Chapter 48

A/N #1: This new chapter is for loyal First Steps reader, jbiemann, who requested an update for her birthday...hope you like it...and happy birthday, Timeless friend :))

Saturday

February 18

It was fairly early when Wyatt opened his eyes the next morning, judging by the hazy wisps of light lazily filtering through the drapes. Curled on her good shoulder facing him, Lucy seemed to be sleeping peacefully, which eased his concerns some since he'd seen first hand how strenuous her physical therapy had been yesterday. Wanting to touch her but loathe to disturb her must-needed rest, he settled for leaning close and gently running his finger over the curve of her smooth, soft cheek.

Lying back, Wyatt stared unseeingly at the ceiling, a faint smile on his face. At last, the day he'd been looking forward to for weeks was here. Today, Lucy Preston was officially moving in with the Logan men-and he couldn't be happier. All kidding about Julie B aside, in Wyatt's mind, this next important step in his relationship with Lucy was merely the first step toward his eventual marriage to her.

Although they hadn't ever really talked in any great detail about a future together so far, he knew without a doubt she loved him deeply, so he was pretty confident they were on the same page. As for him? Wyatt had naturally loved and grieved over Jessica (and he would always be grateful to her for the gift of their son), but was certain he'd never feel about another woman the way he did Lucy. The kind, smart, beautiful kindergarten teacher had effortlessly blasted through the wall a grieving Wyatt had built around his vulnerable heart long ago and filled his life with a new, unexpected, forever love. No matter how many years he had left in this lifetime, sweet Lucy was it for him.

And it was perfectly logical, he reasoned, such thoughts about marrying again led him to the kind of ideas that went along with it–stuff like maybe having a child (or two) together, which definitely meant eventually finding a bigger place to live. Maybe a nice two-story house with a roomy back yard somewhere near the Baumgardners. Not only would it be great to live closer to his best friends, Jamie would love a yard of his own to play in like Annie and Sadie's.

Lost in his daydreams, Wyatt didn't notice Lucy had awakened until she snuggled against his side with a quiet sigh. "Morning, soldier. You look like maybe there's something on your mind," his girlfriend observed sleepily, tenderly running her hand over his bare chest.

Oh, so many things on my mind when it comes to you, Lucy Preston, Wyatt thought with a smirk, but settled for pressing his lips to her rumpled curls. "No, not much, just another lazy Saturday...unless...hey, did we have any particular plans today, sweetheart? I can't seem to recall," he wondered aloud, pretending not to notice when Lucy tensed up just the tiniest bit in his arms. This was too much fun. Like shooting fish in a barrel...

Just as she sniffed indignantly and started to pull away, Wyatt interrupted, "Hang on a minute...I think I remember now," pausing for dramatic effect until she began to relax against him again. "Yeah, didn't Julie and Bam invite us over for lunch or something?" He grunted when without warning, Lucy pinched his side to express her displeasure with his teasing. "Ow...that hurt...damn, it's always the quiet ones you gotta worry about," he complained to no one in particular, trying his best not to laugh at her fierce response because honestly, it was like getting beat up by a fluffy little kitten...and kinda arousing, too.

In a hot second, Wyatt had Lucy on her back, smirking inwardly at her muffled squeak. Deliberately letting his body settle possessively over hers, he nuzzled and kissed the sensitive, fragrant skin behind her ear, filled with masculine pride when she began to shift restlessly under him. Lucy moaned his name softly and wrapped her arms tightly around Wyatt. Unfortunately, just when things were getting interesting, he dimly heard the sound of a small fist banging on the bedroom door, and rolled off Lucy a split second before a certain five-year-old opened it. Thank God he'd taught the boy to knock first...

Frustrated as hell, but still appreciative of Lucy's obviously disappointed sigh, Wyatt cleared his throat roughly and greeted his son. "Morning, little man...what are you doing awake so early?" In response, Jamie shuffled into the room, yawning sleepily as he climbed onto the bed and scooted under the covers between the adults.

"Had to pee, Daddy," he mumbled, snuggling up against Lucy, who was trying to keep a straight face at the child's typically blunt answer. Raising a dark brow, he stared at his offspring in surprise before shaking his head and just going with it because being honest to a fault was how his little guy usually rolled.

"You did ask," Lucy reminded him in a low murmur, snickering when Wyatt mischievously stuck his tongue out at her. The three of them cuddled quietly for a few minutes before Jamie's blue eyes gradually fluttered shut and he went back to sleep.

