Caroline was sitting down next to a table in a strange room. Her head ached, and she felt a strange throbbing in her skull. Where was she? She saw her reflection in a mirror on the wall and touched her face in slow marvel. She looked younger and finely dressed.
Her heart leapt. She did it! She could change the past. But she had to be careful. One wrong move could change her son’s newfound freedom.
Before she could set up with a logical plan, the door flew open.
“Here she is, all for your enjoyment, Ms. Bure,” a man with an annoying voice announced.
Then Caroline saw her—a familiar, beautiful curly-haired woman wearing a languid smile, glimpses of something predatory peeking through…Nightingale. So that man must be Bobby. Yes, that’s right… Caroline remembered him in the files and that fateful night when Clarence died. This is the room where David first met Nightingale.
The way Bobby stared at Caroline unnerved her. She knew that man only saw lust and dollar signs.
“Get out of my sight,” she ordered. She wanted nothing more to wring that man’s neck for everything he represented and killing her friend in cold blood. If she stared at him any longer, she might murder him and really paint this so-called Red Room red.
As Bobby went to leave, Caroline could see Nightingale fighting hard to hold back a grin. But Caroline was worried. She didn’t change anything in the time stream to ruin the freedom of Inamoratas, did she? God…what if she did? What if she cost Steel everything by badmouthing the owner of the York Bordello?
Nightingale’s strange expression broke Caroline away from her thoughts. Nightingale wore her brothel mask, looking seductive, and opened her mouth to speak. “Hello—”
Caroline held up a palm. “Please stop, this is making me uncomfortable. I’m Agent Caroline Bure, and I’m not here for sex. I’m here to end this immoral business, and I need your help.”
“Wh—” Nightingale started.
“Here,” Caroline interjected, fished for her badge and handed it to Nightingale as proof.
She felt a lot more forgiving of this younger version of Nightingale and couldn’t help but act mellower. Then Caroline went into a spiel about the investigation that she could’ve said in her sleep. Because yes, it’s all been said and done before, hasn’t it?
Nightingale appraised her steadily. “So, I’m to be the determining factor? To see if I have emotions?”
“I’ll be spending time with you,” Caroline cut in. “Observing how you live.” She already knew this conversation from the transcripts. “The choice is yours to make. I won’t force you to do this. I can find someone else that’s willing to help me if you don’t want to.”
Nightingale stilled and sagged into her seat. Moments went by and she nodded, “I’ll do it.” A cautious hope lit her features. It reminded her of the hope that Steel dared to have when they found him. It made Caroline’s heart ache.
Caroline noticed she had a book on her lap the whole time.
“Oh yes, I remember you liking books.” Crap, why did she have to word it like that? But judging by Nightingale’s expression, she didn’t catch onto the significance of Caroline’s phrasing. Caroline placed Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake on the table. “Here. I think you’ll enjoy this.”
But for some reason, Caroline took back the book and opened it to see her own handwriting and signature. How was this possible?
Caroline smiled, hopeful, and handed the book back to Nightingale. “Sorry about that.”
Nightingale seemed surprise to hear an apology. “You’re unlike anyone I’ve met, Agent Bure.”
“Please call me Caroline,” she responded, waving her hand dismissively.
Nightingale smiled genuinely.
Then suddenly, Caroline’s head ached painfully like someone took a hammer to her skull. Caroline jolted backwards and shrieked.
Her vision was spotty and fuzzy. Caroline held out her hand when she thought she saw someone...someone who looked similar to Michael but decades older.
The white light faded, and Caroline was in a familiar room with tall ceilings and a long table with four familiar people seated.
When Caroline's vision fully cleared, she met Pierce's gaze and grinned weakly. Then beyond Pierce, she saw him—a man, as handsome as ever, and her heart leapt with joy. Caroline ran up to Clarence and gave him a python-grip hug, tight enough for him to wheeze out in pain.
“Wow, I didn’t know you felt that way about me,” Clarence drawled with a sly grin.
“Shut up, I just miss you!” she exclaimed, burying her face onto his chest. She had the biggest urge to cry but decided not to give her audience a waterworks type of show. After a long awkward pause, she released him to examine the room.
There was David, cool and attractively dangerous, and largely muscular Nicholas standing by David’s side. Then where was…?
Caroline looked around and choked when she saw Robin—same dark hair threaded with silver but wearing a dove grey sheath dress, and a dancer’s build body brimming with elegance and grace with a willowy frame to boot. Oh. My. God. Robin is a woman!
Without thinking, Caroline screeched, “Robin?! Did you get a sex change?!”
Female Robin gagged, her dark doe eyes widening in shock. A deep blush spread on Robin’s cheeks.
How adorable, Caroline thought of her friend. Her friend? Since when had they ever became friends. Caroline suddenly received flashes of memory of Robin and herself throughout most of their lives—laughing together, playing pranks, sharing secrets. She came to the staggering conclusion that they were best friends, and Caroline never knew how good that felt until now.
