4.18 The Decision

Author's Note: This chapter follows closely after the events in this chapter from the Van Winkle Legacy, 4.18 Terms and Conditions. I'd suggest reading that chapter first to get the most out of this chapter.

A week after Emmaline arrived in Moonlight Falls they went home to Sunlit Tides. Chase and Caleb lingered outside each dreading the upcoming conversations with their spouses. Emmaline ran inside calling "mom, mom I'm home."

Drew was in her room sitting alone on the couch looking through old photo albums. Gently running her fingers across the faces of her babies. Heart breaking thinking she would never see them again, feel their arms around her giving her a hug or hear their voices echoing down the halls. The album slid from her lap unnoticed when Emmaline's voice reached her ears.

Was she dreaming? Pinching herself the pain barely registered through her shock and excitement upon hearing her daughter's voice. "Emmaline," she cried running for the door "Emmaline" she called again running for the stairs.

"Mom," Emmaline cried running for the stairs. Reaching the landing Emmie threw her arms around Drew "mommy I've missed you so so much."

Tears of joy ran from Drew's eyes as she stroked her daughters bright pink hair. She held her daughter close afraid if this was a dream she'd disappear if she let go. "I've missed you too," Drew cried. She bit her lip to keep from overwhelming her daughter with a million questions. She wanted to know so much. Where was she? What was the future like? Why wasn't and Andrew and Charlie with her? Were they alright?

Emmaline breathed in deeply relishing the feel of her mother's arms around her. She'd never leave the safety of this house again. "Mom I love you," she murmured feeling safe for the first time in months. She was home for the first time in what felt like forever. If only Charlie and Andrew were here too. She looked up in time to see the sour face of her older sister. What was she doing here? She let her mom pull her into her room while asking Indira to bring up a tray of hot chocolate and cookies. The thought of Indira playing maid almost made Emmie snicker.

***

Chase was greeted by two excited teen girls squealing in delight at the sight of their father. Caleb scooted past them quickly. He wouldn't say he was envious but it would have been nice to have been greeted like that by his daughter. He had hoped when Indira came home it was a sign she had changed. Evidently he had expected too much.

Leaving Chase to his homecoming Caleb went inside. Climbing the stairs he checked on Drew smiling to find her curled up on the couch with Emmaline beside her drinking hot chocolate and nibbling on oatmeal cookies. "You'd think she'd been kidnapped or something," Indira said harshly at his side

Frowning he turned toward his eldest child. Scowling he asked "what's wrong with you?" He couldn't keep his anger and hurt contained any longer.

"It's only been a few months," she shrugged "what's so detrimental about going to the future?"

"Have you spoken with your sister about her experiences yet?" he asked trying to reign in his temper. "Have you?" he repeated his voice sounding like thunder.

"No" she shook her head "she's just gotten home. When would I have done that?"

"So you don't know what she went through in the future" Caleb stated wondering how his daughter could be so clueless. So self absorbed.

She sighed rolling her eyes "I don't see what the fuss is all about."

Shaking his head at her he couldn't muster the energy to help Indira understand the gravity of the situation. "it was nice of you to come home but I'm sure you're wanting to get back to school and your friends..."

Something flickered behind Indira's eyes but all she did was nod "does that mean I can leave now?"

"If you want to" Caleb sighed heart plummeting at what he perceived was a heartless disregard on Indira's part for her family.

"Good" she smiled "I'll leave tomorrow. I have some papers I need to work on."

Absently he nodded his head distancing himself from the stabbing pain he felt from her lack of concern. He watched his daughter turn and walk away. He turned and slipped into the room where Drew and Emmaline were. Pasting a smile upon his face he saw Drew look up at him from where she sat immersed in conversation with their youngest child.

***

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Shaking his head he said "Indira has decided to go back to school. She's leaving in the morning."

Tears sprang to Drew's eyes "I thought...I hoped she'd want to stay."

