…take me with the
tenderness of your words
burn my fears
with the fire of your skin
Maria Clara Sharupi Jua
Note: This chapter veers towards the M rating at the start.
Lucy Preston was trying to kill him. Wyatt felt sure of it. She hadn't forgiven him for hurting her and this was her revenge. She talked about how little she believed in love and it hurt like hell because she was his soul mate even if he wasn't hers. You could have more than one. He hadn't realized it was possible to fall so deeply for the second time. Her proposal to get drunk had trouble written all over it. But damn if he didn't want to see her let loose a little. Smile, laugh even if it was just alcohol.
Then she started flirting. Her warm eyes flicked over his face with deep interest before she said, "Has anyone told you have the prettiest eyes ever?"
Wyatt tried to laugh but her unguarded expression was so damn beautiful. She had messy waves in her hair and her plain red t-shirt and jeans did nothing to disguise the fact that Lucy was just gorgeous. If they were alone, and not in a crowded bar, he'd be so tempted to pull her over into his lap and kiss her until she couldn't breathe any longer. Run his fingers through that long thick hair or cup her face in his hands. If he did that he'd not let her go. He couldn't. He was silently undressing her with his eyes but she didn't seem to mind. If anything she was doing the same. The slight knowing smirk in those dark eyes and the way she bit her lip softly drove him crazy.
Technically they were trying to be incognito. But she finished his whiskey with a challenge on her face. She was definitely not playing around. It took everything not to lean forward a little when she tipped her face so near to his. But then she stumbled, classic clumsy Lucy, and he managed to drag her away before she face planted.
Getting into a car with a giggly and bright Lucy was an experience. It was nice to see her laughing and smiling. He couldn't help smile back. He'd just parked when she unexpectedly threw herself at him in one of those bone-crushing hugs. He'd known what it was like to be inside her, see her fall apart under his tongue but nothing prepared him for the pure intimacy of her flinging herself at him like he was a life preserver.
"You're so hot." She whispered. She really was trying to kill him. Her face was pressed against his shoulder, as she kept ineffectually moving closer except that the console was in the way. She was nuzzling his neck and whatever she was doing with her hands against his jaw ought to have been illegal.
"Luce…" Her new nickname fell from his lips in a sigh. Then she moved to press her mouth to his in a heated kiss. She tasted like whiskey and something faintly sweet. It was intense, fierce, her mouth uncoordinated as she completely took over. He might be the sober one but she owned his ass and knew it. She performed her signature move of practically licking her way into his mouth and then bit down gently on his lip. It didn't really hurt but it sent a wave of heat straight through him.
This was a bad idea. She was drunk and he was sober. He was taking advantage of her. When she wasn't filled with alcohol she'd regret this. He knew she would. This meant nothing. It was just attraction, something which had never been lacking between them. From the first moment they'd seen each other sparks had flown. She was lonely and drunk and tired and…. He pulled her closer. She moaned softly as he tugged gently on her bottom lip. Slowly he softened the kiss. She took his lead her own mouth moving achingly tender. Then he pulled away resting his forehead against hers. It was a pointlessly romantic gesture he'd have scoffed at a few years ago. "Let's uh…get out of here."
He could tell she misinterpreted his words by the slight look of dawning understanding on her face. She was already starting to worry. It was hard enough keeping her from tripping and falling but they managed to get to the elevator before she sank against him with a soft sigh, " I just want to forget."
So that was it. It was perfect confirmation that this was nothing but a distraction to her. The alcohol, the kiss it was all just a desperate attempt to heal the aching wounds the world had created. He'd created. "God, I wish I could."
He wanted to forget his own failure and sins. Forget how he'd hurt her. Forget how Rufus was dead. Forget how Jessica had been turned into a monster. Forget everything. Her kiss was desperate and uncoordinated and honestly it was like both of them had forgotten how to kiss. It was strangely sweet for something so desperate.
Lucy's vulnerability was on full display as she sat on the side of the bed and tried to explain she hadn't been trying to seduce him. They both knew she was lying. But that was Lucy all over. So damn bold until she started thinking and then she'd freak out and run back to safety. She was out like a light in about five minutes. Time for a shower. A very cold one. It felt creepy with her in the next room to fantasize about her warm body under the spray of the water but she hadn't exactly been shy a few minutes before. The lingering warmth of her touch made it ridiculously easy to deal with this little problem. After stepping out of the shower and dressing he slipped back into the room. She was sprawled out on the bed looking pale and exhausted. He started to put a jacket on and settle himself in the armchair when she stopped him and practically ordered him to get into bed with her.
