Second Chances(45)

Cameron scowled. Was the entire world conspiring against him? He looked at his watch and let out a sigh. The way this day was turning out, she could have stepped out for a late dinner or even have left for the day. He raised a hand to his temple and sighed again. He could feel a headache starting.

"Perfect, just perfect."

He looked at his watch again and then walked over and sat down at her desk. It was busy, but neat. Loose papers and reports in binders in three neat stacks on the side of her desk. He noted that her screen saver, rotating tropical island pictures, was on and guessed she couldn't have been gone long since the computer hadn't switched into power saver mode.

"Perfect," he repeated to himself.

He grabbed a small pad of sticky notes next to the stacks of reports. He reached into his jacket pocket and sighed once more when he discovered it was empty. He pulled the top desk drawer open and began to look inside. There were half a dozen pens, but his attention focused on the framed picture resting on top of the pile of papers. He pulled the picture out and slid the drawer closed, all thought of leaving a note gone.

She had her arms around him, leaning against him. Her smile was practically it's own light source. She glowed with happiness as did the man she was clinging to. Judging from the look of both of them, Cameron guessed it might have been from about eight to ten years ago. Given how happy they seemed and the fact that the picture had been taken in a lab, he could guess the event that had been the source of their celebration. Ten years might be about right. She didn't look that much older now, but from the last photograph Cameron had seen, he knew that the man in the photo had not aged nearly as well.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?"

He practically jumped at the sound of her voice.

Julie stood in the doorway. She was in a lab coat as always. Her hair in a familiar ponytail and her eyes on fire.

Cameron began to rise.

"I said, what the hell do you think you are doing?"

"I..."

She stormed into the room and snapped the frame from Cameron's hands.

"Just because you are my boss, that does not give you the right to ransack my office."

"I would hardly call..."

"Oh you wouldn't, would you?"

She opened the drawer, returned the framed photo and then slammed it shut.

"No, I wouldn't..."

"I don't give a damn what you would call it. This is my office. You got that?"

Cameron backed up a few steps. Her anger rolled over him.

"I was just looking for a pen. I did not know where you were or when you'd return."

"Did that look like a damn pen to you?"

"Enough, Julie."

"No. You ever come into my office when I am not..."

Cameron shook his head and held a hand up, silencing her.

"I said enough. We have serious issues and I don't have time to deal with your emotional outbursts."

"My emotional out..."

"I said enough."

He took a step forward and this time it was Julie who retreated.

"This entire situation is screwed. I don't know what is going on with Paige, but the situation is not acceptable."

"You are the one who pushed the timeline, Cameron."

"I am well aware of that. I am also beginning to suspect that someone else may have had a hand in things going awry. Now if I find out you had any part in this I can guarantee you someone will not be happy."

Julie shivered at the threat. She hated that she did.

He kept his smile in check. It was his favorite threat. Mostly because it was the one that he knew always worked on her and given the photograph he had just found, he knew it likely carried even more weight then normal.

"I had nothing to do with...whatever it is that has happened."

He believed her, but he wasn't about to admit that. She had yelled at him, made her own threats. No, he wouldn't let her off that easy.

"I had better not find out otherwise. What has happened, has happened. Now we need to fix it."

"I already started to pull the data for review."

"That is going to take too long."

She bared her teeth, but bit back the comment that was dying to escape her lips.

"What would you suggest? I am a scientist. Data is all I have to work with. I wasn't there so I can't tell you what went wrong until I..."

"I am aware of that. And I have every faith that when you have analyzed the data you will discover the cause."

"I already suspect the cause. The shortened timeline did not allow..."

"Yes, yes. I know. And perhaps that is correct, but right now we have a new problem."

"Which is?"

Cameron paced a moment.

"She is gone."

"Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"She...she fled from her meeting with Linda."