Disclaimer: I don't own Strange Days at Blake Holsey High, nor do I claim to.
Warning: This fic contains lots of fluffy, silly moments (I wrote it that way for my own personal enjoyment– and I KNOW it's a little sappy) so don't flame me on account of that, otherwise constructive criticism is always welcome. I've only seen the first two episodes of season 3, but in case anyone hasn't seen those yet, this fic does NOT contain season 3 spoilers.
INSTINCT
".....And so," Professor Zachary lectured as he hit the stop button on the VCR and moved to turn on the lights in the science room, "as we can see from this video on animal behavior, mothers in the animal kingdom are instinctively protective of their young and able to care for them . . ."
"Guess it's not true of people, if my mom is any example." Josie said under her breath to Corrine.
Corrine gave her a sympathetic smile before turning her attention back to the lecture.
"In humans, the idea of an 'instinct' for protecting and caring for young is debatable," Z continued. "Many scientists believe that it exists, others argue that human parents learn how to treat their children from the example set for them by their own parents as well as by the culture they live in. An example that's often given is that abused children often grow up to become abusers themselves. Yes, Corrine," he said seeing her raised hand.
"But haven't there been studies that show that an involuntary response occurs in a human mother's brain when she hears her child cry, that drive her to respond to the baby?"
"Yes, Corrine, such studies do exist, however, other scientists have explained the results by saying that what is actually occurring is a learned response: the mother knows that she should respond to the child, has, in fact, been conditioned by her environment to respond in such a manner. They argue that the brain activity reflects the conditioned response. Needless to say, it would be almost impossible to design a controlled experiment to test which theory is correct, not to mention the fact that any experiment that could be devised would be highly unethical. . . Ok, everyone, that's all for today, please finish Chapter 12 for tomorrow."
"Where's Lucas?" Marshall asked Corrine as he sat down with his lunch at their usual table.
"He said he had some work to do," Corrine answered. "I think he went to the library."
"Where's Josie?"
"I think she's in our room," she answered, giving him a questioning look. "Why?"
"Do you think she's avoiding him?"
"Lucas? - or Vaughn." Corrine asked.
"Well, I meant Lucas but. . ." he answered, raising his eyebrows as he let the sentence trail off deliberately.
"I don't know," Corrine answered thoughtfully. "Josie's really hard to read sometimes."
"You know, Corrine, I hate to say it, because she's my friend, but I think Josie could be a little nicer to Lucas."
Corrine frowned. "Maybe," she sighed. "On the other hand, don't you think Lucas should ease up a little? I mean, I think Vaughn really does care about Josie and Lucas seems to go out of his way to make him look bad."
"So you'd rather see her end up with Vaughn?"
"I didn't say that!" Corrine said, irritated. She sighed and after a moment said, "I don't know, Marshall, I just think Josie and Vaughn are kind of the same in a lot of ways. I mean they both grew up without one of their parents, and the parent they did have has always been cold and distant."
"Has she ever told you how she feels about Lucas? I mean, she has to know how he feels about her." Marshall pressed.
Don't ask me that, Marshall," Corrine said, "It wouldn't be right for me to repeat things that Josie has told me in confidence."
He shrugged and they finished the rest of their meal in silence, each wondering if they had said the wrong thing.
Josie looked in both directions down the hall before picking up the phone. She dialed the number written in the card she had gotten in the mail a few days before. She took a deep breath as she heard ringing. Then, the computerized voice
"This number is not in service. Please check the number and try again."
"So much for your new work number, Mom," Josie said to herself as she hung up the receiver. She picked it up again to try her mom's cell phone, 'why bother?' she thought.
"Do you think Lucas is coming to science club today?" Corrine asked as she walked down the hall with Marshall. They were having science club a little later today because Professor Z had to attend a faculty meeting.
"I don't know, I haven't seen him since before lunch." He answered. Corrine frowned. He had been rather abrupt with her since their conversation at lunch. 'This is silly' she thought. 'This whole Josie/Vaughn/Lucas thing is even coming between me and Marshall.'
"Marshall," she began. . .
