Sometime during the night, Henry began to stir and he woke up with a start. They'd fallen right after making love and he'd slept like the dead ever since. Both were exhausted having barely slept in days. Lucy was sprawled practically on top of him, all long limbs and tangled dark hair. She had a strand of hair in her mouth that he carefully brushed aside. Henry began whimpering again.
Wyatt got up and went over to his son. Henry gave another cry as he lifted him up. "You hungry? Or do you need to be changed?"
He kept his voice low as he checked Henry's diaper and changed it with ease. "Don't want to wake Mama. She needs her sleep."
Henry continued to whimper softly. Wyatt wondered if his son sensed that the timeline shift had occurred. It was impossible but it felt as if Henry knew that something had happened. He reached into the small refrigerator they kept the formula in and retrieved the bottle. Henry gave a contented little snort as he placed the bottle in his mouth.
There was nothing better than seeing him healthy and happy. Nothing better than knowing this crazy time travel world was over and Henry could grow up in a world without the fear of being erased. Sitting down on the chair he continued feeding Henry until he was satisfied. Lifting him up, he patted him on the back and chuckled when Henry burped loudly. He'd never have thought that he'd ever been glad that a baby burped. But it meant Henry was alive and healthy and that was the most important thing.
Finally, Henry was put down and fell asleep again. Henry was such a good baby which had to be a relief with the other bunker occupants. Crawling into bed beside Lucy he stared down at the rings glittering on her hand as she slept. The idea that they'd come upon this timeline was so outstanding and terrifying and unreal. Lucy was his wife. Henry was back. Rufus was back. The Mothership was gone.
Guilt threatened to pull him in. He'd failed so often and so thoroughly. He'd gone after Jessica even though he'd known his true place was beside Lucy even if she hadn't been willing to accept him right then. He'd allowed Jessica to manipulate and control him, endangering everyone. He'd behaved like an unmanageable asshole to Lucy acting with jealousy and selfishness. And then he'd lied and allowed Jessica to kidnap Jiya and contribute to Rufus's death. No wonder his future self had been so harsh.
The sight of him and Lucy looking so distant had been a punch to the gut. He hated the way they looked so awkward and uncomfortable around each other. It had reminded him of his own parents before the divorce and his mother disappearing, never to be seen again. She'd ended up committing suicide in a hotel room in Reno. He'd resolved he'd rather die than see himself ever become that hardened, bearded stranger.
Knowing that Lucy had apparently moved on with Flynn had been painful but the one thing he'd always wanted for her was happiness. She'd seemed happy enough in that short entry, after being so pained all along, that he'd assumed that that was where the story ended. True, all that would be erased when Henry came back but if he went back and fixed things then she would be free to be with anyone she chooses. His son being around Flynn, being raised by the man, made his heartache. Well, perhaps he would have been a good stepfather. He'd had a daughter once.
Seeing them talking had all but confirmed that he had to be the one to do it. He still wasn't sure what to do but as he read the entries, he realized that he had to kill Jessica. He had to prevent her from entering the bunker and he had to prevent her from preventing Henry's birth. The thought of it made him sick. She might not be the woman he'd remembered but the idea of coldly killing her was horrible. He glanced over at Lucy. She was soft and gentle and so sad in the firelight. He'd get Henry back for her. Maybe Henry would never know him, and he'd never see him again, but he would get Henry back. Then his gaze fell on Jiya and resolved that Rufus would be back with her. Rufus would make sure Henry was safe if Flynn did anything to either Lucy or Henry.
She might talk about going with him but that was impossible. Neither she nor Jiya would sacrifice their lives to save Rufus. He'd have to do it himself. It would have to be carefully planned. He only had one shot. He'd have to do it while they were in the past. Otherwise, Lucy's memories would be that he never hurt her so badly. She'd only remember the Wyatt who hadn't broken her heart. Moving on would be much harder.
He was silently staring into the fire, trying to steal up the courage to do this thing. His gaze lingered on Lucy's face as he memorized the lines and contours of it. He'd known that face so well. In the time they'd spent together he'd seen so many moods pass over it. He knew so much about her. About the way she danced around the kitchen when she was excited, the way she sang in the shower and the way she looked holding a baby.
