The Postman Reality Part 1

By Stargatesg1fan1

Disclaimer: I own nothing of any recognized characters or universes within.

AN:

Abby is played by Olivia Williams

Obviously Sarah is still played by Robia LaMorte

End AN

AN2:

The Postman is an older film starring Kevin Costner. It's one of my classic favorites that I just d to write into the Path Series. If you haven't watched it I highly suggest doing so at some point. I do cover quite a bit of the movie in this fic. This is part 1 of 2.

End AN2

Chapter 40

As I merged with my counterpart in the latest reality I will make a home in I began to absorb the memories of my counterpart from his past. His real name is Kevin but he is currently going by the name The Postman. The year is 2013 and I'm currently on a post apocalyptic Earth that was ravaged by a nuclear war. My counterpart after finding a wrecked postal vehicle with a bundle of mail used the letters to get himself into one of the nearby towns where humans struggle to survive. At that moment I sensed the opening of a wormhole to my side and looked to see my wife Sarah Calendar Potter.

"Hello love," I greeted my Romany beauty with a searing kiss.

"Well not your typical look but it has a certain roguishly handsome charm to it," Sarah informed me with a smile as she looked me over with sight that saw through my clothes after we broke the kiss.

"Yes well the years have not been kind to this form," I answered even as my merged form's healing factor kicked in and repaired anything wrong from the merger.

"Fate hasn't been kind to anybody on this planet," agreed Sarah as she accessed the sensors on our cruiser via her neural link.

"We'll have to be careful we don't overdo it in this universe. These are all mortals although some don't deserve to be called that," I growled as I came across the memories of my counterpart's escape from a warlord named General Bethlehem.

"A copy machine salesman," Sarah mused before she broke out into a laugh.

"That's a new one," I agreed.

Bethlehem had admitted to me that he was a copy machine salesman before the war. That was freaking hilarious. He was now a self proclaimed warlord of this region, squeezing the nearby towns for men for his army and supplies.

"You know we'll have to go back for her don't you," asked Sarah as her tone took on a more serious note.

"Of course," I agreed as I reviewed the memories of my counterpart's recent coupling with one of the locals to impregnate her.

Abby, as the younger woman is called, asked my counterpart to be her body father because her husband Michael was sterile after some of the nasty diseases that came with a post nuclear war planet.

"Well climb on lover so we can go find her," I instructed my wife as I mounted the horse given to me in Abby's town.

"It was lucky we arrived in between towns. The less people your counterpart infected the better," Sarah announced as she Force leapt onto the horse behind me. "Hmm…I always love a good ride on you…I mean with you honey," purred Sarah into my ear before nipping my lobe playfully.

"Of course you did dear," I replied with a grin before channeling my power into the horse.

Wings sprouted forth from the animal as I transformed it into a Pegasi. With a whinny our mount took to the air while Sarah willed a powerful notice me not field around us. We were soon winging our way towards Abby's town.

"Harry look," pointed out Sarah a few minutes into our journey.

"I see it," I replied as I guided the flying horse down towards the ground.

Below us we could both see the "army" (loosest sense of the word) of Bethlehem marching towards the town we had previously been heading for. What had really caught the attention of my wife and I is the fact that Abby is tied at the wrists to one of the supply wagons. Touching down around the bend in the road ahead of the convoy I retracted the wings of my mount while Sarah dismounted.

"I'll watch your backside," promised Sarah.

"Promises, promises love. Go ride that big pussy," I answered with a grin as she mounted an enlarged Aristotle before they both became invisible to all but my eyes.

I waited until the convoy rounded the corner. Bethlehem raised his hand to stop his troops.

"Identify yourself," Bethlehem called out.

"I'm the postmaster for this district acting on the authority of the restored Congress, based out of Minneapolis. By order of President Starky you are hereby ordered to disband," I answered.

I decided to keep up the story my counterpart had started before my arrival. I am no liar. Even as we sat there on horses human form replicats were beaming down from my cruiser to begin the work of recreating the US government, in my image of course.

"I was at the Battle of Georgetown. I watched the White House burn. Do not try to sell me on any restored United States," Bethlehem shouted back before pulling a pistol and taking aim at me.

