When and where (Fruk)

12

Once we arrived at his home, I quickly began shutting the curtains. "Calm down; I doubt they know about me or where I live," Francis tried to say. "Maybe not, but they knew we would be at that restaurant, and I was smart enough to cover us until they left..."

"You call it smart...I call it acting on impulse..."

"Please...be serious! What if they come here!? I can not risk you being involved and hurt..." I crossed my arms, looking at him, and he shrugged. "Awww, you do care..."

"FRANCIS!"

"Sorry, Sorry, but come on, be reasonable. If they knew where I lived, they would have come here and trashed the place or have been here by now," he spoke. I looked at him, annoyed, and he began to approach me. He placed his arms on the sides of my shoulders and began to rub circles on me using his thumbs. I looked down at his hands, annoyed, and glared. "Just relax; I don't want you to have to leave so soon when you have just gotten here," he spoke. His voice was calm and made me relax a little, but I was still worried.

If he somehow gets involved, and it's my fault...I would not be able to forgive myself.

I know future him is proof that he doesn't, but there are many unanswered questions. He finally let go of me, and I looked at him seriously. "What is it?" he asked. I reached for him slowly and placed my hands on his shoulders. "Listen to me; I need to leave right now..."

"What? are you serious?"

"Yes, but I won't be gone for long...I will visit you in the near future to make sure that you are safe..."

I could not try and talk to him, though...it would not be safe...

"Why? Why do you keep trying to leave? Can't you stay longer than a day for once?" He asked. He moved away from me and glared. He was really angry at me. "Please don't make this harder...I don't want those people to find out about you...We will still see each other in the future...I promise..." I spoke. I looked around his home and quickly went over to a desk with one and paper resting on it.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I am writing down when and where we have to meet."

"What? You are serious?"

I began to write down the date, which was going to be close...sixteen years from now, thirty-five years before our second encounter, eighty years before our first. I wanted to meet him back in Paris. I tried handing him the paper, but he refused to take it. "Come on, take it..."

"Why should I? Do you understand how miserable it is waiting years for you?"

"I understand that, but I can't exactly stay in a time period forever; I will age..."

He started laughing at me, shaking his head. "I am not going to meet you...There is no need for that..."

"Just take it!" I demanded, shoving the paper toward him, but he refused to take it. He was an idiot who did not realize I was trying to protect him. "No!" he spoke. I glared at him and fixed my composure. "Fine...I will be waiting for you then...be safe while I am gone, don't do anything stupid..." I spoke. I shoved the paper at him, and he didn't grab it. The paper fell to the floor, causing me to roll my eyes.

I was going to the spot no matter what. "I will be eagerly awaiting your presence," I spoke. I clicked the button on my watch, and a portal appeared behind me. "Please...be safe," I spoke. I looked back at him, and he crossed his arms, looking away.

I was greatly and constantly annoyed by him, yet I cared enough for his safety and to see him. I should have been going home by now, but I wasn't. I was an idiot...

I walked through the portal and watched it close behind me.

I stood in the time dimension and looked around, confused. The colors were different, and this time, things were floating around.

"What the hell?" I spoke. I moved around carefully and watched as another portal opened from across me. However, I could not bother to go through them as I watched photos and belongings from people. They could not have been mine because I did not recognize the items. What was happening? Was something happening to the time dimension?

I reached out for a photo, but it moved away from my grasp. What the?

I could tell from a distance it was a picture of four people, but I knew it was a random family.

I looked over to the portal again, this time walking toward it. "This was the last time I saw him. After this, I needed to go home..." I said to myself. I had no other option. Those people were after me, the quantum chip was missing, and now this was happening to the time dimension. I will be able to see Francis in the future, but right now, I knew that something sickening was lurking around the corner. Something that I could not understand yet.

Once I walked through the portal, I looked around. He was not here...

The sun started rising, and I realized that no one was around, which would be good since I did not want anyone to see me walk through the portal. I was in front of the Seine river and slowly walked over to a bench. "I did say I would wait," I whispered to myself. I breathed out sadly and sat down slowly.

"Please come...idiot..." I whispered.

There was a chance that he would not come. That is okay and was mostly my fault. Maybe this is why he did not say anything to me in the future. Would that mean I am the reason why he doesn't say anything to me and why he tried to stop me? Maybe he was preventing me from meeting him so he did not have to deal will all of this shit...it would make sense.