Echoworld

"It's okay."

She shook her head and asked, "Why am I not dead?"

"Because you're an anomaly to the flow of time. It happens, very rarely though," he soothed. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that you're alive." She nodded, still hugging him tightly.

He grinned and held her out, to look into her deep blue eyes. "Oh, yeah. By the way, love you too."

She smiled, tears halted for the moment. She stood on her tiptoes suddenly, and kissed him. Hard. He pressed her against him and they kissed.

Wren, Shaun, Eric, and a trainee named Taylor all stood inside the small, malodorous shack that was being used as a transportation deck.

"You have to go back. Delta needs you. You haven't died there," Shaun insisted.

"You said yourself that I'm an anomaly to the flow of time. Why can't I stay here?"

"Anomaly by birth is one thing. Anomaly by choice is another," Eric pointed out, holding out a comtra to her. "But don't worry - Shaun still has to bring me back a pretty girl, so he'll be visiting plenty. He can't do much better than you."

She blushed furiously. "Thank you." She took the offered comtra from Eric's hand and wrapped it around her wrist. "Ready," she said, taking a deep breath.

"Bye," Shaun whispered. A hole of pure darkness appeared and took Wren with it as it vanished.

Shaun sighed heavily and sat, cross-legged, on the ground. He ran his fingers through his hair, wincing once he remembered the cuts. Eric gripped his shoulder in an encouraging way, before stepping outside to smoke.

"Tough day, man?' Taylor asked sympathetically, as he moved behind Eric's temporary desk.

"You have no idea, my friend. No idea."