"You don't want to do that," I informed him calmly in a voice that shouldn't have been able to carry the distance between us.

"I think I do," Bethlehem retorted with a smug smirk before beginning to pull the trigger.

Faster than he could blink my handgun was in my hand and firing off a round into the shoulder of the arm holding his weapon. As he cried out in pain and his men took aim I began riding towards him.

"Say hello to my little friend," I cackled loudly as I drew out an AK47 modified with many charms to make sure it didn't stop firing until I chose to stop.

I bore down on the bastards while letting loose with my weapon. I had killed about a fifth of the bastards before me who were far enough away from Abby before they even started shooting at me. Their bullets bounced off me but they would later call it a trick of the adrenaline pumping through their systems. The rest were smart enough to step behind their horses for cover as I reached Abby. She stared up at me in wonder as I reached down and broke the ropes binding her hands free from the wagon. A few grenades made the thugs behind Abby's position scatter while allowing me to haul her up on the horse.

I blocked her with my body while tearing off for the nearby woods. Once we reached the edge of the woods with Abby clinging onto me for dear life I steered us for a cabin my sensors had picked up a few minutes ago.

"How are you still alive," gasped Abby as she felt me up for bullet holes.

"Luck and a bullet proof vest I made," I grunted a reply. "They nicked my arm but I'll live," I explained as I directed our horse.

"Not if we don't stop the bleeding," Abby warned.

I had to let myself appear slightly injured in order to make our escape plausible but I was in no danger of bleeding out, despite the large amount of blood soaking my clothes.

Abby sensed something different about the body father of her child from the last time she saw him the night before. It felt like his muscles were more defined as she clung to him. She also felt an undeniable attraction to him that surprised her so recently after Bethlehem murdered Michael.

"Where are we going," asked Abby.

"There's a cabin in the woods on the other side of that ridge," I answered as it began to snow. "Shit," I muttered before slumping forward in a blood loss induced feint.

I figured it was about the point where this body would have passed out before I arrived in such a situation so stuck with it. Abby could get us there after I just gave her the directions. Sarah and Aristotle were picking off any of Bethlehem's men following us. I drifted in and out of consciousness as we made our way up to the cabin. It was heavily snowing out. When we finally made it inside, horse and all, I was barely awake. There was already wood in the fireplace. Conjuring a thin metal cylinder in my pocket I withdrew it and pointed it at the fire. A beam of red energy shot forth and caused the wood to ignite.

"How did you do that," asked Abby in shock.

"Fusion igniter…a little something I cooked up a while back," I muttered as Abby helped me over to the bottom bunk of the nearby bed.

"We have to get this shirt off you and clean this wound," Abby informed me as she made to tear open my shirt.

"Don't bother," I waved her off as she attempted to tear the garment. "It's a carbon nanotube weaved fabric. This sucker could take any bullet created so far without tearing," I explained with a grunt as I raised my arms.

"Something else you cooked up," she asked as she helped me slip the shirt over my head.

"Yes," I answered with a nod as Abby's eyes went wide when they glimpsed the brand on my arm in the shape of an eight. "It's not what you think Abby," I cautioned.

"Not what I think…you mean that you are one of Bethlehem's men," she accused angrily.

"Most don't choose to join Bethlehem willingly. You join or die. I escaped as soon as I could," I explained.

"How do I know you are telling the truth," Abby asked suspiciously.

"Because what possible reason could I have for lying to you? If I wanted you dead I could have killed you anytime I wanted or simply not rescued you. I think that should earn me a bit of your trust," I answered.

"You're right…I'm sorry," Abby replied after a moment before moving to bandage my wound. "They killed Michael," Abby informed me after a few minutes of trying to make the cabin habitable.

"I'm so sorry Abby," I told her gently as I pulled out a healing device like the one Xander modified so many years ago except much more advanced.

Abby believed the man when he said he was sorry. She felt so lost and so heartbroken after watching her first love die.

"What's your name," Abby asked.

"Harry," I answered, deciding on the spur of the moment to change my counterpart's name.

"What is that you are using Harry," Abby asked in growing wonder as she watched a golden field of light hit Harry's wound and close it up.

