7:15 a.m.

Thunder began to rumble as storm clouds rolled in. The Stranger worked on her motorcycle as Hilary walked up to her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Fixing my bike."

"No, I mean in Pixfare."

"Just visiting."

Hilary noticed a large case on the back of the motorcycle. "What's that?"

"A box."

"What's in it?"

"Just something I need to do what I came here for."

Derek exited his house and paused upon noticing Hilary talking to the Stranger, who climbed on her motorcycle.

"I thought you were just visiting."

"Doesn't mean I don't have something to do." The Stranger started her motorcycle.

"Hilary?" Derek called out to her and started down the path to the sidewalk.

"You better get to school. Looks like a storm's coming."

Derek came up behind Hilary, watching the Stranger drive away. "Hilary. Who was that?" Hilary shrugged.

--------

Jack walked over to the kitchen counter and sat down, with a breakfast plate. The TV was on, showing the weather forecast. Laura Reed rushed in, with a toothbrush in her mouth, and hurriedly put her shoes on. She spat the toothpaste into the kitchen sink. "I can't believe I overslept." She rushed around, getting ready to leave.

"It's only 7:10. You've got plenty of time to get to school."

"No, I have to be there at 7:15. Science fair. I'm helping the kids with their project before school."

"I'm sure if you're five minutes late, they'll live."

"We're making a volcano." She put on her hat and scarf and walked out the door.

"Okay."

--------

Laura Reed rushed into the Diner and sat down at a table. She removed her hat and using a spoon as a mirror, adjusted her hair. She gazed at the clock for a moment and then heard Clark enter. She quickly picked up her book, The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, and pretended to read. Clark walked up to the counter.

Michelle put two cups of coffee down on the counter. "One cream and sugar. One black."

Clark handed Michelle some money. "Thank you." He glanced at Laura Reed and took his coffees, heading toward the door. He paused at her table. "Good morning."

"Morning." She put down her book and smiled at him.

"Uh, I should go. I'm gonna be late for work."

"Oh, the animal shelter, right? How's that going?"

"Well, the apes haven't taken over."

"Yet."

"Not on my watch." They both laughed. He then left. She turned to see him walking up to his car and giving a coffee to Evelyn, kissing her cheek.

"This is making a volcano?" Jack soon entered and sat across from Laura Reed.

"I was-" She tried to explain.

"I get it."

"He comes here every morning at 7:15 A.M. to get coffee."

"For him and his wife."

"I know, I know, I know. I just like to... come here to see him."

"So, you're a stalker?"

"No, not really." Jack gave her a look. "Maybe a little bit. And it's not like I'm following him. I just know that he spends his mornings with Evelyn, gets his coffee, then drives to the animal shelter to start work at 7:30, and then he's home around 5:00."

"Oh, is that all?"

"Thursdays they pick up Chinese for dinner." Jack gave her a sympathetic look. "I can't get him out of my head."

"I know. Maybe the first step is not showing up here tomorrow."

"Love's the worst. I wish there was a magic cure." Jack nodded in agreement.

--------

Laura Reed was shopping for supplies at the Pharmacy for the upcoming storm. The weather forecast showed on TV. She entered another aisle when she bumped into Evelyn. Both women dropped their baskets with a shout. "Ohh! I'm so sorry."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." They both bent down to pick up the spilled items. "I wasn't looking."

"Clearly." Derek commented, looking over his shoulder at them.

Evelyn picked up a candy bar. "Oh. Is this yours?"

"Yes, thank you." Laura Reed took it and put it in her basket. "Oh, this must..." She picked up an item and then realized it was a pregnancy test. "Good luck." She handed it to Evelyn.

"Thank you." They both stood up. Evelyn walked away, with Derek and Laura Reed looking after her.

"I trust you'll be discreet." She looked at him confused. "Their lives are their business, not yours." She nodded as Derek walked away.

--------

Laura Reed was walking along a road in the woods when she heard cooing. She walked down the embankment toward the sound, discovering a dove caught in a net.

"Oh! Hey. How did you manage to get yourself..." She carefully picked up the dove. "Come on. It's gonna be okay."

--------

At the Pet Shelter, the doctor gave Laura Reed a consultation on the dove she rescued. Clark stood nearby, watching.

"Well, the good news is no broken bones. She was just a little dehydrated, but I got her some fluids, and she should be just fine."

"And the bad news?"

"Well, this is a North Atlantic dove. It's a migratory species, very unique among American doves. Now, they tend to form strong monogamous bonds, meaning-"

"If I don't get her back to her flock, she'll be alone forever."

"Well, it's... It's a long shot, but the alternative..." The doctor put the dove into a cage. "She'll heal, but she won't be happy here."

"I'll take my chances. Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome. Good luck." The doctor left them alone. Laura Reed picked up the cage.

"Laura Reed, there's a storm coming. You really shouldn't be out there."