"Hey guys," Josie said as she and Vaughn came down the hall towards them.
"Hey" Vaughn said.
"Where's Z?" Josie asked as she tried to open the science room door. "It's locked."
Suddenly, a bright light flashed in the room.
"What was that?" Vaughn said looking at the others. He turned the knob again and threw his shoulder against the door. It opened and the powerful wind generated by an opening vortex hit them.
"Lucas!" Marshall shouted just as Lucas was enveloped by the bright light. The wind ceased abruptly and an eerie silence filled the room.
"Where did he go?" Corrine asked , eyes wide.
"Where did who go?" Professor Z said as he made his way towards them.
"Lucas," Josie said.
"Lucas fell into the vortex." Marshall said.
"But it wasn't like the one Josie and I went in," Vaughn said.
"That's right!" Corrine said turning to Vaughn, "It was more of a bright light, rather than an opening in the floor and it kind of pulled him in but that wind was still there."
"So how do we get him back?" Marshall asked.
The last thing Lucas saw before the brilliant light forced him to close his eyes, was his friends opening the door to the science room. He heard Marshall call his name, but the light enveloped him before he could answer. He now found himself outside. He recognized the area as being between Vaughn's house and the school, though he could not see either structure through the trees.
"Hello," said a voice behind him.
He whirled, taken by surprise. He gasped when he saw who was standing in front of him, "Josie?" He said, eyes widening. She had to be about four years old.
"No," she shook her head. "I'm Josie," she said in a firm baby voice.
"That's what I . .." he started towards her. He stumbled on a tree branch and suddenly the bright light filled his field of vision and his body was thrust backward. . .
"Lucas, what happened?" Josie said as Lucas emerged from the burst of light that had swallowed him moments before.
"I think I went to the past" he said, obviously shaken. "I think I saw you when you were a little girl, you looked maybe three or four years old, only– when I called you 'Josie' you said 'No, I'm Josie.' Which was weird, because that's what I said."
"So if Josie was three or four, it was eleven or twelve years ago," Z began, "Lucas, where exactly were you, when you went through the worm hole? Were you in this room?"
"I was on the school grounds, I think." Lucas said.
"Josie do you recall ever being at Blake Holsey as a little girl?" Z said.
"No, but that doesn't mean I wasn't. Maybe I don't remember." She said, looking troubled.
"Perhaps," Z began thoughtfully. "Lucas, are you sure it was Blake Holsey? Maybe. . ." Before Z could finish a burst of light began to fill the room right behind Josie, she turned to it and backed up as it grew.
A moment later a tiny, red-haired little girl toddled into the science room.
"It's her" Lucas said in a whisper.
The little girl had stopped in front of Josie and was looking up at her with big round eyes, "The light sucked me in, I tried to run away when the man fell through. I'm – I'm sorry, Mommy. Don't be mad." The round eyes filled with tears.
Josie's mouth fell open as the child's words registered. She swallowed hard, squatting down so that she was eye to eye with the child, "It's ok, I'm not mad." she said and the little girl smiled and threw her arms around Josie's neck. Josie looked at the rest of the group. "You went to the future, Lucas, not the past, she's my daughter," she said breathlessly.
"What?" Lucas said.
"How can you be sure?" Professor Z added.
"I – I don't know, I just– I know that she is." Josie said hesitantly.
"Hi Daddy." The little girl said. Josie followed her gaze, to where Vaughn had moved to get a better look at the little girl.
Josie looked up at him, "Our daughter. She's our daughter," She said as if trying to grasp the concept. No one else said a word.
He approached slowly, and the little girl ran over to him and he bent to pick her up. "Daddy, I made you a picture today of our trip to the zoo and mommy didn't help me at all."
"Uhhh," he shook his head as if trying to figure out what to say before smiling at her, "that's very good, I can't wait to see it."
Looking at the group, he said, "You know, I bet her name is Jodie, not Josie, like my middle name."
"Oh yeah, I forgot your middle name is Jody." Lucas said under his breath.
"Jodie," the little girl said firmly, pointing to herself.
"Ok this is just bizarre, even for this place." Marshall said.
