Her feet had grown numb walking in the icy water, so now they went along the river's edge on land. Lucy found it was difficult to keep from falling while awkwardly attached to a six-foot four man. And speaking of being attached to said man, because of the whack job who cuffed them all funky, it forced them to walk one behind each other and so far, it had been Lucy bringing up the rear most of the time.

In the middle of her mental gripe, Lucy spotted a small little waterfall that fed into the small river. "Over there!" She took off towards it with Flynn in tow. They reached the little falls and peered at the water. "It looks clear," she surmised. "But that doesn't mean anything."

"I'm taking my chances." Flynn kneeled, stuck his free hand under the gurgling crystal water and sopped it up with some escaping and drizzling down his arm and neck. Lucy followed suit. The chilled water filled her cupped palm and she brought it dripping to her dry lips. Not having had a drink of anything since Saturday, plus all the drugging, running, shooting, dogs and just being plain freaked out, both were soothed by the crispy coldness of the water. Their parched tongues and throats received the much-needed liquid as it flowed into their dehydrated bodies. Lucy splashed some on her face, doing her best to remove the mascara and eyeliner that had been stinging her eyes from all the sweating. They sat and rested for a time in between taking drinks. Lucy took the opportunity to find out some answers.

"OK, who have you ticked off now?" She asked calmly but laced with accusation.

He looked back at her as he rubbed water over his face and neck, "If I were you, I would ask myself why instead of who."

"OK, why have you ticked them off?"

"You don't know that it's me."

"You think it's me?" She retorted. "Haven't seen you in months and suddenly I'm waking up drugged and handcuffed to you. I'm starting to wonder if this is all punishment."

Locking eyes with her, he replied, "Not a picnic for me either."

Months had gone by since she'd seen hide or hair of him and suddenly she wakes up chained to the MIA Flynn. Christopher and Mason Industries had called the team for a meeting regarding the subject of their missions. They sat around the conference table as Christopher announced, "Since for these past months, Garcia Flynn has ceased and desisted from his activities, we are in the immediate process of dialing back all our surveillance on him. As of this day, there will be minimal watch over Garcia Flynn.

"So basically, he stop, we stop." Rufus punctuated with a quick spread of his hands.

Wyatt sat forward in his seat, "Good! Personally, I would love to not have to jump from time to time chasing him anymore."

"Do we know where he is?" Lucy asked hesitantly.

Christopher placed her finger tips on the table, leaning forward, "Shockingly, he's just been doing basic life. Going about from his loft in the historical district to generic places like the market, the barber, and…," She looked around at them, "It appears he's been getting into high end antique dealing."

"Legally?" Wyatt suspicioned simultaneously with Rufus' disbelief, "Flynn got a job?"

Christopher slowly nodded, "Yes to both. So, there's nothing more we can do but take this as a blessing and get back to our own lives of which, I'm sure we all want to do. But," She held up a finger, "you are all still on call for the next six months if anything should change. So, don't book any flights to Tahiti just yet."

"Sorry, Jiya," Rufus smiled to the woman on his right, "Maybe, Napa instead."

Rolling her eyes, yet smiling lovingly at him, she replied, "That would be just as nice."

"Alright," Christopher stepped back from the table. "You're all dismissed…until further notice. And keep your cells charged!"

Lucy had left the meeting bewildered that not only had Flynn stopped his missions, as far as they could tell, but that he actually was doing something else. Something different and resourceful like working a normal job. Granted it was a relief to know he'd stop his mad dashing through time, but what or who could have possibly gotten him to do that? It didn't add up. So vehement he was about getting his wife and daughter back, solely fueled and running off the adrenaline of crushing grief and loneliness and then… All sudden silence from his end. Nothing. At all.

Did something happen? Did he run out of money? Was he sick? Would she ever find out since now she wouldn't be seeing him anymore? She supposed she could go in and ask Christopher for his exact where abouts, but certain it wouldn't be received well and sure that she couldn't get the information without first answering a plethora of questions, of which she didn't want to answer, the option was out. Euphoric relief should have been dancing beside her, but what she was feeling now could only be named as...uneasiness.

Where was Flynn and what had changed for him?

Breaking into her thoughts, Flynn pointed away from the river, "This way?" Lucy looked over at him.

Here was Flynn. Attached to her arm and running along with her for their lives.

