Julie watched as the sunlight started to creep through the window. Kevin had managed to find an abandoned warehouse that they could spend the night in together. They had decided to stick to the shadows and not seek out a safe house or even a boarding house. Julie smiled as she remembered the night before. Kevin had been gentle even with the urgency she could feel he wanted to be with her. The entire time she was together she never once thought about Nick and his hands on her. If she hadn't known before, last night confirmed that whatever happened between her and Nick was nothing, Kevin was the only man she loved.

“How long have you been awake?” She heard Kevin's voice break through the silent morning.

“Not long,” She muttered as she curled closer to him. She nestled closer feeling his wrap his arm around her. She felt home with him next to her. “So what's the plan today?”

“As much as I detest saying this, we need to find Nick and regroup.” He said the words but Julie noticed he was not getting up, he was not making an attempt to actual get up from where they were laying. They managed to find some extra blankets and make a makeshift bed, it was, by no means, the worst bed she had ever slept on.

“What do you think we will do next?” She asked him wondering how she was going to handle being around both Nick and Kevin again. She would simply have to tell herself, reaffirm to herself, that her decision was Kevin.

Though Kevin mentioned finding Nick so they could regroup, neither moved to get off of the makeshift bed. Julie did not want to move away from Kevin, she wished they could just disappear, just the two of them.  Maybe they could break the rules and go into the future, find the time that Nick was fixed and get the gene removed.  They could live together in the future, no one searching for them no more leaping through time. 

She let out an audible sigh when she realized that would never happen.  It was unlikely Kevin would go along with that plan and she would not leave Kevin.  Besides, she’d met older Kevin.  He would live through the years and meet her again in twenty forty-five.

“We should get moving,” Kevin spoke after hearing her sigh.  Julie groaned to herself for making any sound.  She wanted to stay there with him longer but she knew that he would want to find out who was responsible and clear his name as quickly as possible.

“Do you have any idea where he might be?”

“Because I’m linked to him I should know?” She shot back at Kevin.  She didn’t mean to snap at him but she really wasn’t looking forward to seeing Nick again. She’d made her decision to be with Kevin, but she’d known she loved Kevin and still kissed Nick.

Kevin shrugged as he pulled his shirt back over his head. 

“Let’s look back where we left him.” Julie thought quickly.  Maybe he was still in New York during the Eighties.  It was a small chance but it was the only thing she could think of.

“Sounds as good as any place to start.” Kevin smiled at her and pulled her close.  The two wandered out onto the streets and found some food before they jumped to the last place they saw Nick.  He was no longer around the vigil near Lennon’s building so they started to wander the streets.       

Julie had to hold in several snickers as she looked at the fashion of the past years.  It was still humorous to her to see some of the clothing that the women wore that they thought was fashionable then.  Shoulder pads were not attractive, ever. 

Julie soon found they were wandering in front of the World Trade Center.  She looked up at the massive buildings and couldn’t help it when a tear trickled down her cheek.  She wished she could forewarn the people of New York about the event that would crush their world in a little more than twenty years.   Even if she did say something, no one would believe it; she could still hardly believe it had happened herself.

“I was so young, I had no idea what was going on.” Kevin spoke. Julie noted that he was also looking up at the buildings.  She forgot that even though he was older than her, if she let her life go through its natural timeline she would be older than Kevin in twenty-thirty.  She shook her head at the idea that when she graduated high school Kevin would have been starting middle school. 

“We watched the news.  Most of us took the time and sat around talking to each other.  The teachers were so engrossed in watching what was happening.  School continued, but each class was somber.” Julie was slightly embarrassed to admit that at the time it happened she hadn’t thought much about it.  It wasn’t until her parents were talking to her about it that night that she realized what exactly had happened.  Then she felt ashamed about how much she cared about whom Vanessa had been seen cheating on her boyfriend, Ian, with.

Julie shook her head to rid the memories and grabbed Kevin’s hand.  “Let’s keep looking.” Kevin nodded solemnly in agreement and the two started walking hand in hand.

“What the hell?” a voice came from a hot dog cart nearby. 

Julie swung around to look and saw Steph standing there.  A smile broke across Julie’s face as she grabbed Kevin and pulled him over to her. 

