The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series

by Jacqueline Druga

  ^^^^

  Joe thought it was amusing as he stepped into history. The vision immediately took away the curiosity of why Trish was still there after five. He chuckled at her as she sat with a packet of ketchup, squeezing the last drop onto her index finger and tasting it with a smile. “Like that, huh?”

  Trish nodded. “Joe, it’s been so long for ketchup.”

  “Why are you still here?”

  “Waiting on Henry. He asked if he could review the history for an hour.” She shrugged. “He’s been in there close to that now.”

  “He’s not taking it with him?”

  “He said he was but Frank was gacking or something at his house. Henry said that makes him sick, so he’s here.”

  “Thanks, Trish.” As Joe stepped to the back office door he heard the oddity of it, Henry swearing. And it wasn’t Henry swearing that was odd. It was the fact that Henry kept saying the word ‘fuck’ over and over and that was just not Henry. He knocked once to get his attention.

  Henry looked once then looked again, nervously closing the printed history papers. “Hey Joe.”

  “Something wrong?”

  “No not at all. In fact . . .” Henry stood up. “I’m going to go check on Frank.” He spoke rapidly.

  “You’re reviewing the history. Is it the same?”

  “Um . . . yeah, Joe. Same boring stuff you know.” He tried to get past him. “What’s wrong?”

  “You tell me. You run from the social hall. You’re in here saying fuck. Let me see the disks.” Joe held out his hand.

  “What disks?”

  “The history disks. Let me see them.”

  “Why?” Henry asked.

  “You seem nervous, Henry.”

  “It’s the time travel thing. It made me jittery when El and I traveled. It’s just the time thing, that’s all. The history is the same Joe. Take my word. I am the logisticalizer.”

  “All right.” Joe put his hand in his pocket. “Sorry to come off so interrogating. Look, we’re going to go over the stuff, Jason and I, that you guys brought back. Can you make a meeting with me tomorrow morning, say ten?”

  “Sure Joe. But I have to go now. I want to check on Frank.”

  “You go on.” Joe stepped aside. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Thanks Joe.” Clenching tightly to the history print out, Henry headed to the school.

  ^^^^

  “Same.” Dean stated as he, Frank and Henry sat in the school. “Medically we still the same. We’re still facing the virus. We still went to Nebraska. So in that aspect we’re good. How about you, Henry? What did you find out.”

  “We’re screwed. But first . . .” Henry stood, took the chalk and wrote on the board. As he did, loud moaning shrieks came from Frank and Dean who sat in the too-small-for-their-butt chairs. He set down the chalk only after writing in really big letters, ‘Frank is an asshole’.

  “Hey.” Frank pointed. “That’s not right.”

  Henry scoffed at him. “You are the last person right now to complain about anything. Do you even know how much is different? I reviewed not only my journals but also history. I only went through major events. First . . .” Henry flipped a page in history. “Big party last week. Guess why? Ellen and Robbie’s . . . tenth wedding anniversary.”

  “Ten years!” Frank barked. “They’ve been married for ten years? How the hell did that happen?”

  “I’ll tell you, Frank.” Irritated, Henry spoke, “You told Robbie to go to Ashtonville ten years ago and he went.”

  “But he wasn’t supposed to just up and go,” Frank defended. “And how did he end up with her that year? I distinctly remember I was stationed in Tennessee. That was the year Ellen found out about that woman Peter was involved with. They had too many problems for her to . . . oh!” Frank smacked himself on the forehead in a discovery way. “Oh.”

  “Answered your own question?” Henry asked. “Timing, Frank. Robbie probably showed up at the right time. Robbie himself always admitted he had a thing for her since he was a kid. He slipped right in there and . . .” Henry raised his eyebrows. “Just to add salt to your wounds, they have children.”

  “Wait a second.” Frank held up his hand. “I did not cause that. Robbie can’t have children. He had rheumatic fever as a kid. He’s sterile.”

  Puzzled, Henry looked through the history, flipping pages. “Oh.” His eyes shifted to Dean. “Oh.”

  Dean smiled when he saw the look. “They’re mine aren’t they?” He nodded with a gloat to Frank. “They’re all mine, aren’t they Henry?”

