[Note: To be clear, this is five years into the future]
Willow woke up from the start.
Her eyes were wide open, her jaw slightly dropped, and her heart pounded like a gong against her ribs.
"What the hell?" She grabbed the alarm clock from the nightstand and almost screamed upon seeing the time. "Shit!"
Then, she shuffled her hands around the bed, searching for her phone. She found it at the foot of the bed. She sprawled on her stomach to check the date. Her eyes widened even more, and her brows rose into her forehead. "Shit, shit, shit."
It didn't take rocket science for her to realize that she was back—back in her timeline. That's when fear, frustration, and nervousness all jumbled up, turning her into one chaotic mess.
Did it happen? She thought to herself, resisting the urge to chew on her nails, a habit she could never get rid of. Did she do it? Did she save Ronin?
There was only one way to find out. But could she? She was suddenly so damn nervous. What if it didn't work? What if it was nothing but a dream? What if she messed it up even more?
Deep breaths. She reminded herself. Nodding and trying to calm down the panic boiling in the pit of her stomach.
Wait. Her eyebrows snapped again. "Why did I wake up in my bed?" She distinctly remembered using the time-travelling device in Alice's room.
Her mind stuttered once more. Wait. Where was Alice? Did she wake up in her bed too? "That would be so weird."
"Willow!" She heard someone yell outside the door of her room, followed by a soft knock on the hardwood. "Come out, honey. Everyone is waiting for you at the breakfast table." It was her mom. She recognized the voice.
"Co—coming, Mom!" She yelled back and finally left the bed.
Willow rushed to the bathroom and took a quick shower.
Ten minutes later, she leaped down the stairs, overhearing the soft conversation at the dining table. The entire house was filled with the familiar and comforting aroma of coffee, pancakes, and something sweet. There was a certain warmth in the air, the kind that she thought she had missed during her time travel. As far as she remembered, Alice and she never stepped into Logan's residence, afraid someone would catch them. It was too much of a risk, a risk not worth taking.
"Here she is," she heard Eric's voice, her handsome brother pulling a chair for himself and giving her a nod before sitting down. He was dressed in a light blue shirt and a pair of grey pants.
Willow flashed him a smile, sweeping her gaze over her dad, who sat at the head of the table, newspaper in his hands. "Don't just stand there, darling. Come on, be done with your breakfast. You have a long day ahead."
Willow didn't know what he was talking about. But then she remembered. Her dad had asked her to join him at the office. He wanted her to show her something. He had brought it up during the dinner last night. And yet, that conversation felt like a lifetime away.
For a moment, she wondered if any of that was even true. Not much difference there was to see. No Ronin. No Carmen. No Alice.
She frowned.
"Is everything alright, honey?" She heard her mom say to her, breaking her out of her thoughts.
"Yes!" Willow shook her head. "Of course. Everything is perfect."
Her mom did not look convinced but she smiled at her anyway. "That's great. Come on, then. Time to eat something."
Willow sighed, apparently disappointed. She walked up to the dining table and pulled a chair for herself, right across from Eric. One of the maids prepared a plate for her, pouring a glass of juice on the side.
"You look different," Eric noticed, eyeing her carefully. His words caught their dad's attention fairly quickly.
Up until now, he hadn't lifted his gaze from the newspaper article he was reading. Right after Eric asked the question, he closed the newspaper, folded it back, and handed it to one of the other maids. "She does look different, doesn't she?"
Willow grabbed the fork and stabbed through the scrambled eggs on her plate. "You read too much into nothing, Eric. Maybe you should get your eyes checked." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. When faced with circumstances she couldn't be sure how to feel about, it was easier for her to slide into her sarcastic self, a facade that few rarely saw through.
Eric's lips pulled into a grin. "And she's back again."
"For that to happen, I'd have to go somewhere in the first place."
"And now she's mad too."
"I'm not mad, Eric."
"You kind of look mad." He turned to face Dad. "Doesn't she look mad, Dad?"
To her surprise, their dad nodded thoughtfully. "She kind of does. Something's not right." He leaned over the table, putting his hand over hers, patting it gently. "What's wrong? Something seems off."
Willow pulled her hand back and shrugged. "Honestly, guys. Nothing's off here. I'm perfectly fine."
But was she? She wondered. Why was she suddenly so disappointed? Was it the possibility that nothing seemed out of place upon her return? Could it be the chance that the device never worked and what she experienced was merely a dream? Willow knew she had to figure out this puzzle.
She took out her phone and scrolled through the numbers.
Another odd feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't find Alice's name on the list. Her frown deepened.
"By the way, in case you forget, we have dinner at Carmen's tonight." Her mom sat down next to her, sipping on her morning coffee. "Don't be late, Eddie. You're always late."
"Jane, you worry too much," Eddie Logan grunted, trying to not wince at the fact that indeed he had already forgotten. "I have already asked Eric to pull me out of the office once it's time to leave. He even agreed to give me a ride."
"I did?" Eric asked, confused, and almost innocently, before he shook his head. "Please don't drag me into your mess. You might love to play with fire, Dad, but I love my life."
The mention of fire brought an uncomfortable tightness to Willow's chest, and before she could help it, she ended up asking. "Where's Alice, Dad?"
"Alice?" Her mom asked. "Why are you suddenly asking about Alice?"
"Shouldn't I?" She was so annoyed right now, couldn't really explain it.
"I don't know," her mom's brows pinched. "It depends, I guess."
"I just want to know where she is," Willow knew she had to figure this out. The more she would wait, the more annoyed she would grow. And an annoyed Willow was never a good thing. "I have...I wanted to talk to her about something."
Willow could feel everyone's eyes on her. And if she were to be honest, it made her a little more nervous than she already was deep inside.
Was asking about Alice such an odd thing? Was there something she was missing?
"Uh...well," her mother exchanged a look with Eric before saying. "You can see her at Carmen's place, I suppose. If that helps."
It did. It helped a lot. Willow nodded, relieved again. "Alright. That's great. In fact," she finished her juice and set the glass back on the table. She quickly rose from the chair and pushed it back under the table. "I'll see you guys at Carmen's tonight. She might appreciate some help." She pocketed her phone and got ready to leave.
"Wait. Where are you going?" Her dad asked, impatient.
"At Carmen's, of course."
"But why?"
"Just because."
"You're acting weird, Will," Eric pointed out, frowning. "What's with the sudden interest in Alice."
"I just miss her that's all," God, why were they asking so many questions? Why was it so strange for her to talk about her own niece?
Willow didn't wait for another question that might have been on the way to hold her back. She rushed out of the mansion, asked the guard to bring out the car and drove off.
Back inside the Logan's mansion and over the breakfast table, Eddie, Jane and Eric continued to stare at the door, apparently dumbfounded.
"Am I missing something?" Eric asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine, son." Eddie shook his head.
"Why would she ask about Alice out of nowhere?" Jane voiced her own thoughts.
Eddie shrugged. "Jesus, who knows?"
Eric sighed. "I guess, we'll find out at the dinner tonight."
A/N: Oops, what do you think is happening? :)