"It's a healing device I built. I couldn't use it before because it takes time and a certain amount of willpower that I couldn't muster while drifting in and out of consciousness," I explained.

"Is there anything you can't cook up," Abby asked teasingly, surprised she was able to tease someone so soon after Michael's death.

"Well I make a pretty mean rabbit stew," I replied with a gentle smile as I stood up with a fully healed arm.

Abby walked over and ran her fingers along the skin where the wound used to be.

"Couldn't you use that to get rid of that horrid mark," she asked while pointing to the mark of eight.

"I could yes but it might come in handy. That mark entitles me to use certain laws within the clan. I'm saving it for a rainy day.

I ran the healing device over the cuts and bruises on her beautiful face where Bethlehem had taken his anger out on her.

"Thank you," Abby spoke softly as she stared up into bright eyes filled with experience, intelligence, and power.

"I'm going to go out and hunt for some food. I'll be back shortly," I told her before grabbing a small bag out of the pack tied to the horse.

Abby watched Harry go with conflicting emotions in her heart. She still felt terrible over Michael's death but Harry's presence seemed to calm her. She also felt a growing attraction to the man she had sex with a couple nights ago.

As soon as I was out of the cabin I walked into the woods and summoned a couple of rabbits into my hand. Before they hit my grasp they were dead with a quick aneurism to the brain caused by my powers.

"That is so cheap honey," Sarah teased as she appeared beside me.

"Did you actually expect me to go hunt for them," I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No I guess not," Sarah answered with a smile.

"Make sure you taste some of my rabbit stew. I wasn't kidding about my rabbit stew being good," I assured her.

"I guess those Dursleys were good for something," Sarah replied.

In another universe at that moment Vernon and Petunia Dursley were struck by lightning, causing almost unimaginable pain to run through their bodies. Funnily enough that was nowhere near the worst accident to befall the Dursleys in the years since Harry Potter left their lives and it would most certainly not be the last.

It was a simple matter to clean the rabbits and start the stew cooking.

"Mmm…that smells really good," Abby commented as she walked up behind where I was stirring the brew.

"It should…the secret is in the seasonings. There are plenty of good flavorings provided by the forest itself," I answered.

"This is delicious," Abby moaned a few minutes later as she began to eat the stew.

"Well there's plenty where that came from so eat up," I told her with a smile which she tentatively returned.

"She's right Harry…we're going to have to have you cook for us more often," Sarah told me over the bond as she floated while sitting Indian style at table height to my right, invisible to Abby.

"The pass is frozen over and will likely be for some time," I casually informed Abby.

"That's alright. I don't think being stuck here will be so bad with the food and company," answered my companion.

I was certainly making it easier on her as I channeled feelings of peace and tranquility through my aura. I was also employing an aura manipulation trick Aphrodite granted me access to as the goddess of love. It would help to mend Abby's broken heart faster.

While Abby's frustration and despair over the death of her first love may have diminished her sexual frustrations were only increasing. Sarah and I frequently engage in carnal activities to help stimulate our cabin mate, unbeknownst to Abby of course.

Insert Smut Scene here

The next morning over breakfast Abby decided to set me straight about some things.

"Look there's something you should know because you're going to find out soon enough. I'm pregnant," she explained before pausing. "It's Michael's baby…you're just the body father," Abby finished gently.

"Abby you can keep telling yourself that but I have a responsibility to protect my offspring. I was wrong to just leave before. Nothing needs to happen between us but I want to watch out for the baby," I replied.

Abby saw the determination in Harry's eyes and could only nod in reply. She felt he would do anything to protect the baby.

"Abby this may be hard but I have to ask. How are you sure it's not Bethlehem's," I asked gently.

"He tried with me almost every night," she began while looking resolutely at the table. "He couldn't do it…and so he beat me. He said it was my fault," she finished as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Getting up and walking around the table I knelt down next to her and wrapped my arms around her in a comforting hug.

"I'm sorry Abby. He was wrong. It was not your fault and Bethlehem will get what is coming to him," I promised while Abby began to let loose her emotions, crying into my shoulder.

