A/N: Thank you, fritzen_lcaos, Timeless Badger, and Danielle Girard, for your comments and reviews! I appreciate it very much. It brings a smile to my face, so thank you. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
The Bunker
Present Time
The Lifeboat landed with a clank, whirring to a stop. Lucy and Mason rushed into the main living area, watching with anticipation for the hatch to open. The moment it did, they spotted only three of the four man crew emerge.
Lucy's heart stopped. "Where's Wyatt? What happened?"
Denise held her hands out in a calming manner. "He's fine."
"Where is he?" Lucy repeated, her voice showcasing her worry.
Flynn stated, "He stayed behind to make sure the place remained secure for our trip back."
"Alone?" she questioned. Flynn shrugged, unable to tell her anything she didn't already know about Wyatt. She'd be able to figure out what was going on in that thick head of his better than anyone else.
Rufus stated, "We're not going to need to bring much with us. It's completely stocked."
"Really?" Mason asked, completely shocked.
Rufus nodded, a smile gracing his lips. "You wouldn't believe what they've got-"
"Not now, Rufus," Agent Christopher suggested with a shake of her head. "We need to get the others and head back."
Lucy nodded as she turned to return to her room with a better understanding of what to pack. She even packed Wyatt's belongings.
Tenley asked, "Should I box up my supplies-"
Denise shook her head. "There's no need. They have a full infirmary with everything you could possibly imagine."
"Really?" the doctor asked, surprised. "I wonder how they managed to get everything…" her voice trailed off as she lifted her eyes at them. "I guess it doesn't matter...I'll finish up packing."
Agent Christopher nodded, watching as the team meandered toward their rooms to pack up what little personal belongings they had. She pulled her phone out of her pocket the moment she was alone. She hesitated to do what she knew she had to do.
Tenley threw what little belongings she had into a duffel bag. She glanced around the old infirmary, a small pang of remorse for what she was leaving behind washed over her.
She heard movement behind her, followed by a familiar gentle voice, "Got everything you need?"
Her eyes drifted slowly across the room. Images of helping Flynn with a gunshot wound to his side came to mind. Then again when he looked like he had been run over by a truck. She blinked back the tears and memories, slowly taking in the rest of the room. By the time her dark eyes landed on the old couch, she spotted a familiar grey hoodie. Approaching the couch, she picked it up and looked at him. "I think so…"
Flynn closed the gap between them, wrapping her in an embrace, allowing her head to rest against his shoulder. He lowered his nose into her hair, breathing in the familiar scent of honeysuckles and vanilla. "We're going to be okay, Nine. I promise."
She blew a long sigh from her lips, gripping his back tightly. "What if this is a mistake?" she pondered. "What if they follow us because of me?"
Flynn pulled away slightly, looking her in the eye. "Then we'll cross that bridge when we get there...together." He saw the uncertainty behind her expression and held her shoulders as he lowered himself slightly to look her in the eyes. "Nine...We'll get through this together. No matter what happens, okay? I'm here."
A soft knock landed on the door behind Flynn, causing them both to look over. Lucy stood there, hand out as she said, "Sorry to interrupt…" she looked up at Flynn, "we could use a hand with Jiya."
Flynn nodded, turning back to Tenley. "I'll be back soon."
She nodded as Flynn left with Lucy to help Jiya into the Lifeboat with her things. Tenley's eyes drifted back across the room, taking in the details once again.
Her eyes stopped at the sink under the counter, recalling a time when she had tried to use a metal tray to work on her own wound. Her hand drifted up to her chest, touching the long scar that ran across her chest. She wasn't sure what happened but she was beginning to remember the time it took to heal.
She shook her head, inhaling deeply as she glanced one more time, making sure she had grabbed everything. Her eyes landed on a stack of games on the floor, tucked beside the couch. She studied them closer and smiled at 'Dominion'.
The bunker alarms sounding broke her walk through fragmented memories. She turned toward the door, glancing over her shoulder to say a silent goodbye to a room she felt a deep connection with. Tenley forced herself to walk away and down the hall to the main living area.
She stood there, setting her bags down. Her eyes drifted over to the kitchen. She approached the cabinet over the fridge and opened it. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached for the water filter box and brought it down. She flipped the box lid open and saw the individually wrapped Ding-Dongs. A smile graced her lips as she held back a laugh.
Flynn was right, she realized. She was beginning to remember things - slowly - but she was remembering. She took the box, closing it as she neared her bag. She placed it inside for safekeeping, hoping to give it to Flynn when they arrived wherever they were going.
