Meant to Be

Summary:

"I don't believe in meant to be though." Wyatt's words to Lucy once upon a time. This is a story of how Wyatt sets out on a journey of redemption and just happens to prove himself wrong along the way. It takes place after 2x10 of Timeless.

Chapter one: Time

The bunker had gone silent. Which was odd considering the events that had transformed over the past 24 hours. Wyatt sat on the couch leaning forward in a position where he could quickly grab his gun if need be. Flynn had offered to guard the bunker while everyone got a few hours of sleep but Wyatt still didn't completely trust him, especially with the two new visitors who had graced their presence just a few hours before.

"Time travel" Wyatt spoke out loud to himself, shaking his head and rolling his eyes in disbelief.

He heard a shuffle of feet coming from Lucy and Jiya's room. His hand automatically went to his gun as his reflexes kicked in, but then he heard a soft quiet voice,

"Rufus?"

Wyatt sighed in sadness and turned his head to see a disheveled Jiya standing there looking around the room with grief stricken, reddened eyes. Wyatt knew her pain. He'd lost someone he loved before, and the pain was excruciating. No better than the pain he felt now over the death of Rufus. A familiar feeling of guilt struck him and he had to shut his eyes and take a deep breath before standing up. He walked over to Jiya and reached out for her hand clasping it and squeezing her fingers in a firm grip.

"Jiya?" He spoke softly, while engaging eye contact with her.

He'd been trained as a soldier that eye contact was efficient in helping a team mate in turmoil. Wyatt watched as the tiny spark of hope left Jiya's eyes and fresh tears filled them. As she shook her head Wyatt could think of nothing to do but pull her into a hug.

"Hey" Wyatt spoke softly "It'll work. We'll get him back. We're going to try like hell, ok?"

Jiya, pulled back and looked at Wyatt and nodded, and to Wyatt's amazement at her decency, she managed a small smile. All the sudden the flashback of Rufus lying there bleeding on the South Carolina, 1863 ground invaded Wyatt's memory.

"Hold on buddy, your gonna be alright. Hold on." Wyatt begged, as he looked down at his hand pressing hard against the gunshot wound in Rufus's chest.

A glimmer of light reflected off the silver ring on Wyatt's ring finger. He stared at the ring covered in Rufus's blood and cringed in anger at Jessica, and then himself. He chose to protect Jess, even after he knew she was working for Ritten House, and it was the wrong choice, and now Rufus was paying the price for that choice with his life. All the sudden the ring felt it was physically burning his skin. Jiya screamed Rufus's name and Wyatt watched in horror as Rufus stared at Jiya, tried to tell her he loved her, and took his last breath.

Wyatt took a deep breath, back in 2018, and managed a small upwards tug of the left side of his lip at Jiya.

"Come on, you gotta pilot the life boat in the morning. Try to get some sleep, alright?" He requested as he lightly guided her by the arm back towards her room.

He stood in the doorway and watched as she made her way to her bed, laid down, and pulled the covers over her head. It was only when Wyatt was sure Jiya was safe in her bead he had the nerve to step through the doorway and check on the person occupying the other bed in the room. He expected to find her asleep, instead her soft brown eyes connected with his blue ones, and a welcome familiar tingle swirled around in his gut, along with a piercing pain of sorrow in his chest, at the sight of her swollen bruised face, illuminated by the glow from the hallway light. He drew in a deep breath as another flashback hit him.

"I love you, Lucy" and there it is, Wyatt thought as he stared in front of him and dared not to look at her broken face.

He didn't want her to think he deserved to be telling her this.

"You don't have to say it back. You don't have to say anything at all, I just should have said it a long time ago and I didn't so I'm saying it now. Rufus wanted me to admit it. And I know where ever he is, if he's watching, he'd say it's about damn time."

"I can't believe he's gone" Lucy whispered, as every ounce of self-control threatened to betray Wyatt with the urge to reach over and wrap his arms around her.

He'd told her he loved her, and now as he stared at her he was even more in love with her. He'd always be in love with her, and if it took the rest of his life, he was damn well gonna prove it to her, and regain the trust he lost by making her believe there was anyone else alive more deserving of his heart than she was. He didn't realize this fact himself, until it was too late and everything was crumbling down around all of them.

"Is she ok?" Lucy asked him, as Wyatt couldn't help but to sigh and tug his lips into a small smile.

That's his Lucy. Worrying over everyone but herself. He walked closer to her and kneeled down at her level.

"She'll be fine when we get Rufus back tomorrow. Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you." He spoke softly to Lucy as she started to sit up in the bed.

"No, don't get up" Wyatt protested "sleep."

Lucy waved her hand up at him dismissing his request and started to slowly sit up, but her face crinkled in pain. Wyatt reacted before he thought by reaching down and grabbing her shoulders helping her sit up, surprised she was letting him, but relieved as well. One step at a time, he quoted to himself as he grabbed her legs and helped her scoot them around to place her feet on the ground. Trying not to press his luck Wyatt released her and watched in worry as Lucy leaned her head forward and breathed in a sharp breath.

