"What do you mean, Wyatt isn't going? He's our solider! We need him," Lucy demanded. Her fingers twisted the silk sleeves in an attempt to make them poof further. Once released the yellow fabric drooped like a scorched sunflower petal. "What about Rittenhouse?"
"He's not your only soldier," Agent Christopher replied, looking up from the file in her hand. "Flynn is fully capable of stepping into that roll. If I recall correctly, Rufus told him to 'Flynn it up'."
"I don't even know overheard me that day or why someone decided to write it down. It wasn't even my best quip," Rufus added as he smoothed down his tailcoat's wide collar. "I got way better quips."
Flynn rolled his eyes as he worked on buttoning his waistcoat. He obviously did not want to get into this weird bit of banter. Even still, there was a comeback. "You flatter yourself," he remarked in return. He couldn't help it. The words just slipped out. "You and I aren't really all that different. We've both made history books for the unexpected."
"Yeah, well. Don't flatter yourself, either. There's one difference between and me. I make this look good," Rufus countered, dusting off his shoulder.
"So where exactly are we going?" Jiya asked while fussing her white elbow-length gloves. "And why is Wyatt sitting this one out?" Changing the topic seemed like the best idea right about now. She could just imagine the two of them getting into a war of words that lasted so long that they lost the Mothership.
"December 1760. Berkshire, England," Denise explained, closing the file and laying it out the counter in case anyone else wanted to review the documents. "George III was King of England at the time, Lucy?"
"This is early in his reign. He'd been King barely two months at that time," Lucy added. "Even though he'd succeeded his father, he hadn't even been crowned. That wouldn't happen until September 1761, when he also married the beloved Charlotte of Mecklenburg."
"Beloved?" Rufus asked as he finished slipping into his high heeled boots.
"At first, yeah. She founded orphanages, hospitals for mothers-to-be, and schools for women. She was a patron of the arts and botany. Queen Charlotte was ahead of her time by a couple of centuries."
"Wow. She's just a modern day woman stuck in the 18th century. We sure she wasn't a female Marty McFly, who happened to get stuck in the wrong year?"
"Yeah, she was. In historical documents, it's heavily implied that she basically had to take over running England when King George III's illness incapacitated him," Lucy agreed, choosing to ignore the time travel quip. Anything was possibly. "Now, what about Wyatt? Is there a reason isn't he coming? While Flynn makes everything more entertaining…"
"Thank-you for finally admitting that, Lucy," Flynn interrupted as he pushed the rolling steps up to the Lifeboat. "I always knew that, but it's nice to get some validation every now and then." When Lucy rolled her eyes, Flynn just grinned.
"Connor is insisting on initiating vacation days. Every one of you will sit out a mission from here on out," Agent Christopher snapped.
"Did that response come a little too quickly?" Jiya whispered to Rufus, lifting the hem of her skirt as she waddled over to the time machine. She didn't want to trip over the dress's creamed milk fabric.
"It was quicker than the Millennium Falcon or the Enterprise," Rufus agreed while escorting Jiya up the steps and into the Lifeboat. He followed right behind with Lucy and Flynn entering after him.
Buckled in, Rufus input the data and braced for the time jump. Just in case something went wrong, he kept his fingers on the buttons as they moved through time and space and whatever else they moved through. Was it necessary? Probably not, but it was better safe than sorry. As they landed, Flynn grumbled about the seats needing shock absorbers and him needing a helmet.
"So where…." Jiya asked as they clambered from the Lifeboat. She had stopped talking. She had stopped moving. "Ummm, guys, we may have a problem?"
"What the hell? Are we in… Stonehenge?" Rufus asked, joining his girlfriend at the exit. "This is so cool!"
"How did we even land here?" Lucy asked as she too came to the exit. This place was amazing. The stones were massive. They were glorious. She never imagined coming here. She never wanted to leave.
"Maybe Lifeboat here thought it would be safest. You do realize that Berkshire is less than sixty miles from here?" Flynn asked from his seat. "We really should get going though. It's a couple day's walk and we're losing light."
"When did you become a walking, talking map?"
"Well, Lucy, did you ever think I might have a life before joining your little time team? That I actually grew up from a baby, went to school, had girlfriends, had a wife and child or has all this time travel made you forget? Did we change the timeline and all that doesn't exist?"
"You're hilarious," Lucy scoffed with an epic eye roll. "I guess we better get going then. After you, Ernest Shackleton."
"Who?"