It wasn't seduction. Her soft pleading voice was all too vulnerable. It was about nightmares and ghosts and he couldn't deny her this. She curled up against him so gently it was as if the harsh kisses earlier had never happened. He wrapped an arm around her waist and sighed. Sometimes in moments like these, he fancied she loved him but was too afraid to say it. Other times the lingering tone of her voice as she told him Hollywoodland had been a temporary thing and her saying she wanted to forget reminded him that she was far too good for a broken soldier like him. She'd finally figured it out. But she didn't exactly have a lot of options. Not even Dr. Noah with his adoring face and fancy house and memories of exotic vacations. She didn't have some pointlessly dull but kind professor type who'd surround her with first editions of her favorite books and take trips to Italy.
Jiya sent him an email early the next morning. When he told her they'd be late because Lucy was sleeping off the alcohol he was surprised to see the frowny face appear on the screen. Jiya knew Lucy even better than he did when it came down to things like this. It was clear she was worried. Worried something had happened but too polite to ask. Lucy woke up in a tangle of blankets moaning and pressing a hand to her head.
The new bunker was even shittier than their first one. It looked like a haunted house at a theme park. The rats were unpleasant but he was more worried about the roof leaking. The house was loud and even though he knew ghosts didn't exist it still felt eerie to hear the creaking and moaning of an old place. His room was right next to Lucy's and judging from the adjoining door Jiya had specifically set their rooms together. She must have known about their odd sleeping arrangement. Lucy didn't come to him for two days. The kiss had been too much and now she was retreating.
Trying to get settled in the new place was difficult. The power was intermittent making it difficult to set up the Lifeboat's equipment. Connor, Jiya and him worked feverishly to set up the charging dock and computers and keep them from failing. Food was none too plentiful. There were wild animals all around and no one could go outside unarmed. Rittenhouse could be there but even more immediately dangerous was the potential for one of those animals to attack. Jiya and Lucy knew how to use a gun but Mason didn't. He'd have to be trained. If they didn't get supplies soon they'd be eating wild game and gathering whatever edible things they could forage.
He'd just been working on repairing a bit of faulty wiring in the Lifeboat under Jiya and Connor's instruction when the telltale siren of the Mothership jumping tore through the air. "June 7, 1848."
"It must have something to do with the 1848 election," Lucy commented. "Yes, that's the day Taylor won the Whig nomination against bigwigs like Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. Taylor was a complete nobody. He had no political experience but he was a popular general and the Whigs feared the Democrats would win if they didn't nominate someone popular. He wasn't even a member of either party. He was a pretty forgettable president; moderate on the issue of slavery compared to some and determined to keep the union together. Perhaps Emma wants him to lose the nomination to Clay so that Lewis Cass the democrat will win? Cass was a supporter of popular sovereignty and member of the Free Masons. He could be Rittenhouse."
Great. Another one of those complicated situations where they weren't sure what Emma's game plan was. Emma's presence at the convention was a dangerous reminder of who she could be. Of what was at stake. Trudging through Philadelphia in 1848 reminded him exactly what could happen if they screwed this up. They couldn't locate the sleeper agent. They couldn't even locate Emma.
Lucy and Flynn went off to try to stop her from damaging the nomination while he and Jiya started looking for the sleeper agent. They took off through a narrow alley. No sign of anyone. What was going on? Had Emma stopped using the sleeper agent strategy? He felt the familiar feeling of dread as they crouched behind the barrels and stared down the alley. There was a familiar tap-tap of bullets and Wyatt pulled Jiya behind him. She wasn't dying or getting hurt. Jiya tried to wriggle free but obviously decided to stop fighting and pull out her own gun to cover the rear.
Wyatt was shocked to find Lucy crouched behind a low wall firing at someone. "They got Flynn." She gasped out. "I tried to stop it. But I got shot."
Wyatt ran forward but Lucy stopped him. "I'm fine. I'm wearing a special corset that's bulletproof."
"Where did they take him?" Wyatt asked. Lucy pointed towards the stockyards in the distance.
"Damn." He turned back to Lucy and Jiya. "You two stay behind."