"You ok?" Wyatt asked as he cursed Emma and promised himself he'd kill her next time he saw her.

Lucy looked up and nodded at him and then his heart stopped as she held her hand to him. He took it without pause and helped her to her feet.

"I didn't realize I'd be this sore." She told him with an apologetic tone.

"Well, how about next time you think twice before running after a psycho, rabid, Ritten house bitch without backup?" He teased making Lucy laugh, causing her to groan in pain.

"Sorry." Wyatt apologized as he stared down at their entwined hands.

He gave her no time to reply before he spit the rest out.

"Not for making you laugh, I'll never apologize for that," He playfully admitted.

He took in a deep breath, squeezed her hand and continued, still too ashamed to meet her eyes.

"What I mean is, I'm sorry Lucy," and because he had so many things to apologize for and no idea where to start he kept it simple,

"for everything."

He forced himself to look at her and then he stopped breathing again at the sharp pain in his chest, but this time it wasn't because of the bruises. Lucy was looking at him with her kind eyes and by God she was smiling, and it was beautiful and painful at the same time because all he wanted to do was kiss her and hold her and he wasn't aloud too, not yet.

"You sure you don't want to get back in the bed, I can bring you whatever you need" He offered her, knowing before hand she'd refuse, but he had to try, she needed rest.

"I can't Sleep" Lucy admitted to him "Not in this bunker with our future doppelgängers sharing a bedroom down the hall!"

Wyatt didn't know if it was her comical expression or the hilarity of the comment in itself but he erupted in a burst of laughter taking Lucy painfully with him.

"Maybe you two can go join your doppelgängers in that bedroom and explore a whole new meaning of 'Get a Room!' so I can get some sleep."

"JIYA" Lucy and Wyatt both chastised in unison and horror.

Jiya ignored them as she groaned, rolled over, and buried her head under her pillow.

"Come on" Lucy instructed Wyatt as she led him out of the room still holding his hand.

Once they were in the hallway, Lucy let go of his hand, and Wyatt replaced the awkwardness of the emptiness he felt by joking.

"Remind me never to wake Jiya up again, that scenario she mentioned is going to live in my nightmares forever."

"Are you hungry I can make us some eggs" Lucy offered.

Wyatt looked at her and smirked.

"How bout I do that?" Wyatt asked as Lucy feigned offense.

"That was one time!" She protested.

Wyatt couldn't help but laugh as he shook his head disagreeing with her. She never got the eggs right, as he remembered the egg shell incident of bunker history. Wyatt shuddered at the fear of almost having to give Mason mouth to mouth when he choked on Lucy's last batch of eggs.

When they got to the kitchen, he turned and looked at her,

"Please?" And then he managed his best Wyatt Logan beggar smile.

Lucy flashed him back the biggest smile he'd seen her use in a long time, and then guilt invaded her expression, and Wyatt watched in sorrow as her smile collapsed. Lucy swallowed and then her eyes filled with tears.

"What if it doesn't work?" She asked him in a shaky whisper.

She wasn't talking about the eggs. Wyatt cursed himself for what he'd put her through that they weren't in a place where he could reach out and hold her.

"It'll work."

Both Lucy and Wyatt jumped at the sound of Wyatt's voice because it wasn't now Wyatt's voice, it was future Wyatt. Wyatt and Lucy turned to see their Doppelgängers standing just feet away. They were cleaner than before, much more refreshed and dressed in the bunker's best comfy sweats. Wyatt was taken aback by "future" Lucy. She was beautiful, of course, but something felt off. His Lucy was standing beside him. He knew her, he didn't know the other Lucy. His Lucy must have felt the same awkwardness towards "Future" Wyatt because she subtly reached over and grabbed Wyatt's wrist holding a firm grip in place.

"It's the beard isn't it?" "Future" Lucy asked his Lucy.

"Excuse me?" She answered, as Wyatt marveled at her ability to keep her manners in a situation as surreal as this one.

"The beard, she hates it." 'Future' Wyatt answered nodding at 'Future' Lucy.

"Oh" Lucy chimed, "No, I actually like the beard."

'Future' Lucy rolled her eyes, as 'Future' Wyatt grinned in victory, and all Wyatt could do was amusingly file that information away for the future. Grow a beard, Lucy likes it.

"I thought I heard ruckus?"

Wyatt sucked in a breath of aggravation, how was it everyone was able to sneak up on him tonight? He turned and sneered at Flynn standing there, his arm still in a sling from where Emma shot him earlier.

"I've got everything under control" Wyatt told him not even trying to reign in his attitude.

"Great, you won't mind me, just getting a bowl of coco puffs, pain killers make me ravenous."

Wyatt wasn't oblivious to the quick look he shot in His Lucy and then 'Future' Lucy's direction. But before he could come up with a snarky remark, 'Future' Wyatt had Flynn up against the kitchen counter one hand squeezing his throat, while 'Future' Lucy stood there with a smug look on her face, and his Lucy had a look of shock and protest.