Rubbing his cheek on the top of his son's blond head, Wyatt whispered, "Since I'm awake, gonna grab a quick shower. Why don't you try to sleep a little more, too, okay? And hey, one more thing, sweetheart? I'm gonna need a rain check on what little man here interrupted later on–and I get to pick the time and place." Lucy's eyes widened in shock, but before she could respond, Wyatt put a finger to his lips and glancing at Jamie, shushed her. "Shh, you'll wake him...oh, and trust me, it's a promise I'll definitely be cashing in," he whispered with a dimpled grin, very much enjoying the delicate blush warming her cheeks.

She narrowed her gaze at him in warning, but at his definitely unrepentant shrug, shook her head fondly, and pulling the five-year-old close, obediently closed her eyes. Satisfied, Wyatt climbed out of bed and turned around to look at the two people he loved most in the world. A wistful smile slowly grew on his face when it occurred to Wyatt once again that as of today, the home he'd so lovingly made for him and his little boy was Lucy's as well. Damn, but he liked the sound of that. They were still sleeping when Wyatt got out of the shower, so he dressed quickly and went downstairs to start breakfast.

Bent on demolishing his meal of scrambled eggs and bacon, Jamie paid scant attention to the adults' conversation until Wyatt stood to refill his coffee cup. Rubbing his full tummy with a contented sigh, he looked up and with a thoughtful frown, said, "Miss Lucy? Miss Lucy, when my Daddy goes to get your stuff and you stay here all the time with me and Daddy and don't live with Miss Amy no more, is it 'cause my house is your house now, too?" When she smiled warmly at the innocent question and answered yes, his dark blue eyes lit up.

"Yay! I am so happy!" Jamie cheered, jumping out of his chair to stand beside Lucy. "Because if my house and Daddy's house is your house, too, then that means you can marry Daddy and be my Mommy forever and ever now, right?" he asked hopefully. Caught off guard, Lucy's fork clattered loudly on her plate and Wyatt just about spit out a mouthful of coffee as the five-year-old watched both of them expectantly. Love the way your mind works, little man, but your timing could be better, Wyatt thought ruefully, meeting his girlfriend's startled gaze calmly enough (despite nearly burning his tongue on the hot beverage). Before he could reply, however, Lucy spoke up after sending him a warning glance.

Reaching out to gently cup Jamie's flushed cheek, she answered, "Uh, well, sweetie, it's not exactly that simple. Yes, your Daddy and I love each other and you very much, and yes, I will be living here with my two favorite guys, which definitely makes me pretty happy, too. Getting married, though, is something he and I need to talk about by ourselves before making an important grownup decision like that because Daddy and I want to do what's best for all three of us. Okay? Does that make sense?" To Wyatt's relief, the little boy considered her amazingly rational response–for a spur of the moment question–maybe a second or two before nodding fervently and clumsily kissing Lucy's cheek before running out of the kitchen. After 'Hurricane' Jamie blew through, there was absolute dead silence in the kitchen.

Out of the mouths of babes, Lucy thought, staring incredulously at the empty doorway before chancing a hasty peek at Wyatt's face. Thank goodness he looked as stunned as she felt. Privately, while she couldn't deny that in her mind, marriage eventually for the two of them was something Lucy wanted very much, moving in together was itself a pretty big step forward in their relationship. Of course she and Wyatt loved each other, and getting married would seem to be the natural (one might say, logical?) next step, but it was probably better for them to wait and see how that worked out before getting all excited and planning a wedding.

She looked up when Wyatt sat back down beside her and exhaled loudly. "Well, hell, I guess we should've seen that one coming. My child is nothing if not relentless when there's something he wants. No idea where his stubborn streak comes from," he mused facetiously, chuckling at Lucy's dubious expression. "Excellent recovery by the way, Ma'am," Wyatt added with an admiring smile that didn't distract her for one second. Nice try, Mr. Logan, but I have a pretty good idea exactly who passed along his obstinate gene to young Jamie...

She rolled her eyes fondly at his valiant effort though, before the subject was dropped when he suddenly asked what time her sister was expecting him. Before Lucy could reply, her phone chimed with a text from Amy. "Huh. That's her now. She always did have excellent timing. Hey, listen, don't worry about the dishes. I'll take care of them while you're gone, alright?" Lucy offered, glancing down at the device in her hand while Wyatt finished clearing the table and stacked the dirty dishes in the sink for her.