"No, you're not going there alone." Lucy stood up and grabbed his arm. "I'm going with."
"So am I," Jiya announced. Wyatt cast a doubtful look at them. He didn't want them in any more danger. But knowing them they wouldn't take any answer but go with.
It took hours to find the stockyard and even longer to scan the perimeter and begin creeping through clearing each section as they went. The scent was nauseating and overpowering in the early summer day. There was no trace of either Flynn or Rittenhouse. Had Rittenhouse already taken him to the present or killed him? What if Rittenhouse had offered him a deal he couldn't refuse? Bringing back his family. He could see a funny look in Jiya's eyes and he wondered if she suspected as much.
"I think I know where to look," Lucy announced at last.
"Where?" Wyatt asked. She'd been unusually silent all this time.
"The offices. They'd be empty this late at night." Lucy pulled ahead to begin walking rapidly towards them.
Clearing the room was slow work. He wasn't equipped with the night vision scopes or tactical gear and Lucy and Jiya were untrained. This was incredibly hazardous. Step by slow step he made his way through each room. Empty. Maybe Lucy was mistaken?
Then he saw it. The slightest trace of light under a door. Lucy stumbled in the darkness. The sound of gunfire erupted. Damn. He heard a gasping sound in the dark. Jiya. Panic filtered through him as he wondered if she too would go the way of Rufus. No, he couldn't think that way.
"Stay and take care of her." He whispered to Lucy.
Slowly he crept forward. The room was empty. At least he thought it was. The tiny shaft of light from the small candle revealed a dark mass in the corner. Flynn. Wyatt glanced around the room. It was empty. Flynn was bound and gagged and clearly unconscious. A quick check to his vitals revealed that he was alive and likely just knocked out. Wyatt left him long enough to go into the other room and get Lucy.
"Jiya's been shot. It's just a flesh wound but it's bad enough she won't be able to pilot." Lucy whispered.
"You can do it," Wyatt said.
"I can't. I'm just a beginner." She said frantically.
"You are good enough. You were going on a test run anyway." Wyatt put a hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort her out of her panic.
"Flynn's been knocked unconscious. Do you have anything to help get him awake?" Wyatt hardly expected Lucy to carry anything like that. But he was surprised when she reached into a small pocket and pulled out a vial of something.
"Smelling salts." Lucy smiled and he almost laughed. Only Lucy would carry something like that around.
Flynn nearly knocked him in the jaw coming to. Whatever smelling salts was it worked like a charm. Lucy helped him sit up and then said soothingly, "We need to get you and Jiya back."
"What happened to her?" He asked and Wyatt was surprised to see the genuine concern on his face.
"She got shot in the shoulder. It's just a flesh wound but she can't pilot. So you're stuck with me." Lucy gave a smile that was clearly trying to be confident but failing completely.
Wyatt couldn't shake something like suspicion that Flynn had been nearly unharmed despite being captured by Rittenhouse. His head showed no trace of blunt force trauma and he'd been drugged not hit. Something was up.
Jiya was bleeding but Lucy had tied a makeshift bandage around her arm. Wyatt handed her over to Lucy while he grabbed Flynn who looked like he was slowly coming too. "They drugged me those idiots."
"Was Emma here?" Wyatt asked.
"No, just one of her minions," Flynn replied. Wyatt suspected he was lying. His usual snark was gone. He looked almost worried.
It was nearly dawn by the time they got back to the Lifeboat. Jiya sank heavily into Lucy's seat and said, "I really, really want a painkiller now."
"Me too." Flynn gave a slight smirk as he pressed his hand against his forehead.
"I just want to get us all home safely." Lucy was shaking and looking like she was about to throw up.
"Listen, Lucy Preston, you know what you're doing. I want you to do it." Jiya reached out with her free hand and clasped Lucy's.
"You'll be fine, ma'am." Wyatt could see her eyes connect with his. "You'll get over this hump." She breathed out on a sigh and gave a shaky nod.
"No offense, but I'm not very confident about this shaky craft or your fears." Flynn's humor was back. But Lucy's dirty look she cast at him made her sit straighter. Perhaps that was what she needed after all.
It was a bumpy ride. Wyatt's stomach felt like it was somewhere in the vicinity of the ceiling. The Lifeboat was much rockier since they'd come home from 1888 but Lucy's lack of experience made it worse.
