4.18 Terms and Conditions

Caleb picked his daughter up and cradled her in his arms. Kissing her cheeks as tears cascaded down his face. "Emmaline" he repeated over and over finding it difficult to believe the slight creature in his arms was his vivacious full of life little girl. How long had it been? Four? Five months? It had been long enough for her to have lost several pounds.

He stumbled back Alanon's house. Kicking the door open open. Chase jumped to his feet shocked as his brother-in-law stood swaying in the door frame. "Is that?" he stammered staring at the pink haired young girl in Caleb's arms.

Nodding Caleb stepped over the threshold "I can't wake her up" his voice and eyes pleading for help.

"Bring her in here," Alanon ordered opening a door into his spell room.

Caleb laid her carefully upon the stiff cold bed that Alanon pointed him towards. "what are you going to do?" he asked a note of fear in his voice as he watched Alanon as he began to chant. All this magic and supernatural powers made Caleb shudder, he didn't like it. Turning away from the man he contented himself with washing the smeared dirt from his daughter's face. He could only hope all of this was helping her and if it did it couldn't all be bad.

Chase put a hand on Caleb's shoulder "is she alright?" he asked concerned.

Caleb watched Alanon with worried eyes. Swallowing Caleb murmured "I hope so." He couldn't imagine Quinn bringing Emmaline back from the future only for him to watch her die. That didn't seem to be the way to ensure his agreement to anything.

Alanon looked up magic shimmering in his eyes. He smiled "she'll be fine. She's exhausted. She needs time to adjust to the new time she's in. A good nights rest and she should be good as new."

All the tension melted from Caleb's body leaving him week. Leaning against Chase he could feel the ever ready tears pricking his eyes "she's ok? Really ok?" he repeated shaking his head.

Nodding Alanon confirmed "she is. She needs rest." Glancing towards Chase he said "why don't you two go and get some rest? I'll come get you when she's awake."

Chase nodded putting an arm around Caleb helping him towards the door. "Come on. You could use some rest too" he told his brother-in-law.

Struggling against Chase's helpful hands Caleb tried to turn around "no no I want to stay with her."

"She'll be ok," Chase assured him "Alanon will tell us when she's awake."

Caleb turned giving Emmaline one last longing look before letting Chase help him from the room.

***

"Did you sleep well?" Quinn asked popping into the room where her guests were housed

"Where are we?" Keenan demanded ignoring his father's attempts to silence him.

Smirking at the boy Quinn remarked "I see you have Silver's flair for the dramatics."

Keenan felt anger and bile rising within him "I am nothing like that vile loathsome creature."

"Aren't you?" Quinn asked innocently knowing her words would stoke the boy's boiling rage.

"Son," Adam chided putting a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder "don't rise to her bait."

Keenan glanced up at his dad thankful for the guidance and gentle rebuke. "Sorry dad," he mumbled taking several deep breaths hoping to calm himself.

"Pity Silver isn't as malleable as you are" Quinn said turning her attention to Adam "we need to get you home before Moonlight Falls crumbles further into chaos."

"Chaos?" Adam repeated instantly alarmed "I haven't been gone that long or have I?"

"Several months" Quinn shrugged as if to say the passage of time was insignificant "Silver is much too accomplished at manipulating time than I would wish him to be."

"He's a menace," Adam snapped at her.

"That too," she agreed "unfortunately I'm forbidden to harm him."

"Why?" Keenan demanded "he's a monster that needs to be done away with."

Quinn threw her head back laughing but the sound was anything but happy "I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately he's the reason I'm this dimension's watcher."

"You created him" Adam stated remembering bits and pieces of her conversation with Silver.

"I was instrumental in causing his existence," she admitted "he's my greatest accomplishment and my biggest failure."

"If  you can't stop him what's to prevent him from coming after us again?" Adam asked shivering at the prospect.

"I may not be able to physically touch him but that doesn't mean I can't protect you from him," Quinn replied. She handed each of them an amulet "these will keep you invisible to him."

Taking one Adam hesitated "this doesn't prevent him from taking other members of my family." His mind immediately going to Heath and Don. They had already spent too much time in the clutches of that monster. "This only protects us. It leaves everyone else vulnerable."

"It's an imperfect solution but the only one I have at the moment," Quinn admitted her usual bluff and bluster lacking that added to Adam's belief she was telling them the truth. "Unfortunately you're needed in Moonlight Falls to keep things under control while no one else in your family can."

"So you've already said" Adam acknowledged unwilling to be forced to make a decision under undue pressure. "Why? What's happening there that is so out of bad?"

"To put it bluntly they're preparing to go to war against the humans" she told him "without you or the chosen one they have let their prejudices and suspicions take control"

"Damn," the word exploded from Adam "all the work we did to get humans and supernaturals on speaking terms. Now this. All because we weren't there to prevent it."

