Where I Belong - Ace Merrill

Chapter 16

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~2022~
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2:25am.

The entirety of the hotel stood outside. Staff and customers alike. The staff were all very annoyed, customers were in their nightclothes cold and grumpy.

Ace stood in between Harper's mum and dad as they kept a firm grip on his arms, trying to keep his head down.

"You just had to have a cigarette didn't you?" Harper's dad grumbled at him.

"How did I know there was that horrible beeping thing?!" Ace grumbled back.

The moment he's started his cigarette a massive loud beeping went off throughout the whole hotel.

"It's a smoke alarm Ace! Funnily enough, they detect smoke." Harper's dad snapped back.

"Actually it's on us for not telling you." Harper's mum quietly stood up for Ace.

Both men snapped their heads at her, both in shock at her defending him.

"Smoke detectors weren't actually invented till the 60s..." she mumbled as she stood in front of Ace, blocking the view of a couple who were just staring at him in confusion.

"Well..." Harper's dad started but silenced as he realised he had no argument.

They hadn't actually told Ace he shouldn't smoke indoors and that the smoke detectors would go off. He turned and saw Ace smirking at him.

"Oh shut up Merrill." He grumbled as customers were finally allowed back in the hotel.

The three were finally able to get some sleep as Harper's dad went through with Ace about the worlds new rules. No smoking anywhere indoors being the main one.

"You mean I gotta go outside every time?!" He grumbled as he began to hate this time.

"I wanna go home." He grumbled as they finally reached their suite.

"Believe me Ace, we want that too." Harper's dad grumbled as they both headed back to their room.

"No more problems tonight please Merrill? Just go to sleep." He finished as Ace nodded slowly, heading back into Harper's room.

He flopped back down on the bed and let his eyes wander. He just wanted to get back to his own time, his own world, with his cobras and Harper.

He sat up and saw her strange screen and keyboard block sat there. It freaked him out but his curiosity took over.

Pulling it up onto his lap he opened it up again and pulled a grimace as he saw a picture of Chris, Gordie, Teddy and Vern appear on the screen.

Looking down he pushed another button causing the picture of Harper and her parents to appear. He saw many small icons covering the picture.

"How the fuck you go on a 'safari on this thing?!" His thought aloud as his mind wandered to wandering around Africa, looking at elephants and lions.

Ace saw an icon labelled 'photos' as he reached out and touched it. Nothing happened. He tapped the screen a few more times and still, nothing happened.

He tapped more icons, safari, FaceTime, Facebook, nothing happened.

"How the fuck you use this thing?" He grumbled as he picked it up and began flipping it around in his hands.

"Hey Siri, how the fuck do I work this thing?"

"I'm sorry I didn't quite get that." Came the voice in reply.

Ace thought over everything Harper had told him, yet there was one thing he wanted an answer to.

"Hey Siri, what's fan fiction?"

"Fan fiction is fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by fans, unauthorised by, but based on an existing work of fiction. Here are some links I found."

The voice spoke as a new screen popped up. Ace flinched slightly as he saw a whole new world open up.

"Yeah but how the fuck do I click it?!" He half snapped at the machine as he tried tapping the screen again.

He thought for a second before getting an idea. "Hey Siri, open photos."

A new screen popped up and many smaller pictures of Harper appeared, she was in a different place each time but Ace couldn't help himself but smile seeing her.

"Hey Siri, remind me to tell Harper I miss her." He mumbled, not expecting a response.

"Of course. When shall I set the reminder?"

He flinched slightly as he shrugged.

"Tomorrow?" His reply came out as a question rather than a statement.

"Reminder added for tomorrow. Tell Harper I miss her."

Ace smiled slightly as he pushed the machine away and finally lay back down on the bed. Tilting his head to look out the window he watched as the stars twinkled above. He hoped she was okay and that if the boys remembered her they were keeping an eye on her.

He had to get back to 1959 for her.

~~~~~
~1959~
~~~~~

"Harper doll you gotta get up!"

Harper groaned slightly as she rolled over. Feeling the blankets slowly getting pulled off her she groaned out even more and quickly grabbed a pillow and chucked it at whoever was making her get up.

Yet all she heard was a distinct laugh. "Fucking hell you're as bad as Ace!"

Harper froze. She knew that laugh. Rolling over she saw Eyeball grinning down at her.

"Come on dolly, as much as you wanna stay in his bed all day, I gotta feeling it will be better when he's there too. Unless you wanna be an Eyeball girl." He finished with a smirk as he crashed down on the bed with her.

Harper laughed as she tried to escape from his body as he kept her close. She began smacking him but of course that only made him smack her back in retaliation.

The pair fought for what felt like ages until he managed to pin her down below him.

"Now, you gonna get up?" He asked her confidently.

Harper sighed as she looked up at him.

"We'll get him back. Ideally before he causes too much trouble." Eyeball said with a laugh.

Harper laughed slightly and nodded. "I'm just worried."

Eyeball nodded and climbed off her, letting her sit up. His arm went around her and he tugged her closer.

"If anything it's your time that should be worried." He said with a scoff.

"Hell no, he knows nothing about how to survive. Lord help him if he meets my parents! He knows nothing about our technology and let's be real he has no-one. He's all alone there..." her voice trailed off.

"You're..." Eyeball paused. "You're not gonna go back are you?"

Harper turned to him. "I have no choice! He's going to struggle without anyone telling him the rules and our way of life now!"

"But how? The story is finished?" Eyeball questioned.

Harper shrugged slightly. "I don't know. Irbys bathroom might be the best chance to figure it out though."

Eyeball nodded slowly. "We'll go after you've eaten, poor thing must be starving!"

Harper nodded and grinned at him.

She had to get back to 2022 for him.