by
Jayelle Carey

Beta-read by Melody Ortloff

Quinn sat silently on the edge of his bed, thinking.  He was worried about Wade.  She hadn't been the same since the world before last.  That was when she had shot Steve.  She'd never taken a life before and he wondered how it had affected her and how long it would be until she got over it.  He looked across the large hotel room at her.  She was just sitting there with headphones on, staring at the TV.  Quinn wondered if he should try again to talk to her.  He knew that she needed time, and he wanted to give it to her.  But having her this way was bothering him greatly.  She had been withdrawn and seemed to be spending a lot of time just thinking by herself lately.  He also knew that she'd been having nightmares.  All five of them had been forced into sharing a hotel room due to their lack of money, and her stirring had waken him the past few nights.

"Hey, Q-ball," Rembrandt said quietly as he sat down next to Quinn, so he wouldn't wake Maggie or the professor.  They'd had time to recover from their recent problems on the world before, but they were both still taking it pretty easy.  None of them had felt like going out today, so just sitting around and napping was pretty much their entire agenda.

"Hmm?" Quinn said, breaking his gaze from Wade and shifting it to Rembrandt.

"You're worried about her too, aren't you?" Rembrandt asked Quinn, who nodded.  "You think she's gonna be okay?"

Quinn sighed.  "I don't know, Remmy."  He looked back over at her.  "Lately, it seems that she wishes she was home more than anything.  Sliding really seems to be getting to her, and these past few weeks haven't helped things any."

"I've noticed the same thing," Rembrandt commented.  "But Wade will probably be back to her old self again after the shock of what happened wares off."

Quinn wasn't as sure about that as he was.  "It's not just that," he said.  "She's been acting differently even before then.  I think she regrets not staying on some of the worlds we've been to.  I don't know if she wants to find home anymore.  Maybe she'd rather just stay behind when we find somewhere nice.  I know she wants to start a family some day."

"You don't really think she'd leave us, do you, Q-ball?" Rembrandt asked.  "I know how close you two are."

"Were," Quinn corrected him.  There had been a time when he and Wade had been closer than he'd ever thought two people could be.  The idea that he might someday be the person she chose to have a family with had even crossed his mind a few times.  But now that seemed like so long ago.  "She hasn't really been talking to me much for the past few months.  Not like she used to.  I almost wonder if she's thinking about staying here.  This world is the closest to home we've found in a long time.  There are only a few differences."

Rembrandt smiled reassuringly at Quinn.  "Wade's tougher than she looks," he said.  "I know she still wants to get home.  She's not done searching yet.  She'll get through this."

"I hope you're right, Remmy," Quinn said uncertainly.  "I hope you're right."

-----

Wade woke that night from a restless sleep, drenched in a cold sweat.  She'd had the nightmare again.  She couldn't escape it; she'd killed a man.  That fact had been dwelling in her mind more and more as time went by.  She was breathing heavily and got up and walked to the bathroom so she wouldn't wake any of the others.  She closed the door behind her and then leaned against it, crying softly.

After a few minutes, she walked over to the sink and turned on the water.  She splashed her face with it and the cold felt almost refreshing.  She washed her face some more, then jumped suddenly at the light knock on the door.  "I'll be out in a minute," she said quickly, drying her face.

"Wade, it's me," Quinn said quietly through the door.  "Let me in."

Wade quickly hung the towel back up and grabbed a cup from beside the sink, then she opened the door.  "I was just getting a drink," she said to Quinn.  "My throat felt kind of dry."  She started to step around him and out of the bathroom.

Quinn blocked the door, then stepped inside, closing it behind him.  "What's going on with you, Wade?" he asked with concern.

"Nothing," she lied, not wanting to talk about it.  "I'm fine."

Quinn looked at her carefully, then gently touched the side of her face.  "People who are fine don't cry," he told her softly.

Wade should have known she couldn't hide anything from him.  He knew her better than anyone, maybe even better than she knew herself.  She let herself lean against him as he wrapped his arms around her in caring embrace.  Then she began to cry again as he held her.
 

*****

What if there was a world where the Russians ruled America?
Or where the dinosaurs never died off?
Or where women were in control instead of men?

These worlds do exist.  Same planet, different universe.  My
friends and I have found the gateway to reach them.  Now all
we have to do... is find a way to get home....

SLIDERS... Infinite Slides....
Based On the Original "Sliders" TV Series
Created by Tracy Torme and Robert K. Weiss

*****
 

After about ten minutes, Quinn loosened his grip on Wade and held her away from himself so he could look at her.  "Please talk to me about this, Wade," he asked her.  "I'm really worried about you."

"I can't," Wade replied, still sniffling.  She saw the caring expression on his face and wanted to tell him everything.  She longed to talk to him like she used to; tell him how she felt and how much it hurt.  But this was something she had to keep hidden deep down inside.  She couldn't tell anybody what was wrong, not even Quinn.  "I don't even know how I feel about this yet.  I guess I just need some more time.  I'm really sorry about falling apart like I just did."

Quinn wiped the tears from her face with his thumb.  "It's alright to cry, Wade," he said.

"I know," she said as she opened the door and walked back over to her bed.

Quinn put his hand gently on her arm as she sat down on her bed.  "I'll always be here for you, if you decide you want to talk about it."

"Thanks," Wade whispered back, then pulled the covers over her and tried to go back to sleep.  But after tossing and turning for over an hour, she gave up on sleep and quietly slipped out of her bed and left the room.

She walked out of the hotel and into the crisp night air.  She took a deep breath, and then sighed.  She'd needed to get away for a while.  She had to think.

Wade was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the dark figure that followed her as she walked.  She was putting herself in the perfect setup.

The person who was watching Wade kept a good distance behind her.  She couldn't take a chance on being seen, not yet.  She'd show herself when the time was right.  They had to be further away first.  Far away where nobody would see them.  Where nobody would find the body until it was too late.

-----

After walking aimlessly for over an hour, Wade noticed that she was shivering in the cool morning breeze.  Why hadn't she thought to bring a jacket?  She frowned, realizing that she hadn't thought about anything.  She should have at least left a note for the others in case they woke up before she returned.  She decided that she'd better head back before she was missed.

The figure that had crouched down in the bushes when she'd stopped, blew the hair out of her face angrily.  Wade was always ruining her plans.  Well, not this time.  She might be heading back, but she'd put herself close enough to where she wanted her.  An hour away from everything, on a little road in the middle of nowhere.  She smiled happily.  The thick forest off the side of this road would do nicely.

Wade got a strange feeling as she walked back towards the hotel.  It was like she was being watched.  She scanned the edges of the road on either side of her.  She saw nothing but began to walk faster none the less.

The person decided it was time to make her appearance.  Time for revenge for past wrongs.  She stepped from behind a tree and into Wade's path.  "And so we meet again," she said, her voice full of hate as she came face to face with the person she despised.

"Logan!" Wade gasped, shocked.

"Don't act so surprised to see me," Logan said.  "You had to know I'd come after you."  She raised her gun and pointed it at Wade.  "It's time to pay the price for all you've done to me."

Wade wasn't sure of what to do.  She was stunned that Logan had come after her.  "I thought you were after Quinn."

"Oh, I am," Logan replied.  "But you first.  You can't escape me again.  Quinn will suffer when I see fit.  And he'll suffer greatly.  Killing you will just be icing on the cake for his tormenting."  She stepped closer to Wade and ran her gun slowly down the side of her face.  "He loves you, you know?  Too bad he'll never see you again."

Wade felt the cold metal of the gun against her cheek.  She couldn't take any more of this.  She smacked the gun out of Logan's hand, then kicked her.

Logan was taken by surprise at Wade's actions.  "I guess killing a man made you stronger," she said, as she fought back.

Logan's words caused Wade to freeze momentarily.  "That was an accident," she cried.  "It was self defense.  I didn't mean to kill him."

With another punch Logan had gotten the upper hand in the fight.  She could use Wade's weakness and self doubt to her advantage.  "Oh, come on," she laughed.  "You wanted Steve dead.  It felt good to kill him, didn't it?"