"Well, the storm's coming tomorrow, and if I wait, she could be lost forever, completely alone. No one deserves that."

"Then let me drive you."

"I don't need your help, Clark. I'll be fine." She turned away and left.

--------

Jack loaded supplies into the trunk of his police cruiser while listening to a storm warning on the radio, which suddenly stopped. He looked toward the front of the car to see that Derek had turned the radio off. "If you're looking to blame me for the storm, I think you're taking things a bit far now."

"I need you to look into something, Sheriff. Someone's in town—someone new."

"Yeah, I know. I gave her directions to Ellen's the other night."

"You talked to her? Well, what'd she say?"

"She asked for directions. What's the big deal? Who is she?"

"I don't know. I asked around, but no one seems to know anything. There's something about her—something familiar."

"She must be one of the untold millions you cursed."

"What?"

"Oh, you know, the Curse. Hilary's whole thing."

"Sheriff, I need you to find out who she is, what she wants, and what she's doing here."

"You know, as hard as you tried to find one in my case, there's no law against visiting Pixfare."

"This isn't about the law, Jack. You're gonna do this because I asked you to and because you'll see it's the right thing to do."

Jack closed the trunk of the car. "And why's that?"

"Because she was in front of my house, taking a particular interest in the one thing we both care about—Hilary."

"I'll look into her." Jack walked toward the front of the car and thunder began to rumble.

--------

Laura Reed drove along the road in the woods as thunder crashed. The dove was in its cage in the passenger seat. She soon arrived at a roadblock and stopped the car.

"Well, the flock can't be much farther. We just have to beat the storm." She took off her seatbelt. "They're waiting for you." She grabbed the birdcage and exited the car, pulling up the hood of her jacket.

She ran along the road, carrying the dove in its cage. Doves could be heard cooing in the distance. "Do you hear that? Your flock." She stopped at the top of a crest, looking down in a ravine. She set down the birdcage and distracted by a loud thunderclap, slipped and tumbled down the slope. At the very edge, she grabbed onto a root and was left dangling. She shouted and cried in despair. Attempting to pull herself up, she struggled to climb over. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm and she looked up. "Clark!"

"Grab my hand." She took his hand. "Hold tight. Come on!" He pulled her up onto solid ground and she fell against him. "You really think I'd let you come out here alone?" She pulled away from him a bit. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, thanks." She headed back up the slope toward the road.

Clark followed behind her. "Where are you going?"

"I came to find the flock!"

"And I came here to get you before you got hurt!" They reached the road just as thunderclaps and heavy rain began to fall. "We have to go!"

Laura Reed ran over to the birdcage and picked it up. "No!"

"Doing this on foot is not the best plan."

"The gate was closed."

"I know, I saw." She tried to cover the birdcage with her jacket. "It's too late. We have to go."

"No, but the bird-"

"Laura Reed, it's not safe! We need to get out of here." More thunder crashed. "Come on." Together, they headed back up the road until they came upon a cabin.

"There!" Clark pointed. "Come on!" They approached the cabin.

"Hello?! Hello?! Is anyone in there!?" Laura Reed called, looking into a window.

Clark looked into another window. "It's empty!" He tried the door handle, but it was locked. He kicked the door open and they entered the cabin.

A short time later, Clark stoked a fire he had started in the fireplace.

"Okay." He turned to Laura Reed. "Let's get you dry." He stood up and moved about the cabin.

"Whose cabin is this? Are you sure it's okay for us to be in here?"

Clark unfolded a blanket. "Well, you're roommates with the Sheriff, so I doubt he'll arrest us for breaking and entering." He put the blanket around her. "Here." She shook him off. "Hey, I'm just... I'm just trying to help." She nodded, still looking upset. "What's going on with you today?"

Laura Reed scoffed. "What's going on? What's going on is I still have feelings for you."

"What?"

"Why do you think I go to Ellen's every morning at 7:15? It's to see you." She shook her head. "I don't know why because it just makes me miserable, because every time I see you, it just reminds me that you chose Evelyn instead of me. And that's why I didn't want you to come to the woods with me. Cause being around you is too... it's too painful." Clark started to laugh. "You think this is funny?"

"No. No, it's just... the reason I go to Ellen's every morning at 7:15... is to see you."

Laura Reed looked up at him, surprised. They looked at each other for a few moments before Clark leaned in for a kiss. She stepped back.

"How can you do this?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Clark, I know."

"You know what?"

"About Evelyn."

"What about Evelyn?"

"That she thinks she's pregnant."

"What?"

--------

Jack took shelter from the storm in the Diner. He looked over and saw the Stranger sitting in a booth, drinking coffee. He took off his hat and walked towards her.

"We need to talk."

"Why?"

"Because," He noticed a large wooden case on the floor next to her. "you're suspicious."

