Workplace Relations By Michael Barnes

Chris Foxx is owned and copyrighted \xA9 by Chris Yost. Amy Squirrel and Sabrina are copyrighted \xA9 to Eric W.Schwartz. James Sheppard is copyrighted \xA9 to James Bruner. Michael Taillong, Eric Taillong, Erica Taillong, Evan Taillong, Lorene Taillong, Rachel Maximillion, Angela Markson, David Bateson, Michele Fawn, Lara Justain, Jake "Jazz" Phillips, Christina Landry are owned by me.

Anthony Maximillion is copyrighted to his player Anthony Lanuza. Bryce Landry is copyrighted \xA9 to Bryce Landry. ZigZag, Brandy and Maxwell are copyrighted to Max BlackRabbit and are also used with permission. Ertai Maxwell is copyright \xA9 Roland Bloodthunder. Dartanya Nightblood and Chance Wolfhog is copyright there owner Chance Wolfhog. Live "Lively" Wire Katt is copyrighted \xA9 to her player Live "Lively" Wire Katt

This story has nothing to do with events in the Sabrina Online comic strip or those in The ZigZag story or Sabrina the story. Though some chapters or parts of it may seem that way. This is a work of fiction and I in no way have taken these characters without permission. Please note this story is a work of fiction and any resemblance to anyone living or dead (without permission) is just a coincidence.

Chapter 17

Time crossed lovers

Eric sighed and held Angela as she looked into his eyes. The two lay fully clothed on their bed and just talked softly about Eric’s little affair with a killer. “So you had to… Fall in love to save your life or rather your existence? How terrible”

Eric smiled “No you don’t get it… Sure it was insane and crazy yet it was magical… Who would have guessed I had to live a lifetime as someone else… It was funny at times even after we merged our minds and memories… I guess I should start at the beginning and tell you the whole thing before you think I was forced to love someone I did not know… In the end you will understand why I do what I do”

Angela smiled “Oh that is why you write scripts for ZigZag?” Eric nodded.

”I developed a flare for the unusual living as Thomas Taillong… He was also a porno writer” Angela looked at Eric like he was lying. “No seriously the word originates from centuries ago… The books back then were tame… Until I came along and blew the lid off of the industry… Thomas did not like it at first but he came around and even gave ME ideas… Two heads or rather souls are better than one but let me not bore you with details and just explain the whole thing”

The distant past during the neo 1800’s a time during which history repeated it’s self and technology started to rise once again as a major source of wealth for those who had it. But why is it called the neo 1800’s or further more how could such an accident happen?

I shall leave that to one confused teenager just discovering his newfound gifts named Eric Taillong.

A bright flash a feeling of being torn apart and then black as slowly the view becomes clear. These were the sensations Eric experienced in the seconds after the accident. Looking around he spotted himself in a rather plush room. A bed with posts at each corner and a canopy over it, a full body length mirror and beauty aids for cleaning one’s fur and another person. A lioness standing holding a comb in one hand in front of the mirror, she had blond hair cascading over her shoulders and looked stunningly beautiful.

“What the?” Eric looked over his body or rather Thomas’s body and blinked. “Okay…” Eric glanced at the mirror and gasped. The face looking back was older and had black hair flowing down the back instead of the usual tuft of fur sticking over his right eye Eric had a ponytail that was braided going over one shoulder.

Jeri looked at him blinking in Mary’s body and gasped and suddenly punched Eric. “Ow!” Eric rubbed his cheek.

”What the hell did you DO!?” Eric held his hands up.

”Who are you!? What happened? Sigh it is bad enough I am going blind but…” Eric looked in the mirror again. “I can see!” Eric stared into eyes that were not his own then sighed ignoring the death glare from Jeri he saw in the mirror next to his face. “But then again this is not my body… Something happened and well we need to try and figure it out…”

The woman in the frilled dress before Eric looked frantic. “What happened to the sample I got? What the hell happened!!!? YOU sabotaged my return trip and screwed it up so now your trapped in the past also! Damn you!” Eric took a step back and tried to think but couldn’t form words as someone else said something.