"Mom" Emmaline put a hand on her mother's shoulder "I'll go talk to her. I might be able to get her stay a little longer."

"Oh sweetie that's a nice offer but you don't have to," Drew wiped at her eyes "I'm just a sentimental old fool."

"No you're not," Emmie contradicted saying "Indira's the one that should be sorry."

Caleb bent down and kissed the top of his daughter's pink head. This was the little girl he had missed so much. The spunky fiery spit fire that didn't take any prisoners. "Go talk to your sister. Don't be surprised if she doesn't change her mind though," Caleb told her.

"Oh I won't. I fully expect her to put up a fight and leave," Emmaline said standing up fire in her eyes. She walked to the door. Reaching for the door knob she hesitated, turned and ran back to her dad. Throwing her arms around him she cried "I'm so glad to be home."

Temporarily speechless Caleb just held her close stroking her long hair. "I'm glad your home too," he managed to say over the lump forming in his throat.

Pulling away Emmaline wiped at her eyes before leaving the room. It wouldn't do to show weakness in front of the enemy. She entered Indira's room without knocking. She watched her sister throw articles of clothing into a suitcase muttering to herself all the while.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," she said heaving a heavy sigh tired of watching her sister pack in such a frenzy.

Indira looked up smirking "I wondered how long you'd stand there silently judging me."

"What's your problem?" Emmaline asked "why do you hate us so much?"

"I don't hate you," Indira objected "I just have better things to do than play nurse maid to my mother."

"The least you could do is wait until Andrew comes home" Emmaline told her taking a step forward 

"Our parents need all the support we can give them right now."

"Oh come off it," Indira scoffed "you act like they're enduring something horrible. You were only gone for a few months. Quit making more of it than it was."

"You have no idea what it was I went through," Emmaline's face contorted as images of mutants writhing on the ground dying because she had shot them. She killed living breathing things. She clasped a hand over her mouth running from the room. She was going to be sick and if she could prevent it she'd prefer to be sick somewhere her sister wouldn't be able to watch her.

***

Settling onto the couch beside his wife Caleb pulled her close. He needed to feel her warmth next to him. "I need to tell you something" he said holding her tight.

Nodding Drew sighed looking up at him "you're going to tell me some powerful being brought Emmaline home. Now you have to agree to do something so that they'll bring the boys home." Her tone was light, joking. Her eyes twinkled behind her lashes. She lost her smile when he remained silent staring down at her with a tortured expression upon his face "that was a joke," she stammered "please tell me that's not what really happened."

Her half panicked plea moved him to open his mouth "I wish I could" he murmured "I can't." Holding her hand he told her everything that he knew, thought or guessed about Quinn, the dimension watcher.

She was silent for several minutes as his words hung between them. She leaned her head on his shoulder "if it means bringing the boys home then agree to her terms. The boys will understand."

"That's what I was thinking. I worry about how this will impact their children's lives." He stared across the room feeling the burden weighing heavily on his shoulders. He wondered what made his father so special. Growing up he never thought Levi was that special other than being an awesome dad. He did understand better his mother's position when she chose Noah over him as the heir. It's scary to put all that responsibility on someone. The best he could hope for is that he lived long enough to be a good guiding  influence in his grandchildren's lives."

"Caleb," Drew snuggled into him "I love you." She lifted her lips up to him kissing his jawline before traveling over to his lips. Hovering above his mouth, her breath warm on his skin "I've missed you" she said bringing her mouth down upon his as if seeking to rediscover forgotten territory.

***

Once his daughters wandered off to find their cousin to ply her with a million questions. Chase walked towards Jennifer. He fell into her arms squeezing her tight "I've missed you so much giving her a quick kiss.

"And I you," she replied taking his hand leading him inside. Sitting on the couch she asked "it's not over is it? Charlie and Andrew aren't here."

"Not yet" Chase averted his gaze unable to meet her eyes without hearing Quinn's voice in his head.

"What aren't you telling me?" she asked.

