Edward Graves: Temporal Detective
Chapter 13: A Mother of a Problem

Jessica was beginning to learn just how confusing and disorientating the life of a time traveller could really be. She was living two lives and she knew full well which one of them she was more invested in. While she was with Edward she scarcely spared a thought for her home, her job or her so called real life. It was difficult for her to adjust upon her return, to remember that she still had a whole other set of obligations and responsibilities to deal with. Living through a day or two while those around you had barely seen an hour pass could make it difficult to stay on top of things, especially when those days had been spent jumping through time periods and investigating criminals from the past and future.

Jessica returned home at 8:30am on Tuesday morning, half an hour after Edward had picked her up for their Indonesian trip. He had advised her against returning to the exact same point that she left from, unless she had to and if she could, to allow the amount of time that had passed for her, relatively, to pass in her own time. He said that this was to reduce Temporal Strain on herself and her Timeline.

She looked at her watch, which Edward had modified for her to keep track of her own time, as well as local time. Right on the money.

She shuffled towards her room and looked longingly at her bed. What she really wanted to do was to sleep and recover from all of the Fluxing she’d been doing, but she had to get to work. Two lives in one; two jobs in one; two days in one; still the same amount of sleep. That hardly seemed fair.

She put away her floppy sun hat and removed her summer dress, giving herself the once over in the mirror. Still the same creamy white, she thought, satisfied. It would have been difficult to explain if she’d managed to get a tan overnight. That’s something she’d have to continue to be mindful of in the future. Or the past, whatever the case may be.

She slipped into a Doctor Who shirt and a pair of leggings then did a quick stock take of the kitchen and made a brief shopping list for after work, before grabbing her handbag, slipping her shoes on and heading out the door.

She returned home at six, carrying two shopping bags with her. Before she could make it to the shower though, or even think about cooking dinner, there was a knock at the door. Wary with thoughts of Black Glove agents on her mind, she closed her eyes and tried to sense any disturbances in Timespace. Nothing. She sure hoped that she had done it correctly.

She opened the door and was met by a middle aged woman with full, deep crimson hair and a set of hazel eyes which were just beginning to be marked by crow’s feet. She was Jessica’s height but with a fuller, rounder build and wore a grey suit with a green blouse and a large silver necklace. Her left hand clutched the strap of a large handbag that hung over that shoulder.

“Oh hi Mum,” she said, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Her Mum, Diane cocked her head to the side. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

“Oh right, sorry,” said Jessica, shaking her head. “Come on in. Excuse the shopping bags, I just got home. Do you want to stay for dinner? I didn’t shop for company but I could probably stretch it out.”

“No, no, that’s alright dear, I won’t keep you long.” She took a furtive look at Jessica’s burgundy couch.

“Take a seat Mum, you’re making the place look untidy.”

Diane smiled and took a seat on the edge of the couch. “I haven’t heard from you for a few days so I thought that I’d come and see if you were alright. How did that date go with that young man. What was his name?”

“Sean?” said Jessica, softly clenching a fist as the name escaped her lips. “Oh he wasn’t really what I expected.” Understatement of the century right there! “It was just a single date, no biggie.”

“So you aren’t planning on seeing him again?”

“Not if I can help it,” said Jessica in as casual a tone as she could manage.

Suddenly Jessica felt an odd sensation, like a pulse at the back of her head. She heard a voice echoing from somewhere. “Jessica,” it said. “Jessica can you hear me?”

She looked around the room and then turned to her mother. “Did you just hear that?”

“Hear what?” asked Diane.

Jessica shook her head and blinked. “Nothing, sorry, I thought I heard a noise, that’s all. Would you like a drink?”

“Oh a Coke would be lovely. It’s been a long day.” Diane had often claimed that her soft drink addiction was her only vice. Well, since she’d given up smoking anyway.

