17. Link

3.17 – Link

Teaser:

Fi: Remember Rebecca?

Well, what if she came back? And what if, this time, it wasn't for Molly?

"Rebecca moves across the world...she's a scirocco on the sand...she is the Nile that flows forever...cutting a wound across the land..." Molly stops playing her guitar, at the sound of the kitchen door opening. "Here we are!" Irene says, walking into the kitchen. "And we got everything you wanted Moll!" Ned says, with Irene. "It's about time you guys got back," Molly laughs, walking out to the kitchen, "Did you get everything?" "Yeah, the cake, the streamers, everything," Irene says. "Great...I really want Fi's 16th birthday to be great," Molly says. "Don't worry...with all of this stuff, you can't miss a great party!" Ned jokes, and they laugh.

Upstairs, Fi is online, cleaning out her e-mail inbox. She presses "Delete." We see the screen, and and we see that Fi is deleting old e-mails. She comes across one dated 2-25-2000. The sender: "Rebecca1300@star-star.net." She opens it, and reads it:

Molly

How are you? I'm fine...and I'm sorry about last time. If you were wondering...I WAS the girl you saw. I can't explain it, and I have to be careful...my parents would kill me if they even catch me talking to you! I'm sorry...but I really wanted to talk to you. So how are you? I just really wanted to talk to you. Please don't ask me about all that has happened? Again, I'm sorry...I just wanted to apologize for last time.

Rebecca

"Molly?" Fi repeats, then looks at the "To:" box. "Molly.Phillips@earthsend.net." "Great, I just deleted tons of e-mail that wasn't mine!" Fi says, "I guess I better get out of it. Mom won't know...she never even checks her old e-mail." She goes to click the "X" button, but stops when she sees the button "See Reply." Fi, her curiosity getting the better of her, clicks on it, bringing up Molly's reply.

Rebecca,

I'm so...confused. But I'll respect your wishes, and won't ask what all has happened. Jack's at college with Carey...and Carey has a friend who has a alcohol problem. It brought me...back to my teenage years. After you left...alot of things just didn't seem to go right. Everything seemed to fail for me. So I turned to a few drinks. That turned into alot of drinks. I was even an alcoholic when I met Rick. I was still one when I had Jack...but he turned out OK...fortunately. That's what slowed me down...I went to the CoA(Companion of Alcoholics) and was cured after some time. But before Rick convinced me to go, there were alot of problems...and time. I went almost just before I became pregnant with Fi. My parents really hated it...but they didn't do anything...'cause I didn't let them. That's when my dad became really upset with me...seemingly for life...but it's OK now. I moved out and lived with friends...I never went to college. I started my solo career. Then I met Rick...he didn't care I was an alcoholic...at first. It became worse as we began touring, and I couldn't keep up. I thought drinking would solve everything. Rick and I almost divorced...split up...but something kept us together...I don't know what. I still don't know what. Rick and I would have terrible fights. I hated them...but I couldn't help it. Heh heh...sometimes you could see us giving each other glares on stage. John, the 3rd member of our band, tried to stay out of the way, and he did. He almost seemed like he didn't even try to get involved...he was too close to his music. My parents never supported me...until I went to CoA. But even then, only my mother turned completely around for me. My father just wouldn't accept me anymore. But, like I said, it's all OK now. You know my song "In the Darkness?" It's based on the 12-Step program at CoA. You know, 12-'steps' in the song? And the fifth step, in both. The most important, for me anyway.

Live my life in one straight line

The future ahead and the past behind

Don't wanna go back to yesterday

But I don't know how long I can run this way.

It's all there. 'Yesterday', was my drinking…and Rick's…hobby. I think I can stay past the drinking part. But Rick's hobby…I don't know. Fi…she might…continue it for him. And I worry…that I might lose her. Heh heh, I'm just drowning you in my sorrows. It's been good talking to you. And I hope you continue to live your life...as well as you can.

Love,

Molly

Fi looks in awe, horror, and confusion at her screen...at the e-mail. She gulps, as she goes to do something she wouldn't dare to do...if she was Jack. She smiles slightly, highlighting the e-mail address for Rebecca, and clicks and envelope button. "Address Added to Address Book." Fi closes the e-mails, and clicks on the "Compose" button. In the "To:" box, Fi clicks on a different envelope button, and highlights "Rebecca1300@star-star.net." She clicks "OK" and the address appears in the box. She types in the "Subject:" box, "This is Fi." She types in the body part:

Hi Rebecca.

This is Fi, Molly Phillip's daughter. Do you remember me? Anyway, I was wondering...were you ever in Europe?...

A few days later, the doorbell rings. "I'll get it!" Jack yells, coming from the living room. "No! Wait! I'll get it!" Fi says, running back him, blocking the door. "Are...you alright Fiona?" he asks. "Yeah...yeah...just...go away...sorry, but could you?" Fi asks. "Uh...sure," Jack says, and walks away. Fi sighs, and opens the door, to see Rebecca standing there. Fi looks past her, "You didn't bring anyone with you?" "My parents...are staying at a hotel," Rebecca says. "Fi! Who's there?" Molly yells from the kitchen. "Uh...just a salesman mom!" Fi says, brining Rebecca in, and slamming the door, "He just left!" "OK!" Molly yells back. "Quick, up to my room," Fi says, as they dash up the stairs.

