Time Passages (Queen or Freddie Mercury Fanfic)

Lab Rats: Curiouser and Curiouser

Today's the day, Stuart said to himself, a sleepy yet eager smile crossing his face as he strolled through the Preus Hall entrance. After a long, harrowing week, the end now swiftly approached- the moment when he could Crebinate that troublesome man and send him back to the past once and for all.

Truth be told, he was exhausted, having gotten only three hours of sleep the night before. For that Dr. Ling simply would not stop talking. One minute she was praising him for his accomplishments, and the very next she was nagging him yet again about all the ways he and his team had mishandled the situation, keeping him on the phone all through his dinner and late into the night. He was still having trouble trying to decide whether or not he even had this woman as an ally, she shifted sides so quickly and so often.

Man, he quipped to himself through a yawn. Talk about Chinese torture.

She had a point, of course, and that's what stung the most. Not that silly little Danny had simply waltzed into the lab, unhindered; that sort of oversight was unforgivable. Someone had let him in, the boy said so himself. Who, however, still remained a mystery.

The camera footage, though it had been pored over countless times by now, offered no clues. There was no evidence it had been doctored, or edited, in any form. There wasn't even any shot of Danny entering the lab in the first place, and yet there were two cameras trained on that door at the time.

If only there was some kind of record, somewhere- some kind of evidence left behind by his big, alleged accomplice!

Near the elevator he found K perched on a bench, staring intently at his phone. "Hey, Steve," he greeted him.

The old man's head jerked up. "Oh, Preus! H-hello!" he stammered.

"Is the lab shut down or something?"

"No. Why?"

"What are you just hanging around up here for?"

K shrugged. "Just because. I spent a lot of time down there this week, I thought I'd enjoy a little of the morning sun before I burrow back into the lab."

Preus nodded. "Fair enough. I'm even more ready for this to be over than you are. Did you see the latest bombshell?"

"What, the 'QUEEN MANAGER CONFIRMS-'"

"No, the other one. The one about the rest of Queen actually flying over here to try and find him."

K did a double take. "Wait, what?"

"Look it up, it's all over the Internet."

"O-okay, I will." K blotted nervously at his forehead, casting a discreet glance at the time as he did so. Assuming Freddie hadn't forgotten about his scheduled checkup, he would arrive at any minute- and if Preus happened to be standing here when he did, there was no way Freddie was making it through to this evening.

"It's unbelievable," Preus muttered. "Bucky's made such a mess of things- and I wouldn't be surprised if it was on purpose. I can't even imagine what Jules has had to put up with on her end."

"She's a trouper," K agreed quietly.

Preus shook his head. "Eh, well, he'll get his before too long."

K frowned. "Get his?"

"You know."

"I do?"

Dr. Preus did not go on to explain. Instead, he changed the subject. "You should see the flowers I ordered for her this morning."

"Oh yeah?"

He nodded. "Two dozen roses. Half white, half black. I ran by her office, but I guess she's running late; hopefully they'll arrive before she gets there-"