Her dark eyes lifted to see Mason and Denise having what seemed to be an intense conversation. They kept their tones quiet but their body language told her they were fighting.
Within moments, the alarms sounded again and the Lifeboat reappeared. Tenley's eyes were still locked on Mason and Denise, she didn't realize Rufus had come up behind her. "What's going on?"
She glanced over her shoulder to look at Rufus. They exchanged worried glances as she turned back to the two in the hall. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "I just noticed they were fighting…"
Rufus's brow furrowed as he put his hands into his pocket. "How long have they been going at it?"
She shrugged. "I just noticed a moment before you arrived…"
Rufus watched for a moment before saying, "Let's get your things into the Lifeboat…" he picked up her bag, "maybe by the time we get back, they'll be finished."
She peered over her shoulder again. "I don't know...something tells me something bad happened…"
Rufus motioned for her to climb into the Lifeboat, passing her bag to her once she was inside. He muttered, "Strap in and I'll...I'll go see what's going on."
She nodded, watching as Rufus walked away from the hatch. She couldn't see much of what was going on from the chair she sat down in, her bag tucked safely near her. She strapped into the chair, folding her hands into her lap. She lifted her eyes, taking in the inside of the Lifeboat again.
The smell of the inside was a mixture of leather from the seats, smoke from their various travels - almost musty in nature - and the faint aroma of soap from it having been cleaned lingered in the air.
Rufus climbed into the Lifeboat, head shaking as he crawled in. His expression showcased his frustrations. He slumped into his chair with a sigh and waited.
"What's going on?" she asked, seeing the answer plainly on his face.
He ran a hand over his head. "I think this is the beginning of our issues."
"What does that mean?"
Rufus shook his head. He opened his mouth to tell her when a bag was tossed into the Lifeboat. He swiveled in his chair to face the console.
Mason climbed into the machine, mumbling under his breath. He sat down into the chair, strapping in. He continued mumbling to himself. Tenley managed to only catch a couple of words but figured out that he hated time traveling in his own machine.
Agent Christopher crawled into the Lifeboat behind Mason. She didn't look at anyone as she sat down in the chair, strapping in. "Get us going, Rufus."
Rufus simply hummed a response as he closed the hatch and booted up the machine. Tenley's breathing quickened as the machine whirred to life and shot through time and space. She squeezed her eyes tight as she felt the jostling caused by the trip.
It landed and the whirring stopped. Rufus clicked off switches as he stated, "We have arrived…"
The hatch opened and Mason was the first to toss his straps off his shoulders, snatching his bag off the floor. He tossed it out of the Lifeboat, jumping out.
Agent Christopher's expression showed her struggle to maintain a level of calm as she followed the angry inventor out.
Rufus and Tenley exchanged concerned glances. Rufus muttered, "Our internal problems are beginning…"
She slowly pushed her straps aside, grabbing her bag. She hesitated for a moment, allowing Rufus to climb out first. There was a nagging fear growing in her mind as she slowly started to emerge from the Lifeboat.
Just as she stepped out, balancing carefully on the edge, her eyes saw Flynn standing just below her, arms outstretched to help her down. He took her bag, setting it down at his feet before returning his reach up to her. She took his hands and allowed him to help her.
He picked her up, carefully setting her down on the padded floor of the landing pad gently. He smiled at her. "Welcome home."
She smiled at him, brushing a strand of hair over her ear. "Thanks…"
He motioned over his shoulder with his thumb. "What's going on with those guys?"
Tenley picked up her bag. "They were fighting about something before we left…"
Flynn's brows knitted together. "About what?"
She shrugged as he led her down the hall. "I don't know...but Rufus tried to talk to them...he keeps saying something like 'our internal problems are just beginning' or some nonsense…"
Flynn cocked his head at her in confusion. He kept quiet but made a mental note to ask Rufus about it later. Flynn showed Tenley around the new bunker. He motioned for her to enter the new infirmary and watched her expression turn into one of pure shock and joy with all of the equipment available to her.
"Oh my god…" she gasped, taking it all in. She approached some of the bigger machines. "This place has it all…" She glanced about before blinking at the room.
"What's wrong?"
"It has everything except a place for me to sleep, it would seem," she stated.
He smiled at her, holding a finger up. "That's because you get your own room," he told her.
She blinked at him. "My own room?"
He motioned for her to join him as he led her deeper down the hallway. "You can take your pick," he told her. "That's Rufus and Jiya's room there," he said, pointing to a closed door with a number 1 attached to it. He continued down that hall, pointing to another closed door. This one with a number 5 on the door. "That's Lucy and Wyatt's room."
