Chapter Text
Prologue
Hyde Park, London
8 April 1912
She burst into tears while he looked around in all directions. Since they were in the first half of the twentieth century, there wasn't a soul here at this time. Running in the morning was not yet in vogue, and it was too cold for the homeless.
He wrapped the time machine in a scarf and put it in his backpack.
They were on the north shore of Lake Serpentine.
She sat by a bed of faded crocuses, shaking with sobs. It was heart-breaking to see her in this state, but he knew from experience that it was better to leave her alone. He sat down beside her and stared out at the surface of the water.
He waited for the pain that would probably never leave her to ease.
He felt much the same, even though his poker face didn't show it. She had enough to worry about already, he didn't want to add to it.
"Do you think they had paper handkerchiefs in this time?" She turned a tearful face to him.
"I'd say so," he replied. "But I only have this monogrammed silk handkerchief."
"K. E. Did you steal that from Eri?"
"She gave it to me herself. You can keep it I doubt if we'll be able to give it back to her."
She shot him an irritated look.
Tears rushed to her eyes again. "You don't have to remind me. But I still don't think we should have left him alone. After all, he needs us! Who knows if this crazy plan will work, what if it doesn't?"
"We couldn't help him at all if we were dead."
"We could have moved to America and changed our names. Wait until he was old enough..."
"You know damn well they'd find us anywhere, we've discussed this already. We didn't leave him alone. We did everything we could so he could have at least a somewhat normal childhood and be safe. At least for the next sixteen years." He jumped in and she knew he was right.
There was silence for a moment. The neighing of a horse echoed somewhere in the distance and voices could be heard from West Carriage Drive, though it was still almost night.
"Just the thought of not seeing him growing up..." She rubbed her teary eyes. "Well, either way, we won't be bored here. They'll find us sooner or later. But we're not giving up the time machine or the plan just yet."
He chuckled as he saw the shared craving for adventure in her eyes. "Maybe we are smarter after all. Or the other machine won't work. Then he wouldn't be able to finish everything."
"That would be nice, but unless we're the only ones who can stop it."
He stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. "Come on, we should get going. You should get some rest."
She let herself be lifted up and kissed. "What's the plan? Find a hiding place for the time machine?"
"Yes, but first we need money. And then we could take the train to Southampton. That's where the Titanic sets off on her first voyage on Thursday."
"If that's your idea of rest, I'm all for it." She laughed.
He was glad to see her laughing again and kissed her once "I thought... You know... Well, captains in international waters are allowed to contract marriages." He said awkwardly.
"You want to marry me? On the Titanic? How romantic. Except for the iceberg part..."
"Will you marry me?"
"Yes," she replied with enthusiasm. "But only if we get off at Queenstown at the latest."
"Ready for an adventure?"
"Ready if you are too," she whispered.
Uncontrolled time travel is usually signalled
a feeling of dizziness in the head, stomach and/or legs
for several minutes, sometimes hours, or even
days in advance. Many carriers of the gene have reported...
of headaches as well.
The first jump in time - also called the initiation jump -
usually takes place between the ages of 16 and 17
of the gene carrier.
From the Chronicles of the Guardians, Volume 2,
General patterns