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When he first arrived at Damocles Base, Billy Kaplan was a little put off by the design. Who would want to live in a space station shaped like a giant sword orbiting Earth?
But after a while (and a little persuasion from Nate) he began to appreciate it more. Nate gave him free reign of the station. It was his home after all. He particularly enjoyed sitting in the gardens that Nate had designed especially for him.
He sat on the small bench reading one of the books that Nate had procured for him. He couldn’t believe he was reading the eighth Harry Potter book. (He couldn’t believe there was an eighth Harry Potter book.) Time travel was awesome.
And so was Nate. Billy couldn’t really remember much from the time before he came to live with Nate, but that was part of the accident. He remember all sorts of knowledge and had many skills, but not many memories of people or places or even how he learned what he knew.
Nate had been so patient with him, Billy was lucky he cared so much.
His musings were interrupted by a blond bursting into the garden in a purple and black costume.
“Oh, hello. Are you one of Nate’s friends?” Billy asked with a smile.
“Billy, thank god. We need to go.” The stranger reached up and gently caressed his cheek.
“Go? Go where?” He leaned back out of reach of the stranger.
“I’m here to rescue you. I’ll take you back home, your parents are really worried.”
“Rescue? I don’t need to be rescued. Nate takes good care of me here. Why would I want to leave?”
“Billy, you’ve been brainwashed, you don’t remember anything that happened... Or even me. We need to get you home.”
“But he is home,” A voice said from the other side of the garden. “Isn’t that right, Billy?”
“Of course, Nate. Why would I want to live anywhere else?”
“Good boy. Why, indeed?” Billy glowed from the praise.
“This is sick Nate, surely part of you sees that.”
“All that I see is that Billy is mine. You have no place here.”
Teddy turned to look at him. “Billy, please try to remember, Tommy and Kate and Wanda and your parents and me. We were toget--” He was interrupted by a blast from Nate’s direction and the blond was knocked unconscious.
Billy looked to Nate, “I don’t understand. What does all this mean?”
“He’s just confused, pet. You know how Time Travel can be.” He smiled fondly and ruffled Billy’s hair.
“Who is he though?”
“Do you recognize him?” Nate asked suspiciously.
“No, but if time travel is involved, I might meet him someday.”
Nate nodded, “I doubt you’ll run into him, but I suppose you might. His name is Teddy. I’ll take care of him.”
Nate picked the unconscious Teddy up easily and carried him from the room.
Billy was struck by the name. “Teddy,” he said softly. He reached up and feel his cheek where Teddy had touched him. It felt familiar somehow. Billy was very confused. He didn’t understand why the strange boy seemed familiar. If they’d ever met before Nate would have told him.
Nate loved him and told him everything, after all.
He shrugged and went back to his book. He couldn’t wait to find out what happened at the end.