Codename: Kryptonite

Chapter Seven

Gabriella sighed softly. Finally, he was taking this seriously. "It's kinda complicated," her soft Texas drawl tickled his ears. "How much do you know about political science?"

"Not a lot," he admitted with a self-deprecating grin. "I know who I like in the race and back them. That's about it."

She had no trouble reading the look on his face. She'd seen it many times in the five years she'd worked for him. It was what he referred to as his 'On' facade. The 'I-may-just-be-a-dumb-rock-star-but' look. She had seen him use that look to get people to tell him just how much they knew on any given subject, whether it was all stuff he knew already or not. He'd told her once that one of his favorite sayings was 'It's better to let people think you're a stupid ass, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt'. It had always been a useful tactic of pumping people for information for him. It seemed strange to see this younger version using the same tactic. And on her, no less.

"Somehow, I doubt that," she told him bluntly. "Sir, you're not fooling me. I've seen you use that tactic on too many people before."

"What tactic?" he asked, innocently.

"Sir," she paused while she debated with herself over how familiar to get with this younger version of a man she greatly admired. They had a very friendly relationship in her time. They often joked and teased each other; she'd even relaxed enough not to watch every word she said around him. Several times, she'd used a few choice curse words. She even knew what his favorite curse word was. "With all due respect...Fuck off."

Jon laughed softly. "Is that any way to talk to your President?"

"You're not my President." She paused meaningfully. "Yet."

He shrugged in casual indifference. "You haven't answered my question," he pointed out.

"We weren't entirely sure as to the why, but we could make an educated guess based on what was going on at the time," she told him. "Sir, you have the unique opportunity to 'stack the court'."

A puzzled frown briefly wrinkled his forehead. "Huh? Oh, you mean the Supreme Court," he was having a hard time thinking in terms of him making those kind of decisions for this country.

She nodded at him. "With the retirement of two justices and then the death of a third. You were in the process of putting a liberal majority on the court."

Again, he laughed softly. "So, who did they object to? Southside or Bruce?"

She frowned at him. "Sir, I thought you were finally taking this seriously?"

"Who said I wasn't serious?"

"Your last nominee was Barack Obama," she told him solemnly. "We are fairly certain that was the nominee that set their plan in motion."

"Who the hell is Barack Obama?" Jon asked her.

"Sir, it's best that I not explain all of that to you. You shouldn't know too much about your own future."

"Why? Will the world as we know it come to an end because of some ripple in the 'time flux continuum'?" He sounded way too sarcastic as he tried to quote Doc Brown from Back to the Future. The thought crossed his mind that she probably had no clue what he was talking about. Then another thought struck him. "Hey! How old are you?"

"Didn't your mom teach you better manners than to ask a lady that question?" she demanded with a sly little grin.

"Normally, yeah. But, this situation is way the fuck beyond 'normal'," he answered, adding a snort for good measure. "So, how old are ya?"

"Then or now?" she asked with a smile.

"Both."

"Thirty-eight and twelve."

"So there's another you somewhere in this time?"

"Yes. She's in a foster home in Corpus Christie, Texas," she answered him. "But, you're straying from the topic." She really didn't want to answer personal questions. When he nodded in agreement, she went on, "You had only just made the announcement that Obama was your nominee, when we heard whispers about an assassination plot and began to investigate."

Jon shook his head in wonder. "I still can't believe that in just twenty-six years we can travel through time. Have they invented that 'beam me up' transporter thing from Star Trek yet?" He was genuinely curious; he'd always wanted to buy one of those.

"Sir, the assassins had only recently developed the technology."

"Ah, and used the trip to get me as a trial run, huh?" He suddenly had a flash of just how ridiculous this whole conversation was. Was he really buying into this whole travel through time to come back and save him thing? "Wait. I've seen this movie!" he growled at her. "Arnold was great in it, too."

Her next words told him that she was indeed getting all of the smart ass movie references he was making. "Dammit Sir! This is not Back to the Future or Terminator. This is the real deal, and you are severely trying my patience."

"So you have seen those movies?" he grinned unrepentantly at her.

"Only two of the Back to the Future movies, but all eight Terminators, even the ones after Arnold died and they CG'd him in." she popped off without thinking.

"Arnold's dead in the future too?" Jon asked, then realized that considering Arnold's age now, it made perfect sense that twenty-six years from now he'd be gone.

"Sir," she said in a one word warning.

"Right. Sorry. Who is trying to kill me?"

"We weren't sure who the assassin that came back for you is, but we were able to make a few arrests. I can't and won't go into those details, Sir. You shouldn't know too much about your own future."

"Okay, then let's back up a little and discuss the two you's that are now in this time, and the fact that one of them can't leave."

She frowned at him, her light green eyes flashing with an inner fire as she lost all patience. "What about it?"

The limo pulled to a stop, and they both felt the dip in the car as the driver climbed out of the vehicle, and heard the door slam. Jon knew the man would wait patiently for him to open the door and be ready to exit the car.

"How will this work exactly? The twelve year old you grows up to become a secret agent, and..."

She jumped in quickly to interrupt him. "Don't think about it too much, Sir. It'll only make your head hurt."