Second Chances

“We’re not going anywhere without you,” Brian said fiercely. He turned to look at Jennifer. “How bad is it?”

Jenn answered. “It’s not bad, but I won’t be able to run. I don’t think I can even walk.”

Brian looked at the weapon Jenn was holding. “Would you please explain to me, where the FUCK you learned to use that gun?”

“One of my assistants at NASA used to be a Navy SEAL. He thought it would be a good idea if I knew how to take care of myself. Needless to say, I was an excellent student.”

“I don’t remember working with….” Jennifer started.

“He hasn’t started working there yet, Jennifer.” Jenn interrupted her. “You both have to get out of here.”

“I’ll carry her, you carry the gun,” Brian said to Jennifer.

“No, I’ll slow you down….”

“So?”

Jenn’s eyes blazed. “So I may have taken care of the others and destroyed the Enterprise, but Dixon got away. He could be anywhere. And I know for damn sure that he’s going to be aiming his gun at you, Brian. You need to be able to move, and move fast.”

“Brian’s the only reason I’d risk building another Enterprise,” Jenn said, her voice harsh. “And James Dixon knows that. If you’re dead, Bri, I’d keep my theories of time travel alive.” She thrust her gun at Jennifer. “Come on. I’ll be gone anyway when you finally do the right thing and decide to leave NASA. So take it and get Brian the hell out of here.”

“You did know,” Brian interrupted. “You knew all along that if I could convince Jennifer to give up her research, you’d just disappear, didn’t you? I can’t believe you would let yourself vanish without saying good-bye!”

“I did say good-bye,” she said quietly.

“You didn’t mention that that good-bye was because you intended to leave me forever.”

Jenn’s gaze flicked to Jennifer, who was quietly working to staunch the flow of her blood. “My intention was to never leave you again.”

“You mean your intention was for Jennifer to never leave me again.” Jennifer glanced uneasily at him, and he shook his head. “Don’t worry, Jenny, I won’t hold you to any promises you made five years in the future.”

Jennifer straightened up, picking up Jenn’s gun and handing it back to her. “Let’s go.”

Jenn pushed the gun back toward her. “No.”

“We’re not leaving you here,” Jennifer stated.

“Instead you’d rather risk Brian’s life?” Jenn countered.

Jennifer glanced back at the dead Merlin agents. “I think we’d be risking Brian’s life if we left you here,” she said quietly. She lifted Jenn’s gun. “Because I don’t think I could bring myself to use this the way you can.”

“Believe me, you’d use it. If Dixon pointed his gun at Brian, you could bring yourself to use it,” Jenn told Jennifer.

“Yeah,” Jennifer agreed. “Maybe I could. But I’d rather not have to find out.” She glanced back at the bodies again. “That’s one way I have absolutely no desire to be like you.”

“Can we go now?” Brian asked. “ All of us?”

Jenn let Jennifer help her to her feet, swearing sharply, her mouth tight against the pain. She took back the gun, holding it at the ready in one arm while Brian pulled her other arm around his neck. She also drew a small handgun out of the back of her jeans and held it out to Jennifer.

Jennifer took it unwillingly.

Jenn gritted her teeth. “Let’s do it, then.”

******************

Jennifer got them into one of the Merlin limousines, and they’d pulled away from the burning house. They’d hit the gate going fifty, and the big car had plowed right through.

She drove directly into the city and parked the limo on a side street. “Why are we stopping?” Brian asked.

“We need to get another vehicle. They will be looking for this one,” Jennifer explained.

“How are we gonna do that?” he inquired.

“Hot-wire it of course.” She grinned over at him. “I am a genius, you know.” She reminded him, getting out and grabbing the barrette from her hair.

Brian turned to look at Jenn. She was laying down in the back seat.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t take you to a hospital?”

“I have a bullet in my leg,” she said. “They’d have to notify the police.”

“How are we going to get the bullet out? What if it gets infected?”

“I’m not going to be here long enough to need to get the bullet out.”

“But you said you destroyed the Enterprise. Can’t you just…”

“I did, and although the time pressures are off, that doesn’t mean we can just pretend the threat’s not still there. We need to convince….Jenny….to quit her research. I still need your help, Bri.”

“Isn’t there any other way?”

“No.” The word held all of her absolute resolve, but she said it gently.

Brian looked out the windshield at Jennifer. She was working with her barrette, trying to unlock the door to the car in front of them. She made an adjustment and the door opened. Quickly, she began working on hot-wiring the vehicle.

“Will you help me?” Jenn asked him.

Brian closed his eyes for a moment. “Yes.”

Jenn touched him then, reaching forward. “Thank you.”

He turned to face her, catching her hand in his. “I love….both of you.”

Her face looked so tired, her eyes so filled with pain. “There’s really only one of us. There will be only one of us.”

And that one wasn’t going to be the woman sitting facing him, gazing into his eyes.

She reached forward, touching his cheek with her finger. “That’s a good thing. It’s going to be a good thing. This way I get a second chance, Bri. I can take a do-over. Not many people get that kind of opportunity. It’s not like you’re never going to see me again. You will. I promise. I’m going to be a little different—no, a whole lot different, probably. Better different.” She smiled. “But you’ll see me again, and I’ll kiss you…” she leaned forward and brushed his lips with hers---“just like that, and you’ll look into my eyes and you’ll know it’s me. I’ll remember everything. Very faintly, but I will remember.”

Jennifer opened the door. Jenn sat back, letting go of Brian’s hand as Jennifer reached to help her out of the car.

“I’m sorry,” Jennifer said quietly. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I have the car started and we need to go before someone sees us.”

Brian helped Jennifer place Jenn in the back seat of the hot-wired car. And they pulled away from the curb.

“Where do we go now? Any suggestions?” Jennifer asked, glancing back at Jenn.

“I know exactly where we can go.” Brian stated.

Both women spoke in unison. “Where?”

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