A/N: Thanks for your reviews!

Chapter 5

Awkward silence filled the air as they finished eating and Jim was desperate to put an end to it but every time he thought of something to say or ask, he'd second guess it…fearful that an answer might hurt Johanna. She was already having a rough year, her heart battle scarred from the trials it had been through with her family…and now there was this, their future child sitting at the table...acting as if she hated her mother and it was almost too much for him to bear. He wished her hatred was directed at him; he could take that heat better than Jo; she was vulnerable…she didn't need this, even if they were going to forget about it when it was over.

Jim glanced at the woman they were sharing the table with…his daughter…his and Jo's daughter; it was hard to wrap his head around the knowledge. He hoped in the future where she came from that he loved her; because she wasn't inspiring much feeling at the moment. She was clearly inspiring feeling in Johanna though…he could see despair and anguish written all over her face and it pained him. He wanted to fix this and he didn't know how and if there was one thing he hated, it was being unable to fix something. If he couldn't fix it though, the least he could do was end the silence.

"Is Jeff still my best friend in the future?" Jim asked, his gaze flicking briefly toward Johanna as she rose from the table and carried her plate to the sink.

"Of course," Kate replied. "He's my godfather. You two go to games, hunting trips, work together…same as always."

"Does he marry Maggie?" he asked.

"Yes."

Jim nodded. "Good to know. Anyone you want to know about, Jo?" he asked, trying to bring her back into the conversation.

Johanna shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't know. I just…I don't like this. I already know my parents will be gone by then, I know I must suck as a mother. I know I give up my career for the job my mother wanted me to have…"

"But you like teaching," Kate interrupted. "You even did it when I was a kid."

"You claim I like it…but I just can't fathom it. Why would I give up my career for a different job when I worked so hard to get through law school…this is the only thing I wanted to be since I was fourteen years old. You say you're from 2014…which means I'm sixty-three in that year…did I just retire in that year?"

Kate hesitated; this could get sticky. "Its…uh…been a few years."

Johanna's brow rose, her hands gripping the counter as she eyed the people at the table. "So then I retired early…and if I retired early…then that probably means I screwed up something and tanked my career."

Kate chewed on her bottom lip, wishing that Sarah would pop up and intervene but it looked like that wasn't going to happen. "I…I can't tell you your reasons."

Johanna swallowed hard. "I blew my career…great. I'm going to have a kid that hates me and I'm going to ruin my career. This future you speak of sounds bleak and depressing. I don't think I want to see it."

"Don't say that," Kate snapped.

"Why not?" she cried.

"Because you almost didn't see it!" she yelled.

Johanna looked like she had been slapped. "What do you mean?"

"Your career that you're so worried about almost got you killed!" Kate yelled.

A blast of cold air filled the apartment as Sarah appeared in the kitchen. "Katie," she said sharply. "I told you that you can't tell her everything."

"I haven't," she shot back, anger pulsing through her.

"No, but you're coming very close," Sarah stated. "And you can not tell her everything."

"Why can't I know?" Johanna asked, her hands gripping the counter so tightly that her fingers ached. "You say I'm not going to remember…so why can't I know? Or are you not so sure that you can make me forget?"

Sarah met her gaze. "Darling; knowing isn't going to do you any good here…and if you would somehow retain some memory of this visit, we can not chance that you would try and alter your course. Some things can not be changed, and I'm afraid that time of your life is one of them. No, your career didn't end in the way you had hoped but you've made your peace with that and all that matters is that you are a part of the future; alive and well, healthy and vibrant, doing things you love to do."

"But I can't imagine the law not being a part of me," Johanna cried. "I worked so hard…"

"I know you did," Sarah soothed. "And in this place and time, you still have a long career ahead of you. You're a good lawyer…and you'll always be a lawyer, dear one. Even in the future, your license is current. You were not disbarred or banned from practice."

"But it's almost the end of me?" she asked tearfully.

"You are safe; please rest assured that you are safe in the year that Katie comes from. There was a difficult period of time where things were dangerous for you…but you're alive and safe. Please do not worry."

Johanna scoffed. "How can you tell me not worry? Tell me how to avoid it."

"I can not do that, darling," Sarah replied. "You're not going to remember…and I know you, you're so very stubborn and you're going to try so hard to remember but I'm not going to let you…or Jim. I know this is difficult for you but it's going to be alright, I promise you that."

