Step Back (AU)

XX

I was sitting in the kitchen starring at the wall. We were talking about how another war here was about to start. Harlan would be leaving soon. It was a small war against the Russians. The Russians would fall back after a week. A small war that didn't mean anything.

"I think it was Professor Glenda." I say randomly. I throw a chunk of wood I was holding into the fire. I listen as it hisses.

Luke snorts, "Glad to hear I'm not the only one."

Ruby sighs, "But then what makes us the ones to go other than being historians. Why us four?"

I sit and look at us four, "We were at the dig for Harlan's tomb. That would make us selected." Then I look at Luke, "Then I see Luke and I'm confused all over again."

Luke shakes his head, "I wrote a paper on what happened to King Harlan the spring before we were taken. So, while I wasn't cool enough to go on the dig in the fall. I was a little passive aggressive and wrote an essay about it." Greg laughs and nods his head.

Ruby smacks Greg's shoulder, "Behave! So there it is. What do we do when we get back and they try to kill us."

Greg grabs her hand and forces her to sit in his lap. "We hope that they try, and we all get out."

Luke shakes his head, "They won't kill us. We are going to have to do a study on what has changed or not because of us being here. We are going to be questioned for long hours and tested on things. They wouldn't just kill us right away. It's after they get something. That's when we should worry."

Ruby shrinks into Greg, "Would our lives really be at risk? I mean, they have been in risk this entire time, but we learned how to provide and protect ourselves here. We have no clue what has changed there. What if an iPad can suddenly shoot people with drugs?"

We all could help but laugh at the last one. Then it suddenly died off when we realized that she wasn't far off from being right. Technology moved fast. A lot could've happened.

Who knew what was going on since January? Maybe they had a new disease? World War III? (If they only knew...) I just hope personally One Direction would come back. It's 2020! Ten years! Come on already!

"No. They are going to need us. Especially because two years a lives worth of information," Luke says. We all look at him and he smiles, "Dad is a cop. Well he was. He might've retired."

I listen in on the other three as they talk about their parents and siblings. We already knew a lot about them, but there was so much more to learn.

I lay down on the floor, my back starting to ache. "What is the first thing you want to eat when we go back?"

They didn't spare a moment, "Sushi." I throw my head back laughing. I lift my lefts to my chest enforcing my lower back to the ground. "I think I can agree with that. I'd eat that then brush my teeth for two days straight. Non-stop."

Ruby laughs, "My poor teeth. It's a good thing sweets isn't common for us. The only time we had it was when Harlan brought some for Alina's birthday."

Greg snorts, "I saw Alina swishing water around and rubbing her finger in her mouth for a toothbrush." He looks at me amused still. His eyes bright.

We were flourishing here. All of us have been greatly changed. Luke was working out in our time, Greg, Ruby, and I didn't. Greg was very built now and Luke was more filled out himself too even though he was working out. Ruby and I had very defined muscles in our arms and legs. All of us had seriously thinned out. Greg and I had joked that we no longer carried our freshman fifteen plus anymore. Which only led to Luke announcing he never gained the freshman fifteen. I threw a pebble at his head and he only laughed.

The door opens and Harlan sticks his head in. I lift my head too see his smiling face. His eyes settle on mine and he raises an eyebrow, "What are you doing?"

Ruby laughs, "Her back hurts. She's stretching it."

Harlan walks over and offers his hand which I deny. I knew if I stood up my back would continue to ache, and I wouldn't be able to do anything comfortably. "Wait, Harl, it hurts. I sat in the chair too long."

Lief walks in his face still stoic. He walks over and kisses Ruby on her cheek. Squeezes Greg's shoulder and shook Luke's hand. He stops at my feet and raises an eyebrow, "My lady?"

Harlan and Lief stood over me with their arms crossed and eyebrows raised. My back was still spazzing and I sighed ignoring the pain. I hold out a hand and Harlan smacked his hand into it pulling me up. I hiss in pain when I stood up. My hands fly to my back and support it, "I told you. Ouch." Harlan pulls me forward and his hands replace mine on my back.

I hiss in pain and rest my face into his chest. His hands gently massage it and it seizes under his hand. He makes a surprised sound. "I told you it hurt, Harlan."

He hums in my ear, "I know, my love. It's going to be okay." He keeps working the muscles that were still continuously spazzing. He chuckles, "What did you do to yourself?"

"Nothing! It just hurts when I sit for too long!" I say honestly.

Ruby laughs, "Alina, you were there for ten minutes! What are you talking about?" She gives a fake sigh, "What are we going to do with you?"

I start to lean heavily into Harlan, and he wasn't surprised with my movement. I could feel his breath on my ear, it tickled a little, "What did you do?" His hands stop massaging and they just start rubbing up and down my back.

I heard a sigh, and someone places their hand on my shoulder, "You probably lifted something too heavy in the wrong way." It was Greg acting like my older brother. He was only older than me by nine months, Ruby was older than me by six, Luke was younger than me by three months. Harlan kept me close and gave off warmth.

"Your majesty, one of these you will arrive, and we will not be here. We will have been taken back home. When that occurs, you are to have whatever was ours. You are our only friend we have here in this time. Someone who has kept us safe," Greg says.

Harlan clears his throat, "That is something to discuss another day. Let us not think about it."

I think about the letter I wrote laying innocently on the table. It bores in my mind as I was already mentally crying about what felt like soon. I held Harlan close and kept whispering how much I love him.