OOC: Nova used with permission and stuff.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014 – 3:58 PM EST – The Compound – Old Saybrook, Connecticut



Caitlyn is working the graveyard shift this week. That means Daddy is on full time baby duty. When I play full time Daddy, we typically stay confined to our private quarters for much of the day. There's a lot of things that go on around here throughout the day. Having their leader toting around a baby all day can prove to be a major distraction.

As a result, I stay away from it all and spend quality time with my son while he's awake. I catch up on my favorite television shows when he sleeps. I don't watch much television, but I am a huge fan of The Big Bang Theory.

Go figure.

Caitlyn rests after her shift, comfortably in our California King sized bed. My young Prince, Thaddeus rests well in his crib. That is, until he cries. My desire to allow her to sleep and my soft spot for a crying child causes me to jump immediately. Not to mention, my new found bound with that child of mine, causes me to get wrapped around his tiny little fingers.

No sooner do I mention being wrapped around his finger, and he lets out a quiet little cry. Almost as if he knows his mommy is sleeping not far from him. I jump right away, not wanting Caitlyn to wake before she's ready.

I reach Thaddeus' crib and realize right away what the problem is. That boy shits too much. And the smell is indescribable.

I lift the smelly little man from his crib.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Good lord! What the hell do you eat when I'm not around?”

CAITLYN: “Bring him to me.”



I look over at Caitlyn.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I got it. Go back to sleep.”

CAITLYN: “It's almost four. It's time to get up. Bring him to me, so I can love him.”



As I near her with him, she changes her mind.



CAITLYN: “Oh God! Change him first.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Why don't you get your shower first. Then you can spend all the time you want with him.”

CAITLYN: “Yeah, I'll do that.”



I commence changing the child as she gets ready for her shower.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Wait one minute.”

CAITLYN: “I really don't want to wait. I want to get my shower and spend the evening with my two favorite men.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Yes, but, I really want a hug from you. I feel like I haven't hugged you in months.”



She turns to me as I place Thaddeus into his crib. It's true. We've both had hectic schedules and we've barely seen one another. Before last week, she'd been dead almost as long as Thaddeus had been alive.

This is where things got weird though. It has nothing to do with the fact that Caitlyn is alive. Nothing at all to do with the fact that I'd gone back in time to bring her back. At least, I don't think so.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Uhhhhhhh. Caitlyn?”

CAITLYN: “What is it?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Come look at this.”



Caitlyn walks across the bedroom to look at what I'm looking at. When I laid Thaddeus in his crib, an aura appears. Completely surrounding him.



CAITLYN: “What the hell is that?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I have no idea.”



I reach down to lift Thaddeus up again, but notice something even more bazaar. My hands pass right through the crib mattress. I lift them back up immediately, fearing the unknown.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “What the fuck?”

CAITLYN: “Language!”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Sorry. But, did you see that?”

CAITLYN: “Yes. And I don't know what I saw.”



I begin to reach down again, when Thaddeus seemingly disappears before our eyes. A frantic search and a bit of freaking out from both of us turn up nothing. Both of us, despondent, sit on the edge of the bed. She cries hard. I sit there, unaware of anything else around me.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “NOVA!”



Not even a second later, Nova comes crashing through my wall.



CAITLYN: “What the hell is going on here!?

“Who the hell is that!?”



I help Nova to his feet.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “How the hell did you get here that quick?”

MR. SUPERNOVA: “I was down the hall with Matthew.”



I say nothing in response. A quick raise of one eye brow tells Nova exactly what I'm thinking.



MR. SUPERNOVA: “NO! Not that! I've employed him on a project. The young man is actually quite intelligent.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I know he is. Anyway, what the hell is going on here?”

MR. SUPERNOVA: “What do you mean?”

CAITLYN: “Who the hell is that, Sebastian!?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Sorry. Caitlyn, this is Mr. Supernova. Anyway, I have one question.”

MR. SUPERNOVA: “I'm listening.”



I stand up, towering above both Caitlyn and Nova. I pace for a few seconds before coming to a stop right in front of Nova.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “WHERE THE HELL IS MY SON!?”

MR. SUPERNOVA: “I seriously have no idea what you're talking about.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “You're the time, space, science guru! You tell me!”

MR. SUPERNOVA: “Sebastian, I'm trying hard here to figure out what you're referring to.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I laid him in his crib. He was glowing for a minute, then disappeared right in front of us!”



Nova says nothing. Instead, he walks over to the crib and places his arm inside. I peak in, and notice his arm travels right through the mattress, just as mine did.



CAITLYN: “Will someone tell me what the hell is going on!”

MR. SUPERNOVA: “Sebastian, Mrs. Duke. I'm afraid what I warned might happen, has come true.”



Suddenly, I feel the dread of an impending explanation.



CAITLYN: “Sebastian, what's he talking about?”