"British explorer of the Antarctic region," Jiya mumbled. Feeling all eyes on her, she shrugged. "What? I wrote a high school term paper about him."
"My girlfriend is a walking encyclopedia and I love it," Rufus remarked as they all followed Flynn in the hopeful direction of Berkshire.
For some time the group walked through the cold. Flakes of snow dusted their hair and clothes. They stayed quiet and shivered as they walked. The evening was silent. Not a horse or carriage came by, but would they have? Was Stonehenge a tourist spot in Regency England? It seemed like the longest half hour, but thankfully they came to the little town of Amesbury.
"Maybe we can rent a carriage? Can you even rent carriages," Rufus wondered as they all entered a noisy and toasty-warm pub.
"We can't. We forgot one very important thing, money," Flynn whispered.
"So are you suggesting stealing a carriage?"
"Yes, Rufus, that is exactly what I'm suggesting," Flynn responded, looking around the pub. "Let's mingle and see if perchance someone could offer us assistance, shall we?"
"Smart," Lucy said. She was about to head towards one table near the door, when Flynn grabbed her arm. "I'm trying to mingle. What are you doing?"
"I'm helping you. Trust me this time. Just follow my lead."
Lucy rolled her eyes, but she didn't say anything else. She just followed at Flynn's side. He, it seemed, had a different table in mind. It was the loudest one in the place. The man was surrounded by people as they shared drinks and stories. At his elbow stood a radiant woman dressed in deep red velvet. Her powdered hair was curled and piled high upon her head. Her only adornments were a gossamer veil and a black choker. Lucy stopped cold in her tracks. Flynn backtracked when he realized the historian was not as his side. It was his turn to ask Lucy was she was doing.
"That's Polly Stevenson," Lucy whispered. She'd lowered her voice and stood on tiptoe so as to speak in Flynn's ear. "That would mean…"
"We're about to meet Benjamin Franklin."
"Yeah. Miss Stevenson was one of Franklin's lovers. If anyone would be attending King George III's winter ball, it would be them."
"Well perfect. Could Franklin or Stevenson be the target?"
"I don't think so. But be ready to 'Flynn it up' if push comes to shove."
Flynn bowed to Lucy. A little smile toyed with his lips. Not another word was needed. They had a plan. Now it was show time.
"Good evening, Sir. You wrote Poor Richard's Almanac, correct?"
The middle-aged man turned in his seat. He placed the tankard on the table. He shifted his glasses down onto the tip of his nose. Every move came with calculations, as if this were an act. "If I say yes, what is it to you?" he asked. While he didn't smile, there was a twinkle of mirth in his eyes.
"I am a huge fan of your works, your wisdom."
"Oh is that so, Mister…"
"Forgive me, Mr. Franklin. I am Mr. William Darcy and my companion is the amiable Ms. Elizabeth Bennet."
"Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Ben remarked, taking Lucy's hand and kissing it with tenderness before offering the hand to Flynn for a handshake. Flynn, of course obliged. "What, pray tell, brings you to Amesbury? This is not a popular destination."
"We were headed up to Berkshire when our carriage's axle broke. Without proper riding attire, we were hoping someone was headed in that direction."
"Is that so? Well, Mr. Darcy, you're in luck. My friend Polly Stevenson and I happen to be headed to Berkshire as well to attend the new King's celebrations. Would you happen to like to ride with us?"
"That would be lovely, thank you for your kindness and hospitality."
"We leave in the hour."
"Wonderful. Come Ms. Bennet, let's find a seat and warm up while we wait," Flynn said, offering Lucy his arm.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Franklin. Thank-you for the help," Lucy squeaked, curtsying before walking away with Flynn. Out of earshot, she called Rufus and Jiya to join them at the empty table. As the four of them sat down, mugs of ale, rolls, and bowls of stew were brought to their table as a gift of hospitability from Ben.
"This place is not like I expected it to be. It's kind of cool," Rufus remarked. "Although, I gotta admit the wood smoke from the fireplace is messing with my sinuses."
"You and me both," Jiya agreed as a trio struck up a lively jig.
"Oh, Mork, would you mind if I borrowed Lady Mindy for a quick dance around The Sleeping Lamb?" one of the patrons called from across the room. "Your betrothed is a radiant flower."
"Of course, but only if the Lady wishes," Rufus replied. He raised his eyebrows up and down a few times as if to say 'see you are as beautiful as I've said' while flashing a grin at Jiya.
"This pleasure is mine," Jiya responded as she stood. She couldn't hold back the grin. It seemed she was enjoying this trip a little too much.