”Mary I think we have been possessed” The woman held her face in her hands and started sobbing. Eric felt trapped suddenly.

”What is happening!?” Eric fought for control and got it as did the person in front of him. The two stared then sat down on the ground both in shock as they fully realized what happened.

”My name is Jeri… I guess I am also Mary now…” Eric nodded.

”Eric Taillong” Suddenly Eric lost control again of the body he was in.

”What!? That’s my last name! Who are you and why have you possessed me and my love foul demons!” Thomas cried as Eric struggled with possible explanations.

Eric took control again. “We are from the future… I think something happened… Jeri you explain…” Eric sighed or rather Thomas did.

”I am apart of a time travel experiment… I went into the past to get some samples of ancient technology or rather tools used by the ancients… Something went wrong and here I am inside a body that is not my own with hysterical screaming in my head!”

Thomas hugged Mary and she hugged him and sobbed. Jeri was not prepared for this and lost control for a moment. “This is insane!”

Eric or rather Thomas just said. “We can work through this… Oh no! My meeting with the publisher is in a day’s time! I did not come to Paris just to lose control of my body to some damned time traveling demons!”

Eric burst out with. “Don’t call your descendant a demon old man!”

”Old! I am only 29! And how old are you!?” Eric frowned as Mary just looked into his eyes.

”17… Jeri… Um I think we should try to come to an understanding about this whole situation…” Jeri shoved Eric away and sat on the bed a fierce concentration on her face.

”Something went wrong and now I am stuck in 1868 with a stranger… What am I saying!? I am not in my own body and on top of that I have no way of knowing how to survive in such a place…” Eric wanted to reach out and hug Jeri then got sick to his stomach realizing it was his great grandmother.

”Eric is it? Well let me control my body then I can handle this” Eric agreed with the voice in his head and just let go but he could still see and feel everything. It was like being trapped yet totally free.

”Jeri let Mary have her body back… Then we can all go to the dining room ask the servants to leave and discuss this… If I am right Eric has no future if… We don’t work something out” Jeri threw a punch at Thomas realizing what he meant and he caught her hand.

”Damn girly body!” Jeri still had all her moves but none of the strength she was used to having to back them up. Thomas just let Eric handle fending off her attacks until she tired out and fell back on the bed crying.

”Jeri?” Eric asked still in control.

”Go away! Damn you! Why do I have to be in this situation! It is not FAIR!” Eric just let go once again and Thomas resumed his question.

”Please just rest or whatever Eric does and let Mary talk” Jeri finally nodded through her tears and suddenly Mary had control again.

”I think I need to lie down…” Thomas taking the situation well laughed.

”You already are…” Mary sat up then laid back down.

”Oh hush…”

During the next two hours Thomas and Mary or rather Eric and Jeri related events to their hosts. Jeri still was hostile but just relented to the questions she got. It was strange four people were talking but only two voices were heard.

”These two are your ancestors and you’re their grandson from the future… Former millionaire Eric Taillong now a poor lost soul wandering around while trying to get over the fact he is going blind… At least you did not lose some valuable technology! My superiors will be furious!”

Mary suddenly said “My dear would it not be so that you will never see those people again? I find it very unusual but… Like one of Thomas’s books called a… Science fiction novel a very exciting story… And to think all on our honey moon”

Eric suddenly banged his head on the table. “Oh my god!” Jeri stood up and Thomas taking action reached out and grabbed Mary’s hand.

”Don’t leave! If history does not proceed like normal Eric will not exist and possibly nether will you!” Jeri snatched her hand away and clawed Thomas on the back of his hand.

”Fuck off!” Jeri was walking away and slipped on the floor. Thomas was their in an instant holding her around her waste.

”I love Mary… Don’t take her away…” Jeri had a lapse in control and Mary turned and hugged Thomas.

”They are just children we cant expect them to comprehend!” Thomas looked at a portrait on the wall in thought.

