The Time Traveler's Wife

The Relationship Advice

January 2008

"Hey, stranger," Laura says as Carmilla eyes focus on the attic before her. "Welcome to 2008."

Carmilla tries and fails to hide her shock at seeing the oddest version of Laura she's seen yet.

"Whoa," Carmilla exclaims. "You look... uhm..."

"The last time I saw you was six years ago," Laura points out. She's in a faded Tegan and Sara shirt and ripped jeans, her usual lighter hair tinged with some darker brown streaks and also some blonde highlights.

"Diggin the hair," Carmilla chuckles, putting on a black t-shirt and sweatpants. "Wanna start catching me up on the past six years? If you want."

Laura leads Carmilla out of the attic and towards her bedroom, seeming unsure of where to start.

"Let's see you're... what? A sophomore in high school?"

Laura nods, pausing in the hallway. "When was the last time you saw me?"

Carmilla laughs. "Spoilers."

"Annoying as ever," Laura comments. "Before we catch up, let's do this first."

Laura pulls out a small handheld camera and motions for Carmilla to follow her.

The bedroom looks vaguely the same, with more posters than her younger years, clearly new and crisp. If Carmilla remembers correctly, the more recent ones are Charmed and Veronica Mars and Doctor Who. And a lot more pictures of Laura and her friends.

Carmilla zooms in on one in particular, amused.

"Recording time!" Laura declares from across the room, having situated her camera on her bedroom desk. "Hello, gentle viewers of the future. Last time we saw Carm was in May of 2002." She tugs Carmilla into frame. "So now, we're in 2008. I'm seventeen years old. And Carmilla is..."

"Twenty eight," Carmilla replies.

"Cool! We're getting closer in age," Laura says. She frowns. "Wait, what year were you born?"

Carmilla smiles, knowing where this is going. "1990."

"We're only one year apart in your present timeline?!" Laura shrieks. "In my present timeline?! In ANY present timeline?!"

"Yep," Carmilla replies simply.

A phone rings from inside the room, and Laura ends the video to answer it.

"Hey, Danny... Oh, that's okay. ... No, really! It's fine that you can't make it. Carmilla's here, anyway. ... Yes, she IS." Laura looks at Carmilla, eyes pleading as she puts the phone on speaker. "Carm, say hi to Danny."

Carmilla contemplates not saying anything, to mess with Laura, but... it's Danny. "Hello to Danny," she says flatly into the speaker.

"Oh holy shit," Danny replies, clearly surprised. "It's the voice of the woman in your videos. From the park bench!"

"Yuh huh!" Laura declares proudly.

There's a long pause on the other end. "Damn, she's like really real?"

"As real as you, ginger Gumby."

"How the hell do you know what I look like?" Danny demands.

Carmilla snickers. "Spoilers."

There's a voice calling Danny in the distance.

"Alright, alright, Betty! I'm coming! Geez." Danny sighs. "We'll talk about this later, Hollis."