The Armillary [Chyler]

[Paul MacLeod]

He hadn’t really thought about it before, but his spell to make them appear like shadows actually worked in this time and place. As it was, unless they stood in a well-lit area, no one would really see anything of the two watching figures moving stealthily from place to place around the villa. Paul and Chyler were pretty good at this as it was: Patrolling Hogwarts corridors at night gave them a fair amount of experience and not being seen. The sights and sounds of a family of this time were not too different from their own. It was a larger gathering than they had at Brierly, unless one or more of Paul’s brothers and their significant others came for dinner, but it was very much the same. Good smells came from the open kitchen beyond the courtyard, and every ate together. Paul also notice something else: None of the workers or servants in the villa looked or acted like anything but free citizens. That was pretty significant, although Paul knew that in the later Roman periods, slaves even held property. However, everyone seemed to be sitting more or less together, and occasionally Paulus or Cleo would make a comment or a jest in the direction of one of the other tables.

Paul watched, fascinated, except when Chyler gave his lips her full attention. The excitement and thrill of being spectators to a long forgotten day in a long forgotten week in time simply added to the taste of her when she claimed his lips. He’d long known she was the best kisser he’d ever be likely to find in the world, but here, it seemed like double the power that came from her. Now that they had a clear view of the couple, it was a little eerie how closely they resembled the young couple in the shadows, but there were differences. However, they had been taken as the Roman couple by the farmer on the road, and Paul was still thinking about how the language had been incorporated into his speech.  He jumped too when Arrow’s keen nose probably picked up the alien scent. He and Chyler probably smelled like they were freshly bathed, although the people here were pretty clean, too, and the cooking smells probably masked Chyler’s shampoo.  ”We’d better shift positions,” he whispered, and they moved down the archways and peeked into rooms as they went. He felt a little like a burglar, sneaking around, but he took care not to touch anything. They didn’t have a camera, although whether it would have worked or not was anyone’s guess.

After a while, they took one last look at the family, and went out a different way than they’d come in. They were in a garden of some kind, and here, Paul paused to listen to Chyler and the warm way she expressed her love to him always made him smile. ”I’ll never grow tired of listening to you say it. I’m so, so happy with you. I’m thrilled that we got to see this, and it makes me feel less anxious. I hope that by seeing this helps sort things out in that pretty head of yours, and that I wish you could see what I see when I look at you. I guess that’s impossible, but I’ll never stop saying it either: I love you and the most beautiful thing about you is that you don’t know you are, or at least not in all the ways I see you. You’ve made me believe that love is completely possible, even with all the things life throws at us. We’ve just gotten to see something really magical. It makes me feel so good inside, I can’t describe it. I can also see how this magic could be really abused in the wrong hands, and I think that’s why the Professor trusted us with it, and not a couple of adults,” he said as he looked at the cabbages and listened to the hum of insects. It was hard to tear themselves away, but Paul sensed they didn’t have a lot of time left, so he led her out of the garden and back around the long way. The Observatory was not too far away, so he headed them in that direction.  As they crossed a creek used for irrigation, a curious little creature peered at them as it paused mid-stream: A river otter. ”Hello,” said Paul, as if the otter was going to reply, and he laughed.

[Chyler MacLeod]

It was surreal being in this time and knowing that just feet away were the very people that had been haunting them for months. Chyler didn’t know how Paul was being so calm about everything but she had to admit that as she watched, even her own tense muscles eased. They would be one of the very few to be able to claim that they had seen something from the past… something from when their ancestors were alive. Would anyone believe them? Probably not but she knew that she wouldn’t be telling anyone about it other than Professor Forbes and Professor Brennan. And Paul was there with her so she didn’t have to worry about him thinking she had finally gone off the deep end. As it were, kissing him and being held by him felt different. Almost like a familiar blanket but warmer and filled with his scent. And if they didn’t have a time restraint on them, she would have stood there kissing him forever. But as it was, they had less than an hour and had a lot of ground to cover. ”Good idea,” she muttered as Arrow barked and jolted them out of their little bubble of romance. They moved along shadows and through archways until they finally reached another garden like area that was away from the people that looked so eerily like them.