Robin cleared her throat. “As we’ve discussed in private,” Robin indicated with her chin to the gaping men in the room, “I like my lady parts the way they are...despite the fact that ‘scissoring is like an awkward two-person yoga move.’” Her voice was high and fluting, but with the same musical quality as the Robin from her world.
Caroline realized from Robin’s pointed look in her direction that she was quoting Caroline herself. But that wasn’t a conversation Caroline remembered, and she knew it was something she would. What did happen when she jumped through the timeline anyway? Her memory was too fuzzy to make sense of it all.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...ruffle your feathers,” Caroline commented with a smirk.
“Really, Caroline?” Nightingale replied, deadpanned. “Another bird pun?”
“Let’s get on with this meeting,” David barked with his trademark impatience.
Caroline was too preoccupied with her own thoughts and blocked out their discussion. It was important, yes, but Caroline had other things to worry about like keeping the time stream intact. I’d already done enough damage, she thought, staring back at Robin. Hmm...or maybe not, she finished her thought with a secret smile.
Caroline realized that when she replaced David’s professional position in the team, she must’d replaced him in his personal life as well.
David interrupted Caroline’s thoughts. “And Clarence, you’ll take Nightingale to the lab for examination.”
Clarence then whisked Nightingale away to take her away from the lab. Only Caroline could see that Nightingale looked fearful, eyeing Caroline and Robin for reassurance.
Caroline gave Nightingale her best comforting smile. “You’re in good hands.”
When they were out of view, Caroline turned toward David. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Caroline asked.
David snorted. “As beautiful as any Inamorata I guess.”
As David and Caroline read over the contracts, David glanced at her, worried.
“Is everything okay?” David asked. “You look off.”
“Thanks,” Caroline replied sarcastically. “That’s what every women wants to hear.”
David smiled in return. It didn’t have the rare warmth that he shared with the Nightingale from her world, but there was something there for her, a sort of special camaraderie-like affection.
She was only reminded that David settled for her. He would never love anyone as much as he loved the Nightingale from her original timeline. Realizing that, she suddenly felt free. What was she doing wasting her time trying to impress him? Trying to wear the right outfit and or trying to keep up with him professionally or trying to look her best every single damn time he was around. She didn’t want to live the rest of her life trying to please him. She could do better. She knew she could get more in life.
About an hour later, Nightingale and Clarence returned to the room. Caroline noticed Robin looking angry, a look she didn’t wear quite often. Then Nightingale kissed Robin on the cheek, completely pacifying Robin as Robin blushed a deep scarlet in return.
In the corner of her eye, Caroline noticed Nightingale was trying to get her attention discreetly.
“What is it?” Caroline asked when they were alone in the hallway.
“Do you think it’ll be okay if Clarence took me back to your place instead of Robin?’
Caroline became disgusted, and remembered why she had disliked Nightingale in the first place. “Do you have the urge to screw every guy you meet?”
Nightingale staggered, as if Caroline’s tone were unexpected. “You have no right to judge me about what I’ve been through,” Nightingale hissed. Her eyes narrowed, offended.
Caroline tried to calm her own riled up emotions and thought about what to say to placate Nightingale and sighed. “Maybe if you can explain what you’re feeling, I’ll try to understand.”
“I felt something I’ve never felt before when Clarence...touched me in the lab. That’s the first time it’s ever felt good,” she said stiffly with uncharacteristic embarrassment. “I just wanted to know what this finally felt like. Having sex with someone I’m attracted to—what everyone else was feeling.”
Caroline remembered the Clarence from her timeline turned down Nightingale’s advances because conflicts of interest within their cause.
Caroline softened. “I’m sorry for snapping at you. It’s normal to want sex. It’s actually...very human. Once everything cools down and you adjust to this different lifestyle, you’ll be free to choose whomever you want. For now, it’s a conflict of interest, and I strongly advise against it.”
Nightingale rolled her eyes.
“After everything boils over, I’m sure that Clarence will still be willing...considering how promiscuous he is,” Caroline continued. “Although I think you’d be happier if you wait until you found someone you really cared for.”
And that’s if I can save Clarence from dying first, Caroline added to herself.
Nightingale didn’t argue, and Caroline noticed that was a first.
“I must be embarrassing myself, aren’t I?” Nightingale admitted. “Well, I guess I don’t mind that my only relationships now are with you and my other friends.”
Caroline was taken aback. Nightingale actually considered her a friend? Even stranger, Caroline considered her one too.
Then Caroline fell to her knees, feeling the strange, intense pain in her head, throbbing. Caroline opened her eyes, her vision less hazy and found herself in a glowing white room. She saw the peculiar man again, a man who looked like Michael.
Who are you? she asked, but realized that she was merely thinking it. Although her words seem to echo and vibrate along the walls.
You know me, the man thought back to her.
Michael? she asked. How are you in my head?
I did what you are doing now, traveling, but something went wrong. Very wrong…