4.33 Do You See Them?

 Gabriel sat cross legged on the living room floor. Photo albums spread out in front of him. Something had been bothering him since the night they had looked at the pictures together as a family.

Landon stepped gingerly around the photo albums "whatcha doin?" he asked.

"It doesn't make sense" Gabriel mumbled eyes staring intently at a picture of his parents kissing on their wedding day.

Frowning Landon peered closer at the picture the seemed to captivate his brother's attention. "It's dad kissing daddy," he shrugged unconcerned.

"Look at it again" Gabriel requested "don't look at our dads. Look deeper."

"What do you mean look deeper?" Landon demanded peering at the picture.

"Don't you see anyone in the background? Isn't there anything odd about it?" Gabriel asked moving the picture so Landon had a better view of it.

Scowling at it Landon shook his head pushing the album away "I don't see anything."

Sighing Gabriel watched his brother leave the room. His sisters had reacted much the same as Landon had. Were his eyes playing tricks on him? Why couldn't they see what he did?

"Son have you done your homework yet?" Andrew asked coming into the room to check on him.

"It's done" he mumbled eyes still focused on the photo. He moved over slightly to give his dad more room to sit beside him.

"What are you looking at?" Andrew asked sounding cheery.

"Your wedding photos" Gabriel mumbled. Laying the album in his lap Andrew smiled at the picture of himself and Charlie kissing. So many happy memories flooded his mind. "Your dad and I were married on the beach" he began frowning as he peered at the picture "we didn't invite a lot of people." He stared intently at the picture.

"Do you see them too?" Gabriel asked pointing towards a couple in the background.

"I hadn't realize they had come" Andrew said almost to  himself "strange" he murmured "I would have thought they'd be older."

Glancing at the picture then up at his dad Gabriel asked "why? They looked the same in all the pictures."

Blinking Andrew digested what his son said "what do you mean all the pictures?"

"Besides this one" Gabriel reached for an older album "they appear at dad's graduation party. Some are on the beach where you and dad meet. Other's at grandpa's funeral."

Andrew stared at the pictures as Gabriel pointed them out. It was like he was seeing them for the first time with different eyes. Why hadn't he seen this before?

"Who are they dad?" Gabriel asked placing a hand on Andrew's knee.

"They look like Charlie's Uncles" Andrew traced his fingers over the images "I don't understand....they should be tons older."

"That's not the weirdest thing either" Gabriel leaned in close "not everyone can see them."

"Of course they can see them" Andrew objected "they're in the pictures."

"No they can't" Gabriel pointed at the wedding picture "I had Landon and the girls look at this picture and none of them saw the people."

Andrew sat thoughtfully on the floor, silence lingering between them. "I'll check into this. There has to be an explanation."

"I know what it is" Gabriel said confidently "we're special."

Andrew's lips twitched a little. He doubted Gabriel knew just how special he was. Pulling his son close Andrew kissed the top of his head. "Why don't you put these albums away and go outside and play?"

***

Later that night Andrew sat in the comfortable chair in his bedroom waiting for Charlie to finish his shower. "Hey babe" Charlie smiled coming into the room "the shower was a little lonely without you. Why didn't you join me?" Sitting on the edge of the bed Charlie could see the distant faraway look in Andrew's eyes "what's wrong babe?"

"Nothing. At least I hope it's nothing" Andrew got up and joined his husband on the bed carrying their wedding album with him. "I want it to be nothing" he explained biting his lip as he sat down opening the album to the picture he and Gabriel had been looking at earlier "what do you see?"

Grunting as he looked at the picture Charlie shook his head "us kissing on our wedding day."

"You don't see anything else?" Andrew insisted "how about in the background? Do you see anyone familiar?"

Charlie shook his head "what is it you want me to see?"

Pointing to the two men Andrew asked "what do you see there?"

Shrugging Charlie said "the ocean. Sand" he looked at Andrew in concern "what should I be seeing?"

Andrew could hear the irritation, the concern in Charlies tone. He couldn't blame him. Not really. He tapped the empty space or what was empty to everyone else "Gabriel and I see two men there. They look like a couple of your Uncles."

Charlie looked down to where Andrew's fingers still pointed at the phantom men "I don't see anything" he muttered.

Sliding his hands from the page Andrew picked at the bedspread "I don't understand why Gabriel and I see them and no one else can." He glanced up eyes round with worry "what's wrong with us?"

"There's nothing wrong with you" Charlie assured him. Pushing the album aside he pulled Andrew close "we'll get to the bottom of this. I  promise we'll figure this out."

Taking a huge gulp of air Andrew nodded "maybe we should have Zayne take a look at the pictures." He felt Charlie stiffen at the mention of the man's name "he might be able to explain why we're seeing his siblings in the pictures."