Hey, Luce, how's it going? Just wondering what time Wyatt was coming to get your things? I'm meeting a couple friends for lunch and shopping around 11:30, so I won't be home the rest of the afternoon-though I guess it doesn't matter if I'm here or not since you still have a key (unless you're thinking of returning it, lol)...

Jamie and I both feel pretty good this morning, thanks. We just finished breakfast, so probably within the hour? And don't worry, while I have zero doubts about moving in with Wyatt, think I'll hang onto my key just in case of an emergency, ok?

Sounds good. So, anyway, in case you were wondering, I truly don't have any doubts either you're making the right decision here, Lucy. You and your hot soldier seem to be getting along just fine now, so I say, go for it, big sis :)

Well, that's mature of you and very reassuring, little sis ;)

Duh. Ok, back to business. Managed to get the rest of your winter clothes in our two biggest suitcases and your garment bag. Since it's only February, I suppose we can worry about your summer stuff later.

That sounds great! Thanks so much for doing this for me, I really appreciate it :)

Anytime, girl :) Whatever makes YOU happy, makes me happy, you know that, right?

Course I do. Thanks again, Amy. Talk to you soon. Love you :)

After Wyatt left, Lucy turned off the television and escorted Jamie upstairs to change out of his jammies and brush his teeth. Promising to play some board games with him until Daddy got back if he waited quietly in his room with a book or some puzzles long enough for her to get cleaned up, she hurried through a shower and managed without too much discomfort to carefully slip into sweat pants and one of Wyatt's well-worn flannel shirts over her white tee before putting the sling on.

They were sitting at the dining room table just starting a second round of Candy Land when Wyatt returned, loaded down with Lucy's things. Hauling it all up to his room, he set the suitcases on the bed and volunteered to help her put everything away, but ending up going back downstairs to take on his son in a Chutes and Ladders marathon when she thanked him with a sweet kiss, but refused his thoughtful offer. Working slowly but steadily, at least a couple hours passed when Lucy noticed Wyatt standing in the doorway watching her approvingly.

"Nice work...Looks like you're just about done here. I'm glad there was room for all your stuff. Hey, you hungry? Hard to believe after the giant breakfast he put away, but Jamie's fussing about his tummy feeling empty so I'm gonna make us some sandwiches. And more importantly, you, sweetheart, are long overdue for a break and possibly a pain pill, not to mention a nap after lunch. Can't have you wearing yourself out when you're still recuperating, Ma'am," he scolded gently.

At her sheepish smile, Wyatt crossed the room and drew her into an affectionate, lingering embrace. Resting her cheek against his chest, Lucy savored the warmth of his strong arms around her. Something about this man's hugs always made her feel so safe, so loved...

Leaning back, he cleared his throat. "I gotta be honest, Lucy, makes me feel pretty damn good to watch you putting more stuff in my dresser and see your clothes hanging in the closet beside mine...kinda feels like they've always been there. And I hope that never changes," he confessed quietly before stealing a quick kiss. Made her feel pretty damn good, too...

As usual, the rest of their weekend seemed to fly by. Rufus and Jiya came over Saturday evening to check on the patients (and also bring Lucy up date on all the Palm Grove Elementary gossip). After the five of them polished off most of a pot of chili and large pan of cornbread Wyatt prepared, Lucy and Jiya offered to do the dishes and clean up the kitchen while the guys retired to the living room to hang out in front of a Lakers game on television. As they worked companionably side by side at the sink, the women discussed the engaged couple's plans for their upcoming wedding that would take place the end of July.

Although Lucy smiled and responded cheerfully in all the right places, deep down, she found herself feeling slightly envious of the younger woman's radiant happiness at becoming Rufus' wife in a few months. After the unexpected conversation with Jamie at breakfast this morning, try as she might not to, Lucy couldn't help secretly wondering if wedding planning might be in her future some day, too...

Friday

March 17

At a little past noon, Wyatt trudged into the office he and Bam shared and dropped into his chair with a grateful sigh. Tiredly scrubbed his hands over his face, he smirked in solidarity at his training partner's deep groan when he sank into his own chair. What a long-ass morning they'd had, he thought, followed immediately by, thank God it was finally Friday. For some reason, it had been a 'whole week of Mondays' at Camp Pendleton, and Wyatt was counting the hours until he and Lucy would be leaving in the morning for their trip to Coronado Island. He just had to get through the rest of this day, one that had gotten off to a dismal start.

