Timekeeper

18.I'm about ready to drop about!

"Logan?" Patton was just staring at me as Virgil got up and made his way to the kitchen. I had to move out of the way because he was looking at the ground and didn't notice I was there. I would've hated it if he bumped into me and got hurt. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" I called back as he slowly made his way to the kitchen. I followed stopping only when Roman burst through the doors cause Virgil to panic.

"You're supposed to be at work. I thought you had that teaching gig." My eyes widened when I realized what year this was. This was when Thomas thought it would be a good idea for me to get an outside job. That way I wasn't always having to deal with everyone's drama. It didn't exactly work. And It didn't last.

"I took a day off... not feeling quite well." His face softened as he smiled and my heart jumped. I really need to get back somehow. I need to find my Patton.

"Oh, well ok. You should go rest then. I'll bring you up some soup later." I nodded leaving them to eat so that I could go research. I had to figure out why I was just going to random points in his past. When I was being shown things it was clear. One point in the past. One point in the present. One point in the future. Each one had a specific message. So far all I've seen is Patton's toys and Patton having breakfast. There is no message.

I rounded the corner and found the library, a big smile on my face. Coming here always made me happy. I walked through the double doors and just breathed in the rich scent of history.

I skimmed through the books trying to find the right one but nothing caught my eye. I must have been in here for hours. I couldn't find anything. Then again one doesn't normally go careening through the past some someone else's life. It isn't a logic subject and certainly not on you'd expect in a bo...

"Looking for this?" I spun around to find Patton standing there, a very old leather-bound book in his hands. "I knew something was off." He handed it over to me and my eyes traced the intricate rune looking designs that filled the cover. I looked up at him and he smiled. "Every point in time has a lesson to teach. There are no lost moments. There are no mistakes. Don't forget that."

"What are you talking about?" I said as everything started to blow away again. He just smiled and looked up at the sky.

"Does it matter. At the end of the day... It's you who has to make the choice." This is getting ridiculous, and VERY confusing. Nothing but childish antics and cryptic messages. What was Patton even talking about and why did he hand me this book.

"Lo..g...an" I looked up to find a glitchy looking Chris staring back at me. I reached out but he shook his head. "I'm s...or...ry." Next thing I knew he was right in front of me, pushing me through this portal looking thing.

I felt as my body began to fall. My only friend, a stream on never-ending light, lighting up a waterfall then surrounded me. I felt someone grab my arm and I looked up to find another Patton looking back, smiling.

"Nice of you to drop in."

"I'm about ready to drop out." I replied as my frustration took hold. I was way past sick of all this. It made no sense. And I am certain that I am not the only one confused about this whole series of events. RIGHT?!

"That sound about right." Patton said as he pulled me up out of this well... thing.... that the light and water fell into. He let go of my hand and put them in his pockets. "Welcome to the time well, Logan.

"The what now?" 

"The time well. Don't judge the name, ok?." I raised an eyebrow at him and he sighed. "This is what feeds Thomas's memory banks. It's the only access point in which a side can see parts of Thomas's past, and in turn our pasts."

"Was this what Chris used to show me those things?" His eyes darkened and I cringed. I forgot this was a different Patton. He was either from the past or the...

"Future. I'm from the future." My eyes widened. Another thing I forgot. He reads my damn mind somehow. Patton started laughing and I groaned. Not cool... It's just not cool. "Anyway. What he did could hardly be compared to what the true guardian can do."

"Guardian?"He nodded and I watched as his appearance began to change. I smiled as my speculations were finally confirmed. Patton now looked like Chris... or more accurately stated... Patton was Chris. "So you ARE Chris, huh?"

"Yep, it's short for Christmas. I based it off the drawing I made when I was 7. Thought the name was fitting. Christmas Carol and all that... " I know that's why I always said not to say it. Like I said before, I guess I just always knew it was Patton. "In hindsight... Christmas is not a name." I burst out laughing and Patton smiled. 

"So what was that about a guardian," I said when I finally calm down. Patton looked away and I could see the stress in his eyes. "Patton?"

"I never wanted to tell you. You were always so busy, I just didn't want to add more to it. So I thought I would take it. But..." He looked back at me and I my heart dropped. He was crying and I never liked seeing him cry. "My family was falling apart. I saw what was going to happen. I just could let it come true. I thought if I brought you back. I thought if you saw then maybe everything would fix itself and we could all be happy again."

"Patton?"

"But I was nieve. I thought that if I did it like the Christmas carol that your eyes would open. Like Scrooge's did. But pushed too hard. And in the end, I only hurt Thomas. I kept hurting Thomas. I thought that it would be fine in the long run. Everyone would be happy and there was no way it could get that bad. But it did. I saw what happened to you. And you pushed me out."

"I never should have done that." He shook his head and grabbed my hand holding it close.

"You were right. The moment I started that whole carol thing I set this in motion. Now the mindspace classified me as a threat. I was an unauthorized individual accessing the time well to alter the future and was causing Thomas pain. They deemed me dangerous." I pulled my hands from Pattons and took a step back in shock.

"Your morality... Thomas needs you... They can't just..."

"They obviously took that into consideration. I was doing more harm than good and, in the end, like with every other threat... they shut me down. The only way they knew they could without hurting Thomas more." I can't believe I was hearing this. And Patton seemed to have just accepted it. 

"What did they do?"

"They removed me from the mindspace." My eyes went wide and I felt to the floor. "They sent me where all dangerous creatures go."