Chapter 54

A/N #1: At LAST! After my long, frustrating bout of writer's block with this story broke last week, here it is, fellow Timeless fans, the final, extra long chapter of a fic started nearly FIVE years ago. My humble apologies to those faithful readers (looking at you, jbiemann) who never gave up on me and continued to wait patiently for the conclusion to the very first fanfic I ever wrote. Your support and encouragement over the years in the form of favorites, follows and reviews means more to me than I can ever express. Sincere appreciation also to fellow author, Once Upon A Whim, for her invaluable input when I needed it most–thank you, my friend :)

Here's a super quick recap to catch you up since the last update: After the romantic getaway weekend Wyatt and Lucy planned got delayed twice (in February by her car accident and the next month by a stomach virus), the couple was finally able to leave for their trip to Coronado Bay in April after dropping Jamie off at the Baumgardners. Wyatt woke Lucy before dawn on Saturday morning and drove her to the Hotel del Coronado Beach to propose at sunrise. And of course, she said yes! Later that afternoon, the newly-engaged couple discuss all kinds of important stuff like buying a house and having a baby and Lucy adopting Jamie...

April 22

Saturday evening

Dressed in a pair of khakis and a dark gray polo, Wyatt was standing beside the bed putting on his dress watch when he called over his shoulder, "Lucy, are you almost ready to go? It's after 6:00 already and our reservation at the Bluewater Grill is for 6:45. I wanna make sure we have plenty of time to park and get inside before then." Having punctuality drilled into his head since enlisting in the Army when he was 18, Wyatt really disliked being late for anything if he could help it. Not only that, but from the insistent way his stomach was complaining, they were past due for some serious re-fueling before coming back here to properly enjoy their last night together at the 1906 Lodge.

Thankfully, he'd remembered to set the alarm on his phone once they managed to drag their sated, extremely relaxed bodies from the very enjoyable spa tub and climb into bed for another nap or they might've slept through the reservation altogether and gotten stuck having to order supper from room service. Not that it made any difference to him. Spending a couple days alone with the woman he loved-and was hopefully gonna marry sooner rather than later-made for a pretty damn near perfect weekend in his book, even if they never set foot outside the room, Wyatt reflected with a satisfied grin.

He nearly dropped the watch when without warning, a pair of bare, slender arms wrapped themselves snugly around his chest and a husky voice whispered against his ear, "Ready whenever you are, soldier." Wyatt shivered at the inviting warmth of the slim feminine body pressed against him. Maybe room service wouldn't be too bad, he reasoned, pretty confident he could have his fiance stripped and beneath him on the bed in about a half second flat...

Turning abruptly in Lucy's arms, ready to suggestperhaps only half jokingly-that they could always cancel the dinner reservation and stay in, Wyatt's unsuspecting heart skipped a beat (or possibly two). Standing in front of him dressed in a short pale gray dress with tiny white flowers, raven hair waving around her slim shoulders, his fiancé looked fresh and pretty and radiantly happy. Gazing up at him, her soft amber brown eyes shone with such love-and luckily, all of it for him.

Not for the first time since they began dating, Wyatt Logan wondered what he'd done to deserve a second chance at love with a smart, loving, funny, sexy woman like Lucy, but didn't care enough to question Fate, the Force, or whatever divine being brought her into his life when they did. She might not have been Wyatt's first love, but–as the elegant ring on her left hand proclaimed to the whole world-for the rest of their lives (however long that might be), Lucy would be his last, only, forever love, the woman who fulfilled every part of his soul.

"I am one damn lucky man because you, Lucy Preston, are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he told her solemnly, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and pressing his forehead to hers. They stood in calm contentment for a long moment, just holding each other, until she drew back with a sigh. Placing her hands on Wyatt's chest just over the heart she had effortlessly taken possession of not long after they started a serious relationship, Lucy smiled up at him, clearly pleased by his remark.

"Thank you, kind sir, that's very sweet of you to say. You look pretty handsome yourself-and see," wiggling her index finger back and forth between them, "we match. Probably sounds silly, but I kinda like that...feels like a couple thing to do," she admitted shyly. Wyatt shook his head in amusement (although privately thought she wasn't altogether wrong).

