Author's Notes: This is for Roadrunner1896, who's been extremely patient with her birthday present. Additionally, Sionnain provided a quick 'n' dirty beta and cheerleading-on-demand. Also, my RL friend L helped by standing there, unfazed, while I threw weird ideas at him until something stuck. He had no idea what I was doing but was willing to try to help.

Story Notes: Part 4 in the In Time Turtle!fic series

January

Fraser found himself unable to sleep. Rather than continue to lay in bed, tossing and turning and possibly disturbing Ray, he got up, pulled on some sweat pants and padding silently out to the living room. He sank down onto the couch, stretching out and staring at the ceiling, letting his mind wander.

A soft ticking noise distracted him and he looked over at Turtle's tank, unsurprised to see that the reptile was back from where ever it had gotten off to. Turtle's comings and goings disturbed Fraser on several levels—chelonians shouldn't just vanish like that. Though Fraser was sure it was physics and not magic, it wasn't logical and he had absolutely no explanation for Turtle's disappearances that wouldn't make him sound unhinged.

Turtle crept over to the lettuce that Ray had left out for him and started to nibble at a leaf, slowly and methodically, ignoring Fraser as usual.

Fraser got the distinct impression that Turtle didn't particularly care for him, that the reptile tolerated him only for Ray's sake. Sometimes he felt a vast and ancient presence behind those beady red eyes, older than time and alien, analyzing and coldly calculating.

Eventually, Fraser gave up pondering the mysteries of the universe and went back to bed, curling around Ray's sleep-warm body and counting his blessings.

January

Ray carefully lifted off the top of the aquarium and put some fresh lettuce into Turtle's tank.

"Hey, buddy, listen, we need to talk." He fidgeted for a moment with the basking rock, checking to make sure it was properly aligned with the sunlamp. "I would really appreciate it if you'd tone down the weird stuff for a while. It's really starting to freak Fraser out. And when he's freaked out, he's distracted, and that's not good for so many reasons." He checked the temperature in the tank, happy to see it was within the proper range. "What do you think?"

After a moment, a slow, heavy feeling of acceptance curled around his mind. He smiled. "Thanks, buddy."

May

He had taken a trip to Ottawa, and then to Regina to work with a committee on some materials for a course on international policing issues, and was gone for a week. He got back to Chicago tired but happy to be home.

Opening the door to their apartment, Fraser was almost tackled by a tail-wagging, drooling deaf half-wolf. He fended off Dief's attempts at ear-licking and moved further into the apartment, setting down his suitcase and going into the kitchen when Ray was in the middle of cooking dinner.

He sniffed appreciatively and hugged Ray hard from behind. He'd missed Ray terribly while he was gone. "Kotlet schabowy? he asked, eyeing the breaded cutlets in the frying pan.

"Uh-huh. And potatoes and golabki and some pierogi and even pierniki." He looked a little sheepish. "Mom stopped by, and you know she's convinced that we can't survive on our own. She cooked enough food to last for a month." Ray turned the pork cutlets over and looked at Fraser, stealing a quick kiss. "Go wash up, dinner's about ready."

Fraser passed by Turtle's tank and came to an abrupt stop, staring intently at Turtle. "Ray?" he called, hoping Ray could hear him over the sounds of cooking.

"Yeah, what, Frase? Kinda busy here."

Fraser sighed and scrubbed at an eyebrow with his thumbnail. "How long has Turtle been...ah...glowing like this?"

"Couple of days now. Why?" Fraser could hear Ray dishing out the food and moving to set the table with silverware. "He seems okay. Didn't seem worth the hassle of taking him to the vet." He came out of the kitchen and joined Fraser in staring down at Turtle.

"Ray—we can't continue—something needs to be done—" It frustrated Fraser, that Ray could be so calm about the subject of Turtle while he was the one who became incoherent and tongue-tied. "There's something wrong with Turtle—he could be dangerous—"

Ray gave a bark of ironic laughter. "Of course, he's dangerous, Fraser. He appears to be a time-traveling turtle, defying all the laws of physics and common sense." He shrugged. "But he's here for a reason. I'm not going to argue with him about it. Are you?"

Looking into the tank, he watched Turtle nibble contentedly on a chunk of apple. The glow was brighter along the edges of Turtle's scutes, highlighting them and giving him the appearance of glowing brightly from the inside, as if he had swallowed a miniature sun.

"Members of the order Testudines really shouldn't glow."

