I do not own or profit from Timeless, just playing in their sandbox.

I'm super rusty, but I've got to start somewhere, so here goes.

Lucy and Rufus ran, full out, hand in hand, praying that the bullets didn't hit them, as Flynn and Wyatt lay down cover fire. Her fabulous blue vintage (well, not yet) pumps had been kicked off in favor of a quick getaway, so Lucy tried to ignore the scrape of the rocks and hard ground her feet were pounding against with a thin layer of thoroughly ripped pantyhose as her only protection. They had successfully thwarted Rittenhouse's plan to kill Governor Pat Brown, the governor credited with creating modern California, but Rittenhouse had way more than just a sleeper this time, and all of them were pissed.

Rufus abruptly stopped and Lucy crashed right into him. Instead of catching her, Rufus yanked her down behind a fallen tree.

"Rufus, what?! The guys are behind…"

"Hi there, princess."

Lucy tensed as she realized they were trapped. Flynn and Wyatt were too far behind them, trying to hold off the Rittenhouse henchmen, and Emma and Jessica were standing directly in front of the Lifeboat. Rufus grasped Lucy's hand in his panic, and Lucy wracked her mind for what to do. The gunfire behind them had faded, but Lucy didn't know if that meant that the gunmen were coming to join Emma and Jessica, or if they had taken out Wyatt and Flynn, or what. She prayed Wyatt and Flynn had taken them out, but they had been outnumbered three to one, and Wyatt had been winged already when he had told them to run.

She heard a rustle as Emma and Jessica made their way toward them, and she locked eyes with Rufus. His eyes were blown wide, but his mouth was set with a firm resolve. He swung his eyes to the left to indicate that he was going after Emma. She shook her head frantically, but he pulled his gun from his under-arm holster, and pointed to the right, telling her to get Jessica. Pulling her own gun from her thigh holster, Lucy tried to remember the breathing technique that Flynn and Wyatt had taught them, to calm themselves.

They don't know you can fight, or shoot. You will take her by surprise. You can do this—RUFUS can do this. And you can go back and save him if either of you can't. But if you take them both out, you end this.

Wincing, Lucy wondered how Wyatt would feel about this, but this was the only way, and they all knew it would eventually come to this. Jessica's still flat abdomen, six months post pregnancy announcement, clearly meant she wasn't carrying Wyatt's child, and there was no other reason to hold back anymore. Wyatt would be hurt, but maybe it would help him let go of his lingering feelings for Lucy.

All of this went through her head in less than a second, and Lucy nodded at Rufus, squeezing his hand and trying to silently convey her love for her friend through a look.

Fear isn't real. Escape. Escape this hell they've put you and your friends through. It's time. It's time to stop them for good.

Rufus held three fingers down at his waist as he peeked to see how close Emma and Jessica had come to their position, and he counted down. Lucy breathed in, letting the adrenaline ripple through her, and as Rufus clenched his fist, she jumped up, breathed out as she sighted Jessica, and pulled the trigger. Jessica gasped and went down, grabbing her chest in her shock. Lucy strode toward her, gun still pointed, ready to take the final shot, when another shot rang out. She started to duck, but stopped as she realized that Jessica was dead, her face frozen in shock. Lucy looked up and saw Wyatt, barreling toward them, his face set, although his eyes showed his emotional turmoil at killing his ex-wife. She swung to the left, and saw that Emma was down too, Rufus standing over her in shock. Flynn was headed toward them, and Lucy headed for them, giving Wyatt a moment. Flynn bent down to feel Emma's pulse, and then sat back on his heels with a relieved sigh.

"Nice shot, Rufus! The wicked witch is dead!"

Lucy rolled her eyes, and glanced at Rufus tentatively, checking to see if he was okay with ending another life.

"Nah, I'm good, Lucy. I mean, she already killed me, so…maybe I should feel guilty, but really, I'm good. Ding dong, the witch is dead."

Rolling her eyes again and huffing as Rufus and Flynn started laughing at their lame joke, Lucy looked back as Wyatt came to stand next to her. His hand pressed over his left bicep where there was some blood seeping out, but she was relieved to see that it wasn't enough to put him in danger.

"You okay? You know, you didn't have to…I was going to…"

"I know, you could have ended her, Lucy, but it was my responsibility. I let her cause so much damage already, and I didn't want her death on your head. Besides, she…" Wyatt gulped in air as she touched him on his good shoulder. "She wasn't MY Jessica. She was Rittenhouse's Jessica. I realized that a long time ago."

Lucy could already hear Flynn's aside of "still far too late," so she shot him a warning look before he could even get it out. He widened his eyes and held up his hands in faux innocence, and she held out a hand to help him up. He straightened up beside her, keeping hold of her hand. The four looked at each other, wondering what to do.

"Do you think—do you think it's finally…" Lucy couldn't even bring herself to say the word "over," not wanting to give into the hope that was nevertheless taking root inside her as she looked up at Flynn.

"Well, they brought everyone with them, it seems, at least all their high-ranking officials, and you saw how weak Rittenhouse is in this time, thanks to our trips. Originally, a gubernatorial election should have been no problem for them. I don't think they could build it back up to what it was…I think…I think it might be over." Flynn looked back at her, a light now coming into his eyes.

"One way to find out," Wyatt said, and he climbed into the Lifeboat slowly, as Rufus stayed close behind him in case he needed an assist.

"You want to take a last look?" Garcia asked, close to her ear now. Lucy looked up at him and shrugged.

"Honestly? If it really is over? I never want to see history outside of a text book ever again."

"So, there's not anything you might miss?"

She tilted her head at the vulnerability in his green eyes.

"No things. Just…people. You?"

Garcia looked back at her as he brought his empty hand up to stroke her cheek. He lifted her hand and kissed it gently, and then gave her a soft, sad smile.

"You know my answer."

He turned with a glare at Wyatt's cleared throat.

"Some people I could do without," Flynn said into her ear, making her chuckle lowly as he boosted her up into the lifeboat. Wyatt and Rufus were strapped in already, and they watched in silence as Lucy and Flynn buckled their harnesses. Lucy finished last and looked up at each of them in turn. This was the hard part, not knowing what kind of world they would find when the hatch opened again. Lucy locked eyes Wyatt, then Garcia, and then turned to meet Rufus's unsure gaze.

"Let's go home."

The lifeboat began to whirr as usual, and they popped out of 1958. Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and braced for the discomfort of hurtling through time and space, but it never came. She opened her eyes to see light surrounding her, growing brighter, and she could barely see the others. Faintly, she made out voices calling for each other, and she felt Flynn's large hand grab her own tightly, as Wyatt grabbed the other, and they all faded into the light.