"Sweetheart, I doubt anyone at the restaurant will even give me a second glance when I walk in with a lady on my arm who looks as pretty as you do. Although right now, it's probably a good thing Bam isn't here, or he might be starting that 'Ken and Barbie' crap again...you know, something like 'Ken and Barbie go on vacation' or 'Casual Ken and Barbie' or something equally as dumb. Sad to say, I think maybe my training partner has spent way too much time playing dolls with his little girls," Wyatt said dryly, rolling his eyes and making Lucy giggle and shake her head at him. After slipping on a pair of slim black heels, she grabbed a soft white cardigan and her bag and preceded him out the door, her gently swaying hips under the well-fitting dress instantly drawing his attention (as usual). Yes, indeed, he was one hell of a lucky man...

Once the valet brought his Jeep around front, Wyatt deftly exchanged a couple bills for the keys before politely opening the passenger door for his fiance-making no effort at all to hide his interest at the enticing flash of long, bare legs revealed when she climbed into the front seat. "Stop staring," Lucy scolded fondly as she settled herself. Shrugging unrepentantly (hey, he was only human), Wyatt leaned in and gently pushing her slim hands aside, carefully fastened her seat belt, gratified when she shivered at his touch. "Thank you, love," she breathed against his stubbled cheek, and now he was the one who shivered at the tingle going up his spine.

Although it only took a couple minutes to drive from the hotel to the Bluewater Grill, it was Saturday night on the island, and the expected lack of parking close by meant there ended up being no time to spare when they walked in at 6:45 on the dot. Glancing around as he and Lucy followed the hostess through the crowded restaurant to their table, Wyatt immediately liked the atmosphere–casual, but classy, too (like his fiance). He'd never been a fan of fancy restaurants that made him feel like a hick from a tiny town in West Texas...which, hell, yeah, he was and unashamed to say so. On the other hand, he'd figured out pretty early on after spending time with her that the woman he was now going to marry obviously came from a family of some means back in San Francisco, someone who always looked and acted right at home no matter where Wyatt took her. It was one of the things he loved most about Lucy.

Once the server delivered their drinks and took their dinner order, he reached over and took her left hand in his, admiring the way her engagement ring sparkled in the restaurant's dim lighting. "So, when are you going to marry me, Miss Preston?" Wyatt asked casually enough–though in his heart, the question was anything but. Honest to God, while of course it wasn't practical at all, he'd marry this woman tomorrow if she was agreeable. Despite the way her fingers trembled in his, Lucy's voice was impressively steady when she answered.

"Funny you should ask me that, Mr. Logan. While you were finishing your shower, I did a little research on my phone. Want to hear a surprising fact? Las Vegas, Nevada, home to many, many wedding chapels where hundreds of couples get married every day, is only about an hour away by plane. Isn't that interesting? So I guess my answer to your question might be when are you going to marry me?" Was that a challenge he heard in her voice?

All the noise and chatter surrounding them in the busy restaurant faded away because all he could see was Lucy. Gazing into those gorgeous eyes, her rosy lips curved in a mischievous grin, Wyatt felt almost dizzy. Good Lord, did she mean it, or was the little witch just teasing him? His mind went suddenly blank, and it took every bit of self control he had to remain seated and not drag the woman out of here and head for the airport conveniently located just across the bay...

Amazed by her own daring, Lucy bit her lip and tried not to laugh as a myriad of emotions flitted across her soldier's handsome face...shock, confusion, consideration...and then, to her astonishment, was that possibly approval or maybe even hope she saw? It was just so seldom that she caught the man off guard, and it felt wonderful indeed...at first. Her initial amusement didn't last long, however.

His grip on her hand tightened as he swallowed hard. Leaning toward her, Wyatt whispered hoarsely, "Lucy, sweetheart...are you serious? Because you say the word, and we can be on a plane and in Las Vegas in a matter of hours..." Wow. Just wow. Now Lucy was the one with mixed emotions—mostly dismay for winding her normally reserved fiancé up like this (and in a public place, too).

