A/N: So many people have suggested it that I finally went and checked out Timeless Fanfic Prompts tumblr, took a look at the list of January prompts, and decided to give it a go. The first one that caught my eye was: 10) Story must open with the line: "Wyatt, you look like hell." (prompted by LivingInSmilesIsBetter). So I opened a doc started typing and this came out. I'm not even sure why, lol. It just happened.
So hopefully you like it. It's a bit silly, but sometimes the Time Team needs a little silly.
Happy reading!
"Wyatt, you look like hell."
Never in his life had he imagined hearing John Wayne tell him he looked like hell. But that's who said it. A young John Wayne. It took him back to laying on the living room floor of his Grandpa Sherwin's house, watching Stagecoach so many times he could say the lines in time with the movie. But after the starstruck moment passes and he looks in the walled mirror behind the bar, he realizes Mr. Wayne is right. That bar fight had nearly gotten the better of him and he was certain Lucy would catch up with them and lecture him about unnecessary "cowboy stuff" but he was only going to have one opportunity to back up John Wayne in a bar fight and he wasn't going to let it pass him by.
A shot glass was placed in front of him and whisky was poured into it, and Wyatt marveled at the lack of any mark on John Wayne. His knuckles were red and a little bloody but other than that he didn't have a scratch on him
"Feel like hell too," Wyatt offered as he managed to pull himself together. He took the shot of whisky and looked to the door. No one seemed to be calling the cops, but maybe 1938 Hollywood had its own laws. Or maybe it was because John Wayne was six foot four and damn intimidating.
The bartender brought them a towel that was wrapped around a bundle of ice and Wyatt took it with a nod. He placed it over his eye while trying to ignore the blood from his split lip that was ruining the taste of the whiskey. Another shot was poured and Wyatt downed it quickly while John Wayne patted his back with a hearty laugh.
"You did good, kid," he said.
This felt so surreal. He was almost convinced he was dreaming until Lucy and Rufus barged through the doors. She stopped in front of him, crossed his arms in front of her chest, and then tapped her foot impatiently.
"Ma'am," John Wayne said as he nodded politely at her.
Lucy's foot tapping stopped and her gaze drifted over to John Wayne with a deep red blush. "Mr. Wayne," she said with a bright smile. Part of him wanted to point out to Lucy that she didn't seem to have a problem with John Wayne calling her ma'am, but he was in enough trouble at this point and thought the better of it.
"Dude," Rufus said to Wyatt with wide eyes as he sat down next to him and offered his fist for Wyatt to bump. "You just got into a bar fight with John Wayne," he whispered as Wyatt obliged and bumped his friend's fist.
Wyatt smirked and felt like he'd accomplished something worth bragging about. Not that he could tell anyone outside of Mason Industries. He immediately hid his smirk when Lucy turned to glare at him. He shrugged at her in response. Because, really, how could she blame him? It was John Wayne.
The bartender spotted Rufus and they'd all time traveled enough to know what was coming when the bartender came around the bar and started to approach them. But John Wayne held up his hand and the bartender froze.
"They're with me and my friend here," he said in a booming voice.
"Damn," Rufus said with an impressed expression. "We should take him with us to every time period we go to."
"It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Wayne," Lucy said as she smiled politely at him. She blushed again as he gave her a once over and Wyatt was surprised when she gave him a once over right back.
Rufus snorted and leaned toward him to whisper. "Lucy has the hots for John Wayne."
She shook herself out of her stare and then continued. "But we actually have to go now."
"Your young man is a damn good fighter, Ms. Preston. I wouldn't be too hard on him. I started the fight after all. He was just offering me a helping hand, or fist as it were," Mr. Wayne said as he smirked at Lucy. Was it just Wyatt or did that smirk look flirtatious?
Okay, Wyatt was starting to agree that it was time to go. He stood up and walked over to John Wayne. He shook his hand and winced at the grip the legendary actor had on his hand. He was glad he was never on the receiving end of a punch from John Wayne and he winced inwardly on behalf of the men who'd fled the bar just ten minutes ago.
"You got a good woman there, kid," John Wayne said as he nodded over Wyatt's shoulder at Lucy. "She's got every right to be put out with you and me. So, let her fuss if she needs to."
He didn't bother correcting his assumption that he and Lucy were a couple, they'd gotten so used to similar comments all across time that it never phased them anymore.
"I don't think I could stop her if I tried," Wyatt said with a dry chuckle.
