"So let me get this straight," Nate said, leaning back in his chair, "You and Rountree fell through a sinkhole, ended up in 10,000 BC, and didn't die?"

"That pretty much sums it up," Fatima agreed.

"And now you're back."

"Yeah."

"Wow."

"I ran into someone there. Ty Coleman," Fatima said softly.

"Okay, so this was all an elaborate prank," Nate said, narrowing his eyes at her. "Ty's got to be dead by now."

"No, man. He's… Actually, I think he's living for the first time in a while."

"That's impossible. He had cancer. If 2021, and even 2024, doesn't have a cure for what he had, there's no way that 10,000 BC does."

"I don't know how it's possible, I just know that it's true. He married a woman there, Paara. They gave us shelter and food."

"So you're telling me that you fell through a sinkhole, didn't die, and ended up in 10,000 BC with my old best friend and his new wife?" Nate asked. "I'm not much of a drinker, but special times…" he muttered as he stood up. Fatima snickered and watched as he poured himself another glass of water.

"He asked us to say hello, and that he and Paara are expecting their first baby," Fatima said, smiling.

"Wow," Nate said softly. "I wish I could tell them congratulations. Tell me about Paara."

"She's so sweet. She made sure we had everything that we needed. She spent half of dinner showing off the ring he had made for her, and talking about how much she loves him. They're… They seem really, really happy together."

"Good. He deserves it. He's a very good man."

"You two were friends?" Fatima asked.

"Yes. He, actually, he was the one that helped me make my peace with losing Rose. I made a lot of mistakes with her. I worked with his practice pretty regularly, but, when he found out that his cancer was terminal, his practice closed. We still talked, but less and less. I heard that he'd fallen in the La Brea sinkhole in 2021, and I was sad, but glad he wouldn't suffer anymore. I'm really glad that he's somehow alive and well," Nate explained. "That's enough about me. I want to hear about how you're handling everything, Fatima."

"It's… A lot. Not being alone made it easier. I don't think I would have ever left the car if Tree hadn't talked some sense into me," Fatima said quietly.

"So you were in the car?" Nate asked.

"No. Um, we saw the ground opening and tried to get away in the car, but we couldn't. We got out and ran. The car fell through before we did," Fatima explained.

"So then you found it in 10,000 BC. Okay. What did you guys do next?"

"We packed our bags with as much stuff as we could and figured out how to get to the caves. We camped out there for a few hours, until one of Paara's warriors found us. We went back to the fort with him and ended up talking to Ty and Paara."

"And… You and Rountree slept together?" Nate asked hesitantly. Fatima raised an eyebrow and leaned back. "You shared a room, I mean," he clarified.

"We shared a room," Fatima said, narrowing her eyes.

"And a bed?" Nate asked softly.

"Nate, what does this have to do with anything?" Fatima asked.

"I'm trying to see where your head is."

"My head is fine. Nothing happened between me and Agent Rountree. And if it did, it wouldn't be your business."

"Why do you keep bringing it back to Fatima?" Rountree asked.

"Because the two of you just went through something that almost no one in the world has gone through. That's something that you could really bond over."

"Look, man, I get that it's your job to assess us, but I'm good. I think Fatima is good."

"Alright. Your partner has been cleared, and I'll clear you too, but I need you to make me a promise," Nate said, leaning forward. "If you want to talk, you have to come in. Okay?"

"I can live with that," Rountree said, standing up. He shook Nate's hand and made his way out of the office.