Abby felt the safest she had ever felt in Harry's arms. She felt the turmoil of her feelings for Michael trying to crush her growing feelings for Harry but like the strength and power she sensed in Harry's words and eyes she knew the feelings for him would eventually overcome.

The days and weeks were spent in quiet companionship with Abby. I helped her as much as I could to mend her broken heart. I monitored her health with my sensors as she slept and repaired any damage caused by living on a post apocalyptic irradiated world. When spring finally came Abby proved how stubborn she was to not let her feelings for Michael whither away. Not wanting to be trapped inside the cabin with her desires for me any longer she found me fishing down by the stream.

"The pass is clear," she announced.

"Your point," I asked.

"It's time to go," she answered while I looked where she had been pointing.

I noticed our cabin on fire. Running up towards it to make sure nothing had been left behind I turned and glared at her. Abby had set the cabin on fire to motivate us into going.

"You know I would have gone anyway. As much as I like spending all this time alone with you Abby our child isn't going to grow up in a world where men like Bethlehem are still alive," I informed her while shouldering my pack which Abby had retrieved before lighting the fire.

"This just motivates you faster Harry," Abby answered with a smile, somewhat disturbing considering the situation.

I loaded the horse up with some of the things I have made for us since our arrival at the cabin. Most of my other stuff was stored in my trunk. But these were things Abby and I have crafted for the baby in our spare time. We began our walk over the pass and through the mountains.

"Have you ever heard of St. Rose Abby," I asked curiously as I recalled a dream my counterpart had before my arrival of living in a fertile untouched village called St. Rose.

"I've heard people talk. I've heard lots of names; Bliss, Hesperia, Eden. Sheriff Briscoe says it's a fantasy," responded Abby.

"Even if it is I'll build a St. Rose. One where our child can grow up safe and happy," I promised.

"But you're the Postman. You have more important duties," Abby responded teasingly.

"That just means I'll have the authority to establish it as one of the first refuges from the harsh conditions of this world," I replied.

During our time in the cabin my replicat government has been taking back the land from the warlords. They haven't approached near this area because I consider it my area to work with. Any reply from Abby was stopped by the sound of a horse fast approaching.

The rider paused as she saw us as well. At this distance I could see a teenage girl mounted on the white steed. She came forward towards us once more after she mastered her nerves. I had several guns loaded on the horse but an assault rifle was on my arm. Abby got behind me just in case the rider was hostile. Even though she was a teenager this is a tough world and it breeds tough people.

"Who are you," I asked as the girl reigned in her horse.

"Carrier eighteen US Postal Service. Got any mail," she asked.

"That's unlikely," I responded for the sake of getting her to tell me more.

"Ain't you heard of the Postman," she asked.

"Enlighten us," Abby answered with a mischievous grin.

"He's only the greatest man who ever lived," the rider began. "He crossed the wasteland, shook his fist at the enemy, and spit in the eye of General Bethlehem himself. He's back East with President Starky right now."

"Who told you this," I asked.

"Postmaster Ford Lincoln Mercury," the carrier was quick to reply.

Ford was a young African American twenty something year old who wanted to be a postal carrier the last time I saw him in Abby's home town.

"He's in direct contact with the restored congress," added the carrier whose name I read from her mind was Ponytail.

"I think we'll be following you back to talk with Postmaster Ford," I told the girl before gesturing for her to lead on.

We made it back to the Post Office, if it could be called that, as Ford was calling a meeting of the carriers.

"Gather round everybody, gather round," called out Ford as somebody rang a gong of some sort. "I got another letter here. It came in last night."

"Another letter," I questioned Ponytail.

"Postman sent Ford another letter. He's going to read it," she explained happily.

"Hello all postal carriers," began ford before all the carriers shouted back a hello in return. "I'm here in Minneapolis with President Starky but my thoughts are with you. Remember nothing worth doing can be done overnight. Keep your chins up and do your best not to get shot, signed the Postman," finished Ford to the cheering of the gathered crowd.

"His letters are always kinda short," Ponytail leaned over and informed me.

"Gee I wonder why," I asked Abby sarcastically.