That was when Paul spoke about his love for her and how he saw her. He wanted the best for her and it helped knowing that she had him to turn to when things got rough. There was hope that this trip, and others in the future, would help her mind calm itself and allow her to get back to her normal self where she could get into running again and sleep soundly through the night. She didn’t know what it felt like to get eight hours of sleep anymore. Hell, four hours was a luxury for the blonde usually only slept for an hour or two at a time and it was never peacefully. Paul helped and he let her catnap when she could, but even then, it couldn’t be for long periods of time since they had class and Prefect duties. ”You have a way with words that melt me from head to toe,” she told him with a gentle smile. He lead her away from the house and while she was sad to see it go, she was quickly distracted by a river otter, a light golden color with patches of darker gold. ”Seems like you attract pretty things wherever you go.” She grinned at him and poked his side before she tugged him along, the otter watching them before it went back to trying to crack open a shell with his rock. ”Did you know that otters have a little pouch in which they like to keep their favorite rock? Kind of like how I have a wrist to keep my favorite watch and a heart to keep my favorite boy.”

[Paul MacLeod]

His words made her smile and he saw that pretty look on her face when she took in what he said. He meant every word, and there was no pretense about how he felt about this mystical, magical girl that had come so softly, yet so forcefully into his life.  He nodded at her reply about making her melt. His heart glowed and he held her hand in a gentle way, and swung it up to his lips for a kiss. ”No girl but you would be trusting enough to do something like this, and I’ve learned so much about how to be there for you. That’s why I say these things. That’s why I do what I do,” he said, and they passed on into the countryside once more. They encountered an otter on the way out, and he cocked his head at her story about the otters’ favorite rocks. ”That’s interesting, I never knew that. You have no pockets today, though, but you know, you look good in that outfit, like you look good in anything or nothing at…all. You also have the two best lips in the Roman Empire,” he said and held pulled her in to hug her there under the beauty of the ancient sky, and his lips found hers. ”I wonder if there’s a species of magical otters,” he said when they had left the little creature behind.

They flitted past the out buildings and back to the road, and there was the place in the Fosse where the road crossed the dike and went through a gate built into the Fosse. That gate was a low opening in 21st Century England. Here it was a wooden gate with hinges and was well fashioned for defense, yet it swung open and led to a lane that went straight towards the familiar hill where the block-shaped tower stood.  It was a pretty easy walk, and he kicked a rock ahead of him in imitation of a game they sometimes played when they walked at school. ”I’d love to come back here sometime, and have a real picnic. It’s so quiet,” he said.

He was beginning to enjoy their little ‘vacation’ to 75 AD, and there was so much to see that he almost regretted that they only had an hour to look around. The villa was an interesting study in ancient times, and Paul felt very much at home, only because he was used to the country, although there was a real element of familiarity to the people and what they saw. As they left the house and went back outside, Paul spoke quietly to Chyler about what he thought. ”They may look a lot like us, but this is their life and times. What I take from this experience is that our ancestors cared about one another, not unlike the way I love and care about you,” he said. ”I only see you as Chyler, no matter what these people looked like or lived like, but it makes me rather proud to somehow know them. Shamash said they seemed like good people to him, and I guess he was right,” he said. On they went and soon they reached the path up. In their time, there was nothing but a green hill with grasses and flowers, for the old works had mostly crumbled. There was no historical marker, either. The tower looked very new, and very solid. Some of the instruments they’d found were stored at Brierly, and the Professro had found a home for the rest with the Astronomy Museum in London.  Today, there were people at the tower itself, and it looked like a group of well-dressed men, and one woman were conversing near the door. ”Hmm, I’d love to have a look inside, but we’d have to see if they’d allow us in. We could say we’re students, from Londinium or something,” he said.

[Chyler MacLeod]

Chyler wasn’t sure if she was the only girl trusting enough to do this but she certainly knew that Paul was the only one she trusted to go through this with. Had anyone else told her that they were going to travel  back in time, she would have run for the hills. It just wasn’t possible and yet, there they were, very much in the past and watching their ancestors share a meal. ”You are there for me in so many ways, Paul MacLeod. Not just in love or friendship, but in trust and support, too. I can’t imagine loving anyone but you and there is no one else that I want to share this time with. I know that you say and do things to make sure that I am happy and healthy, and I appreciate it… but please make sure you are doing things to make yourself happy and healthy, too…” she whispered to him. After they encountered the little otter, she told him about the little pocket they had to hold onto their favorite rock. ”Pockets or no pockets… I hold that which is most precious right here…” She took Paul’s hand and placed it over her rapidly thudding heart. ”You are the only one who gets to see me in anything and nothing… as well as the only one who gets to kiss me whenever he wants.” She melted into his embrace and kissed him back thoroughly as she wrapped herself around his body. ”Hmmm… maybe there is… we shall have to do some research.”