"Mork? Mindy?" Lucy asked, snickering at the names chosen.
"Hey! You're laughing at Sir Mork of 'ork. I could have you arrested for such decorum," Rufus warned. He feigned disgruntledness. "Granted they all think I'm Sir Mork from York. Don't give me that look. Those were the first names I thought of."
"I knew that marathon was a bad idea," grumbled Flynn as he took a sip of the ale. "Come on eat and drink up. It's not like we'll be committing DUI or anything."
Lucy's lips pressed into a thin line as she shook her head. How could Flynn be enjoying himself so much? He didn't seem to be taking any of this seriously. He didn't seem to understand that they were in a make or break moment – again. What if they didn't get to the palace in time? What if they missed the sleeper? What if the sleeper acted before they could get there? There was so much that could go wrong.
Lucy pushed her stew away and stood. "I need some air. I'll be right back," she said, heading to the door before Flynn or Rufus could stop her. For some reason this seemed like their biggest mission to date. For some reason it seemed like the mission to take most seriously. Maybe it was because they were face to face with some of history's leading men and women. The foundation of the United States could be lost.
She went outside. The cold air pulled her outside. Grumbles of men shooed her outside. Closing the door, Lucy plopped down on a nearby stool. She breathed in the crisp, cool air and tried to relax. "We're going to save history. We can do this. We will. We always do," she whispered. That pep talk often played over and over in her head.
The air was calm as flakes of snow gathered on the ground. As far as the eye could see most of the town's buildings were lit up with flickering candles. Shadowy silhouettes laughed and danced and ate. In amongst the lightness there was dark, signaling rest. Amesbury was alive.
A carriage pulled up to The Sleeping Lamb. Two men got out. Both wore suits that include a vet, coat, knee socks, guarders, hefty collars, and period hats. One had his hand inside of his jacket's pocket. After a satisfied nod, he dropped his shoulder so his arm hung at his side. It was as he was trying to appear calm.
"Are you sure our Target will be here?" whispered the shorter of the two men as they climbed the steps to the pub. A low ponytail stuck out of his wide-banded D'orcay hat.
"This is his favorite stop. He will be here. I assure you. According to Emma, this is the first place he ever visited in England and tonight it will be his last," the second man whispered. His bald head shined under the more traditional regent hat.
"The Farmer won't know what's hit him, eh?"
"Hush it. One step at a time," cautioned the second sleeper as he placed a hand on the first sleeper's arm. "Remember what Emma said. You always are thinking five steps ahead. We take out our Target here and head on to meet the others at Farmer's ball. It will be an evening to remember."
"You got to break the habit of using it. How many times has it been? Five now? It's getting cliché."
"Well, it's true. I bet Flynn would agree. I bet he's never forgotten the night his wife…"
Lucy swallowed. She darted up and into the building just as the two men stepped onto the landing of the pub. She didn't hear the end of that last bit, but she knew. Making a bee-line to Rufus and Flynn, she whispered, "Our Sleepers are here. We have to get Franklin and Stevenson out of here. Now."
"Great. Let's take the sleepers out right here and go home. It'll save us a trip to Berkshire," Flynn responded. He began to rise. His hand went to his pocket for his pistol.
"We can't. There's more of them. We have to get to Berkshire fast. If we don't the foundation of the United States is at stake."
"I'll get Jiya. You round up Ben and Polly. I guess we're on a road trip, huh?" Rufus offered as he finished off his ale and roll. "Man, this is a good bite of bread."
Lucy couldn't help but laugh. Rufus always knew how to break the tension. But it didn't break for long. Her mind was back in the news. "Flynn, there's more…." Lucy began.
"It can wait," Flynn cut her off before heading over to Benjamin and Polly. "Mr. Franklin, it might be wise to leave sooner rather than later."
"Is that so?
"Indeed. I can say with great certainty that your life and the life of Ms. Stevenson is in grave danger."
"Mr. Darcy, it would not be the first time or the last time that my life has been in danger," Benjamin replied. He bit off a hunk of the roll ad chewed it. "I'm not worried."
"Well you should be," hissed Flynn. As if to emphasize the point, gunshots rang out. "See?" Before waiting for an answer, Flynn hauled Franklin out of the chair and shoved him towards the back. He shot as he went. Lucy did the same with Polly (sans the shooting part).