"Hold on, hold on wait a minute. There's a P.S.," Ford quieted the crowd. "Does anybody know what P.S. stands for?"

Nobody answered so I shouted, "Post Script."

"Holy shit," I heard one of the carriers announce as he took off his hat while turning to look at me.

Ford came running down the stairs after recognizing me.

"That would be H.S. Eddie," the carrier's companion responded.

"No, I saw him once when I lived in Pineview," responded the now named Eddie. "It's the Postman."

Similar mutters of it's the Postman reverberated throughout the crowd of young people as Ford silently approached. Ford stopped before me for a moment before rushing forward and hugging me.

"Hello Ford, it's good to see you again," I greeted as I hugged the young man back. "You've been busy."

"I guess you want to talk about this," asked Ford sheepishly as he broke the hug.

"Sure but let's go inside," I answered calmly before following Ford inside with Abby close by.

"I found him," shouted Ponytail which served to distract the others.

"So what's going on Ford," I asked while still remaining calm.

"I lied…I told people you were in direct contact with me," began Ford.

"Your reason for doing this was," I prompted.

"Because I didn't want it to end," Ford explained with emotions of hope projected plainly on his face.

"Alright but we're going to have to see about making a few upgrades," I mused aloud which caused Ford to grin broadly.

We walked back out the door of the warehouse like building to find all the carriers saluting me.

"Sorry guys that's the military. You'll have to join a different branch of government to be able to do that. Drop the hands," I joked.

"So there's a military," asked somebody from the crowd.

"Yes but unfortunately it's a big country and they are small. There are a lot of warlords who sprang up like Bethlehem. It will take some time before they can come help," I answered.

"Say a few words so they know it's really you," Ford whispered.

"It's me," I announced simply which precipitated more cheering from the hopeful youngsters.

Abby was just smiling at me. What followed was a tour of the postal facility. Now my counterpart's father had actually been a postal carrier before the war. So I have memories of touring the sorting facilities of an actual 21st century post office. This was a far cry from that type of sorting but it was functional.

"We bring all the mail here first," Ford explained as we saw dozens of teens sorting mail into baskets with the names of nearby towns on them. "We sort it, we group it," he indicated the named baskets and alcoves. "Then it goes out. So far we have thirty routes," Ford finished happily.

He next showed us a flyer they were printing against Bethlehem.

"You spelled tyranny wrong," I pointed out as I read the flyer demanding responsible citizens to stop the tyranny of men like Bethlehem.

"Boy he's smart," commented Ed.

"Definitely going to have to see about educating them," I muttered to Abby.

My tour concluded as we walked upon a group of carriers being sworn in. They saluted as they saw me. I waved them off as I noticed a man who was old enough to be a grandfather also being sworn in with the younger carries.

"How old are you," I asked the gray haired bearded man curiously.

"I'm sixty-eight Sir," he answered right away.

"What was your occupation before the war," I next questioned while already reading the answer from his surface thoughts a moment before he replied.

"I was an aerospace engineer. I helped build the space station," answered the man, George.

"I have need of you then," I informed him before walking away from the group of new recruits with George following behind me.

I made sure Ford showed Abby to the quarters she would be sharing with me. When she at first had protested and requested her own quarters I shot that idea down, citing that she was far safer with me. She finally agreed when she realized how determined I was.

"George we need to fortify this place and make it truly habitable," I began before outlining my idea for him.

Over the following days I helped streamline the sorting process while George directed some of the newer recruits into assembling the structures I directed out of the materials I was having shipped in. In truth the materials were fabricated onboard my cruiser and beamed down. The nano aligned polymers being used meant the buildings could take a rail gun firing at them without damage. The materials were delivered via a transport helicopter that I requisitioned from the government and flew myself back and forth between the government supply depot and the postal facility. Or that's at least what the others thought I was doing. The helicopter was actually flying just out of visual range before the materials were transported into the cargo hold. I explained my quick travel time by showing the carriers the speed of the copter. Even then I had to park for a while to not appear too fast.

