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Author's Chapter Notes:

bad news and good news

Julie continued to sit on the couch in disbelief. The man she loved who opposed Nick changing history so much, could he really be taking payment to change history himself? She wanted to think that it was impossible, Kevin stuck to his morals, but everywhere she looked in their room she saw signs of money spent.

She started to think back and to all the different meetings that Kevin would have with Jessica and Howie. If they were both involved in changing history it was very likely Kevin was involved as well. Julie cringed at the thought.

Unlike when she suspected Howie or Jessica, Julie was determined to find out from Kevin if he was involved before she took any information back to Nick. She didn't want to see the look on Nick's face if she had to admit that Kevin was also changing history. Kevin who was so opposed to the idea of Nick and the other rogue volunteers changing history, Nick would get a thrill that he was doing something even worse the entire time.

She groaned as she left the room in search of where Kevin would have stormed off to. She started to wander the halls looking for Kevin. She tried a few doors, but they were locked, others were dark or broom closets.

“Hey Julie,” Erika's voice called to her as they approached each other. “It's been awhile. Have you been able to figure out the random jumping stuff?” The woman asked her.

Julie shrugged knowing she did not want to tell Erika about Nick. She would tell AJ and he'd been through enough at the hands of Nick to worry about him being back. She would warn everyone when she finished helping him and a cure was found for her and she was no longer at his whim. “Not yet. Howie is working on it though.” Julie told her when a flash of light glinted off of something on Erika's hand.

“What's that?” She asked the other woman as she took her hand into her own to see a diamond ring on her ring finger. “Are you?” Julie asked as she beamed.

Erika nodded. “He asked last night. Isn't the ring beautiful?” She asked Julie.

Julie couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of her friend on her engagement. Memories of being briefly engaged to Jeff, her boyfriend before she was hurled through time and met with the volunteers and Kevin, came back to her.

She nodded and smiled at her friend. Enough with the Julie pity party; she needed to be excited for her friend. “That is so great Erika! I want to help you in any way I can.” She hugged her friend tightly.

“I hoped you would say that,” Erika said as they released their hug. “I was hoping you'd be my maid of honor.”

Julie pulled the woman into a hug again, “Yes, of course.” The last wedding she'd been in was her cousin's wedding. After the drama with Nick was over and before she decided to be part of the project, she had asked that they take her back to the day of her cousin's wedding so that she would not miss it again. With being hurtled through time, Julie really had been unable to help her cousin with the final preparations and she still felt bad about it. This time she would make sure she was able to help Erika with every little detail.

“Where are you headed now?” Erika asked her.

“I need to talk to Kevin.” Julie spoke up wishing she could have answered something different after seeing the smile falter slightly on the other woman's face. When was the last time Erika and Julie had gone out for a girl's night? Julie would have to make sure to plan something to celebrate soon.

“Do you have a date yet?” Julie asked the question though she knew most brides to be hated getting the question. Unless they'd been planning their wedding since they were three and the groom wanted no say then it was likely still up in the air.

“We were thinking a year from now, December of twenty thirty-one.” Erika smiled and looked past her. “I see Tessa; I'm going to tell her.”

Julie watched as the other woman walked down the hall heading towards the room Tessa would likely be in, if she was back from her mission.

Julie thought about what plans she'd like to make for Erika while she walked. It wasn't until she almost reached the offices Kevin was likely to be in, that the look of the ring Erika had been sporting cam back to her mind. She wondered how AJ was able to afford the ring. Maybe he saved his money; he never did seem to pay when they all went out to eat.

It was at this moment that she remembered all the new stuff Erika and Tessa had been bragging about buying a few months back. Items that were not cheap if Julie remembered correctly. AJ had also commented on Justin's new shoes at some point stating what an expensive pair they were.

“Dammit,” Julie cursed to herself. The more she thought about it, the more she didn't know who was involved in changing history for money. Every time she let her mind wander, thoughts of money people spent came to mind. Was everyone on the project but her making extra money changing history?
She turned and headed back to her room. She was going to need a new game plan, she needed to start at the beginning again. There was no sure way to tell who was involved as she was starting to suspect everyone around her.

When she got back to the room Kevin sitting at the desk startled her. “Shit,” she cursed holding her hand over her heart.

“Did I scare you?” He asked no smile on his face. He was probably still upset about what she told him earlier about Nick.

She nodded and closed the door behind her. She watched for a few seconds as Kevin typed something into the computer furiously. Finally, she couldn't take it and she had to know.

“Kevin, how are you paying for all this new stuff?” She blurted out.

Kevin turned to her and scrunched up his forehead so that if seemed that his eyebrows almost touched. It was not a look Julie was particularly fond of. “What do you mean?” He asked her.

Julie pointed to the computer he was sitting at, the couch that was near the television and the sheets on their bed. “Those to name a few.”

Kevin nodded. “He got into your head and now you suspect me?” There was a hint of hurt in his voice as he spoke. “I'm sorry accused you of sleeping with Nick.” He said standing and wiping a strand of hair off of her face. “But you have no reason to suspect me, the sheets are from my old room. The computer and the couch are new, but one thing that helped spur me to volunteer for this project was because I am independently wealthy. I am a trust fund baby.” He took her hands in his.

Julie looked into his green eyes and found herself believing him. He kept plenty of things from her but she knew when he was telling her the truth and she could see that he was not lying in his eyes. She sighed in relief and pulled Kevin into a hug. She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled him down next to her. She then recounted everything she saw that day and remembered from prior days that was leading her to believe what Nick had told her. There was no denying that someone at the project was on the take and she wanted to find out who it was.

“Nick mentioned something about record books.” Julie offered up.

Kevin nodded. “Yes, I've seen them on Charles' desk often. Records of what each volunteers account is being credited.”

“Do you think you could get a hold of those books?” She asked Kevin.

He nodded looking sullen. “I don't like that fact that someone I've grown to trust with my life has been operating for their own benefit.” He admitted.

Julie sighed again in relief. She was glad that she had someone that would help her investigate, someone else she could depend on to help her find out the truth behind the volunteers on the take. She turned to Kevin and took him in her arms holding him tightly.