Chapter Summary: In which Wyatt executes a daring rescue and finds a new historian.
"You love her, still?" Rufus said.
Wyatt glanced up. For once Rufus was serious. He shrugged and then nodded. Rufus simply turned to the controls. He handed Wyatt a device and showed him how to switch it on and off. Wyatt only hoped it worked and if it didn't their deaths wouldn't be too painful. Maybe wishing for a bullet in the brain would be easier.
"Well, here's to hoping that our sciencing the shit out of things works," Rufus said. Wyatt couldn't laugh.
At least they arrived in one piece. The shield seemed to work at least that much. "You stay in the Lifeboat. If I don't get back in an hour take the boat back."
"Ok. Listen, no being an idiot. I know you feel like there isn't much left but I'm not going on missions alone with Cynthia and Flynn." Wyatt knew Rufus was saying that he wasn't going to be a hero. That he had to be careful. Well, the point wasn't being careful. He was fighting physics and biology, not Rittenhouse.
He turned on the force field and then stepped out of the Lifeboat. The field seemed to create a weird shiny bubble around him. He reached out his hand and felt something physically stop his hand. It wasn't solid exactly. But it sure felt strange. He saw the sleeper standing by the road. Then he saw a car approach. A young woman was driving. She was dark haired with large glasses and seemingly talking to herself. Lucy. The sleeper raised his gun. Wyatt shut off the force field. He then raised his own gun and fired. The man fell. Lucy turned to look back but clearly only saw the man fall. Wyatt turned on the force field again and watched in horror as Lucy's car drove straight off the side of the road into the water. He had known it would happen but somehow it felt worse.
Every instinct fought with him to panic and do something stupid. He took off running and stripped off the force field device before diving into the water. Lucy's car was filling with water and he could hear her screams and the way she was fighting. He felt it too. The effect of being in his own timeline was enough to make his head feel like exploding. He knew how to rescue her. He smashed open the window and grabbed her in the way he had been taught. She was resisting but stopped after a second. It was only a short distance to shore but it felt like a journey of a year. He wasn't going to make it back to the Lifeboat. No, way. But he had saved her.
"Thank you." she gasped out.
"Help will be on their way ma'am," he said. He grabbed the force field and flipped it on. The heaviness in his head dissipated a bit.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"A friend," he replied. He had to get back to Rufus. As much as he might want to stare at her it wouldn't do. Because it would hurt so much more when he got back to the present. And besides everything inside was scrambling together horribly. If he was going to die he'd prefer not to be around Lucy.
He did glance back. She was still panting and tears ran down her cheeks but she looked so much like his Lucy that it felt like the hardest thing in the world to step away. He made his way back to the Lifeboat. Rufus was waiting and when he stepped inside Rufus gave him a huge hug and said, "You made it man. I was afraid that my science wasn't working out."
"Yeah, let's get out of here. I feel a little funny." His head felt like it was splitting apart and the usual time traveling nausea was a hundred times worse. This might be what dying felt like. The pressure was so intense, building and making him feel like his body was literally being torn apart.
The moment the Lifeboat touched down Rufus pushed open the door and called out, "We need a doctor."
Wyatt didn't remember anything about the next three days. Apparently, he had a close shave. Just a moment or two more without the force field and he would have died. The effects of traveling back on your own timeline were probably, he noticed the word probably, not lasting. He still had one hell of a headache and couldn't eat. Denise fussed over him like he was a child which was both endearing and annoying. He thought she still felt grateful for him saving her life back in 81. Cynthia occasionally popped her head in but she was clearly not really into sick people. Rufus spent a lot of time talking about Star Wars and his latest theory in regards to upgrading the Lifeboat. He also talked a lot about Jiya. They had gotten over their lovers quarrel over her visions and now seemed happily in love. Wyatt was glad about it. If anyone deserved happiness it was Rufus and Jiya. But somehow it reminded him of Lucy and Hollywoodland and her excitement at knowing Rufus and Jiya were finally a thing.
He didn't look her up until he was back in commission. If there was something about her not existing or being dead he didn't want to know it while he was sick. But when he googled her name he found her just as before. She looked the same. But he caught a subtle hint of something like loneliness in her occasional Facebook post. Maybe Lucy wasn't as happy as he had thought?
Later that month Cynthia left the team. Her brother had gotten cancer and she wanted to be near him. Wyatt supposed he ought to feel sorry to see her go. It wasn't like he disliked her. But she wasn't Lucy. Rufus, Flynn, and Wyatt stumbled around in the past on those missions trying to avoid major catastrophes. Well, they didn't avoid having a major issue when Rittenhouse attacked a young John Kerry and they accidentally brought him to the present. Without a historian, they were a bit of a mess.
"I know of someone," Wyatt said. Flynn gave a sly smile. It was all going to plan. The journal part was finally happening.
"Who?" Denise looked as if she might run screaming outside of the bunker. No wonder. With the success rate of their recent missions, they were definitely giving her a headache.
"Lucy Preston. The historian in our time." Wyatt glanced at her.
She gave a slight knowing look and said, "I don't know. I believe her father is Rittenhouse. Her mother most likely was but she's dead. Lucy could be a very dangerous person to bring here. But I understand you are personally connected to her. Still, you must remember she may not be your Lucy. She could be someone quite different."
"Let me just go and talk with her. If she is Rittenhouse…"
"You wouldn't know." Denise looked at him and went on, "Yes, I know. And Lucy Preston could be a very dangerous person. Or a very helpful person."
So that's how he ended up in Westwood on a Thursday afternoon. Denise had already sent an email and apparently, Lucy had replied agreeing to meet with them. It was hard to think of Lucy being this formal. The thought of seeing her again, even another version of her, made him feel positively giddy. He wanted to sing, despite not having a voice but managed to suppress that impulse. Rufus was still working on the shield for the Lifeboat and couldn't be persuaded to stop working except for missions. Wyatt suspected Rufus wouldn't have been able to suppress the absolute joy at seeing Lucy again and said something really awkward.
It had been so long since he had been out of the Bunker that he had a hard time adjusting to it. UCLA was busy on a Thursday afternoon and he noticed that he was barely noticed. In his nice clothes (something he stole from the 80's) he probably looked like staff or something. Lucy had agreed to meet him in her office in Bunche Hall. The elevator conveniently was slow but fortunately, he had a few minutes to spare. He was going to see Lucy. The excitement welled up deep inside making everything else seem to disappear. Would he be able to contain his shock and elation when he saw her? He had been told his poker face wasn't very good.
He tapped on her office door and heard her voice, "Come in."
Author's Note: Yay! This is one of my favorite chapters. Lyatt finally meets in this timeline. Again I am completely making up the stuff about traveling in your own timeline. I have no clue how it works and the show didn't really elaborate on it. Wyatt finally admits to Rufus that he loves Lucy :). And Lucy is probably quite confused as to her guardian angel. Don't worry, you'll see him again in another twelve or so years.
Having been in Bunche hall it is indeed true that the elevators are notoriously slow and often stall (The building is 11 stories which makes taking the stairs difficult. Most of the history professors have offices on the fifth and sixth floors.) I plan to include some more UCLA stuff because I'm a nerd. Thank you, Flynn, for confirming that Lucy graduated in history from UCLA. Wyatt is so excited to see Lucy it's not even funny. Even though he knows she isn't the same person exactly he's just so excited. This story is making me feel so much more happiness considering the sadness of canon. I'm trying to cheer myself up.