Daniella Spencer, once again completely wrecked, this time by a trash can, feels a tug at her shirt.

"Hey... Hey... Wake up you little punk!"

Daniella opens her eyes and they're met with beaming chipmunk eyes.

It's Destiny.

"YOU!!!"

Destiny sticks her tongue out at Daniella and kicks at her shin again.

"Fight me, drunk fish!"

"Hey, hey, hey! What's going on?" a male voice worriedly asks as his hand gently moves Destiny to the side. His hand helps Daniella sit up properly. Daniella realizes that she is sitting on a rather comfortable and fluffy couch. She looks around the humongous living room and can't help but admire the impeccable artwork and aesthetically pleasing furniture... it looks like something straight out of her dream home decoration board on Pinterest. The bickering between the man and Destiny takes her out of the absorption of her newly founded environment... or her current environment... whatever this is at this point.

"Destiny, leave her alone!"

"Sorry, Uncle Luke! I was just trying to play fight with Aunt Daniella!"

Daniella immediately stands up and looks at the two of them. She looks down at her left ring finger. It's different from the other ring Luke gave to her in the other happening, but there's something about the band that feels... a little more solemn compared to the other ring. She isn't sure what the ring is meant to signify, but she has a feeling that she'll find out soon.

"It's not nice to call people 'drunk fishes'" Luke says to Destiny.

"Why not? She drinks wine. All old ladies do." retorts Destiny, leading Daniella to raise an eyebrow at her.

"How old do you think I am?" asks Daniella.

"Aren't you like....33?"

"I'm 23... 23!!!!"

Luke chuckles as he watches the two women bicker.

"You must be out of it again, babe." Luke says to Daniella. Daniella looks at Luke strangely. 

"What do you mean?"

"It's 2030."

Daniella blinks rapidly. "I beg your pardon?"

"Is Auntie Daniella alright?" asks Destiny.

"Yeah, she's fine. She just gets very confused when she wakes up from napping." notes Luke.

"You're worse than a baby!" remarks Destiny.

Daniella takes a deep breath. "I'll be right back."

She wanders down the hall of her house and finds her way into a bathroom. There, she splashes cold water on her face and takes a hard look at her face. She appears to look the same. She feels the same. There's no sign of aging on her face. The only thing that feels different is her... ring? Is that what she thinks it is?

"Universe?" she whisper yells. "Oh, Universe?" She receives no response. "I know you're there! You said so yourself! Please answer me!" Daniella continues to wait for a response. She starts to tap her foot in sheer impatience. She gives up after about two minutes and storms out of the bathroom.

"Did I seriously just get lost?" she asks herself. "Okay. Calm down." She stays silent and listens for any sound of either Luke or Destiny.

"BOO!" shouts a hidden Destiny, instantly making Daniella scream.

"DESTINY! What are you doing?"

"Sorry! You know how much I love pranking you, Aunt Daniella!"

"You know, you don't have to call me that."

"You say that every time you recover from a Happening, Aunt Daniella!"

Daniella is extremely bewildered by her words. She crouches down to meet Destiny's eye level.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me the first time, Daniella Spencer. I have to admit that you've aged rather well for a 33-year-old."

"No... It can't be. Destiny?"

"That's me!"

"No, but like... Destiny-Destiny. We met at the airport Destiny? Universe Destiny?"

"BINGO, or should I say EUREKA?" Destiny responds in the same low volume as Daniella.

"Is this the game? Are we in the game now? What's going on?" asks Daniella.

"It won't be fun if I spoiled it for you, now would it?"

"That's not fair. That's not how games work, Destiny! Do you even know how to play a game?"

Destiny gives her a sassy expression. "Do I look like I don't know what a game is?" Daniella, at this point, smiles and shakes her head. Destiny offers her hand. "Could you hold my hand? In exchange, I'll show the way back to the living room and catch you up."

"What's the catch?" asks Daniella.

"No catch, at least not in my sense of the word." Destiny answers. "You want my help or not?"

Daniella takes Destiny's hand, who leads the way back to the living room.

"So what... what is this? When is this?"

"Good correction."

"Am I 33 years old?"

"Yep."

"So it's 2030?"

"Yep."

Daniella nods as she lets this information sink in. "So I'm gonna a wild guess and assume that this version... this reality... is it an extension of the superyacht?"

Destiny smiles. "What makes you think that?"

"Same guy. Same wealth."

"Different ring."

"Wedding bands, in my experience, are not as fancy as engagement rings...." Daniella pauses in her tracks. "Wait, am I-?"

"-Look through your phone. It's in your pocket."

Daniella goes through her phone and within her photo gallery.

"Go through your Instagram."

"That's still a thing in the future?"

"We're not in the future, we're in the now."

"Right." 

Daniella opens up her Instagram and goes through her profile. She's amazed to see how much of a jet setter she has become, especially considering her current growing aversion to traveling given recent events. She scrolls down her photos and finds a picture of herself as a glowing bride with Luke by her side.

"Wow." states an awed Daniella. Destiny motions her to hold hands and keep walking.

"So this is some kind of continuation of that timeline."

"I wouldn't use the word timeline. That implies that everything is set and certain. The first rule of this 'game' is that nothing is certain. You should know that by now."