"Her parents," Corrine started, "I mean, your future selves, are going to be worried about her if we don't find a way to get her back."
"Yeah, we need to find a way to send her back." Marshall nodded, as he moved slightly closer to Corrine, "I mean what are we going to do with a four year old?"
"But if they're us, "Vaughn said to Corrine, "then they know this happened because it already would have happened to them – us– and we would know that she finds us on the other side, right?" Vaughn glanced at Josie who had come to stand next to him and was now holding Jodie's hand and looking into her face with a little smile on her lips and a dazed look in her eyes.
"It's like I knew her right away." She said in a hushed voice, not answering his question. "Hey, Vaughn, she has blue eyes, even though we both have brown."
He tilted his head to look into Jodie's face, she giggled and hid against his shoulder. "My mom's were blue." He said after a minute.
She nodded, "I guess maybe my dad's were too because my mom's eyes are brown."
"Well that's very interesting, Josie," Marshall broke in, exasperated, "but your future daughter just walked through a worm hole and I think we need to figure out what to do about getting her back where she belongs."
"Not necessarily," Vaughn said, "They could have been brown, maybe one of their parents had blue eyes and passed the gene down."
"That's true. Do you think – "
Z, Marshall, Corrine and Lucas exchanged concerned looks. Z cleared his throat and said, "I'm glad you were listening when we discussed dominant and recessive genes but Marshall is right, it's getting late, we need to figure out what to do with your – umm- your— daughter" Z seemed to have trouble saying it, "while we determine how to reopen the vortex to her own time period."
"I'm hungry," Jodie said to Josie.
"Ok, honey, I'll find you something to eat. Let's see– what are you hungry for?" And more quietly to herself, "What do you eat?"
"Ice cream!" Jodie said with a happy grin.
"Not for dinner." Josie said automatically.
"Daddy let's me."
"Oh really?" Josie said, shaking her head as she looked at Vaughn, who grinned and said,
"I must have had a good reason."
"Corrine, Marshall, do you guys think you could try to go to the kitchen and get her – I don't know maybe a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk?" Josie said.
"And some ice cream," Vaughn added.
"Sure," Corrine said. "Come on Lucas, you can help too," taking Marshall and Lucas's arms she steered them towards the door.
"Where's Grandpa Victor?" Jodie asked.
"He's not here right now," Josie answered her eyes on Vaughn's.
"But he was working in your lab with you before?"
"Now that's strange," Z said.
"Do you remember going to my– to Mommy's lab?" Josie said to Jodie, cautiously.
Jodie looked puzzled for a moment, then said "I'm not allowed to go near the light when you and Grandpa are working. And I didn't! It was outside!"
Just then the others returned with food for Jodie, including ice cream. Josie set her questions aside for the moment to let the little girl eat.
Jodie turned toward Marshall as he placed a cup of milk in front of her, "Grandpa Victor gave me a pony, maybe you can come ride him sometime."
Marshall laughed, "Wow, she's a character!"
"A pony?" Josie said to Vaughn.
"He's always been big on expensive gifts," he said giving her a sheepish grin.
Professor Z said, "We need to find a place for her to stay tonight and . . ."
Josie interrupted, "She can stay with me, Corrine won't mind."
"No, of course not," Corrine said.
"Josie," Professor Z started, "You're still a minor yourself, I can't leave you in charge of a four year old."
"But, I'm her mother, "Josie said.
"Well you might be in one of many possible futures but technically, since, the one she came from might not even occur . . . " Lucas began.
"It IS going to occur," Josie said, turning to him angerly, "After meeting her, I can't imagine that Jodie won't exist." Her voice faltered as she finished the sentence.
"I agree with Josie," Vaughn said, cutting off Lucas's reply, "She recognizes me and Josie as her parents, we have to be the ones to watch her while she's here."
"Daddy, when are we going back to our house?" Jodie said, looking up from her ice cream.
"Umm - well we're going to stay at Mommy and Daddy's school tonight. You're going to sleep in Mommy's dorm room, won't that be fun?"
"Ok, but will you still read me a story like always?"