Jim rose from his chair, moving to Johanna and pulling her into his arms. "I won't let anything happen to you," he murmured.

"She keeps saying we're not going to remember…so you might not be able to keep that promise," she cried.

"It doesn't matter if we remember or not," he replied. "I won't let anything happen to you…you know you can trust me, don't you?"

She sniffled as she looked up at him. "You're the only person in this room that I trust."

Jim smiled and brushed a kiss against her lips without thought. "Then it's going to be okay, isn't it?"

He sounded so sure…and he was the only person in the room that she could fully trust, Johanna thought to herself as she nodded and settled back into his embrace. "I hate this," she murmured.

"Me too…I'm not having fun anymore," he replied.

"Perhaps it would be better if you went back to discussing telephones," Sarah remarked. "I find those quite fascinating."

"I don't think I care about phones," Johanna said quietly.

"I thought you two were in your not dating era here," Kate spoke up.

Johanna forced herself out of Jim's embrace. "We're not dating."

Kate nodded. "Ah, we're in the fooling around but still in denial era, got it."

"I wish I had a garage to take her out to," Jim stated. "Because if anyone ever needed taken to a garage, it's her. How the hell is this our kid?"

Kate smirked at him. "You didn't buy those condoms."

"I'm buying them tonight before I go home, I can promise you that!" he exclaimed.

"They're not going to save you," Kate replied. "You're still going to end up with me."

"I hope I like you better in the future," Jim told her. "Because I'm not too crazy about you right now."

"If it makes you feel any better, there have been times when I wasn't so crazy about you either," she retorted.

"Good," he replied. "You're just like my mother!"

"Quit saying that!" Kate exclaimed.

"Alright," Sarah spoke up. "Let's get back to having some normal conversation. Katie, please follow the rules I gave you. Johanna, darling, please don't worry, everything will be fine…and Jim, you love your daughter very much in the future. She was a lovely little girl."

"She's just gone downhill in adulthood?" he asked.

Sarah nodded. "You could say that."

"Hey," Kate shot back.

Sarah shrugged as she gave her a smile. "Don't fight this so much, Katie. I'm going to leave now…mind your manners."

"Tell them that," she retorted.

"You're instigating," Sarah replied. "You don't like the situation so you want to fight…because you're stubborn and temperamental…like someone else in this room."

Johanna's chin jutted upwards at the accusation. "She is not like me."

Sarah smiled. "Well, darling, I hadn't specified you in the comment…but it's good to hear you admit that you're stubborn and temperamental too."

"I didn't admit it!"

"Oh but you did when you automatically assumed I was speaking of you," Sarah said with an amused grin.

"She's got you there," Jim murmured to her.

Johanna's brow rose. "Whose side are you on?"

"Yours…but you know…you did kind of admit it."

"So you think she acts like me?"

Jim shook his head. "Not in the way you're implying. You're definitely stubborn…and definitely temperamental…but she's…mean."

"I'm not mean!" Kate declared.

"You are…just like my mother."

"Stop saying that!" she yelled.

Jim smiled as he held Johanna's gaze. "She hates that so I keep saying it…not just because it's true, but because I like how much she hates it."

Johanna smiled a little. "The outrage on her face is a little funny."

"I'm glad we're all feeling better," Sarah stated.

"I'm not," Kate muttered.

"Neither am I," Johanna retorted. "Just because I find something funny doesn't mean I feel any better about this…about what I know now. My life is apparently going to crash and burn and there's nothing funny about that."

"Johanna," Sarah said once more. "Please, do not worry…everything will work out, I promise."

"You'll have to forgive me if I don't mind much comfort in that right now," Johanna replied. "Because I don't."

The spirit nodded. "I know…and I do forgive you for doubting me, darling."

"How long do we have to do this thing?" Johanna asked; her stomach churning.

"Until I feel she's learned enough," Sarah replied. "I'm going to go now; Katie, remember the rules…Johanna, remember that yes, this is difficult for you but that you won't remember it…this is just temporary for you and that your future self is quite settled and happy."

"If you say so," Johanna murmured.

"I do," Sarah said firmly before she faded away.

The temperature of the room returned to normal after a few moments, its occupants quiet once more as they wondered how they were supposed to ignore the tidbit that they had learned. Jim glanced to Johanna, his hand still curled arounds hers. "What are you thinking about?" he asked quietly.