Wade struggled to break free from Logan's grasp, then ran back towards the road.  She couldn't fight Logan anymore.  She couldn't listen.  What she had said was true, and it was destroying Wade inside.  When she'd pulled that trigger, she'd been full of rage.  For a brief second she had wanted Steve dead.  That's why she couldn't talk to anyone about it.  She was afraid they'd think she was a bad person.  She thought that herself.

Logan usually would have been content to let Wade's guilt cause her pain, but killing her would be her way to get back at Quinn.  She tackled Wade in the middle of the road and forced her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her.  She heard a noise and looked up.  A truck was coming around the bend in the road.  It slammed on it's breaks and honked it's horn loudly at them.  Logan jumped out of the way.

Wade tried to get out of it's way also, but as the truck swerved to avoid hitting Logan, it's tires locked and it ran straight into her.  The force of impact threw her and she tumbled a few times before finally stopping a few feet off the road.

The driver of the truck was afraid he'd get in trouble with the police for hitting her and quickly sped off.  "Please," Wade yelled weakly after it, "help me..."  But it kept going and didn't stop.

Logan, who was unharmed from the whole ordeal, walked over to Wade and stared down at her.  She was having difficulty breathing and there was a large cut on her head.  Logan laughed with satisfaction, seeing how badly Wade was hurt.  She bent over her and pulled the necklace from her neck.  "I hope you don't mind if I borrow this," she said evilly.  "I know Quinn would like to have it."  She smiled once more at Wade and then looked at her watch.  It was almost 5:00.  "Estimated time of death, oh let's see, how about 5:18am?"  She dropped her watch next to Wade.  "Let me know how close I came.  Oh wait, never mind.  You'll be dead."

Wade cried in pain as Logan walked off, leaving her to die.  When she was out of sight down the road, Wade stopped crying out and tried to get up, but she discovered that she was hurt worse than she'd thought.  She couldn't move.  She reached up and touched her forehead.  Her head felt wet and when she looked at her hand it was covered with blood.  She moaned and stopped trying to move.  She just lay there until she passed out a few minutes later.

-----

When Quinn woke up that morning, he noticed that Wade wasn't in her bed.  He got up and checked the bathroom, then looked for a note from her or something.  He saw an envelope on the floor by the door and reached down and picked it up.

"What's that?" Rembrandt asked, walking over to Quinn.

"I don't know," Quinn answered.  "Somebody must have slipped it under the door.  It has my name on it."  He tore it open and read the note inside.  "Sorry about your little friend.  Don't take it too hard.  Everybody dies sometime, it's just a matter of who kills them."  Quinn looked at the note in shock.  It was singed, "Your old friend, Logan St. Clair."
He looked pale as he dumped the necklace from the envelop.  He stared at it as he leaned hard against the door and sunk to the floor.  It had Wade's blood on it.  Quinn clutched it tightly in his hand, as a tear escaped and slipped down his face.  Wade couldn't be dead.

-----

Wade woke up and tried to open her eyes.  She felt strange, but her pain was gone.  When her sight finally cleared, she found herself looking up at a white ceiling.  She was scared and started to sit up.  She wanted to get out of this place.

"Whoa, take it easy," somebody said to her.  "Just relax, you're safe.  Calm down."

Wade turned and looked at the doctor who was with her.  "Where am I? How'd I get here? What happened? What's going on?" she asked all in one long blurred string.  She didn't know anything.  She tried to think of how she'd gotten there, but couldn't remember.

"Take it easy," the doctor said to her.  "You're in the hospital.  A man brought you in a few hours ago.  He claims he found you lying by the side of the road unconscious.  It looks like you were the victim of a hit and run."

Wade started to sit up again.  "I have to go," she said.  "I need to--"  She stopped talking.  What was it that she needed to do?  She couldn't remember.

"You're not going anywhere right now.  You've got a pretty bad gash on your head.  We need you to stay here with us for a while."  He smiled reassuringly at her.  "Can you tell me your name, or do we have to keep calling you Jane Doe?"

"My name is W..." She tried to think.  "It's Wa.. um, I think it's..."  Something with a W-A-D? Why couldn't she remember?  Her head began to ache and she put her hand to it and felt the large bandage that was there.  "I don't know," she finally answered.

-----

"Quinn, are you alright?" Maggie was asking him.

Her, Rembrandt, and Arturo were all looking worriedly at him.  "Hum what?" he mumbled, starting to stand up.  He was still leaning against the door, clutching Wade's necklace tightly in his fist.

"I'm sure Wade is fine," Rembrandt said, trying to reassure Quinn.  "This is just some game Logan is playing."

"That note looked pretty serious to me.  I don't--" Maggie started to say, but Rembrandt gave her a warning glare and she quickly closed her mouth.

Quinn looked pale and grabbed the edge of the table to support himself.  Arturo put a comforting hand on his arm.  "I'm sure Miss Wells is perfectly alright, my boy," he told him.

This Arturo had never called him that before and it made him feel a little better.  "You're right," he said, trying to get a grip on his overwhelming emotions.  "You're right.  This is all just a game.  We're gonna get her back.  She's okay, and we're gonna get her back." He wished he could believe what he was saying, but he knew Logan.  They'd once been so totally in sync, he could still almost read her mind.  She was playing a game.  But it was with him, not Wade.

"What are we going to do?" asked Maggie.  She was worried about Wade too.  They'd been getting along better recently and she would like to think of them as being friends now.  Well, as close to friends as they'd probably ever be.

Quinn rubbed his temples then ran his hands through his hair.  "I don't know."  He started pacing the room agitatedly.  "I can't think.  I just--"  He stopped pacing and leaned against the table once more.  His whole head ached.  Logan had the upper hand and he felt helpless.  "I just don't know.."

-----

"She seems to be suffering from a case of amnesia.  She was finally able to remember her name and that's how we were able to contact you," a nurse said to Don, Elizabeth, and Kelly Wells.

"Is she going to get her memory back?" Don asked the nurse.

"Some," she answered.  "She should get most of it back within the next few days, but the doctors are worried about her short term memory.  She might not ever get that back."

Kelly was worried about her sister.  "Wade's going to be okay though, right?"

"How much memory loss do you think she might have?" Don wanted to know.

"It's impossible to know that now," the nurse told them.  "A few years, maybe more.  So far just small things are coming back to her.  This isn't uncommon in cases like hers.  If she suffered a traumatic event before her injury, she could be unknowingly repressing some of her memories. How much she gets back depends a lot on how badly she wants to remember what happened to her.  But try surrounding her with familiar things.  Her favorite places, foods, people she knows, even smells.  Just don't push too hard.  This kind of thing takes time."

All of Wade's family wanted to know what had happened to her.  She'd disappeared three and a half years ago without a trace.  But finding out where she'd been wasn't the most important thing to them.  They just wanted Wade back home safely.

"Can we see her now?" Elizabeth asked with concern.

"She's in her room resting.  Right this way."  The nurse led them down the hall to room 31 where Wade had been moved.

"Oh, Wade!" Kelly exclaimed, running over to her and hugging her tightly.  "I can't believe you're actually here."

"Hi, Kelly," Wade said, returning her hug.  "Mom, Dad," she added after releasing her sister.

"Hi, honey," her mother said, walking over to her.  "Are you alright?  The doctor said they found you by the side of a road outside town."

Wade smiled at her.  "I'm okay, Mom."

"Do you know what happened to you?" Don asked her.  "We've been searching for you for the past three and a half years."

Wade shook her head.  "I don't know."  She'd been trying to remember things every since she found herself here.  Some little things had come back to her: her name, her family, the school she used to go to, and some other stray memories of times or places.  But nothing about the last few years.  She wanted so badly to remember, she just couldn't.