As they walked, Chyler kept her hand in Paul’s, letting the feel of him keep her grounded. Would being here help her? She didn’t know but they could only hope that once they got back, she could sleep again. Her body was already starting to wear out again as they moved but she did her best to not let it show for she knew just how much Paul worried about her. Her pale eyes wandered around the countryside, taking in the way the trees moved in the warm breeze and the way the sky was bluer and the grass was greener. It was beautiful and peaceful. Almost homey in many ways. ”That would be nice… though I highly doubt we’d get much eating done,” she told him with a soft smile. It wasn’t often that they were completely on their own so when they were, they almost always made the most of their time together. They left the villa and all of the outer buildings behind and quickly made their way to where the observatory was. They didn’t have much time left so they needed to see as much as they could. She smiled at him as he spoke about the people they had just observed and she knew that he was right. They were like them in many ways but they were their own people and they would always be different. ”No one is going to replace you in my heart. You’re the one that I have been searching for and now that I have you, nothing is going to take me from you.” At least, she hoped that nothing would take her from him again.

Chyler hesitated once they reached the tower, seeing people milling about. What if they got caught? What if they somehow said something wrong? They only had so much time left to explore but she also knew just how much Paul wanted to see what the inside of the tower. Chewing on her lip, she gripped his hand and then looked up at him, trying to figure out the right move. ”I don’t know, Paul… what if they don’t believe us? What if something happens and we get separated? There is so much at stake here and maybe it would be easier to come back in a few days or something when it’s dark so we can get in more easily? I don’t want to risk anything. We’ve already been mistaken as Cleo and Paulus once… I don’t want to jinx it now,” she whispered as she pulled him back a few steps. ”Please… don’t rush into this. We could get detained and once our hour is up, we’d just disappear and they’d go after Cleo and Paulus…”

[Paul MacLeod]

The observatory wasn’t too far away, but the Professor had said that they didn’t need to be in the spot that they would arrive in to return, so he wasn’t worried about that. In all the tings they’d seen, they’d only really been spotted the one time, and luckily they’d been taken, quite naturally, as their ancient counterparts. As much as Paul was interested to see how this knowledge of Latin worked when speaking to people, he knew she was right about getting into trouble. If anything, Paul was the one willing to do slightly risky things of the couple. He also knew that Chyler was perhaps more cautious because of her experiences last year, and as she told him as they walked, because she didn’t want to lose him ever again. So, for now he took the road at an easy pacve, but they met no one else, although there were trees alongside the road to hide behind if they wanted to. He took advantage of one of these to kiss her thoroughly after her sweet confession. He could have quite happily had that picnic now, although they had brought only a little water and a few snack items like nuts in their little carry bags. He liked to think he could live off her lips, and did so for a couple of minutes, while he stroked her silken hair. ”We do have to come back for more research on what magical creatures exist in this time,” he said, for he was thinking of some of the long-vanished magical creatures that had been hunted by wizards over the centuries. He listed off some of them for her to consider.”I wonder if they have trouble with giants or trolls,” he said,”Ooog, Paul like pretty girl,” he said in a deep silly faux giant voice  and he playfully picked her up and let her grab onto his shoulders so she could ride up and let her pretty bare legs and sandaled feet dangle down. He walked along quite happily like this for a while, carefree, while a bird twittered at them from the branches of an oak.

He set her down after a while, very gently. ”I forgot to ask the Professor whether we could eat any food we found while we were, er, here,” he said thoughtfully as he took her arm again as they went towards the block-shaped tower. ”You’re right, though, we wouldn’t get much picnicking done at all, not with you, my love,” he said. He tried to keep his mind off those pleasant ideas he had of chasing her through a meadow, and playing tag around trees as they had done. It usually ended in a passionate time for them. Love was magic that she had, and he carried her little amulet close to his heart, though he enjoyed the beating of her real one when they kissed and were close. He had to shake off the sensuous thoughts and observe the tower and the people, and he listened to her concerns. He nodded.