Accompanying their newest recruits outfitted in full gear on a grueling ten-mile run right after breakfast had been a real treat. Running at a steady pace on full stomachs while carrying at least 50 pounds on their backs to build up their stamina had felled several of the young guys (surprisingly, none of the women, though) and slowed the group's overall performance scores considerably.

"Jesus. What a morning," Bam muttered crossly, echoing Wyatt's thoughts with uncanny accuracy. Pulling open a desk drawer and reaching for some ibuprofen, he grumbled, "I swear, Wy, we've had this new group for two weeks now, and some of these guys are just not making much progress. Even worse, a couple of them are actually coming uncomfortably close to washing out, which really pisses me off. For two years running now, we've had the best graduation rate on base–one which I happen to be damn proud of–and we gotta keep it that way. At least the temperature wasn't higher today or we would've had a hell of a lot more than five or six puking their guts out on the side of the trail." The disgruntled look on Bam's face would've been funny if Wyatt didn't feel pretty much the same.

"Yeah," he agreed with a slight frown, "Hate to say it, but you're right. Not sure what we're doing wrong, but if we don't figure out a way to toughen this bunch up, our rate will definitely take a hit. Why don't we work on some ideas over lunch and see what we come up with?" He grinned when the other man's glum expression immediately brightened. Yep, Bam was nothing if not predictable. Wyatt could always count on food to cheer up his best friend.

The two men were threading their way along the crowded hallway to the mess hall when Wyatt's phone chimed softly. Pulling it out of his pants pocket, he glanced down to see a new text alert. "Hey, Bam, save me a seat, will you? I need to check this text from Lucy." Nodding his agreement, the other man disappeared through the wide double doors of the mess while Wyatt found a spot along the wall out of the flow of traffic to read the message.

Hey, afraid I've got some bad news. I don't think our little weekend trip is going to happen after all. Apparently there's some kind of stomach virus (the vomiting kind, unfortunately) going around the school and kids are dropping like flies. I've sent four of my students to the school nurse in the last hour already and Wyatt, one of them is Jamie...I know you're really busy, but is there any way you can come and pick him up as soon as possible? I'd call Julie but don't want their family to get sick, and it's too late in the day to get a sub in here so I won't be able to leave early. I'm so sorry :(

Wyatt's heart sank as he stared at his phone in dismay. Seriously? Not only was his son sick–something he always hated-but the special trip he and Lucy had been planning since Valentines Day would have to be postponed once more. Great. Hastily scrolling through his phone, he found the hotel's number and called to postpone their reservation. Luckily, the woman working the front desk who answered the phone was quite sympathetic to their situation and was able to change their booking to the weekend after Easter in mid April. Disappointed at the thought of having to wait yet another month, he nonetheless thanked her politely and ended the call. Hopefully, third time was the charm, he told himself, and they'd finally be able to take their long-overdue trip. With a resigned sigh, Wyatt went looking for his partner to tell him he was leaving.

On the way to the school, he stopped at the store long enough to pick up some supplies for what was likely going to be a long, dreary couple of days taking care of a sick child. Snagging some ginger ale, a box of Pedialyte powder packets and saltine crackers to help settle Jamie's upset tummy and a couple cans of his favorite chicken and stars soup he always asked for when not feeling well, Wyatt threw a large package of paper towels and an economy-sized bottle of Lysol in the cart as well. Hey, this wasn't his first rodeo...

After greeting the beleaguered school secretary whose phones were ringing off the hook and signing the Visitors Log, Wyatt decided to check Lucy and Jamie's classroom first. Things seemed calm enough when he stepped through the open doorway, although a faint, unpleasantly acrid smell of vomit and disinfectant seemed to linger in the air. Near the back of the room, a teacher (or maybe one of the classroom aides) Wyatt didn't recognize was standing between two large round tables supervising around a dozen students busily tapping away on their tablets. No sign of Lucy or Jamie, though. Clearing his throat, he asked politely, "Excuse me, I'm Wyatt Logan, Jamie's dad. Can you tell me where I can find him and Miss Preston?"

Every little head popped up to stare at him curiously. Before the young woman could answer, though, one of the kindergarteners piped up loudly, "Hi, Mr. Logan! Are you here to pick up Jamie? He barfed in Miss Preston's trash can and had to go see the nurse like Emily, Olivia and Jordan did," she informed him eagerly. Hiding a smile at her gruesome enthusiasm, Wyatt solemnly thanked the little girl for the information, and following the woman's directions, easily found the school infirmary, not surprised when he walked in to find every chair outside the nurse's office filled with pale, listless students and a handful of harried-looking adults, including, he was happy to see, his son and girlfriend.