But to the more pressing point, was he being serious? Maybe the joke was on her, she wondered uncertainly. Lucy had actually been kidding (well, like 90 percent kidding...okay, maybe 85 percent), but it was clear from the intense expression on his face that startling as it seemed, her fiancé appeared to be actually considering her impetuous idea. My goodness, what had she started here? She needed to clear this up right away (and maybe try not be so impulsive in the future, her brain suggested helpfully).

"Oh, Wyatt, I'm sorry," Lucy whispered contritely, "I really was teasing, well, mostly, but if it makes you feel any better, the thought really did occur to me and while naturally, it was a foolish waste of time, I really did look up flights between here and Las Vegas...silly me." A tiny part of her was extremely flattered by the obvious disappointment written on his face–it was actually quite reassuring for her feminine pride that Wyatt was willing to elope tonight. Before she could say anything further, however, the server arrived with their salads and a basket of warm dinner rolls.

Absently thanking the young woman, Lucy carefully placed the cloth napkin across her lap with shaking hands, aware of her fiance's brooding dark blue gaze. A bit anxious now, she began to fumble through an explanation. "I really am sorry for getting you all worked up. If it makes you feel any better, there is a part of me that would like nothing better than to fly to Vegas and marry you tonight."

When Wyatt didn't respond right away, just began methodically eating his salad, he looked so somber, Lucy honestly felt the first sickening stirrings of panic. Oh, God, what had she done? This was so obviously not the time and place to be pranking her new fiancé. Her frantic thoughts were interrupted by Wyatt's cool voice breaking the uncomfortable silence between them.

"Alright, so let me get this straight, sweetheart," he drawled in a perfectly even tone, setting down his fork and reaching for the basket of rolls and some butter, "We've been engaged for around 12 hours now, more or less, and naturally haven't gotten around to making any kind of concrete wedding plans, because, let me think, oh, yeah, because we've only been engaged less than a day. So you decide it would be hilarious to tell me in a restaurant full of people you've been researching wedding chapels of love or whatever the hell they're called in Las Vegas, and then once I get over my shock and my poor brain gets up to speed and thinks, 'okay, yeah, that's pretty wild and about the last thing I expected her to say, but why not,' you admit you're just joking. Sound about right?"

The whole time he was speaking, her fiancé steadfastly focused his entire attention on buttering the roll. What, now all of a sudden, he couldn't even look her in the eye? Her heart sank like a stone. Had she stupidly ruined their whole weekend? Stricken, Lucy nodded cautiously, but before she could even form a real apology, Wyatt abruptly looked up and grinned.

"Nicely done, Miss Preston," he said approvingly, dimples flashing. "I am sincerely impressed." Wait. What? Impressed? He wasn't angry with her? She must've said that last part out loud (oops) because Wyatt chuckled and shook his head, bright blue eyes dancing merrily.

"Of course I'm not mad. First of all, I love everything about you, but you have the worst poker face ever, woman, which means I can read you like a book, and second, even you would have to admit that you're one of the least impulsive people I've ever known. Even though it really wasn't all that crazy an idea, I knew right away you were pulling my leg. Plus, think about it, Lucy. There's no way in hell Amy Preston and Julie Baumgardner wouldn't kill us on the spot for depriving them of the insanity of planning our wedding, so unless we somehow managed to keep it to ourselves for several months at least, eloping would be too dangerous for our personal safety. I suppose it was kind of a jerk move for making you think I was pissed, but it was so damn cute how worried you were about upsetting me, I just couldn't help myself. But I am sorry for messing with you like that. Can you forgive me?"

Lucy's mouth fell open like a fish on a hook (ugh, there was a pretty mental picture)—although the part of her mind that wasn't bewildered and maybe starting to get sort of annoyed with him couldn't help but think how adorable a smug Wyatt Logan looked, all dimples and gleaming blue eyes. C'mon, Lucy, focus. Good grief, the whole time she was worrying about jerking the man's chain, he actually saw right through her...and played her like a cheap guitar, just letting her babble on and on. Oh, yes, Wyatt Logan was a dead man, alright, but it wouldn't be Amy and Julie doing the deed...