Jessica walked to the fridge and opened the door. Again she felt a pulsation in her head. “Jessica you need to make contact, focus on my voice.” The voice sounded clearer now, it was Edward. He was trying to contact her through Timespace. Not now, she thought.

“Is a can alright Mum? I don’t have any bottles.” She did her best to push Edward’s voice aside. She handed her mother the soft drink and took a seat next to her.

“Are you alright Jessica? You look a bit distracted.” Her brows furrowed into a look of worry.

“Just tired,” said Jessica. “It’s been a long few days.”

“Is that why you haven’t called me?” She asked the question in that particular way that only she could. Polite and conversational, but with an intricate weave of emotions, implications and intonations which automatically made Jessica avert her eyes to the carpet. It was the way she spoke to her students and the way she spoke to Jessica whenever she was displeased or disapproving of her. She got to hear that voice a lot.

She took a long sip of Coke and then turned ever so slightly further towards Jessica. “Well?”

“I’ve just been busy with work,” said Jessica.

“You’ve been working for nearly five years now and living alone for nearly nine months, yet you’ve found time to call me every day, work or no work, up until last weekend, after your date with this Sean boy. Forgive me for being concerned.”

“Mum I,” she felt another, stronger pulse and an accompanying flash of blue hit just behind her eyes.

“Jessica,” came Edward’s voice, “are you alright, can you hear me? If you can, I’m going to come over, there’s been a development in the case and you’re not responding which is worrying me.”

Jessica suddenly sprang to her feet. “Oh no, not now!”

“Jessica, what’s wrong, what are you doing?” asked her mum, who had also risen, elegantly to her feet.

Before Jessica could say anything she felt a familiar sensation, the feeling of a time distortion, the feeling that she had whenever Edward Fluxed near her. Then there was a knock on the door.

She looked at the door and then looked at her mother and just smiled.

“Well aren’t you going to answer it?” asked Dianne.

“Ah yep, sure,” said Jessica.

Cautiously, she walked to the door and looked through the peephole, straight into a large blue eyeball which moved back to reveal Edward’s full face. She opened the door a crack, leaving the chain lock in place.

“Oh thank goodness!” bellowed Edward, “I was beginning to worry, you weren’t answering my calls, I thought that The Black Glove might have come after you again.”

“Ah no, I’m fine,” said Jessica in barely more than a whisper.

“What’s wrong? Why are you whispering? It’s not that late is it? I make it to be just after 6pm,” he said as he checked his pocket watch. “Do you have elderly neighbours who are asleep? Is that it?”

“No, no, it’s just not a good time, can you come back...”

“Jessica,” called Diane, “who is it?”

Edward peered over her shoulder and said, “Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t realise that you have company.”

“It’s my mother.”

Edward’s face lit up. “Oh splendid, I love mothers, so cuddly and cross. I’d be one myself except I don’t meet the proper job requirements.”

Jessica became aware of someone standing behind her and then heard her mother say, “Oh hello,” she paused as she examined Edward’s odd appearance. It was the first time in her life that Jessica had ever heard her mother fall speechless. “Whatever you’re selling,” she finally said, “she doesn’t want any.”

“Oh don’t worry ma’am, I’m not a salesman; never sold anything in my life, well unless you count the time I traded Socrates a toga for a silver coin. But that wasn’t really a sale, it was work related, the coin was actually a rather advanced computer processor. Though I guess trading goods for currency such as a coin is the very definition of a sale, isn’t it? Hello, Edward Graves, pleased to make your acquaintance.” He removed his hat and gave a bow. “So are you going to let me in Jessica or are you going to leave me out here until the old lady across the hall calls the police. Hello,” he said, waving at someone out of view.

Jessica rubbed a hand over her face but let Edward in, hoping for the best.

“Mum, this is Edward. Edward, this is my mother, Diane.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” said Edward. He removed his top hat and then made to kiss Diane’s hand but she withdrew it. “Ah yes, quite right. Hygiene and whatnot.”

