Dawn West-Allen: Part Two

2049

Dad's finger lingered on the last page of the little brown journal. His eyes glistened as he stared down at the page as if he was in deep thought. A subtle smile spread across his face as he reread the last page to himself; something we've all gained accustomed to. He eventually came out of his short-lived trance and gently placed the journal along with his reading glasses on the coffee table. He cleared his throat as he sat up in his chair, his eyes finding the three of us.

"Okay, guys, why do you think I read that story." Dad began.

As usual, Nora attempted to answer first, but Dad shook his head no; Insisting that someone else should answer instead.

It was silent besides the faint sound of Mom sniffling and wiping away tears, along with the low buzzing of an incoming message from my gauntlet that I happily answered. Dad's eyes wandered from me to my brother as he waited for one of us to step onto the mantle.

My brother's eyes diverted to the floor, and I was the unlucky one to make eye contact.

"Dawn." Dad said as I sighed dramatically." Why don't you give it a shot."

"I don't know, Dad," I said, sending another message with a grin.

Mom instinctively reached her hand out, her eyes piercing my soul as she silently asserted her authority. I already knew what she wanted, yet I still stared at her hand as if I was surprised.

"Seriously?" I said as she patiently waited."Fine."

I slid the gauntlet off my arm and reluctantly placed it into her hand. Mom then slid it between her thigh and the couch armrest, just out of my reach.

"So why do you think I read that story?" Dad repeated his question.

"I don't know-" I mumbled as I mindlessly picked at the black nail polish on my fingers."- to recreate a How I Met Your Mother episode?" I said as Bart snickered.

"Dawn," Dad said sternly drawing my attention back to him. "You need to take this seriously."

"Fine." I sighed readjusting myself on the couch." you told us this story so-" A menacing grin spread across my face as I glanced at Nora."- so we know not to listen to Nora." I snickered.

"Ha, ha, ha, you're so funny," Nora said sarcastically.

"Okay, but hear me out!" I attempted to explain." it was Nora's fault that they were erased from the timeline. If they had stayed in 2041 they would have been fine." I finished." therefore, it was Nora's fault."

That was not the point of the story, dumbass-" Nora began.

"-Don't call each other names." Mom chimed in.

"- and Dad wanted you two, the children, to hear about the dangers of time traveling and being reckless. A lesson that Dawn can't grasp. Unlike me, the responsible adult who knows the dangers of time travel."

"The responsible adult." I mimicked Nora.

"Real mature, Dawn," Nora said, annoyance in tone. "You should try growing up."

"Girls." Dad attempted to stop our argument.

"I'm just saying, Nora, erased us from the timeline before, so who's to say she won't do it again?" I turned to Mom and Dad trying to plead my case.

"Because I'm not not the same person!" she said through gritted teeth." neither of us are."

"Are you?" I said rhetorically, raising my voice a few octaves.

"Okay, guys-"

"Ya know, if you acted more like the other Dawn, maybe Dad wouldn't have to keep telling us this story." Nora finished as I flicked her off.

"That is enough." Mom raised her voice sternly while rubbing her temples. "Nora, you're 26 years old stop arguing with your sister-"

"But-"

Mom gave one look toward Nora insinuating that she should not finish that sentence.

"-and Dawn, stop picking fights with Nora."

"In my defense-"

Mom peered at me with the same look.

"Never mind." I rolled my eyes and sat back in my seat.

"Okay..." Dad said before his eyes landed on my brother who had been staring blankly ahead; unfazed by the current situation.

"Bart." Dad began with hopeful eyes." do you have any thoughts on the story?"

"I don't know." Bart shrugged nonchalantly." I got lost after Lia died."

"Dude, that was at the beginning of the story-" I said.

"We've heard this story over a hundred times-" Nora added.

"-Dawn, Nora-" Mom cut us off." Shush!"

"But." Bart paused." I think Dawn was right. It was Nora's fault." He finished.

"Thank you!" I said, high-fiving him." This is why you're my favorite sibling."

"Really?" Nora said annoyed.

"Any other thoughts?" Dad said changing the subject.

"Yeah, I do have a question." he began." how does that one kid exist in this timeline and the one before? Shouldn't he be, like, old?"

"What are you talking about?" Bart sparked Mom's interest.

"Yeah, what are you talking about," I questioned as he continued.

"Dawn's boyfriend, Jeven." he said pointing at me." He was a kid in 2019, and he's a kid today."

"That was the other Dawn." I shrieked."He's not my boyfriend, dumb ass ." I said as Nora burst into a fit of laughter.

"That's not what I heard-" Bart said before a pillow was promptly thrown in his face." What the hell?"

"Guys-" Dad tried intervening.

"- since when are you and Jeven dating." mom asked."How long? Why didn't you tell us-"

"-Iris," Dad said only to be ignored by Mom.

"We're not dating." I looked toward Mom and Dad." and he's not my boyfriend!" I said directly to Bart.

"Mmmhuh," Mom grumbled skeptical of my answer as she crossed her arms.

"Oh come on." I sighed in frustration."Are we really going to believe Bart? Someone who graduated last year?! For all we know he probably stalks the school pinboard page for information-"

"I do not stalk the school pinboard." Barts's voice cracked as he tried to explain." I still have friends that go there In case you haven't noticed-"

"-Being in college and still having high school friends isn't as schway as you think." I talked over Bart.

"You know what-" Bart began but was cut off by Dad.

"Okay, Guys, can we please get back to the story." Dad pleaded ." or we're never going to get through this-"

"-Yeah, it's not like we've heard this story a million times," I mumbled as Dad glanced at me.

"Anyway, as Nora said, Dawn." Dad called me out." We tell you stories about the past and the other Dawn and Nora because we don't want you guys to make the same mistakes. The timeline is delicate, and the slightest change can put you or someone you love in the same positions." Dad said. "which is why the West-Allen #1 rule is-"

"Protect the timeline at any and all cost." all three of us said in sync.

"That's right." Dad said with a smile."Now, who's up for ice cream at Happy Harbor's, my treat!"

"Perfect, we can talk about this secret boyfriend." Mom stared at me with a smile.

"I thought you would have forgotten about that by now." I huffed, following them to the door.