfortable considering our last meeting.

"What made you come here?"

He paused. "I needed to make sure you got back to your own time."

There were two ways that sentence could be construed:

a) he was genuinely concerned for my safety, therefore highlighting the feelings he still has for me, or

b) he wanted me to get the hell out of here so he could go back to his Alex-hating life when the future me returned back here.

I wasn't sure which one I wanted to believe.

"I'm sorry for everything that I did, or I'm going to do-"

"It's fine Alex, you don't have to apologise anymore. It's in the past, I've moved on."

"I just wanted you to know I appreciate you doing this; I mean I know things are kind of awkward between us and all and even though I don't really know why you're helping-" He cut me off yet again.

"I hate what you've become Alex."

Ouch. Not only was that off topic but it hurt. A lot. But it seemed everything he did or said to me in this time garnered the same reaction.

"Gee thanks," I muttered.

"Let me finish," he said sternly, disapprovingly. "I hate what you've become but I could never hate you. That's why I'm doing this."

I frowned. "Thanks Mason, that really clears things up."

In a way, I kind of understood. He didn't like what I'd turned into but still held some kind of respect for me. He understood that I wasn't that person yet and that there was still a chance for me to change. He was certainly more understanding than Justin who was being an absolute pain in the butt. He hadn't answered any of my calls and I wanted to know how his court date had gone.

Mason rolled his eyes at my last remark and continued to eat the sandwich he'd made. I eyed him as he wolfed it down, for lack of a better word.

"Who said you could just come in here and eat my food?"

He glanced up with some sort of smirk on his face. "I figured you owed me after I saved you."

"I'm not some damsel in distress that you have to save," I told him.

Half of his mouth tugged upwards like he was holding a laugh back. "You never have been Alex. But sometimes even the strongest of us need saving."

We just stared at each other and I could sense some kind of hidden meaning behind those words. If I had asked him to help me study to win the competition, he would have. If I had asked him to help me get through the competition instead of running away, he would have. He could have saved me if I'd let him.

I broke the stare after a while; it was just too painful. "Do you mind if I go see Justin? It's important."

He nodded and pulled some books out of his bag. "I'll get a head start on our research. I brought some stuff I think might help."

I smiled. "Thanks."

He didn't return the smile, just gave a placid, bored look and went back to eating his snack.

Was he sure he didn't hate me?

Justin

I rubbed my eyes to remove the sleep in them, groaning at the loud noise that had awoken me. I trudged out of bed to see Mom standing over my stove, flipping pancakes.

"Hey Justin, I made breakfast."

While the smell made my mouth water, I disliked the intrusiveness. Though I missed my parents, I'd gotten used to living on my own. Now having them here, it was like I was back in 2010.

The doorbell rang and I rushed to get it. I opened the door and it was like déjà vu; Alex ambushed me with a hug and my sleepy body let her.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I won't let it happen, I won't."

I pulled away to look at her. My anger had subsided and I had realised it was unfair to hurt her. "I know you won't."

"Alex, honey, what are you doing here?"

She peered around me and I could see the surprise mounted on her face as she took in the form of our parents in the kitchen. "I could ask you the same question." She looked weirdly back at me, waiting for an explanation.

"Meet my new roommates," I said dully, closing the door to prevent the draft seeping in.

Alex went over to hug Mom and Dad who sat reading the newspaper while I turned on the television. I watched her embrace them and smiled; more than two weeks ago, she'd supposedly been estranged from all of us. Now she was back in the family because of a teenagers's innocence and naivety. Maybe the older Alex could take a leaf out of this Alex's book. She came over after a minute, a broad smile on her face, chomping on a piece of toast.

"Where's Max?"

"Down the hall, third door on the left. He's pretty bummed."

"What happened anyway for you to end up with the 'rents?"

"You should go ask him," I said, pointing down the hall.

She disappeared with an uneasy look and reappeared ten minutes later with a sulky Max, sitting him down in front of a plate of pancakes. He looked at them and started to play around with his fork until Alex slapped him on the back of the head. He shot her an angry look and she scarpered, coming to sit next to me.

"How's he doing?"