He smiled sadly "you always could read me like a book." He held her hand while he told her about the dimension watcher.

"No absolutely not," she cried bouncing up prowling the room.

"Sweetie please calm down," Chase tried to take her into his arms only to have her shrug his hands away from her.

"You're talking about sending our babies to another dimension," she shouted tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Not right this minute," Chase told her keeping his voice free of urgency.  He knew this was going to be difficult. "We have time before this happens. They still need to be trained and taught how to be time keepers."

"How long? A few years?" Jennifer demanded crossing her arms.

"I don't know," he sighed "maybe ten, twenty years at least." He continued to tell her about how Quinn planned to bring balance to the dimension.

"What if we refuse?" she asked her chin jutting out defiant.

Chase recognized the signs that his wife was preparing to dig in. Refuse to cooperate. "If we refuse the imbalance remains...." He walked over to her taking her face between his hands "which means we'll lose them anyway. The dimension watcher is only awakened as a last ditch effort to keep the council from intervening and resetting it. Once that happens everything we know is gone."

"What do we do?" she cried looking to him for answers.

"We take advantage of the time we have," Chase told her wiping away the tears that poured down her cheeks "it's not like we'll never see or hear from them again."

She looked up at him a curious glint in her eyes "what do you mean?"

"They'll be time keepers. I'm a time keeper," he smiled down at her. Kissing the top of her nose "time keepers can contact other time keepers in every dimension that exists."

"It won't be the same," she whined.

"No it won't but even if they stayed here they would grow up and live their own lives without us. We'll make the most of what we have to work with." He pulled her close smiling when this time she let him.

"It's better than the alternative I suppose," she murmured leaning into him

***

Later that night Caleb and Chase sat in the living room alone anticipating a visit from Quinn. 

Glancing at the time they began to wonder if she was going to show up. It was well past midnight already.

"We'll give it another hour," Chase said smothering a yawn.

Nodding Caleb stretched out on the couch closing his eyes wishing he was upstairs holding his wife in his arms.

"Isn't this cozy," a woman's voice startled them.

They sat up rubbing their eyes "can't you come at a decent time?" Caleb complained

"What's life without a little surprise every now and then?" she asked laughing at them "so have you come to a decision?"

"We have," Chase spoke for both of them "we'll do as you want."

"Awesome" she clapped her hands with glee "and you?" she asked turning her gaze on Caleb knowing that Chase had answered for both but she needed to hear from him.

"Yes I agree to your terms," he mumbled still not liking the idea but having no idea what he could do differently to get his son back.

"Good," she bestowed upon them a joyful smile.

"When can we expect them home?" Caleb asked sensing the woman was about to leave.

"As soon as they accomplish their task," she told him.

"What task?" Caleb demanded confused "I thought you said it would be my grandchildren who would need to do the time traveling."

"Yes that's correct" she sighed. She hadn't wanted to go into detail what that meant. There was one task that had to be done now in the future to make all the subsequent changes matter. Pull it altogether. It was dangerous. A risk Caleb would not want to take. "A beacon must be set in the future so that everything that is changed in the past will correct the imbalance."

"So you want Andrew to set that beacon before he can come home," it was a statement not a question.

"I'll instruct him in what needs to be done. The rest is up to him." She moved away from him not wanting to tell him that Andrew's success probability was about 30-40 percent. "I can't physically do anything to change things. I can suggest, maneuver and manipulate to get things done but I can't make the changes myself. That's why I needed your willing acceptance to my terms." 

***

"Do you believe that Emmie is home?" Charlie asked keeping his arms wrapped around his fiance.

"I have to believe it," Andrew leaned back closing his eyes "otherwise I let her go off by herself to die. I can't....." 

Charlie kissed the top of his head holding him tight. He didn't voice his opinion. It'd only crush Andrew to know that he believed that Emmaline had become mutant food.

"I shouldn't have let her go," Andrew cried burying his face into Charlie's shoulder "she's dead and it's all my fault."