It was of a newer design that employed some fairly advanced tech and could turn into an airplane for faster speeds. New barracks were created for the carriers as well as new sorting facilities for the post. When I sensed one of our carriers, number twelve, had been captured by Bethlehem I went on a little mission myself. I only told Abby that I was going to get our missing man back. Leaving on horseback since the copter was not a combat vehicle I waited until I was outside of camp before apparating away. It was child's play to retrieve my carrier after confounding him. He was soon back at camp. Bethlehem had responded by moving his men the next day in search of our resistance movement which he considered dangerous and therefore a threat needing to be eliminated.

The next day I lead a group of carriers out to deliver mail.

"Stay safe and remember that the mailman is more important than the mail," I instructed.

"Boy he's smart," I heard Ed mutter.

"We are really going to have to see about those schools," Jenny said in my mind as we both marveled at the lack of intelligence shown today.

"I blame the radiation," I responded.

Just before we all left to ride in different directions, I turned my hat around to see better.

"When I was younger this look used to be cool," I explained at all their curious looks.

They all immediately imitated my actions before Ford led us off.

I remember many things about my times riding on that horse. One time a young boy ran out of his house holding a letter just after I road by. I saw it out of the corner of my eye. I flipped off my horse as I used my telepathy to order the animal to slow down. The boy stared at me with wide eyes as I landed on my feet after the impressive back flip. I took his letter before ruffling his hair with a smile. Running after my horse I quickly caught up to it and flipped back on before riding off. Incidents like that did nothing to deter my legend. But in this case I enjoyed fooling with people. After all my reality traveling adventures were undertaken to keep me having fun with little to no boredom. Perhaps it was the Marauder in me.

Another time after climbing up the hundreds upon hundreds of stairs on the side of a dam I remember the looks on the faces of the amazed townspeople. I don't imagine they got many visitors.

"Damn that's a hell of a workout," I announced, not truly winded as I had willed an illusion of walking up the stairs over me while I actually flew just above the steps. "What's the name of this town by the way," I asked.

"We never named it," answered a woman right beside me.

"Well I officially declare postal station number ten in Pegasus Oregon open for business. From now on you gotta get your mail down there ok," I added as I pointed down to the bottom of the steps.

"Stuff is getting better," Sheriff Briscoe said to announce his presence as I watched Abby dancing with Ford with music playing in the background. We were taking some much needed rest in the town of Pineview, Abby's hometown. "Stuff is getting better every day."

That was my counterpart's favorite saying the last time he came here and fooled these people into giving him a place to spend the night and food. Now with my assistance his promises were no longer lies.

"I don't know who you are but I do know I was wrong about you," the sheriff admitted referring to how he thought I was a fraud last time.

"I have a letter for you too sheriff," I answered while pulling said mail out of my jacket.

"It's from my sister," he said with obvious emotion in his voice. "I thought she was dead."

"You thought wrong," I answered before walking towards Abby.

I could sense Ponytail's gaze on me and her attraction towards me. I was not cruel. She was not my type. Her age wasn't really a factor since I've got wives her age. As the song ended Ponytail began to approach me as I approached Abby to ask for the next dance. Meanwhile I sent my power at Ponytail and altered her crush on me to be aimed at Ford. It didn't really take too much effort because Ponytail already harbored a crush for Ford. Her crush for him was just second to the one she held for me. I redirected all of her attraction for me at Ford.

Next I turned my attention back to the delightful Abby, asking her for a dance. I sensed Abby's reluctance to dance and desire to deny her feelings because of lingering feelings for the now dead Michael.

"Just go with it," I whispered as I took her hand while the slow song began to play.

Abby stared into my eyes as we danced. The lights reflected off her bright orbs as a slight smile graced her lips. Our noses were inches apart as we moved together. Abby put her head on my shoulder as I sensed her finally starting to let go of Michael's memory. She would never forget him but she was finally coming to terms with the fact that she was allowed to love another. Love wasn't meant to be constricted in such human terms, or so Aphrodite was constantly telling me.

I willed a notice me not charm around us as I trailed my lips along Abby's cheek before pressing my lips to her own. She kissed me tentatively at first before giving in. Her lips were sweet and gentle as we chastely met. After that initial taste of each other we just danced for a while. I enjoyed the slow development of my relationship with Abby and was in no hurry.