"Of course I will." Vaughn said, satisfied, Jodie turned back to her ice cream.
"Want some, Daddy?" She said waiving the spoon at him, ice cream dripped onto the floor.
Vaughn laughed, and let Jodie feed him a spoonful of ice cream, he didn't seem to care that most of it was dripping down his chin by the time she had finished.
Watching them with a slight smile on her face, Josie said, "We just have to find a way to get her upstairs without anyone seeing her."
Vaughn carried Jodie who miraculously made no sound. The others went ahead to clear the way. Luck seemed to be on their side because they made it down the hall and up the stairs without anyone seeing them.
Once the seven of them were safely in Josie and Corrine's room, Professor Z said, "Josie, here is my cell phone number, please call me if anything happens, if you need anything, anything at all."
"We'll be fine, Z. She'll probably go right to sleep, it's probably really late for her to be up." she smiled, picturing Z going home and furiously reading child care books in anticipation of a call regarding Jodie.
"Yes, yes I would think so," Z said shaking his head, "Let's all meet in the science room at 6 and see if we can figure out how to get her back. See you all tomorrow."
"'Night Z."
"What story are we reading, Daddy?" Jodie said.
"Do you have anything I can read to her?" He asked Josie.
"Actually I do." Corrine said crossing the room to her bookshelf, and coming back with a thick book. "I loved this book as a little girl."
"The Illustrated Shakespearean Treasury ?" Josie said grinning at Corrine, "You were a fun kid."
Corrine rolled her eyes, "It has beautiful pictures, she'll like that, and the stories are simplified for children." She handed the book to Vaughn, who had settled down on the Josie's bed with his back against the headboard, Jodie was cradled in his left arm.
"Ok, let's see," he said opening the book.
"Read that one, Daddy," Jodie said pointing to the page he had turned to.
"Ummm – Romeo and Juliet? Corrine, don't they D-I-E in the end?" He asked, spelling out the word.
"Not in the children's version, Vaughn, the Capulets and the Montagues end their feud and everyone lives happily ever after."
"Oh, then I guess that one would be ok." He said.
"They look so cute," Corrine whispered to Josie, indicating Jodie and Vaughn.
"I know," she said "You can tell how much she loves him." Behind her Lucas made a face.
"We're leaving now" Corrine said, indicating Marshall and Lucas "We'll come back a little before curfew, ok?"
"Thanks." Josie said giving Corrine a grateful smile.
"Something else happened when that kid came through the wormhole." Lucas said as he walked down the hall with Marshall and Corrine.
"What do you mean?" Corrine asked.
"Have you ever seen Josie act that way? She really believes she's that kid's mother."
"She is Jodie's mother, Lucas." Corrine said.
"Well, she will be. . ." Marshall started.
"It's like what Z was talking about in science class. They say that in the first moment a parent sees their child, they feel this instant connection. It's almost like – like instinct." Corrine said. "And usually that happens right after the child is born, obviously. But who's not to say that it couldn't happen if the parent met the child for the first time when that child was four years old? I mean as far as Josie and Vaughn are concerned, Jodie is their daughter, it doesn't matter that she won't exist for many more years."
"If she exists at all." Lucas said. "And besides, Z said that there might not be any such thing as parental instinct in humans."
"Then, what are you saying? That that cute little kid did something to Josie to make her think she's her mother?" Marshall asked, "Come on Lucas, what do you think, Victor is in league with a four year old?"
"No, but think about it. Isn't it a little weird that the kid recognized Josie and Vaughn right away? I mean, don't you think they are going to look older by the time they grow up, get married and have a kid, who is, don't forget, at least four years old?"
"Maybe they're really young when she's born," Marshall said, letting the sentence trail off as Lucas glared at him.
"Or," Corrine said, "maybe they don't change all that much– not enough to fool their child anyway."
"Oh– so now the child instinctively recognizes the parent?" Lucas asked, shaking his head. Corrine only rolled her eyes toward Marshall as if to say, 'you deal with him.'
