Stuart lay awake considering the ramifications of what he was about to do. Based on his recollection of the last moments in his own universe, he had witnessed the mutilated body of his counterpart. Following his departure it would not have taken long for the authorities to identify the body as his. Lauren would have been informed of his death. A funeral would have taken place. She would be mourning as would his brother and his friends. How could he explain suddenly turning up alive and well? If he told the truth he would find himself back on the psychiatrist’s couch. But what other explanation could there be? He couldn’t see how life was ever going to be the same again. He started to contemplate an alternative. What if he stayed? What if he gave up the ghost of his past life and made a new life with Catherine. He could let his alternate family and friends grieve naturally and remember him for who he was and not as some freakish anomaly who came back from the dead. He had already accepted the loss of Lauren once. This had allowed him to start living life normally again and he had enjoyed the normality. There was no doubt in his mind he and Catherine had connected with each other. It still felt good when he thought back to the brief intimacy they had shared. He had all but dismissed their encounter since learning of what had really happened to him but he could not deny the fact he had feelings for her. The more he thought of this the more he started to waver, to the point when he almost changed his mind. But there was the baby, their baby, his and Lauren’s. How could he deprive the child of its father and Lauren of the support she would need. He had to go through with it and face his old life. It was where he belonged and whatever circumstances he found himself in, he and Lauren would overcome them together. As hard as it was, his mind was made up. He would tell the professor in the morning to make whatever arrangements necessary for him to pass through the Harmoniser. With his mind now clear on what had to happen, he was able to roll over and go to sleep.