Gone Again: World Hoppers {book two}

Father

Dj and Naomi found a new place. It was on a small overhanging cliff on the other side of town. A small statue had been erected, the little thing had water spilling over the sides around it. It was quiet.

"It looks beautiful out." Dj said quietly, Naomi nodded, her mind wandered. Cas and co. had told them about the guard proposition. She wasn't completely sure she wanted to do that.

"I think-" Naomi snapped back to reality, a wall of vines weaving themselves quickly in between them. She ripped them away. "That was-" Naomi looked at her hands, creating vines that snaked up her arms. "Well this is exciting. Wonder if it'll be permanent this time," Dj looked back toward the inn, "Natalie." They had a small laugh over their synchronization before they headed back down the hill leading up to the cliff.

Natalie scanned the scene in front of her. It was Cas, younger, blood looked around his feet, two jagged wounds on his back.

The scene changed. She was talking with Noan about something or other. It was the day he'd handcuffed them all together. It seemed like forever ago.

It shifted again. This time it was her and Blue, Blue sat in her lap listening to music while she scribbled things onto the wall.

Things began to pick up pace. It was her and Honic in the car. Then it was Michael, boyfriend Michael. Then it shifted to Dj. And then Cas and Ollie. There it stayed for a few moments. They were laughing about something or other, it was before they'd started dating, which also seemed like a very long time ago, the scene changed.

She was in the Jumper auditorium again. Roman was above her, it stopped on him, skipped backward to when they were first in his world, how they had killed his father. How Ollie had nearly died. Then it cut back to the auditorium. It played on up until Honic stabbed him.

It shifted. It was Roman still. They were in the motel parking lot for when they were stuck. Roman was a bloody mess on the ground. She stood over him.

Before then. Her being dusted. The mismatched memories from when she was under his spell and then- she screamed. Naomi cupped a hand over her mouth but it was too late, her body emitted a small shell of flame that encased her.

They, luckily, did not set the inn on fire. However they did wake up Noan. The four went for a walk.

"So, this is all from your world then?" The question was aimed at Dj, "Well, this, the village, isn't from my world, but the power is." He nodded but didn't get a chance to speak before a man approached them. "Noan!" Noan gasped and the two hugged for what felt like minutes. He drew back with a terrified look, the other man didn't seem to understand. Naomi's best guess was that he was a Keeper, dark haired and dressed formally, he fit the profile, not that it was hard to fill.

"Clou, you-" his eyes landed on Natalie. "Is that..?" Noan glanced over at her, took the man's arm and ushered him away.

The girls exchanged looks. "Eavesdrop?" Dj glared at Naomi but the moment she blinked she and Natalie were already creeping over to the building they'd disappeared behind.

"Noan you didn't tell me she was here." Noan scoffed, "To be fair, you disappear for years at a time. It's been a minute." There was some grumbling before Clou spoke again, "But you couldn't contact me at all? I mean she's my-" "Shh!" Natalie looked to Naomi who only shrugged in response. "And what happened to her face-?" Natalie traced the scab, Naomi pulled her hand away. "And accident. Maybe if you care around more often-" "I'm making my name known little brother, it's not easy work. I can't always be here with you."

Noan huffed, "Sure. You don't say anything to her. Things are hard enough as they are-" "You ditched. I heard. Someone certainly grew-" "Shut up. Now when we go back around the corner laugh and act as if-" The girls retreated back to Dj and act as if they hadn't heard them at all. They only had more questions.

Clau stuck around. No one knew how to describe him. Noan wouldn't say much about him either. Clau would sit back and watch before he did anything. He tested the stars before he talked to them, and by that logic he failed to talk to many of them. Mostly the little kids, and Cas.

Honic seemed uneasy around him. Natalie pulled him aside on afternoon. "Hey, what's up with what guy?" He looked her up in down, nearly shaking. "Energy." He mumbled, pulling away. "Lots of it."

Natalie saw Noan leave with a Clau a few days later. In the middle of the night too. Needless to say, she followed them to a small bench. She remained just within earshot.

"Noan, you can see her energy growing-" "It's a reaction. It's just you," Clau was silent, "But, but I thought that-" Noan sighed, "I'm sorry for snapping at you. It's just that she's a commitment. All of them are." Natalie sat in the brush, trying to decipher who they were talking about. Was it her? What about York or Naomi? Even Atti or June.

Their voices quieted as their conversation continued. "I think it's time for her to choose a side." Noan laughed quietly, "She's already chosen. She wouldn't leave those boys unwillingly." He nodded, "She doesn't seem to like me. None of them seem too." Noan nodded, "You're unfamiliar. The kids and I have a respect for each other. On the other hand, you try to tell em what to do or where to go, it won't be pretty. Their a force to be reckoned with."

It was quiet for a while, Natalie was almost worried they'd walked away. Before she could climb to her feet Clau spoke again. "I just want my daughter." Natalie could feel flames on her skin. Revelation. She quickly put them out as best she could and listened intently. "Hm. That's interesting, why now? What do you need her for? Poor girl has been through enough." Natalie was in crisis. She needed to hear her name spoken. Surely it couldn't have been her. Maybe he needed Noan's help to get the daughter back. That made sense right?

"Natalie is part Jumper. You know this. Let me ask her-" Natalie burst into flames. She scrambled out of the forest, both men looked at her, still very much ablaze.

Natalie wasn't sure what to feel. It almost felt as if she was feeling too much. An overload of sorts. "So you heard." Noan said quietly, walking toward her slowly. She looked at the flames and they disappeared. New. Interesting. Scary.

"How about you sit down and we talk about this?" Natalie looked at Noan indifferently. "Quite the secret." She mumbled, sitting in the grass out of arms reach of the bench. "Hello Natalie. As you already know, my name is Clau. I'm you're biological father." The earth seemed to crumble. Anger came back first. The dew around her steamed. She pressed down hard on her arm, it stopped.

She stared at his outstretched hand. "I don't want you," She growled, "I already have a father figure. A good one." The second part was aimed at Noan. He looked shocked. "Well, I'm sure we can get to know each other, right?" He stood up, casting shadow over her. "Here," he offered his hand to help her up, she took it begrudgingly. Clau pulled her up and into a hug. "Let me go!" She pushed against him in warning, when he didn't let go she shot up and caught him in the jaw. He stumbled backward, "I told you they were a commitment."