"I'm wondering where I lose control," she murmured. "Where do I lose control of my life and send it down this path that it's apparently going to be on in the world she comes from?"

Jim shook his head. "We don't know all the details, Jo…maybe it's not as bad as we think."

"How can it not be?" she cried.

He cupped her cheek, forcing her gaze to remain on his. "Trust me…what she says, it's only her side…and clearly she's got an axe to grind so we can't believe everything she says. You just trust me, sweetheart…because I know you, and I know that maybe things will fall apart a little for awhile but we'll put it all back together. I won't let you down…so you trust me and don't worry so much about what she says, okay?"

Kate watched them quietly as he continued to talk her mother down from another meltdown…watched as he pressed a kiss to her forehead and pulled her back into his embrace. Their relationship wasn't official at this time in their lives…and yet the love was there…the love and caring and the complete trust as she sank into his embrace. The love was still new between them at this time but it ran deep…maybe even deeper than she had thought it would be at this stage of their relationship. She continued to watch…taking in how very young they looked…realizing that she really had no idea at all what was going on in their lives at that moment in this world that didn't include her yet. It was strange to think about; that she had no clue what was currently going on besides the fact that apparently it had been a long day at the office for them…strange to think about how they were still working together at this time. Oh she knew her mother had changed law firms shortly before she turned four, but she barely remembered when they used to work together. Looking over the tight hold they had on each other, she made a mental note to make sure she didn't slip up and tell her mother that she had be let go from her first firm during a period of downsizing. She probably wouldn't be able to handle that.

Finally, after a few more murmured words, their embrace ended and they seemed to remember that they weren't alone in the room. "What are you staring at?" Jim asked as he glanced at Kate.

She shrugged. "It's just strange to see you in this era…you're so young."

"God she's depressing," Johanna murmured. "We really must be old."

"It's not so much about age," Kate remarked. "I've just never seen you at this age outside of pictures."

"I guess that makes sense," she replied. "It's weird to think that you've seen us at other ages."

"This whole thing is weird," Kate stated. "And I still don't know what I'm supposed to learn…so it feels pointless to be here."

"At least you get the chance to learn," Johanna replied. "I get to learn for a brief time that I apparently blow just about everything that matters to me…but I don't get to remember it so I can't fix it or try to avoid it. I'm just supposed to somehow magically forget on a whim of a ghost."

"I wish I could forget some things," she told her. "I wish I could just go back where I belong."

"If I knew what to do to help you get there, I would," Johanna replied.

"Oh I'm sure you would…you don't want me here anymore than I want to be here."

"I probably wouldn't mind you being here if you weren't such a sarcastic smart ass," Johanna told her. "You haven't exactly been friendly…I mean you claim to be my daughter and yet I don't feel any connection…all I feel is your hatred."

"You don't feel connected because you don't know me," Kate stated. "I haven't been born yet in this time period."

"I know…but still…you'd think I'd feel something…other than your disdain as you look down your nose at me."

"I don't look down my nose at you."

"Yes, you do," Jim remarked. "At both of us."

Kate sighed deeply. "Maybe that's because you both get so up in arms about everything."

"And you don't?" Jim asked.

"No, I don't. You know, I can go a week or two without talking to you and be fine…that's not the case with the two of you."

"You don't want to talk to us for weeks?" Johanna asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know…sometimes I guess. I'm not from your generation where you run home for dinner once a week and all that."

Jim glanced to Johanna. "I suddenly feel a need to apologize to my mother," he replied.

"Why?" she asked.

"For skipping dinner the other night…I had a lot of work to go over but I kind of wish I had went now."

Kate looked at him oddly. "Why?"

"Because…knowing my future kid doesn't want me around gave me a sick feeling in my stomach that I don't want my mother to have," he admitted. "She drives me crazy and I hate the way she acts and treats people at times…but I love her and I don't want her to feel that way."

"I didn't say I don't want you around."

"It kind of felt like it," he replied. "How did it feel to you, Jo?"

"Like she doesn't want us to be her parents," she answered. "Or that she wishes she had different parents."

"It's not that I don't want you to be my parents, you just need to get it through your heads that I'm a grown woman with a life of my own and I don't need you there every second."

