3.9 Robbie - What is and What Might Be

Grim though it was Chase decided to go through with his plan at least until his father showed up. Then he would have to admit defeat. He made some adjustments and the scene resumed. This time it focused on Jennifer as she watched Robbie walk away from her. Balling her hands into fists she muttered "I'll show him he can't just walk away. No one leaves me. Not without a fight."

Pausing on her irate face Chase leaned over and asked "was that when  you decided to go back and destroy his life?"

Shaking her head she refused to answer but she it was after Caleb had rejected her advances. As she glared at her image the scene blurred and resumed. They were back in Hidden Springs, she and Robbie parting ways. Him taking Peter to the airport and she to take Caleb to the house.

Introducing Caleb to her younger more impressionable sister was the best thing overall. She didn't want to deal with him anymore. He rejected her, preferring Drew over her. Watching them talk left her feeling hollow and empty inside. Leaving the house she decided to catch up to Robbie at the airport.

"Hey Rob, did Peter get off alright?"

"Yeah he's on his way to Dragon Valley. Can you imagine resuming your life after being gone for almost twenty years?" He sat down heavily "it was our fault it took so long."

Shrugging she mumbled "so is that supposed to make me feel bad or something?"

Looking at her sadly he stood up "what happened to you? I don't know you anymore. When did you become so uncaring?" shaking his head before walking away. "I can't do this anymore. I have to quit before I become like you."

Glaring after his retreating figure she knew what she had to do. How could he say she was uncaring? She cared too much. Why else would she try so hard to bring her dad back to life? Couldn't he see that everything that was wrong was because her dad wasn't here? It was that girls fault making him feel things he shouldn't. After they finished their goal he could focus on having a family, fall in love. Now wasn't the time for that.

She got up and walked in the opposite direction from the one Rob walked off in. She booked a first class flight to Bridgeport hoping she would arrive before Rob did. She had to get home to remove the time machine before Rob could stop her. Once she had the machine in her possession no one would be able to stop her. 

She rented a truck and drove to Rob's house. Smiling as she drove up seeing the house was dark. "Good" she said out loud she beat him home. Terrell wasn't home either. He must be out with Diana someplace. So she should have plenty of time to move the machine before anyone could to stop her.

It proved more difficult than she thought. The machine was too heavy for her to move on her own. A little flirting with the next door neighbors proved advantageous as they lifted the time machine in the truck. They agreed to follow her to the outskirts of Bridgeport to unload it. It was some property she had bought just in case the had to hide the machine. She knew sooner or later Robbie's tenderheartedness would be the end of their adventures together.

Thanking the guys for helping her she agreed to go with them to some party as payment for their help. Going back to the shack they had stored the machine in she started to make it somewhat habitable. She didn't do much. She didn't anticipate being there much. Just long enough to let the time machine to recharge between jumps.

***

"Adding stealing to your list of things  you've done," Chase said watching the girl. He had begun to see the coldness beneath the pretty exterior. It was the saddest thing he'd ever seen. 

"He didn't leave me much choice," she muttered. "if I had left it up to Rob he would have dismantled it. I couldn't let that happen."

"Just like you couldn't let him be happy," Chase added.

"Why should he get to be happy when I don't?" 

"Is that what you want?" Chase asked in surprise.

"I did once upon a time," she said turning away from him "but I don't want it until daddy's here to share it with me."

"Baby how do  you know I wouldn't be there?" Robert asked floating into the room.

"Because you died," she cried waving her hands in the air "this isn't what I want. I want you to be alive. I want you to walk me down the aisle. I want you to be on my side. Telling me everything will be alright. This ghostly presence isn't good enough."

"Baby you can't  have everything you want. Your old enough to know that," Robert chided her.

"I don't care," she pouted "I want what I want and I won't take less."

Robert stared at his daughter wondering how she had become so callous; especially toward her own family. Turning towards Chase he said "I have message for  you from Emit. He's coming."

