Gaby is mine.
Rated T: mild language, some violence and sexual references.
A/N: The end of another story - there will be a sequel, but not right away. A virtual cookie to anyone who catches the hint of things to come.
I'd like to thank my beta, the lovely and talented MzDany. Check out her stories, she's great. Also, of course, my equally lovely and talented (but not at writing) RL betas, Cecelia and Jenny. Many thanks also to everyone who read and especially everyone who reviewed - I really value the feedback, and often have gotten valuable ideas from it.
Reviews are always appreciated.
"We're back. Aren't we?" Jen said hopefully.
"Yes." Wes looked at Eric. "Did you feel it too?"
"Yeah. Thought it was just my imagination, the first time. But yeah, it's like - like clicking back into place."
"Finally." Jen's shoulders slumped as she sighed. "What a relief."
"Well, we'd better get down from here, or someone'll call the cops."
As they entered the Collins house again Eric suppressed a shiver, looking up at the wide stairway and high ceiling and remembering the destruction they had been in the middle of only minutes before, and another as he wondered what was happening now in that twisted reality. Whatever it was, his own double would not be a part of it. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad. While he couldn't bring himself to feel grief or sympathy, definitely it had been a disturbing sensation to watch another version of himself die. It was an experience he was not anxious to repeat.
"Master Wes!" The happy cry announced the arrival of Philips, his controlled British façade forgotten for the moment as he greeted them with a grin.
"Wes! Jen! You're back!" This time it was Mr. Collins, enveloping first his son and then Jen in a hug. Eric hung back from the family festivities, but suddenly found himself grabbed and hugged also, to his embarrassment. "Eric... Are all of you all right? What happened? Where have you been? God, we've been worried sick!"
"Dad, slow down," Wes said with a smile. "Yes, we're all right. The dimensional transfer went wrong, but you probably figured that out. Where we've been is a long story. And we were pretty worried ourselves."
Collins looked at him more closely. "You all look like you've had a rough time."
"Some of it wasn't very pretty," Jen said quietly.
"Well, it's certainly good to have you back."
"Good to see you too, Dad. Really good." Wes's face brightened. "And we've got a surprise for you."
"A surprise? What is it?"
"Well, we don't know yet." Wes grinned and circled Jen's shoulders with an arm. "You'll have to wait about - how long, Jen? Another eight months?"
"More like seven and a half, I think. Of course, we could find out before."
"I dunno, I kind of want to wait and find out the old-fashioned way, when we see him or her."
"Wait a minute..." Collins stared at them. "You mean...?"
"Yeah, Dad, you're going to be a grandpa!"
Eric quietly edged away under cover of the following commotion and headed for the phone. He glanced back while listening to it ring, watching the three of them, with Philips hovering around. Collins was in the middle of some nonsense about Jen being 'radiant'. The way they carried on, you'd think there weren't enough babies in the world already. No, nothing like a little screaming bundle of dirty diapers to make your life complete. Still, if he was being honest with himself - something that seemed to be becoming a bad habit - he knew that little twinge he felt was envy. Uneasily he wondered if someday there would be a rug rat or two in his own future. Hopefully his very distant future.
The sound of the phone being picked up caught his attention, and then Gaby's voice on the other end, carrying just a hint of hopeful eagerness. "Hello?"
"Hi, Gabs. I'm back."
"Eric! Oh, Eric..." He heard a deep, shaky breath. "Are you all right? Where are you?"
"I'm fine. At Wes's place."
"What happened to you?"
"Long story. I'll tell you later."
"Well - are you coming home? Should I come get you?"
"I kind of want to do something first. I think you'll like it too. Listen... meet me at the beach. You know where."
"The beach? What for?"
"You'll find out." He grinned, and gently lowered the phone. A glance showed the happy family wandering off into the living room, having apparently forgotten all about him. Didn't matter. He had his own return to celebrate, in his own way.
The sky was darkening into twilight, pinks and purples lining the clouds along the horizon as the sea breeze began to carry a hint of chill. He scanned the ocean view, hearing the faint call of seagulls against the background whisper of waves on the sand. Nothing else. Except... the sound of a car engine from the highway as it slowed and stopped, then the faint snap and clunk of the door being opened and closed as the occupant got out. He was looking out over the ocean again when Wes joined him. They stood side by side silently for a few moments.
"You okay?" Wes asked at last.
"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, you just took off from the house without saying goodbye."
"You guys looked like you were busy."
"You could have joined us, you know."
Eric shrugged. "I had something to do."
"What? Come out here and look at the sunset?"
"Pretty much." He smiled to himself.
"Eric..."
"I met Gaby here."
"Thought that was her car I saw. So - where is she?"
Eric nodded out at the ocean. "Out there."
Wes turned a puzzled face to him. "What did you do, drown her?"
"No, I didn't drown her. She's using the Eagle. Took off over the ocean."
"The Eagle?" Wes's eyes fell to Eric's wrist. "Oh my God. You gave her your morpher?"
"Yep."
"Why?"
"Before we left, she was talking about wanting to be a superhero. Yeah, I know it sounds stupid, but she thought it would be exciting."
"She's right. It is exciting."
"After the Gaby in the second dimension we visited... Well, I thought she deserves to - to try it out, you know? Have that experience, at least once. So I lent her the morpher."
