Tripping over Time
Chapter Three: Out on the Road
“Look Jamie the only explanation I can offer you for now is extremely limited. We saved you from the Hunter and the only way to keep you out of her reach, at least for the moment, is to get as far away from your regular whereabouts. Ok?" Thomas reiterated for the third time or so.
Rolling her hazel hues towards the ceiling Jamie sighed, still filled with impeccable deliberation on receiving answers from the two loonies. For a two-hour argument, she had gotten absolutely nowhere. All Thomas would tell her was that they were going somewhere far away to keep them all safe, wouldn’t say where or anything. He did mention however that their original location to flee to was England. However, and more importantly, he wouldn’t tell her why this was all happening (this explanation hopefully including who in fact the Hunter actually was). After all, that is something hat would go through one’s mind at such circumstances. Then again, Jamie thought to herself, not many people have these sort of dilemmas, she hoped.
“But what about the slight issue where you claim to be from the 1500’s! And what's this about Anne Boleyn?” She could see him flinch through the rearview mirror at the mention of her, Anne. The woman who had broken his heart. Well, wounds had to be reopened if that meant she got answers. Not to mention she still was at a crossroads as to why he had called her Anne in the first place, of what she could remember they didn’t exactly look alike. Anne had noir-black hair, olive skin and allegedly a sixth finger amongst other disfigurements such as a birthmark that many had called "The Devil's Kiss". Jamie’s hair was the same but there were millions of people with black hair. Her skin was nothing like Anne’s, Jamie's was tan and almost never got sunburnt. Furthermore she most definitely had no disfigurements. So clearly, in her mind, Jamie wasn’t exactly the runner up for the reincarnated, headless Queen.
It was Anya’s turn to step in. She always seemed to when it was clear Thomas couldn’t respond properly, “That is a conversation for another time. All that matters now is that we get to our destination. To be precise and successful in our endeavors, we must take things one-step at a time. This isn’t the condition for you to be thinking of the bigger picture. Leave that to us.”
“But it’s my life we are dealing with! Shouldn’t I be the one planning and strategizing and all of that nonsense, you want me to leave that up to you? It is incredulous that you think that I can just stay idle in the background whilst you plan out my life!”
Anya’s face went a raged-crimson and she was about to respond when Thomas clamped a hand over her mouth, causing the woman to groan with anger. “Jamie, obviously it is your life we are dealing with. And you are the one who will be deciding what happens and such, however in emergency circumstances such as this, the reins need to be handed to us. For now. That's our job. When we reach the safe house everything will be explained to you to the fullest detail, sound sensible?” She nodded. Reasonable, yes. Satisfying, no. Crossing her arms and giving a dramatic huff, Jamie put a pause on the interrogation and turned her direction to the countryside. As time passed, she’d let her eyes glance into the rearview mirror, where often enough she’d catch Thomas’ eye. He couldn’t stop looking back at her, as if needing visual proof that she was actually there. She couldn’t tell as to whether the emotion in his crisp blue eyes was pain or joy. Perhaps it was a blending of both.
***************************
Focus. Focus on the road, not on her. Thomas sighed in defeat, staring blankly at road with its yellow lines ahead of him. So different from Anne, yet exactly the same. Sure the hair was different, it was a lot less wavy for one, her skin shone different as well. But her eyes, her lips, even her nose. Those were the exact same. Not to mention she had the same sort of spunk as Anne.
But they had told him that she would remember. Predictably not everything mind you but at least something. It was heart wrenching to see the one he had loved for so long not even recognize him. Sometimes as he gazed upon Jamie he wondered if Anne had in fact kept her promise before she reincarnated. Depending on who she encountered it was debatable. But that day in the Tower…she looked so dread-stricken, and then so elated at the idea of the promise they made. To wait for each other.
When he had passed on and was given his task, he was frustrated beyond compare. Forced to watch from the shadows, help anonymously when needed. Century after century he watched like a stalker-ex-lover, forced to stay away from her. If he even attempted to converse with her, he would have been given a new assignment and whatever was left of Anne would be gone forever. I can’t lose her again. Repeatedly reassuring himself that it was the right thing to do was almost more irritating than the actual task.
That had all changed now. Now he was allowed to interact with her, help her openly. More importantly he had to save her. Looking at her once more through the rearview mirror his lips ached with a desperate need. Not only to kiss her and love her, his sweet Anne, but also to tell her everything. To tell her he still loved her that he had waited for her for a good five centuries, to remind her of all the times they had spent together. Not to mention explain to her what was actually going on, right then and there in the 21st century. Something truly “Anne” of her was her frustration at rejection. Like her old self Jamie hated not being in the loop, just as independent as she always had been.
They had instructed him specifically. If he couldn’t get her out of the country they had to go to the safe house. That was the only place in America that was truly secure for him to explain to her the truth. It was unbeknownst of him as to whether or not she could handle what was about to be explained, but he had no choice. If she was going to be able to stay alive Thomas would have to tell her everything. They disagreed, the whole “ignorance is bliss” approach was their Motto; it was the reason he had been forced to stay in the shadows for so long. It was manipulative and indirect. And since the case was Anne, it had been all the more torturous to just watch by the sidelines while she lived her multiple lives.
