Noticing Time

Kyle opens his mouth to throw a retort at Katie, but for once, can't think of anything. Finally, just smiling, he shakes his head. "Alright. I made a fool out of myself on that one. I'll get ya... mark my words, I'll get ya."

Laura grins and nods. "Dinner. Sounds good." She gets up and gathers her purse, giving a little sigh. "Alright...." She looks down at Dani, offering a smile. "Nice to meet you, Dani. I hope we'll see more of you."

Dani can't help but smile. Laura was so nice. "Yeah...me too. Thanks for making me feel welcome."

Laura nods, then takes Nate's arm as they leave.


Friends disperse. But though parting, the laughter and smiles remain in minds and hearts, a warm reminder of the night, and a lingering expectation of the next time they would share their time again.

Mom and Pop's grows quiet. Herb and Mabel leave for the night, leaving the cleanup to Carson. A radio providing background noise, Carson cleans up the floor, tables and chairs, talking with Dani as he works. They don't talk about too many deep things... mostly just about recent events, or what has been happening with each of them lately. Both knew that more involved discussions would come, but for now...for now they were satisfied with just being together.

When Jess arrives, Carson makes the introductions, feeling just a little awkward. Dani can't help but offer a warm smile as her greeting, immediately taking a liking to her. The three wind up at a booth, just talking for a while until finally Dani is ready to hit the hay. Carson gets her settled in his room, and the next couple hours are spent with just him and Jess, listening to music, talking and laughing. Though much is on Carson's mind, he lets Jess distract him to where he can enjoy the late evening, and finally walk her home for the night.


Sometimes looking in from the outside, one would simply see the hands of time moving around the faces of clocks. One might nod and move on, simply accepting that time has occurred. Yet when one can grasp the very essence of that same time, and take into themselves the longing to understand, time can almost slow...and that one may catch a glimpse at what is really passing...what is really occurring, beyond the face of the clock...

...Thoughts are stirred, confusion lingering, mixed with a strange sense of friendship that one might not have thought would develop...

"What? Why?" Jason sits on the stool in Mike's basement, guitar in hand as the band practices. JetStream is there along with Katie and all of Cryptic, spending the evening talking, chatting, playing and singing.

Axel shrugs from his seat on the floor in the corner of the room. "I saw it was in bad shape. I was bored."

Jason's eyes are wide. He had finally discovered it had been Axel who had gotten his motorcycle back in running condition. But he hadn't taken it to a shop - he'd done all the work himself. "Bored? Well come on - I owe you something."

Axel shakes his head, looking Jason square in the eye. "Nope. Maybe someday you can return the favor. For now, just accept the fact that I wanted to do it."

"But it had to have cost you money!"

Axel sighs and looks at Katie, then back at Jason. "Let it go, Hotshot."

Axel's tone warns Jason not to argue further, and he finds himself backing down. "Alright. Well...thank you."

Though practice continues, Axel's eyes linger on Jason, studying him...perceiving who he was, and what his personality was. There was more there...much more than the surface implied, and Axel could see it. And there was much that was connected somehow to Katie.


...A battle continues...one to save a man from undue punishment, but one that is punishment in itself, for crimes of involvement...


Bret groans and paces Angelica's office. "If they weren't at the warehouse, then I don't know where they are."

"Think!" Con crosses his arms, leaning back against the wall. He'd spent a lot of time at TJY the last few days, getting himself inovled in Bret's case, helping his friend as much as he could. "You were right there, involved. You had to have been told something."

"But I wasn't!" Bret throws up his arms in frustration. He was glad he'd been released from jail after the hearing, but now he was obligated to help take down the other crooks. If he didn't, he would wind up in prison. Whether he helped or not, he was still an accessory to the crime. If the others wouldn't pay, he would. "The third bank they hit yesterday was the last one, for at least another month. They're laying low now... that was the plan."

"Where were they going to stash the money?"

"I don't know...I don't know." Bret's frustration was growing. He'd been here for two hours being questioned by Con and Angelica, and they were getting nowhere. Any locations he'd told them about already had been useless. The crooks had obviously changed plans when he'd been arrested, and were more than willing to let him take the fall. "They changed everything."

"Yeah, but if you don't come up with something solid, you're back behind bars."

"I know." Bret hooks his hands in his pockets. That was the last thing he wanted. The last few days behind bars was plenty, not to mention, he'd already missed Charlotte something awful. Now that they were back at his place though, it was constant worry that the crooks would pay a visit and do damage. Bret had to remember....something...anything.


...A heart in turmoil is being settled, and yet...something persists. Something deep within that only the very soul of that individual can decipher. They are so strong, yet so weak...their circle in life goes on, but where will it end...


