4.10 Losing Hope

Don fought the desire to give up. It seemed like they had been trying to attract attention of the passersby for weeks with no visible results. There were a few times when their efforts resulted in a few sparks but not much else. He was positive a few people noticed those few sparks. He had watched while they stopped and stared then turn and cross the street as if something scared them away.

That alone gave him motivation to continue even though he doubted it was working. He had to do something even if it only kept Malachi from slipping deeper into depression. As long as they were doing something there was hope.

"We need something else," Malachi disturbed his thoughts.

"Like what?" Don asked looking thoughtfully at the boy. He tried not to think about how little time the boy had left. Malachi had been an eighteen year old freshman in college. Now he resembled an eleven year old boy.

"I don't know," he shrugged "something bigger or electrical like the TV."

Rubbing his chin Don had to admit the kid's idea had merit. Slowly he shook his head "no it won't work. If we could keep it plugged in then maybe."

"Extension cords?" Malachi queried.

"I haven't seen anything like that anywhere in the house," Don hated the look of abject disappointment that clouded Malachi's face. He hated to squash the kids hope. "Let's inventory what we have available in the house that we might be able to use."

Sighing Malachi gave him a halfhearted nod sensing this was more to keep him busy then of any real use to their situation. "Yeah whatever," his shoulders slumped as he followed the older man into the house.

***

Kimberly followed Everett outside. His shoulders slumped as he stared into the distance. It was a different picture from the self contained young man she had listened to for the past several hours. He looked so vulnerable like he had the weight of the world upon his shoulders.

She knew that stance well. It was the one she had seen many times in the past. All the Van Winkle men had at some point in their lives had felt they were carrying the world on their shoulders. She put a gentle hand on his shoulder "we'll help you if you'll let us."

A wordless grunt was the only response he gave. He turned eyes glistening with moisture in the light towards her "I hate this place" he muttered.

Gazing around her it was hard to imagine that not long ago people had fought and died here. Grandpa never spoke about it. At times he would get the same far away look that her companion had. She knew without asking that bad things had happened that her Grandpa didn't want to remember. "I'm sorry," she murmured touching his hand softly.

Looking down an unreadable expression in his eyes "why?" he demanded a belligerent tone his voice. "You still have your parents, your family..."

Her eyes widened taking a step back "my life isn't perfect. Far from it," she crossed her arms rubbing her hands up and down as if she were chilled "my dad" she nodded towards the house "was trapped in a bubble universe. What felt like months to him was eight years to us. He was lost, pregnant, fighting off a mad man who wanted to make him his. The only reason he's hear now is because Silver wanted to get rid of the baby. He knew he couldn't make his conquest final if he hurt the baby so he contacted me to come and get my baby brother." Her throat started to close over her revulsion over what her father must have endured alone. She blinked turning her face away to hide the tears from the young man.

"I'm sorry," he muttered watching her closely.

"I hate that abominable creature. He took me from my parents the first few years of my life. Now my other dad is missing. A clone was sent in his place. I can only hope he's in the same place as my boyfriend. In some bubble universe waiting for us to rescue them."

She hadn't realized she was crying until strong arms enveloped her. "I'm sorry," Everett repeated smoothing her long hair "you're right your life hasn't been as easy as I assumed."

***

Lincoln glared out the window a sad smile played across his lips. Someone cleared their throat behind him. Startled he dropped the curtains. As the drapes fell into place he turned to find the concerned blue eyes of Heath Van Winkle upon him. "Your brother is an angry young man," Heath observed motioning towards the window.

Lincoln was sure he had seen his brother holding the girl. Lincoln could remember a time when Everett hadn't been angry. "He has his reasons," he muttered half turning from the older man.

"I'm sure he does," Heath agreed keeping his voice free from accusation. "We want to help you" he added putting a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "My Dad and Grandpa are the smartest men I know. If there's a way they'll find it."

"I don't need a bunch of empty words," he could feel the rage he kept bottled up inside him coming to the boiling point. He could feel the pressure on his shoulder increase. He looked up and over at Heath. A feeling of calm started to envelop him as the man's confidence reassured him. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so calm, safe and protected.