"I'm sorry." Lucy pressed a hand to her face and sagged forward. "It's still difficult making a comfortable landing."
"You did great." Jiya winced.
Flynn had turned a pale green shade and Lucy reached under her seat for a bag. "Head injuries and time travel don't mix."
Wyatt felt like puking himself. He tried holding his breath to avoid the smells of vomit and the stockyard and reached over to help Jiya who was having trouble unbuckling her seatbelt one-handed. Denise reached in and grabbed her. "You guys keep getting hurt. I don't know what to do with you. We don't have a doctor anymore."
"How did you get home?" Connor asked.
"Lucy brought us home," Wyatt said.
Applause broke out as Lucy finally stepped out. Her face still looked pale and startled. But a soft grin lit up her face. She'd done something no one would have dreamed was possible a year and a half ago. She'd managed to bring them back. Safely.
Wyatt stumbled out of the Lifeboat behind Jiya. Lucy was still shaking with lingering nervousness and it only got worse as Denise announced, "Somebody is going to have to help me bandage Jiya's wounds and take care of Flynn."
"I'll do it, ma'am." Wyatt knew Lucy was still disgusted by blood. But Lucy surprised him by stepping forward.
"I'll help." She said.
Jiya's wound wasn't too severe and he and Denise got it covered and cleaned. Jiya took the offered pain reliever with an exclamation of relief. "Damn, we keep getting hurt."
Yes, we do. And I don't like this. He'd just gone over to where Flynn was when he heard muffled voices on the other side of the curtain. He paused fighting the knee-jerk jealousy. In, out. A few breaths to control his hair fire trigger temper.
"You saved my life, Lucy." That must be Flynn.
"We aren't losing any more of our team," Lucy said firmly. Her voice was tired and ragged.
"You almost got shot yourself." Flynn's voice sounded weary and in spite of himself, Wyatt felt sorry for him.
"I'm trying not to think about how close we got to dying. It makes things easier." Lucy's voice was obviously going for flippant but she failed and it just sounded panicked.
"Well, keep trying. Can't say it works."
"At least I'm improving the Piloting. Sorry about the rough landing."
"No, problem. I hope Jiya forgives me if I messed up her Lifeboat."
"That was Rufus having a problem. Jiya's way more cool about things." Lucy's wistful tone indicated that she wanted Rufus back in all of his glory just as much as he did. Obsessive, weird jokes and all. That was part of the things he missed the most.
Lucy started in surprise as she caught him and he hoped she wasn't angry over his eavesdropping. She only shrugged and moved off to the kitchen. Wyatt found Flynn staring at the wall as if it was suddenly interesting. Something was up. Suspicion filled him as he pulled out a flashlight to point them in his eyes. Garcia Flynn was an excellent manipulator. But he wasn't always a wonderful liar. And Wyatt knew he was hiding something.
"You did see Emma, didn't you?" Wyatt saw him flinch slightly. Bingo. For once he was needling Flynn instead of the other way around.
"I did." Wyatt was shocked that he answered truthfully.
"And what did she say?" As he suspected Flynn didn't have a concussion. It had been drugs that had knocked him out.
"She offered a deal. Bring my family back in exchange for working for her."
"And…" Wyatt suspected he hadn't taken her up on it. If he had Flynn would haven't told him this. It would have been pretty stupid to admit that.
"I spit in her face," Flynn grunted. "She thinks she can play god. Bring back family members like we're all god damn puzzle pieces. But I refuse to be a piece in her game."
What would have happened if Jessica had been offered as a pawn back in the days when Rittenhouse was still a shadowy evil? Would he have joined them just to get her back? Probably. And that was what weakness was.
"I refused because I know that someday I can travel back on my timeline and save Lorena and Iris." Flynn hesitated. "I don't want them back with Rittenhouse's mark on them."
"No, you don't." Wyatt turned his head trying not to remember Rittenhouse's Jessica's evil. She'd set her mark on him in high school. She'd managed him for more than a decade.
" I got distracted from that goal. And now, now I'm more determined than ever. I will bring them back." Flynn's voice was firm as Wyatt sat there puzzling over the whole thing. What about Lucy? What about his obvious feelings for her?
