Fix the future by changing the past

chance meeting

"We're having Mister Strickler over for dinner today…" 

"Yikes, man…" Toby hissed in visible cringe. "You'd better hurry then, Jimbo." The taller teen simply nodded and rode his bike the rest of the way home. 

Dropping off his bike next to the garage, Jim walked over to the door before stopping for a second. At first Jim didn't really like the idea of Strickler dating his mother but after a while he realised that the man, changeling or not, had truly made his mother happy and eventually accepted it. It wasn't fair that they had just gotten engaged when Strickler sacrificed himself to save Jim, but it was a meaningless sacrifice. It devastated both him and his mom, so this time around he's going to make sure they're both happy together. 

Pushing away the painful memories, Jim shakily opened the door and walked in. Dropping his satchel bag on the railing of the stairs before putting on a smile and walking into the dining room where Strickler sat at the table with his mom drinking tea. "I'm home" He called out before walking over to his mom and giving her a hug. 

"Jim, you're late!" Barbra said, hugging her son and looking over him worriedly. 

"Sorry, mom. Toby just wanted to show me something." Jim said before turning towards Strickler. "Anyone hungry?" 

The rest of the night was spent happily chatting. He was used to having dinner with Strickler by now and knew exactly what he liked, so in an attempt to win him over to their side he tried to charm the changeling with his cooking. 

Walter looked at the time after noticing how tired the teen was becoming. Realising how late it was getting, he got up. "Again, it was such a delight having dinner with you. However, it is getting rather late and I'd hate for Young Atlas to miss classes because of me." 

Jim perked up from the kitchen, halting him from washing the dishes. He wiped the water and soap from his hands reaching into a cabinet where he had placed a food container. He wrapped it up well and walked over to the front door where his mom was greeting off his history teacher. 

"I am so glad Jim has teachers that look out for his well being like you, Strickler" Barbra commented. 

"Please, my friends call me Walt." The changeling said with a small smile before turning around to leave. 

Jim ran past his mom towards Strickler's retreating form carrying a small, towel wrapped container. "Mister Strickler! Wait!" The boy called out after the older man. 

With a raised brow, Walter looked over to the boy only to have his face met with the package the boy was carrying. "Young Atlas? Is everything alright?" He asked, surprising himself with his genuine worry for the boy. 

"I'm- I'm fine" Jim wheezed out, still catching his breath from his run, realising that he no longer had his stamina from the previous timeline. With a smile plastered onto his face he handed the older man the package. "Just a little something for the road" He said before walking back home with a wave of goodbye to his teacher. 

Walter smiled, his worry fading and instead being replaced by the warm tingle of happiness at how kind his prize pupil was before walking away. 

Barbra watched the exchange between teacher and student as she leaned against the frame of the front door with a smile on her face as Jim came back, a bright smile of his own. "What was that you gave him, kiddo?" She asked, walking back inside with her son. 

"Oh, just a little snack I made after I found out what he liked to eat" Jim simply said. It was a half truth, it really was a snack he made specifically for Strickler. It was a bit hard to find the ingredients he needed to make the dish but it was worth it, if it were to help bring him over to their side. He internally thanked blinky for lending him that troll cookbook back in the old timeline.