-----

What was she thinking?  What would he do if he was her?  Quinn had been going over this in his mind for the past few hours.  He'd put himself mentally in Logan's place time after time.  He was upset, angry, driven by hatred.  He wanted revenge.  He had a hostage who he despised and had tried to kill in the past.  What came next?  Kill the hostage.  Rid yourself of somebody you hate and drive your greater enemy insane at the same time, make them crazy, eat away at them piece by piece.  Destroy everything and everyone they love and care about.  Kill the hostage.  Kill Wade.

"No!" Quinn finally yelled.  He'd reached the same conclusion every time.  Never different, not changing, always the same.  Logan would have killed Wade.  That was it, the harsh reality.  "No, no, no..."  He pounded his fists hard against the table were he was sitting and quickly rose to his feet, knocking over his chair from the sudden movement.

He felt Rembrandt and Arturo grab him.  They were talking to him, but he didn't really hear them.  His mind was racing.  He had to figure something out, even though he didn't know what.  He just knew that he had to get her back, that Wade couldn't be dead.

He was barely aware of the others forcing him to lie down on one of the beds.  He just felt himself slip into a world of darkness.

-----

When Quinn awoke later that day he didn't know whether he'd passed out or had simply fallen asleep from exhaustion.  He didn't care which; he'd wasted too much time.  He should have been doing something.

"Feeling any better?" Maggie asked him, noticing that he was awake.  He'd had a bit of a fever earlier.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, sitting up.  "What's going on?"

"We're waiting," answered Maggie.  They didn't know what else to do.  Rembrandt and Arturo had checked the library for information about their doubles, but that hadn't helped with Wade any.  They didn't know where to even begin a search for her. Logan could have taken her anywhere.  And then there was also the possibility that Wade could actually be dead.  They'd decided not to discuss the latter in front of Quinn, seeing as how he felt such a great responsibility for her and how much this whole situation was affecting him.

"Shouldn't we be out looking for her?" Quinn asked.  "I mean, we have to do something other than just sit around."

"Do what?" Maggie asked him.  "Where are we suppose to go?"  She'd already called the morgue, but no new bodies had been brought in that morning.  If Wade was dead her body must not have been found yet.  She planned to check again later, but decided not to mention that to Quinn.

Quinn sighed, then got up and joined Arturo and Rembrandt who were watching the evening news.  After the weather report, the scene changed to some reporters who were airing live from the bay.  "Some sad news today," one of them said as she walked along holding a microphone.  Behind her a body bag could be seen being loaded into an ambulance and there was a lot of commotion going on.  "The body of a young woman was pulled from the bay this afternoon by some fishermen.  The woman was apparently in her in her mid-twenties.  The cause of her death has not been confirmed yet.  Drowning is presumed, but some police officers suspect foul play.  Her name has not yet been released to the media."  The woman continued talking, but Rembrandt flicked off the TV when he saw the look on Quinn's face.

"No," Quinn choked out.  "If it's Wade, I need to know."

"Okay, Q-ball," Rembrandt said as he reluctantly turned the television back on.  The story was changing and he listened to the reporters talk.

"The case of another Jane Doe who was also found today is a slightly happier one," a different woman was saying.  "She was identified as Wade Wells, a local college student who disappeared about three and a half years ago."

Everyone's interest was suddenly focussed completely on what the woman was saying.  Quinn seemed to be holding his breath as she talked.  "The mystery of where she's been the past few years is still unknown, however," continued the reporter.  "Doctors say that she is suffering from amnesia, and has been unable to shed any light on her past whereabouts.  When we requested an interview with her we were simply told, 'no comment'."

Quinn smiled slightly as the report changed to other news.  "She's not dead," he said in a relieved voice.  "I'm gonna go get her."  He grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

"Hang on a minute, Mr. Mallory." Arturo stopped him.  "I believe it would be best to wait until a later time.  Her house is probably surrounded by the media.  You showing up and taken her away might cause quite a stir.  The last thing we need to draw attention to ourselves."

"He's right, Q-ball," Rembrandt agreed.  "And what about that amnesia thing they mentioned?"

"And how do we know it's not just her double?" Maggie added.

Quinn gave Maggie a frustrated look, then turned to Rembrandt.  "Hopefully her not remembering anything is just a way to keep the press off our backs.  She's probably only told her parents the truth."  He frowned.  "But I guess it would be best for me to wait until tomorrow morning.  I'll go get her then."

-----

Wade sat in her room, staring out the window and doodling on a piece of paper.  She'd been brought home that afternoon and was happy to be out of the hospital.  But home wasn't even that familiar to her.  They'd all had dinner together as a family.  She'd liked that.  It felt good, like something that had been missing from her life.  She liked her mother's cooking.  One taste of the meal had brought that back to her.  Wade couldn't remember what her favorite food was, but she had all the time in the world to figure it out.

She smiled.  It felt so nice to be back with her family, even if she didn't remember everything about them.  It seemed liked she'd been away for so long.  Her smile faded as she finished her scribbled drawing.  Where had she been all those years?  It was as if there was wall in her mind, keeping her away from her memories.  She looked down at the swirling shape on her paper.  It was strange, yet somehow she remembered it.  She'd been drawing it with a plain pencil, but it was blue.  Yes, she could see it clearly.  Whirling beautiful blue.  She shook her head; she was being silly.  It was just a doodle, nothing more.  Yet for reason it was more.  She could see it reaching deep into the paper, going beyond it.  A gateway to somewhere she once been.

She laughed a little at herself for thinking such a strange thing as she walked over to her dresser and slipped the paper into one of her drawers.  She then sat back down and gazed once more out of her window.  The shy was darkening as night fell, but she could see no stars because of a layer of clouds.  The sky seemed empty without them.  Empty like her life was now.  She was missing something.  Something very important to her, but she didn't know what.

A single star broke through the clouds and shone a bright speck of light for Wade to see.  She just stared up at it for a long while, then she finally went to bed and fell into a peaceful sleep.

-----

In the Dominion hotel on the other side of town, Quinn got up from his chair by the window.  He'd been gazing up at the only star that night for the past hour.  He walked to the bathroom and got a drink of water, then he decided to go to bed.  He'd go get Wade first thing in the morning.

-----

Quinn stood in front of Wade's house the next morning.  He'd come over right after having a quick breakfast which he'd mostly just picked at.  He hoped that Wade was fine and had explained the whole situation to her family.  He walked up to the door and nervously knocked on it.

Elizabeth Wells answered the door.  "Hello.  Can I help you with something?" she asked.

"Um, I'm here to see Wade," he told her.  "I'm Quinn Mallory."

"Wade was just having some breakfast.  Come on in and I'll go get her."  Elizabeth opened the door wider and motioned for Quinn to enter.

Quinn's eyes follow Mrs. Wells as she walked into the dining room and said something to Wade who was sitting at the table talking and laughing with Kelly.  Wade put down her piece of toast and walked over to Quinn.  "Hi," she said, looking at him questioningly.

Quinn looked her up and down.  Aside from the cut on her forehead, an Ace bandage on one of her wrists, and some scrapes and bruises, she didn't appear to be hurt.  "Hey, Wade," Quinn said to her.  "You wouldn't believe how worried I was about you.  Logan really freaked me out this time.  She left me this note and I thought that--"

"Um, do I know you?"  Wade asked, cutting him off.

Her words stunned Quinn.  "Of course you know me, Wade.  I..."  He stopped and looked into her inquiring eyes.  There was no recognition there.  She really didn't remember him.  "I, er.. used to work with you... at, um, Doppler down the street," he stammered.

"Oh," Wade said.  "Was there something you wanted?"

"No," Quinn finally replied.  "No, nothing.  I just saw the news report and thought I'd come by.  You know, see how you were doing."

Wade gave him a small smile.  "I'm fine."

"Well um, good," Quinn said, still shocked.  "That's good.  Good." He paused not knowing what to say to her.  He wanted to grab her and make her remember him.  Her looking at him like a stranger was tearing him up inside.  "I'd, um, better be going."  He turned and headed for the door, but stopped before she had a chance to close it after him.  "Wade, I'm really glad you're finally home."