"Sitting here? Out in the open? Drinking coffee?" Jack narrowed his eyes. "I wonder what kind of disaster I would have caused had I ordered a doughnut."

"You were talking to Hilary."

"You mean the little kid who came up to me asking me questions? Is that unusual for her, being curious and precocious?"

"What were you doing outside her house?"

"My bike broke down. It happens."

"Your mysterious box. What's in it?"

"It's awfully frustrating, not knowing, isn't it?"

"Just tell me."

"Why? Is it illegal to carry around a box in these parts?"

"No, of course it's not."

"You really want to know what's inside it, don't you?"

"No. Well, maybe." He sat down in the booth opposite the Stranger.

"I'm gonna make you wait. You're gonna have to wait a long time and watch me carry it around, hauling it to strange and mysterious places. And with each passing moment, the mystery will become more tantalizing. Your imagination will inflame, but so will your frustration, never knowing, only guessing what could be inside that box. Or..." She leaned in. "You could let me buy you a drink sometime, and I'll tell you right now."

"You want to buy me a drink?"

"Yes."

He stared intently at her. "Ok, a drink it is." The Stranger picked up her box and set it on the table in front of Jack. She paused for effect, then opened it to reveal a typewriter. "Really?"

"I'm a writer."

"That's why you're here."

"I find this place provides... inspiration. Don't you?" Lightning flashed outside as she closed the box.

"Wait. Have you been here before?"

"I didn't say that." She left a tip on the table and stood up with her box in hand.

"What about that drink?" Jack turned around, watching her leave.

"I said 'some time'."

--------

"You didn't know."

"No." Clark shook his head.

"And you two aren't trying."

"Not as far as I know. Laura Reed, you have to believe me. I-"

"Shhh. The rain's stopped. I need to get her out." She ran over to the birdcage and grabbed it.

"No. Laura Reed..." She charged out the door and he followed. They walked down the road a short distance. "Laura Reed, please, can we at least talk-"

"Shhh! Listen." They watched as other doves flew overhead. "The flock- It didn't leave."

"They must have been waiting for the storm to clear."

Laura Reed opened the birdcage and took the dove out. "Ok. Ok, girl. Time to join your friends. You can do it." She threw the dove into the air and watched as it took flight with the rest. She laughed and Clark smiled. He took her hand and she pulled it away. "No, Clark. It's too painful."

"It doesn't have to be. We don't know Evelyn's pregnant."

"It doesn't matter. You chose her."

"I know. I still have feelings for you."

"You can't have both."

"But I do have both. I know. I know it doesn't make sense. I mean, it's like I have these two conflicting lives: memories of feeling for her... and real feelings for you."

"Who's to say which is real?"

"I can't get you out of my head."

"I know. Me too. But... we're going to have to. We're just going to have to forget each other." She walked back down the road, leaving Clark standing there, dumbfounded.

--------

Clark was in his room getting dressed for work when Evelyn walked in and sat at the foot of the bed.

"Anything you want to tell me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Something's up isn't it? What?"

"I feel like... ever since you've come home, you're here but you're not... here. I know you say you're trying, and I know you've been through a lot, but-"

"No, no, Evelyn-"

"No, Clark, please, just let me finish." He gestured for her to continue. "I know it's been hard on you, but it's also... been hard on me." He walked over to her. "I want a family with you someday. I want children." He nodded. "I'll be honest. I thought I was pregnant. And when the test came back negative, at first I was upset, but then I was relieved. We're not ready, If I was pregnant now, it would be a disaster."

"Yeah."

"But I want to fix this. I want to fix us."

"Me too."

"Do you?" He nodded. "Well, then let's go see Dr. Cutter. Let's get some help. Will you do that? Will you give us our best shot?"

"Yeah. Look," He sat down next to her. "You and I... I know we're su- I know we should be in love. And I want to make that work."

Evelyn smiled. "It's 7:10. We should get going if you want your coffee before work." She stood up.

"No." he stood up and took her hands. "Why don't we go downstairs and have some breakfast instead? Hmm?"

"Ok."

"Alright." He kissed her on the cheek.

--------

Jack sat across from a despondent Laura Reed to eat breakfast. He followed her eyes to the clock on the wall which read 7:15. Jack took her hand and their eyes met.

--------

The clock in the Diner read 7:45, as Michelle handed Laura Reed her coffee. The bell jingled as the door opened and Clark walked in. He saw Laura Reed and then immediately walked straight out again. She followed after him, while Michelle gave a sidelong glance.

Laura Reed followed Clark down the street. "What are you doing?"

He turned around. "It's 7:45."

"I know."

"Well, I'm trying not to see you."

Well, I am trying not to see you."

"Well, how do we stop seeing each other?"

"Apparently, we can't."

"This is a problem."

"Yes."

"She's not pregnant."

They stared at each other and kissed, unaware that nearby, Derek was watching them from his car.