The Timeservers

Chapter 66

Part Three

"You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past." –Richard Bach

A few kilometers outside of Ottawa, Ontario

The Lius'

December 22, 227 P.F.E

0900 hours

If the things that had gone down over the last few days in New York hadn't happened then the merry group of travelers would have been singing carols in the shuttle all the way up to Ottawa. It would before only about half an hour if they went slowly, but they still would have done it and they would have screamed out every word like nobody's business. They would have cracked out the eggnog despite no one being particularly fond of it and Leo would have talked about how it always tasted like pink bubble gum to him which wouldn't make sense to anyone else. Kelly would blush and look away whenever Via accidentally walked under the mistletoe but he would poke fun and pretend to be a player. Leo and Sophia would have snuck a peck on the lips. It would still be awkward, but fun awkward.
Instead, it's the worst type of awkwardness. An awkward where you're pretending that everything is normal and fine and straining to have the fun awkward which only makes it plain awkward or awkward awkward or weird awkward. So, they sip eggnog and smile politely a teach other over the rims of their mugs.
Kelly sits in the corner, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Via has managed to cram herself into the co-pilot's footwell and is trying not to show even a bit of herself to her fellow humans because it's all too embarrassing. Leo and Sophia are sitting next to each other but not even bothering with couple stuff. It would just be weird and a little cruel at this point.
Tatiana is the only one having any fun. She's still falling off the deep end in a most spectacular nose dive which will surely knock the water from the pool when she finally hits it. She'shaving fun though. She's the one belting out carols at the top of her lungs, she's the one dancing around the cabin without a care, and she's the one who stands under the mistletoe put up by a smarmy when you think of it shuttle rental attendant who winked at them all when he showed them the thing. She stands there for five minutes. No one is sure whether she doesn't know it's there or if she does and wants to be kissed by one of the attractive guys she's found herself amongst, or whether she even knows what mistletoe is.
"Come on guys, this is the holidays! You only get so much time off, right? Enjoy it!" Tatiana encourages, pulling on Kelly to try to get him to join her. He does, grinning a grin that makes Via recess deeper into her alcove. He dances with Tatiana with the enthusiasm he shows to most girls and Tatiana doesn't mind or know.
"What are we going to do with her again?" Leo asks, first to Sophia, then leaning down at the end to peer at Via.
"At this point, we're just waiting forher to finish grieving. Acceptance comes soon; right?" Via calls.
In truth; Kelly, Via, and Sophia had discussed it at length, looping Shadow in on a necessary basis. Tatiana couldbe transported with the rest. Everyone assumed she was missing so she'd be easy enough to move. No one would be looking anymore. Not for a candidate who disappeared and had probably racked up enough strikes and marks over that timeto reduce them to the streets. She'd disappear with the rest in a few days andshe wouldn't have to go back.
It had been hard to break it to Tatiana; that she would actually have to leave. That the life she'd been told she wanted and told herself that she wanted for years was just gone. She'd only just recovered from coming back and from finding out about the Tower. Via had wanted to wait but Sophia insisted there wasn't time. They'd told her. Tatiana had been mourning the loss of her old life since. Though the way she mourned was what some people would call 'a celebration of life.' She just denied it and went with the wild rapids her emotional brain was taking her down.
The group took shifts watching her at a hotel they'd put her up in. She wasn't unsupervised for more than five minutes over the last day and she'd found out first hand just how little sleep a spectre needs. She'd slept like a baby.
Now she's got enough energy to keep dancing right to when they get to Ottawa. There's a loud beeping that interrupts the music as they get close to their destination. Via reaches up from her spot under the dashboard and smacks the guide board, turning off the alarm. She crawls out from her hiding spot and starts directing the shuttle herself.
Kelly makes his way up to the front, sitting in the co-pilot seat and crisscrossing his legs on the chair. He props his elbows on his knees and then rests his head in his hands. "Didn't know you could fly."
"Wow, I didn't know that I could keep anything from you, or at least your sister."
"When did you learn?"
"When I was eight. My parents taught me. It stuck and I've been practicing over the last month. I'll admit that I take advantage of Leo's connection to Chambers to just fly around."
"Cool."
"You don't know how to talk to me anymore; do you?"
"Not at all."
"I'm sorry, by the way. I didn't say that the other day." Via focuses on guiding the shuttle so she doesn't have to look at Kelly. "It's kind of been eating me up. I wanted it all cleared up before we get to your home though."
"Just don't run away into a den of iniquity and you'll never have to apologize again. You deserve a sorry too."
"I'll do my best to not run away. Hold on to something; I'm a little rough on landings," Via calls back. Tatiana sits, the couple stays where they are, and Kelly braces himself against the control panel. The landing is a little rough, being a bit too heavy and bobbing everyone's heads.
Once the landing is done they collect their bags. Kelly presses the button to open the door, a grin on his face and a bounce in his still-good step. The door opens and the group holds their breath in preparation for meeting the Lius.