MR. SUPERNOVA: “Sebastian, when I took you back in time, I warned you of abnormal events that could take place. You changed history, which caused a tear in the time vortex. Odd thing is, the tear in the vortex lies right on this crib.”

CAITLYN: “Time vortex!? This is the craziest thing I've ever heard!

“Wait. Sebastian, you changed history?”



I take a seat on the bed. Far away from her reach.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “It's a long story.”

CAITLYN: “My son is missing! You have this strange, very odd man talking about changing history and time vortexes! Somebody better explain to me what the hell is going on!

“NOW!”



I hesitate, obviously.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Months ago, I was convinced by my father, that you had to disappear. That you'd never co-exist with what I do. We made a date for a carriage ride through Central Park. I sedated you, and brought you here.”



Nova leans against the hole in the wall, momentarily forgetting it was there. He crashes back through the hole in the wall and lands with a thud.



MR. SUPERNOVA: “I'm okay! The floor broke my fall!”



Nova reappears through the hole in the wall.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Anyhow, I held you captive here and hated every minute of it. On Christmas Eve, my father gave you a C-section in order to birth Thaddeus. After which, I was supposed to end your life. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Jake and my father conspired against me, knowing I wouldn't be able to.

“They brought me down, and my father killed you.”



She looks at me with an obvious confused look on her face.



CAITLYN: “I... I don't understand.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I struggled with it for months. I was completely heartbroken.”

CAITLYN: “WAIT! You told me what you did the very first night we met! On the roof of the hospital!”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “That's true, but only partially.”

CAITLYN: “I don't understand what you're saying!”



I stand up and pace back and forth.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Like I said, I couldn't live with what happened to you. So, I summoned my space friend here...”

MR. SUPERNOVA: “Awww, we're friends!”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Shut up.

“Anyhow, I had him escort me through time. I needed to see for myself what it would have been like if I'd saved you the night you died. And what it'd be like if I'd told you what I do up front.”



Caitlyn stands up this time.



CAITLYN: “Suppose for a minute that this is actually true and not some crazy dream I'm having. What happened when you saved me?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I went to prison.”

CAITLYN: “Good! Serves you right!”



Sigh.



CAITLYN: “What happened when you told me up front?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “You're looking at it.”

CAITLYN: “What?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “It's extremely hard, maybe even impossible to explain. But, I brought you back with me, from that time thread. I didn't find out until I was changing Thaddeus that morning. I thought I had some odd, vivid, dream. That's when I saw our wedding photo on the wall.”

CAITLYN: “Okay, suppose again, that this is all true.

“WHERE THE FUCK IS MY SON!?”



Nova steps away from the wall.



MR. SUPERNOVA: “I warned Sebastian, that in bringing you back, it could alter things. It could be very minimal, to quite dramatic. Obviously, its the latter of the two.

“By bringing you back here, it's caused a rift in the Time Vortex. Your son has fallen through that.”

CAITLYN: “Can we get him back here?”

MR. SUPERNOVA: “Of course, but there are some things you should know.”



Caitlyn and I both stare at Nova, just waiting for the other shoe to drop.



MR. SUPERNOVA: “First of all, its not like there's only one alternate time thread. Time threads are infinite, so successfully landing in the right one is improbable. And Sebastian, it's not like the wish to bring Caitlyn back here with you.

“Your child was taken into the vortex unwillingly, therefore in order to get back here, he must actually want to come back. Willingly. He can not be forced.

“Another thing is, you may not be his parents in whatever time thread he's landed in. Especially if he's in a distant past one. However, if he's landed in a future time thread, you may not be able to recognize him. He may have advanced age quickly.”

CAITLYN: “What do you mean advanced age?”

MR. SUPERNOVA: “I mean, if he's in a future time thread, he could be 4 years old, or 400. Rather than his current three months of age. It all depends on the rate at which people age in whatever time thread he's in.

“If one day in his new reality is 1,000 years, then he'll not hardly age at all. However, if in his reality, one day is just a few hours, he may advance quite quickly.

“Say for instance, one day in his new reality is only 6 hours, he'd age by four days in a 24 hour span. Four years, in an entire calendar year.

“It's also possible he'll land in a time thread that moves at the same pace as this one. The possibilities are quite endless.”

CAITLYN: “But we could convince him to come back?”

MR. SUPERNOVA: “It's possible. Though, I would suggest that Sebastian goes alone. You never know what time frame you may land in. Not all times are female friendly, if you understand what I mean here.”



Caitlyn looks at me.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I'm sorry. I had no idea it could have been this dramatic. But, I don't regret what I did. I'd rather live with you and without him, than with him, and without you.”

CAITLYN: “Never mind that, now. Sebastian, you go get my son!!”



Nova speaks again.



MR. SUPERNOVA: “I should warn you.

“You have a limited amount of time to find him and bring him back. Each time something or someone passes through the vortex, the rift closes slightly. One day, it will vanish completely and wherever you are when it does close, is where you'll be stuck for eternity.”



Fade to Darkness.