"May I look at that?" Flynn's voice broke into his thoughts. He was pointing to the journal. Wyatt shrugged and handed it to him. The journal was more Flynn and Lucy's possession than his. He still didn't understand why Future Lucy had thrown it at him but perhaps she'd hoped he'd do this. Perhaps she saw this was the only fitting end for a man who'd done so much wrong. Perhaps she'd hoped he'd go back and fix this so she could have her happy ending. His future self had all but said that. This was a one-way destination. A one-way ticket to some kind of hell. Because even if he survived the time travel, he wasn't sure he could survive the guilt of knowing he'd been the one to kill Jessica or see Lucy and Henry happy with someone else. It was better to risk fate or God or whatever there was afterlife. Or whatever there wasn't. Nothingness was all right.
Flynn flipped to a specific spot, studied it for a second and then slipped something between the pages of the journal. Then he stood up. "I'm going to scout a bit around the mill."
"Ok," Wyatt spoke softly. Then he looked at Flynn and swallowed hard. He wanted to hate the man. Wanted to hate what he'd done. And yes, he could never condone any of it. But what would he have done if he'd watched the life drain out of Lucy and Henry? "Take care of them. Don't let them go."
He was talking about Lucy and Jiya of course but more broadly of Lucy and Henry. He was warning Flynn that if Lorena and Iris came back, he couldn't do the same thing he'd done. That if anything happened to either of them, he'd have hell to pay even if Wyatt wasn't there to deliver it.
"I don't think that will be necessary," Flynn spoke softly.
"You know yourself. It's impossible to survive this thing. Even if one could, would it be worth it?"
"No, probably not." Flynn agreed.
"Keep them from following. By any means." Wyatt glanced over at Lucy and Jiya.
"You don't seem to understand what this will do to her. She can't lose anymore."
"She'll get Henry back. And I'm…." Wyatt paused and took a deep breath. His pride hated saying this. More than that it felt as if his heart was being slowly shredded. "Not the person she needs."
Flynn didn't say anything for some time. Then he spoke, "Well, shouldn't that be up to her? I mean, she should at least know what you're up to."
"It's better she doesn't." Because knowing Lucy she'd try to stop him. That was Lucy for you.
Flynn only placed the journal in his hand and shook his head silently. And then he was gone.
Lucy shook herself awake a few hours later asking, "Where is Flynn?" If that wasn't proof enough where her heart really lay, he didn't know what was.
"He said he wanted to scout around the mill a bit," Wyatt replied.
"Ok," Lucy replied. Then she spoke, a soft whisper he could only hear, "I'd do anything to get Henry back."
"I know. I would too." Wyatt replied. "That's why I have to be the one to do it."
"But…" Lucy began.
"That's why they came back. So that I can go back but you'll be safe. You'll be great raising Henry." Wyatt spoke softly. "I know you are the best mother. He'll be happy with you."
"I won't let you go alone," Lucy replied.
"Then Henry would have no parents. Lucy, let me do this. Let me fix this." Flynn had been right. He couldn't go without telling her. He owed her that much at least. She might not love him, but they had been together, and they'd had a child together.
"No... there has to be another way." Lucy felt tears slide down her cheeks. "Promise me, you won't go and leave me here."
"No, I won't. I promise."
It was a promise that would have to be broken.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
In the end, it was Garcia Flynn who'd sacrificed himself and done the one thing that had ensured safety and happiness for all. Standing there with Rufus alive and Henry most likely alive and well at the Bunker joy had mixed with sorrow. Joy that the timeline had righted and sorrow at knowing Jessica was gone forever and Lucy was forever out of reach. Even sorrow that Flynn had died. It was impossible to hate or even dislike someone who'd taken the punishment that was supposed to fall on you.
"I guess that's why you end up with Flynn." He hadn't meant that in the journal Flynn had done this thing. He'd simply meant that he'd made this great heroic sacrifice for Lucy and that it had probably been what had won her heart. It was an acknowledgment that he'd failed too much, and the other man had been there to pick up the slack and soothe her and help her.
He walked to the door, intent on finding Rufus and then seeing Henry. He still had Henry. "I didn't," Lucy spoke with a choked whisper.
Glancing up, he met her eyes. Then she spoke again, "I didn't end up with him, I mean."
Joy and disbelief warred in his heart. Was she meaning there was a chance he could win her back? That perhaps, someday he'd be able to gain absolution for all the pain he'd caused her. But Rufus interrupted and there was no time but to follow.