They spotted Agent Christopher entering a room, closing the door behind her. The number on the door was 7. Mason closed his door just a moment before they arrived at it, the number 9 attached to it.
Flynn turned to Tenley. "I'm at the end of this hall," he told her, motioning down the corridor. "25."
"That's a ways away," she commented. "Why so far?"
"We have the space," he told her. "And privacy for a change...I figured, what better way to get a little bit of both than choosing a room further from everyone else?"
She smiled, nodding slightly as she understood his meaning. "So…" she started, drawing the word out. "Should I look at one of these?" She motioned to the open doors around them. "Or further down the hall?"
A sly smile brushed his lips as he shifted in his place, locking eyes with her. "Well," he began. "It's up to you...but I know I'd appreciate it if you were closer."
"I thought you wanted space and privacy?" she asked, her eyebrow raised amusingly.
He chuckled. "Not from you." He placed his hands into his pockets, rocking on his feet for a moment. "However, no matter which room you choose, the choice is yours. I won't be sad or disappointed if you choose to be closer to the others."
Her eyes locked with his. Her heart raced as she heard the meaning behind his words. She knew he respected her too much to force her to choose a room at the end of the hall.
She took a moment to think over her options. She knew if she chose a room closer to the others, she'd have to deal with Wyatt's mood swings and his skeptical judging glares. She also knew she'd be closer to hearing the happy couples in their downtime. She didn't want that either.
She blinked at him. "I think 24 is a nice number."
He smiled at her, trying hard to contain his happiness over her decision. He waved his hand forward, allowing her to move down the hall before him as he stepped in line with her.
When they entered her room, she placed her bag on the big bed. "Wow," she commented. "This certainly beats the infirmary back home." She glanced over and saw the ensuite. She turned to face him. "This is like a four-star hotel."
He nodded, letting his head drop to his chest for a moment. "It is a step above the bunker," he admitted.
She opened her bag, pulling out the water filter box. "I have a present for you."
His eyes drifted down to the box in her hands. With knitted brows, he asked, "Water filters?" He took the box from her. "You shouldn't have?"
She laughed. "I think you left it behind, actually."
His eyes narrowed at her for a moment before he finally realized what she was saying. He pushed the lid open, peering into the box. A wave of emotions washed over him as he stared at the chocolate snack cakes hidden inside the box. Part of him was touched by her present - that reminder of Iris...but he found himself more emotional over the simple fact that she had remembered his hiding place for these desserts. He lifted his eyes, now misty with tears as he whispered, "Thank you."
She offered a small sympathetic smile as she closed the gap between them. Placing a hand gently on his cheek, she whispered back, "You're welcome."
Early the next morning, Tenley's eyes opened to unfamiliar surroundings. She bolted upright in the comfortable cozy bed, glancing about the room. It took her a moment to remember where she was. She sighed heavily, realizing how strange it felt to not be in her old infirmary sleeping on the old couch where the springs poked her back.
She brushed her hair out of her face, tossing her legs over the side as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She knew there was no sense in going back to sleep, especially given how challenging it was to get to sleep in the first place. She stood up and got ready for the day.
By the time she finished what would become her new morning routine, she headed into the main room. Crossing the threshold into the large room, the pleasant aroma of fresh coffee filled her lungs. She turned into the kitchen to see Flynn already awake, making bacon, eggs, and pancakes. She smirked, leaning against the door jamb of the kitchen, arms crossed as she watched him.
He hadn't noticed her yet as he turned the bacon in the pan. He flipped the pancake up and out of the pan, catching it with ease - something Tenley hadn't witnessed anyone do successfully before. He set the pancake back onto the gas stovetop to continue cooking. As he turned to drink from his coffee mug, his eyes lifted to see her. He stopped in his step, smiling wide at her. "Good morning."
"Morning," she said, stifling a small yawn. She motioned around the kitchen. "I take it you're a morning person?"
He laughed. "It's the first time we've had an actual kitchen with food," he told her. "I couldn't let it go to waste." He reached into a cabinet and retrieved a mug. He poured the freshly made coffee into it, passing it over to her. "Besides, I figured after the night everyone had, breakfast would be welcomed."
She took the mug, nodding in agreement. He turned away from her to continue cooking. She asked, "What do you think the plan will be moving forward?"
He shrugged. "I'm sure Agent Christopher will let us know."
"Let us know what?" a voice spoke behind Tenley.