With that he'd left, leaving Wade standing in the doorway staring after him.  He'd seemed so sincere about his last comment, like he'd owed it to her that she be safe.  But she thought she'd seen sadness in his eyes.  She shrugged and closed the door, then headed back to the dining room to finish her toast.

"Hey, honey.  Who was that?" her father asked, putting his arm around her and walking with her.

"Nobody," she replied, sitting back down at the table with her family.  "Just some guy I used to work with."

-----

When Quinn got back to the Dominion, he entered his room then leaned against the door as he closed it behind him.  A single tear finally escaped and rolled slowly down his face.

"Hey, what's the matter, Q-ball," Rembrandt asked him.

Arturo got up from his chair and walked over to them.  "Where's Miss Wells?"

"She's not coming," Quinn stated, wiping the tear from his face.

Maggie also got up then and joined the others.  "What do you mean, she's not coming?" she asked.

"You heard me," Quinn said.  "She isn't coming with us.  She really doesn't remember the last four years.  She doesn't remember me," he added sadly.

"So, what are we going to do?" Rembrandt wanted to know.

Quinn stared down at the floor.  "Leave her here when we slide," he answered.

"You can't possibly mean that?"  Rembrandt couldn't believe what Quinn had just said.  How could he even consider leaving Wade here?

"I've thought about this, Remmy.  Thought about it a lot."  Quinn ran his hands through his hair, like he had so many times in the past when he was nervous or upset.  "If she doesn't remember the last few years, who am I to remind her what hell they were?  How selfish would that be of me?  I can't make her relive that just so I won't have to lose her.  I can't."

"Don't you think she'd want to know what has happened to her over the past few years?" Rembrandt asked.

"Would you?"  Quinn looked back at him.

Rembrandt thought about that.  She'd lost her family, her home, and all her friends.  Her life had been threatened more times than he could recall.  She'd had to face her nightmares, the Kromaggs, the professor's death, and even killing a man.  Would he want to have to remember that?

"That's what I thought," Quinn said when he didn't reply.  "She has her life back now.  When I saw her she was actually happy.  I haven't seen her so happy in a long time.  And I'm sure you've all noticed how she's been lately.  We all know she wanted to quit sliding.  Now she won't have to deal with that at all.  To her this world is home.  I can't - I won't - take that away from her again."

-----

Quinn held the small book in his hands.  Wade's journal.  She'd left it along with her jacket in the hotel room.  Part of Quinn wished she had it with her.  Her past, all her feelings and emotions, her hopes and dreams, everything that happened to her these past years was written in it.  He flipped through page after page of her familiar handwriting.  He didn't read it, just looked at it.  If only she'd taken her jacket with her.  Then she'd have the journal, and she'd have to remember.  He saw his name appear on a lot of the pages and sighed.  She'd have to remember him.  He wanted her to remember so badly.  He didn't know if he could stand to lose her.  A tear splattered on one of the pages and he realized that he was crying.

Maggie sat down next to him.  "Are you really sure you want to leave Wade here when we slide?"

"Want to?"  Quinn looked over at her.  "Never.  I'd be losing the most important person in my life right now."

"So why are you, Quinn?"

"Because this way I can keep my promise to her.  She's finally home.  She has her family back again."  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  He didn't want to leave her.  But this world was so close to their own, she'd never know she wasn't home.  She wouldn't notice basketball scores or the other slight things that weren't quite the same.  He'd almost thought this was home, except that Maggie could breathe just fine here.  Wade would never know that.  She didn't even know Maggie anymore.

Maggie could see how hard this was for him.  "But what about you, Quinn? You have to do what's right for yourself too."

"This isn't about me. Not anymore.  It's about Wade.  I can't just step into her life again.  Look how much better it is now."  He paused before adding, "How much better it would have been if she never knew me."

"I know I'm not really one to talk, but maybe you just have to go with your gut on this one."  She gave him one last look before getting up and walking away.

"My gut is telling me to do what's best for Wade and forget about myself," he said almost silently, knowing that Maggie couldn't hear him, "...because I love her."

-----

"Hello, Wade," a voice said from behind her.

Wade was startled and spun around.  She looked at the young woman standing there.  She seemed familiar, but Wade couldn't recall where she knew her from.

"Oh no, don't tell me that the news report was true.  You really do have amnesia?"

"Um, yeah," Wade said. "Do I know you?  My memory is still kinda messed up."

The girl gave her a sympathetic yet friendly smile.  This was better than having her dead.  This could actually be fun.  "Yeah, you know me, Wade," she said.  "I'm your best friend, Logan St. Clair."

-----

Quinn sat down at the table with the others.  They'd decided to go out for a nice dinner.  Naturally they were now seated at a pizza place awaiting their meal.  Quinn was just now joining them.  He'd been thinking about what Maggie had said earlier.  His gut was telling him that he couldn't go on without Wade.  It was also telling him that it wouldn't be fair to her to drag her back into a life of sliding.  So he'd reached a difference decision.  "Guys, I'm staying here with Wade."

Maggie stared at him in shock.  When she'd talked to him earlier the last thing she'd intended to do was to make him want to stay here.  Why did things always go wrong for her?

Arturo quickly stopped his argument with Rembrandt over whether or not pizza was a "nice" meal, and turned to the boy.  "What was that, Mr. Mallory?"

"I want to stay here with Wade.  This world is a lot like home, probably as close as we'll ever find.  I'm tired of endless sliding.  Maybe you guys should stay here too."  He looked at them all.  They were his family now; it would mean a lot to him that they stay here also.

"I'm afraid we can't do that," Arturo said.

"Look, if you want to keep sliding, I understand that.  You can have the timer and keep searching for whatever world it is that you want to call home.  I'm staying with Wade."

"That's not what he meant, Q-ball," Rembrandt said to him.  "*You* can't stay here."

"Why not?" Quinn asked.  "I think it's my choice to make.  And I've made it."

"Mr. Mallory," Arturo said, "what Mr. Brown and I are trying to tell you is that on this world your double returned from sliding about year after he first slid.  He died shortly after that.  You can't just take on a dead man's life."

"That has to be wrong,"  Quinn said.  "Wade never returned."

"Apparently," Arturo told him, "Wade's double slid with your double.  I can't say as to what happened to Miss Wells, but this world's Quinn Mallory presumably was on a back-packing trip in Europe for that year - obviously a story made up to explain his sliding - and he did return."

"Do you know how he died?" Quinn asked.  "Maybe if it was a plane crash or something, I could claim that I survived."

Rembrandt shook his head at him.  "Forget it, Q-ball," he said.  "Your double committed suicide.  You can't stay here without somebody recognizing you."

"Well, we still have two days before the slide.  Maybe I can come up with a different identity before then or..."  He left his sentence unfinished.  It was hopeless.  He'd just have to accept the fact that Wade would no longer be a part of his life.

-----

"I don't see why we had to leave so fast," Wade said to Logan.  "I really should have left a note for my parents."

Logan stared at her with frustration.  "Wade, I told you, they're NOT your parents."

"But still..."  Wade was having trouble accepting this whole sliding story Logan had told her.  It just didn't seem possible.  But at the same time it explained so much.

"Wade," Logan said, forcing kindness into her voice.  "I know this must be hard for you, but you have to believe me.  You're my best friend, Wade.  I wouldn't lie to you."

There was something about Logan that was familiar to Wade.  She did know her, even if she couldn't remember anything about her.  She had no reason not to trust her.  "I do believe you."

Logan smiled broadly.  Things couldn't be any better.  "Good," she said.  "We slide early tomorrow morning; just a few hours after midnight.  I should have the timer fixed by then."

"What happened to you?" Wade asked.  "I mean, with your arm and all."  She was wondering about the wires that ran up from her wrist.  She figured they had to do with the timer which was practically embedded in her arm.  She hoped Logan wouldn't mind her asking.