Diane studied Edward with those fierce, scrutinising eyes that could burn through the lies of even the most resolute of her students.

“It’s nice to meet you Mr. Graves.” Her eyes moved slowly up Edward’s body, from the spats on his shoes all the way up to the wing collar on his shirt and the cravat around his neck. “Tell me, how exactly do you know my daughter?”

“She’s my partner,” said Edward.

Jessica gasped and jabbed an elbow into Edward’s side, causing him to groan.

“I mean partner in training!”

“Excuse me?” said Diane, shocked.

Another elbow and another groan.

“I mean, we work together!”

“At the shop,” said Jessica

“The what? Oh yes, right, the bookshop,” said Edward, catching on as he rubbed his aching ribs. “The bookshop where we work and where we sell books together. Right here in the good ol’ Twenty-First Century, no other time, just here, doing what normal, average, young Twenty-First Century Booksellers do. Selling books...drinking coffee...kissing...”

“What?” yelled Diane.

“Ouch! I mean, no, no kissing, just books. Books, books, books and more books.”

Diane didn’t look convinced. “Why are you dressed like that then?”

“Ma’am there is an incredibly simple explanation for my clothing.”

“Which is?”

“I’m incredibly weird. And just a little bit eccentric!”

Diane looked at Jessica, who just smiled and prayed for the world to end at that very moment.

“So why do want see my daughter now, outside of work, at this time of the evening?”

“Excellent question,” said Edward. “Jessica?”

“What? Um oh right, well, we were, um, oh I was just lending Edward a book.”

Diane crossed her arms and shifted her weight onto her right leg. “You both work in a bookshop but you have to lend him a book? I thought that you kids just downloaded everything these days. I’m sure that you can find an e-book somewhere.”

“What can I say,” said Edward, “I’m old fashioned.”

“Obviously,” said Jessica with a forced laugh which she hoped would be picked up by her mother. It wasn’t. This wasn’t going well, she’d never been a very good liar, especially with her mum.

Diane took a few steps closer to Edward and stood up on her toes so that she could peer into Edwards enchanting blue eyes. She seemed momentarily mesmerised by their hypnotic azure shine, but only for a brief second.

“How old are you Mr. Graves? Twenty-three ? Twenty-five?”

“Oh stop it, you’ll make me blush. You’re about four centuries off. Mind you, I am pushing the half millennium and you know what they say, it’s all downhill from there.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“He’s just joking Mum, he’s a bit of a kidder!”

“Mr. Graves,” said Diane sternly, “I’ll cut to the chase. Are you seeing my daughter or do you intend to see my daughter?”

“Well I’m not seeing her right now because I’m looking at you. But I suppose that I do intend to see her when I turn my head around.”

“Mr. Graves, I am fighting very hard to keep myself from slapping you in the face.”

“Ah, he has that effect on people,” said Jessica. “Anyway Mum, you don’t need to worry, we’re just friends and colleagues. Don’t you think that you should get going? It’s dark and getting late, I’d better get dinner started, not that Edward’s staying for dinner or anything. I’ll just get him his book and he’ll be off, won’t you Edward?”

“Oh yes ma’am, you don’t have to worry about me, fraternising with young girls is the last thing on my mind. You can count on me to be a perfect gentleman towards your daughter, besides we’ve got a man to catch, haven’t we Jess?”

“A man?” suddenly a light bulb turned on in Diane’s mind and she said, “oh,” as if everything had just fallen into place. “Oh I see, the clothes, the eccentric behaviour, I see, I’m sorry, I didn’t realise.” She suddenly looked relieved. “Well then I’ll leave you two to it.” She got up and headed to the door. “But I expect you to call me tomorrow Jessica, I suspect that I’ll want to talk to you a bit more about your new friend here.”

“Sure thing Mum,” said Jessica as she prayed for the awkwardness to just end already.

“Mr. Graves,” said Diane as a farewell.

“It’s been a pleasure Mrs. Lazarus.”