"I've failed," Chase slumped on the make shift couch "I'm sorry."

"You did  what you could," Robert touched his shoulder "she can't go one like this."

Nodding Chase rubbed his head in his hands "when is he coming?"

"A few days," Robert replied "he wasn't specific."

"You went to him, didn't you?" Chase surmised.

"I did," Robert replied staring blankly at his daughter. "It was my decision. For the good of the others she has to be stopped. I lover her but I can't reach her."

"I'll continue to try," Chase said sitting up straight. "I won't give up trying until I have to. Maybe, just maybe she can still be reached."

"You have more faith than I do," Robert looked at the young man "thank you for everything you've tried to do."

***

After Robert left the scene changed. Jennifer was waiting outside the bar for someone. When a young beautiful blond approached Jennifer lurched forward spilling he drink all over the girl's expensive outfit. 

"Hey watch it," the girl cried pushing Jennifer away "look what you've done. You ruined it," she screamed looking at the ugly wet stains down the front of her out fit.

"I'm terribly sorry," Jennifer slurred "I didn't see you coming."

"You probably can't see anything in your condition." Looking at phone she sighed in irritation "I'll just have to go home and change. I can't be seen like this."

Jennifer watched the girl go a smile spread across her face. It had been so easy diverting Miranda from meeting Robbie in the bar. Nodding with satisfaction Jennifer walked into the bar "this seat taken?"

Glaring at her Rob stood up and walked away. Grabbing his arm she said "we need to talk."

"I'm not in the mood," Rob replied jerking free.

"Rob don't be like that. I said I'd listen to what you had to say. I listened. I don't agree. I never said I'd stop. Please I can't do this by myself. I need you. I promise if nothing changes in a year we'll stop together."

"You promise," he asked wondering what the catch was.

"I promise," she smiled sweetly at him "come on cuz when have I ever lied to you?"

Squinting at her Rob forced a smile as he said "careful Jen your nose just grew a foot. Regardless of what happens I'm done in twelve months. Nothing you can say or do will change my mind. I'm done. I can't do this anymore."

***

Coming home after the long flight from Hidden Springs Rob couldn't rid his thoughts of the argument he and Jennifer had at the airport. As he expected she had no intention of honoring her promise to let him quit. This time he refused to be guilted into staying and helping her. Not after the discussion he'd had with Emit. Now he'd have to live with the knowledge that he'd been hurting people. Unintentional or not it was still his fault. He couldn't do it anymore. He was done.

There was something Emit had said that made him believe that Jennifer had done something, something to alter his timeline. He had asked Jennifer at the airport. She had all be admitted it. "What did you do?" he shouted at her heedless of the curious stares of the people coming and going around them.

"Oh nothing much," she shrugged "just making sure you wouldn't meet a certain blond beauty queen...."

Blinking at her in disbelief "what? why? who?" he stammered taken aback.

"Does it matter? You'll never see her again. Oh I mean ever meet her. She moved away from Bridgeport. I hear she's engaged to a model...." she smiled across at him enjoying his pain.

Feeling shaky he sat down in shock trying to absorb what she had done "why?" he repeated in a wilderness of pain.

Laughing down at him "why do you think?"

Shaking his head from side to side "because of me. I wanted to quit." Anger started a slow boil inside him as he stared at her haughty face "you went back in time and deliberately made sure I'd never meet her didn't you? All because I was tired of hurting people." He was starting to feel light headed and nauseous.

"Why should any of this come as a shock to you?" she asked him "I told you there would be consequences if you ever quit. We were in this together remember."

"You promised..."

"I did," she squatted down beside him "I never said it would be without consequences. Think of it as retribution for all things you helped me do."

"You heartless bitch," Rob spat out  pouring all his pain, anguish, remorse and betrayal into that one sentence.

"I am," she smiled owning it "so much so that I'll tell you this that Miranda was pregnant with your baby. Now you have no one to blame by yourself." She turned and swiftly walked away.