Daniella nods. "Cool. So... are we related?"

"I'm related to everyone."

"Right, but you called Luke 'Uncle Luke'... and we met at the airport a while back and that was... ten years ago... and from what I can tell... you look the same.... in fact, we both do..." Daniella thinks aloud. She pauses and silently brainstorms for a moment. "Wait! I've got it. In this reality we are, but in the last one, we weren't? Or... wait... Maybe you're time traveling? For some reason, this made total sense in my head, but now I'm confused again. God. this is like my philosophy thesis all over again."

"Daniella?"

"Yes, Destiny?"

"Two things."

"I'm listening."

"1) There is no such thing as time-traveling. There is only the here and now. However, the present can be whatever we deem it to be. The possibilities are endless. You want to be an established high profile writer and one half of a power couple in high society? That's your reality. Do you want to fly on a nudist airline? That's your reality. 2) For a philosophy major, you really suck at all of this... aside from the mind-body problem argument of course."

Daniella, for once, is actually finding herself genuinely enchanted by Destiny rather than annoyed and combative.

Daniella offers another question to Destiny. "Is my body as aware of this as my mind is?"

Destiny takes a hard look at Daniella. "What do you think? Do you think you've aged within the past two weeks? Do you see a difference in your body?"

Daniella is at a loss for words. "I don't..... I don't think so? I haven't aged right now... also aren't you supposed to have the answer to that question?"

"I do but at the same time I don't."

The elder of the pair takes a deep breath. "Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?" cheekily asks Destiny.

"Why do you get all mysterious whenever I ask questions like that? And shouldn't have we caught up with Luke by now?"

Destiny smiles and shakes her head once again. "Whatever you think this is... it is."

Daniella pretends to understand that statement at first, but she has a feeling that Destiny is aware of the fact that Daniella is feigning comprehension at this moment.

"You didn't get what I just said, did you?' asks Destiny.

"Honestly? No. Please do explain."

"If you think I'm mysterious like the loch ness monster-"

"Which I have to admit that you are-"

"Then I am... BUT... if you think I am crystal clear and transparent like... "

"-A bunch of crystals?"

"I was gonna say ice-"

"Ice isn't always transparent. How about a glass of water? A tall glass of drinkable water, to be specific."

Impressed, Destiny nods with great enthusiasm. "I like that. If you think that I am crystal clear and transparent like a tall glass of drinkable water, then I am! So what would you like me to be?"

"I... I don't know.... I've never really thought of that question before...."

"Trust me, you do."

"But I don't."

"BUT you do Daniella Spencer! Don't you get it?"

"Apparently not..."

Destiny leaps in front of Daniella, forcing her to stop walking. The latter sighs heavily in the most aggravated tone she can think of... As if she could intimidate the omnipotent child...

"Destiny, what are you doing? Get out of the way, Luke is waiting for us."

"I'm making a point. And Luke can wait."

"I am not recreating that fight we had at flight security a few days ago. I missed my flight because of you!"

"First of all, Daniella Spencer, that wasn't me. Second of all, you brought all of that karma onto yourself! And third of all, can't you see that all of this chaos has been a disaster of your indecisiveness and your reluctance to open your big fat head???"

Daniella places her hands on her hips. "Is that why I'm in this mess?"

Destiny imitates the gesture and gives Daniella a stoic look. She places her hands down and gives her a smiley cheeky look. She repeats the stoic body language, followed by the cheeky expression. She chuckles and walks away. Daniella, realizing that she's not going to get anything out of her, sighs and follows Destiny who is now a few steps ahead of her.

As they return back to the luxurious living room, Daniella can't help but check out Luke's fantastic derriere for a few seconds. A smile curls up on her face.

"Really, you can't be subtle about it? Ew." remarks Destiny in a hushed tone.

Daniella gives Destiny a death glare.

"Babe we're back!" Daniella calls out to Luke as they embrace in a hug.

"What took you two so long?" asks Luke.

"Girl talk and a stroll. Can't get into too much detail."

He nuzzles his head into her shoulder and gives it sweet little kisses, causing Daniella to chuckle in reaction to the ticklish sensations.

"Hey Auntie Daniella?" asks Destiny.

"What?" as Daniella turns around.

"BOO!" screams Destiny, which takes Daniella aback.

Daniella feels her body crash into the ground. She raises her head up.

"Ow."

She makes eye contact with the steel garbage can.

"Are you okay?" asks someone. Daniella looks in the direction of the person and finds that it is Cosmo Claus standing above her. 

"I'm fine... I think..." answers Daniella. "Right! The pen!"

Daniella tries to grab the pen, but Cosmo stops her and reaches for the pen himself.

"That's enough chaos for today, don't you think? You might want to go get your things. The gate agents just called out your name... Luckily I convinced them to hold the doors just a little longer."

Cosmo helps Daniella up. She thanks him, grabs her belongings, and heads for the gates.

After barely getting into the plane and finding her seat, a familiar face greets her... a tall, lean, blonde shaggy-haired man to be specific.

"Hey, babe."

"LUCA?"

To Be Continued...

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Enjoy, Vote, Comment, Share, Follow, and Stay Tuned! Love hearing from you! Please comment!