Carson throws on his apron, glancing up at the clock. He'd barely made it in the kitchen on time. He'd made it the last few days, except for yesterday he'd been late again. He couldn't afford it, but he was doing his best.

Tying the apron, he winces a little, drawing back his hand to see his scraped knuckles. Grimacing, he shakes it off, and starts working alongside Herb.

"Carson?" Dani peeks her head into the kitchen cautiously.

Carson pauses at the sink, turning around, a smile on his face. "Mornin'." It felt nice to see her...to know that she was sticking around. A few days of having her stay with him had started them down the road of salvaging their relationship, and it felt good. Yesterday she'd gotten wind of some apartments she was going to go check out, and had been scouring the papers for job opportunities too. Carson was glad Herb had understood their situation too, and had allowed Dani to stay temporarily at Mom and Pop's. Though Carson wasn't thrilled that he still couldn't afford a place of his own, at least someone's kindness had given him a haven. "Heading out?"

Dani nods, after throwing a wave to Herb. "Yeah. I'm going to explore. Probably come back here for lunch."

"Alright. Call back here if you get lost."

Dani laughs. "Okay. Thanks."

Watching her leave, Carson gets back to work wincing as his knuckles hit the hot, soapy water.


...Still as the hands move slowly around the clock, one might gaze upon more, if only looking closely. As all lives are woven together in a complex web, each change affecting another, though seemingly worlds apart...


"You will do it."

"No."

"You will!" A hard object meeting flesh echoes. "Now!"

"I won't!"

"Do it or someone dies. You know we can."

"...I don't have..."

"You have everything here you need and you know it. Now get into the system. Now."


...And so it is...time has passed without a trace. The past never to be seen again...never to be revisted...never to be undone. The present is as much a mystery as the future...


Jason sits at his desk, answering emails, filing paper, and growing with irritation at all the same work he'd been doing for the last several days. It felt hot and stuffy in TJY today. Is the AC out or what... or am I just getting sick?


Reese types away at his computer, answering emails, talking on the phone, grabbing files, and downing another cup of coffee. "Susanne! Get me that record on Carl Darson, and call Brown to confirm our meeting tomorrow!"

His head shifts back to his phone. "Yes, I'm still here..."

The keys on his keyboard continue to click, but suddenly his entire computer goes dark. Everyone's computer at TJY goes completely blank, the lights go out, phones go dead, and all equipment shuts down.

Reese's eyes widen as he hears others on the main floor shouting questions in the dark. "What on earth..."

Before his sentence can even finish, everything is back online again. The lights come back on, a dial tone comes across the phone, and computers whir to life. Confused as anyone, Reese starts to get back into TJY's main files, but is locked out. His password won't work. He tries his own private files. Again, his password fails. "What is going on?!"

He picks up the phone. "Dalton!" But he's met with a busy tone. Someone else was already paging him. He hangs up in frustration, just to have Jason call.

"Reese, what's going on? I can't get back into my computer. It locked me out. I can't use my password."

"How should I know?! Ask Dalton!"

"I would, except two other people are already in his office bombarding him."

Susanne is desperate on the phone to Dalton. "It just went...kaplooey!"

Laura and Hal stand in Dalton's doorway, their eyes wide. "What happened? We can't get to anything."

Reese's mind reels. He gets up to check the security system. Everything was back online...they just couldn't access anything. Giving a groan, he flops back down in his chair. What had happened? Virus? Glitch? Hackers?

Just as he reaches for his computer mouse again, a message flashes on his screen. Blinking, he looks at it, confused. alriednsghnbeori Short Circuit
"Well obviously there was a circuit that shorted out!" Reese wails. He tries to close the message window with no luck. "What...wh.." He tries again, only to get more frustrated. He picks up the phone. Dalton's line was still busy. "Gah!" Getting up, he marches out of his office, across the main floor and down the hall. "Dalton! What's going on?!"



"What did you do?!"

"Nothing, I can't get in."

"You said you could."

"Well I can't."

"You're the tech guy. You set it all up."

"Things change! They probably switched everything around."

"Well what were you just doing then?"

"Trying to get in."

"So what happened?"

"It failed. I'm locked out."

"Well find a way in."

"I can't!"

A backhanded slap to the face brings silence. "Do it."

"I told you - I can't. I don't know how."

"What did they keep you around for anyway?"

"I don't know. For the fun of it?"

Another hit to the jaw. "Quit playing. Now what was that message you typed?"

"I was trying a password. It failed. Everything is scrambled."

"You have an hour. Get in, or else."