”My uncle who left this house to me and others was an archeologist… He found ruins and plans for building designs on one of his trips into a sealed facility found in a cave outside of Newfoundland Virginia in America… He put forth a theory that…”

Eric remembering that particular ancestor butted in. “Time was actually off by a few thousand years… That history began to repeat somewhat with only a new race in control… He also stated that humans the legendary creatures thought to have existed in the biblical era of the second coming once ran the planet and were the dominant race… The animals we see all around us are not our ancestors he said… He said humans were and so he was put in an insane asylum and thus all his property reverted over to one Thomas Taillong the youngest of three children of Duke Erin Von Taillong”

Mary smiled. “Your quite knowledge in your family history Eric…” Eric smiled.

”Ah yea I guess so… Oh I just remembered this is supposedly the Neo era… All time after the accident that changed everything… Jeri you have to realize we do not have to do a thing… We just I don’t know let them lead their lives…”

Mary frowned as Jeri took over. “Just lay down and DIE is what your suggesting… And what for? We are dead Eric… Don’t you realize that this accident has ended our future lives! We died young end of the story!”

Eric snorted “Then we can live out our lives as Thomas and Mary… Or through them… Don’t you see we did not die we just… Changed venue”

Thomas smirked. “A good quote Eric that is from one of my better novels… I see you’re a fan?” Eric spoke again.

”Yes my brother and I still collect checks for royalties from sales or rather he will… Jeri?” Jeri looked wild.

”I don’t want to live like this… Least of all with you!” Thomas nor Eric never saw the kick delivered to the side of their head.

”Master something happened?” Thomas woke up first and said.

”Yes… I fear my Mary may be psychotic… Something happened with her and I fear she is in danger!” Eric came around and said to Thomas silently.

”Whoa! Dude what is up with that comment!?”

”Honestly Eric my boy you think they would believe our story?” Eric thought to himself then replied.

”I guess not lets get after those ladies! You think Mary would fight her?” Thomas stood and got his coat from a maid.

”Not likely she believes in fate and her man me! Hmm some of your memories are quite interesting… Sorry about your sister” Eric gasped.

”You can see my memories? Then I guess we truly are roomies for a long while eh?” Thomas climbed into his carriage and ordered the driver to the dock.

”Yes Eric and I seem to have some of your powers of the mind… Or rather your presence in my body has brought out mine own… Interesting you should take control of my body for a while while I formulate a plan… Now I know these things may seem odd but…”

Eric was messing with the carriages built in radio and electric fan. “Um right the fan and radio sure are complicated… Sheesh most of this stuff is smaller and more compact and does not use solar energy or mechanical power in my time… You guys lived with cleaner technology than what we use… But times are changing now just use your power to find Jeri err Mary…”

And so the chase was on. Mary using her newfound wealth traveled all over. Thomas had to explain to his family that Mary was having fun with being rich… He could not explain why Mary never waited for him to show up and join her. Eric was getting more and more desperate. Waiting for the time when he would simply vanish due to Thomas and Mary not having children yet. It never happened. Jeri was playing games even showing up at Thomas’s parent’s family reunion and staying for a night before Eric and Thomas could arrive. Eric and Thomas had grown more accustomed to sharing each other’s thoughts and memories. And while the chase was still on even wrote a book or two that were international hits. Thomas could never reveal how he came up with such names and themes and technology for his fictional books. His rivals in the new found Science Fiction genre were starting to beg him to allow them to use some of his devices and gizmos for their stories. Eric persuaded him to do so and so Science fiction and fantasy became the king of the literary world. But after about six months of travel things started getting worse.

”Damn you Eric! I am so sick of Jeri and you now!” Cairo Egypt was cold this time of year. The snow pushed Thomas’s nerves to the limit and made him lash out at Eric.

”Fine then I will take control and deal with the snow… You relax” Eric did so and soon the snow camel ride wasn’t so bad. In the distance was the hot spring oasis where Thomas had sensed Mary had stopped at.