”You’re absolutely right, Seabee. That’s a good suggestion, we could come back near dusk sometime. We have the coordinates, and although the Professor said it takes some time to make those discs that contain the directions, I would love to see what the stars look like. Imagine looking through a telescope at the night sky without any interference from the cities and towns!” he said smiling. ”Like once in the country we camped out and there was nothing but stars,”he said. ”We could see my piece of land on the moon that you gave me, too,” he said, snuggling her from behind. ”This opens up all kinds of possibilities. I mean there’s a lot of preparation but it’s great for research on all kinds of subjects. Imagine sitting in the Globe Theater in London and seeing a play of Shakespeare’s performed, or see them building  famous cathedral in Paris, or taking a honeymoon trip on one of the great ships of the past,” he said softly. ”I know we don’t have to do anyt of those things, but I do dream of things we’ll say and do. You have to have those dreams and ideals to live for. What small thing or big thing would you like to see?” he asked as he gazed at her, the Observatory forgotten for the moment as he looked at her pretty eyes.

[Chyler MacLeod]

Being here with Paul in this time period was both odd and exactly right for the petite blonde. It was like being home but at the same time, nothing about it was familiar to her. Perhaps she had just seen so much of it through the eyes of Cleo that it just seemed familiar to her. Or perhaps some small part of her was actually Cleo and the reason why it was familiar was because Cleo herself was remembering it. Whatever the case, she was happy to know that she had Paul there to experience it with. Had she been alone, she would have most likely been caught by now and been in a world of trouble. Not that it was surprising to think about it. Cocking her head, she thought about the kinds of creatures that existed that were now gone and it would certainly be worthwhile to come back and see them for their own eyes. ”Maybe we can see them with Professor Forbes and Professor Brennan. I am sure they would love to actually see their hard work pay off by using the machine instead of just us,” she said thoughtfully. Laughing and squealing softly as he picked her up, Chyler held onto him tightly as he carried her off like a giant would after capturing his damsel. Not that she was in distress or anything for even if Paul was a giant, she would still love him deeply.

After a while, she was put back onto her own two feet and took a moment to regain her balance, holding onto Paul’s hand tightly while she continued to gaze around. ”Hmm… I don’t see why we couldn’t. I mean, it’s not like they eat things that are all that different than us,” she replied with a gentle shrug. She wasn’t all that hungry but she pulled out some water and sipped it before handing it off to him so that he could drink some, too. Grinning, Chyler nudged him and then attacked his lips for a while, enjoying the sweetness that was naturally him that mixed with the saltiness that came from the sweat from carrying her. It was when they debated about going into the tower that she voiced her opinion about being caught and then just suddenly disappearing from the people who captured them. It would look bad and then their counterparts would be in danger. It was best if they waited and came back when they could be much more sneaky about it.

”Well, I am sure that we can convince Forbes to let us come back. Maybe bring him along, too, so that he can take a look at everything himself instead of just taking our word for it,” she said softly as she smiled up at the young man who had stolen her heart. She leaned back against him as she held her from behind, closing her eyes for a long moment as she simply enjoyed their moment of alone time. ”All of that sounds wonderful… especially since it means that I get to spend more time with you,” she replied as she turned her head and rested it on his shoulder. ”I don’t have anything in particular that I want to see. Just as long as I am with you, I will be happy seeing the world both past and present. Who knows… maybe we’ll get to see the future world, too, some day.” Turning in his arms, she gently kissed him before pulling away from him and turning to run away from her, her laugh soft but happy. She hadn’t run like this in what felt like ages but her body was ready and so she took off, knowing that she would tire out quickly and by then, Paul would have hopefully caught her.

[Paul MacLeod]

The trip to Roman Britain had been a safe test. The Professor had told them that the coordinates were very accurate and the time was ideal, for there was nothing serious going on in the area where they were. That had proved correct, and Paul had been thrilled to get a glimpse of something that no one had ever seen. Most of all, the visit had proven that there were two people very like them in some ways. Paul could scarcely believe his eyes when they watched the pair. He also was very thoughtful for a while after he'd played Paul the Giant with Chyler. He was thinking about the child that they'd seen, and while they both had a long way to go towards any kind of life with children, it had made him think a lot about Chyler and what she wanted out of life, and it made him feel very warm when he looked at Chyler again, but a smile was on his lips. She'd once asked him if he thought she was someone he'd marry in a church and all that, and he'd told her that he would, and that he thought she was more than worthy. He spoke out loud as they looked at the tower again, and decided to stay away. He spoke very slowly, and quietly, looking at her with a soft smile that summed up his love and gratitude for her being part of his life."Chyler.Everything you do for me makes me love you more. I love you more in this moment than at any time. If someday we come through everything, and you're still happy with me. I'd love to live a scene like we just witnessed. I know you think the world of me, and I do of you. I've often said you're my future. I mean, some girls would run at the mere mention of marriage or a long term relationship, but I -- I think you're the best girl in any century, How many girls look good in a toga, anyway?" he said, letting the serious mask slip a bit.

