When and where (Fruk)

19

"Can you hear me?"

"Copy!"

"Uhh....just knock on the door; we wouldn't want to resort to anything crazy..." I spoke. I waited by the door where I was supposed to go through. There was a tiny window I could see through, and I could see the past us working on the watch. "I got this! I will knock so hard they will both get up," he spoke. I smiled as I listened to his voice. He sounded determined and happy.

"Okay, 'you' just got up to go...but 'I' didn't get up," I spoke, annoyed. Ugh! "He closed the door? Should I knock again?" He asked. We had no other choice. "Toss the rock!" I demanded.

"Finally! I'm so ready," he laughed. I smiled at his laughter and heard the loud crash. My past self stood up quickly, leaving, and I took the opportunity to sneak inside.

I quietly approached the table, going through the small bag I had left there. I grabbed the extra chip, placing it into a protective box I had in my bag. I put the small box away and turned back to the door to leave. "Do you have it? Let's go!" Francis spoke into my ear. I looked back to the door and slowly approached it. "Yes...I'll be leaving right now..."I spoke.

I peeked around the corner and saw the two of us standing beside each other, looking at the shattered window and the mess. "Well, we can't leave this place a mess! Let's clean it up!" Past me spoke. I smiled at myself and slowly turned around. "Hurry up before they go back," Francis spoke. "Okay, okay," I laughed. I quickly rushed out of the room, closing the door from the room.

"Francis? Where are you?" I asked through the piece. I was running toward the back of the house and could hear his breathing. "Where are you—"

I nearly fell to the ground as Francis, and I ran into each other. Hitting our heads against each other. "You really are hard-headed," Francis spoke, rubbing his temple. "Oh, shut up!" I spoke, rolling my eyes. He reached for my hand and began to pull me to the shed he had. "Do you need many tools to fix it?" He asked.

"No! I can actually do it by hand! It shouldn't take more than five minutes." I smiled. He continued to pull me, and I followed behind him. We entered the shed quietly, and I began to work on fixing the watch, as he closed the door behind us. He had began to keep watch to make sure no one was coming. "What do we do when we get back to the future...Alfred is our kid...and he is pissed..." Francis spoke.

"I know...but we can't do much to change how he feels. The damage is done... I think the best option is to send him and Matthew back home...and hope we don't make the same mistakes..." I spoke. Francis grew quiet and didn't say anything.

I took out the damaged chip, tossed it on the ground, and took out the new one. "I know...but that's our kid...we are responsible...you don't seem bothered by it," Francis spoke. I finally stopped what I was doing and looked at him. He was looking down at his shoes in sadness. I was not an idiot...I had empathy and compassion, but the situation really did suck. "Look, I know it seems like I might not care...but I care. It hurt knowing I wasn't going to be a good parent. However, I think there is still a chance we can change it. If it's true...one day we truly fall in love, and I cure you, and we get married and have kids...I think we can change what we do...I don't think it has to be set and stone," I explained.

"I hope so...because it was true what he said...I have fallen in love with you...and I have been in love with you for the past few centuries. I know that it's only felt like a few days for you, but I have been waiting years to see you constantly. I'm willing to change how you may feel...despite the possible future, I still want to marry you...and have children..."

My eyes widened at what he said, and I felt my face getting hot. Francis walked closer to me, placing a hand under my chin, and making me look at him. "How? How are you not disgusted by what we've done?" I asked, looking at him. He smiled at me and began to touch my hair softly. "As you said...we can change it...and I want to..." He spoke slowly. "But if we do...Alfred will never go back in time and stop you from aging...then I won't go back in time and meet you...he has to turn out that way for us to be together..."

"Then who cares...we will find a way to change it...we can go back in time...something...I don't know..." he spoke. There was no way around it. For us to meet...Alfred needed to be traumatized.

"I promise you...everything will work out," he spoke. Francis leaned into me, kissing my forehead, and I smiled. He was right...there had to be something we could do. Even if I were to be the one to go back in time and make sure he stopped aging. There had to be something we could do.

I looked back at the device and began to finish fixing it. "Almost done?" He asked. I nodded at him and closed the top of the watch. "Yes! All we have to do is test it out! Any request to where to go first?" I asked. He began to smile and nod.

"Well, I always wanted to see the white cliffs of Dover last year but I never had a chance. I heard they looked really pretty around June," he smiled. I nodded at him and clicked the button on the watch. A portal opened quickly, and I felt happy. Thank god that worked...

I reached my hand out for him, and he gladly accepted it. "Let's do this!" I smiled. "I'll try not to freak out this time!" He laughed. I nodded at him, and we both stepped into the portal, immediately leading us to the cliff's edge. The breeze hit my face as I looked around happily. I had never visited the cliffs before...maybe I should more often. "WOW! YOU DID IT, ARTHUR!" Francis cheered. He began to shake me excitedly, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Stop! Please!" I laughed.

He continued to hug me, and I accepted my fate by resting my face against his chest. "You are so smart and talented! I love that! It's so attractive!" He cheered. I felt my face getting red, and I laughed nervously. "Oh...it was nothing..."I laughed. I wanted to scream and explode from the praise he was giving me. He was so cute!

"Oh, I hope I'm not interrupting anything!" A familiar voice spoke. Francis and I froze, turning our heads to the source. He was here...Alfred...and...Matthew.

"Please, just come with us! Alfred has a proposition for the two of you...and we talked for some time," Matthew tried to say. "What? We are not going with either of you..." Francis spoke.

"I told you they wouldn't agree to come...listen! We will grab you by force if you don't come with us in the next few minutes!" Alfred threatened. Matthew was going to forgive him that easily? Yeah, I don't believe it. They have to have been working together.

I looked at Francis seriously and nodded my head. "Do you trust me?" I asked. His face grew horrified, and he didn't say anything. "I would usually say yes, but you are scaring me, so not much!"

"Good enough!" I spoke.

The boys looked at us, and I began pulling Francis toward the cliff's edge. "Hey, they've never done this before..." Matthew spoke.

"HEY! STOP!" Alfred suddenly spoke in horror.

"Francis! Jump!" I demanded.

"Huh?! What now?" I grabbed his wrist, pulling him over the ledge.