Time meant nothing

 "Sara?"  asked Janie, one day "Can we talk?"

"Yes.  Sit down."  ordered the other woman, as she switched on the electric tea kettle.  "I can't stand this thing."

"The kettle?  It's faster than using a stove."

"It's not the same."  said Sara  "What did you need to talk about?"

"I miss my family."

"...Then stop wasting time and go home."

"I don't want to talk to any of them.  I don't want to see them."

"But you miss them?"  asked Sara, beginning to prepare the tea.  "Why don't you want to talk or see them?"

"I don't know!  There's nothing to say, and...  they are all a pack.  Family."

"Aren't you part of that?"

"...Yes."

"You can't expect them to take you by the hand every day and talk about how wonderful a family member you are."

"But...  they all have these connections.  And I don't.  Everyone I love has gone away."

"Get over it!  If you want friends, be friendly.  If you're looking for a little nookie then find it.  Tomorrow is not promised to any of us, and you have to realize that everything must come to an end."

"What if...  It's over?  I mean.  if I'm not supposed to be around Phoenix, or Lynn or Julian anymore.  If that world is done for me?"

"If that was the case, you would have to keep going.  Keep moving until you find somewhere else to stick your roots for a while.  But, if I had to guess, I'd say Lynn isn't nowhere near ready to be done with you, and neither is your buddy Julian."

"She's never needed me.  And everything that happened felt like a... reset.  It's all happened before."

"That child has never needed you more."  Sara said, after a moment "What do you mean it's happened before?"

"Different things that have happened in my life.  I've um, been on different sides of the same situations.  Doesn't that mean things have come full circle?"

"Perhaps.   Does a circle have an end?"

"What?"

"Go back and stay for a bit, see how things are.  Then you'll know if it's really time to move on.  Don't you have other buddies too?"

"Aunt Sara-"

"Janie.  You've always got me, honey.  Always.  Anytime you want to talk just call me or stop by.  Anything that I can give you I will.  You never have to be alone and you know that."

"...But you're not going to be around forever."

"You're a time traveler, sweetheart."

"I still don't have my powers back."

"Don't you have a machine in your pocket that will take you anywhere?  And a boat somewhere that'll do the same thing?"

"Yes, but it's not-"

"You can find me, even if I'm dead and gone."

"That's cheating, isn't it?"

"This coming from the girl that hired someone to do your homework for you?"

"I wish you were my Mama."

I miss you all.  I'm coming back tomorrow, or the day after.

Janie was taking an offical night off, and chose to spend it away from her Mother and the fortress.  The compound, as most called it.  She planned on calling Lynn, Phoenix and Sam, checking in with Julian and possible calling him to go out drinking.

Then, she heard someone crying.

"...Is everything alrigh?"

"My teleport."  she cried "That damn-"  The woman trailed off when she looked up at Janie.  Not even a woman, she looked barely more than eighteen.

"what happened to your teleport?" 

"Someone took it. If I give up, I might get it back."

"Give up?  Was it Ella?"

"Yes.  I belong there, with her.  I'm a traveler,  if I give up she'll reinstate me.  Miss, it's nothing.  Nothing."

"Where you belong?  A person belongs where they want to be. Are you being hunted?"  Janie felt something inside of her freeze.  This had happened before, except someone had been having the conversation with her.  When she'd been afraid and on the run.

The way the girl nodded reminded her even more of herself in the past.  Janie ran her hands through her hair, realizing what she had to do.

"Do you need help?"


"Yes.  She- they find me, and it's impossible to hide.  Even public places aren't safe anymore."


"You've got no kind of life, do you?"

"Miss, I'm a traveler.  My life is with-"

"It doesn't have to be.  If you want out, tell me, and I swear, I will make sure you're safe."

"I want out."  she said, after a few seconds


"There's a place called The Agency.  The work is much better than working for Ori and Ella and you'd be off world.  It's perfectly safe."

"Miss, I don't want to join anything else.  I want to... have a life.  I want to meet a nice person and spend my life with them, and live in a nice town on a street with trees.  I want to sit on a porch and watch people walk by and ride my bike every morning.  I don't want to be a soldier or a guard."

Janie gently put her arm around the young woman, and thought for a moment.

"Take this necklace."  she said, after a moment. "If I need to come save you, it'll let me know."  It was far from the psychic tag that Phoenix had once given her, but if it was good enough for The Agency, then it could help this woman.

"It's ugly"

"Hide it in your pocket."

"Thank you"  she said, shoving it into a pants pocket.

"Why are you helping me?  You barely know who I am."

"If Ella is trating you like this, what do you think she and Ori did to me?"

The young woman stared at Janie, unable to say anything at all, realizing things weren't always as they seemed.

"Come on, we'll get you set up in a warded place somewhere.  I'll also give you a few things to make all of this a bit easier."

"They're going to kill you.  They killed my family."

"No they won't.  Close your eyes, honey."  Janie felt horrible about what'd been done to the woman's family, and promised herself that she would make it up somehow.

"It's Cindy."

"Close your eyes and hold on."  Janie wrapped her arms around the woman, and teleported them to an apartment building in New York.

