A/N: Expect this story to finish in the next two chapters.

The grown man shut the door behind him. His eyes promptly met his daughter's icy glare. Although she was saying nothing, her angry stare made her feelings very clear. On the other hand, he was determined to create a resolve with her. Her clique was on edge by the heavy tension. Behrad and Spooner ultimately chose to walk out. Gideon witnessed the confrontation between the two estranged relatives. Logan dryly joked, "I see you haven't start packing."

Astra didn't have any of it. She continued looking at him as if she was shooting daggers. "What the hell do you want now?"

He snapped, "Don't sass me." He paused for a moment and adjusted his tone. "I'm not here to bicker with you. I'd never regret meeting Natalie. I'm sorry for thoughtlessly saying otherwise."

She raised her brow, believing his words were a trick. The remarks about her mother struck a massive nerve. She should've walked out then and there. However, it was late, and she wasn't in the mood to walk. She decided to take it with a grain of salt. "What do you want?"

"To make a deal."

The mage's temper simmered down. Unsure what to expect from him, she kept her defenses halfway up. "What do you have in mind?"

"Your inquiries. I can answer them tomorrow, especially because I have the day off." He peered at the sobering Gideon, waving at him again with a cheerful smile. "It will also be pleasant for me to meet... my granddaughter by proxy. My conditions have not changed regardless of the circumstances." Knowing that one of them was now absurdly justified, Astra promised with a requisite of her own.

"If you insult Mom for being a witch again, this will be the last time you'll see me." She wasn't going to let him be the only one making demands.

"Okay, then." He turned to walk out, bearing a small smile on his face.

That night, Logan had Behrad sleep on the couch. He didn't trust the young man enough to keep his hands to himself. Gideon was once again dowsing on the cot. Astra shared the queen-sized bed with Spooner. The former couldn't get to sleep. She was getting what she wanted, but that wasn't why she was feeling uneasy. It was whether he wanted anything to do with her once she had her resolution. After all, he was her sole living blood family. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard footsteps approaching the door. She yanked the bed sheet up to her nose and feigned snoring. The door creaked open, and Logan popped his head. Fully convinced that the ladies were all out for the count, he went in holding an object in his hands. He placed it down somewhere and departed the guest room. Once she heard the door handle locked, Astra turned on the lamp near the chair and saw the same box on the dresser. She groaned as she removed it. As she was about to haul it out, she detected a small note visibly taped on it. She sat down and read the detached memo:

I can't keep these here. Maybe you can find use for them.

Carrying the box to the chair, she opened it. She unsurprisingly made known her mother's clothes and dug deeper. Her fingers suddenly were wedged in; this piqued her interest. She removed the fabric and was puzzled at the sight of a volume of books. Replacing the garments, she closed the flaps and left the box by the chair. She retreated to bed and dismissed any notions on her discovery.

Logan liked starting his day off with a trip to the market square. He visited his connections for new materials for his shoes. After that, he would move on to the next thing on his agenda. He and the foursome took a bus ride without him revealing the destination. They got off at a station in Buxton and strolled around the park. Logan brought the youth to a hidden reservoir in a valley. Behrad and Spooner went ahead with Gideon not far behind them. She listened to the private dialogue. Astra asked, "So, why did you choose to move to Ashbourne?"

"I have visited the city occasionally when I was still working for transport," her father answered. "I was hoping to bring you and your mom along prior to the truck accident. At the time, I needed to breathe."

"I kind of wish I had that choice." She segued into her next question. "How did you become a shoemaker?"

"I didn't choose it. You see, I was mistaken as such after leaving Newcastle. I found out then the folks here called for someone who failed to show up. So, I took over after learning the trade."

"Do you like it?"

"Not at first. The training was no walk in the park. After my first weeks in the business, it grew on me. My favorite part of the job is fixing shoes. I'd always like making repairs." He earnestly looked at her. "What about you?"

She was unprepared for that. "What about me?"

"You live in a flying time machine now. I thought that's something you read in science fiction. So, do you enjoy being a time-traveler?"

"I thought we agree that I ask the questions."

"Evidently, you've been busy over the years since that night. I can't help being curious." He smirked at her. Convinced that he liked frowning in the last day and a half, she was glad that his scowl wasn't permanent.

"I can't blame you for that." She mulled it over before she answered. "Yeah, I do. Every time and place I go; I get to use my own form of chaos to create a change. The best part of that is it isn't out of malice or greed."

"Do you use your... powers on your travels?"

"Frequently; I don't rely on them for everything if that's what you think. I have knife throwing and business management skills. In fact, I owned a nightclub, handled two separate trades, and even ran for politics. I was literally queen while I was down there." Astra saw him chuckling to himself. "What?"

"You'd certainly made a name for yourself."

"Are you mocking me?"

"No, I'm rather impressed." His focus shifted to her friends roaming on the dam. Gideon imparted the reservoir's origins and measurements. Spooner wondered if they were close to finding the way out. Behrad was more sporadic in interposing himself. He eyed at father and daughter when they weren't noticing. Their conversation soon eventuated about the trio. "How long have you been seeing the boy?"

"Almost four years."

"And Spooner?"

"Best friends for two and a half years."

"So, how did you incarnate your... Gideon?"

"It's a long story."

"We have the rest of the day," he assured. In a span of fifteen minutes, she told him about being stranded in a different period and drained from attempting to repair the destroyed ship via magic. After she recuperated, she completed the spell by reciting the final word. The next thing she knew a voiceless and unclad Gideon appeared out of thin air. He was preoccupied by a seemingly insignificant detail. "She came to life accidentally?"

"Yeah, but I don't regret it ever." She proudly glanced at her surrogate daughter conversing with Spooner and Behrad. In fact, the sight of her companions warmed her (in a good way). For Logan, he didn't see her growing up. She was already grown up. "Any more questions?" He was going to ask if she was happy. The answer was so obvious, he didn't ask.

"No," he smiled.

"I have one." She dreaded this, but she wanted to know. "What would you do if that night never happened?" Astra watched his delicate smile vanish.