"He feels bad that he lost the loft, more for Mom and Dad than himself. But he'll be okay. It's not his fault he got chucked into a position he wasn't ready for." She edged upwards, curving her body backwards over the couch slightly to glance at Mom and Dad fussing over Max, patting down his wild hair and hugging him. "Maybe we should tell them the truth, maybe they can help us get back."

"No," I hissed at her, "It's too risky. We might change too much."

"Yeah because we've been sitting on our arses the entire time we got here haven't we?" she said sarcastically, like only Alex could. "It's not like Max's corporation got stolen out from under him or I invited myself back into the family or you bashed the hell out of Dean-" She cut off suddenly, looking nervous.

The memory was definitely not one of my proudest but I stood by it. No one was allowed to disgrace my name or sister like that. No one.

"It's fine," I said with a tiny smile. "Don't feel bad."

My phone started to ring from where it lay on the table. I picked it up, saw the name on the screen and set it back down with a sigh.

Alex looked at me quizzically. "Who are you avoiding besides me?"

"Emily."

Her face darkened. "Wasn't my message that day clear enough?"

I shrugged. "She's been calling ever since we met for the divorce settlement. She wants me back."

"Don't you dare take her back Justin, you're better than that."

"Whatever," I muttered. "I guess I need a hobby now that I've lost my job."

Her face dropped and I knew I'd successfully moved the conversation off topic. "What happened yesterday in court?"

"I lost my medical licence and have to pay an undisclosed fee to the client."

"Undisclosed?" she said, puzzled.

"You don't want to know," I told her. "I'll be lucky if I don't lose the house."

Alex's face went sour and she looked like she was about to say something until a phone started ringing. And it wasn't mine this time.

She slipped it out of her pocket and smiled faintly at the screen. "Who is it?" I asked, trying to get a glance.

She stood up and smiled mischievously. "No one."

She reached out to ruffle my hair and I pushed her away in annoyance. "Seriously, who is it Alex?"

"Doesn't matter," she said with that faint smile still on her face. "All that matters is that we're one step closer to getting back to our own time."

"How?" I asked. "It's not anything dangerous or stupid is it?" I did not like the look on her face.

She held back a broader smile. "Don't worry your pretty little head brother. I've got a plan."

I also did not like having the fate of our very past, present and future in my sister's hands. But I guess at this point I had no other options. I had to trust that she knew what she was doing, trust she was doing what was best for all of us.

She waved a farewell and flounced out. Max, who had been listening in to our conversation, leaned back from his chair.

"We're trusting Alex?"

"Apparently," I answered, sighing.

"Wow, we are screwed."

Alex

When I got home, Mason was nowhere to be found. He'd left me a text, asking where I was and when I'd be coming home so I'd decided to leave Justin's. I started to well up with panic until I saw his bag and books still on the couch. I found him in my spare room, sprawled out on a bed that looked way too tiny for him. His limbs hung over the edges as he snored gently. I sat down next to him, careful not to press too much of my weight on the bed and gently grazed my lips on his forehead. He stirred and I held my breath, praying he wouldn't wake up and see me. He eventually started to snore again and I relaxed.

I headed for the shower; it had been terribly hot when I'd gone out and I was looking forward to something cooling me down. I slipped out of the hot material I had been wearing and stepped under the shower head, letting the water trace patterns down my skin. A while later, I reluctantly got out, wishing I could stay there forever. I hummed to myself as I brushed my hair in the mirror.

"Hey Alex, you're home-"

I quickly swiped for the towel on the bench and wrapped it around myself; the door had swung open and there stood a tired looking Mason whose eyes went wide when he saw me. And I mean, really saw me.

He didn't move for a couple of seconds and that's when I noticed how dark his eyes were, how his mouth was upturned in a hungry smirk…

He stepped back out after reality hit us both and slammed the door. I could feel my face burning furiously in sheer embarrassment; I was so sure I hadn't gotten the towel on in time.

"Ever heard of knocking?"

"I'm sorry," I heard him mutter on the other side of the door. "I just woke up and thought we could get started on our research."

I bit my lip and closed my eyes, cursing silently. "I'll be out in a second."

I heard his footsteps retreat and waited to make a mad dash to my bedroom, hoping he wouldn't catch sight of me in the towel (though it was probably a bit too late for that). I dressed rapidly and finally found him on my couch. He looked up at me, seeming kind of dazed.

"Should we get started?"