"They didn't follow us did they?" Jack Drake watched as the vortex slowly collapsed and faded.

"Who?" Penelope Stewart asked.

"Uh. The kids who were chasing us?" Jack faded off lamely. He'd been getting a tad paranoid lately.

"Are you okay Jack?" Margaret Beckett whispered to him. He shrugged her off and started walking in hopes of finding a hotel.

"What's his problem?" Rembrandt asked.

"I wish I knew," Meg thought aloud as Nel shot her a strange look.

Remmy shook his head, "Let's get to The Chandler . . . I mean The Majestic. Still not used to that."

"But Doc," Meg's mercurial temperament swung, "It's all about the Majestic. It always has been." Smiling she linked her arm in his and began to follow Jack; Nel watched the trio for a moment before starting on after them.

Ever since the last world Meg and Jack had been acting strangely. She knew they weren't doubles, but she wasn't sure what was up.

It was half an hour later when the group had checked into their "usual" room at The Majestic.

Rembrandt Brown wanted nothing more than sleep. He had still not become completely comfortable with his newfound situation. He had been sliding with Nel, Jack and Meg for two weeks now and he still knew very little about them or the life of his double. With Meg back in her funk and Jack brooding Remmy felt the need to distract them all. He was hoping he could give them all back that feeling of family he was missing. "How did you all end up together?"

Nel looked to Jack and Meg. None of them were too eager to tell the tale, but Rembrandt had been kind enough to fill them in on his past history, unfortunately they knew they hadn't been as forthcoming.

Meg didn't even glance at the others, her voice was monotone, "I leapt first and looked later. The story of my life and as usual I was on the outside." Nel could see how close to the surface all the old hurts were as Meg continued, "It was Keats Hall...."

Agent Margaret Beckett took the stairs two at a time. She rounded the corner and ran straight into Jack Drake. "Sorry Agent Beckett." He seemed to have the charm turned up full blast.

Barely acknowledging him she continued on her way. Doctor Brown's office was just around the corner and this time she was going to get some answers. It was only when she opened the door that she noticed Jack was behind her. "Can I help you?" she spat out.

"I'm afraid my lovely Agent Beckett that I'm here to see Nel. I know that must be a disappointment." His eyes sparkled as he moved to precede her into the laboratory. As the two walked in they saw Doctor Rembrandt Brown and Penelope Stewart preparing to enter a strange swirling vortex. Margaret felt her jaw drop as she looked at the colors playing across the circular field. "I'm sorry I'm late Nel, Doc." Jack moved to stand beside the two scientists."

"Quite all right." Doc Brown smiled at Jack, he hadn't seemed to have noticed Agent Beckett. Before she could recover the three others jumped into the vortex.

Their disappearance broke her spell. "Damn," she muttered. Double-checking her service pistol she dove head first into the shrinking hole.

Dr. Rembrandt Brown stared in shock for a few moments. "Why did you follow us Beckett?"

"I will get my answers," she groaned not sounding quite as tough as she usually did.

"Yeah, I guess you will. You wanted to know what happened to my sister, well, you're about to find out." Jack pulled Agent Beckett from the ground. He saw her pistol and spoke, "Just remember, we're the good guys."

"Whatever." Margaret replied. "Where is she?" she shielded her eyes from the sun and looked around as if expecting Wade Welles to suddenly pop up.

Doctor Brown shook his head and grabbed her arm. "Walk with me Agent Beckett," he drawled dangerously. The good Doctor rarely drawled. The foursome was atop a small cliff and below them spread out San Francisco -- a very different San Francisco. He pointed to the building with a black cross and a pentagram atop it. "She is being held there."

"Why?" Margaret asked.

Jack took up the thread, "For refusing to partake in one of their pagan rituals."

"You see," Penelope jumped in, "to this world Pagans are what Christians and Catholics are to us."

"Oooooh." Margaret let the word draw out expressively.

"We have to get her out of there." Jack looked into her eyes and suddenly realized what a Godsend this woman might be.

"Oh, I get it, that tunnel I went through. It screwed with my mind. You're trying to trick me." Agent Beckett eyed the three strangely.

"No Agent Beckett, that 'tunnel' was an Einstein-Rosen-Thompson Bridge! This is not our Earth!" Nel was becoming angry. "We're in a parallel universe."

"Whatthehell?"

Doc Brown shook his head. "If only I had the time to explain it to you Beckett. What did you think happened to Wade? Did you think I'd killed her? No, she was captured when we tested the device." Doc held up a sleek black casing covered with buttons and lights. "And when this device hits zero, we better have her back."

Margaret looked from one person to another and was shocked by the sincerity their bodies and eyes screamed at her. "This is insane. It has to be insane." her voice trailed off as the reality hit her like a sucker punch.

"So, will you help us or do we leave you for the Pagans?" Nel asked.

Margaret grinned. "Oh, I'll help . . . but when we get back home, you Dr. Brown have a lot of explaining to do."

Rembrandt Brown spoke, "Help get my wife back safely and I'll answer all of your questions."

The door to Wade's cell swung open. A large man dressed in a flowing black robe and wearing a ram's skull open his head entered. "It is time. Soon you will appease the great god of the earth Beliah and your blood will grant us immortality."

As the large man pulled Wade from the cell, only one thought crossed her mind. "Rem... where are you?"

Doc inhaled sharply at the sight of Wade being dragged onto the platform. Before she could be tied down shots were fired and all three of the people on the platform went down -- dead.

Wade lifted herself from the ground. She looked up to see Rembrandt, Jack and Nel approaching her and so was the woman who had gunned down the three men lying on the platform. "Rem!" Wade ran to her husband and embraced him.

The crowd was in shock. Their high priest had been killed. Their sacrifice prevented. They wanted blood.

Margaret looked at the rowdy crowd and the lack of escape routes. "We need to bail people. Now."

Without thinking Penelope activated the timer Doc had given her on their walk. The sight of the vortex silenced the crowd long enough for the group to make their escape.

Remmy spoke, "So when you activated the timer early you corrupted it, right?"

Nel replied, "Exactly. Doc had been trying to fill in the missing data for the last few years, but no luck."

Jack looked to his two remaining companions. There was almost no emotion on his face. "I need some air." Jack walked out of the room and slammed the door.

Nel sunk onto the couch. "How do I fix this?" The question hung in the air.

Rembrandt wished he had the answer.

Outside Jack spotted Meg sitting on the curb sobbing. He just watched her for a few minutes. When she showed no signs of stopping he approached her. He sat beside her. She didn't even seem to register his presence as all the agony continued to pour out through her tears. It'd been five years since she'd had a good cry. It was almost as if Doc's double was forcing her to finally face all the hurt and anger she usually suppressed about her current lifestyle. She was numb with the outpouring of emotion. When the tears stopped she continued to hug her knees. It was only then that she noticed Jack. She simply closed her eyes and rested her forehead on her knees.

Jack had never realized that Meg's whole persona might just be an act. After all who could keep up an act for five years. "Meg, I'm sorry," he whispered as he began to realize how hurtful his treatment of her might have been.

Her shoulders shook as the reserves of tears she didn't expect poured forth. Jack pulled her into his arms as his anger left him. How could he be angry with someone who was so lonely she'd never really let any of them in?

Wade smiled. She wished Rembrandt were here. It had been so long since she'd seen her husband and of course RJ only knew of his father through stories and pictures. "No can do Logan. I've got the gear and the timer. You've got RJ. It's time."

Logan held RJ tight in her arms. "Well, it would have been nice here."