Logan turned to Wade angrily, but quickly changed her expression.  They were suppose to be best buds; she had to be nice.  Besides, this might be a good opportunity to further hurt Quinn.  She hadn't told Wade anything more than what sliding was technically.  "I guess I'll have to start at the beginning.  You probably don't remember any of this."  She sat down next to Wade and began to make up her story.  "About three years ago, I discovered sliding.  I was going to use my invention to help my own world.  You know, make trades with other worlds and share information.  But then Quinn showed up.  He's my double from another dimension.  He'd gotten himself lost by his own stupidity.  I felt sorry him, randomly sliding from world to world not being able to get home.  So, I offered to help him.  I gave him access to everything I had.  He repaid me by trying to steal from me and attempting to kill me.  You and I almost stopped him, but he wiped out our timer's memory chip and pushed us into a vortex.  We've been tracking his wormhole ever since.  He's the only one who can get us home.

"As for this," she indicated her arm.  "Well, it's worse than you think."  She took off her coat, revealing the mass of wires that covered most of her arm and extended up the back of her neck.  Wade had to hold back a gasp of shock at the site.  "It's a long story," Logan continued.  "But I have Quinn to thank for it too.  I was captured on a world that we followed him to, and well..." She let her words trail off.

Wade got the point.  "That's awful," she sympathized.  "How could your own double do such a thing?"

"Doubles don't always have the same personalities.  They can be complete opposites.  Quinn Mallory is pure evil."

"Did you say Quinn Mallory?" Wade asked and Logan nodded.  "I met him.  He seemed nice."

"When did you meet him?" Logan hissed at her.

"He came to my - well, my double's - house earlier," explained Wade.  "He was acting kinda weird, but he didn't look like a person who could do those things you said he did."

"He's is!" Logan was getting very annoyed with Wade.  Maybe she should just kill her now.  No.  She could use Wade to hurt Quinn.  She softened her tone.  "He was just making sure you really lost your memory.  He was probably planning to use you to get to me.  We'll just have to get to him first."

-----

There was a knock on the hotel room door.  Quinn got up to answer it, figuring that it was the others.  They'd gone out to do something.  Quinn didn't really care what.  He'd wanted to be by himself.  "Hang on," he called.

He opened the door, expecting to see the others standing there embarrassed at having forgotten to take their key, but when he looked out nobody was there.  He glanced up and down the empty hall, then turned to go back inside.  His foot stepped on a piece of paper and the crinkling noise it made caused him to look down at it.  It was a plane white sheet folded in half.  His name was printed on it.

"Please not again," he prayed silently, picking it up.  He unfolded it and read.

*I have something you lost.  Want her back?  Dead or alive is up to you.  513 Washington Street, midnight.  Come alone.  Logan*

Quinn crumpled the paper in his hand, then looked at his watch.  11:08  He threw the paper to the floor, then grabbed his coat and left the room.

-----

Wade was sitting at the window of the second story of the old warehouse.  She was watching for Quinn.  Logan was working on the timer right now; she had been all day.  She only stopped once and had left then, leaving Wade by herself.  She'd said nothing when she got back except that Quinn would be coming.

"Done," Logan said, getting up and walking over to Wade.  "It should work fine now for the both of us.  Any sign of Quinn?"

"No," Wade started to say, but then saw a figure approaching in the street below.  "Yeah, he's here."

Logan headed for the stairs.  "Early.  I'll have to do something about that."  She pulled a gun from the waistband of her pants.

Wade looked at her with surprise.  She was startled that Logan carried a gun, but figured that it wasn't such a bad idea in their situation.

"Here, Wade," Logan said, handing her the gun.  "Watch my back.  I'm gonna go talk to him."  She walked off to meet Quinn.

Wade stayed where she was, watching as Quinn entered the building.

"Logan," he said to her.  The look in his eyes showed hatred.

She smiled at him.  "Nice to see you again, Mallory."   She held out her arm to him.  "I think you know what I want."

Quinn adjusted the timer that was practically a piece of her wrist now.  "There," he said.  "Those are the coordinates.  Now where is she?"

Logan stepped closer to Quinn and whispered in his ear just to be sure Wade couldn't hear them.  "Well, I'm afraid there's been a slight change of plans.  She's with me now.  Kinda nice to have around, too.  Shame that I have to kill her after the slide."

Quinn hit Logan hard after that remark.  If she hurt one hair on Wade's head, he thought he'd surely kill her.

Logan fell to the ground, but managed to kick Quinn's legs out from under him, bringing him down with her.  She fought really well considering how much larger Quinn was than her.  However, he finally got her almost pinned down.

"Stop!" Wade yelled at them, raising the gun.

Quinn noticed her for the first time.  She was now standing just a few feet away from them.  "Wade," he said with relief.  He was about to relax when he realized that her gun was aimed at him, not Logan.  He lifted his hands and stood up slowly.

Logan got up also.  "Shoot him!" she yelled to Wade.

Quinn just stood there, searching Wade's eyes with his.  But she was covered by shadows, making it hard for him to tell what she was thinking.  Was she really capable of killing him?  He said nothing, deciding that if she really could kill him, her closest friend, then he'd be better off dead.

Wade just stared at Quinn, her fingers shaking on the trigger of the gun.  From what Logan had told her, he deserved to die.  So why couldn't she kill him?  It was like she knew him or trusted him in some way.  No.  Her memories were playing tricks on her.  He'd attacked Logan.  He'd proven that he was their enemy.  She rested her finger more firmly on the trigger and tried to make herself pull it.

Logan just watched them for a moment.  Quinn was making no attempt to defend himself.  What perfect irony, she thought.  To be killed by somebody you love.  But when Wade's hesitation lingered, she grew impatient.  She picked up an old board that was lying on the ground and hit Quinn across the back of his head with it.  He hadn't been paying any attention to her and was totally unexpecting it.  He fell to the floor unconscious.

Wade dropped the gun, glad that she wouldn't have to use it.  Logan glared at her.  "What happened just now?" she asked Wade.  "Why didn't you kill him?"

"I couldn't," Wade replied.

Logan was upset with her.  "You've killed before.  Don't freeze again."

Wade thought about what she'd just said.  Memories flashed inside her head.  She'd been chasing a man.  She was angry and full of rage.  She'd had a gun.  Had she actually killed someone?  Yes.  She had pulled the trigger and he'd fallen.  She could almost see the dark blood staining the pale blue of the carpet.  She shivered, but not from the cold.

-----

"Logan," Wade asked, "what aren't you telling me?"

"What do you mean?"

Wade gave her an untrusting look.  "I mean that I know him, don't I?"  She motioned to Quinn who was still unconscious and tied up.  "I remember him."

"Of course you know him," Logan shot back at her.  "I told you about that.  About what he did to us."

"It's more than that," Wade said.  "Tell me the truth."

Logan frowned.  Wade's memories were becoming a problem, and she hadn't planned to kill her until she knew if Quinn had given her the right coordinates.  "Well," she said, trying to think of a good lie to tell her.  "I didn't want you to have to remember this, but I guess you have to know.  You and Quinn used to be lovers."  She had to work hard to hide her smile at the look of shock that crossed Wade's face.  "Before he betrayed us, that is.  You never really talked to me about him.  I guess he told you not to.  I know he used to hit you.  You'd always have bruises after you were with him.  He's a bad person, Wade.  Don't forget that."

Logan had left a while after their talk, saying that she had to go try to find some spare parts for the timer and that she'd be back shortly.  Wade didn't mind.  She wanted to be alone.  She stared out the window, but didn't really look at anything.  Stray memories flashed through her mind.  Memories of Quinn.  She could remember him kissing her.  She shook her head, trying to rid herself of those thoughts.  She didn't want to remember ever having feelings for him.  She hated him.

-----

Quinn woke up with a start.  He remembered a sharp pain and falling to the ground.  Had Wade shot him?  His head ached and he realized that Logan must have hit him with something.  He sighed with relief.  Wade hadn't been able to shoot him.  He reached up to touch his head but found that his hands were tied behind his back.  He blinked a few times, trying to clear his sight, then looked around.  He was lying on the floor in the corner of the large room.  His feet were also tied and he couldn't get up.  Wade was sitting across the room looking out the window.  Logan was nowhere to be seen.