At the door, Lucy tripped on her skirt. Polly continued to run while Lucy attempted to untangle the fabric from the screw. One of the sleepers aimed at her. She screamed. Flynn screamed. Flynn shot and the bullet grazed his arm. It was enough time for Lucy to get free and out the door.
"Oh thank god you're alive," Jiya whispered, hugging Lucy. Rufus and Jiya had been out there waiting. "We heard the shots. We were about to go back in."
"Yes, well, it's probably wise you didn't. We really need to go," Ben said. "Sir. Mork and Mr. Darcy, you may ride with me. Lady Mindy and Ms. Bennet may ride with Polly. She is good company."
"You are a brave man, Mr. Darcy," Benjamin remarked as they bounced along in their carriage. "I am indebted to you. Thank you for saving my life. Thank you for saving my beloved." Those were the first words spoken since their adventure. They startled Flynn in their gentleness. It was not what he expected from the future founding father.
Flynn looked around the carriage before speaking. He probably would have come up with some weak reply if Rufus had been awake. The pilot was snoring quietly across from him. "It was nothing. I was doing the right thing," he replied. "For the longest time I didn't… do the right the thing. I was on a warpath of revenge."
"I take it you're trying to change?"
"Yes."
"Are you doing it for the right reasons though?"
"What do you mean?"
Benjamin Franklin just smiled. "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of," he said, quoting his own Poor Richard's Almanac just as their carriage pulled up to the palace. Polly Stevenson's carriage, with Jiya and Lucy inside, pulled up right behind them.
Flynn tapped Rufus on the knee as he exited the carriage. The awakened pilot exited. The three men went to the carriage. Jiya was the first to exit. Rufus offered her a hand to help her down. She took it. Polly followed and Benjamin helped her down just as Rufus had helped Jiya. Flynn followed suit when Lucy left.
Lacing arms, Lucy and Flynn headed towards the palace. "So what did you and Polly talk about on the trip here?" he asked as they moved with caution. The cobble walkway was a bit slick with the still falling snow.
"Mmm, not much," Lucy said with a shrug. "Life. Love. The future. The past. We just talked. It was nice. She's nice. Benjamin is lucky. What about you? What did you talk about?"
Flynn shrugged just as Lucy did moments earlier. In most situations, he would not have responded; he did not want to be rude. "Life. Love. Same as you and Polly," Flynn echoed. "He's quite a gentleman, an entertainer."
"I can imagine," she agreed. The words sounded weak – distracted even – as she scanned the crowd looking for any trouble. So far there seemed no disturbances. The quiet instrumental carols, tinged with a hint of Mozart, were just about drowned out by laughter, jokes, and general chatting. It all came out sounding like a buzz of a bee hive. Listen too long or too carefully and it sounded like they were saying eggplant repeatedly. Lucy hadn't realized she'd zoned out when Flynn whispered her name. "Yeah?"
"I asked if you wanted to dance."
"Oh. Um. Well. Sure." Lucy stammered. Her stomach did flip flops. Her hands grew perspired. Her heart fluttered. She was nervous. She didn't know why, but she way.
"That was the most convincing sure that I ever heard," Flynn joked, offering her a hand. "Don't worry, I'll lead. Dancing is one of my many secret talents."
She laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. I want to dance with you," Lucy assured him. She took his hand and allowed Flynn to lead her onto the dance floor. She watched the crowd, though. She couldn't help it. She was sure the two Sleepers from the pub would be here nay moment. Plus there were other Sleepers attending this ball. "What's Rufus doing?"
"Maybe he's on a fact finding mission? Maybe he really wants to try out the cello? I don't know. He's talking to quartet," Flynn said. He watched Rufus though. He was curious as to what their pilot was planning. Rufus had handed one of the musicians a sheet of music before dancing right back to Jiya. With stealth moves, Flynn literally waltzed Lucy closer to Rufus and Jiya as the music changed to something familiar. The notes of 'Falling Slowly' filled the room.
"I love this song," Jiya whispered as she looked up at Rufus.
"Happy birthday and happy anniversary," Rufus whispered, kissing her on the lips. "Jiya, you make me the happiest man in the world. I never thought anyone would ever love or accept a nerdy and awkward guy from Chicago. I never thought I'd meet anyone as equally passionate about video games and dancing or science and engineering as me. I never thought I'd meet someone who made me feel whole. But I have. You are all that and more. I never met anyone quite as supportive and stubborn and sweet as you. You are the most beautiful, sublime person. We drive each other crazy sometimes. We disagree. We push each other. I can't imagine not having you in my life. I love you. I, uh, want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you be the Morticia to me Gomez and marry me?"