"Get this straight" 'Future' Wyatt ordered Flynn, who was fighting for breaths under the grip of "Future' Wyatt's hand.

"Lucy gave you that journal so you could save your family. Now I know that was a year ago for you, but it was only a few days for her, so you'll have to excuse me, as I react in anger at the newly fresh memories she experienced all at once as soon as we got back in the lifeboat. So, you don't look at her like that, and I think I can speak for the other me, when I tell you don't look at her either!" He threatened as he nodded at Lucy.

Flynn nodded slightly in understanding, and 'Future' Wyatt released him.

"That wasn't necessary" Lucy protested as she let go of Wyatt's wrist, walked over to Flynn, and despite the sick feeling in both Wyatt's gut, got Flynn a glass of water.

"It was necessary" 'Future' Lucy stated, "Look, in our timeline now, we've gotten caught up to here," She pierced Flynn with a dark stare, "You don't make very good choices from here on out, so if I were you, I'd listen to us and do exactly what we say. You want your family back you follow our orders for the next couple of days. Got it?"

Wyatt looked at Flynn in suspicious shock. He believed her. This was not his Lucy but he was starting to see a little of her in this Lucy. She had the "Bossy, know it all" part down anyway. Flynn must have believed her as well, because he nodded grabbed the box of cereal and the carton of milk, and said,

"We'll talk details later, always a pleasure" as he walked back to his room.

"What does he do?" Lucy asked her future self.

"Not important." 'Future' Wyatt answered her.

"Answer the question" Wyatt ordered his 'Future' self. He didn't care if it was him from the future if Lucy asks a question, you answer it, plus he wanted to know too.

"You don't understand," 'Future' Lucy protested "We can't tell you too much of what happens if we have a chance at saving everyone."

"Everyone?" Lucy questioned in horror as she grabbed a hold of Wyatt's wrist again.

"We can't answer you" 'Future' Wyatt spoke in a softer manner to her "One problem at a time."

This seemed to satisfy Lucy because she loosened her grip a little on Wyatt's wrist as he let out a sigh of familiar peace. Good we're still going with that logic Wyatt assured himself.

"I think we all agree we need to go get Rufus." 'Future' Wyatt continued "Without Rufus things started escalating downhill real quick, and that's all we can tell you for now, it's important we go get him before Emma shoots him, and then we'll talk about the elephant in the room" He said as he stared daggers right at Wyatt.

Wyatt sucked in a deep breath, Jessica. He wants to talk about Jessica. Wyatt had so many questions in that moment to ask him, about his kid, what he knew, but the look on 'Future' Wyatt's face told him to wait.

"Sweetheart, I think they've had enough for tonight." 'Future' Lucy spoke to 'Future' Wyatt, "Why don't we go back to bed, let them collect their thoughts."

'Future' Wyatt smiled wickedly at her over the suggestion to go back to bed.

"Sure thing, Ma'am" He answered her, then looked at Wyatt and Lucy, "Out lifeboat will be charged in 3 hours. We'll meet then."

Wyatt and Lucy watched in awkward silence as 'Future' Wyatt walked over to 'Future' Lucy caressed her cheek and kissed her on the lips before putting his arm around her and leading her back to the bedroom.

"I'm not hungry anymore." Lucy spoke first.

"Nope." Wyatt agreed.

"I'll see you in the morning" She told him, as he managed an understanding smile and watched her start to walk back to her and Jiya's room.

"Hey" He spoke up as she turned back around piercing him with her beautiful sad eyes, "It'll work, we're bringing Rufus home."

Lucy nodded, and then Wyatt witnessed as her whole frame froze, as if fighting a battle deep inside. Suddenly, she released a sigh, surprising him breathless by taking off at a sprint and practically crushing him with her body as her arms wrapped around his neck and she buried her face in his broad shoulder.

This, Wyatt thought to himself, as he carefully met her embrace and lowered his head to her shoulder, was a Lucy Preston hug. He didn't know who should let go first so he didn't, and she didn't either. Wyatt didn't care if they ever did, as he closed his eyes and reached up a hand and caressed the back of her head. How did he ever think he could live without this? She loosened her grip and leaned back skimming her eyes over his face. His heart broke at the single tear sliding down her cheek, he wanted to wipe it away, but he didn't dare move. She had to make the next move. She stared at him for a beat and then he quickly shut his eyes in response to the chills as she gently kissed him on the cheek, letting her lips linger. When they meet eyes again she placed her hand on his cheek and whispered,

"I just need time."

He could only manage a half smile and a nod before he watched her turn and walk away. Time. He owed her more than that, but she just needed time. One problem at a time.

Wyatt went back to the couch because His and Rufus' room was the room the future doppelgängers were occupying at the moment and he wasn't about to go anywhere near there or he'd be scared for life and need way more time than Lucy did.