"Did we ask to be there every second?" Johanna asked. "Because…I would hope we have lives our own too. You claim we still work, surely there's more to us than just work…and you."

"No, you didn't ask for every second, and of course there's more, you have a cat."

Johanna's eyes brightened. "I have a cat? That's wonderful, I always wanted a kitten. What does it look like?"

"She's a little grey and white tabby," Kate replied. "Her name is Scarlett."

She smiled. "I like that. Is she playful and affectionate?"

"Yes; she seems to think you're her mother," Kate remarked. "She loves you and you love her…even Dad loves her and I never pegged him as a cat person."

"Why?" Jim asked. "I like cats. We always liked playing with my aunt's cat when we'd visit her as kids."

"I guess I just never knew that you liked them. I asked for a kitten when I was a kid and you said no…said we didn't have time for it."

"Well…I guess if we were both working and you were in school, it would've been alone a lot. You say I'm semi-retired in your world…how much does your mother work?"

"Part time," Kate answered.

"Well then we have time to give to a pet. Why have one if you don't have the time for it?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "You went into father mode quickly."

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't like it either…makes me feel old," Jim muttered.

"There are people younger than you that have kids," Kate remarked.

"That's their problem," Jim replied.

She studied him for a long moment. "Oh my God, you didn't want kids, did you?"

"I never said that; I just don't want them right now…and I damn sure don't want as many as my brother has."

Her gaze shifted to Johanna. "What about you?"

"I'm not ready for kids at the moment but of course I want them. I don't have a number in mind, but I don't really think I'd want four…I'm not even sure I'd want three like my parents have. But I definitely want a baby…one day…when the time is right."

"What year did you say you were born in?" Jim asked.

"I didn't say, nice try," Kate remarked.

He shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

"Knowing won't do you any good anyway…you're not going to remember," she reminded him.

"But for a little while I'd know how long I had left."

Kate shook her head. "Becoming my father isn't a disease…although you both look like your lives are being stolen from you."

"It's not that," Johanna said. "It's just not something I'm thinking a lot about at the moment."

"Unless your mother's around," Jim added.

Johanna sighed deeply. "Yeah, if she's on one of her kicks then it's definitely on my mind."

"Oh, is that the sound of the fact that your mother gets on your nerves?" Kate asked, a touch of sarcasm in her tone. "And yet if I even hint at the idea that you might be annoying me, you look at me like I committed the crime of the century."

"It's a good thing we won't remember this," Jim remarked as he held Kate's gaze. "Because if we did remember it, we probably wouldn't want kids anymore."

Kate bit back a sharp retort as she looked at them. "I guess that's probably true."

"So maybe instead of being a smart ass…maybe you can tell her something good about her future?" Jim suggested.

Kate glanced at the young woman he was being so protective of; God her mother looked so young…and so vulnerable…and she hated that when she saw it in the woman she knew in 2014, but here it was different somehow. "You just got back from London," she said quietly. "And you go to Hawaii about once a year around your birthday."

"That sounds nice," Johanna said softly.

"You travel, you do things with your friends, you have your cat, your hobbies…money in the bank and time to do the things you want to do."

"Then why do you make it seem like everything is so bad?" she asked.

"Because there are bad times," Kate replied. "I can't lie to you about that. There are bad times…some of them of your own making…times when you drive me crazy…times when just don't get it."

Johanna breathed deeply. "I think it's getting back to depressing."

Jim shook his head as he looked at Kate. "You couldn't just keep with the good things."

"Well like I said, coddling is your job," she retorted.

He eyed her. "Why do you equate caring for someone as coddling them? Did we give you a bad childhood?"

"No," she sighed.

"Were we neglectful?"

"No."

"Then why do you think that caring about someone and trying to keep that person from being hurt is coddling?" Jim asked.

"Because the way you do it, it is," Kate said sharply. "You always want to fight her battles; you always want to make it better for her. She can fight her own battles, you know?"

"I know she can fight her own battles and she does," he shot back. "But if there's a battle I can help her win, I will."

The room grew cool once more as Sarah materialized before them. "You're back already?" Kate asked. "Does that mean we're done and I can go back home?"

"No, bunny," Sarah replied. "I'm here to tell Jim that it's time for him to go home now."

"Why?" Jim asked. "You said I could stay for awhile."