The two turned to see Agent Christopher standing there. She looked exhausted as if she hadn't slept all night. Her clothes had clearly been slept in with the new wrinkles spread across the material. She glanced between the two before stopping at Flynn. "Did you make breakfast?"
"And coffee," he told her with a smile, passing a full mug over to her. "Rough night?"
Denise entered the kitchen to take the mug from him. "You could say that."
Flynn questioned, "Does it have anything to do with the fight you had with Mason?"
Her eyes narrowed at him, stunned that he knew. She glanced over at Tenley and connected the dots. "I didn't realize we made a spectacle of ourselves." She sighed, letting her head fall slightly. Rubbing her temple, she admitted, "We had a simple disagreement, nothing more."
"Over what?" Flynn questioned.
"Does it matter?"
Flynn saw a seriousness behind her eyes. He wondered if she had done something they had agreed not to do. "You told Homeland."
She shook her head. "No, I didn't." She sipped her coffee. "I told Michelle."
"You...what?" Tenley gasped. Denise glanced over at her.
Flynn scoffed. "You realize you've painted a target on your family now."
Denise glared at him. "What was I supposed to do? Disappear without telling her where I was going?"
"What did you tell her exactly?" Flynn pushed.
Agent Christopher licked her lips. "Away on a business trip to an undisclosed location."
"And when word reaches Homeland Security?" Flynn questioned. "What then?"
Denise sucked her teeth. "At least my family will not know where I am."
"Feigning innocence can only take you so far," he reminded her. "Have you forgotten about the moles within Homeland?"
She shook her head. "I haven't forgotten-"
"Forgotten what?" Wyatt asked, standing behind the group. He eyed each one of them carefully. When no one spoke, he asked, "Is that bacon?"
Flynn nodded, stepping aside as Wyatt entered the kitchen. They remained silent as Wyatt began filling his plate with food.
Before anyone else could speak up, a soft chime beeped overhead, followed by a computerized voice. "Active time travel initiated."
"What was that?" Wyatt asked, halting in his scooping of potato hash.
The group exchanged glances, listening to the automated voice overhead as the delicate chime sounded an alarm. "Active time travel initiated."
Rufus, Jiya, Mason, and Lucy appeared in the room, brows drawn together, heads tilted up at the ceiling as they listened to the intercom. Rufus rushed by everyone and down the hall toward the Lifeboat. The others were not far behind.
Rufus burst into the padded room where the Lifeboat sat. He sighed a breath of relief at the sight of the machine, still sitting there untouched.
The chime sounded again, followed by the same message. Mason pushed the door to the small control room off to the side. He spotted some familiar screens and flashing lights. He entered the room, Jiya close behind.
Jiya climbed into the office chair, typing quickly at the keyboard. She watched as the words displayed on the screen, with images of historical documentation - or the current history, at least.
She blinked at the images. "Cool."
"What's going on?" Agent Christopher called out.
Jiya cleared her throat. "Looks like… a small island off of North Carolina. 1588."
Both Flynn and Lucy spoke, "The lost colony of Roanoke?" They exchanged glances, surprised they both knew the date.
Rufus blinked at them. "Roanoke? Like, Croatoan, Roanoke?"
Lucy nodded. "There's so much speculation on what happened back then. They are still finding evidence today that might lead them to understand what happened."
Agent Christopher nodded. "Be careful," she told them, eyeing each of them carefully, "we have no idea what to expect since we don't know what took place."
Wyatt nodded, heading to the weapons locker to begin gearing up. Flynn glanced over to Tenley. She nodded, letting him know it was okay - that she'd be okay without him.
Flynn paused. "Are you sure it's a good idea for both of your 'soldiers' to leave you here by yourselves?"
Agent Christopher gave a curt nod. "I think we'll be okay."
Mason opened his mouth to retort. "Are you sure? The last time-"
"Are you saying you'd like to go on this mission?" Denise asked. When Mason shrunk back into the control room, she said, "I didn't think so." She turned back to Flynn. "We'll be fine. They will need you more than we will."
Flynn clenched his jaw, unsure if this was the right course of action - especially given the simple fact they were now using Bloodstone's new lair. It didn't sit well with him.
Tenley nodded to him, encouraging him silently with a small smile. He could see she was trying to be brave for his sake and he didn't want her to feel guilty if he stayed. He returned the gesture before grabbing his things.
Rufus gave Jiya a quick kiss on the lips before entering the Lifeboat. Wyatt and Lucy followed while Flynn brought up the rear. The rest of them watched as the Lifeboat disappeared with nary a sound.
