Acme Time Travel Incorporated - Volume 2

In space, on route to SEG002

Gabriel was laid on his back on his couchette, eyes staring into the semi-darkness. Ginny was snuggled up against him.

“Hey, Ginny?” Gabriel murmured. “Are you awake?”

“Yep?” Ginny replied drowsily. She struggled to sit up. She could sense that Gabriel had something on his mind.

“I don’t know what made me think of it,” he said, “but you know when we told people we were leaving ... going away for a while?”

“Yeah ... I remember,” Ginny said.

“And I texted Barney, and you texted the care home ... and you texted Moth as well.”

“I remember,” said Ginny cautiously.

“Well,” Gabriel continued, “I guess that I just sort of assumed that ...”

“Assumed what?”

“Well ... I just assumed that your parents lived somewhere nearby. I was just wondering why you ...”

“What ... you were wondering why I didn’t call them?”

Gabriel felt suddenly very uncomfortable. He really wished he hadn’t started this conversation.

“Look ... you don’t have to explain to me, Ginny,” he said. “It just occurred to me that ...”

“My real dad died when I was young, and my step-dad isn’t very nice,” Ginny said.

Gabriel nodded. He could empathise with family disharmony.

“When I was about fourteen years old, he started to try to ... to touch me,” she said. “My mom, when she realised he was doing it, she got really funny with me. She started calling me a little whore, just muttering it under her breath.”

“Oh God, Ginny. I’m really sorry.”

“I got out of there as soon as I could. It was Paul who helped me find a flat ... you know, with Moth.”

“What ... Paul ... Slammer you mean?”

“Yeah, that’s him. And he got me some work at the Golden Egg.”

“So, Paul knew about ...?”

“Yeah. Paul knew all about it. He went ’round to see my step-dad a couple of times. He warned my step-dad off, I think.”

Gabriel nodded. “Yeah ... you said that Slammer kept an eye out for you ... kept the vampires at bay.”

Ginny smiled. “I think it helped a bit. The warnings, I mean. Paul was always big for his age, so when he went ’round to see my step-dad ... well, my step-dad seemed to back off a bit after that.”

Gabriel leaned over and stroked Ginny’s face.

“I’m sorry, Ginny. I’m sorry I mentioned your family. I don’t know why ...,” Gabriel said.

“It’s ok,” Ginny said. “I can see why you might wonder why I didn’t ring them.”

“Yeah ... but it’s not my business ... nothing to do with me, and all I’ve done is to get you to explain what a ...”

“What? What a crap family I’ve got?” Ginny said.

“Probably no worse than mine,” Gabriel said.

Ginny gave Gabriel a weak smile.

“At least you’ve got good friends,” he said, “like Moth and Paul.”

“It’s just a shame you don’t like me much, though,” she said.

Gabriel leaned up and gave the tip of Ginny’s nose a stroke with his forefinger. “I do like you a little bit,” he said.

Ginny looked down at Gabriel’s face. His expression made her think of a puppy-dog that has chewed your slippers and is now trying to endear itself to you.

“I guess that your little bit of love will have to do,” she replied, smiling, then “Gabriel?”

“Yes, Ginny?”

“Now that you know what a shit family I’ve got, can we just snuggle up again?”

“Yes please, Ginny,” Gabriel said, laying his arm out sideways for her as a pillow. She laid back down and snuggled up alongside him, tucking herself into the crook of his arm.

He laid quietly, making a conscious effort to slow his breathing. He really wished that he hadn’t asked Ginny about her family. Ok, he had been curious, but that was no excuse. His own family weren’t great. He had two sisters who had been taken into care ... years ago now. He had no idea where they were, and sometimes he wondered about them; were they happy, did they need help or assistance. The thought troubled him. He sure as hell didn’t need be reminded of them, and he guessed that Ginny felt the same way about her parents.

He listened to Ginny’s breathing; it was slow, relaxed.

“I’m sorry I mentioned about your parents,” Gabriel whispered.

She didn’t reply, other than a vague murmur in her sleep.