  Henry saw Frank cover his face. “Yeah, Dean they are. I just looked at the birth name. Alexandra and William Slagel. Mother, Ellen. Father, Robert Slagel slash Dean Hayes.”

  “Yes.” Dean clenched his fist, “I still have my kids. But I wonder if I share in raising them. I bet I do.” He started to ramble. “I bet that’s what Ellen was talking about. She probably . . .”

  “Dean!” Frank scolded. “Shut up! Aside from fucking up my personal life, Henry, what effect did Robbie have being here?”

  “Ready?” Henry asked as he sat back down. “Unfortunately it’s more positive than negative.” He waded through the moans from Frank. “From my quick review, Robbie’s been an asset. He works in Mechanics and security. He flies the choppers. But most importantly, he works our survivor program with his . . .” Snidely, Henry looked at Frank, “wife. Our population in Beginnings is about forty people higher. We’ve had less oustings. From what I gathered, a lot of survivors were eliminated in some extensive screening program . . . Robbie started. Never make it past his screening, never make it in. Once in, most stay. Remember your gal pal Michele?”

  Frank cringed.

  “Never made it in,” Henry said. “But, before you smile with the good comes the bad. Four men are here that we deemed dangerous and kicked out. One of which . . .” with a shifting of the eyes, Henry took on a very serious tone. “Reverend Thomas Barnhard. That’s what the people in this time know him as. We know him as . . . Moses.”

  Frank jumped up, knocking the little chair to the ground. “I killed him.”

  “No Frank you didn’t. He is Reverend Thomas here. He is the Baptist minister of Beginnings. He and Reverend Bob do it all.”

  “Wait,” Dean interrupted, “if Moses is here, what about those men he led outside the gate.?

  “My mind went there too.” Henry said, “and they’re still outside of Miles City. We surveillance them once a week. See, we . . .”

  “Hold up.” Dean halted Henry. He closed his eyes with a thinking look. “Robbie was never kicked out. Robbie never joined them.”

  “That’s correct,” Henry nodded, “and you were never kidnapped. So we never had that big standoff between Beginnings and . .” Henry’s hand released the history papers. His eyes lit up. “That means.” He smiled widely. And as if he was a psychic messenger, the lights above Dean and Frank’s head went on at the same time. They both, at the same time jumped to their feet and smiles hit their faces.

  Dean looked at Henry. “Do you think?”

  “It has to be. Frank?”

  Frank took off like a bullet. “I’m first.” He burst through the door of the school.

  Like it was a race, the three of them, trying desperately to get ahead of one another, bolted like teenagers down the streets of Beginnings to the living section.

  They all arrived at the second row of houses at the same time. Frank ran to the first unit, and Henry pulled him from the door to knock. Dean pulled Henry out of the way then Frank took control, opening the front door to Andrea’s house without knocking.

  The three of them stumbled over each other in their power struggle into the empty living room. With hearts beating with excitement they looked around.

  “Hey guys!” The young voice came from the bottom step. “What’s going . . .” Denny looked at the three men who suddenly turned to him. “. . .on?” His young blue eyes widened when suddenly--and loudly--the shrieks of
the grown men filled the room and their bodies flung forward to him with reaching and excited arms. “Mom!” Denny screamed. “Mom! Help!”

  Frank grabbed Denny’s head rubbing his blonde hair and trying to hold the teenager as did Henry and Dean. “Denny.” Frank kissed him.

  “Mom! Frank’s kissing me! Help!” He was trapped. Trapped in an enthusiasm that confused the fourteen year old. “Mom!”

  “Hey!” Andrea yelled out. “What in the world are you three doing to my boy? Get . . .” She waved her dish towel hitting them. “Get.” She reached to her son. “Come here, honey.” She pulled him out. “Why are you attacking him?”

  Frank’s hand reached to Denny again. “Denny. We are so glad to see you. So glad. Man.” He shook his head once. “Man, are we glad to see you. We . . .” Frank pointed to Dean and Henry. “We missed you.”

  “Out!” Andrea pointed to the door. “Out! I remember Henry and Ellen when they made that trip. I don’t want you three projecting that weird time machine after effect stuff on my baby. Out! And Dean, you best get home.” Her head went back and forth as her hands waved. “Ellen is waiting with those kids and you know how Robbie gets when she’s late.”