"Wyatt? Thank goodness. We are so glad you're here," Lucy exclaimed in relief at the same time Jamie spotted him and slid off her lap, wobbling towards his father with chubby arms upraised and tears filling his dark blue eyes.

Wyatt gathered him up, smiling when the five-year-old rested his flushed cheek on his shoulder and hiccuping rather pathetically, fussed, "Daddy, my tummy feels bad and I frowed up and it was gross and I wanna go home now, please."

He rubbed his son's back gently, whispering "I know, little man. It's okay, Daddy's here to take you home," while Lucy worriedly informed him Jamie's temperature was hovering a little above 101 degrees, and he'd thrown up twice already in the past couple hours. She added that the school nurse didn't seem overly concerned at the moment, advising plenty of rest and as many fluids as Jamie could keep down. If the vomiting didn't stop within the next eight hours or his fever went above 102 degrees and stayed there, they should call his pediatrician. Lucy bit her lower lip, voice trailing away as she tenderly smoothed limp blond hair from Jamie's sweaty forehead, and Wyatt was touched by how upset she clearly was. She was such a good mom already to his son.

Taking the thankfully unused barf bag Lucy thrust at him (just in case) for the drive home, Wyatt leaned in to kiss her cheek and murmur, "Try not to worry, sweetheart. It's just a nasty virus. Thank you for taking such good care of my son. Love you," before heading out the door. Unfortunately, Jamie fell asleep shortly after they pulled out of the school parking lot and was particularly cranky when Wyatt began unbuckling his seat belt. He figured out why pretty quickly once they were inside and a panicked expression abruptly crossed the little boy's face before he whimpered, "Daddy, I gotta frow up" and they barely made it to the bathroom in time.

By the time Lucy arrived home maybe an hour after they did, experienced dad Wyatt had bathed a feverish Jamie in lukewarm water and wrangled him into a well-worn set of pajamas. He even managed to get a dose of Childrens Tylenol in him, along with several tiny spoonfuls of ice chips–both of which miraculously stayed down (so far).

Jamie had just drifted off, arms wrapped around his Spiderman plush when Lucy suddenly appeared in the open doorway. She looked stressed out and exhausted, watching silently as Wyatt bent over the bed and tucked the covers securely around his son's small body. "How's he doing?" she asked anxiously in a low undertone when he walked towards her. Taking her small hand in his, he led her down the hallway to his bedroom. Just inside the door, Wyatt tugged her close, and murmuring to her soothingly, held on tight until she started to relax.

"I hate it when Jamie is hurt or sick," Lucy admitted with a sigh, resting her cheek against his shoulder with a small yawn. They stood wrapped in each other arms for a long moment until he leaned back to gaze into her pale face.

"Welcome to parenthood, sweetheart," Wyatt said lightly, pressing his lips to her forehead, noting absently that her skin seemed warmer than usual yet oddly, also rather clammy. Leaning back, he took a good, up close look at Lucy, and did not like what he saw. Aside from the purplish shadows blooming under her soft amber eyes, her face was devoid of color, and when he cupped her slender neck, Wyatt could feel the heat from her skin. Aww, hell–not Lucy, too.

"Lucy? Did the school nurse happen to take your temperature when you had Jamie in her office?" he asked urgently, right before she stiffened up, her eyes widening in shock or maybe dread? Tearing out of his arms, she dashed into the bathroom, barely shutting door behind her. He winced sympathetically, heart sinking at the unmistakable sound of vomiting drifting through the closed door. Dropping on the side of the bed, Wyatt exhaled harshly, absolutely certain at the moment of only two things: it was gonna be a really long weekend...and he should've bought a bigger box of crackers...

A/N #2: Yeah, having the stomach flu is just the worst, isn't it? Poor Wyatt's gonna have his hands full the next couple of days taking care of Lucy and Jamie. And my gosh, are these two EVER gonna get to have their romantic weekend on Coronado Island? We'll find out in the next chapter, I promise :) As usual, my sincere appreciation to everyone for your incredible patience with this story I started writing back in June 2017. (Can't believe that with this chapter, First Steps has officially passed the 200,000 word mark.) WOW! :p Thanks so much for reading :))