"I...I...don't have much time," Rebecca says casually to Fi, as she locks her door. "Go ahead, sit down," Fi says, and Rebecca does, sitting on her bed. "How much do you have?" Fi asks. "Well," Rebecca laughs, "Until 9 o'clock tonight." "Oh, that's way more than enough!" Fi smiles, too. "So...why did you want me to come?" Rebecca asks. "Jack...he's been having problems," Fi says. "What kind?" Rebecca asks. "Dreams...a vision," Fi says. "Of what?" Rebecca asks. "I...I'm not quite sure...but I think, of a castle," Fi says, concerned. "Why do you only Think?" Rebecca asks. "He...never comes right out and says 'Oh, I'm having weird dreams and visions of some castle!', but subconsciously mentions it every so often...and then we got this in the mail," Fi says, pulling the card from "Tennial" from under a pile of papers on her desk. "A card?" Rebecca asks, taking it from Fi. "A birthday card for Jack...from almost 1500 years ago," Fi says. "This looks familiar..." Rebecca says, looking at the cover, but gasps when she opens it and reads it. "What is it?" Fi asks, excitedly. "This name...Thee Knights Tabel...I know them..." Rebecca says. "Know them?" Fi asks, confused. "Well, I knew what they were..." Rebecca clears things up. "What? What?" Fi asks, anxious to hear Rebecca's side of the story. "They were a group of national knights, I guess you could say. Part of King Arthur’s hierarchy. They..." Rebecca begins, but Fi interrupts, "How do you know of this? I mean, did you live there?" Rebecca sighs, "I lived...in Wales, around A.D. 500." "Wales..." Fi mouths. "Northern Ireland," Rebecca says. "Ireland?" Fi asks, picking up on this. "Yeah...I was there...with my parents. I was only a few hundred years old, but I remember this as if it was yesterday. There was a station of these knights near our village. I met one," Rebecca says. "What do you mean? You met just one?" Fi asks. "Well, I met alot, but there's one that was special...to me," Rebecca says. "You liked him?" Fi smiles. Rebecca smiles too, but then frowns, "No...I met him...and he told me something...something very weird." "What?" Fi asks. "He told me...that someday, I will meet a girl, in a new land..." <Fade to intercut footage that goes along with what Rebecca is saying> "...I will become friends with this girl, but then, I will have to leave her behind, hurt. He somehow...knew...about me, about my family, about how we age slowly...about the people I would hurt...because I would have to leave them without telling them the truth about me...but he only talked about this one girl...about how she would become very famous in this new land...with her family...her husband, and two kids," Rebecca thinks in a blank stare. "Who was this...girl?" Fi asks. "I...I...think, it was your mom," Rebecca says. Fi thinks about this for a second, "It...it would make sense," Fi says, "Except she's not that famous...yet." "Hey...maybe that's yet to come," Rebecca smiles, and Fi does too. "So...what about this knight?" Fi asks. "Oh yeah. He told me...that he would see me again...as this girl's son," Rebecca says. Fi stares at her with horror, "Jack?" she manages to spit out. "Well, if Molly's that girl, then...Jack...is her son," Rebecca says.

Later that afternoon, as the sun is going down, Fi walks into her room with a plate of food. "Here...I snuck some extras from dinner for you," Fi says. "Thanks," Rebecca says. "So," Fi says as Rebecca eats, "What else do you remember in Wales." "I remember...a castle," Rebecca says. "Wait!" Fi says, walking over to her laptop. She clicks a few links, bringing her back to the "Arthurian Age" page she was at in "Tennial." She scrolls down to the pictures of the ruins. "Look familiar?" Fi asks. Rebecca stops eating, and walks over, mesmerized by the pictures. She grabs a blank piece of paper from Fi's desk, "Do you need this?" she asks. "No...go ahead," Fi says, as Rebecca grabs a pen. She starts scribbling madly, and when finished, shows Fi the drawing...of the castle, only as it looked in AD 500. "Woah..." Fi says. She digs through some more papers on her desk and pulls out the printings of the ruins she made in "Tennial". She grabs one of the castle exterior, and compares them. Rebecca notices another one, the picture of the hallway that Fi scribbled on. "This hallway...I remember it!" Rebecca says. "What do you mean?" Fi asks. "I remember...taking a walk down it," Rebecca says. "With who? That knight?" Fi asks. "I...I...yeah, I think," Rebecca says. "This is way too weird," Fi says, grabbing all the papers, "Stay right here. I'll be right back," Fi says, running out. Rebecca shrugs, and sits back on the bed, eating.