  “O.K.” Dean stepped quickly to Denny and kissed him on the cheek. “Good to have you here Denny.”

  “Mom.” Denny wiped his cheek. “They’re kissing me.”

  Before Andrea could scold at them again, the three of them, breathing heavily, stepped outside.

  Henry gave a happy hit to Frank’s arm. “That is one good thing that came out of it. This is great! Denny’s alive.”

  “Yeah.” Frank looked proudly to Andrea’s house. “But I still lost my wife.”

  Dean began to back up. “I’m going to go find her now Frank, at my house.” He snickered. “I’ll see you guys.”

  After flipping Dean off, Frank turned back to Henry. “Let’s go back in and see Denny.”

  “Andrea will have a fit.”

  “Screw Andrea.” Frank reached for the door. “He’s alive.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  “Sorry I’m late,” Dean spoke to Ellen who looked as if she was waiting on him when he opened the door to his house, a house that looked the same.

  “That’s all right, I’ll make something up,” Ellen said.

  Dean smiled as Alexandra ran to hug him, he kissed her, then Billy. “Am I keeping them all night?”

  “No. We’ll pick them up later. Here take the baby.” Ellen handed him the child.

  “Look at this.” Dean held him up with a smile. “I still have you. Hey Brian.” He laid his lips on the baby’s cheek.

  “Dean?” Ellen snickered. “What did you just call him?”

  “I uh . . . Brian?”

  “Brian? His name is RJ, Robbie junior?” She shook her head.

  “Sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.” He cuddled the baby. “This is really great.”

  “Thanks, Dean. I have to run.” Ellen reached for her coat.

  Dean, adjusting the baby, moved to the dining room where he saw yet another child. One he didn’t know. Was it one he should? The stocky child, about the size of Alexandra, hurried from the kitchen eating a cookie. Crumbs were scattered about his face. His short black hair was not of the sandy blonde of Alexandra, Billy or Brian--rather RJ. “El, who’s that? He looks just like Frank. Wow that’s scary.”

  “Dean!” Ellen scolded. “That’s your son.”

  “My son?” Dean started to laugh. “You’re joking. You aren’t joking?”

  “I’m leaving.” She placed on her coat. “Time machine memory loss or not, could you not talk like that in front of him? He’s only three.”

  “Three?” Dean gasped. “Look at the size of him. Holy shit.”

  “Dean!” Ellen walked to the door.

  “Sorry.” Dean bent down to him. “Hi.”

  The deepest voice Dean had ever heard emerged from the child. “Hey, Dad.”

  “El?” Dean tried not to laugh. “Do they all call me, Dad?”

  “You’d better talk to Jason. This is worse than what I had. Yes, Dean. They call you and Robbie, Dad.” She brushed the crumbs from the boy’s face. “Be good all right? Dean? Watch his sugar intake, he’s in one of those wild moods.” Shaking her head, Ellen made her way back to the front door. It opened and in walked Frank and Henry. “Don’t you two knock?”

  Frank stepped in first. “Nope. Hey El.” He walked right up to her.

  “Don’t kiss me, Frank.” Ellen moved back. “I’m still shuddering from this afternoon. Speaking of kisses, almost forgot.” She walked over to Dean and laid her hands on his face. She kissed him then kissed him again. “See you later.” Running her hand down his face, she headed back to the door, pausing when she saw the look Frank gave her. “What Frank?”

  “Why are you kissing Dean?” Frank asked.

  “Why wouldn’t I kiss Dean?”

  “For starters, you are married to my brother.”

  “So what, he has an understanding with Dean. Is this the monthly gripe about it from you?” She headed faster to the door.

  “Hold up!” Frank shouted to her as she opened the door. “My brother has an understanding with him? Why does he have an understanding with Dean?” Frank asked.

  “How else would we have the children?” Ellen answered.

  “In a lab,” Frank stated.

  “Now that’s silly.” Ellen began to walk. “And stop Frank, all right. Robbie will get pissed if he hears you starting again. You do this all the time and it gets me in trouble. Bye guys.” Ellen left the house.

  Dean’s laughter was heard from across the room. “Frank, I really owe you. I have four kids to Ellen and an understanding. This is good. This is really good.”