Slowly dropping his pointing hand Flynn waited for her response noticing the flush that had been clinging to her now clean face was gone, replaced by pure fatigue of which he felt too. Her gaze travel over his face and settled on his eyes making his pulse increase. What was she thinking? Even void of makeup and filled with tiredness, Lucy was still…

He broke their connection.

Roughly, running his hand through his hair and wanting to move past the awkwardness that was now hanging between them, he asked "Ready?"

She closed her eyes and nodded, "Sure."

Rising, he helped her to her feet and they headed away from the river.

Neither of them said a word for a while as they walked on through the trees. Lucy tuned her ears to listen to the woods, doing her best to keep from falling into the sucking thoughts of doom. The birds in the trees, rustling of little animals, squirrels perhaps, their own feet crunching leaves and breaking twigs, and Flynn's breathing. Oddly enough, she found comfort in the latter. It sounded nice. Sure she was headed into delirium, he suddenly asked, "What was the last thing you remember?"

Lucy thought a bit. "I was at the grocery store."

The ground gradually began to rise into a wooded hill. To keep from slipping Lucy reached her cuffed hand out and patted his and without even looking back at her, he easily took it, as he asked, "Do you recall running into anyone?"

Filing back into her memory of the short trip, she replied, "No, not anyone suspicious."

"Do you remember getting back to your car?" He pressed.

"Funny. I remember leaving with my bags and being in the parking lot walking towards it." She fell silent for a beat. "And the next thing I saw…was you."

"Was there a van parked next to your car?"

"Now that, I don't remember."

"From the store." Flynn said more to himself than her.

The hill gave way to a more leveled out wooded land again and they came upon a random old wood and wire fence. The height came to just above Lucy's waist. Looking up and down the fence she saw no opening and sighed, "Another fence to climb." She put her hands on one of the wood post that held the wires up at intervals and made ready to climb over when Flynn stopped her.

"Here." He positioned her in front of him with her back to his chest and suddenly swept her up into his arms causing her to squeak. Shifting her over the fence, he leaned down and easily placed her on the other side. He braced one of his hands on the wood post and one on the top wire and effortlessly leaped his body over to her side.

Flynn looked off into the trees as he took her hand and tugged, "Let's keep moving."

Trying not to be impressed with Flynn's agility and the ease of which he had picked her up, like there was no difference between her and a tea cup, she continued with the conversation.

"Um, what about you?"

"I was at home." Flynn stepped over a fallen tree in their way and helped Lucy over as well.

"They got you straight out of your home?"

"Looks that way."

"I would think your home would be locked down with booby traps."

"…I'm not paranoid."

Trying to put it together, Lucy asked, "So... you were just at home...relaxing?" Not missing the surprised inflection in her voice, he stopped and let her hand go, "I had some down time."

"Down time?" She said raising her eyebrows.

"You find that surprising?"

"I do. You're the busiest man I know." One shoulder made an almost imperceptible shrug, "Just have a hard time imagining someone like you, taking advantage of it, just to relax."

Something unreadable passed over his eyes, "I was lying on my sofa. Next thing I know, I'm waking up handcuffed to you."

An image of Flynn lying on his couch all sprawled out popped in her mind.

"Were you napping?"

He frowned, "Yes. Why?"

She shook her head, "Find it hard to believe you take naps."

He raised his free hand to rub his eyes as he said, "Contrary to what you may believe Lucy, I am human."

He walked on pulling her with him.

Flynn had spent a good hunk of Saturday doing everything but relaxing. Research was what occupied him, and he wasn't going to tell Lucy that because it was research on the man she had a date with that Friday night.

The man didn't sit well with him to the point that he wanted to see if he could find out more info on him. And he did. His name was Geoffrey Marsden and he frequented a particular high end eating lounge on the westside on Saturdays. So, Flynn found out the exact location and waited outside in his car until late afternoon for the man to show up. Once the man arrived and went inside, he followed him in nonchalant.

Flynn stepped inside the restaurant and removed his sunglasses. Inside were tall dark wood booths lining the parameter of the walls. Not too many people were in there as it looked like a place that more than likely got busy as the night went on into the wee hours. Casually, Flynn walked over and slid into the booth next to Geoffrey's. A server came by and he ordered a lager. Occupying himself on his cell phone, he listened and waited intently to hear anything the man would say. Flynn was just about halfway done with his lager when he heard the guys cell phone buzz on the wooden tabletop and he answered it on the second buzz. Flynn leaned back to listen in on his one-sided conversation.