"Jack! Jack!" Fi yells, running down the steps. Jack turns around in the chair he's sitting in the living room, with Molly. "What?" he asks, with an annoyed tone, standing up. "Does this look familiar?" Fi asks, showing him Rebecca's drawing of the castle. Immediately, he starts seeing flashes before his eyes, flashing from reality to his vision, back and forth, back and forth, falling back down into the chair. "Jack! Are you alright?" Molly asks, running over, "Fi, what is that?" "It's...it's...Jack's problem," Fi says. "Problem?" Molly asks, taking the paper. She looks at it, and she too has another vision. Back in the "black space," she looks over and sees the tour bus emerging from a cloud of green smoke. She sees Fi climb off, then a flash. She hears Fi scream, and turns around, only to find herself back in the living room. "Mom?" Fi asks. Molly and Jack just sit for awhile in a blank, confused stare.

Fi walks back into her room, defeated. "Well?" Rebecca asks. "I think, he had his vision when he looked at the paper. And something happened to my mom too," Fi says. "Something happened to Molly?" Rebecca asks. "Yeah, but I don't know what...and it's not the first time either," Fi says, "What is it with my family?" Rebecca clears her throat. "What?" Fi asks. "Do...you believe in destiny? You, know, everything’s planned out?" Rebecca asks. "Yeah, I guess so," Fi answers. "Well, this may be hard to believe, but I think...that it was predestined...for that knight, to become Jack. Actually, the more I think about it, the more...I think...he chose to become Jack," Rebecca says. "Chose to become my brother?" Fi asks. "Not necessarily your brother, but that's how it turned out. He...was to become your protector," Rebecca says. "The protecting thing again? For what?" Fi asks. "I don't know...just as I knew...I was going to be friends with Molly, your mom," Rebecca says. "So...everything...was predestined?" Fi asks. "I...I think. I mean, that's how it looks," Rebecca says. "So...my dad..." Fi begins, but Rebecca cuts her off, "Yeah." "But...I still don't understand, how does it all fit together? Jack...being my 'protector'? My dad...predestined to die. Me...predestined...to lead a fight?" Fi thinks aloud. "A fight?" Rebecca asks. "Yeah...now, you won't believe this, but...something...told me I'm to be a leader in some fight, against 'evil'," Fi says, "And I was taking over some man's place as the leader." Rebecca's face suddenly lights up, "Wait...your father went after the same paranormal stuff as you, right? And you knew he was really close to something, right?" Rebecca asks. "Right," Fi says. "Maybe that 'something' that he was close to, was the fight!" Rebecca says. "And...they killed him...because they knew he...was too close to it?" Fi adds. "And they knew...he could win!" Rebecca says. "Woah," Fi says. This was much more than she expected to get from Rebecca's visit. "And Jack...is my protector..." Fi begins, and Rebecca finishes, "...From...evil?" "Right!" Fi says, "All the time he's...telling me all of this is nonsense, it's just to keep me from getting in too deep." They share a smile, but Fi suddenly drops hers, "What...what if...evil...wants to kill me, too?" "Well...you were told that you were destined to fight. Your father wasn't. So that means...you will fight," Rebecca says.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Fi! Happy birthday to you!" Everyone cheers as Molly brings a cake into the Phillip's dining room, where Fi, Jack, Irene, Ned, and Carey are sitting. "So how does it feel to be 16, sis?" Jack asks as Molly cuts the cake. "Great...I can finally drive...no more getting rides from everyone!" Fi laughs, and everyone else does too. After a moment of silence, Jack says, "Hey, Fi? I know...I've been kinda rude to you about this entire castle thing, and…I'm sorry." "It’s OK, Jack," Fi says, hugging him, as everyone "Aww's". Everyone finishes eating, when Molly brings her guitar out, and says, "Now, baby, I wrote this song for you. OK, maybe not FOR you, but dedicated for you, OK?" She starts playing.

Lookin'...

Lookin' Lookin' Lookin' Lookin'

Running all night

With no place to go

Never looking back

At my old foes

Don't know why those people didn't listen

Could it be that they didn't glisten

It's not too hard for me to see

You didn't squint to save me

Broken words didn't make you move

It didn't seem to go too smooth

You couldn't help your friend's big problem

But didn't it seem a little solemn?

Lookin'...

Holding it against you

Better you get him

A really big present

So you can set him

Seemingly nice, he's from yesterday

But knowing him, he won't call back 'til May

Lookin'...

It's not too hard for me to see

You didn't squint to save me

Broken words didn't make you move

It didn't seem to go too smooth

Finding a good job isn't a happy time

But it's better than being a mime

Lookin'...

Lookin' Lookin' Lookin' Lookin'

Running all day

You've found some refuge

Never losing track

In your score in the game of luge

Putting your ear close so you could listen

Didn't know how those seashells could glisten

It's not too hard for me to see

You didn't squint to save me

Broken words didn't make you move

It didn't seem to go too smooth

But it looks like you solved your little problem

Putting everything in neat little columns

And lookin'

Later that day, Fi walks into her room with all of the gifts she got for her birthday. She thinks about the information she found out the day before as a present enough, but she was happy. Happy for her life, happy for Rebecca, who left safely, how heading for who-knows-where. She goes to hang some clothes in her closet, when she bumps the Strangling book, which falls down. She looks at the cover, and thinks, "When Jack fought the creature in the knights suit..." <show clip> "...Did the creature really think that Jack...WAS the knight? And how does THAT fit into the puzzle?"

HOME