Charlie slowly exhaled "I'll ask him to come over for supper." He ran his fingers through Andrew's hair "come on let's go to bed."

Nodding Andrew let Charlie guide him down to the bed where he cuddled close to his husband's reassuring bulk. Resting his head on Charlie's chest he closed his eyes attempting to rest while his mind kept replaying the pictures in his head. Why could he and Gabriel see the men when no one else could? What made them different?

***

Zayne flipped through the pages of the album stopping at the wedding pictures. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He remembered this day. It had been a bittersweet day for him. He was at his son's wedding yet it wasn't really his son. It was surreal. He remembered at one point he had looked up glancing at the ocean. He had thought he had seen someone but it was impossible. It had to have been a figment of his imagination.

He was about to turn the page when he saw it. The camera caught an instant in time he had dismissed. "They were there" he mumbled.

"Who were there?" Andrew asked sounding breathless.

Zayne dragged his eyes from the photo "two of my brothers. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me at the time." He tapped the picture "they're standing right there yet they never approached me. Never spoke to me." He looked up pain in his light blue eyes "why?"

Millie leaned over taking his hand. She frowned at the picture "I don't see anyone" she said quietly giving him a baffled look.

"Evidently you're not the only one" Zayne told her giving Andrew a stiff lipped smile.

"You're right" Andrew sighed "only Gabriel and I can see them. Do you know why?"

Rubbing his chin Zayne leaned his head back on the couch squeezing his eyes shut. After a moment he took Millie's hand lifting it to his lips "I don't suppose your dad told you much about his family did he?" he asked turning his towards Charlie.

"Not much" Charlie mumbled "I thought they were mad at him for that BC he joined."

Zayne grunted in distaste "that must be a pivotal time point in our lifetime much as I hate to admit it. That event forced us to grow up. To make certain changes." He gave Charlie an apologetic look "your dad I'm sure wasn't very proud of himself for how he acted on that show. Just do him a favor and remember he was young and hurting."

Charlie nodded looking away. He hated to admit it but he was ashamed of his dad after watching the show.

"Put yourself in his shoes for a moment. He had just lost his wife. Someone he loved with all his heart. He had a young son to raise on his own. Then he found himself on a highly competitive show. The stress he was under and the grief he still was experiencing was too much for him. Imagine how you would have felt if it had been you and you had just lost Andrew." Zayne blinked back tears "I never thought I'd love again. At least that's what I thought until I met Millie. Things change. People change."

"I know" Charlie mumbled his voice barely audible as he wiped tears away "it's just I never saw him act like that before."

"You watched the show didn't you?" Zayne asked watching as both young men nodded.

"What does that have to do with Charlie's Uncles being at our wedding?" Andrew asked impatiently feeling Charlie take his hand.

"Um not a lot I guess" Zayne sighed "unless..." his voiced faded.

"Unless what?" Andrew prompted.

"My parents and siblings were inter dimensional time travelers" Zayne stated "I would assume your father's family would have been the same considering how close our dimensions are." Tapping the picture "evidently they came back every now and then to check on him and you."

"Why didn't my father tell me any of this?" Charlie demanded "I don't understand any of this."

"Time travel is stressful. The stresses increase when you time travel through dimensions," Zayne explained.

"What stresses?" Charlie asked "does this have anything to do with why Andrew and Gabriel can see people the rest of us can't?"

"Maybe" Zayne said turning to Millie "I remember over hearing my parents talking about phasing in and out of time. I don't know what they meant by that. I do remember being in my room playing and then being in the middle of a busy intersection almost being killed by a speeding car. My parents found me. Saved me. It only happened once but it could have been worse for the Zayne of this dimension. I think I was the reason my parents stopped traveling. It gave me a chance to stabilize."

Millie gripped his hand "can it happen again?" she bit back a scream "you've traveled into two different dimensions already. What if you start phasing again?"

"I don't know" he shook his head "it's been ten years and it hasn't happened yet."

"What if our children have the same condition?" Millie couldn't keep the tears back now "what if this" she waved a hand towards the albums "is just the beginning?"

***

After their guests left and the kids were tucked in for the night Andrew and Charlie sat quietly together on the couch. "What if Millie's right?" Charlie asked "what if this is just the beginning?"

Turing to his husband Andrew nodded "it could be but the beginning of what?" he asked "we don't know. We can do a lot of guessing but until we know something there's not much we can do."

"What if it gets worse?" Charlie asked "what if Gabriel starts to phase in and out of time or dimensions?"

It felt strange being the the one pretending to have the answers. The strong one. "Time travel and dimension travel are two different things."

"What if they're related?" Charlie persisted "what if that's the reason my dad's family hasn't been around? What if they're phasing in and out of time and dimensions? What if they can't stop traveling?"

