Date: 05/09/2001
From: SouthernSlider

Thanks for the update, Missye. I would've hated to have 3 post in a row.

SweetOne, that's where I got the title for this ff. Jim Croce's old song. I love it. I wasn't sure anyone else around here would know it.

DMD, don't be too sure about Quinn. Remember the author. She loves teasing, with plenty of twists and turns.

Okay, enough. It's HUMP Day. Getting closer to the weekend. Now, for some more of the story.
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Chapter Three

Maggie paced back and forth in front of the window, peering out onto the street on occasion. She stopped in the middle of her next lap across the room and turned to the
two relaxed bums on the sofa. Remmy flipped through the pages of a magazine, while Colin turned the channel on the television. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot at
the scene.

“He’s been gone over three hours, guys. I think now is a good time to start worrying.”

Remmy lowered his reading material, and upon seeing her agitated state, flipped it on the coffee table and made his way to her.

“Come on, sweetheart. I know you’re worried, but Quinn’s all right.”

“And just what caused you to come to that conclusion?” Before Remmy could answer, she sarcastically belted out her own theory. “Oh, I know. It must be because he’s never in any trouble. We’ve never had to go searching for him, or bail him out of a bad situation before. So I must be totally off my rocker to think there is cause for concern
now.”

“Okay, okay. You just might be right. Maybe we should go do a little searching.” Remmy placed a comforting arm around Maggie’s shoulder. “Farm-boy, you sit tight, in
case he gets back before we do. If we don’t find anything, we’ll call and check in.”

“Sure thing, Remmy,” Colin answered. He clicked the remote once again, never taking his eyes off the screen.

“Well, it’s nice to know someone can mask their concern so well,” Maggie quipped. Remmy chuckled and opened the door.

“Q-ball!” he yelled, stopping just inches before they banged heads.

“Quinn! Just where have you been? We’ve been worried sick,” Maggie was ready to sink her teeth into him with blinding fury for causing her worry.

“You guys aren’t going to believe this,” he said sweeping into the room, arms loaded down with a bundle of books. They tumbled out of his arms onto a nearby table.
Colin finally brought his head out of the TV for the first time all evening.

“You know,” said Remmy, closing the door, “I don’t think I am. Surely you haven’t been at the library all this time?” He picked up one of the books, flipping the
pages much too fast to see any of the printed words. He put it back in the pile and picked up another. “Time to Take Care of Business”, it read. The one he had spotted first was titled, “Repeating the Past or Changing It”. He brushed it aside to see the title “Alternate
Timelines” on a third book. They all seemed to have something to do with time.

“What gives, Q-ball?”

Quinn picked up a book, “The Physics of Time”, and brought it up to Remmy’s face. The look on his own was complete excitement.

“We can go back in time, Remmy!” His blue eyes were wide and full of wonder. The smile formed by his lips spread across his face. He turned the front of the book
around for Maggie and Colin to see, as if looking at the title would surely convince them, even if his words did not. “We can go back in time,” he repeated for emphasis.

Maggie and Remmy eyed each other then turned to Quinn. They were all thinking the same thing -- a chance to go back and get Wade and the professor before their awful
fates occurred.

“Are you sure about this, Quinn? Are you really sure?” Maggie said with skepticism. Her thoughts drifted.

She could go back and rescue more people from her earth. She could stop Rickman from stealing the brain fluid of so many innocent people. Maybe she could even go back far enough to figure out a way to eliminate the pulsars, or at least, change their course so they would miss her earth. And Steven . . .

She could go back and not only prevent Steven’s death, but prevent his accident. His skiing trip could be altered so he wouldn’t have that horrible accident.

Her mind swirled with a myriad of things that she could change and correct. It almost made her dizzy to think about all the good she could do.

Remmy also stood there in a daze, thinking about all the possibilities. Of course, first and foremost, he would go back and get Wade. She would never have to suffer the
atrocities from all those Kromagg bastards. He clinched his fists tightly, causing his knuckles to ache, as those images reared their ugly heads in his mind.

He could go back to Maggie’s world and save the professor. The bullet would be released from its shelter, and Remmy would push the professor at the last minute. A veil of satisfaction settled over his face.

Then there was home. He could even go back to his earth before any of this ludicrous ride had ever started. He would take a different route to the ballpark, or maybe
even better, he wouldn’t even go to the ballpark. Time could take him back far enough for him not to leave the Spinning Topps. They could go on together to great things. The satisfied look changed to one of elation.

Quinn thought about Wade. Retrieving her would be the first thing, and then, of course, the professor. He would never let him take the bullet that had been meant for
him.

All the other worlds started flashing through his mind at a fast pace. So many things he could change; so many people he could save. A light bulb suddenly went off in
his mind. He could even go back to the day they all started sliding. He could even change that. That in itself would save the professor and Wade . . . and Remmy as well. None of them would have to be put through the hell he had created for them.

Colin took a moment to observe the distant gazes each of his companions held. They were all thinking of what they could do if they went back in time; all had a situation
they wanted to rectify. He cleared his throat, then spoke his mind.

“I wonder if it has occurred to any of you . . . maybe you can only go back to a past time on this earth. Would that do any of us any good?” he said, pausing while they
came back to reality. Each, in turn, had their dreams disintegrate right in front of them as they heard Colin’s words. It was as if all their thoughts were on painted canvas. His words acted like a bucket of paint thinner suddenly splashed on it, coating the canvas. The thoughts dissolved into nothingness as they blended and bled together.

Taking turns to look at each other, reading the thoughts of elation and then disappointment, they dropped their heads and closed their eyes. How foolish to go wool-gathering before finding out the many details of this time-travel earth.
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Of course, my sweet baboo has to be the voice of reason . . . but it ain't over by a long shot.

SS

I'm On The Edge of My Seat

Date: 05/09/2001
From: sliderlynn

I can't wait for the next chapter.This is very interesting.Now what is Colin going to do next??? I'm sure
that he would like to see Susannh Morehouse again.You are
doing great with this story. Please keep up the good work.
:)

ohhhh

Date: 05/09/2001
From: Missye

I am getting into it. All their ideas for changing the past were very similare, but after spending a few years with the same group of people you would think they would want to change the same things. Can't wait till tomorrow.
Missye

well...

Date: 05/10/2001
From: Yeontoo

Dear SS,

My thoughts would have to go this direction...

What if they could go back? to their own worlds? What if?

What if Quinn never slid.. how about all the ppl they did help? Maggie couldn't save more ppl, cuz everyone on her world would die...Steve couldn't do the timer w/o the Professor. Colin would stay on his world. What if?

Hmm
Blessing
Yeonto

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Nominated by DieselMickeyDolenz