Wade glanced over at him when he stirred.  She picked up the gun and pointed it at him, daring him to try something.

"Where's Logan?" he asked, hoping that they were alone.

"That's not your concern," Wade replied coldly.

"Wade," Quinn started to say, trying to sit up against the wall.

She rested her finger firmly against the gun's trigger.  "Don't move," she yelled at him.  "I won't shoot you in cold blood, but if you try anything, I swear I'll kill you."

The harshness in her voice shocked Quinn.  He also saw the hatred she had for him flash in her eyes.  It hurt him more than a bullet from her gun would have.  "What did she tell you?" he asked.

"Enough," Wade snapped at him.

"Wade, listen to me," Quinn pleaded.  "Logan isn't your friend."

She still had the gun aimed at him.  "And I suppose you are, right?  I don't have to listen to this."  She turned away from him.

"That's right, I am," he told her.  "I could never hurt you, Wade."

The tone is his voice made her want to believe him.  He sounded so sincere.  She kept gazing out the window and blocked her ears to his voice.  She wouldn't be tricked by his lies.  She wouldn't let herself believe him.

-----

Wade turned from the window when she heard Logan return.  "It's almost time for our slide," she said to her.

"Good," replied Wade.  "Let's leave."  She didn't want to be left with Quinn any longer.  She had been starting to listen to him.  There was something in his voice and in his eyes that she trusted.  Maybe it was because she'd once trusted him, or because he was the double of her best friend.  She didn't care which.  She wanted to hate him for all he'd done.

Logan saw the look of hate Wade had for Quinn.  She smiled at it.  "Two minutes until the window opens," she commented.

Wade glanced over at Quinn then turned away from him.  She forced herself to hate him even more.  She wouldn't let him weaken her.  She felt him watching her and turned to him again.  "Don't even look at me."

Logan held up her arm for Wade to see the number on the timer.  "Kill him, leave him, I don't care," she told Wade as she opened the vortex.  "Just deal with him and let's go."  She disappeared into the wormhole.

"Wade, don't do this," Quinn begged her.  "Don't go with her!"

Wade pointed her gun at him again.  "I want to kill you," she said.  "I really do.  But I can't, because I don't trust you.  You're the only person who knows the coordinates to get Logan and me back home.  And part of me knows you didn't give them to her.  So for now, I'll let you live."  She walked over to vortex.

"No!" Quinn yelled, struggling to get up despite the fact that he was tied.  "Wade, I can't lose you again.  I care about you more than anyone else in the world.  Please believe me!"

In the world, she thought to herself.  Yeah, sure.  He didn't even know anyone from this world.  "I won't let you lie to me anymore," she screamed over the sound of the vortex.  She pulled down the trigger, then stepped backwards into the wormhole that would take her away from him.

Quinn cried out in pain.  Part from the sharp sting of the bullet that caused his whole arm to burn fiercely, and part from the realization that he'd lost her.  He watched as the vortex spiraled in on itself and slipped shut, then he passed out.

-----

"Damn it!" Logan yelled when she exited the wormhole.  Quinn hadn't given her the right coordinates again.  She was on a deserted beach with no civilization in sight.  She turned and waited for Wade.  It was strange not sliding alone.  She kinda liked the feeling it gave her knowing that she wouldn't have to face this new world on her own.  Maybe having Wade along wasn't so bad.  She found herself having doubts about whether or not she should kill her like she'd planned.

Wade fell out of the vortex right before it closed.  She was still holding the gun in her hand.  She was stunned at what had happened on the last world.  She had actually shot Quinn.  "Take it," she said, shoving the gun at Logan.

Logan took it from her and put it back in the waistband of her pants.  "Is something wrong?" she asked Wade, even though she knew all too well what was bothering her.  It was Quinn that was on her mind.  She wondered what all had gone on between them before the slide.

"Nothing is wrong," Wade said firmly, then turned away from Logan and wiped a tear from her eye before it could escape and run down her face.

-----

The alley was dark and full of shadows as they walked down it.  Maggie pulled her jacket tighter around herself.  "Are you sure this is the right place?" she asked.

"513 Washington Street," Rembrandt replied, looking at the large building they were behind.  "This is what the note said."

They'd found the paper on the floor when they'd gotten back to the hotel room at about 3:45 that morning.  They had met Quinn's double from another dimension that evening and had spent most of the night talking to him.  He was with them now as they searched for Quinn, and hopefully Wade.

"It seems quiet in there," commented Arturo.

"Maybe they already left," Maggie suggested.  "But let's go in and look around.  And be quiet just in case."

Quinn's double found a bar on the ground and used it to pry the lock off the back door.  They all entered the building.  It looked deserted.  "Quinn!" Maggie called, figuring Logan wasn't there or she'd have shown herself.  She wasn't one to hide.

"Quinn, Wade," Rembrandt yelled.  "Hey, Q-ball, you here?"

Quinn's double spotted a staircase and pointed it out to the others.  Maggie offered to check upstairs, and alternate Quinn went with her.

When she reached the top of the stairs, Maggie saw a figure lying on floor across the room.  It was Quinn.  "He's up here!" she called down to the others.

Alternate Quinn looked at his double.  His shirt was covered with blood.  "Get up here," he shouted to the others.  "He's been shot!"

-----

Music was playing and Wade was dancing slowly with Quinn.  She smiled at him and then leaned back into his supporting arm as he dipped her.  The world was going to be destroyed in a few hours, but she felt safe with him.  He lifted her back up and pulled her close to him.  Then he kissed her passionately.

Wade woke from her dream and took a few deep breaths.  She rubbed her face with her hands and then looked over at Logan.  She was sound asleep.  Wade got up and walked down the beach.  The moon gave just enough light for her to see by.  She walked until she felt the waves splashing over her feet, then dropped to her knees.  She scooped up water with her hands and splashed it on her face.  She was lost and didn't know what to do or who to believe.  Where did she go from here?

She knew that she'd had feelings for Quinn.  She felt the wall that separated her from her memories crumbling.  She had to make herself remember.  She no longer cared if her memories hurt her.  No matter how painful they were, they had to be better than this.  She sat down in the waves, letting the water soak her as she cried.

-----

Everything had gone from darkness to being bright.  Too bright.  Quinn moaned and squinted against the sunlight that shone through the window onto his face.  He was back at the Dominion.  He decided that he must not be hurt too badly or he'd be in a hospital instead of here.  But the pain and dizziness he felt told him differently.  Then he remembered that his double on this world was dead.  The others couldn't exactly
check a dead man into a hospital.

"Hey, he's awake," Quinn heard Maggie say, then felt her sit down on the edge of his bed.  He moaned again as he tried to sit, but failed, still too weak to move much.

"Whoa, take it easy," Maggie said as she pushed him gently back onto the pillow.  Looking down, he discovered that his shirt was gone and he had a bandage wrapped around his upper arm.  A spot of blood had already soaked through it.

"What's going on?  What happened?"  Quinn could see Rembrandt and the professor sitting at the small table across the room with somebody who looked like a double of himself.  He didn't really care why he was there, however.  That could wait until later to be explained.  All he cared about now was tracking Logan's wormhole and finding Wade.  "We have to go..." he mumbled.

Rembrandt had joined Maggie by the bed and looked worriedly at Quinn.  "You're in no condition to go anywhere," he said firmly to his injured friend.

Quinn wanted to protest, but he knew that Rembrandt was right and it would be useless for him to do so.  He didn't have enough strength for anything at the moment.   As a cold compress was applied to his forehead, his feverish mind returned once more to the last thing that he remembered.  He couldn't believe that Wade had actually shot him.  With that thought, he lost consciousness again.

-----

Wade kept walking along the beach.  She hadn't gone back to Logan.  She'd needed to be by herself, to think.  She'd gone over her life in her head, trying to figure out what part Logan and Quinn played in it.