"I don't…I can't go back to them with all this blood on my hands. Remembering all the things I did. Not killing Rittenhouse. But kidnapping, trapping, all that. I want…when the time comes…not to remember." There was a shocking amount of vulnerability in his voice. Wyatt remembered that time Flynn had kidnapped him and talked about their dead wives. He remembered talking about Lucy and her journal and her impatience with his grief. Surprisingly Flynn had actually agreed that Lucy was wrong. That getting over someone was impossible. Journal Lucy must have been in love with him. Otherwise, why would she have written about Jessica and her death? Specific details he'd not told Lucy.
"When the time comes, we'll make sure that you can stay behind," Wyatt spoke more confidently than he felt. Would it ever be possible to bring back Lorena and Iris?
"Don't tell Lucy. She's worried about preserving history." Wyatt found himself smiling thinking of the anxious historian look she got in her eyes.
"It will have to be done carefully. She'll have to write her journal carefully. So that I won't fail to do the things that have to be done."
Wyatt stood up, "Denise says to order you to bed. Apparently, she's now the doc around here."
"I make no promises." Wyatt turned to the door when a quiet voice forced him to turn around. "Thank you, Wyatt."
It was the first time either of them had a conversation that was remotely civil without some kind of snippy retort. It was disconcerting. Wyatt shrugged and said quietly, " You're welcome. And I hope…believe somehow you'll get your girls back."
It was the first time a genuine smile actually touched Flynn's face and for a second Wyatt could almost see the man he'd been before. The devoted family man who'd saved people's lives and hadn't been burned with Rittenhouse and vengeance. Slowly he turned away and stepped out into the hall. It was deserted. A quick check on Jiya found her asleep, her face lined with sadness even in sleep.
"I can't believe she did it." Mason's voice startled him and he gave a shrug.
"I'm not surprised. She's Lucy and that's what she does."
Mason seemed a little surprised but he only nodded, "Of course she'll have to work on her landings but Jiya will be relieved not to have to pilot every time."
He opened the door to the dark and dank place he called his room. Wyatt was anxious to get the horrid monstrosity of a 19th-century costume off. No matter how many times he jumped he still hated the heavy clothes they had to wear. Lucy and Jiya had it even worse. Of course, Lucy had looked absolutely gorgeous in every single costume ever. He tugged the necktie that Lucy had some sort of fancy name for off and began undressing. There was a little tap on the door and then it opened. It wasn't the main door but the connecting door between his and Lucy's rooms normally kept locked.
He turned his head to find her standing there watching him. She had already changed out of the pale peach dress into her robe, that flowered print one she'd worn in the other bunker so long ago. Her hair curled around her face like a dusty cloud making her look softer than she'd looked in a long time. She'd come because she was worried about nightmares.
"Hey," He said. "You did amazing today, ya know?"
She smiled before saying, "I can't believe it. I really landed the Lifeboat and not in the middle of the ocean or something."
"I didn't doubt you could do it." Wyatt encouraged. "You are one damn stubborn woman. You do exactly what you set out to do."
"I think that's a compliment." Lucy laughed as she came nearer.
"It's a compliment, most of the time." Wyatt glanced down at her. Her eyes met his and her expression changed. Her warm eyes drew almost black and had a dark, almost predatory gleam in them. It almost looked like anger.
Then she sprang forward in a sudden assault almost pushing him over. Lucy Preston might not weigh much but she had the power to knock him flat and she knew it. He half expected one of her signature hugs, those bone-crushing hugs where she wrapped herself around him with arms like tentacles and held on for dear life. Then she tipped her head and pressed her mouth to his.
Author's Note: We're really nearing the end here folks and I'm so excited. This story has been a huge labor of love and sometimes I wondered if I would be able to carry out my mission. I wanted to bring all the storylines together and explore the elements that made Future Lyatt who they were.
I think this chapter was a bit hotter from Wyatt's POV lol. Of course, he totally misinterprets Lucy, which seems to be their thing. I wish they would communicate for once in their lives.
The whole Flynn/Emma deal is something that's been bounced around. I gave Flynn the benefit of the doubt and made him not take it. The Flogan scene was one I really enjoyed writing. Wyatt and Flynn actually have a decent conversation and seem to not hate each other for like five minutes. Lol.
Also, yes, this ship is sailing. Lucy is a badass girl and she managed to get them home safely. But she also realized how short life is and how she needs to seize the moment before it's too late.