The heartfelt and genuine toast he gave to Flynn's honor meant more than anyone else had realized. Flynn hadn't just saved Rufus and Henry, he'd saved him. Holding Henry in his arms, watching his sweet baby face pucker up as he cried and seeing Lucy sobbing was enough to send him into an emotional spiral of his own. Jiya didn't remember Henry's existence and Rufus and the rest had never seen him gone. Only Lucy and he had the agony of seeing him slip away and remember it.
It was hard to separate himself from the emotional reunion, but things needed to be straightened out first. His room was no longer laid out as it had for Jessica. It was back to the old arrangement before Jessica had reappeared. Lucy's stuff was all over along with the crib where Henry slept. This didn't surprise him since in that timeline they were still together. But the white dress hanging on a nail and the glint of an unfamiliar golden ring gave him pause. Was it possible?
The pain was a piacular kind of ache. The ache of the might have beens, the almost was. A phantom pain that settled deep in his stomach and sent the blood rushing away from his head. Picking up the ring he went to find Mason. "Whose is this?"
"Yours," Mason looked saddened. "You and Lucy married last week."
"What?" Wyatt had suspected they were still engaged in this timeline, but marriage seemed a shock. Especially since it had only been a little more than a month since Hollywoodland.
"Yes, Denise officiated. It was a very small ceremony. As you can imagine. And you were called away directly afterward. But it was a very beautiful one. I can show you pictures." Mason looked all too pitying and the grief in his eyes must have shown. Mason pulled up a screen and added, "Take some time and look them over."
The pictures were like a stab to the gut. Lucy smiling in her vintage white dress and holding a large bouquet. Henry dressed in an adorable onesie and playing with everyone. Himself in the suit from 1919. Jiya and Rufus acting as bridesmaid and best man respectively. Mason pretending to give Lucy away even though everyone knew it was a joke since Lucy was very much her own woman. Even Flynn was there, looking almost pleased.
He watched the video then noting all the details that made his heart twist. The way the giddy happiness looked on Lucy's face. The joy on his own face. The frequent smiles and laughs as they looked at each other. The way they looked as if they found the universe in each other's eyes. He'd stumbled through his vows, trying so hard to be eloquent but failing to impress anyone with anything but the fact that he was scared out of his wits and in awe of one woman. Lucy had been poised and collected, speaking with clear confidence and softness that made him feel a little foolish. The long-awaited kiss was tender and passionate, the final part of the ceremony that now was nothing more than a series of photos without meaning.
Going back to his room he started packing up his stuff in the old duffle bag that had seen more and more of his travels over the years. Henry was sleeping and he leaned over to whisper in his ear.
Lucy was standing there and the awkward conversations that followed seemed to cement the idea that she was now trapped in a marriage she hadn't consented to. Vaguely he wondered if you could annul a marriage like theirs. After all, it hadn't really happened to them. Just to the other versions of themselves.
Trapped in that church, waiting for the enemy soldiers to break in and kill them all, he knew that if he had to die in the cold of North Korea, he'd go out hearing her words of love. It meant more this time around, knowing that Lucy knew the farthest they could go and still loved him. The touch of her lips felt like redemption, like a second chance so rare and special that he'd never be able to repay it, but he'd die trying.
Lying here beside him, sleeping peacefully, it felt like a dream. Closing his eyes again he drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow he'd have to deal with reality. Right now, he was going to enjoy this.
A few hours later he awoke again. Lucy was shifting around, the thin slip she must have put on sliding up her body. She smiled as she curled closer. "Good morning."
It felt like a repeat of their last night together in Hollywood. "Good morning."
"Merry Christmas." Lucy smiled. "I'd forgotten it was Christmas. Henry's first Christmas."
She sprang up, alarm written all over her face. "I don't have gifts wrapped for him."
"No, worries Lucy. He's too young to know the difference." Wyatt ran a hand down her arm.
"I guess you're right. We can give them to him as soon as we're released from this place."
Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to her lips. She smiled and ran a finger along his cheek. For a few minutes, they were quiet, exchanging sleepy kisses and caresses as they fought the oncoming daylight and reality.
"I got you a gift." Wyatt got up and rummaged around until he found the small package that the other version of him had wrapped.