"Lucas," Marshall said, "maybe Corrine's right. I mean just because Josie is a rebellious, anti-authority kind of girl now, doesn't mean that she couldn't also be a loving, responsible, motherly kind of girl. Ok, that sounded really weird even to me; but what I'm trying to say is that maybe we're just seeing a side of Josie that she keeps really well hidden."
Lucas didn't reply.
Josie sat down at the foot of the bed as Vaughn began reading,
"Once upon a time in fair Verona. . . ."
"Mommy, you can sit next to me," Jodie said, "Then you can see the pictures too."
"Oh– ok," Josie said, exchanging a glance with Vaughn before climbing up next to him. Jodie turned her head towards Josie and gave her a huge smile. Josie felt her heart lighten, as the huge blue eyes looked into hers.
Vaughn made it through about half the story before Jodie fell asleep. "She's sleeping," he said softly.
Josie nodded, "I'm sure we don't normally let her stay up this late. – Or at least I don't," she added with a smile.
He smiled too. "So, do you think we're good parents?" he asked.
"She seems happy; I mean at least we have good examples of what not to do," she said not trying to hide the bitter edge in her voice. "You know, I don't have any memories of moments like, well– like this," she said, suddenly unsure of herself.
"I know" he said quietly, looking down at Jodie and brushing her hair off her forehead. "I always wondered what it would be like to be part of a normal family, with a father and a mother."
"Me too," she said. Then after a moment, "You know this should all feel really weird, but it doesn't."
"You mean like knowing we're going to get married and have Jodie? Or her being here now and feeling like she really is our kid?"
"Both, I guess."
"It doesn't feel weird to me either, I think I've known for a while now that, you know, we should be together."
He leaned toward her and kissed her gently, pulling away slowly even as they heard a knock on the door.
Corrine entered and said quietly, "Durst is starting to make her rounds, guys."
Marshall and Lucas had followed her in and Lucas stopped short when he saw Josie and Vaughn, sitting side by side, shoulders touching, as they looked down at the sleeping little girl.
"If we just tuck her in and turn off the lights, Corrine and I can come outside and talk to you guys until Durst passes, that way she'll never need to come in here." She said to Vaughn.
He nodded and eased Jodie out of his arms so he could stand. Josie covered her and watched with a smile as Vaughn bent to kiss her forehead. He turned off the bedside lamp and started to move away when Jodie's little voice stopped him, "Daddy? Did you remember to check under the bed?"
"Check under the bed?" Vaughn repeated looking at Josie who looked as baffled as he felt.
"To make sure there's no monsters," Jodie said, her eyes were open now.
"Oh ok, let me just check," He bent and looked under Josie's bed. "Nope, no monsters, lots of other stuff but definitely no monsters." He grinned at Josie as he stood.
"I love you Daddy." Jodie said.
"I love you too, Jodie."
"And Mommy?"
"Yeah Mommy knows you love her too." Vaughn answered.
"And you love Mommy too?"
Vaughn glanced at Josie as he said "Yes," and after a slight pause, "very much."
Josie shut the door softly once everyone had left the room.
"5 minutes to curfew!" Principal Durst said as she passed their group in the hall.
"Night" Lucas said and started to walk down the hall without waiting for a reply.
"Goodnight guys," Marshall said shaking his head in Lucas's direction.
"See you tomorrow," Vaughn said.
"Thanks for everything, Marshall," Josie said.
"No problem" he smiled in Corrine's direction before leaving. She smiled back and with a goodnight to Vaughn, slipped silently back into the room.
"Josie, if you need anything tonight, just have Corrine come get me."
"I know. Thank you." She smiled at him, "You know, you're really good with her, I didn't expect that."
He shrugged, "You are too." And after a pause, "And I'm not surprised at all."
"Mr. Pearson," they both turned as Durst's voice echoed down the hall, "please say good night to Miss Trent and go to your own room."
"Ok Prinicpal Durst, sorry." he called. Then to Josie, "Well, I guess I'll see you in the morning."
"Night." she said, not moving.
