A/N- Surprise! I'm back with another chapter for this! Good gosh, I can't believe I haven't worked on this for two years 0_0

So sorry that this fanfic was dead for that long, but I should explain myself. I was having difficulty coming up with how to approach chapter four, and I just couldn't find my inspiration for it. I was also working on other things and trying to finish one of my fanfics, but I hope this chapter makes up for it, even when it's short. I am honestly not sure how often I can update this fanfic, but I will do my best to try and keep it going to the best of my abilities, but thank you all for being patient with me and understanding.

Most of you may or may not know this, but I will now be replying to reviews of upcoming chapters in my fanfics, and I plan to do that for this fanfic as well. That said, here are my replies to the few of you who have left a review on this fanfic.

William RP: Thank you so much!

Guest: Lol!

Parcival Wolf12: I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Haha, yeah, Connor's quite the character for sure, and you may or may not be right about him being a wolfwalker and as far as his and Quin's relationship goes, they've definitely got a long way to go for being on friendly terms with each other ;)

Guest: Most definitely XD

Plague Doctor 2035: Thanks! That makes me so happy to hear that my writing style is very pleasing to ya ^^

Well, I will now let you all get on with reading! Enjoy the chapter, and I will hopefully see you all soon!

Chapter 4

After eating the last scrap of that rabbit, Quin decided to try and get around the woods. However, before she did, she asked Connor to go with her and help her. A few times, he refused to, but after trying to convince him for the past five minutes or so, he finally gave in and guided her around the woods. Even though Quin felt sorry for him, she started getting annoyed with him. Was it really that hard to help her out? Apparently, it was for him, but once she found her way back to the future, she'd be out of his hair in no time.

Connor wore the same clothes he had on the other night and his black cloak, bringing his bow and arrows. As for Quin, she also wore the same clothes the other night. It wasn't like she had anything else to wear—nor a choice—and walking around naked was undoubtedly a no-no for her. Quin knew she probably smelt awful and could feel her hair getting grimy and greasy. If she were back home, she would've taken a nice, long, hot shower… but unfortunately, that would not happen today, making her miss her timeline even more.

The two had been walking in silence for a while, and as they were, Quin tried to make time fly by quicker by searching for clues as to how she could get back home. However, with this hushed stretch of awkwardness, she really couldn't concentrate, mainly when Connor scarcely engaged in a conversation. What was up with that guy? Not only did he barely impart any words, he barely showed any emotions. Connor was like those guards in Britain. Even Quin couldn't keep a blank face for as long as he could.

The more they continued walking, the more Quin started to get bored as she tried to search carefully. Oh, how she wished for her books or even her laptop so she could read, write, or draw. Thanks to that stupid note, though, she was stuck in 1650 in Ireland. And if she thought what she wrote in her fanfics so far was insane, she was getting a taste of her own medicine. If Quin were honest, though, this perhaps would've been an exciting story with a girl from the future traveling to the past… maybe she'd write something like that one day, only it would not be nonfiction. That was something to think about for another time, though.

With an irked sigh, she looked at Connor and asked, "Okay, is this how it's gonna be for a while? This is getting awkward enough as it is."

"You think?" Connor replied in a hard tone. "What even is there to talk about?"

There was a pause.

"I don't know…" The gothic teenager admitted.

"Exactly."

Quin furrowed her brow at him and then huffed, switching her gaze back in front of her. Why did she even bother trying to converse with him? She should be more concerned with trying to get home anyway. This day couldn't possibly get more frustrating, could it?

Quin was absolutely frustrated. She couldn't find anything to help her get home, and Connor had hardly helped. Nighttime had resurfaced, and she was back in the cave with that grouch of a teen. A few hours ago, they had decided to call it a night after sharing yet another rabbit, but Quin had difficulty sleeping. One: obviously, because her blood was boiling. Two: the ground was uncomfortable, even when she tried to use her leather jacket as a pillow/blanket. And three: she was sweaty as a pig.