She knew now that she'd been wrong.  About Logan, her past, her feelings, and mostly about Quinn.  Her instinct had told her to believe him.  Yet she'd listened to Logan instead.  She regretted that more than anything.  Had she actually shot the one person who really cared about her?  She wondered how badly she'd hurt him.  She slid before she saw where the bullet hit him.  She hadn't wanted to kill him.  For some reason she wasn't capable of feeling that way.  But she had wanted to hurt him because of what Logan had told her.  What she now believed were lies.

Who was Logan anyway?  Friend?  No, she couldn't be that.  Enemy?  Possibly.  She tried harder to remember her.  She had to know.

-----

When Quinn awoke again the sun had almost set outside the window.  He turned his head the other way and sighed.

"Hey, Q-ball," Rembrandt said, noticing that he was awake.  "How do you feel?"  He got up from the table where they were all having dinner and walked over to Quinn's bed.

"Miserable," Quinn answered him.  His arm hurt and he had a terrible head ache, but that was the least of his problems.

Maggie got up also then and offered to change the bandage on his arm.  He started to sit up and Rembrandt helped him.  He still looked awful and they were worried about him.

"How long until the slide?" he asked.  "We need to track Logan's wormhole and--"  He stopped when he saw that the other Quinn was still there.  He gave everyone a questioning look.

"It's a long story," Rembrandt said.  "We'll explain later.  Right now you're still not looking so good."

"I'm fine," Quinn said.

"You are not fine, Mr. Mallory," Arturo interrupted.  "Your wound is only minor, but you lost a lot of blood before we found you."

"I can't believe Logan shot you," remarked Maggie while unwrapping the bandage on Quinn's arm.

"She didn't," Quinn said quietly.  "Wade did."

The others all stared at him in surprise.  "Wade is the one who shot you?" Rembrandt asked, not believing what he'd just heard.

Quinn nodded slightly, then put his hand to his head.  "She slid with Logan.  We have to go after her.  The slide is tomorrow night, right?"

"That's something we need to talk to you about," Maggie said as she finished removing his bandage.

Quinn gave her a questioning look, then he looked at his double.  He figured he'd better listen to what had happen while they'd been separated.

-----

"Where were you?" Logan asked Wade.  She'd been gone all day.

Wade glared at her.  "I went for a walk.  I'm sorry, should I have asked your permission first?  I'd hate to interfere with any of your little schemes."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," Wade said.  "Just, um, well actually, I did have something else to say."  She slapped Logan hard across her face.  "How could you do that to me?  How could you pretend to be my friend?"

Logan wiped the blood from her lip with the back of her hand.  "Well, it worked, didn't it?"  She had checked her gun earlier and found that a bullet was missing.  "You actually shot the person who cares about you the most.  Kinda sad.  I wonder if he died."

"I trusted you," Wade yelled at her.  "How could I have been so stupid?"

Logan gave her a smile.  "Don't be mad, Wade.  Be happy.  I saved you from your pathetic life."

"Saved me?  You made me lose the only friends I had left."

"Friends who were going to leave you behind when you forgot who you were," Logan added.  "When you became a burden, they let you go.  They left you behind, Wade.  You're nothing to them."

Her words hurt Wade.  Quinn had come to see her after she'd lost her memory.  Why hadn't he told her who he really was?  Why'd he leave her?  "I'm sure there was a reason for that.  Quinn would have come back for me.  He wouldn't abandon me."

"Well, he's not coming for you now," Logan pointed out to her.  "If by some chance he's still alive after you shot him, what do you think the odds are of him taking you back now?  I think your choice is fairly clear, Wade."

"And what choice would that be?" Wade snapped at her.

"Join me."

"What?" Wade asked.  "Are you out of your mind?"

Logan smiled again.  "Surprisingly, no.  I assure you that I'm perfectly sane.  Well, by my standards anyway," she added.  "We make a great team, you and me.  You're not meant to be a little good girl.  You're like me.  We do whatever it takes to get what we want.  And nobody stands in our way."

"I'm not like you."  Wade refused to even think that was a possibility.

"Quinn won't want you near him anymore when he knows what I do," Logan told her.  "I know you wanted to kill Steve.  What do you think Quinn would say if he knew that?"

"That was an accident.  Quinn knows that."

"Don't forget that you even shot him," Logan reminded her.  "He could never forgive you.  I, on the other hand, couldn't care in the least.  Actually, I'm rather proud of you.  So, what do you say?  Are we friends?"

Wade grasped Logan's hand in hers.  "Okay," she agreed.  "Friends."

-----

Quinn opened the medicine cabinet in the hotel room.  Maybe there was some aspirin.  His head ached terribly.  He stared at all the containers of pills he found.  Whoever had used this room last must have left them behind.  He began sorting through them.  Most of them were unmarked and Quinn was curious about  what they were.  He wonder what would happen if he took all of them.  He decided that they would most likely kill him.  He wondered what that would be like.  He held a container of pills in his hand and stared at it.  His double on this world had killed himself after losing his Wade.  It probably seemed like an easy out.  Just forget everything, escape from life.  Quinn knew it was an answer, but not a solution.

He put the pills back and decided against taking anything.  He knew that the odds were that Logan had killed Wade after realizing that she wasn't home.  He'd sent her to the last world they'd been on.  There were no people for Logan to hurt, and he figured that Wade would be safe there.  If Logan hadn't killed her already.  He tried to shake that thought from his mind.  Wade wasn't dead and he was going to go after her and find her.  No matter what it cost him.  For some reason he believed that she was still alive.

"I'm going to go get some air," he said to the others as he walked back into the main room.  He had some difficult decisions to make.

"I'll go with you," Maggie said, joining him.

Quinn hardly even glanced at her as he left the room.  "Fine," he mumbled over his should to her.

When they'd been walking for about ten minutes, Maggie decided to break the silence between them.  "Quinn," she started.  "You can't throw this chance away."

His double had offered to take them all with him when he slid out of this dimension.  He was able to control sliding and was giving them a chance to get home.  He could send them all back to their own worlds.  Sliding would finally be over and they could start living their lives again.  There was just one problem.  His slide was an hour after theirs.  If they went with him, it would mean missing their own window.

"Can't I?" Quinn asked.

Maggie put her hand on his arm.  "I think you know the answer to that.  Quinn, you can get us all home again.  Isn't that what you've wanted from the beginning of all this?"

"Yes," he said.  "I wanted to get us *all* home.  I've already lost one person.  I won't lose two."

"We have to go with your double."

Quinn stopped walking and turned to her.  "And what about Wade?  If we skip our slide and go with my double, we can't track Logan's wormhole.  We'll lose her forever."

"What about Wade?" echoed Maggie.  "You'd actually give up the opportunity for the four of us to go home, just to help her?  Come on, Quinn.  The needs of the many--"

"Don't mean a damn thing," he interrupted her.  "Wade is one of us.  I've decided not to leave her."

"You've decided?" Maggie asked.  "Who made you the person to decide all our fates?  Doesn't what we say matter?"

Quinn sighed.  "If Rembrandt agrees with you, fine.  But as for just what you say, Maggie, no, it doesn't matter.  My loyalty is to him and Wade first.  It always has been.  You and the professor came willingly.  I'm the one who brought the others into this."

"Nothing ever changes, does it, Quinn?"  Maggie was angry with him.  "I've always come last, and I always will.  But at least I know what your priorities are now.  And where I stand.  Even if it's the back of the line."

-----

Rembrandt turned to face Quinn.  "I think I might have to go with Maggie on this one, Q-ball," he said.  "Wade is one of us.  I know that.  But she isn't Wade anymore.  She has a four-year gap in her memories and Logan has filled it with who knows what.  And you can't deny the fact that Logan might have - and probably has - killed her by now."

"She isn't dead, Remmy," Quinn said.  "I know it.  I don't know how, but I just do."

"Quinn, you have to think rationally about this," Maggie told him.  "Wade is with Logan now if she's still alive.  She even tried to kill you, Quinn."

Quinn touched the bandage that was wrapped tightly around his arm.  "If she'd wanted to kill me, she wouldn't have shot me in the arm.  Her aim isn't that bad."

"Some of us would beg to differ," Maggie muttered.