He began to walk toward his room but stopped and turned as Principal Durst passed by him, saw her frown at Josie and finally make her way towards the stairs. When he saw that she was out of sight he walked back to Josie. She looked up at him, not moving until he pulled her close, then she wrapped her arms around him tightly. "I know it's completely insane," she whispered against his chest, "but I'm dreading tomorrow, I don't want to send her back."
"I know," he said into her hair. Then pushing her away from him, he tilted her chin up and she reluctantly raised her eyes to his, "but I think we have to."
"I know." She answered.
"Hey," Marshall said as he entered the room he shared with Lucas.
"Well, if I ever had any kind of chance with her, it's gone now." Lucas said bitterly.
"Listen," Marshall said, weighing his words, "I know this is hard for you. .. "
"No Marshall," Lucas interrupted, "you have no idea. You and Corrine are practically ready to help them plan their wedding."
"Come on Lucas, you know that's not true."
"Corrine is. 'Ooh Vaughn, he's so cute with her,'" he mimicked. "What is it about a big guy with a little kid that makes girls get all weak in the knees?"
"I don't know Lucas. But I guess what Corrine sees is that maybe in the future, Josie and Vaughn finally found the kind of family that neither of them had growing up and – and always wanted."
Lucas turned slowly to face Marshall, "I guess," he took a deep breath, "I guess I never thought of it like that."
"Yeah, I know you didn't," Marshall said.
"Mommy wake up!" Josie jumped as Jodie's voice jarred her out of a deep sleep.
"Jodie, what's wrong?" she asked groggily.
"I can't sleep anymore."
"Ok, ok, I'm up, let's be quiet so we don't wake up Corrine."
"Too late," Corrine said from the other side of the room.
"Corrine, I'm so sorry. What time is it? It's still dark out."
"It's 5 AM, Josie. I guess you become a morning person in the future."
"Yeah, I guess so."
Josie got Jodie ready and told Corrine she was going to get her some breakfast and then go down to the science lab to wait for everyone else. On the way, she snuck into the art room and took some paper and crayons.
When Vaughn walked in a half hour later she was sitting next to Jodie, who was drawing contentedly.
"What are you doing up?" She asked as he set a cup of steaming coffee in front of her.
"Corrine woke me up, she said it was only fair."
Josie laughed, "Remind me to thank her. She woke me up at like 5:00!" she said indicating Jodie.
"Hi Daddy." Jodie said.
"Hi, what are you drawing?"
"Don't look yet, it's a surprise."
"Oh ok,." he said seriously. Then a moment later, he looked at Josie, "Hey, she's left handed."
"You're right," she answered, smiling. "She's so much like us."
"She looks more like you."
"It's mostly the hair. She looks like you too."
He was quiet for a moment then said, "So how do you think we're going to send her back?"
"I don't know. Vaughn–" She was interrupted by the sound of the classroom door opening and the other members of the science club and Professor Z coming in.
"Hi guys, I brought donuts!" Z said, giving Jodie a silly grin.
"Donut!" Jodie repeated, looking up from her drawing and smiling at Z.
"Why don't you let me give her part of one, Professor Z?" Josie said, gently pulling Jodie's hands from the box that Professor Z had set on the table.
"She's tough," Marshall said to Vaughn, who shook his head.
"What is about men and giving little kids lots and lots of sugar?" Corrine asked, Josie looked up from cutting up a donut and nodded.
"Ok, everyone," Z began, "let's go over what we know about the wormhole that Jodie came through. Lucas tell us what happened right before you went through the first time."
Z, Lucas, Marshall, Corrine and Vaughn gathered around the chalk board making notes. Finally, Lucas said, "Well, Josie was standing in front of the wormhole when Jodie came through. Josie, what do you remember? Josie?!"
The group turned to where Josie was sitting next to her daughter, she looked at them with a pained expression, "Have you guys even thought about the possibility that Vaughn and I sent her back here on purpose? I mean– what if something in her future is wrong – and – and we sent her here to protect her. We can't just open a wormhole and shove her in, what if she doesn't even go back to where she belongs?"
No one answered her. Corrine and Marshall exchanged worried glances. Vaughn walked over to Josie and stood looking at her from behind Jodie's chair. "I thought we talked about this," he said quietly.