”If my love is in their please let me do the talking… No stomping her to half death!” Eric snapped his fingers.

”Fine Gramps your more than likely mad about the whole not able to sow your oats thing… Even if Jeri and Mary agree to come back… There is about a snow balls chance in hell that Jeri will allow such a thing… Even I am sick I mean it would be like me doing it with my grandmother! Remember I can feel see and hear everything that happens same as you even if I am not in control!”

Thomas snapped at Eric. “Shut up! You have no idea what I have in mind! Heh” Eric suddenly felt like he was in for something big. Entering the small town known as Hot spring oasis a town built around a yep hot spring. It also collected salt to sell to those who lived in hot areas of Africa by collecting water from the spring that was high in salt content and letting it evaporate leaving behind salt residue that was collected and stored.

Inside the hotel bar sat Mary who was silently talking to Jeri. “They are here… Are you sure you want to do this?”

”Jeri just said. “You convinced me and now you sound like you want to back out… I am sure this magic as you call it will work to send us back to the future… So you can carry out your life with Thomas”

Mary sighed and waited. “Hey Mary long time no see… Hmmm or is it Jeri?” Eric said.

Jeri said in a low voice. “What if I could send us back to the future? Would you take the chance?” Eric suddenly put two and two together.

”That is what you have been doing all this time in a borrowed body!?” Eric said in a whisper.

”Yes… Mary and I have found something that could do it… I believe our bodies became nothing but spiritual energy and got flung back in time because of you… Its all here in my research… Eric come on it may be the only real way to save yourself… The only other option is to…”

Thomas said it “Fall in love… You two could fall in love without interference from us… We could just watch and just give you pointers… That’s all” Jeri punched Thomas.

”Damn dirty old men… Eric you with me?” Eric rubbed his cheek.

”Will this risk their lives?”

”Yes Mary has already agreed to it” Thomas and Eric thought Jeri was lying until.

”Thomas trust me… I was their”

”How can I know this is you speaking love?” Mary kissed Thomas. Eric and Jeri were shocked into silence. The kiss was soft and gentle and Eric was having trouble wanting to stop it. Jeri finally told Mary to stop and she did.

”Okay I seriously believe your Mary… But I can not risk my life”

”….. Fine then im going” Eric just sat there.

”Mary pulled up her hood and put on her gloves and left the bar. Eric forced himself into control.

”What are you doing!?” Eric ignored Thomas as he realized Eric’s plan.

”Stop! You can’t do such a thing… Forcing yourself to harm her is just wrong!” Eric felt himself or rather Thomas cry he wasn’t sure anymore all he knew was that this situation had gone on long enough.

”Enough Thomas… Enough… I must do this” Eric walked up the stairs and remembered how Thomas could sense Mary’s location but he could not. “Tell me where they are!”

”Never!” Eric mentally punched Thomas. He found that he and Thomas could mentally stun each other by imagining physical harm coming to the other. Thomas countered with a back hand.

”Thomas… This is not wrong… It can’t be… If I can get close enough to Mary I am sure you can use your power to persuade Mary to take Jeri out of action! I have learned a lot over these few months… About the lost history of our people from Uncle Baskar in the insane asylum… And about myself… I realized as you thought more and more about Mary your wife and your career that I was jealous… Sure your latest and best works were mine also but this is your life and also im just a passenger… Whatever happens I am glad I had such an honorable person in my ancestry… I guess I don’t have to do this…”

Thomas thought for a moment and stood outside of the room he knew Mary was in. “Eric answer me this… Could you love Jeri?” Eric thought for a moment.

”Honestly after this is all over she will never want to talk to me again…” Thomas smiled.

”Your theory that when I and Mary die you will go back to the present and be back in your own bodies? Hmmm what if your wrong? You could die also…”

Eric laughed as he knocked on the door. “Probably but for my plan to even really have a chance I have to exist no?” Thomas nodded.

”What do you want?” Mary stood there with her things. Eric was sure it was Jeri talking.