She was tossing and turning on the cave floor (the firepit in the middle of the cave once again alive with flames feasting on wood, casting long shadows and flooding with light), and her loud movements never once woke Connor. He was either in a deep sleep or was just really good at ignoring her. Quin puffed out a breath. Out of everyone, why her? She never asked for this, yet she was still whisked away to 1650 in Ireland. Admittedly she'd always wanted to go to where her ancestors came from, but not like this. Was she being punished? And all because she hadn't visited her local library in a long time?

You're just going to have to try and suck it up somehow, Quin advised herself. Just try and get through this, continue your investigation, and then you'll be home in no time—piece of cake. The gothic teen took a breath, but as she did, she got a whiff of her leather jacket and scrunched up her face. Okay, I seriously need to bathe myself before I stink up the whole cave.

Sitting up, Quin then flicked her gaze to Connor. Still asleep. The gothic teen quietly sighed with relief as she did not want to deal with him at that moment.

Quin pushed herself off the ground, taking her leather jacket with her, and strode toward the mouth of the cave as quietly as a mouse, and she was soon greeted with a blast of cold air. A shiver laced through her spine, and it took everything within her to repress any noise that tried to emerge from her mouth. God, she hoped that the water wouldn't be as cold as the wind.

She willed her legs to move, drawing farther away from the cave. Quin knew that this was a lousy idea walking out here all by herself, especially if there was a predator nearby waiting to maul her at any moment, but she'd feel much better if she at least freshened up. Plus, she'd rather that a stranger didn't see her nude like she was about to streak on a field. Quin promised herself she'd tried to be quick, and Connor would never know she had left.

Not like he'd give a damn if I returned or not, Quin scoffed with a roll of her eyes. He'd probably be glad if I ended up in the jaws of a wolf or something like that. She could almost see the satisfaction in his yellow eyes if that ever came true.

Unbeknownst to her, as the cave left her line of vision, something materialized in the cave. Something she never would've expected beyond what she was used to.

If Quin recalled correctly, there was a lake somewhere up north. She and Connor passed it while trekking through the woods hours ago, and she was sure…

Aha! She exclaimed in her mind when she saw something like a giant mirror: the lake she was looking for.

Moonlight and starlight reflected on the lake's surface like the sky had fallen, along with the dancing and stillness of shadows. The water was not disturbed; it was as peaceful as the night, and the only sounds heard from it were the white noise.

God, if I weren't stuck in this century, I would've been working on one of my fanfics right now, Quin's thoughts drifted through her head, stricken with inspiration as she admired the lake before her. Hell, I wouldn't even mind some paper right now and something to write with.

Quin was like a whirlwind when it came to her writing and artwork, and once the ideas started to pour into her creative mind, there was no stopping her from writing them down or sketching them out. Her mind was a world full of colors and imagination, and for as long as she could remember, she had always wanted to show the world her craftsmanship of words and art. Fanfics had been her wake-up call, and since then, the gothic teenager had been working her way through trying to finish a couple of them in the works and always loved the feeling of finishing up a chapter after so much editing and such. Fanfics were good practice for developing a writing style, and Quin hoped that one day she could write a novel she could publish or self-publish once she felt more comfortable with her writing. It was hard getting right to writing most of the time, though, especially given she was still in high school and barely had time nowadays, and most people didn't get how hard it was being a writer. The gothic teen did not like to half-ass her creativity. Even when she was tired and didn't have the energy for any of it, she wanted people to enjoy her hard work and not find it eh. Rome wasn't built in a day, after all.

A longing sigh broke through Quin's lips, cold air coming along with it. It's not the end of the world, Quin, she reminded herself. You'll be back to writing and drawing in no time… hopefully. Just try to take a nice long bath and relax; you can worry about the rest later.

She kicked off her boots, peeled her clothes and choker off her, and no sooner had she done that, the wind nipped her unclad body. Quin's teeth clattered, and she embraced herself, trying to create thermal energy as she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. Now she was definitely hoping that the lake wouldn't be freezing cold.

Quin dipped her big toe in the water, testing the temperature, and to her disappointment, she was met with the opposite of what she coveted. She retracted her limb as if she had burnt herself on a stovetop and shivered violently. A swear word slipped off her tongue. Would it be wise for her to still go through with it? Either she'd bite the bullet and wash off the stink, or she could forget about it, throw her clothes back on, and let the body odor linger on her.