That had all changed now.
Rolling her hazel hues towards the ceiling Jamie sighed, still filled with impeccable deliberation on receiving answers from the two loonies. For a two-hour argument, she had gotten absolutely nowhere. All Thomas would tell her was that they were going somewhere far away to keep them all safe, wouldn’t say where or anything. He did mention however that their original location to flee to was England. However, and more importantly, he wouldn’t tell her why this was all happening (this explanation hopefully including who in fact the Hunter actually was). After all, that is something hat would go through one’s mind at such circumstances. Then again, Jamie thought to herself, not many people have these sort of dilemmas, she hoped.
“But what about the slight issue where you claim to be from the 1500’s! And what's this about Anne Boleyn?” She could see him flinch through the rearview mirror at the mention of her, Anne. The woman who had broken his heart. Well, wounds had to be reopened if that meant she got answers. Not to mention she still was at a crossroads as to why he had called her Anne in the first place, of what she could remember they didn’t exactly look alike. Anne had noir-black hair, olive skin and allegedly a sixth finger amongst other disfigurements such as a birthmark that many had called "The Devil's Kiss". Jamie’s hair was the same but there were millions of people with black hair. Her skin was nothing like Anne’s, Jamie's was tan and almost never got sunburnt. Furthermore she most definitely had no disfigurements. So clearly, in her mind, Jamie wasn’t exactly the runner up for the reincarnated, headless Queen.
It was Anya’s turn to step in. She always seemed to when it was clear Thomas couldn’t respond properly, “That is a conversation for another time. All that matters now is that we get to our destination. To be precise and successful in our endeavors, we must take things one-step at a time. This isn’t the condition for you to be thinking of the bigger picture. Leave that to us.”
“But it’s my life we are dealing with! Shouldn’t I be the one planning and strategizing and all of that nonsense, you want me to leave that up to you? It is incredulous that you think that I can just stay idle in the background whilst you plan out my life!”
Anya’s face went a raged-crimson and she was about to respond when Thomas clamped a hand over her mouth, causing the woman to groan with anger. “Jamie, obviously it is your life we are dealing with. And you are the one who will be deciding what happens and such, however in emergency circumstances such as this, the reins need to be handed to us. For now. That's our job. When we reach the safe house everything will be explained to you to the fullest detail, sound sensible?” She nodded. Reasonable, yes. Satisfying, no. Crossing her arms and giving a dramatic huff, Jamie put a pause on the interrogation and turned her direction to the countryside. As time passed, she’d let her eyes glance into the rearview mirror, where often enough she’d catch Thomas’ eye. He couldn’t stop looking back at her, as if needing visual proof that she was actually there. She couldn’t tell as to whether the emotion in his crisp blue eyes was pain or joy. Perhaps it was a blending of both.
***************************
Focus. Focus on the road, not on her. Thomas sighed in defeat, staring blankly at road with its yellow lines ahead of him. So different from Anne, yet exactly the same. Sure the hair was different, it was a lot less wavy for one, her skin shone different as well. But her eyes, her lips, even her nose. Those were the exact same. Not to mention she had the same sort of spunk as Anne.
But they had told him that she would remember. Predictably not everything mind you but at least something. It was heart wrenching to see the one he had loved for so long not even recognize him. Sometimes as he gazed upon Jamie he wondered if Anne had in fact kept her promise before she reincarnated. Depending on who she encountered it was debatable. But that day in the Tower…she looked so dread-stricken, and then so elated at the idea of the promise they made. To wait for each other.
When he had passed on and was given his task, he was frustrated beyond compare. Forced to watch from the shadows, help anonymously when needed. Century after century he watched like a stalker-ex-lover, forced to stay away from her. If he even attempted to converse with her, he would have been given a new assignment and whatever was left of Anne would be gone forever. I can’t lose her again. Repeatedly reassuring himself that it was the right thing to do was almost more irritating than the actual task.
That had all changed now. Now he was allowed to interact with her, help her openly. More importantly he had to save her. Looking at her once more through the rearview mirror his lips ached with a desperate need. Not only to kiss her and love her, his sweet Anne, but also to tell her everything. To tell her he still loved her that he had waited for her for a good five centuries, to remind her of all the times they had spent together. Not to mention explain to her what was actually going on, right then and there in the 21st century. Something truly “Anne” of her was her frustration at rejection. Like her old self Jamie hated not being in the loop, just as independent as she always had been.
They had instructed him specifically. If he couldn’t get her out of the country they had to go to the safe house. That was the only place in America that was truly secure for him to explain to her the truth. It was unbeknownst of him as to whether or not she could handle what was about to be explained, but he had no choice. If she was going to be able to stay alive Thomas would have to tell her everything. They disagreed, the whole “ignorance is bliss” approach was their Motto; it was the reason he had been forced to stay in the shadows for so long. It was manipulative and indirect. And since the case was Anne, it had been all the more torturous to just watch by the sidelines while she lived her multiple lives.
That had all changed now.