Newborn Eyes

Stay

The past few days have been great. Ty and I did a lot of catching up and everything seems to have calmed down here at the headquarters of Xena. I haven't seen Leon in days, I think the council is still trying to decide his punishment. I know that Cain is consulting with the council about how to find Leon's boss but I haven't been a part of it. Not that I'm complaining! I would much rather just have everything be calm and Tyler and I could just live in our own little love bubble. 

I'm pretty sure I'm in love with Ty, I haven't told him yet. Is the guy supposed to say it first? I don't know. I feel like girls say that the guy should say it first but guys don't actually care. 

I can't help but feel like this perfect bubble I'm in is going to pop at any second. Leon's boss is still out there and I'm pretty sure Leon getting caught hasn't phased him. A few days ago Victor told me that the day I stepped into the time machine is coming up. I had almost forgotten about that. I went back in time to get my powers and save Xena but Xena is still in danger. However, if I don't go back on the day that I left, my family will start worrying about me. Right now, the other, past, me is going about her business and living her life. In a week, she will disappear and it will be present again. I will have to go home.

I can just imagine my aunt freaking out if I don't show up in the house at night. She'll think I was kidnapped or lost. But I can't just leave Ty. I love him and I need to figure out who is trying to steal his powers. 

My thoughts are interrupted by a knock on my door. I trudge over and open it to find Cain standing with a sad look on his face. He pulls me into a hug and his voice is muffled in my hair as he says, "I just heard you have to leave us soon. Have you told Tyler?"

"No not yet. I don't know how to tell him without breaking his heart."

"I know. But if you wait too long, he'll try and make you stay."

He pulls away from me and takes out a piece of paper from his pocket. He hands it to me and gestures for me to read it. It is a list of things for Ty and I to do before I leave in a week. I smile gratefully at Cain and he nods, leaving the room so I can decide what I am going to do. 

I pull my hair up into a bun before exiting the room to find Ty. I have to tell him and even if he tries to make me stay, I can't. I won't. I wouldn't do that to my family. I find Ty in Victor's room. They're playing video games and I knock on the inside of the door, not comfortable walking in all the way. Victor pauses the game and they both look up. "Ty," I announce, "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure," he responds, putting his controller down. 

"I mean alone."

Victor makes a move to get up and leave but I insist that we can go somewhere else since this is his room. Ty and I walk to the garden and I sit down on one of the benches. Judging by his confused look, I can tell he has no idea what I am about to tell him. "So you know how I came here from the future right?"

He nods and I continue, "Well in about a week, my time here will be up and it will be, technically, present day again. Which means I will have to leave and go back to my regular life with my family. Normally I would say that we could still see each other and stay together but my family is really weird about races that aren't our own. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that, if I can't convince them that you're good for me, I might never see you again."

Ty doesn't speak for a few minutes so I start ripping leaves apart from the plant that is next to me. After a while I can't handle the silence anymore. "Ty please say something!"

"I'm sorry okay it's just a lot to take in. I mean if you can't convince your parents that I'm not an asshole Xena then you can never see me again!? That doesn't seem very convincing!"

"Well I'm sorry okay. I didn't realize you were going to freak out this much about it. I'm pretty sure that I can convince them."

"Yeah but what if you can't, huh? What if you can't? I won't ever see you again? I can't even stand to think about that because I'm in love with you!"

And then my world stops. Well not all the way but I literally cannot hear anything. He just said he loved me. I can't believe he loves me! My brain kicks back in and screams, say something you idiot! I clear my throat before responding, "I love you too."

He pulls me into a hug and whispers, "Then stay, live here with me and my family. I know you like it here."

I pull back. "You know I can't. My family will freak out if I don't show up at the house the night that I stepped into that time machine. I can't do that to them. What if you worried your family like that. Wouldn't you feel terrible?"

"Of course I would and I understand but I still hate that you have to go."

I pull Cain's list out of my pocket and hand it to him. "Your father gave me this list of things we can do before I go. He can be sweet sometimes," I joke. 

He laughs but it sounds forced. His eyes skims over the list and he pulls a pen out of his pocket. "Here," he says, handing the pen and list to me, "Put a star next to the ones you want to do and I promise we will complete all of them before the week ends."

I smile at Ty and start to mark up the list that marks the possible end of our relationship.