Almost a minute had passed, but Quin decided to choose the former. As much as she'd love to get back in her clothes, she would pull up her big girl panties and battle it out with the coldness. There was no way in hell anyway she'd let some freezing lake defeat her that easily. Quin took a few steps back, preparing to brace herself. Sucking in a breath, she dashed toward the water and cannonballed into it as she pinched her nostrils closed.

Splash!

Quin resurfaced, and she swore a few times as the lake was sapping body heat from her. She quickly began to swim, cutting through the water like a roller blade slicing a pizza into slices to try and regain a little warmth. It sort of worked, but Quin supposed it was better than nothing.

You can do it, Quin, she tried to cheer herself on. Don't think about it. Think about something else: anything but the cold water.

Quin closed her eyes, trying to blot out the bitter coldness of the lake. She imagined she was in a hot tub, relaxing her muscles as her body absorbed the heat while she drank a cold, refreshing drink. Having no worries, no stress—

Snap!

Quin's eyes flared open, panic fisting her heart as she whipped her head over her shoulder. She saw nothing, especially with the trees packed together and darkness cloaked over.

Maybe it was nothing? She thought but then shook her head at the notion. It definitely was something, likely an animal. While she wasn't sure what might've made the noise, Quin decided it was time to retreat from the lake and return to the cave. Better safe than sorry.

As quickly and as quietly as possible—just in case there was a predator nearby—she steered herself back to land, and as soon as her feet touched the ground, Quin snatched up her jacket and used it as a towel to dry herself off, almost wishing at that moment she borrowed something of Connor's for that job, but even if she had he likely would've been pissed. She then threw her clothes back on and started to make a beeline for the cave as freshened up as she'll get for now. Her steps were quick but not rushed. Quin tried to tell herself that she probably had nothing to worry about, that it was all getting in her head, but was that really the case?

She couldn't shake off the feeling that she was being watched, like someone was stalking her. Quin gnawed the inside of her cheek. Her hand tightened on her jacket that was tied around her waist—for some reason, she didn't think to consider slipping it on for warmth—as she tried to breathe in and out quietly, but even that alone did not ease her racing heart. Even so, she tried to remain calm and act as though she had no worries in the world, but that was soon short-lived when the gothic teenager thought she heard the faintest of growling.

Quin picked up her pace, and it wasn't long until she broke into a sprint. And someone was at her heels. She urged her legs to move faster beneath her, daring not to look back as she repeated in her mind to keep on running. However, no matter how quickly she went, her pursuer was getting closer and closer, eating up the distance between them.

She weaved through the trees and jumped over objects, hoping to catch them off guard as it felt like she was on an obstacle course, her breaths lagging, making her lungs burn as her joints ached. But alas, that barely did much to save her own skin. Her heart jumped when she heard loud growling, confirming that it was a wild animal likely trying to have her for a late-night snack. Quin cursed, the adrenaline kicking in.

Why couldn't I have waited until morning to clean myself off?! She questioned herself. Oh, that's right, because I wanted to do it tonight, and I clearly wasn't in the right state of mind!

At that moment, a force pushed against her back, and Quin smacked against the earth. She had no time to react as suddenly sharp teeth pierced through her flesh, clamping around her shoulder like a bear trap. A scream tore from Quin's throat, blood oozing down her arm and dribbling onto the ground. Pain shot through her shoulder, the worst kind she had ever felt.

White pain trying to steal her sight, Quin's eyes goggled when they landed on the animal with its jaws locked on her shoulder. It was a wolf.

God damn it! Quin swore in her head. Did my thoughts summon this wolf?! What the hell?! Karma just keeps on biting me like a bitch!

The wolf's coat was black as a raven, his eyes an intense yellow, with a scar crossing diagonally down his right eye. Odd… that color scheme… that scar… it was almost like—

The wolf suddenly paused when his gaze found hers, and Quin thought she was now seeing things as it looked like his eyes widened. However, her need for survival ruled over her confusion as her deep blue eyes spotted a large rock near her that could fit in her hand. She took hold of it without wasting a moment's breath and slammed it on the wolf's jaws, taking him off guard as he barked out in surprise and pain, releasing his hold on her.

