What If? Ch. 04

"Let me go! What are you doing?" She cried.

Kitty looked at her and checked the indicator. 95 MeV – almost time. "I'm making things right for you. I can't live without him, Mariah. I'm going to get him and change your life to be the way it should be."

"One Hundred MeV – ready for transit." She heard, and with a final blown kiss, Kitty ran into the portal and vanished.

Mariah felt Ian's hands release her and was stood on her feet, watching the cyclotrons begin to spin down, then she felt a rush, like wind blowing all around her, and things changed.

Somebody came up to her and handed her a package. "This just came for you, miss. It was marked priority urgent, to be delivered on this day, at this time." she nodded and pulled the package open to reveal a single hand-written note and the bodysuit.

My dearest Mariah;

By the time you read this, I will have been living with JJ for two years. I arrived on the Saturday night, and found him in a bar, getting blind with alcohol over his loss. I seduced him and kept him in his bed all of Sunday, so he never drove that morning to cause the accident. I helped him to heal, he is a much better man now. By the time you finish reading this note, the upstream changes will have occurred and your timeline will be adjusting to it's proper course.

Mariah looked up as the wind seemed to be blowing all round her, everything was a blur and as she watched, Ian walked towards her only to vanish in a flash of blue light. Her entire reality was changing.

You are happy, nine years ago. Causality has been preserved, and you are growing up with your parents, and your Aunts. Balance has been preserved, and everything is right again. Be happy, and stay safe. I love you. Kitty.

Mariah looked around and saw the Cyclotrons begin to pull apart, parts just vanishing in blue flashes as reality adjusted for the fact that the machine never existed. She felt a flutter and as she watched, the letter vanished as well, rippling apart in waves of blue energy, then she felt herself begin to flux, and a blue flash encompassed her entire world.

...

Mariah Catherine Douglas woke up, in her bed, in her room, in her house. It was Monday morning, and she had no school that day. Uni finals were done and she had vacation for a week before the next term started. Today was a big day, just to add to her happiness.

She sat up, letting the covers drop down to reveal the slinky negligee she liked to wear, and got out of bed, catching sight of herself in the mirror, she noticed her nearly flawless skin, b cup breasts and toned thighs. Yeah, she was all woman, especially today.

She pulled on a silky robe, tying it loosely and went out of her room and down stairs, where Mom was cooking breakfast for all three of them.

"Happy birthday, darling girl." Dad said, getting to his feet and kissing her on her cheek. Mariah grinned, as she hugged him, smelling the mild scent of his Old Spice deodorant and the chocolate tobacco that he smoked in his pipe.

Mom came around the counter and piled her plate high with fresh toast, bacon and scrambled eggs, then gave her daughter a kiss and hug as well. "You're finally 21, Mariah. How do you feel?"

"I don't know – I feel good. Actually, I feel great!" Mariah said with a wide grin, as she hugged Mom back, smelling the faint scent of lavender and sandalwood, then sat down to eat breakfast.

Once she finished, she raced upstairs to have a quick shower and then get dressed for the day. Mom and Dad had promised her a special outing today, which probably meant going to downtown Seattle to be somewhere near the wharf, or maybe out to one of the islands.

She threw the robe on the bed, then peeled off the negligee and stood naked in front of her closet. She opened it up and looked through the outfits she had hung on hangers, laid out in colour coordination and sexiness, and wondered what would be appropriate for a newly minted 21 year old.

Her gaze turned to an outfit she had never worn out, but she had been given a very long time ago. A purple lycra and neoprene catsuit with silver piping. Mariah didn't remember who gave it to her, but she'd had that outfit for more than ten years. She had tried it on a few times, but never where anybody else could see it. Something about it was just strange, but she couldn't make herself get rid of it, so it hung in her closet, slowly getting buried by other clothes, but it remained there.

She shrugged off the feelings and pulled out her outfit for the day. A modest blouse that would show off her boobs without being too flashy, especially in the push-up bra she was going to wear under it. A flouncy skirt that matched the top and under which she would wear a metallic silver thong, and a set of three inch heeled pumps, that were coordinated with the skirt.

She knew that tonight Aunt Trisha had promised to take her dancing, and Mariah was going to party like there was no tomorrow, she was finally 21.

She scampered down the stairs, heels in hand, just as Dad answered the door to her Aunties and their prospective husbands. Both of the women she called Aunt were not actually blood related, but they had been with the family for so long they were just a part of it.

Mariah ran over and threw her arms around her Aunt Charlene, hugging the smaller woman so tightly that Charlene almost had to extricate herself before Mariah let go, mindful of her stomach. Charlene McDragough was dressed in an emerald green blouse and matching knee-length skirt, with sensible heels that went with her eyes, but she had burgundy highlights on the blouse, and her fingernails matched her full head of fiery red hair that Mariah was so jealous of because it cascaded right down to Charlene's full hips and suited her just fine. Charlene was six months pregnant with their first baby, and she glowed, Mariah was so happy for her and her husband.

She got a kiss on the cheek from her first aunty, then turned and hugged her Aunt Trisha as well, who was standing waiting her turn. Trisha McBride was mulatto, with perfect coffee cream skin and curled platinum blonde hair that always seemed to work so well with anything she wore. She was dressed in a simple top and jeans, always making the most normal clothes look so elegant.

The two men who had captured these beauties always made Mariah feel comfortable, Trisha's husband, Jake, was a retired policeman. He worked security now, and Trisha worked with him as an EMT. He was tall, so tall that Mariah almost had to climb up his long body to get her birthday kiss, which he helped by lifting her up so she could peck his deep brown cheek.