Jiya stopped dancing. She stood there staring. Tears lined her eyes. "That is the most romantic thing you've ever said to me. That might be the most romantic thing anyone has ever said," she whispered, taking Rufus's face in her hands and kissing him squarely on the lips. "Yes, I would be honored to by your Morticia. I will marry you."
He kissed her back and then flashed Flynn a big, goofy grin. This was the best day of his life judging by his expression. The moment was interrupted, as tender moments tended too. The new King, George III, marched down the marble staircase with more pomp and circumstance than a holiday parade. When he reached the bottom, George III shifted his shoulder back and puffed out his chest so that his massive cape fell onto the stairs before taking the hand of a nearby woman and kissing her on the hand. "You are a magnificent creature! I've never seen such a delicate flower as you. Who may you be?" he asked as everyone, including the time team, bowed or curtsied to the King.
"Charlotte of Mecklenburg, Your Majesty," Lucy heard her say. But Lucy knew. This had to have been where George III met his future bride. What a moment to witness. It was a nice moment. It was a time before high taxes on the colonies that lead to the Revolutionary War (and thus the foundation of the United States). It was a time when the young King hoped for a bright future as a monarch. It would all end sooner rather than later.
The calm of the moment ended sooner rather than later, too. Shots fired out. People ducked. People screamed. People ran. It was chaos and there was the bald man from the fight at The Sleeping Lamb earlier in the day. He had is gun out, but it wasn't aimed at Benjamin or George III. Instead, it was pointed at Flynn as he marched straight forward.
"I bet you've been waiting for this day for a long time," he called, preparing a shot. His lips curled into a smirk. He looked every bit the villain part; he was almost ironic. "I bet you dreamed about it, but never in a million years thought you would get this revenge. Or will you?"
Flynn turned. He aimed his gun at the bald man. "What are you talking about? Who are you? I've never seen you in my life," he spat. "I've been waiting for nothing."
"Oh, you lie. You always did. Lorena didn't like that habit. Sure, it was always about little things, like when she asked about forgetting milk or picking up your socks. She was grumbling about it that night," he mocked and then laughed as realization dawned on Flynn's face. "You know who I am."
Before Flynn could react with words or trigger, more gunshots filled the air. The rest of the sleepers had arrived and they were locked in on their targets. But history won. The time team defeated the sleepers, yet again. Ben Franklin, Polly Stephenson, George III, and Charlotte of Mecklenburg all lived to see their futures. In the commotion, they decided to flee.
"Stonehenge awaits," Rufus called, holding onto Jiya's hand. He never wanted to let her go. "Everyone really Flynned it up back there. Let's get out of here before we get knighted or something. On second thought, that would be really cool."
Jiya raised an eyebrow. She showed him her hand, where there would soon be a ring, and offered up a coy smile. "Oh really?" she purred.
"On third thought, let's go," Rufus added within seconds. There would be celebrations at home in the bunker - maybe some chocoldiles and Mortal Combat (just like Netflix and chill, but way better).
The four of them hurried out the castle. The scaled down the stairs and took a merchants horse and cart. "I'll drive," Flynn offered, getting into the driver's seat and taking the reins. Lucy plopped next to him as Rufus and Jiya got in the back.
"I'm sorry," Lucy whispered, looking at him. She didn't look around for sleepers. She just focused on Flynn. She rested a hand on Flynn's knee. Her heart broke for the man. She wanted to help him, but how? Lucy didn't have any answers.
"You knew. You knew who they were," Flynn said. There was no malice or hurt in those words. They sounded flat, if not defeated and resigned. "You tried to tell me, several times."
She nodded. "I wanted to prepare you. I couldn't imagine being faced with my family's murderers, especially here. The news seems like it would've been out of left field. You know, I think Agent Christopher knew. I think she had a hunch about these sleepers. I think that's why she wanted you to come. I wish I'd figured it out sooner," she replied in the same whisper. "I feel like I failed you."
"You didn't. You saved me. You made me realize there's more than revenge. You made me realized I needed to put my life together, for you and for me. I love you, Lucy. I have for awhile. I understand if you don't…" Flynn started. However, he was cut off by a kiss. It was a short kiss, but it was full of passion.
"I love you, too," Lucy said once she was back in her seat. She licked her lips, enjoying the taste of his mango lip balm on the tip of her tongue. Smiling, Lucy leaned her head against Flynn's arm as they continued their ride back to the Lifeboat.