Beauty and the Beast

It had been two weeks since Seana returned. Fourteen long and tiresome days. When she appeared in the lab, it almost seemed no time had passed since the moment she left. Seana could still see her classmates screaming. The harried doctor who unplugged the machine still held the cord in his hands. Papers floated down no longer scattered by the wind.
“Seana?” a student gasped. “Is that you?”
Hers was the first of many questions. Almost immediately Seana learned some time had passed. Five minutes to be exact. The next two hours she spent in the medical ward being examined and tested for abnormalities. There where none. Then her parents came and they took her to the hospital who also ran tests. Other than a little nausea, from the dye she had to drink for one of the tests, Seana was a perfectly healthy teen.
“Seana why won’t you tell us what happened” her mother asked snapping her daughter out of her reflections “What happened to the woman with you? Where did you get the clothes and jewelry?” Seana gazed at the plain band on her finger and sighed. Her mother gave her a stern look, “Seana.” Her daughter looked up at her and blinked. The older woman threw up her arms and sighed. “I don’t know what to do with you” she told her daughter. “You need to talk about what happened dear, its not healthy not to.”
Seana sighed and looked down at the ring again. “Mom”.
“Yes sweetie?” her mother replied hopefully.
“Do you know an Alexander Jared, doctor or inventor?” Seana inquired.
Her mothers face fell, “No sweetie, I don’t”
Seana stood up from the table, “I’m going to go to the library.”
“W-Don’t you think it’s too early to be open.” Her mother asked jumping to her feet. Seana turned and simply looked at her mother before turning once more and leaving the house.
The library was defiantly more helpful than Seana’s mother. They had rows and rows of books on the subject of Dr. Alexander Jared. “Dr. Jared was said to of had no children and never married despite the amorous attentions his assistant Alexina Stine gave him. After mysteriously vanishing along with most of his neighborhood, Dr. Stine took over his research.” Seana read aloud. “So that’s why…”
“Why what?” a masculine voice inquired.
Seana spun around to become eye to eye to a smartly dressed elderly man. “Oh, I’m sorry. Was I disturbing you?” she inquired.
The man chuckled, a gleam coming into his pale gray eyes. “Not a bit miss. A man loves to hear about himself.”
Seana’s expression turned to shock. “D-Doctor Jared?”
The man chuckled “I’m the flesh.”
“But I thought you were dead!” she exclaimed before she could stop herself.
Again the man chuckled “It depends on who you ask my dear. The scientific community or those in Irden” Seana watched in stunned silence as Dr. Jared sat down across from her. “I stayed in Irden nearly sixteen years their time and thirty-two in our time. No doubt you know all about Irden if you’re researching me.” He told her.
Seana nodded, “I’ve been there.”
Dr. Jared chuckled “Is old Weaver still on his throne?” Seana nodded and the man chuckled good naturedly. “Looks good for a man pushing sixty,” he asked and Seana nodded. The reason I’m thought dead is because I’ve been gone for so long.” Dr. Jared explained. “After a year here if no one can find you, you’re considered gone. In Irden I looked so old, I must have died of it.”
“You’re not making much sense doctor. Could you try again to explain it?” Seana asked.
The doctor smiled and tried to explain it to her again. “Physically I’m over seventy years old, no one in Irden has lived so long and thus must be a god or something if they do. I didn’t wish to live up to that lie, especially having a son to consider so I packed up and left…After staging my death of course.” He chuckled “Otherwise my smartie of a son would have figured it out.”
“He is very smart.” Seana said with a dreamy sigh.
Dr. Jared noticed her reaction and chuckled. “I see my son has left an impression on you my dear.”
Seana blushed, “He’s very hard to forget.”
“What has my son grown up to be?” the doctor asked. “A great scientist who encourages his people to do the same? A kind doctor whom his kingdom adores?”
“Try torturer and rapist.” Seana replied “His people do love him- sometimes but Jared usually was a cruel man. Not all that much while I was around. He kinda seemed to really want to impress me.”
Dr. Jared smiled, “I can see why he was smitten.”
“Oh, no he didn’t love me.” Seana exclaimed. “He just…”
The doctor smiled “When one of the nobles really cares for someone they give then a title to show their affection. I was Jared’s mother’s lord longer than I was married to her. Were you Jared’s lady?” Seana nodded and the man laughed. “He finally found a girl!” he exclaimed then frowned. “But what are you doing here?”
“I wanted to go home so he…” Seana broke off and ducked her head.
“Used my machine and let you go.” The man finished, “The boy really cared for you. He would have never let you go if he didn’t love you. He never let any of his ‘toys’ go when he was a child.”
“I want to go back, Doctor.” Seana exclaimed. “Can you help me?”
The man seemed to think about it then said “I think I can.”
Seana’s anguished expression turned to delight.