“Don’t you two have research to do? Or are you done and able to tell who the culprits are?” Steph sneered at Julie but grinned at Julie before looking at Kevin, a knowing look in her eyes.

“Just tell us where Nick is.” Kevin spoke.

“I can go get him to meet you,” Steph spoke.  “It’s about all I’m allowed to do.”

Julie lunged towards the girl and ripped her device off of her wrist.  “I haven’t had one of these in a while, I wonder if I hit the return if it will take me to him.” Julie eyed Steph and felt Kevin’s arms around her.  She was centimeters away from hitting the button when Steph finally spoke.

“Stop, I’ll take you there. Don’t strand me here.” Steph held out her hand for her device.

“Tell us first,” Julie demanded.

“Fine,” Steph gave them the coordinates and Kevin programmed them into his device.  Julie smiled at Steph as she continued to hold her device.  Kevin pushed his button and she could feel the pull.  At the last possible second she tossed the device up into the sky towards Steph. 

Kevin shook his head at her when they arrived.  “That wasn’t nice.” Kevin remarked.

Julie shrugged and looked around her.  They appeared to be in a great hall of a manor house.  “What time are we in again?”

“Welcome to sixteen thirty-two.” Nick stated as he walked around the corner.  “I see you managed to get the information from Steph. My inside man told me that you two are now suspected of being the ones in the wrong and are wanted by the project.” Julie could see the smirk on his face as he spoke.  It obviously delighted him that they were now on the run as well.

“Howie confronted us as soon as we returned; did you have anything to do with it?” Kevin questioned him. Julie could tell that Kevin was keeping his distance from the younger man.  She knew that he was making sure not to attack him again. 

Nick shook his head and listened as Julie explained exactly what Howie told them.

“His reaction is strange; it makes you wonder if he really is guilty.” Nick pondered for a second.  “I can’t believe that he is involved.”
“It is because he’s not,” another voice echoed through the hall and Julie gasped when she saw Charles join them.                

Julie stood in shock looking at the man as Kevin rushed to the older man’s side checking him to make sure that he was not harmed in any way.  Charles was batting Kevin’s hands away, practically pushing him away.

“I’m fine. Nick has treated me well and has probably saved my life.  I’ve long suspected Jessica of underhanded dealings.  I wouldn’t put it past her to get me out of the way so she could run the project her way.  She will now work to change the opinion of anyone who would stop her.  Hence convincing Howie you two are involved.” 

“So we know Howie is innocent and it is likely that Jessica is the ringleader.  That leaves two more, Justin and Tessa?” Julie was thinking out loud. 

“Those two are volunteers now?” Charles scoffed slightly.  “They were barely passing their training when I was there.”  

“It’s not them, I thought you agreed with me Julie,” Nick inserted his opinion again.

Charles looked at Nick then to Kevin and Julie.  “I’m inclined to agree with Nick.”

“But they make sense.  If Jessica promoted them she would have two very willing volunteers to help her change history.  I’ve seen the books, Tessa said she was constantly going to the Great Depression era, but she had several jumps to several different times.  Why would she lie if she wasn’t involved?”

Charles shook his head.  “I would have to see the books.”  He motioned to Kevin to follow him and the two left the room to a door and closed it behind them. 

“Already excluding us to talk about the project most likely,” Nick piped up.

Julie shrugged. “He confirmed that Jessica is involved.  One down, two to go.”  Julie rounded her head to look at Nick who was approaching her slowly.

She held out her hand to stop him.  “Why are you so adamant that it is not Justin and Tessa?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Is one of them your inside man?”

Nick shook his head.  He stopped walking and sat down dropping his head, eyes cast down on the floor.  “No, neither.”

“Then what?” She insisted.

Nick stood and looked at Julie.  There was something in his eyes that tore at Julie’s heart.  Did he know she had confirmed her love for Kevin and they could no longer be together?   She didn’t have time to ask as Steph soon appeared cussing Julie out for what she did.

Nick grabbed a hold of Steph’s wrists and pulled her into another room, probably to discuss their secret dealings. Julie groaned when she realized she was the one everyone wanted to help, to solve their problems, but she was the one left out of everything.