”You!” Eric pushed his way into the room. “Jeri let it go… Let them have their lives!” Jeri was about to kick Eric’s ass. She had grown stronger during her travels and now was ready to take him out if he got in her way. Which was now.

”Stop this Eric!” Mary pleaded as Jeri took control again and lounged at Thomas with a dagger. The dagger looked strange and archaic.

”This will finally end it all!” Thomas and Mary looked each other in the eyes as his paws were wrapped around hers. Both of them slowly looked down to see the dagger had another blade on its other end. That one was in Mary’s middle while the other was in Thomas abdomen also.

”Eric… I guess it did not work now we all die…” Eric shook his head.

”No… We live… Live Jeri live” Thomas pulled away from Mary and fell to his knees then slumped over for all reasoning dead. Mary fell to her own knees and crawled weakly next to him after throwing the knife into the wall and hugged Thomas and also died.

The present

”You killed each other!?” Eric nodded.

”Jeri was so resistant against us being together even if we were not really together at first she thought that by killing Mary and Thomas that they would release her and myself from our bindings and we would return to an alternate future where we never left… That was not the case…”

Angela hugged Eric and cried. “Then what happened!?” Eric smiled and kissed Angela on the nose.

”Nothing much we woke up complete…” Angela cocked her head confused.

”Just listen”

The past the morning after Jeri killed Mary and Thomas

”Oh my head… Thomas are you okay?” Eric heard no response in his mind. “Am I back in the future?” Eric saw Mary and he felt different about her the instant he saw her standing there in front of the window looking out over the icy landscape.

“Hello Thomas or is it Eric… I don’t really care as long as you are okay…” Mary came over and kissed Eric suddenly as he finished standing.

”What happened to Mary and Thomas?” Mary laughed.

”We are them silly! We all are one now… Your Eric and Thomas and I am Mary and Jeri… Our names rhyme funny!” Eric realized it was true he had Thomas’s insights and intelligence and also his conscious only it was now apart of his.

”That dagger was what caused this?” Mary nodded looking slyly at Thomas as he checked over his middle section.

”I cleaned us up before you woke… I knew you would be fine darling” Thomas smiled.

”That is all fine and dandy but we are in reality two people with knowledge to change the world! Want to take over and rule?” Thomas asked Mary as she embraced her husband.

”Nah not yet anyway” Mary winked. “First we should secure the future… If you know what I mean…” Thomas blushed.

”Um on second thought no… Not yet I mean um oh fine”

Angela bopped Eric on the head as he grinned.

”So you were not really a virgin when we made love that first time?” Eric looked at Angela still grinning.

”Yes it was MY first time but that was Thomas and Mary’s first time of many…” Angela punched Eric in the shoulder. “Owww what did I say? Love is a great thing…”

”But it was you!”

”Not really I was more Thomas than anything but yea it was me also… And I do not regret it… Now do you want to hear the rest of the story? And how we explained to the kids how we knew about the future before things happened?”

Angela sighed and hugged Eric. “I forgive you and yes go on I cant sleep now I mean this is only the middle of the story!”

18 years later at Taillong American residence, it is now 1886 and Mary and Thomas have had three children. Ages 17, 13 and 10 their names are Jenny, William and Erin.

Thomas and Mary sit at a dining room table with their children while smiling at each other. Thomas still has that ponytail now only it is being braided by Erin who wants to be a hairdresser and clothing designer. Jenny the oldest plans to be a writer like her father or a scientist. And William 13 just tries to fit in.

”Daddy why do you always look at mommy like that?” Erin asks while finishing braiding her fathers long hair.

”Because we love each other so much it is like we have two hearts” Mary stood and winked at Thomas. “Excuse us children”

The three kids each stopped doing what they were doing and looked at their parents leave and go upstairs. The maids quickly swooped down on the children and hustled them to another area of the house. Due to the coming noise pollution.

”Mom and Dad spend way too much time alone…” Will says smirking as Bella the lead made pinched his left ear.