Ray hugged him again and gently steered him towards the bathroom. "It's okay, Fraser. It's going to be okay."

August

"Fraser, what is that?"

There was a long pause as Fraser tried to gather his thoughts. "Well, it looks like—it appears to be the beginnings of a funnel cloud."

"It's kinda big for that kind of thing, don't you think?"

Fraser could only nod absently as they both stared out the window at the enormous swirling cloud that hung above the city, blocking out the summer sun. Dief woofed quietly and joined them. It stretched as far as they could see, a sickly greenish-gray whirlpool in the sky, rotating steadily counterclockwise. The center of the cloud was pitch black, except for the bright flashes of lightning that illuminated it. It looked ominous and sent a shiver of fear down Fraser's spine.

"Maybe we should get on the roof, might have a better view of what's going on," Ray remarked, heading towards the door.

They took the stairs up to the top of the building and opened the door to the roof. This new vantage gave them a better view of the city, the shoreline and the lake, even in the gloom. They could see how large the cloud was; it obscured an unbelievable amount of sky, from the Navy Pier south past Northerly Island, creeping westward to Michigan Avenue. To the east, it swirled out over the lake.

Somehow, it had to be an artificial creation; Fraser couldn't imagine a natural weather system causing such a phenomena. Here, on the rooftop, he could feel a strange wind blowing, icy cold and biting. He inhaled deeply and could smell something...musty and old, almost rotten in the air. It reminded him of dark places, of gravestones and damp dirt and dead things. Choking a little, he spat and tried to clear the taste out of his mouth.

The city was unnaturally quiet. Streetlights were flickering on, their sensors registering and responding to the artificial darkness. The normal hustle and bustle, the sound of cars honking and the rhythmic click-clack of the El, the screaming and yelling and singing and shouting of an urban landscape of almost three million people, it was all gone. Not muffled by distance or the heavy humid heat of a summer day, but utterly absent. That, more than anything else, frightened Fraser.

"Look, Fraser."

He looked at where Ray was pointing, at the panicked people fleeing away from the Lake and the menacing cloud.

"Seems to be centered over the aquarium." As they watched, the middle of the whirlpool widened and grew, much like the iris of a camera. There was a loud, earthshaking rumble and the Shedd Aquarium just crumbled, like it wasn't made out of steel and bricks and masonry. Large chunks of the building slowly floated up towards the whirlpool, sucked into the swirling center. "Oh, fuck! Did you see that, Fraser? It just ate the aquarium!"

Dief howled mournfully.

"Yes, Ray." Fraser backed away from the edge of the roof. "Maybe you should call it in before we go see what we can do to help."

Ray gave him a look like he was crazy but pulled out his cell phone and dialed dispatch. While they were watching, a section of the city lost power with a high-pitched, almost inaudible whine, street lights flickering before dying out completely. There was another deep rumble, and Fraser could feel the building tremble. The sound set off hundreds of car alarms, the sound loud and disconcerting in a city that had gone abnormally silent.

With a curse, Ray closed his cell. "I get the 'all circuits are busy' message. I think we're on our own."

They raced back down the stairs to the apartment. Moving quickly, Ray went into the bedroom and knelt next to the bed, reaching underneath and pulling out the hard case he kept there. Fraser followed curiously—he'd known that Ray had a rifle case under the bed but he'd never seen what was inside. He'd always assumed that it was a rifle. He stood over Ray as he unlocked the case and opened it, revealing a sawed-off shotgun.

"Ray—"

"Shut it, Fraser. We can discuss the legality of modified firearms later." He checked and loaded the shotgun quickly, his hands competent and sure, before placing it back into the case. "There's extra ammo for this in the front closet—get it. And get your service pistol." Ray grabbed his shoulder holster and squirmed into it as Fraser retreated to the front hall closet to get the ammunition.

The power flickered again, accompanied by another ominous rumble. He could hear Ray talking softly to Dief, most likely trying to dissuade the half-wolf from accompanying them. Ray had a father's tendency to try to keep Dief locked up and safe, away from danger. Dief understood Ray's motivations, appreciated the sentiment, but didn't agree.

Fraser's 9mm service pistol was there in the closet as well, locked away in his small gun safe, wrapped in its holster. When Fraser had finally gotten licensed to carry a firearm in this country, Ray had bought him a shoulder harness similar to his. Fraser still wasn't used to it and he fumbled it on. He checked the safety on the gun, loaded it and shoved it into the holster.

"Ready?"

