Chapter 4

I don't know how often these things happen to you, but personally I was quite overwhelmed. After being convinced that the girls could handle themselves I went home, and mostly slept for a week. After that it got a bit easier, but still... Some times passed when I believed everything was just what it seemed, but as time passed us by, the briefcase and the entire thing seemed more and more distant.

Peter kept nagging me about my newfound girl talent, and I think he might be right in a way. Being suspended in a feeling of unreality had made it easier to approach Shannon, but that was all just a state of mind. I had opened up a little bit more, teasing the girls and laughing with the jokes of some guys I had never talked with before. Not a miracle, but a distinct change. Would it bring attention?

Some days I felt like my every action was being scrutinized from the future, and my self defence training brought back flashes of fighting armed combatants... Why were they after my briefcase? I still thought of it as my briefcase, even after the money was gone to investments and to the ladies for living. I hoped they didn't spend it all at once.

Liz must have read one too many spy novels because she came up with a good idea on how to pass messages between us using public message boards. I still had to keep my lives separate, so everything had to be invisible to the outside world. That Thursday I recognized her hand in arranging a set of messages, and called a number from a payphone. Sonya answered, but didn't identify herself. She told me her sister's baby, our codename for the formal identity of Nemo, was born and I should come see it. I said I really wanted to, but couldn't make it. Simple code for 'of course'.

The creation of Nemo. It seemed to be worthy of some celebrating, but there wasn't much I could do. After some thought I figured that meeting the girls and seeing their new place would be a sort of celebration in itself, but I wanted to get my old self involved as well, if not mixing them then at least do something special in my real life as well as my new life. It seems kind of silly in retrospect, but...

Anyway, I decided to ask Shannon out on a date, a real one. She blushed furiously, and I think one of her passing friends even giggled at us. It looked to me that she had already agreed but didn't quite know how to put it. "Just a yes or no," I said, which calmed her down enough to nod. That covered Friday, and then Saturday I would meet the girls and celebrate the secret part of my life.

So, Friday with Shannon. Saturday the girls. Sunday? Maybe I better rest Sunday. Never know how long Saturday is going to last. Okay, so I had some hopes. I was after all a healthy male, the presence of ladies made me... hopeful.

One of our teachers was sick, which made Friday an early day for both me and Shannon. We decided to go check out an early movie and eat after, and so we did. I was the gentleman and paid it all, from my very limited funds in my first life. She was the blushing date, but as dinner progressed we got more and more to speaking. She was really charming, once she got over her shyness, and quite attractive. Suddenly a waiter came over with a phone on a tray. I thought that was reserved for bad movies, but he carried it over to her side. "Phone call for the lady."

I really liked that restaurant. It wasn't as fancy as it appeared, but everyone was at their best behaviour and made all the guests feel like they were dining at a much more expensive place. Shannon's look however worried me, it was apparently not a good phone call. She hung up and thanked the waiter whom silently sank back into the shadows.

"That was mom. Dad's in a hospital. I have to go right now... I'm... real sorry. You finish your meal."

I tried to convince her I would go with her, but she couldn't accept that. Either she was ashamed of me or her parents, or maybe it was just too personal or too sudden. Before I had really grasped it, she was gone, and I was alone at the table nibbling at a delicious meal. So much for celebrations. Darn, I really started to like that girl.

I looked up surprised as she sat down at the table again. But... I had seen her leave. No, on second glance, this was not Shannon. Just someone with an eerie similarity to her. Given the strange situation I was in I immediately turned suspicious and looked around, while she started in on some bread from the basket.

"Excuse me... who are you?"

Well, I had to ask. She smiled at me though, and it was a real nice smile. She swallowed carefully and looked around before leaning over the table and whispering it to me.

"Your daughter."

You know that feeling when you are just starting to accept a new situation, and someone just throws a wrench in the machinery? I didn't know this girl, but she proved to be a pretty big wrench. I coughed violently when some of that delicious food went down the wrong pipe from sheer surprise. It took a while to settle down, and all of a sudden I had lost my appetite. A waiter quickly removed our plates and sent in the desserts we had already ordered.

Or rather Shannon and I had ordered... she did look a lot like her. "Are you by any chance... I mean... Shannon and me?" She nodded. Now there was yet another thing to consider. I was just starting to realize I really liked her today, and up pops a kid... sure it happens to some, but usually there is a nine month waiting period before delivery. And they don't pop out quite as... Well grown as this lady was.

"So... uhm... you're from the future." She shook her head. I considered for a while. "The past?" Now she nodded. "So I take Shannon with me when I freeze myself?" Again she shook her head. She seemed busy with the dessert, but I was dying for some good answers and it annoyed me she didn't seem to tell me anything much.

After finishing her dessert, she took on mine, and afterwards we took a walk. Just like I had planned it, only the wrong girl hanging on my arm. "So... can you tell me stuff or am I just going to have to play 20 questions with you until you give in?"

She laughed. "Sorry... But you have no idea how good dessert tastes when you've spent most of your life in times where sugar doesn't exist." I glanced at her. As far as I knew sugar had been extracted from canes and beets for more than two millennia. She licked her lips and looked around before continuing.

"You wonder if I will tell you some answers, and I will. Some. Just like people are working against you, there are people working for you. Some times if special need arises one of these people are sent through time to effect changes. You usually do these trips yourself, but for some missions other operatives are chosen."

"So you're an operative."

She shrugged. "Sure... just like a lawyer is an operative of his law firm. I think a more accurate description in this case would be... I'm family."

Chills ran down my spine at the thought of it. It was creepy. She looked to be my age or a few years older, and she was supposed to be the daughter of me and a girl I just met, born in the past. I opened my mouth several times but just closed it again, not knowing what to say. We walked through a park and she gestured for a bench. We sat.

"The reason I arrived tonight is that... well, both you and mom remembered the time and place so well. Tonight was the night sparks flew. We could easily target the right place and time to set me down and... uhm..."