"Hey -Yeah, last night -Lucy was everything you said she was -She's pretty and sweet -How did your end go today? -That's good -This is going to work -Oh? -Is that so? -Then, I'm a lucky guy –Tonight -8 o'clock."

The man terminated his call, got up and walked out.

Flynn bided his time and waited there ten minutes, casually finishing his drink before he placed money on the table and left.

He was already halfway out of his leather jacket as he entered his loft an hour and a half later. A deep cushy chair caught the jacket as he tossed it, flipped the light switch and headed straight to the kitchen. The refrigerator door slammed as he twisted off the gold jagged cap of a beer and down the cold brew feeling the iciness slowly pour down his throat to his stomach. The amber liquid reflected the warm lamp light coming from his living room as he turned and placed his elbows on the dark soapstone island and set the bottle down.

For all intents and purposes, it sounded like Lucy just went out with the guy and it went well. He took another drink. She was, after all, a grown, attractive, intelligent woman. Bound to get plenty of offers. And not too many men who wouldn't want to be with her. Was this guy really interested in Lucy? Or was he trying to get something from her? What did he want if that were so? How did they meet? Was Lucy actually interested in him? He'd have to look more into the guy.

And that was a needling question at the back of his mind, pushing to be asked. Why was he making it his business to check this guy out? For Lucy's sake? He told himself that he just wanted to make sure...what?

That she was safe.

Are you now her self-appointed protector? Because you're not very good at that.

Wanting to escape the directions of his thoughts, he drained the rest of his beer and tossed the bottle into the recycle bin.

Stretched out on his leather sofa with his arms crossed over his chest, he stared up at the exposed pipes and air ducts while Lucy lingered on the periphery of his mind. Shifting, he slipped his cell from his back pocket, pushed the sleep/wake button, and entered his passcode. With half reluctance and half need, he tapped his photos icon and slowly scrolled toward the image that he'd found himself looking at more and more of late. He wondered why he hadn't deleted it as images went by. His eyes carefully searched row, after row, denying his anticipation was growing with each scroll down and… She appeared. Inhaling and exhaling once, he stared at the little picture. Raising his thumb, he let it hover over her, debating. Gently, he lowered it and touched her, and she filled his screen.

It was a black and white. He had taken the picture of a photo that he had gotten a hold of so that he would know exactly what younger Lucy Preston looked like when he finally met her for the first time. The first time happened quite a while ago. She wasn't smiling, but she was looking pleasantly into the camera. Judging from what she was wearing and the trees behind her, it could have been spring or summer. He always settled on spring because the camera had caught a couple of tendrils of her dark hair being blown gently across her soft face by what can only be a spring breeze. It had been some time since he last saw her. Beautiful eyes.

He clicked the button of his cell turning the screen off and closed his eyes with her lovely face still before his mind's eye. He must have fallen asleep because next thing he knew he was waking up attached to her.

The sun was clearly setting signaling that they had been walking for hours and that they were nowhere close to getting out of their situation at least for that night. Once the sun went behind the trees that was it. Darkness.

Lucy gently pulled on the cuff, "Hey, we're going to have to find somewhere to spend the night."

Turning to her he stopped and joked sinisterly, "Does the fair Lucy Preston trust me enough to spend the night with me?"

Yep, she thought, he was getting hit with delirium too.

"More like I'm tired, thirsty and hungry enough not to care." She said flatly as she took his hand. He looked down at it and her curiously. "It chafes my wrist less," was all the explanation she gave as she took the lead with Flynn trailing behind her.

Forty minutes later as night was creeping in, Lucy looked up and saw some type of wooden building off in a little clearing. "What's that over there?"

Through the trees where she was pointing he saw a structure. Upon closer inspection as they approached, they saw the building was an old barn. They moved around it and located the door. Flynn grabbed the side of it and it held fast. Pulling harder it started to give way. Lucy took the edge of it as well and they pulled until it gave enough for them to get in.

Lucy stepped through first with Flynn coming in next and he immediately looked around for some kind of weapon as Lucy looked around at the stalls and up at the hay loft wanting a place to sleep. No telling how old the place was or when it was last used.

"It's better than nothing. The loft?" She asked as Flynn pulled her over to a feed box in the corner and lifted the lid. It held a few old blankets. Dust flew off them as he handed some to Lucy who took them and tried to shake them out, but Flynn pulled her along to another feed box which held nothing. And the next, which had more of the same nothing.

He looked up, "The loft. We can sleep there." Lucy just nodded.

