Step Back (AU)

VI

A human's instinct works in two ways in a dangerous situation. Or when in a situation where the human feels unsafe. They have two options that are very opposite of each other.

Fight. Or flight.

So staring that the handsomest man of my entire life. A man who makes me want to fall in love with him over and over again. I decided flight. I chose that because he's cute. Or at least I'm going to keep chanting that to pretend that I wasn't intimidated by his tall and very built stature.

So before Harry could flinch, I leapt back and started to run.

"Alina!" Harry yells in shock. I just needed to get to the boys. We would split from there and meet up somewhere else perhaps.

It was hard ignoring the steps behind me. Harry yelled a different name, "Malik!"

Harry's big horse suddenly rushed over and got in my way. Before I could try to even get around the large horse Harry grabbed my arm. He commanded the horse to stay still in German as he took off his gloves. "Alina, you need to explain."

I shake my head, "I can't. I can't explain." I try to blink back the tears and Harry cups my cheek wiping the ones that escaped away. I push against his large muscular chest weakly. "You wouldn't believe me."

Harry scoffs, "Do not decide that for me."

I shake my head, "No, you'll state I'm insane. You would never believe me."

Harry laughs, "Alina. That is not fair for you to say."

I stare at him as he gives me an honest look. I push him to get a look at the boys. I sigh in relief and lean back into Malik. They didn't notice anything.

"What year were you born?" I ask not looking at his face. I was looking at my dress which was soaked with snow.

Harry chuckles, "1355. The 19th of May." He leans down trying to make eye contact with me. I take a deep breath and look at him. "Come on Alina. Be noble as you name labels you as. You can tell me anything. I will decide after you tell me about your... Things. When is your birthday, since we are getting to know each other..."

In a breathless gasp I say, "Guess."

He smirks, "1363." I hide a smile and shake my head.

"Higher," I say.

He raises an eyebrow, "Higher in age or year?"

"Both."

"1369?" he whispers with wide eyes.

I laugh, "I'm not ten. I'm twenty-three. Keep guessing what year though."

He raises an eyebrow, "Alina, well, I guess it's not common for women to have education."

Then it was my turn to raise an eyebrow, "I have had plenty of education. Trust me. You're twenty-four."

He sighs, "I'm confused. You said to raise the number?"

I nod my head, "Yes. I did. Harry." I take a deep breath. "Promise me something."

He nods his head, "Of course."

I look at him serious and his gentle expression turns serious, "You need to promise to not kill me. To not kill Greg, Ruby, or Luke and that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. You need to promise me. It can seriously put us in grave danger, and I want to live. I want to be able to go home."

His facial expression morphed into one of horror and devastation, "I wouldn't. I could never imagine to ever. Nien. No. I promise. I want to protect you! I cannot believe you asked such a promise. Explain, Alina! Now!" When I didn't reply he switched to German, "Sag es mir jetzt!" He looked destroyed because I asked of a promise.

"My birthday is January 13th, 1996." I say.

Harry throws his head back laughing and shakes his head, "Not possible. You are lying."

I shake my head, "I'm not. Greg and Luke aren't my brothers. I'm not from England. I'm from a different country. Somewhere that in this time has not even been found. It won't be "officially" found for years. We are historians. Or at least trying to be. We help uncover history and figure out what happened because it wasn't recorded. Not until Germany started to; actually, around this time period they did."

Harry looks at me as if I lost a head. I sigh and try to get out of his hold. He shakes his head, "Are you cold? Has it gone to your head?"

I give him a nasty look, "Harry. I'm not cold. I'm perfectly fine. I'm not joking."

He scoffs and then grabs the swords that I had thrown back at him. He looks at the handles and pulls one out. He throws it at my feet and gestures to me to grab it. "The handle has your name on it. So take your insanity and slay me with it. Please, since I finally discovered happiness and it's laughing at me."

Throwing the sword back at him into the snow, "I will do no such thing. I will leave instead. Just, just keep your promise."

I started walking then paused and turned back to look at him, "The time that I live in now. It is just as savage as this one. It is just as cold. Even in that year we have to fight for our own happiness. I fought for it and fought. It wasn't until I—" I pause and shake my head. "I guess, it still depends on the person as well. Are you going to fight Harry? Until then."

I didn't let him reply and just let myself slip and slide down the hill exhausted. I was ready to collapse and wanted to sleep.

Elias looks at me with a kind smile, "Do you want to go home and rest, my lady?"

Sleepily I nod my head, "Sounds like a great idea." I look at my two "brothers". They looked at me worried, "I'm going home. I'm going to go to bed. It's going to be sick."

Elias leapt away from me, "What?"

Greg and Luke's eyes widened. Luke dropped his sword and started walking towards me. I sleepily grabbed my bow and arrow and pointed it at him. Luke froze and Greg growled in protest, "No. Pick your weapon back up. If you want to learn you must, but I'm done pretending with these three. Not when one already has a clue." I look up at where Harry was and couldn't find him. I clear my throat and look at Elias, "I'm not sick. Sorry for my poor words." I put my weapons away and look back at the two. "I love you. See you later alligator."

He nods and helps me onto the horse behind him.

Luke gives me a wide smile, "In a while crocodile." Greg elbows him harshly while Luke just waves.

Ruby gasped when I walked into the house, "Oh, dear." She says.

I drowsily stumbled towards the bed taking off my cloaks, "You don't need to pretend. Elias knows. He's such a good boy. He knows when we are from. He doesn't care."

Elias sighs hanging his cloak up, "I've always had a perceptive mind. I figured by then time travel would be possible."

Ruby sighs, "Well. It's complicated. It isn't really something, yet, I guess."

Elias gasps as I strip down to my small shift and the nice shorts that I had made to wear underneath as well. Chafing was a thing. With nothing but fabric. I fixed that problem really quick.

I wave my hand at him and laughed, "Oh Elias. So much you're about to learn. Don't break his head with information Ruby. No history, just us."

Ruby sighs and I hear a harsh slam of her knife, "Go to sleep."

Elias laughs at me, "Let me help Ruby."

"Okay but let's put your things next to the fire and wear these on your feet so your boots dry," Ruby scolds him.

Then I drifted off and out letting Ruby mother Elias, and hopefully she didn't break his head.