Once back on her feet, she turned and gave Charlene's husband a hug and kiss, Tad was a Scottish artist and architect who had travelled here a few years back and he and Charlene had tied the knot almost a year ago. They were happy together, and Mariah approved of the man who had finally landed her aunt. She had known Charlene all her life, the woman had babysat her for ever, and had been her nanny in a lot of ways. So Mariah had been protective of Charlene when she had first met Tad, but he was charming, and always a gentleman.

"Enough with blocking the door, come in everybody." Dad said in his loud voice and the crowd flowed through the door, Mariah in the middle, the others buzzing with news, updates and anticipation of her party today.

They went out onto the back deck, which Dad and Jake had built after Tad had designed it six months ago. The deck was wide enough for a full garden party, but set up in such a way that even a small group would feel comfortable with the rails and low partitions. Mariah and Trisha made Mom sit down with Charlene and they bustled around getting drinks and things ready for the day, with Mariah also being hustled mostly out of the way as Trisha took over, telling her that the Birthday Girl shouldn't have to help set up her own party. She ignored her Aunty with a good natured giggle and kept doing what she did, and soon enough they were all relaxing on the back deck, enjoying cool drinks of lemonade, iced tea, or pop and Mariah was in the centre of her own world, surrounded by her family, but she knew there were still people yet to come.

"So this is where you're keeping her hidden today." Came the deep booming voice from their neighbours and her Dad's best friend, JJ Jacobson. Mariah was up and out of her chair so fast she spilled her drink, but that didn't matter, she flew into JJ's arms for a big hug as her enormous Uncle lifted her off the ground and twirled her around before setting her back onto her feet, then held her waist to make sure she was steady before releasing her with a kiss upon her cheek from his bearded lips. JJ was even taller than Jake, but unlike Jake, who had a slim build, JJ had a very burly build, much like a pro wrestler, or lumberjack, which he had been at one time before becoming the City Construction works manager a few years ago.

JJ had been friends with her Dad for longer than Mariah had been alive. He had gone through a very rough patch when Mariah was nine, with his first wife leaving him for another man, but he had managed to pull back from the brink of despair with the help of the lovely creature standing just to his side and slightly behind him.

Mariah reached past JJ as he deftly side-stepped with a rumbling chuckle and pulled her Aunt Kitty into a hug that brooked no argument from the older woman as they both giggled. Kitty was very similar to Mariah in a lot of ways. They even sounded the same when they talked. Same height, similar build, although Aunt Kitty had put on mature weight, she looked like Mariah's long lost sister. Kitty had long luxurious deep brown hair with blonde streaks that went to mid-waist, and although she and JJ had never had kids, they were very happy and content together.

A few hours later, after her cake had been brought out, candles blown, cake feasted upon and happy times had, Mariah raced over to Aunt Kitty's to get ready for her evening dancing. Kitty and Trisha were going to accompany her, and as Trisha said, make sure nothing happened that would wreck the day.

She flashed upstairs as if it was her own house, and in a lot of ways it was, she had been over here almost as much as she had been at her own house, so she knew where everything was. Kitty had a dress that Mariah had begged to wear, and today she had been given permission to wear it.

She pulled open the cupboard doors and looked at the glitzy silver dress that Kitty had just gotten dry-cleaned the week before, in anticipation of this evening. Kitty knew it would fit Mariah even better than she knew it herself. This dress had served it's purpose, and had been in storage for a very long time.

Mariah pulled it off the hanger and swung around, looking at herself in the mirrors as she sashayed from side to side, looking at it from different angles. Keeping out of her way, Kitty looked at her younger self and smiled softly. She looked over to the dressing table, where a small brown package sat wrapped, with a short phrase written on it, in very cursive handwriting that would be almost unrecognizable except by the person who wrote it.

Mariah would find that package sitting on her bed the next morning, and it would be up to her if she wanted to explore the knowledge contained within that old notebook. Kitty had done what she set out to do – she had changed the event that caused so much pain, loss and suffering, and now it seemed like things were working out for the better.

Unless, the notebook was needed, then the information within it could be used to make other changes, and to continue to improve the life of the young woman who was now stripped down to bra and thong, pulling the dress over her head with Trisha helping her to get it settled so that in her eagerness, Mariah did not tear the fabric.

Kitty leaned against the doorjamb and watched the scene unfold. Twelve years ago, for her, she had been ripped out of her own life, thrust into a world totally alien to her, and then had managed to put together a plan to help the person who had saved her. This was the result. A happy young woman who had never known the pain and loss of her parents, or all that was held dear to her.

Kitty was happy, this JJ was not hers, but he was a good man. She had made sure he was good, by giving herself to him without reservation, and by giving him the love he needed to justify his own emotions. The ring on her finger was real, and their marriage was also real. Not dictated by some law, but by love and respect. He respected her, and she loved him freely, which she had always wanted to do.

What if things had turned out differently? She did not have the answers, they were in the notebook, emblazoned with the same words 'What If' It would be up to Mariah if she wanted to explore the strange letters and complex formulas that were all written down in there. If the need never arose, then the book would turn to dust and faded memories.

Her memories faded into the present as Mariah ran up to her and pulled her into a hug, wrapped in the silver shimmery dress that Kitty had worn that Saturday night so long ago, the night that had changed the course of JJ's self-destructive spiral and had ensured Mariah had grown up happy. Now that dress, which had changed the course of so many lives, was wrapped around the body of a woman, who twelve years ago, at the same age, had made the right decision.

Now, tonight, it was time to celebrate, time to dance, time to not worry about What If – it was time to party.