"You shouldn't have. Wait, how did you go shopping in the middle of this?" Lucy asked.
"I got this in Hollywoodland." Lucy looked at him for a moment as she pulled out the glittering ornament.
"It's beautiful." Lucy blinked the glitter of unshed tears making her eyes shine. "But you stole it."
"We steal cars, this is nothing." He couldn't stop staring at her adorable face as she straight up cackled.
"I…" Lucy leaned back and then grinned and winked at him, "Didn't get you anything. Sorry."
"I have everything I need." His gaze fell on Henry's crib and back to her face.
She melted into the bed as she kissed him, her hand coming up to grip his shoulder. It didn't matter they'd just been together a few hours ago because right now it felt like forever. So many missed opportunities.
The interlude was interrupted by Henry whimpering and Lucy raced over to pick him up. Neither of them could be a bit upset their "fun" had been interrupted as they held him. He was so precious to them that it didn't matter as long as they had him safe and close and able to interrupt.
"We're terrible parents." Lucy sighed. "Wait, unless we got Henry something in this timeline."
"We must have." Wyatt began helping her search the room for anything that might be suitable for a five-month-year-old baby.
"I found it." Lucy triumphantly pulled open a bag. "The gifts for him. Also, for Rufus and Jiya and Mason and Christopher. And one for you."
He grinned at her as she held out the wrapped package. "What is it?"
"I don't know." Lucy smiled.
Inside the wrapping was a copy of the Declaration of Independence. Wyatt opened to cover to find an inscription inside. "Thank you for saving my life. John." His mouth dropped open.
"John Kennedy inscribed a book for me." He asked Lucy.
"I guess so." Lucy grinned. "I think it was meant for both of us."
"That's officially the best gift ever." Wyatt leaned down and kissed her. She only smiled back and picked up her ornament.
"I beg to differ."
Later, while they were sipping mimosas Lucy started opening Henry's gifts. "Look, Sweetie, we got you a new outfit."
Henry smiled and waved his arms but didn't seem particularly thrilled with the new outfit. Opening another package Wyatt found a stuffed bear. That seemed to amuse Henry who began passing his small fingers over it. They'd gotten Rufus a new wallet and Jiya a new purse. Clearly, other them had been shopping on Amazon and asking Agent Christopher to bring them over. Mason seemed pleased with the matching wallet. Agent Christopher exclaimed over the baking dish they'd gotten her.
"We gave such old married couple gifts," Wyatt complained to Lucy. She giggled, the expression on her face worth the silliness. God, he loved her.
"I guess so. Although we don't really have a ton of options down here in this place." Lucy's fingers strayed over the scarf Christopher had made them. It was an ugly fuzzy scarf but Lucy's little frown when he'd shown his less than pleased reaction made him wise up. He'd only been married for a short time, but she already knew how to make him toe the line.
It didn't take too much longer to pack up. Strapping Henry into his car seat and taking the short ride to their apartment felt like a dream. The rooms looked just as they'd left them. Apart from the rotting food and messy rooms, it felt like it had been days instead of months since they'd left.
"It's good to be home." Lucy placed Henry in his little play seat before setting to work clearing up the kitchen.
It was good to be home. Home with his family. For the first time in years, he believed that war was over, and peace had come. Apart from a few assignments he'd be living and working in Palo Alto with Lucy and Henry. She'd probably go back to teaching. They'd be a family.
Lifting her up for a second he leaned forward and kissed her soundly. "I agree."
She leaned closer, wrapping her arms around him. "Merry Christmas."
Author's Note: I am sorry for the delay in posting this. I've been super busy with school and work stuff. This chapter does get angsty although we all know it ends well. I was literally tearing up every single time I read certain sections. Poor Wyatt. Even though this version of him is far more blameless than canon Wyatt for the problems that led to Rufus's death, he blames himself completely. It may seem a trifle OOC for him to be completely ok with Lucy ending up with Flynn especially with Henry being around but you have to remember Henry wouldn't exist if someone didn't go back and Wyatt ultimately wants Lucy and Henry to be happy most of all. (That scene always makes me sob.) Also the Lyatt wedding. Seriously beautiful. It turns out Lucy did get him a gift. I feel like other Lucy would be more careful to get him a gift considering that she married him. All we have left of this story is the epilogue. I really appreciate the support I've received on this story. It means the world.