"Let me grab the shells." Fraser tossed several boxes of ammunition into a small knapsack he kept ready for emergencies and slung it over his shoulder. "Okay."

They were halfway out the door when Ray stopped abruptly.

"Wait." Ray handed him the rifle case. "Go on down to the car and start her up. I've gotta get something..."

Fraser didn't wait, trusting Ray would catch up as soon as possible. He and Dief loped down the stairs and out onto the street where the GTO was parked. He looked up, surprised to see that the whirling cloud mass had grown even larger. He couldn't see the center of the vortex here at street level, but he could hear the low rumble of thunder and occasionally, the tortured shriek of stressed metal being pulled apart as the whirlpool consumed another building.

"Get in, Dief." He started the car up and got back out, circling around to the passenger side. He slid into the bucket seat and looked at Dief, hoping Ray wouldn't take too long to join them. He was thinking that maybe time was of the essence.

They were lucky—Chicago was Ray's town and he knew every short cut, every alternate route between any two given points. Too many roads were blocked off by abandoned vehicles, many with the keys still in the ignition and the doors left open. Fraser had Ray slow down when they came upon accident scenes, but they never saw a soul.

It was like someone, or something, had emptied the city of all its people.

Fraser wasn't sure what to think. Nothing made sense. He reached over and put his hand on Ray's thigh, seeking some measure of comfort from the physical touch. Ray touched the back of Fraser's hand for a moment. "I know, buddy. I know. This is some freaky shit." Dief whined in agreement.

Ray eventually pulled over at State Street, frustrated. There was no way they could go any further in the GTO; they would have to travel on foot from this point on.

August

It wasn't long before Ray started to get a itchy, creepy-crawly feeling, like someone was watching them. When they'd left the GTO, he'd taken out the shotgun; now he held it loosely in his hands, safety off. The feel of the wood stock between his palms helped ease the uncomfortable prickling a little.

Dief was feeling it, too. His hackles had risen and a low growl rumbled in his chest. Fraser touched his head and with a soft command, Dief went from animal aggression to a more watchful, tense state of readiness.

Ray caught a flash out of the corner of his eye, stopped and swiveled to track the movement, but there was nothing there. Just dim shadows, clinging to the buildings and the alleyways. Ray took a deep breath and put his glasses on. He didn't think he could afford to be self-conscious about how dorky he looked in them right now. He needed to be able to see, and to shoot.

Next to him, Fraser twitched, cocking his head. "Ray."

The quiet, even tone set off all of Ray's alarm bells. "What is it, Frase?"

"There are...things. I can almost see them in my peripheral vision. Large creatures, approximately grizzly bear sized; they seem to have an odd number of appendages." There was a long pause as Fraser tried to make some sense out of what he was seeing. "I don't think they are...natural."

"Fuck." He looked around, but couldn't see a damn thing except for an occasional shapeless blur out of the corners of his eyes. Dief couldn't see them either, though he did sense their presence.

"On a positive note, Ray, the creatures seem to be moving away from where the cloud is located."

Ray choked on a bitter laugh. "I'm not entirely sure that's a good thing, Fraser."

"It's good in the sense that it allows us to approach the phenomena..." Fraser trailed off as he looked at Ray, his eyes growing wide.

That look worried Ray. "What is it?"

"Nosebleed."

Ray swiped at his nose with the handkerchief that Fraser handed him, startled by the bright stain on the white cloth. "Yeah, great, great. Let's keep going." He pinched his nose shut in hopes of stopping the bleeding.

Shooting him a concerned glance, Fraser nodded.

A block or two later, Dief stopped, shook his head and pawed at this ears. Ray realized that there was a change in pressure and he needed to pop his ears. Once he did, he heard a low whine, almost subsonic. It set his teeth on edge, and seemed to be bothering Fraser and Dief as well. He grabbed Fraser's arm and squeezed reassuringly.

Weaving between abandoned cars, they finally maneuvered their way under the whirlpool.

The center was open, having sucked up the debris of another demolished building. Through that opening, Ray could see a sea of swirling colors, electric-looking reds and greens and grays. The inside of the cloud didn't have boundaries; just a twisting, sprawling space that blurred at the edges and dared the eyes to distinguish between here and not.

The constant crackle and flash of lightning inside the mouth of the cloud was blinding; Ray blinked rapidly, trying to adjust his vision. In the distance, between lightning strikes, he could almost swear he saw the twinkle of stars. He wrinkled his nose at the strong smell of ozone. "Fraser, any ideas?"