"I know it sounds like a bunch of words. Trust me my Dad and Grandpa have pulled off miracles in the past and will do so again in the future. I've been in more than one tight spot and they've never let me down." Heath could feel his own confidence rising. The fear and doubt that had set up residence in his stomach seemed to lift.

"Why would you want to help us?" the young man asked "what's in it for you?"

***

"What do you think?" Adam asked turning to his Dad.

Releasing a pent up sigh Peter shrugged "I think it's plausible. We already know other dimensions exist. Some dimensions should correspond with ours a little or a lot. Plus the Gray family is important to bringing harmony back to all the timelines in each dimension."

"What makes you think that?" Adam asked as he began to pace his office "why would one family be that important?"

"I don't know," Peter said watching his son pace the room "Emit had Caleb Gray brought into this dimension to balance our dimension with the others."

"Why? Doesn't our dimension have it's own Grays?" Adam asked his tone indicating he thought his Dad was joking.

"No we don't. At least not the right Gray family. Now we do."

Adam paused to stare at his father "when were you going to tell me this?" He could see from his Dad's expression that the answer was probably never. "I see" he muttered not liking the idea of  his dad with holding information from him.

"Adam" Peter implored "it's not like that. I promised Emit not to tell anyone."

"Yeah and Emit is oh so reliable," Adam muttered.

Rubbing his chin Peter remained silent. He understood his son's animosity. Emit did have his own agenda and had been making tons of mistakes. Then again time keeping wasn't an exact science. There were too many variables that were in constant flux. He gave Adam a piercing gaze "I've seen the future..."

"I take it from your tone that we weren't successful," Adam said trying to cover over his disappointment.

Shaking his head unable to say anything for a moment. Peter leaned against the wall crossing his arms before he said anything "if this timeline continues it'll lead to a future not fit for our children and grandchildren to live in." He pushed off the wall saying "I don't know about you but I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure that future doesn't come to be."

***

Don surveyed the pile of worthless objects they had found around the house. Dishes, blankets, towels not to mention the furniture. There wasn't one thing they could use to make an impression on the surrounding force field. He could feel his own frustration building inside him, crushing his lungs forcing him to breathe harder and faster to draw in enough oxygen.

The sound of sobs drew his attention towards a lump on the floor. "We're never going to escape."

Don moved around the pile of useless items towards the sobbing child. Sitting on the floor he patted the boys back. He didn't say anything. What could he say? The boy knew as well as he did that everything would not be alright. How could he say otherwise? The boy may look like a child but he was still the same person he was when he first arrived here.

Sniffling Malachi pushed himself into a sitting position "aren't you going to say something?"

"Like what?" he shrugged he let some of his repressed anger, resentment and frustration bleed into his voice. 

Malachi blinked up at him "this is it then. We're just going to give up."

"I don't know what else to do?" Don cried burying his face in his knees. How had Heath survived this long alone? How had he resisted Silver's advances? He was ready to claw the walls and he had Malachi for company.

The crushing reality that he'd never see his family again. Never see Heath again. Hear his voice. Feel his touch. Never see his children grow up and have families of their own. It was all too much to bear.

He felt a light touch on his arm. A small hand he followed the arm up to a pair of scared green eyes. He pulled the boy close as they both gave in to the crushing despair they had been fighting for weeks.

***

Everett ran his hands through her long dark hair. Her head nestled against his chest. No doubt she could hear his heart beating inside his chest. A spasm in his face caused the scar on his cheek to throb in dull pain.

He moved a hand up to soothe the throbbing pain. He could feel the raised rough skin that marred his otherwise handsome face. He still remembered the feeling of having his skin ripped through by razor sharp metal talons. He winced squeezing his eyes tight reliving the moment. The moment of his betrayal by the one person he thought he could trust.

When he opened his eyes he found Kimberly staring up at him. "Are you alright?" she asked her eyes full of questions.

"I should be asking you that," he deflected the question.

