Break Me One More Time [McLennon]

in which barney gets back on track

"Okay, in here," Barney said. He ushered John into a supply closet and handed Paul off to him. "Right. Close the door. Keep the lights off. Don't answer the door for anybody, okay? I'll come back for the two of you."

"Where are you going?" John frowned.

"I've still got a job to do," Barney said. "We all do.... You two should have been left in the timeline. I really am sorry that we got the two of you mixed up in this."

John shook his head. "No, don't worry about it. Paul told me when we first got to talk, out in the field, that no one could stop him from coming here today. He said he had something to finish, and he was going to see it to its end."

Barney laughed. "Of course he did. Classic Paul."

John laughed, too. "Classic Paul."

"Listen, John," Barney said, and he pulled something out of his pocket. Something that John didn't recognize, so he figured it must be from the future. "This is a phone."

John laughed, then frowned. "Oh, you're serious? Damn."

"So, I'm going to send you a message if I'm not going to be able to make it back here to get you," Barney said, and he sounded like he was teaching one of his children how to use a new toy. "On this screen here. It is just going to be a one-word message. If I do, don't come looking for me. Do you understand?"

John nodded. "Yes, I understand. Where are you off to?"

"I'm going to look for my squadron," Barney said. "Here, take this as well," he added, and he handed John a shotgun. "If I can't find my squadron, I don't know exactly what I'll do. I know Marbella's going to kill President Wilson. Wouldn't mind joining her."

"Sounds dangerous." John frowned again, and then he nodded again. "Well," he said, "best of luck to you."

"And you," Barney nodded, and with that, he set off.

***

John didn't like the phone that Barney gave him very much. Mostly, he just couldn't believe that was what phones were going to look like in the future, and that they were going to be portable? The phone that Barney gave to John wasn't connected to the wall or any wires at all, but it was apparently in working order. It was wild.

He did like that the phone told him what time it was if he tapped on the screen. He wanted to keep track of how long it had been, and when Paul woke up it had been about fifty minutes since Barney left them in the supply closet. John thought it felt like hours.

Paul groaned, and blinked awake.

"Oh, thank God, you're okay," John breathed a sigh of relief.

"My head hurts," Paul whined.

"Well, you really went through it in that room," John sighed.

Paul frowned, slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, and he turned toward John. "Where... where are we?"

"A supply closet."

"Whose supply closet?"

"Um. The..." John paused, scratched his knows. "The F.H.O.'s supply closet."

"Jesus Christ, John," Paul groaned. He buried his face in his hands. "Why would you do that? How'd you even get here?"

"Well —"

"How did you even find me?"

"I had —"

"How in the hell did you get me out of that place?"