They wandered away a little and he held onto her. "As for coming back, I think we can leanr things not just about the past, but it might make us feel good about our future. I think we've been very responsible, so I doubt the Professor will have any objection like you say," he wrapped his arms around her, and could feel every curve of her back and legs as she leaned into him, and he gently kissed her neck. "Yes, and you and I will keep our eyes fixed on the future, too, as it unfolds for us. Here is where we learn some wisdom to help us, and we'll be all right. I'll never let go of you. I've never met anyone that moves me so much, and I know I'll never find a girl that loves me like you do," he said quietly and he gave her a gentle squeeze. She turned and kissed him, and then execute her 'otter squirm' move that left him with empty arms for a moment and a smile on his face as she ran off. He heard her laughing, and he simply enjoyed how joyful she seemed. Then he took off after her. She might be a petite girl, but when she ran, she was a beautiful machine, her lithe body moving under the robes like an Olympian from Greece. Her path took her back towards the road through a field that was wide open, and filled with a variety of  wildflowers and herb and watercress that dotted the dips and hollows of the uneven field.

"You might run, but I'll catch you, and then, well, I don't know what," he laughed and panted as he closed the distance to her. He could see the perfect ankles flashing in the sunlight and her sandaled feet moving like a blur. He'd always enjoyed running with her, partly because they loved going places and seeing things when they did, partly because it brought them closer in sync, and partly because he loved the way her body moved. He leaped a small ditch and passed her, as he dodged around to gather her into his arms.

[Chyler MacLeod]

She didn’t need to travel back in time just to hear Paul tell her that he loved her. She didn’t need to stand in a time long forgotten just to see the way he smiled at her. She got that every day in their own time but it was nice to hear it regardless and to feel the way he held her when he hugged her. Chyler had been through so much, both with her family and with her friends and schooling but through it all, there had been a constant for what felt like ever; Paul MacLeod. She smiled up at him, her pale eyes shining happily but even then, she was able to see that he was giving her his everything for she was his everything. ”After everything that I have been through… how can I say that I don’t want to be with you forever? I have never thought otherwise. Not when I was taken from you, not when the Bryce’s said that they didn’t want me… not even when we were first dating. I have always thought that you were the one,” she whispered to him. The scene they had just seen, a family sharing a meal and loving one another despite the hard times they had been through, was exactly what she pictured when she thought about her future with Paul. ”Hmmm… I would say that not many girls get the chance to wear a toga, so therefore, not many actually look good in them,” she told him with a grin. Though it seemed that Paul liked her in everything… or nothing depending on his mood.

Chyler’s tiny hand fit nicely in Paul’s larger one and whenever she would get cold, his warm hand would always warm her up. It was nice to know that all she had to do was give him a look and he would know what she wanted. It wasn’t always about sleeping with him. Most of the time, they just cuddled and talked… much to the surprise of many of their fellow students surprise. ”And what do you think we could learn about our future by coming back to the past?” she asked him as she leaned back into him, closing her eyes as his lips found her neck. Little things like this did Chyler in and she would become a mess of a girl with her brain turning to mush as her heart pitter-pattered hard in her chest. ”I would hope that you never find another girl that loves you in any way that is not me,” she replied as she tilted her head so that she was able to look up at him. ”I mean… other than any daughters you may or may not have with me because let’s face it… I am not letting you go so you cannot love anyone else but me.” It was with a playful grin that she winked at him before turning to kiss him.

The moment that she squirmed away from him, Chyler took off running with her laughter echoing behind her. She was on the high right before she crashed hardcore and while she was enjoying being there with Paul, her body was already starting to wear out and she could feel the fatigue settling into her bones. Her blonde hair fluttered behind her as she ran across a field full of wildflowers and herbs, their fragrance overwhelming her in the best way possible. It was like being back at home and yet it was completely foreign to her. Giggling, she just leapt over a ditch when Paul was suddenly calling out to her and then out of nowhere, he was there in front of her and her body collided with his. She squealed with laughter as he gathered her back into his arms. With her arms wrapped around Paul’s neck, Chyler kissed him deeply, panting and sweating from their little chase, but she was energized for the moment. ”Now that you’ve caught me… what are you going to do with me?” she asked lowly.