Quin climbed to her feet, connected her boot to the wolf's face, and sent him crashing before bolting. Within a few steps, she tripped over a root and yelled as she found herself rolling down a hill at a fast rate. Before she knew it, her forehead smashed the earth, and darkness filtered over her consciousness.

Connor cursed. His face throbbed from the blows he received, blood starting to leak down the side of his jaw as the smell and taste of iron filled his mouth and his olfactory. He had been through worse and didn't think much of it, especially as his mind was on something else: Quin. Connor couldn't believe he didn't realize it was her sooner, and thanks to his actions, her shoulder was now wounded. What the hell was she thinking coming out here all by herself at this time of night? Was she even human?

His eyes roved over her unconscious body for only a bit before he dragged her into a bush by her boot and sprinted back to the cave as fast as he could. He bit her… This was not good, not good at all. He had to get back to his other body and then come back to heal her before…

Connor flicked that thought off to the side. You're lucky I'm not that cruel to let you bleed out, Strange Girl, he thought, as if he could speak to Quin through her mind.

Birds sang their morning melodies as sunlight came beaming through the cave's opening, the wind whistling as leaves gracefully danced in the air like they were celebrating something, and some of them scattered across the ground of the cave with a dry, hissing rattle. Quin began to stir awake, her mind foggy. She was about to go back to sleep but suddenly lurched half her body up, and her eyes ballooned. Scanning her surroundings, she saw that she was back in the cave, and Connor was there.

"You're a heavy sleeper," Connor nonchalantly said, not bothering to wish her a good morning.

Quin's brow puckered, puzzlement filling her eyes. What the hell happened? She questioned herself.

She racked her brain, remembering what had transpired the other night. Quin's mouth went dry as her memories flashed through her mind's eye, and she somehow was still alive. Swinging her head to the shoulder that the wolf had bitten, she checked its condition, expecting it to be bandaged or at least tended to in some way… only it wasn't. It looked as if nothing had ever happened to it: no teeth marks, no blood, no tenderness, etc. It was unscathed, about as fit as a fiddle as her other shoulder.

What? Quin thought, studying her shoulder more. Good god, what the hell is wrong with me? Please tell me it's not actually COVID-19's doing that I'm seeing things… Unless…

Realizing Connor was still staring at her and waiting for her to say something, Quin cleared her throat and slowly said, "Yeah… I usually am."

Connor observed her face, his face bearing no emotions. "And?"

Quin blinked her eyes a few times. "And?"

"You look like you have more to say, Strange Girl."

Is 'Strange Girl' seriously going to be what you'll call me for the next few days? She wanted to say snarkily but kept her mouth zipped at that.

Connor was not wrong, though; she did have more to say. "It's just…" Quin honestly wasn't sure how to explain it, but the next thing she knew, she spewed the first thing that came to mind that seemed reasonable and wouldn't make her look deranged (although her appearance kind of gave off those vibes enough as it was in Connor's eyes). "I had the strangest dream last night…"

Connor arched a brow but stayed silent, giving her the green light to proceed.

"I was… cleaning myself up at a lake, and then I heard something, so I quickly finished up and began to return to the cave." Quin pressed her lips in thought before continuing. "As I was making my way back, I felt like I was being followed, and so I began to run, and as it turned out, I was being followed. I was then knocked to the ground, and it turned out to be a wolf that had been chasing me, and it then bit me on the shoulder." Emphasizing her point, she rolled the shoulder that supposedly had gotten 'injured'. "Next thing I know, I managed to get it off me, and everything went black after I accidentally tripped on a root. It felt so real."

Quin began to count by twos until she reached twelve in her head, a bad habit of hers whenever she felt nervous. She wasn't sure why she was feeling that way. Maybe it was because this guy was unpredictable, like flipping a coin to see if it would land on heads or tails. Either way, she anxiously awaited Connor's thoughts on the matter.

A beat of silence passed, but Connor then replied, "I see."

All Quin could do was nod. Perhaps it really was just a dream. She's had weird dreams before anyway… but why wasn't she so sure about that?