Rob sat there feeling the bile working it's way up as he rushed to the nearest restroom. How could she do this to him? Why couldn't she just let him go? Why did she feel she had to ruin his life? Why did he have to have a conscious telling him what they were doing was wrong? He leaned on the dirty public toilet and gagged wishing his life was over.

***

Rob's flight was delayed coming into Bridgeport but he barely noticed it. He wondered if he should have been kissing his girl right about now. How far along had she been? He couldn't believe he had been about to be a father. The ache in his heart was almost unbearable. Why had Jen done this to him? Why tell him she had done it? Did she derive some sort of pleasure from his pain? 

Arriving at the house he lacked the energy to wonder where his brother was. Knowing Terrell  he was somewhere partying. Shaking his head he wondered how different their lives may have been if he had never told Jennifer about his mother's invention. Stopping in his tracks he reversed his steps and walked around the house. The machine was gone. He should have known Jennifer would take it. What he wanted to do was go back in time and tell his other self not to show Jennifer the machine. Stop all of this insanity before it started. As usual Jennifer was one step ahead of him.

Taking his phone out he dialed Jennifer's number. She answered on the first ring like she had been waiting for his call. "Took you long enough," she laughed in his ear.

"I want the machine Jen?" Rob said gruffly.

"It's mine now," she said "you didn't want it remember?"

"It's not yours," Rob said again losing grip on his anger "your hurting people Jen. This isn't about your dad anymore. You deliberately set out to hurt me. What's going to happen the next time someone crosses you? You need help..."

"Are you man enough to stop me?" she laughed at him "no I don't think so. Even the time keeper hasn't tried to stop me. Don't you get it? That means I'm unstoppable."

"Jennifer don't you realize that Emit is only waiting long enough for you to prove you won't stop on your own. He doesn't want to hurt you. You have to stop. His patience is going to run out." He didn't know why his anger had given way to a need to help her. He knew that underneath all of this 

deviousness was the little girl he grew up with. He couldn't believe that little girl was gone forever.

"If you want the time machine come and get it," she disconnected leaving Rob shaking his head.

***

"Did you know that Robbie was planning on going back to warn his other self not to show you the time machine?" Chase asked the girl as he paused the scene before them.

"Yes," she grunted "it was a possibility I couldn't overlook. He was too concerned about the changes. Always asking about the what ifs the consequences." Standing up she paced the small confines of the shack she lived in. "Why worry so much about what might happen? It's all going to change once I accomplish my goal."

Shaking his head Chase exhaled loudly "you're like a broken record. You keep repeating the same things over and over again. Is that for my benefit or yours? Like you say it enough it will happen." 

"It will. I just haven't figured out how yet," she said "I can't give up."

"It sounds like you want to prove Emit wrong more than anything else," Chase said choosing his words carefully "that seems more important to you than saving your dad. Your dad would just be a happy by product to proving Emit wrong." Leaning forward he asked "what if he's right?"

"I refuse to believe that," she scowled at him "I won't admit defeat. Not now not ever."

"Pride cometh before the fall," Chase muttered.

"What was that," Jennifer asked irritated by his questions.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," Chase shrugged "just talking to myself."

***

"Robbie what are you doing?" Terrell asked his brother growing tired of watching his brother rummage through their mothers old work bench. "What are you looking for?"

"Mom's diagrams for that old machine in the backyard," Rob told him "do you know where she put them?"

"I did but they're not there anymore," Terrell told him "Jennifer took them a few months ago. If it's important why don't you ask her for them?"

Slamming the drawer closed "that's just great. Now I'll never be able to stop her," Rob muttered.

"Stop who," Terrell asked looking at his brother like he had lost his mind.

Raking his hands through his hair Rob tried to think what he could do next. He needed to stop Jennifer before she did anymore damage. The only way he could think of doing that was by time travel. Without the diagrams he had no way of duplicating his mom's work. Looking at Terrell he asked "have you been in contact with Jennifer."