She nuzzled into him sighing contentedly in his arms. "I'm fine," she lied. She knew she was lying. She was taking comfort in having someone hold her. If she said she was fine enough maybe it would come true. Just maybe it would cover up the guilt she felt that the comforting arms didn't belong to her boyfriend. She missed Malachi more and more each day. The searing pain his absence caused was no longer claustrophobic. She was no longer crushed by it. Was this the moving on bit that everyone said she had to do? Did this mean she didn't love him anymore? Squeezing her eyes tight she tried to ignore the disquieting thoughts in her head. Sighing she stepped back murmuring "thank you."

Sensing something was wrong Everett asked "would you like to talk about it?" he offered.

It was on the tip of her tongue to say no. She should run as far away from this dimension traveler as she could. Even as she thought it she leaned into him feeling his arms draw her close. If she closed her eyes she could pretend just for the moment the arms around her were Malachi's.

***

Lincoln turned his back on the man and his good intentions. So far all they had offered were words. Words that sounded good. Where was the action? He parted the curtains to find his brother embracing the young woman who had brought them here. Scowling he turned from the view. When would his brother learn that a pretty face doesn't mean they didn't have an ugly soul? 

"Does it concern you that your brother seems to like my daughter?" Heath asked the pink haired boy. He had his own concerns about what was happening but at the moment it seemed to be more troublesome to the boy.

Shrugging Lincoln tried to pass if off as inconsequential "we'll be leaving soon. What difference does it make?"

"True," Heath searched for a way to get the young man to open up to him. He didn't have to wait long for an opening when the boy muttered "that idiot." Heath followed his gaze. He tried to hide his own dismay as he watched Everett lead Kimberly along the garden path holding hands. 

"You don't like it any better than I do," Lincoln accused having caught the frown upon Heath's face.

Smiling stiffly Heath debated with himself whether or not to voice his reasons. "You're right I don't. I'm afraid she's trading one heart break for another."

Giving him a quizzical look Lincoln asked "why don't you put a stop to it?"

"There are some things a parent can't shield their child from. Heart break is one of them" Heath explained sighing heavily.

Nodding Lincoln exhaled through his nose moving away from the window. "Everett had a fiance once. She broke his heart."

Taking the boy by the elbow Heath guided him to a chair where they could talk "tell me about her." He tried to keep his voice low, gentle knowing if he sounded too eager the boy would clam up.

"She's the reason why he has that livid scar on his face." Tears sprang up in his eyes as he recalled what happened "he almost lost his eye because of what she did."

"I'm sorry," Heath murmured "would you like to tell me about it?"

Lincoln nodded. He needed to tell someone. There was no one at home he could trust and Everett would just laugh off his concerns.

***

"If we can trust those boys," Adam said pacing the interior of his small office. The only room in the entire castle that he was free to indulge in this stress relieving habit or show how uncertain he felt at times. "What should we do?"

"I should take one of them with me to see Emit," Peter replied "I know you don't trust him. I don't blame you." It had been a mistake to confide in his son Peter realized. Adam bristled each time he mentioned the time keepers name now. "It's not like he needs me to stay and take his place. He has his son for that now."

"Are you going to tell Chase about what we suspect about his daughters?" Adam asked even though he could guess the answer.

"No" Peter said firmly "I don't want to give them any reason not to help us close the bubble 

universes."

"If you're right we won't have to worry," Adam acknowledged although being a father himself he would prefer knowing if his children were in danger. Something that his dad said had him asking "why do you need one of the dimension travelers to come with you?"

"If my suspicions are correct I think their dimension is lacking a time keeper. That might explain why it's so messed up." 

"That would mean the Van Winkles don't exist there," Adam said following his dad's line of thought. 

"Or something happened to one of the descendants that would have produced the time keeper," Peter agreed.

"It's possible that not all dimensions would need a Van Winkle to produce the time keeper. It's conceivable for it to be someone else," Adam pointed out.

"True but we lack the ability to contact the other time keepers" Peter said "our Emit can. He might need more information that only the dimension traveler's can provide. It would save time if one of them came with me."

"I give up," Adam threw his hands into the air "if you think you can trust Emit go but I'm coming after you if you don't come back in a reasonable amount of time."

"I wouldn't have it any other way" Peter said keeping his face as straight and devoid of emotions as humanly possible.