Wes was quiet. After a moment, Eric turned to find him grinning. "I bet she was surprised," he said.
"Yeah, you could say that." Eric smiled again at the memory of the brightness of her eyes when she took the morpher and said the same words she had heard him say so many times. The way she had looked down at herself in amazement when the transformation was complete. It was well worth the discomfort of having the morpher off his wrist, even temporarily.
"Are you sure she'll give it back?"
"Very funny, rich... I mean Wes. Actually, I'm glad you showed up. You might have to go after her." He glanced back out over the water. "I shouldn't have let her fly the Eagle. She'll get lost."
"Lost? You're kidding, right?"
"You have no idea. Gaby could get lost in our back yard. No sense of direction at all. It's like a blind spot or something."
He heard Wes laugh. They stood in companionable silence again for a while as Eric strained his eyes. Nothing, nothing but seagulls in the distance.
"When you left like that, we thought something might be wrong," Wes said after a time.
Eric looked again, and saw the concern under his friend's carefully casual expression. He knew Wes well enough to guess what he was thinking. What the three of them had just been through could have shaken anyone up. Wes was worried that it had been enough to bring on one of Eric's darker moods, the ones that cut him off from everyone and had him believing no one cared, that he didn't deserve to have anyone care. They had become rare in the last few years, but he knew the reasons for them were still there, and always would be.
"It wasn't easy, seeing other versions of myself," he said slowly. "Jen was right, I didn't like any of them, maybe because they were so much like me. But that last guy..."
"He wasn't anything like you."
"I'm not so sure. He reminded me of the way I used to be, when I was so desperate for power that I stole the morpher and fought all of you over it."
Wes shook his head. "Look, I think I know what you're talking about. I didn't exactly enjoy watching another version of me commit cold-blooded murder. Made me wonder whether I'm like that, just a little. Whether I have a little of that - that evil in me."
"Everyone has a dark side, Wes. I should know."
"So do I. But I realized none of us have a side that's even close to being that dark. Yeah, maybe they were versions of us, but that doesn't mean we'll ever act like that. No, he wasn't like you, not at all."
"You want to know which one really bothered me? The second one. The one who couldn't stand to live without power. The one who ran out on everyone when he didn't have it anymore. The one who really is just like me."
"He showed up and risked his neck, power or not, when it counted. Like you always have. Give him - and yourself - a little credit."
"Maybe. I guess." Eric sighed. "That's one of the reasons I gave Gaby the morpher. For her, but also for me. Just to know that I could let go of it." He scanned the horizon again. "Dammit, where is she? What's taking so long?"
"Are you worried about Gaby or the morpher?"
"Both."
"She can just ask it for directions, can't she?"
"Yeah, but I didn't have time to tell her that before she took off." He eyed Wes's morpher. "Maybe you should call her."
"Will you relax?" Wes gave him an amused glance. "Don't worry so much. She's a Ranger now, thanks to you."
Eric decided to ignore that. "So where's Jen?"
"Back at the house, hopefully getting some sleep. She has to rest for two now, you know."
"Yeah. Your dad sounded pretty excited."
"Understatement. I think he's on the phone now, buying every piece of baby equipment in Silver Hills. Man, I'm still trying to get used to the idea. A baby. It's gonna be great, though. Watching Jen get big. Feeling it start to move."
"Morning sickness. Mood swings."
"Bringing it home. The first time it says 'Daddy'."
"Waking up in the middle of the night. Changing diapers."
"The first day of school. The prom. College..."
"Temper tantrums. Arguments. Bringing home friends you don't like."
"You are the most cynical person I know."
Eric snorted. "Bet your ass, rich- I mean Wes."
"You're just doing that to make me feel guilty, aren't you?"
"Is it working?"
"A little. Sorry I yelled at you. You can call me anything you want."
"Thanks. Wes."
Wes smiled at him. When he spoke again after a brief silence filled only with the soft sound of ocean water and distant seagulls, his voice was thoughtful. "You know, maybe it sounds funny but I'm not sorry this happened. Getting lost in other dimensions again. We ended up doing something good in all three of them."
"I guess you think destiny had a plan for us to pop into each one and instantly fix all their problems."
"Well - we didn't exactly fix everything - but we helped. We made a difference."
"Next time I think destiny should find another couple of errand boys. Why can't someone from another dimension show up out of nowhere and save our butts once in a while?"
"Hey, you're right! Maybe next time we're in trouble, Erica will come here to help us out!"
"Oh God, no," Eric groaned. "I'd rather let the Earth be destroyed by an army of monsters from outer space than run into her again."
Wes was still laughing when his morpher bleeped. He raised it to his face as they heard a hesitant female voice. "Wes? Wes, can you hear me?"
"Yeah, I hear you, Gaby. What's up?"
"I'm kind of using Eric's morpher..."
"He knows," Eric said, leaning close enough to talk into it. "What's the problem?"
"Oh, Eric, it's so exciting! I love flying in this thing! Did I say thank you for letting me use it?"
"Yes, a few dozen times. So everything's okay? Where are you?"
"Well..." Her voice was plaintive. "You'll laugh at me."
"Don't tell me, let me guess."
"Where's the damn beach? I'm lost!"