Dief barked at the whirlpool.

"Yes, I agree, Dief." Fraser was looking up, a frown on his face, pale and sweating. He looked scared and spoke slowly, choosing his words with care. "The vortex appears to be a...conduit to another place, like a Lorentzian wormhole, as proposed by modern physics."

"Okay." Ray shrugged his shoulders and wiped away the slow trickle of blood from his nose. He didn't really care what it was, he just wanted to know what he needed to do next. "This...wormhole thingy probably needs to be closed. Otherwise things are going to keep getting sucked up into it and—" He broke off, reaching into the rucksack slung over Fraser's shoulder and pulling out Turtle.

Fraser looked at Turtle, who had withdrawn as far as he could into his shell. He looked like an ordinary Terrapene Carolina carolina, nothing remotely fantastical or unbelievable about him. Just an normal chelonian, who was emerging from his shell and levitating a couple of inches above Ray's hand.

"Cool." Ray wiggled his fingers in the empty space under Turtle, much like a magician performing a magic trick. "I didn't know he could do that."

August

Fraser hunched down a little to look closer at Turtle. Reptile faces weren't designed for emotional expressions, but Fraser was almost sure that Turtle looked worried. There was something in those red unblinking eyes...

He was falling into those eyes, the red swirling around him. He reached out for Ray and felt his presence, bright and shining, supporting him. He let go—

—and found himself in a dark place, a barren, rocky plain. In the distance were jagged mountains, gray and forbidding. All around him, he could feel an powerful intelligence, something vast, ancient and incomprehensible to his human mind. It pressed upon him, squashing him with the weight of millennia, cracking his mental shields and spilling his thoughts onto the stony ground.

Fraser could feel it sifting through the layers of his mind, turning some memories over for closer examination, ignoring others as unimportant. He held himself still, fearing that this presence would break him if he struggled too much. In the back of his mind he could still feel Ray, a beacon of warmth and light in this frightening place. It was the only thing that kept him calm.

Abruptly, he was released and a burst of light coalesced in front of him, slowly shrinking until it was in the shape of a brightly glowing chelonian floating in air in front of Fraser. Turtle in his more familiar form, bobbing gently in an unseen breeze, red eyes piercing.

Turtle blinked slowly and showed him...

...a life form, not easily recognizable as such, but life nonetheless, older than time. Solitary and unconcerned with the activities of other intelligences, driven by an overwhelming hunger...

...hunger driving it to devour whole planets, solar systems, galaxies. It feasted on matter and energy, consuming whatever it came across in the wide universe...

...unknowingly powerful and unstoppable, destroying countless civilizations...

...Ray, smiling and dancing around the apartment. Feeding Turtle lettuce and apples and crickets, talking to him, sharing his thoughts with his reptile friend. Joy written clearly on his face as he smiled at Fraser. Fraser and Ray kissing in the kitchen, under some hastily hung mistletoe...

...Ray setting Turtle down on the road, directly underneath the vortex and backing away as the chelonian slowly rose up into the air, blindingly bright, only to disappear into the swirling mouth of the cloud...

...an enormous explosion, seen from a distance, the shock wave visible as it left behind a wake of destruction. Crumbled buildings, destroyed structures, cars tossed aside like toys...

...Chicago, parts of it still in ruin, parts of the city rebuilt, alive with people and noise and life...

...Ray and Fraser and Dief, walking in the park, throwing sticks for Dief, sleeping in their bed...

Fraser blinked and—

"Fraser, Fraser, Fraser—" Ray's words were clipped and worried, his hand gripping Fraser's shoulder painfully hard. "Fraser!"

He shook himself. "Yes, Ray. I'm here." He looked at Turtle one last time. "I know what we have to do."

August

Ray didn't want to do it. Didn't want to leave Turtle alone to fight whatever the vortex thingy was, but Fraser said it was what needed to be done.

He met Turtle's beady eyes. "Are you sure?"

A wave of love rolled over him, almost knocking him over and squishing him flat with its intensity, tinged with sadness and friendship and memories.

Ray stroked a trembling finger across Turtle's splotched shell, a bittersweet smile on his face. "'Bye, buddy. It's been great having you in my life." He set Turtle down on the asphalt and backed away, watching as Turtle floated slowly upward, glowing and getting brighter as he rose higher.

"Ray, we need to go."

Ray watched until he couldn't see Turtle any more before turning to Fraser and Dief. "Okay, let's go."