"I can't believe you guys are saying this," Quinn said.  "This is Wade we're talking about."

Rembrandt looked at him.  "I know, Q-ball," he said.  "And we care about what happens to her as much as you do.  We're not giving up on her.  We'd never suggest that.  But we can go look for her after we're home.  Who knows how long we'd have to spend tracking wormholes if we go after her now.  Your double can help us find her faster."

"If we don't track Logan's wormhole now we might not find her again," Quinn said.  " I know the coordinates of the world they're on now, but that's all.  If we skip the slide and go with my double, we might not even be able to actually get home anyway.  And even if we do, there is no guarantee that I can track Logan and Wade."

Maggie sighed.  "But you have the coordinates, Quinn.  You can go get Wade whenever you want.  Why go after her now when you could get home first?  You can slide from there and--"

"Don't you understand?" Quinn asked, cutting her off.  "It might be too late by then.  If they slide before I get there, I could still track their wormhole, but other sliders could pass through that dimension first and I could follow the wrong trail.  I'd also have to return home after every slide I made just to be safe.  There would be virtually no chance of my being able to successfully follow Logan.  And the longer I wait, the more likely it is that she'll kill Wade.  But alright," Quinn relented.  "You take the timer and go with him.  I'll slide after her by myself."

-----

"You ready to go?" Logan asked Wade.  It was almost time for them to slide.

"Yeah, sure," answered Wade as the timer beeped.

Logan opened the wormhole.  "After you," she said to Wade.

Wade laughed.  "I might not remember sliding very well, but I know I'll get landed on if I go first."

"Smart," Logan said.  "But next time, you're first."  She jumped into the vortex.

"I don't think so," Wade said.  She unclenched her fist and let the bullets she'd removed from Logan's gun slip through her fingers and fall onto the sand.  "Our friendship is over."

She watched as the vortex closed and disappeared in front of her.  What had she done?  She was now stranded by herself on this world.  "Please, Quinn," she whispered into the breeze.  "Come find me."

-----

They stood together in the park just looking at each other.  They didn't know what to say.  They were finally splitting up.

"Are you sure about this, Q-ball?" Rembrandt asked him.

Quinn looked at the timer in his hand, then nodded.  "I have to track Logan's wormhole.  Otherwise we may not find Wade again."

"I know," Rembrandt said.

"We'll all miss you, Mr. Mallory," Arturo said.

"Hey, this isn't goodbye," Quinn said.  "After I find Wade, we'll all find each other again and get the whole worlds thing sorted out.  I'm not sure exactly how, but we will."

Maggie hugged Quinn.  She wanted to tell him that he could stay on her new world with her, but she knew what his answer would be.  "See you around, I guess," she said instead.

The timer beeped and Quinn opened the vortex, then he handed it to Rembrandt.  "After I get home, I'm gonna come find you two," he told Quinn.  "Then we'll all go home, order pizzas from that little place that always gives extra cheese, become rich and famous, and you and Wade can get married and have a hundred kids."

Quinn laughed and smiled at Rembrandt.  "So long until then, Remmy," he said as he hugged his friend.

Rembrandt patted Quinn on the back before backing away.  "You'd better slide."

Quinn took one last look at his friends then he jumped into the vortex.  Rembrandt watched as it closed behind him, then looked at the timer.  It reset itself to read three hours.  He put it in his pocket and turned to the others.  They had their own slide in an hour.

-----

Wade was sitting on the sand, staring out at the ocean.  She'd been thinking about her life.  There were still things she couldn't remember.  Maybe she still didn't want to remember.  She didn't really know.  She heard a noise behind her and turned to see a vortex open.  "Quinn?" she asked when he toppled out of it.

"Wade?"  He looked questioningly at her.

She got up and ran to him.  "I'm so sorry," she said, wrapping her arms around him.

He hugged her back.  "Where's Logan?"

"She's gone," Wade said.

"Are you alright?"  he asked with concern.

"I think so," she replied.

Quinn let her go and looked at her.  He brushed the hair off her forehead so he could see the cut that was there.  "You really worried me, Wade."

"Just a little cut," she said, then noticed the bandage on his arm.  "Oh, Quinn, I'm so sorry about that.  Logan told me that--"

"Hey, it's nothing," he said.

"But I could have killed you," she said with tears running down her face.

"Nah.  Maggie says your aim sucks."  He smiled at her when she laughed at his comment.

Wade smiled back at him.  "Why do I get the feeling I don't like Maggie very much?"

Quinn quit smiling and became serious.  "You do remember Maggie, don't you?"

"Yeah," Wade answered.  "But I still don't remember everything.  Hey, where are the others anyway?"

"Hopefully they're home," Quinn replied.

Wade looked questioningly at him.  "Quinn, where's the timer?"

"I gave it to the others," he told her.  "They had a chance to get home."

"So what are you doing here?"

Quinn wrapped his arms around her again.  "I couldn't go home without you, Wade."

Wade was confused.  "But you were going to leave me on the last world.  And how could you give up a chance to get home for me?  And after I almost killed you even?"

"You couldn't have killed me, Wade.  If you'd wanted to, I'd be dead right now."  Quinn rested his head on top of hers as he held her tightly against him.  "And leaving you behind was the most painful decision I ever made.  I don't think I could make it again.  I just thought you'd be better off without me being a part of your world."

She leaded her head against his chest.  "You are my world now, Quinn," she said simply.  "And these last few days that I didn't remember who you were, they were pretty bad.  I don't think I'd like my life if I never knew you."

-----

The vortex opened and Rembrandt, Maggie, and Arturo tumbled out.  Quinn and Wade turned to them in surprise.

"What's going on?" Quinn asked.

Rembrandt got up off the ground and brushed himself off.  "We're a team," he said.  "And both of you are part of it.  We tracked your wormhole and followed you."

"Who decided that?" asked Quinn.

Maggie spit some sand from her mouth.  "Actually it was an unanimous vote."

Quinn helped her up, but flinched a bit at the strain on his arm.  She turned to Wade.  "Are you planning to shoot any more of us?"

"Never again," Wade said.  "I promise."

"Good."  Maggie gave Wade a friendly hug.  "Nice to have you back."

Wade was surprised by her actions.  "I think there's more wrong with my memory than I thought."

"I think there's something wrong with Maggie," remarked Quinn.

"Shut up, Quinn."  Maggie glared at him.

Quinn smiled.  "And everything is right with the universe once again."

"It's good to have you back, sweetheart," Rembrandt said to Wade.

"What happened to going home?" Quinn asked.

Arturo turned to Quinn.  "Some things are more important than others."

Quinn smiled at them all and put his arm around Wade.  Even if they weren't going home, things had worked out pretty well.  "I guess those hundred kids will just have to wait," he said to Rembrandt.

"Um, something I should know, you two?" Wade asked them.

"Nothing, Wade," Quinn said to her.  He smiled at Rembrandt who winked at him.

-----

Wade sat by the window of their motel room reading her journal.  Quinn had given it to her the other day when they'd slid to this world.  He'd said that it might help fill in the blanks that were left in her memory.  She turned another page, then watched the lightning flash outside.  It had been raining the whole time they'd been here.

Quinn and Rembrandt entered the room.  They were both covered from head to toe in mud.  "Don't ask," Rembrandt warned, before Wade, Maggie, or Arturo had a chance to say anything.  He headed for the bathroom.

Quinn walked over to Wade and looked at the journal she was holding.  "Is that helping any?" he asked.

"Yeah," Wade answered.  "But some of the memories are still hard to face."

"Well," Quinn said to her.  "For whatever it's worth, I'll always be here for you, Wade.  If you ever want to talk to somebody, I'll listen."

She smiled at him.  "You know, I think I would like to talk about it."

Quinn smiled too then.  She had a lot of things she still needed to deal with, but at least she was willing to talk to him about them now.  That was a start.

"After you take a shower," she added, smiling slightly.  Healing would take a long time.  She knew that.  But she'd rather face all the things that had happened in her life than to forget them.
 

THE END