"Yes, and you have…but you know that Johanna finds this upsetting so you keep taking the lead…and I understand your desire to shield her, but I'm afraid if you stay, it will keep Katie from learning what she needs to learn. They need to be alone together. I promise no harm is going to come to Johanna and you can still call and check in on her to ease your mind…but I need you to go, dear."

"What if I don't want him to go?" Johanna asked. "I mean, we did have plans."

"Yes, we interrupted their friends only, romantic pizza and tv date," Kate quipped.

Sarah narrowed her gaze at her. "Tone down the sarcasm, bunny. I'm aware of the fact that we interrupted their evening and I do apologize for that…but he has to go."

"I hate to leave her here with…her," Jim said, waving a hand at Kate. "She's determined to be nasty to her."

Sarah gave him a patient smile. "Perhaps she won't be so bold once they are one on one…and if she is, then perhaps Johanna will unleash her true self and show her what she's made of since you won't be here to jump in."

"Why does everyone think it's a crime for me to stand up for her?" he asked sharply.

"It's not, dear…but right now, I need her to stand on her own two feet. I need her to blaze."

Johanna's head jerked up at the words, making Sarah smile once more. "Yes, darling, I know, your mama always says that you can blaze for days on end…and it's true. You can handle this on your own, can't you?"

She wasn't so sure of it but she figured she was going to have to find out. "Yes," she murmured.

"Good girl," Sarah replied. "Jim, I know you don't like this…but please take a few minutes and say goodnight to Johanna and then go home, please."

"What if I don't?"

"Oh you don't want to find that out," Sarah said with a raised brow. "Trust me, you wouldn't enjoy it."

Johanna wrapped her hand around Jim's arm. "I don't want to know what that implies so you should go like she says," she told him. "I'll be okay."

He blew out a breath. "I hate to do that, Jo."

"I know…but it'll be okay."

"I'm still going to call," he told her.

"Please do," Johanna replied.

He gave her a hesitant smile. "You're sure?"

Johanna nodded. "Yeah…I don't want to risk whatever could happen to you if you don't go along with this."

"I'm willing to take the risk if you need me."

"I always need you," she allowed herself to admit. "But I'm not willing to risk it."

He moved to kiss her but then they remembered they weren't alone, making them pull back slightly.

"Oh for God's sake, just kiss her," Kate remarked. "It's not like I've never seen you kiss her."

"Maybe we don't like an audience," Johanna retorted.

"You're just afraid it interferes with your more than friends situation you have going on but it's not like I'm going to go tell your friends…who probably already know…so just kiss each other and be done with it."

Jim caught Johanna's lips in a soft, short kiss. "It's been fun co-parenting with you but I'm going to go buy those condoms now."

The comment made her laugh as she wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. "Thanks for not holding it against me that I gave you a somewhat snarky daughter that acts like your mother."

"I don't blame you, sweetheart…it was probably a bad gene mutation that we had no control over."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Can we just get this over with?"

"Yes," Sarah said. "Jim, you've said your goodbyes, you need to go now."

Jim gave Johanna's arm a soft squeeze. "I'll talk to you in a little while."

"Okay," she murmured with a smile.

He then turned toward Kate. "I'd say it was nice to meet you but…you haven't been entirely pleasant as an unexpected guest."

Kate smirked at him. "Goodnight, Dad."

He winced a little. "Goodnight…Katie," he said, allowing the name to roll off his tongue. It felt oddly right which seemed strange to him but he refrained from mentioning it.

Kate's smirk softened into a small smile. "Don't worry, she'll be fine."

"I'm choosing to trust you," he remarked before glancing to Johanna once last time. "I'll make sure the door locks behind me."

"Goodnight, Jim," she murmured.

"Goodnight."

They were quiet as they listened to the sounds of Jim's footsteps moving through the apartment and the sound of the door shutting behind him.

"Alright," Sarah said with a clap of her hands. "I'm going to leave you two together now…try to learn instead of fighting. You're not each other's enemy."

"I never said she was," Johanna replied. "She makes me feel like the enemy."

"Yes, I know…but hopefully she'll settle now and try harder since there's no one else to take the lead but each other."

"I guess we'll see," Johanna said softly as the spirit disappeared once more, leaving her alone with this woman who claimed to be her daughter. She missed Jim's presence already…and feared what else she might temporarily learn.