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Author's Chapter Notes:

Julie gets more information, and look who makes an appearance.

Kevin pulled out his wallet and managed to produce the correct currency as he paid for a room; Julie stood to the side and watched, avoiding the stares the man behind the counter was giving her. The hotel was moderately nicer than the one she was staying in with the rest of the crew. There was nothing unique about the hotel. It looked, to Julie, like every other hotel she'd seen growing up in her childhood. When they went into the room, she smiled at the two beds; she would not have to share.

As if sensing what she was thinking, Kevin broke through her thoughts. “We are not here to sleep.” He sat down on the edge of one of the beds and patted the spot next to him. “Now tell me what I need to know.”

Julie sat on the second bed and scooted back, propping the pillows against the headboard she leaned against them and crossed her legs, staring down Kevin. “I want to know something first, I've been wondering it for the last two months. If you find all of the lost from the explosion, wouldn't that mess with time? What reason would you have to go back and look for people if no one is missing? If no one is missing, what spurs the people to finish the device to look for them? It doesn't seem to me that you can just reverse what happened without serious consequences. Besides, what will stop me from jumping again if you did take me back? And how would that work, you taking me home? Would you move through time holding me? If that's the case, why can't you keep me from jumping now or anytime? And, finally, why did you volunteer for this anyway?”
“You've been wondering all of that?” Kevin asked with a perplexed look.

“Yah, well Meg kicks.” Was he only explanation Julie was going to provide about why she had enough time to wonder such things.

“I actually have some answers for you. I can't keep you from jumping, we would have to visit my boss. There is a device he can install. It will force the DNA causing the jumps to hibernate. I am not sure about the technicalities about how he does that, so don't ask. To get you there, you will piggyback my jump. But that will happen once you tell me where you jumped to first.” Kevin looked at her and cocked his head. “Are you ready to tell me?” He asked as he moved to the bed she was sitting on.

“I want to go home, I really do, it's just...” She paused and grabbed hold of her hair playing with it nervously.

“Just what?” Kevin asked moving closer, he meant it to be comforting but it was immediately apparent that it did not have the effect he was intending.

Julie jumped up as if she'd just remembered something and ran into the bathroom. “I'm not doing anything until I've had a shower.” She locked the door and started to run water.

Kevin banged on the door. “Why did you reach out to me if you were going to be like this?”

The banging continued for another few seconds before she could hear Kevin speaking again, softer this time. “I'm going to get something to drink, we need to finish our discussion.”

Julie listened at the door until she heard the room door open and close. Keeping the water on, she sat on the floor next to the shower. “What is going on in your head Julie?” She questioned herself out loud. “Two months ago you cried yourself into a coma on the beach because you missed your chance to go home, now you have the chance back and you are running from the man that could help you?”

Unable to come up with a reason, Julie peeled her clothes off and got under the running water hoping the heat and steam would help her think. Faces of people she met briefly flew through her mind. She knew then, even with all the memories of almost dying and the memory of that little girl, she did not want to forget the people she'd met and the few positive experiences she'd had.

By the time she was dressed and drying her hair with a towel, she heard the room door open and close again. She expected Kevin to come back to the bathroom door and knock or something. The silence in the room grew, unable to take it, Julie flung open the door. “I want to go back now, but I have a condition.” She exclaimed, startled when she saw a younger blond man sitting on one of the beds.

Julie screamed before running back in the bathroom and locking the door.

“Julie, wait, I'm sorry. I should have said something to introduce myself.” She heard the voice on the other side. “I'm Nick Carter. I work with Kevin, he asked me to come and help with a particularly difficult displacement.”

“He called me that?” Julie questioned, a bit hurt Kevin would refer to her as difficult, even though she was being difficult.

“Don't feel bad, he calls me difficult every other day.” Nick laughed. She could hear the laughter move further away from the door. Still unsure, but with no where else to go, she opened the door and moved into the main room.

“How did he... how did he contact you?” Julie doubted they sent letters through the mail like she'd done.

Nick held up his wrist. “Would you believe we have inter-time communicators?”

“I'm working on the set of Blue Hawaii in the year 1960, thirty years before I was born, I would believe almost anything.” She leaned up against the dresser. “So what, you are the negotiator? The one brought in for us difficult displacements?”

The blond laughed and leaned back on his arms, reclining. “No, Kevin brought me in because,” He paused and smirked at Julie, his blue eyes bright. “I have a way with women.”

Julie crossed her arms and eyed the young man suspiciously. “That can't be the reason.” She laughed.

Nick shrugged at her comment. “He told me time is limited with you, you don't know when you will jump or how long you will be anywhere. He believes you might jump soon and wants to ensure he has the information he needs. Tell me and I'll make sure he gets the information.” He stood and took hold of both of her hands. “Trust me, it would be better this way.” He held eye contact with her for only a few seconds but the intensity behind his stare made it feel like a few minutes to Julie.

“Tag teaming me isn't very nice.” Julie pulled her hands away from Nick and ended the eye contact. “I want to wait for Kevin,” she stated with certainty. “He started this with me, and I'd like him to be the one to help me reach home.” She opened the hotel room door and motioned for him to leave.

“Why can't you just tell me? I told you I'd let Kevin know. I'm on my way to meet him now, I could just pass that information off and 'poof' he'll be off to get you when you first jumped.” He stood in the door, his arm resting on Julie's shoulder, massaging it slightly. “This nightmare would be over.” He smirked at Julie again.

“I'll wait.” She pulled Nick's hand off her shoulder and started to shut the door. “Just tell Kevin I'm ready to talk,” were the last words she gave Nick before closing the door and locking the deadbolt.

He said his final statement through the door, making sure she would hear it. “You are fucking with history Julie, you need to go home.”

Julie stood at the door until she heard Nick's footsteps walking away from the door. She undid the deadbolt and moved back to the bed, taking a seat. Julie couldn't believe the harshness in Nick's voice with his final statement to her. She was glad that Kevin was the one to initially find her and not him, she preferred Kevin's calm demeanor over Nick's brash words.

It wasn't too long before she heard footsteps approaching the room and someone grabbing hold of the doorknob. Before the person on the other side had a chance to open the door, Julie flung it open. “Kevin,” She stated and pulled him inside. “I'm ready to make a deal.”

“Deal?” He looked at her quizzically. “This isn't a game show.”

“I know, but I freaked out because I don't want to forget all the things I've done since I started jumping. People I've met, I don't want to forget them.” She said it plainly she hoped he would understand, she hadn't realized it until this jump, but there were some things she never wanted to forget.

“I'll have to check,” He moved to leave the room.

“Can't you just use your inter-time communicator?” She asked.

“My what?” Kevin looked at Julie confused, but his face soon turned to horror as Julie keeled over on the floor. The pain was intense, more intense then she'd ever felt before. Maybe it was because she'd been in this time for so much longer then she'd been anytime before.

“Kevin!” She called out, reaching out for him. The last thing she remembered feeling was Kevin wrapping his arms tightly around her, but it was too late. She jumped, again.