”Mind your manners!”

”Yes Bella owww!” The two girls laughed as they were escorted to the living room with Will. In a few moments their parents entered the west wing living room hand in hand and sat across from their children.

”Wow I hope I can be so in love one day” Jenny thought. Mary not thinking said.

”You will trust me” Jenny stared along with her siblings at their mother.

”What are you talking about?” Erin asked blinking.

”Yea what is up?” William said growling as Bella brushed his head fur.

“Mom read my mind… Okay what is going on?” William irritated hit Bella with a pillow without touching it. Thomas thought

”History repeats…” Thomas stood and looked at the servants sternly. Which translated to stay if you want to hear something really shocking or leave if you don’t. Bella and one other maid stayed.

”Children we have a confession to make… You have inherited mental powers from us… Don’t ask how just try and realize that you could change a lot of people’s lives with these mind powers… Sorry about reading your thoughts but it was an accident Jenny”

Jenny nodded and spoke slowly. “So your telepathic no wonder you love each other so much…” Thomas wanted to take his wife again right then and their and Mary knew it.

”Um children excuse us… Again our mental connection causes us too…” The kids just blinked as Thomas hefted his wife in his arms and walked to their room.

”Eric you bastard!” Eric sighed and hung his head as Angela frowned at him from across the room in the chair in front of her vanity mirror. “You and that slut did it like nobody’s business and you act so flaky about us doing it more often! Damn it you still love her more than me!”

Eric sighed, “No it’s not that we have no real mystical connection… We could… If you want to be going at it that much… In fact I have been forcing myself on more than one occasion from just leaping on you… That is why I waited so long before we did anything…”

”And why you act like an older man sometimes… All the routines you have… It’s like you insert a disk into the back of your head every few hours…” Eric blinked.

”No I act that way because I am a genetically altered killer. I have routines in me to train daily and I do. I am a hacker so I hack I am a killer so I kill with games. And I also am a martial artist ever wonder why I collect manuals on fighting styles?”

Angela sighed “I see… Well Mister I seem to have a problem…” Eric sighed.

”Wait till the story is over! Damn it your acting just like Jeri and me! Every damn ten seconds until the day we died…”

Angela blinked “How long did you live and every ten seconds?”

”Im joking… More like every five hours… Hehehe owww!” Angela smacked Eric in the forehead with a brush.

”Just finish the damn story!” Eric shook his head.

”Well me and Jeri died in the last century… In 1936 I think I was 98 not sure… But I had finished my greatest novel and then Mary started to get sick…”

”Thomas just save yourself break the link before I go into a coma!” Thomas stroked his gray ponytail. The doctors were baffled as to what was causing his wife to die but they knew it was because it was time for them to return to where they came from.

”Nah I would like to hang around more and break the world record for longest lived feline but I must go when you go…” So Thomas stayed by Mary’s side till the day she died and he died.

Black welcomed Eric as he suddenly found himself sitting on his bike in front of Jeri.

“We are back…” Jeri said crying as Eric stared at her hard crying also.

”The moment we left the present” Jeri pulled out a gun.

”Run away… Before they take you… GO!” Eric put on his helmet after picking it up and put it on.

”Jeri promise me you will never forget… Ever!” Eric sped off as black helicopters converged on Jeri’s position one chased Eric shooting at him. He got hit in the back but never fell off his bike as he ran like Jeri wanted.

Angela lay sleeping next to Eric. They had called off from work due to extenuating circumstances. Or too much of a good thing what ever it was Angela knew Eric loved her but a pair of eyes watching the two had other plans.

End of Chapter 17

Dang im good up next infiltration and the secret behind Angela’s origin after that who knows I may actually release Dartanya’s origin story. Its sort of a Blade rip off… Just kidding though she is a day walker… Get it? Nah you don’t but if you actually do understand what I mean by that joke. Email me. No I am not talking about how she can walk outside during a sunny day…. Email me at Mike_Charger@hotmail.com