"That's precisely why this is happening" Quinn emphasized "no one understands humans the way you do. All they have are their preconceived ideas."

Looking at the amulet in his hand Adam weighed his options. Wear it and become invisible to Silver. Keep the world safe while making the rest of his family targets for a monster. Don't wear it and his family is safe and he is not. While he would normally take that option, could he really afford to do that when his absence as ruler meant letting Moonlight Falls go to war at the cost of thousands if not millions of lives.

"Dad" Keenan's voice broke into his thoughts "wear it dad. We can handle Silver if he comes after our family. I know we can."

Snorting he squeezed his son's shoulder. His son was right Adam knew it. He just didn't like it. Pulling Keenan close he kissed his son's cheek "you're right." He put the amulet around his neck. It felt heavy but it was the cost of being a leader. Sometimes you couldn't afford to sacrifice yourself when millions of lives depended on you. "When can we go back?" Adam asked wondering if he could enlist the help of others to keep tabs on Silver.

"All you had to do was ask" Quinn told him and with a wave of her hand they were gone.

***

Heath headed towards the castle as soon as he received Kimberly's distress call. Bursting into his father's office he demanded "where is she? Where's my daughter?"

The assembled werewolves and vampires lifted their heads and glared at him. One of them said "she's safe."

"I want to see her," Heath demanded determined not to be put off or delayed. 

Nodding towards a guard by the door the werewolf said "take the IF to his daughter"

Shocked Heath held his tongue. He didn't want anything to keep them from letting him see his daughter. His heart lurched as he recognized the route they were taking. It was leading to the dungeons. The last time he was down there he all but died. He hated this dark dismal place.

He entered the dungeon where Kimberly sat curled up on the uncomfortable bench. "Daddy" she cried upon seeing him her eyes red, swollen and puffy.

The guard opened the cell door and stood aside to allow Heath to pass. "Baby" his voice was gruff and gravelly.

Kimberly launched herself from the bench and into her father's arms. "You shouldn't have come," she sobbed into his shoulder clinging to him.

"I'm your dad," he squeezed her tight "I had to come." When she had calmed down some he helped her to the cold hard bench that sent shudders through him. He had spent too many hours sitting on this very same bench inside this prison. Lived too many nightmares "do you know why you're here?" he asked her dragging his mind from the past to the present.

Shaking her head she buried her face into his shoulder "I'm so scared daddy."

Patting her head he stifled the natural inclination to admit that so was he. It wasn't what she needed to hear even if it were true. He was the dad. It was his duty to instill confidence in her. "It'll be ok" he assured her even though the voice in his head was shouting at him that they were in deep trouble.

***

"Wakey wakey" Quinn cooed lightly patting the man's cheeks while he slept. She giggled when he tried to swat her hand away moaning in his sleep. "Time to wake up" she said bending close to speak in his ear.

"What?" he growled opening his eyes jumping when he saw who was bending over him "what are you doing here?" he demanded pulling the blanket up to his chin.

"I've come to get your answer" she said sitting on the edge of the bed looking at him.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked resigned to his fate. He'd do anything to keep his family safe. She obviously knew that as there was little surprise in her face.

Quinn gave him a knowing grin. She knew this would be his response. What other choice did he really have? A small part of her felt sorry for him and the position she had put him in. She knew she was using his familial feelings to her advantage. There was no one else better suited for the task that needed to be done. "You don't have to do anything. You're the rock to your family. That's exactly what you need to be for your children. However one of your grandchildren will be required to travel through time to fix certain things that Emit missed. It will bring balance back to the dimension before it falls apart completely."

"Why my family? My Grandchildren?" Caleb asked "I don't understand why they're so special. Why does it have to be them?"

"You're unique," she smiled somewhat sadly at him "you're from another dimension. Your children carry your DNA. One of them has your uniqueness a little more than the others do." She sighed looking away unable to take him watching her "I know this is difficult..."

"You don't know anything," he grumbled shoving the blankets aside "your asking me to enslave one of my grandkids to do your bidding. I don't like it."

"Its for the greater good," she told him ignoring the angry glare he gave her "ask Emmaline what the future is like. She'll tell you it's not a future anyone should have to live in. If we don't fix things now that's what your descendants have to look forward to. A world of flesh eating monsters and people that have forgotten how to live."

"Is she the one? Is that why you sent her back first?" he asked.

Shaking her head Quinn watched him while he paced around the room. "She's not the one," she said "I had to send her back. Her body was starting to feel the stress of being in the wrong time and 

place." Caleb's head shot up frowning "it's not something you've ever experienced. It's something you inherited from your father. I told you, you were unique." She hesitated a moment from sharing the next bit of information. She knew it would shatter him. He had a special bond with his son. Knowing it was the boy would be especially devastating.

