It was a week later, Susannah showed up, at station, she saw her parents in William's office, eat, and laughing.
She smiled at the spectacle, as she approached the door, when Julia noticed her,
"Susannah, darling" as she got up from her seat and gave her a hug, "please, don't tell me you're here about a future change?"
"No, I was wondering, if you both wanted to come to the future with me?"
"What about our future selves?"
"You and mama, are in Paris, celebrating an anniversary. So what do you say?"
"I'd be delighted. William?"
"Sounds like fun. But our clothes would be outdated"
"Leave that to me dad. Now, each grab a wrist…"
"Wait, how long will be gone for?"
"Dad it's a time machine. You can be gone for a second. Look, it's 12:30, I can get you back here at 12:31, same day"
"Right, ok let's go"
With William's hand on her left wrist, Julia's on her right, so touched the dial on the watch, and they were zapped to 1931.
William looked around, "where are we?"
"My apartment, dad"
"It's very lovely, darling." Julia said as she looked around and saw family photos, "mama, careful of looking at those…"
"I can't be spoiled"
Susannah shook her head, "so, let's get you both dressed in proper clothing. Dad you don't change much, but mama, we have a lot of work to do."
William had changed in 10 minutes, and excused himself back to the living room, as he noticed a science book on a shelf and began reading it.
It had been an hour, as the Susannah and Julia came out of her room.
William looks up at them is shocked, "Julia your hair is so short and your wearing trousers"
He looks down, "I can see your ankles, Susannah" and turns around
Susannah laughs, and approaches him, "daddy this is the style. Just wait and see"
"Yes, William have a little fun. It's so nice not to wear a corset."
"What no corset?!"
"Relax, mama and I are wearing an undergarment called a bralette."
"Mm" is all he could say but still blushing.
"Ok, new topic, what are we going to do?"
"Well, mama, I was going to take you both to see the actual time machine."
"Won't that be bad seeing the future James Pendrick"
"No, it's alright dad, he is gone to New York, to see new investors."
"Sounds like fun" Julia said
They spent the afternoon as a family at Pendrick's Studio. William was like a boy in a candy store, looking and examining the different gadgets of the time machine.
"Do you work for James?" Julia asked as she looked for a prototype of a gadget
"He offered but I just do this for fun. I test out his prototype gadgets and give him true results, before he looks for investors."
"That's ingenious" William responded
Afterwards they for a walk in the park, before heading back to Susannah's apartment to change for dinner
"Susannah are you sure, your mother is allowed to wear this dress? I can see her knees"
"Oh, William stop, if she says it's the style, it's the style"
As Julia looks at herself in the mirror, she asks Susannah, "where are you taking us for dinner?"
"The place I am taking you, I work on weekends." Susannah said as she put on a red wig
"Oh are you a chef?" William asks
"Not exactly, the place is a dance club, where I sing and dance."
Julia's eyes go wide, "you're a young lady with many talents."
"Yes, but I go by Dorothy Gurden at the club, that's why I am wearing a red wig, so people don't recognize me as Susannah Murdoch"
"You want to be your own person?" William responded
"Yes"
"Well, your father and I look forward to it."
They arrive to the dance club, have dinner, and when dessert is about to arrive a girl approaches Susannah, "want to dance, Dorothy?"
"Do you mind?" She says and looks at her parents
"No, go on"
As they watch, Susannah dance with the girl, William asks Julia, "want to dance?"
Julia smiles, as they try to dance, Susannah was doing.
Susannah looks over at them and laughs, but was happy they were having fun.
After the dance was done, they head back to the table and ate dessert, "what kind of dance was that we just did?" Julia asked
"It's called swing dance"
"I see. I noticed people just grabbing a stranger and dancing. Doing turns, flips and dips."
"The dance is about having fun and freedom"
"Well it was fun"
Once they were finished, they headed back to the apartment.
"Wow, this was an exciting day."
"Why, because you were corset free?" William teased
"William" she said as she shoved him, "that, but we saw the future, and got to spend a day with our adult daughter"
"Glad you liked it, mama. But fun is over, have to send you back."
"We understand" William said
They got back into their 1912 clothes, and like last time grabbed, Susannah's wrist, as she turned the dial and were zapped back to William's office.
"We're back, and only been gone for a second"
Julia gave her a hug, "thank you, darling"
"My pleasure, mama"
William gave her a hug, as well, "you're truly a Murdoch and I am proud of you"
"Thank you, daddy." As she was about to press the dial, when she said, "oh, wait I almost forgot, they will be an offer coming for you today."
"We know the drill, don't accept"
"No, both of you accept it"
"What do you mean, both?" William asks
"Trust me, both of you accept the offer and don't forget to mention and dedicate it to me. Bye daddy, bye mama" and with a turn of the dial, she was gone
"An offer, for both of us to accept?" William asks Julia
"She's our daughter, William. Remember, trust her"
He nodded, as they realized they were full from the dinner and cleaned up the lunch, Julia had prepared, when they hear a knock on the door, "George?"
"Sir, a man to see you"
"Let him in"
George nodded, as the man came through, "are you detective William Murdoch and his wife, Dr. Julia Ogden?"
"We are, how can we help you?"
"Oh yes, my name is Thomas Miller, and I own Miller Publishing" he says as he hands him a business card
"Oh, we know you. We read some of your stories, to our daughter. She loves them" Julia responded
"Yes, your daughter, Susannah. I read your murder manual, it was very good book. So, I came to ask, if you considered writing a children's mystery book?"
"Children's mystery book?" William asked. "I don't think…"
Julia pulled at his arm, and whispered to him, "William, this is the offer, we both accept. Besides a children's mystery, inspired by our daughter. Sounds like fun"
He nodded, and turned to Mr. Miller, "we accept your offer."
3 months later, William and Julia were in his office, having lunch with 2 year old Susannah, when a package had arrived for them.
"Oh, what has arrived for daddy?" William said to her as she smiled at him
William opened the box and smiled, "it's the first copies of our book, Julia" and took out a book, and showed it to Susannah, "see, sweetheart"
"Look, darling, daddy and I wrote a mystery book, for children, called Call Me, Dorothy." They turn the cover, "look," Julia pointed
"Susann…"
"Yes, your right me dedicated our book to you. Our inspiration" William said as they both gave her a kiss on the head
The End