A slight imperceptible nod alerted Rob that he had been. "No I mean yes but she told me not to tell you. What gives? Why are you mad at her?"

"It's a long story. You wouldn't believe it if I told  you," Rob told him "do you know where she's at?"

"No she won't tell me," looking at his older brother "that's another thing Rob. Why did you kick her out? Shouldn't you have discussed that with me first?"

"I didn't kick her out," Rob protested "she left of her own free will taking mom's machine with her. She stole it."

"Don't be ridiculous Rob. Mom didn't want that thing. If she did she would have taken it with her when they moved to Dragon Valley." Terrell told him not knowing what the machine was capable of. "She told me you got into an argument and told her to get out. Why won't you apologize and tell her she can move back home?"

"You don't believe me?" Rob looked sharply at Terrell "you're probably telling her everything I do..."

"What if I am? She's concerned about you. So am I. You not acting like yourself. Maybe you should see a doctor," Terrell suggested.

"I don't need a doctor," Rob shook his head walking away. He couldn't trust his own brother. Not that he could blame him. He had been acting crazy. Stopping he turned around "Terrell do me a favor don't believe everything Jen tells  you. She isn't what she appears to be."

Considering his words Terrell nodded adding "she said you'd say that. To be honest Rob I don't know who to believe. Your both acting weird."

"Is she asking you to go on any trips with her?" Rob asked urgently.

Shrugging "she's off her rocker. Keeps saying I should time travel with her. I said I would just to shut her up."

"Don't do it Terrell. Please whatever you do don't do it." Rob begged him.

"What's the bid deal?" Terrell wondered aloud "it's not like it's possible..."

"Don't you remember grandpa telling us about meeting Emit the time keeper?"

"Yeah but those were just stories right?"

"Terrell use your head. Your part alien. You should know that strange things happen all the time." Rob walked closer to him "That's what the argument was about. Time Travel. The machine mom built was a time machine." At Terrell's look of disbelief Rob added "don't believe me. Call mom. Ask her. she'll tell you. She always told us to leave it alone. I wish I had listened to her. I didn't. I showed it to Jennifer. We've been traveling back to the day Uncle Robert died..." They talked well into the night about everything that had happened since then.

***

"That's why Terrell stopped meeting up with me," Jennifer slumped on the couch.

"What did you expect?" Chase asked "that he's take Robs place as your traveling companion? Rob did the only logical thing he could do. Protect his brother from you."

"Protect" she shouted irate "what does he need protection from? I'm not dangerous," she protested.

"You're joking right?" Chase looked at her like she had grown a second head. "Have you not been watching the same things I have? You're entire family. The world need to be protected from you. Your an idiot with a time machine. Your hurting people every time you go into the past and change things."

Crossing her arms she slowly digested his words. She hated this blue haired man. She just wanted to be left alone. She didn't want someone telling her what she was doing was wrong. "I don't care what you think."

"That I believe," Chase retorted "it's abundantly clear that you don't care about anyone but yourself."

"Oh please cry me a river why don't you" she said derisively "I'm tired of hearing how awful I am and what horrible things I've done. I'm sure with every change something good had to have happened."

Chase stared at her silent and still as stone. She was right. There had been some good things. But the bad far out weighed the good.

***

Stepping from the building Miranda sighed in relief. It felt good to be home again. She'd missed Bridgeport. Her engagement to the model had been short lived. He was more concerned about his image and how she fit into it. He had been pressuring her to get plastic surgery to correct some minor flaw that marred his ideal image of them being a couple. It finally became too much and she broken things off. Moved back to Bridgeport. Next time she fell for someone he would be secure with what he saw in the mirror.

Running towards the waiting taxi she bumped into someone. "Excuse me," she mumbled automatically.

"No excuse me" a deep voice replied. Looking up into a pair of dark eyes she smiled. "I'm Miranda" she said holding her hand out.

Taking her hand the man smiled down at her stammering "I'm Robbie...."