Jessica closed the door and slid the locks into place. Then she pressed her back to the door and slid to the ground with her face pressed into her hands. She made an unintelligible moan.

“Well that went well,” said Edward without a trace of irony, “your mother seems like a charming lady, I don’t know why you don’t like her.”

“I don’t not like her, she can just get under my skin sometimes.” She stared up at Edward. “And you had perfect timing didn’t you? How can a time traveller have such a terrible sense of timing? Do you have any idea how ironic that is? And not in a good way either!”

“We’re synchronised remember, I had no choice.”

“You could have waited a few hours or something when I didn’t respond.”

“I was worried about you. Is this one of those moody, angst-ridden teenage girl moments that you’re having right now?”

“What? No! I’m just...what did you come here for anyway?”

“Well I came to tell you that the exchange has been organised. You and I are to meet with Hayden Crawlfield and one of his men at a neutral location, at which time we will present them with the Eternity Stone in exchange for Dr. Churchill.”

Jessica stood up. “So we’re actually doing this? You do know that we’re going to be walking into a trap.”

Edward’s voice turned oddly serious. “Jess I know that my reasoning must seem off and you must be concerned. But this is one of those very rare moments when I have to ask you to just trust me, alright?” He smiled. “I promise that everything will be alright, you have my word. Just have faith Jess.”

She nodded, “Alright. If you’re sure.”

“Splendid,” he said softly.

Edward returned to her house the next morning at 10am, she didn’t have to work so it gave her a whole day free.

Jessica opened the door and she saw an undeterminable expression flash across Edward’s face.

“My, my, you’re looking very efficient this morning.”

Jessica looked down at her outfit and smiled. She was wearing a white collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a red knitted vest, a black and red tartan skirt, black stockings and a pair of red and white joggers.

“I took your advice about blending in,” she said.

“Good job,” said Edward. “Timeless and elegant, much like myself.”

Jessica left her usual handbag on the kitchen counter and instead opted for a medium sized brown leather satchel from her room.

“I’ve packed a few supplies and provisions, just in case of emergency,” she said.

“Quite the little Girl Guide aren’t you?”

“Well you never know. Speaking of which, where and when is this exchange taking place?”

“The time, Midnight on the First of June, 1928. The place, Excelsior Hill,” said Edward, as if that name carried meaning. “It’s a little place in the middle of the Scottish Highlands.”

“Should I have heard of it before?” asked Jessica.

“Yes. But you definitely haven’t. It was the sight of one of the bloodiest battles in the history of the Earth: The Battle of Excelsior Hill.”

“I don’t think that I’ve ever heard of it.”

“It was an Archaic battle, part of the Intra-Temporal War. It was also the site where the peace treaty, between The Temporal Council and the seven generals of Aeon, was signed. It’s become hallowed ground since then and it’s quite often been used as neutral territory for peace talks and whatnot.”

Jessica didn’t understand what Edward was talking about but before she could ask him any questions he smiled and said, “I’ll tell you all about it. But later, I promise. Right now, we’ve got work to do.”

“Just a sec,” she said before running into her room and grabbing a brown jacket from her wardrobe. “The Scottish Highlands, that sounds cold.” She pulled her sleeves down and pulled her jacket on.

She wasn’t sure what trouble they were getting themselves into, but she was certainly going to be as prepared as she possibly could. She looked up at Edward and he smiled that fabulous smile of his. But she could tell that he was keeping something from her and that worried her. Edward had asked her to have faith in him and to trust him, but when it came down to it, she still barely knew him and he barely knew her. She’d met him less than a week ago and although they had had such amazing adventures since then, it still wasn’t a very long time at all.

Was she a fool for following him into a trap with no idea of his plan, if he had one? Was he more of a fool for expecting her to follow? Perhaps she had too much faith in him, but even more worrying to her was the thought that perhaps that he had too much faith in her.

It seemed though that her faith, and his, were about to be put to the test.

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