Lucy let out a little harrumph sound that was both a huff and an agreement as they all walked out the door.
"Was the fist fight really necessary?" Lucy asked once the door to the bar closed behind them.
"That bar was full of Emma's guys and 1938 Rittenhouse muscle so yeah, it was. Besides, you heard John Wayne. He started it. I just helped him finish it," Wyatt told her with half a smirk.
"Well, Emma's gone," Rufus told him. "We followed her to the Mothership. They retreated back to the present."
They started the walk back to the Lifeboat with Wyatt still holding the towel of ice to his eye.
"Let me see," Lucy said as she reached up to remove his hand and the ice from his eye. She winced. "You can't see out of it, can you?"
"Nope," he answered as he popped the 'p'. He placed the ice back on his eye as Lucy moved on to his split lip and the shiner on his cheek.
"It could have been worse," Lucy said with a resigned sigh. "The two of you were far outnumbered."
"He knocked three of them out with one punch each," Wyatt said in amazement. "Just laid 'em out with one punch to the jaw. It was awesome."
Lucy chuckled at the glee in his voice and then shook her head at him. "Was it worth it?"
"Hell, yeah," Wyatt answered immediately.
Rufus laughed after a moment of thoughtful silence. "So it turns out there are only two men in the world who can call Lucy 'ma'am' and get away with it. John Wayne," Rufus said before he pointed at Wyatt. "And you."
Lucy blushed again. "What can I say? I may have had a little crush on The Ringo Kid when I was younger. My dad, my real dad, loved John Wayne. Stagecoach was our favorite."
Rufus nodded as if he'd just received some key piece of information that slid everything into place. "That explains you and-" he cut himself off and shrugged, as if he'd thought better of what he was going to say. "You know what? Nevermind." he spotted the Lifeboat. "Hey look we're here. Let's go home." It was an obvious and awkward attempt to move on with the conversation.
Wyatt and Lucy exchanged shy awkward smiles as they climbed into the Lifeboat. They both knew what he was about to say. Wyatt tossed aside the towel and the ice, throwing it out the Lifeboat door as it closed. He turned as Lucy was sitting down in her seat.
"So, what was it like flirting with John Wayne?" Wyatt asked as he lifted a brow at her and smiled teasingly.
"Oh totally thrilling," she admitted with a small giggle as he helped her buckle her seat belt. "But harmless. In 1938 he's still married to his first of three wives. Though he was also having affairs with actresses Merle Oberon and Marlene Dietrich."
"Damn," Rufus said in shock. "John Wayne had game."
"And commitment issues," Wyatt commented with a chuckle as he sat down and buckled himself in.
"Yeah, that too," Rufus agreed.
The Lifeboat took off and the usual unsteady sickness that followed a trip through time hit them as they came to a screeching halt in the present. The door opened and they stumbled out clumsily. What followed was a recap of the mission and the fight that Emma had used to make her hasty retreat.
Agent Christopher nodded and dismissed them with congratulations on a job well done. They'd successfully foiled whatever it was Emma had been attempting to change, but they still didn't understand what Rittenhouse's endgame was. They changed out of their time traveling clothes and into their plain clothes. Rufus waved goodbye and hurried off to find Jiya, leaving Wyatt and Lucy alone.
Wyatt cleared his throat and thought about what Lucy had confessed earlier about her father. "Stagecoach was Grandpa Sherwin's favorite John Wayne film too, by the way. I know every line by heart thanks to him. In fact, when I was five, I was The Ringo Kid for Halloween," he admitted bashfully.
Lucy smiled warmly at him. "You were, huh? Well, that's just adorable. Figures a reckless hothead would idolize a reckless hothead."
"Oh yeah?" He asked with a flirtatious grin. "You had a crush on The Ringo Kid so what's that say about you?"
She blushed just as she had in front of John Wayne earlier and smirked at him. "I don't think it's any secret that I have a bit of a weakness for reckless hotheads."
"Enough of a weakness to have dinner with one?" He asked with a small hesitant smile.
She looked pleasantly surprised at the invitation and nodded in agreement. "I was beginning to think you'd never ask."
"Just waiting for the right moment, ma'am," He said with a grin and a wink as he offered her his arm. "And, if you're interested, I've got a copy of Stagecoach back at my apartment."
"Dinner and a movie?" Lucy asked as she accepted his arm. "That's even better."