He shook the loft ladder to see if it was sturdy enough and it appeared to be. He took the blankets from her and threw them up into the space.

"Flynn?"

He looked down her. "What?"

"I... have to use the bathroom."

They both stood there looking at each other for a couple of beats.

"I probably should go too." He said.

"Omigosh, not together."

"I don't think that's avoidable."

Lucy couldn't meet his eyes.

Seeing her distressed he offered, "I'll go first."

She placed her hand on her face.

"Okay, you go first. Not a big deal."

"To you maybe."

"Due to the circumstances, we're going to have to do this eventually. Maybe a couple of times. Maybe even-."

"STOP! Okay, okay!"

"Okay." He led them out.

Outside he looked around, saw a tree with a little grass at the bottom off to the side and pointed.

"There."

The tree he chose was about five yards from the barn. Lucy stopped him again.

"Lucy-."

"Wait, wait...Can you go using one hand?"

"I wasn't planning on it." He dead panned. "It'll be quick, trust me."

At the tree, he stepped behind it making Lucy's arm extend out. The sound of his zipper being let down came to her ears. Squeezing her eyes shut, she started reciting the Preamble out loud.

"We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect Union-."

He shook his head and started.

"Establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide the common defense-."

"I'm almost done."

"Please don't talk to me while you're making. Promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our prosperity-."

She actually heard him chuckle.

He zipped his zipper with her arm slackening as he stepped out from behind the tree.

"Your turn." He said with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"You think this is funny?"

"I do."

Lucy just stood there.

"Look, it's not that hard." He reasoned.

"Easy for you to say." She still didn't move.

He leaned in, "If you don't go, I will take the pants off you myself." She gave him a dirty look as he stepped forward like he was about to make good on his threat.

"Alright, alright." She said holding him back. "Close your eyes."

"They're closed."

A couple of moments go by with him hearing nothing, "Lucy."

"Can you recite-."

"No." He said cutting her off.

Lucy steeled herself. She undid the metal button and unzipped the zipper. Both her hands were needed to pull down her pants.

Lucy cleared her throat. "Uh...can you bend down a little? So, I can…"

He bent down.

She let out a couple of breaths with Flynn waiting with his eyes shut. Going for it she pulled her pants down, squatted as best as she could without pulling Flynn's arm too far and went. She finished, quickly stood and yanked her jeans up in one quick motion as she zipped and buttoned them.

Now that was humiliating. Tinkling in the forest with Garcia Flynn was high up on the list of things she thought she'd never do. This was something getting deleted from her memory immediately.

They walked silently back to the barn which made Lucy grateful for Flynn not saying a word.

Lucy started up the ladder first with Flynn right behind her. It took some coordination, but they made it to the top.

"I really hate spiders." Lucy shivered at the thought of the arachnids.

"It's dark, you can't see them."

"That helps."

The loft floor was very dirty as they kneeled facing each other with their cuffed wrists extended in front of them. Together their free hands spread a blanket out over the flooring. They then laid down with Lucy lying on her left side facing Flynn who was lying on his back, their cuffed wrist between their bodies. Flynn pulled the other blanket over them with his free hand and both laid quietly listening to the night.

After some minutes, Lucy placed her head closer to him and whispered.

"We're going to get out of this."

The soft, positive and determined words tumbled in his mind as he played them over. How did she do it? Ran for their lives all day, now lying in an old dirty barn in the middle of God knows where, and on top of that, exhausted, thirsty, starving and chained to someone, whom she would deem, the last man on earth, and yet… Here she was. Still hopeful.

Probably stemmed from her stubborn streak because, no doubt, Lucy was one to always stand against the odds. He'd witnessed it a number of times when he had been the odds and as a result, the strength he saw in her began to change the way he perceived her. Each time he saw and spoke with Lucy on any of his missions made it harder and harder for him to go against her because she had gradually become someone he didn't want to disappoint. He found himself, more often than not, wanting her to not think of him as a monster, but to get why he did what he did.

You want her to understand you.

Soft, slowed breathing pulled him out of his anxious thoughts, signaling to him that she was fast asleep. Feeling her head resting against his shoulder, he caught the faint scent of some type of floral shampoo and angled closer to identify it. Roses... That was mingled in with her scent. Flynn closed his eyes and let her words circle around him one last time as a deep breath of her mixed with roses filled his lungs before he turned his head back to stare up into the darkness. Right there he vowed to do everything he could to get Lucy home.