"I know," she said giving him a look that made his heart hurt. "But I just need to know that we're doing the right thing."
"Well," he said, "our future selves went through this already, they must know how we feel, maybe they'll figure out a way to send us some sort of sign for Jodie to come through, something they'd know we would recognize."
She nodded, "Of course, all we have to do if wait for a sign from them and we'll know it's ok,"
"What if there is no sign?" Corrine interrupted.
"Then Jodie stays here," Josie said.
"Josie, you can't alter the time line that way," Marshall said, "What happens when you get to the point in the future when she is about to be born? What happens to this Jodie?"
Josie didn't answer, but rose from her chair and put her arms around Jodie who hugged her back.
"Mommy, I made a picture for you and Daddy," Jodie said pointing to the picture in front of her. "It's of you, me, and Daddy." she said, pointing to each figure as she named them. Josie wiped her eyes as she looked at the bright crayon drawing, she laughed as she gestured to Vaughn. Jodie had drawn the three of them as stick figures, two with red hair, one with brown, the Jodie figure was in the middle with the Josie and Vaughn figures on either side and holding her hands.
"Thank you, Jodie, we love it," Josie said, when she looked at the rest of them they could see she that her eyes were shining with tears.
Bright light filled the room. The wormhole had opened.
Josie and Vaughn both moved to stand in front of it. After a second a piece of paper slid into the room.
Vaughn picked it up. It looked like the drawing Jodie had just made, except there were all sorts of shapes in the background, some striped, some huge and gray.
"That's the picture I made you Daddy!" Jodie said, "Of the zoo! You can put it in your office."
"I will, thank you, Jodie." He picked her up and hugged her, looking at Josie as he said, "I think that's our sign."
"I know" she said, her voice almost a whisper. Tears were running down her cheeks now, she reached out and Vaughn passed Jodie to her.
"I've never seen her cry," Lucas said quietly. Corrine nodded.
"Jodie, just this one time I need you to step into the big bright light and Daddy and I will be there on the other side" Josie said, trying to sound calm.
"Don't cry, Mommy."
"I'm sorry, I just– I – just remember that Daddy and I love you and we'll see you soon."
"I love you too!" Josie's tears started again as the little girl hugged her again. "Daddy, can we go to the zoo like in my picture? Mommy was happy that day."
"Sure," Vaughn said. He leaned down and kissed the top of Jodie's head, "Bye Jodie," he said.
Jodie wiped her eyes as she knelt down and kissed Jodie's forehead. She took Jodie's little hands in hers "We'll be right on the other side, just walk through."
"Ok Mommy" she turned and seemed to skip through. Josie gasped as if shocked that she was simply gone. She put her hands to her face and bent her head, her back shaking slightly as she began to cry again. Vaughn bent down next to her and pulled her into his arms. She leaned against him, letting him comfort her.
On the other side of the room, Lucas quietly got the attention of the others and gestured towards the door. Opening it quietly, he let Z, Marshall and Corrine pass through, he glanced back at Josie and Vaughn before slipping through himself and shutting the door softly behind him.
"Do you think she's ok?" Josie said, raising her tear-stained face to look at Vaughn.
"I'm sure of it," he said.
She smiled a little at that. "I'm really glad I met her, Vaughn."
"Me too. Come on, what you say we cut class and go to the zoo?"
"Really?"
"Yeah, I mean, it might be kind of fun– we can try to figure out what this thing is," he said, pointing to a round blob with pink and green stripes in the corner of Jodie's picture.
She smiled at him, "I'd like that."
At about the same time that Josie and Vaughn were deciding to take a trip to the zoo, Victor Pearson was in his office staring at his computer screen, "Grant," he called, "get me those energy fluctuation readings from yesterday and be quick about it."
"Here they are, Mr. Pearson," Grant said, hurrying into the office. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" he asked, curious.
"No, that will be all," Victor answered, not looking up from his screen as Grant turned and left. He glanced at the papers Grant had brought and quickly typed some numbers into the computer. "Very interesting," he murmured, as a schematic of a wormhole appeared on his screen, "It seems you came from the future."
THE END