“Lisa what do you mean,” Marilyn whispered, trying to hide the concern in her voice. Lisa shook her head as she held her stomach. “Mom I don’t know,” she whimpered. “Something...something is wrong. Oh god..no...please..no.”
Lynne watched in horror as her mother sank to her eyes sobbing. As the others now crowded around her the young teen could only stand in stunned silence. “Impossible,” she thought. “Their can’t be anything wrong with mom. I’m...im still here. If something were wrong I would of vanished by now.”
Lynne wanted to take a step forward but was pulled quickly back by her sister. Gazing at Gloria she could see the hurt and pain her sister was feeling. Gloria now angrily dragged the girl into a side room as Lisa wept. “What did you do,” she exclaimed angrily. “Lynne, why! Why would you do that! What have you done to mom? Answer Me!!!”
Lynne had no answer, this was impossible. She was born after all, if Lisa had lost the pregnancy than she shouldn’t be standing here. Lynne tried to answer Gloria but found she could say nothing, not because she couldn’t, but because she had no words to express her grief. “I’m sorry,”she whispered as tears now streamed down her face.
Gloria wiped her eyes as she grabbed her phone. “I’m calling Katie and Merlin,” she sniffed. “We have to figure this out now.”
Lynne sank to the floor as she heard the front door open. Glancing outside she could see Katie and Merlin rushing towards Lisa. Although she could not see them she could feel the magic the two were useing to check on Lisa. After several moments Lynne could see Merlin enter the room.
“Is...is everything okay with mom,” she whimpered.
A sad look crossed Merlin’s face as he shook his head no. “I’m sorry Lynne,” he said softly. “I did everything I could but it appears the child is lost.”
Lynne now cried softly as the elderly wizard hugged the girl. “How,” she cried. “How is that possible? I’m still here. If that were true I wouldn’t be here.”
“You are correct Lynne,” Merlin said sadly. “If Lisa lost the preganancy you wouldn’t exist. You came from a future timeline that is directly attached to this one. You are not a future from a different timeline. You are connected here, but the child Lisa was carrying is gone.”
“Then why do I still exist,” she moaned. “Oh god Merlin what have I done. I hurt my mom, my family, everyone I ever cared about. I wanted to help them..not destroy them.”
Lynne sobbed uncontrollably as the elderly wizard now held her tight. He and he alone knew the secret of Lynne’s existence. The reason he had allowed the girl to travel back in time was for this event to take place, without it the girl would never come to be. Ironically by this happening it would alter the future Lynne knew of. A future where Morgan LeFay appeared. “Lynne,” he whispered, wiping the teens eyes. “This, was destined to happen. I am about to show you how yu came to be. Now follow me.”
Lynne sadly nodded as she trailed behind Merlin. As they entered the hallway they could see Lisa being counciled by her parents and daughters. “Why mom,” Lisa wailed. “Why did this happen.”
“It’s okay Lisa,” Marilyn soothed as she brushed her youngest daughters hair. “Everything will be okay. I promise you.”
“Mom,” Katie sniffed. “Do...do you want me to call Jason at work?”
“I...I can’t,” Lisa stammered. “It..it will crush him.”
Lisa now began sobbing once more as her family hugged her tightly. Lynne just looked at Merlin, a look of pain etched on her young face. “Why are you showing me this,” she cried. “I..I already know I destroyed my family. Why do I need to watch, just...just let me die.”
Merlin calmly looked at the forlorn teen, a sad smile on his face. “Lynne,” he began. “Tell me, what do you remember about your grandmother?”
“Grandma,” she said. “What does she have to do with anything? You know she passed away shortly after I was born. Grandpa, Lisa, heck everyone always talks so warmly about her. Why you asking about her you already know.”
“You’ll see,” Merlin smiled. “Just watch.”
Lynne watched sadly as Marilyn stood slowly. The elderly woman first looked at her devastated daughter before looking at her husband. “Martin,” she said solemnly. “I won’t have this. I won’t allow our baby to suffer like this. This...this is my fault.”
“Marilyn how is this your fault,” he asked. “You didn’t know this would happen. This is not your fault at all.”
“I opened the pouch Martin,” she cried. “I was the one that let my curiousity get the best of me. I was the one that kept talking about what Lynne was doing. If I hadn’t kept pushing to ground the child more severely none of this would of happened.”
“Marilyn you can’t blame yourself,” Martin said sadly. “These things...happen. We just have to move on and heal from this.”