"Andrew" he gasped putting a hand to his chest as if he could still the beating of his heart. "Why him? He's been through too much already."

"He has your uniqueness" she told him "his body isn't weakening from being in the wrong place and time. His fiance is strong but he too is beginning to weaken but I took care of that. Their children should all be capable of accomplishing what I ask. Stronger than both you and your son."

"What makes you believe that?" Caleb asked wishing, hoping for anything to make her change her mind.

"The fetus growing inside your son is still striving despite having traveled to the future...."

"The what?" he growled. Did she just say what he thought she said? Fetus? He was going to be a grandfather? He felt the blood rush from his head "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Do you agree to my terms?" she asked unfazed by his emotional turmoil. She knew she was pressuring him in his moment of weakness but she needed his answer "the fetus is fine but it'd do better growing up here in it's own time. Don't let your fear condemn them to staying in the future where they can't survive. Think about what's best for them now As soon as you agree. The sooner I'll be able to bring them home."

"I need time," he gasped feeling as if his head was about to explode "my wife. I need to talk to Drew."

Nodding Quinn turned to leave "I'll be in touch. Don't wait too long. Things are dangerous where 

they're at and I may not be able to protect them."

***

She walked out of the bedroom door. There was one more person she needed to talk to before she left. 

The blue haired man looked up from the book he was reading shock and apprehension on his face. "Who are you?" he demanded standing letting the book fall to the floor.

"I'm Quinn Silvia" she said "the dimension watcher. Your father must have mentioned me."

Recognition had his brows knitting to together "Emit said the dimension watcher only awakens when the dimension is in danger of being reset."

"That's correct," she told him "I hope to keep that from happening." Her thoughts strayed to Phoenix. His soft red hair as it slid through her fingers. His light blue eyes as they looked into hers. The feel of his strong arms as they held her tight. This was all for him. To keep him safe. She had to keep her dimension from falling and taking his with it.

"Things are worse than Emit let me believe," Chase grumbled.

"Yes they are," she agreed "he didn't fix things that should have been corrected in the past. I have a plan that should balance things in this dimension."

Nodding Chase eyed her a moment "what exactly do you need from me?"

"To watch Emit. Make sure he doesn't try to stop the changes I instigate." She stopped knowing the next part would be difficult but the man must know "you do realize that your daughters don't belong here."

Chase gave her a furious stare as dread filled the hole in his stomach. Not his girls. He couldn't live without them. It would crush Jennifer if anything happened to them. "No" he growled refusal making every muscle in his body stiff.

"They destabilize the dimension. Your from the future their mother is from the present. They neither belong here nor there." Quinn kept her voice firm level without pressure.

"I won't let you wipe them from existence" he told her.

"If that's what I wanted you couldn't stop me," she said "that's not what I want." She let her words sink in before continuing "I gave Emit an alternative but he chose not to listen and sent Peter instead.

Looking up hope springing to his eyes "Peter is very knowledgeable about time travel."

"It won't work," Quinn shook her head "maybe for a short time but it won't last." She shook her head "with your daughters here the imbalance remains. The dimension can't balance itself with them here.  Peter needs to come back and the girls must take his place as time keepers. It's what they were born to do."

"They're too young," Chase protested.

"They still need training" Quinn agreed "I will give you the time to teach them what they need to know. When the time comes they have to go. Once I start making changes I can't have them here destabilizing the present."

"My wife and I we'll still be able to contact them?" Chase asked.

"Yes like Emit is able to contact all the other time keepers across the dimensions," Quinn assured him.

"I'll have to discuss this with my wife," Chase told her. He knew Quinn was right. He had known it since the day he found out Jennifer was pregnant. Meeting the fabled dimension watcher only highlighted how bad things were.

Phoenix went through the motions of checking on his dimension. It wasn't the same knowing he'd never see Quinn again. When she left she took his heart with her. He loved her so much despite knowing he could never be with her the way he longed to be. He should never have volunteered to become the dimension watcher. He could have been at home enjoying life.

Somehow he found himself at the rendezvous place. It was as empty as his heart was hollow. Somehow he had hoped she'd be here waiting for him. Hoped she would have changed her mind. To his chagrin and eternal disappointment she hadn't come. Hadn't changed her mind.

He sank to his knees holding his head in his hands giving in to the weakness he had been feeling. A wave of dizziness washed over him leaving him faint and nauseous. It was unusual for a watcher to become ill and if they did it was usually a punishment for some indiscretion. What was wrong with him he wondered as another wave of sickness overtook him. Unable to control it he found himself expelling his stomach contents all over the floor. Once the sickness passed he curled into a ball on the floor shivering. He had never felt more alone and isolated as he did at this moment in time.