  “Shut up, Dean.” Frank headed to him, but stopped when he felt the bump into his legs. He looked down to the child and it took Frank aback. “Whoa.” He lifted up the dark haired boy. “Whose kid is this?” Frank held him at eye level. “This is scary. He looks just like me.”

  “Mine.” Dean held up his hand.

  “No way,” Frank smiled. “He looks too much like me to be yours.”

  “Tell me about it.” Dean watched him put the kid down. “Hey, Frank look.”

  “Brian?” Frank held out his arms and took the baby. “Brian?” He began to kiss him. “Hey baby. It’s me.”

  “His name is Robbie junior, Frank. And, he’s mine too.” Dean gloated.

  Henry’s eyes grew wide. He shifted them from Frank, to the baby, then to Dean. “It’s the same baby. Oh shit.” He looked quickly at Dean. “It’s the exact same baby, Dean.” Henry moved closer, speaking with such intimidation. “Why is that? Why is it the same baby?”

  Frank knew the answer. “I’ll tell you why.”

  Henry hunched. Reality check.

  “I had an affair with Ellen, that’s why.” Frank kissed the baby again. “I had to. Look at him. He’s the same. He’s my kid. And that other one, I’ll bet money that he’s mine too.”

  Dean looked at the dark haired boy who suddenly ran into a wall and bounced back rubbing his head and laughing. “Looking at his size and mentality, you’re probably right, Frank. Wait . . . what’s his name?”

  Henry took a thinking look. “I know this. I can see it on the paper. Shit, what is his name?”

  Frank rolled his eyes at both of them, still holding Brian, he bent down to Alexandra. “Alex, what’s your brother’s name?”

  “Robbie.” She answered.

  “Not this brother, the other one.”

  “Billy.”

  “Not him, the other one.” Frank pointed to the boy who proceeded to jump from the fourth step.

  “You’re silly.” She took off running.

  Frank waved his hand at her. “She’s too much like her mother. Billy? What’s your brother’s name?”

  After cringing at the loud thump of the boys landing, Dean decided, he would take control. “I’ll handle this.” He walked to the stairs where t
he boy was racing up to the sixth step. “Hey, don’t even try to jump from that one. It’s too high. Get down here. Now.” The kid stomped to him. “What is your name?”

  “Huh?”

  “Your name?” Dean asked him. After getting a clueless look from the boy, Dean stood. “I give up.” He walked back to the living room. “Henry, what’s wrong? You’re quiet.”

  “Just frustrated,” Henry said. “I’m going home. I have six years’ worth of screwed up history to read. Thanks Frank.” Henry walked to the door. “And are you coming? Let’s leave Dean alone with his kids that you gave him, along with Ellen. Sure Dean’s the happy guy. And me? I’m stuck in Beginnings with Robbie Slagel again. I don’t like him, Frank.”

  “Henry!” Frank shouted at him. “Shut your skinny ass up. Quit bitching. I’m going to fix this. If we have to break into Jason’s lab and figure out that time machine ourselves, things are going back. And Dean?” Frank pointed to him. “Understanding or not, to the three of us, she is still my wife. Don’t touch her.”

  “But Frank, we have to act normal,” Dean defended. “How will it seem to Ellen if I don’t . . .”

  “Dean, don’t do it,” Frank warned. “Tell him, Henry.”

  “It wouldn’t be right Dean,” Henry insisted.

  “All right, all right.” Dean held his hands up in surrender. “I’ll be good.”

  Grabbing a blanket from the couch, Frank followed Henry to the door. “We’ll see you tomorrow. We have to discuss this.”

  “Wait.” Dean hurried to him. “The baby. Give me Brian, I mean Robbie.”

  “No fuckin way, he’s my kid.” Frank threw the blanket over the baby. “I’ll bring him back in an hour.”

  Dean heard the loud thump to his right and he looked to see the dark haired child excitedly pick himself up from the bottom of the steps. “Wanna take this one too?”

  ^^^^

  “Empty.” Henry closed the closet door in his spare bedroom later that night. “Completely empty Frank. None of her things. She doesn’t even live here. Never has. The best and only roommate I ever had is gone.” Storming to the bed Frank sat on, Henry grabbed a pillow and hit Frank with it.