"Where are we?"

"New York.  So you can build your life."

"I don't-"

"It's taken care of, for six months.  Get on your feet and you'll be fine, alright?"

"Miss."

"Someone will be by in the morning with ID papers and whatever else.  Get some sleep alright.  Apartment 16."

Janie gave the woman a summoned bag, and then teleported away.

"Hello?"  asked Janie, after appearing in the tiny pawn shop.

"Mother?  Mother where have you been? I-"  the woman stopped short, when she saw who stood there.  "Janie"

"I came to talk to you."

"How did you get in?  This place is locked and I even used one of those dampeners."

"These?"  asked Janie, holding up the pair of devices that she'd disabled "I want to make things right between us."

"Why?  Sara raised you to hate everything about where you come from."

"I want to understand it more.  I have Lynn and she deserves to know.  You're family, aren't you?"

"Do you know what Sara did to us?  She had her boyfriend come in and kill half of our group.  She stole you, and almost destroyed Ori, my Mother."

"Why did she do that?"

"She hates us, even though we stand for a noble cause.  You're my kid, so I got nothing against you.  Don't blame yourself for her doing us wrong."

"I want to rejoin the family."

"You.  Do?"

"I left everyone behind...  these are my roots, Mama.  This is where I come from."

"Ori would have to say yes to it, and she's gone."

"Please?  I don't have anywhere else to go."  Janie had to keep herself from smiling.  She was down to this timeline, which meant Ori was in a jar somewhere.

"We'll do a vote later.  Until then, get to work.  I have a whole room full of stuff that needs price tags, then you can go boost some more things later."

"Thank you!"  Janie rushed over and hugged Ella, who seemed happy at getting to know her daughter

"We've got to do something with your look, though.  Hair, makeup...  you can be much prettier."

"Thank you Mama!  I've always wanted to know how to do things like that."
 

"Mom?"

"Hi sweetie.  Come have a seat with me."  Janie patted the spot next to her, which just happened to be on top of her boat.

"Okay, I need to talk to you.  I've been twelve for two years!"

"I'm sorry.  You're not going to age normally anymore.  Not for a long time."

"Why?  It's not fair.  The Beast says it's because of something you did."

"That's my fault.  I made a lot of mistakes with you, Lynn.  I'm not a very good mother."

Lynn finished the climb up the boat and took a seat beside her Mother, putting an arm around her.  "Don't make any more mistakes."

"Are you happy here with your Dad?"

"Yes, I love it here and I like everybody.  Are you leaving?  Is that why you wanted to talk.  Are you coming back?"

"I hardly see you anymore."

"Mom."

"Can you feel that things have changed?"

"Feel what?"

"Everything is falling together and breaking apart."  muttered Janie

"I think you need to take one of those pills."

"No sweetie.  I'm going to be fine."

"Take one, please?  You're acting-"

"Everything is going to work out wonderfully."  she smiled, looking over towards her daughter. 

"Did you mess with a timeline again?"

"No.  Sara did.  She changed so, so much, all because she didn't accept her fate."

"Where is she?"

"She'll be here soon."

"Where is she gonna stay?"

"I don't know.  A hotel?  It doesn't matter."

"What's going on Mom?"

"Someone is going to have to take care of my boat."

"I knew it!  You can't leave!  You can't do this to us again!"

"I've made adjustments to it- Lynn... listen.  Calm down, please.  I have some work to do.  Once I'm done I'll be back."

"Where are you going?"

"It doesn't matter, does it?  You're going to be able to contact me.  You're going to know that I'm okay.  You always know, don't you?"

"Get someone else to do it."

"This is my job.  If anyone asks- just... tell them I'll be back.  I'm going away on assignment.  I love all of you, but you know that."

"Mom."

"Take care of the boat, alright?  When Sara comes around see if she'll get someone to keep an eye on the island."

"How long are you going to be gone?  What about the agency?  You sunk everything into that."

"It won't be long, Lynn."

"Why are you telling me?"

"Because you're the first person they'll ask.  Take care of them for me, won't you?  But don't forget to be a kid."

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere."  Janie said, standing.   "I love you Lynn.  You're always going to be my little girl, no matter what.  I don't care about what you've done, or The Beast, or any of the stuff you are capable of doing.  You are my baby, my gift."

"Mommy-"

Lynn trailed off as she watched the sun begin to set.  Janie seemed to melt into the sunset, glowing for a second before disappearing.

"Yes, may I help you?"

"I need to speak with you personally, please."

"You should contact your unit leader with any work-lifestyle issues."

"It's you I've got to talk to."

"Do you have a complaint?"

"No."

"Are you leaving the program?"

"No, Ma'am."

"Close the door, and I will talk with you privately.  I must notify you that the confidentially clause of the open door policy will not protect you it is is proven that you have broken the law in any way, shape or fashion."

"Janie!"

"Please do not refer to me by my first name.  We are not that familiar."

"Yes, we are.  Look at ME."

"Do not command me."

"I'm not!  Please, look at me!"

"What are you doing here?  Why- you- You're not supposed to be in that uniform!"

Who the hell is the redhead?