𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐘| Quinn (Timecut) [COMPLETED]

six

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APRIL 17, 2003
QUINN'S GARAGE

The air in the room felt thick as Alexis watched Quinn hunched over a piece of machinery, focusing intensely on the device in his hands. The metallic clang of his tools echoed as he tightened a screw. The hum of the time machine in the background only added to the tension of the situation. Alexis couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to change, and she was on edge. Ever since last night, when she almost died-right in front of Quinn-it had been impossible for her to relax. Every creak of the floorboards, every unexpected sound, made her jump. She wasn't used to feeling this way, but then again, she wasn't used to any of this-time machines, alternate realities, or the secrets Quinn and Lucy kept hidden.

The door creaked open, and Alexis jumped, her heart racing. She expected it to be Quinn again, but to her surprise, it was Lucy, slipping into the room with a quiet grace. Alexis sighed in relief and let her heart return to its normal pace.

"Hey," Quinn greeted, his voice a little distracted as he looked up from the tool he was fiddling with. "Did you figure out how to get me home yet?"

Lucy didn't immediately respond. She walked over to the computer, her eyes focused on the screen. "No," she said, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration as she plugged the keyboard back into the machine. "But I'll try again later."

Alexis furrowed her brow. The tone in Lucy's voice was different from usual. She sounded off-like something was bothering her. Alexis opened her mouth to ask about it but was interrupted by her own question.

"Did you get your dad's badge?" Alexis asked, hoping to steer the conversation to something more normal.

"No," Lucy answered again, though her tone was still distant. "But I'll try again later."

Quinn sighed, muttering something about not getting anywhere. "I was gonna check out the computer next," he said, eyes flicking between Lucy and the console. Lucy didn't respond immediately, just plugged the keyboard into the time machine without a second glance.

"You want me to start it up or...?" Quinn asked, trailing off, unsure if Lucy had everything under control.

"No, no, I got it," Lucy replied quickly, her voice a little sharper than usual. Alexis noticed it. Something was definitely wrong with her, but she wasn't sure if she should push her on it. She barely knew Lucy-though they'd gotten closer recently, the two of them weren't exactly best friends.

"Are you okay?" Alexis asked tentatively, watching Lucy as she began typing furiously, her fingers moving in rapid succession over the keys.

Lucy's eyes didn't leave the screen. "Yeah. I just need to go home," she replied curtly, but there was a vulnerability in her voice that Alexis didn't miss. She wanted to press more, but Lucy was already lost in the code flashing across the screen. Alexis felt a pang of sympathy but didn't know how to reach her.