"Don't talk like that," Charlie tried to soothe the tremors he felt run through Andrew's tense body "you have to believe that when we get home she'll be there."

"We're never going home," Andrew sobbed "I'm such a gullible idiot. Fantasies have no place in this god forsaken place. I'm the guy who'd buy beach front property in the middle of a desert."

What Charlie feared most was starting to happen. Andrew was unraveling right before his eyes. If they had any hope of surviving he had to find something to give Andrew a reason to hope. He feared all he could do was let Andrew cry on his shoulder.

The dog whined scratching at the floor by their feet. The mangy thing always became upset when Andrew was upset. Charlie had learned in the days since Emmaline disappeared he had to be cautious in how he approached Andrew. The dog seemed to have adopted Andrew as his new master.

Eventually Andrew cried himself to sleep lying half on top of Charlie on the couch. Absently Charlie ran his fingers through Andrew's hair wishing he could come up with a way to get the both of them home. The idea of raising their child in this place was terrifying. With each successive week it brought them closer to the day Andrew would go into labor. Than what? He didn't know how to deliver a baby. Where would the baby come out of? Would he need a c-section? There were so many questions and so few answers.

Andrew moaned in his sleep calming when Charlie ran his hand down his arm. One day Charlie knew he was going to have leave him alone while he went out for supplies. He would put it off as long as possible but their meager food store would eventually run out. He dreaded that day. He knew Andrew wouldn't want to be left behind but Charlie knew with the baby and his now protruding stomach he wasn't able to move as fast or maneuver the way he needed to avoid mutants.

The dog growled by his feet baring it's teeth it stood growling. Instantly alert Charlie jumped to his feet ready to defend Andrew to the death. A small woman stood silently by the door a lopsided grin upon her pretty face. "Dog be silent" she waved her hand deafening the room in silence. "That's better," she smiled please with herself.

"Who are you?" Charlie demanded standing defensively in protection mode.

"That's her," Andrew said standing from the couch tugging on Charlie's arm "that's the woman I told you about."

"Ah" Charlie acknowledged without taking his eyes from the woman's face "what do you want?"

Ignoring him Quinn directed her comments to Andrew "your father agreed to my terms."

Andrew sucked in a deep breath. What had his father agreed to? 

"He's eager for you to come home. However you need to set this beacon for me," she produced a small device. Holding it out to him she waited for him to take it.

Andrew reached for it only to have Charlie swat his hand away "we don't know if we can trust her."

"If it weren't for me you'd be dead by now," Quinn told him "I healed you so that Andrew would believe I could do what I said I could."

Charlie stood immobile obstinate in his refusal. "Charlie please," Andrew tugged on his arm "you were awfully sick when we brought you here. She did heal you."

"I suppose you believe she sent Emmie home too" Charlie said sounding confused, miserable and angry.

"I want to," Andrew said his eyes pleading "what's the harm in doing what she wants? If she's on the up and up than we go home."

"If she's not?" Charlie demanded wanting Andrew to see the consequences of his actions.

"Then you'll be no worse off than you are right now," Quinn supplied the answer growing tired of the conversation.

"I still don't like it," Charlie grumbled letting Andrew to take the beacon "if you're on the up and up I want to take advantage of it to get Andrew home."

"Good boy" Quinn nodded her approval. She understood his logic could appreciate it "take that device. Follow the directions exactly as I've written down for you."

Charlies eyes narrowed "we can't" he objected upon reviewing the map "this will take us into the middle of mutant territory."

"I can do it," Andrew said with a tremor in his voice "I'm the only one who can. I'm pregnant. They won't kill me. I can't become one of them. I'm a progenitor remember?"

"I won't let you go alone," Charlie shook his head "absolutely not. I forbid it."

"I'm not a child. It's my choice. I'm doing it," turning to Quinn "I'll do this if and only if you keep Charlie here."

"Very well," she rolled her eyes, clapped her hands and Andrew was gone.