Andrew put an arm around his distraught husband's shoulders. "I think we need to call it a night before we drive ourselves crazy with what ifs. Things will look different in the morning."

"No it won't" Charlie protested "what if you start phasing in and out?" He pulled Andrew close "I can't live without you."

"That won't happen" Andrew said sounding more confident then he felt. "I'm going to talk to my dad."

"What good will that do?" Charlie demanded.

"I don't know maybe nothing but I think Quinn mentioned something to him once about my genetic makeup being a stabilizer. I don't remember exactly anymore."

Nodding Charlie seemed to calm a little upon hearing that "so Gabriel could be alright."

"Yes" Andrew nodded relieved. He kept his concerns to himself though. He wondered if Charlie were in danger of phasing. He was the one directly related to these inter dimensional time travelers. What about the other kids? Were they in danger?

***

"Dad thanks for coming over" Andrew gave his dad a hug as soon as he walked inside.

"You sounded upset over the phone" Caleb said once Andrew released him "what's wrong?"

Walking into the living room Andrew pointed towards the now familiar wedding picture "what do you see?"

"It's your wedding picture" Caleb smiled at him "what about it?"

"It's the center of a lot of things" Andrew muttered sinking onto the nearby couch "maybe I'm losing my mind. I don't know anymore."

Caleb glanced at his son then back at the photo. Sitting down he slid the picture closer to him. Frowning he scrutinized the picture. Several minutes later Caleb sighed "I don't know what you want me to see?"

"What do you see there?" Andrew asked pointing to the two men that only he, Gabriel and Zayne could see.

"Um besides the ocean and sand?" Caleb asked glancing at his son like he half expected him to announce this was some sort of joke. All he saw was disappointment in Andrew's eyes and the dejected slope of his son's shoulders. "What am I missing?" he asked.

Trying to keep the desperation he felt from his voice Andrew pointed to the photo. "I see two men standing there. Two men Zayne identified as two of his brothers." Tapping the picture Andrew continued "I hadn't realized no one else saw them until Gabriel asked me about it. He's the one who found the other pictures where the two men appear."

"Only you and Gabriel see them?" Caleb asked his pulse speeding up.

Nodding Andrew looked up at his dad "Zayne sees them too. He said his family had been inter dimensional time travelers. So it makes sense that Zayne sees them."

Rubbing his chin Caleb felt the stubble grate across his finger tips. He let his son's words filter through is consciousness. Something about this was raising alarm bells in his mind. Quinn said his genetic make up was a stabilizer. He cam from another dimension. Andrew would have inherited that same stabilizer from him. Then why couldn't he see the men Andrew could? Could this only be effecting his son and grandson and not him? Why? "Maybe you and Gabriel are the only ones who need to see them" he mumbled grasping at straws.

Andrew gave him a dubious look "you don't believe that anymore than I do."

"Shaking his head Caleb released a pent up breath "no I don't. I think somethings happening." He glanced away "I just don't know what." The only person who would know was an elusive green skinned woman. Would she contact them?

***

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Quinn shouted at her visitors. Interlopers in her haven. How did people keep finding their way here?

The two men exchanged glances. Identical smirks upon their handsome faces "aren't we allowed to check on our brother?"

"He's not your brother?" she snapped eyes sparking dangerously.

"Who says he's not?" one of the two asked "our baby brother phased in and out of dimensions since he was a baby. He doesn't even know what dimension he belongs in anymore."

"I repeat. Why are you here?" Quinn demanded crossing her arms.

One of the men grinned. It wasn't a pleasant look on him "don't mess with time."

Her eyes narrowed as she read the silent messages emanating between the men. A tick in one of the men's cheek as his eyes glared at her. The silent tapping of the other's foot upon her rug as if he were impatient to leave. The way neither men would meet her gaze. They were lying. That much was clear. "Why should the timeline concern you?" she asked refusing to back down in front of them.

"There are things that shouldn't be messed with" they chorused together their voices blending.

"I know that better than anyone" she intoned glaring at them "leave."

Snorting they remained rooted to the carpet "comply with our request."

"A request implies a choice" she eyed the men "I choose not to comply."

"You'll regret your decision" they turned in unison to leave.

"I have regretted many things" Quinn said behind them "this decision won't be one of them."

"We shall see" they said their tones sending an involuntary chill down her spine.

Quinn stared at the spot where they had stood. Why warn her in such a manner that would only make  her  less willing to work with them? It didn't make sense. She only had minor changes to make in the timeline. Nothing that would change a fixed point. They were locked for a reason. Attempting to change fixed points would rip the fabric of the dimension apart. What were they planning? What had they already done? She hadn't considered Zayne's family a threat. It was time to reevaluate her plan and find what they don't want her to change and stop them.