“I refuse to do that Martin,” Marilyn yelled. The woman was seething as she now gazed at her husband, she had an idea. Sighing sadly she now approached the only man she had ever loved giving him a gentle kiss. “Know that I will always love you,” she said softly. “What I do now is what’s best for our family. Goodbye Martin.”
Martin gave his wife a curious look as she bent down near Gloria. Quickly she snatched the Ring of Age off of Gloria’s finger and fixed it to her own. “Grandma What are you doing,” Gloria cried. Marilyn gave her family a sad smile as she closed her eyes briefly. “I won’t allow Lisa to experience the loss of a child,” she said softly. “So I’m making sure that never happens.”
Marilyn’s family gazed at her in confusion, slowly their eyes widened in horror as they watched her. Marilyn was growing younger. “Mom what are you doing,” Lisa cried. Marilyn smiled as she reentered her 40s. The grey in her hair had completely vanished as it had returned to its previous auburn locks. “Lisa listen and listen well,” she said quickly. “I..I know I wasn’t the greatest mother in the world. I let my pride, my stubbornness, my anger cloud my judgement. I missed out on so much with you. Let me do this, I won’t let you be hurt again.”
Lisa, Katie and Gloria stared wide eyed as Marilyn reentered her 30s. The woman was a beauty with luscious curves and fiery red hair. She knew where her final destination was, it would be quite sometime before she would behold herself like this again. “Grandma please,” Katie cried. “There has to be another way. Don’t do this.”
“I’m sorry Katie,” a now 29 year old Marilyn said. “This is the only way. Don’t try to talk me out of this it’s too late. I’m going to give Lisa the daughter she not only wants...but deserves.”
Marilyn’s family sat aghast as she became 25 once more. Slowly she turned to her husband, who was crying softly. “Hey,” she said softly. “Martin please, don’t cry. Lisa deserves to have a child of her own. I will gladly sacrifice what I have to be hers.” Martin could only nod as he now hugged his rapidly regressing wife. As he cried Marilyn rubbed his back. “Just promise me you’ll be the best grandfather ever, Okay?”
Martin nodded sadly as Marilyn smiled. Sighing she looked herself over, she was 19 again. Already her adult clothing was beginning to become baggy on her lean teenage frame. As she glanced down the hallway she noticed Merlin and a stunned Lynne. “Merlin,” she said, her voice becoming more teenage by the moment. “When this is done I’m probably going to need some help getting in there.”
“I shall make sure you are comfortable,” he replied. Marilyn nodded. Now only 16 she was about to turn back towards her family before stopping short. “One more thing,” she stated. “Make sure Lisa stays safe throughout the remainder of her pregnancy.”
“You will be safe Marilyn I swear it.”
As Marilyn now became 14 she looked at Lynne. Lynne stared in wide eyed astonishment as she gazed at the woman who was her grandmother. She had always been told she was just like her mother, as she gazed at the 14 year old girl in front of her she realized, this girl was her.
“A word of advise,” Marilyn stated as she went from 14 to 13. “Treat your mother and your family with respect. Don’t make the mistakes I did. Love them always. Oh and try to tone down the practical jokes. Everyone loves a live wire but sometimes you kind of take it too far.”
Lynne could only nod numbly as she watched her grandmother become a child. As the girl entered the single digits of her life Lisa was almost beside herself with grief. “Mom lease don’t do this,” she moaned. “There...there has to be another way. Please....I...I..need you.”
“Lisa,” a now 8 year old Marilyn said. “I’ll always be with you. I know you’ll be a great mother, better than I could ever be. Please, whatever you do, don’t blame yourself or your daughter for this. This is my decision, the last sacrifice I want to make for my daughter.”
“Mom,” Lisa whimpered, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. “I love you.”
“I wuve yew too,” a 4 year old Marilyn lisped. Lisa and her family now sadly watched as the little auburn haired girl grew smaller. Slowly the infant closed her eyes, smiling up at her family befor glowing and vanishing from sight. As she did Lisa gasped. Looking down at her stomach she watched as it expanded and glowed. Lisa now appeared pregnant once more.
“Congratulations Lisa,” Merlin smiled. “You are pregnant with a beautiful baby girl.”
Lisa and the others now turned to look at Lynne. Lynne in turn gaped at her family. As they all gaped at one another Lynne’s head began to swim. “I...I..,” Lynne turned pale as she fainted in front of her family.