Narrowing her eyes at him, she struggled valiantly to keep a stern expression on her face even as her mind raced, trying to decide how she wanted to play this. In the end, though because she loved her bad boy fiancé with all her heart and he was just so pleased with himself, Lucy couldn't help but tentatively return his smile–and then it hit her how she could get a little payback.

It was gone full dark by the time they returned to the hotel, pleasantly full on an excellent meal, and looking forward to their last night alone together. Once inside the room, Lucy slipped off her heels with a relieved sigh. Dropping the key card on the dresser, Wyatt reached for her hand. "You feel up for another round in the spa tub, sweetheart, or if you'd like, maybe we could just lay in bed for a while and cuddle or something?" he suggested, eyeing her rather hopefully. Ha...or 'something' was right, she grinned to herself. By the time she was finished with him and his gorgeous, muscular body, Master Sergeant Logan wouldn't know how to put together a complete sentence...

"Hmm...I don't really feel like getting in the tub right now, maybe later?" she answered with a demure smile. "But I think cuddling sounds perfect. Just let me slip into something a little more comfortable, okay?" To her satisfaction, Wyatt completely bought it, his blue eyes darkening with desire at her provocative response. Now that she had his rapt attention, it was time for a little revenge. Shamelessly pressing her body close to his, her mouth delicately nipping at his firm, warm lips, Lucy delighted in the low groan he couldn't hold back and murmured, "That should hold you until I'm ready," extremely gratified Wyatt actually growled and reached for her when she pulled away from him.

"Now, now, patience, soldier," Lucy admonished lightly, stepping just out of her fiance's demanding grasp. "I'll only be a minute or two, promise." It was quite difficult not to be tempted by that sexy pout of his, but she forced herself to turn away from him and head for the bathroom, only stopping long enough to stealthily retrieve the little pink and white bag from the back of the dresser drawer. She hastily brushed her teeth and looking in the mirror above the sink, checked her makeup and fluffed her hair before shedding her clothes and slipping into the silky, pale sage green slip from her guy's favorite lingerie store. A tiny spritz of cologne and she was all set. Turning from side to side to admire her reflection, Lucy thought it was very flattering and hoped the man she loved would agree...

Hurriedly stripping down to his boxers, a highly-motivated Wyatt turned the bed covers back and lit a few candles around the room, wanting everything to be perfect for their last night alone in this beautiful place. He sat on the end of the bed to wait impatiently for his fiancé. And then the bathroom door opened, and as Lucy padded toward him with a deceptively shy smile, Wyatt Logan was pretty sure his heart stopped. She was wearing one of those dainty slip things he always enjoyed taking off her (and hopefully, nothing else), this one in a light green color, and looked like an angel to his dazzled eyes. Yeah, his heart was a goner when it came to Lucy Preston...

She came to a stop between his legs, trembling a little when Wyatt's heated gaze raked over her from the top of her glossy black curls to the polished tips of her dainty toes. "I don't even have words for how beautiful you are, sweetheart," he managed, pleased when Lucy blushed a rosy pink at his declaration. Placing a slim hand on each of his bare shoulders, she leaned down and gave him a chaste, tender kiss before gazing intently into his eyes and whispering, 'I love you and can't wait to be your wife.'

Possessively resting his hands around her small waist, Wyatt leisurely deepened the kiss, his tongue teasing along her enticing bottom lip until she began to whimper softly. Standing abruptly, he swept his fiance into his arms and carefully placed her on the bed where her long raven hair spilled over the white pillows. As Wyatt settled himself in the welcoming cradle of her long legs, his last coherent thought before they were swept away was being in this woman's arms was indeed a little piece of heaven on earth...

Off and on during the long night, Wyatt and Lucy loved and slept and talked some about the future and the life they hoped to build together until at last, one by one, the candles sputtered out just as the first shimmering streaks of dawn began to weakly filter through the drapes. Lying in the middle of the bed with Lucy sprawled across his chest, Wyatt lazily stroked up and down the velvety skin of her bare back.

"What are you thinking?" he murmured, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her messy curls. He waited patiently while Lucy stretched and yawned against him before reaching up and pulling his mouth to hers. After a long moment, she drew back and licked her lips.

"How good you taste," she answered thoughtfully, sexily running her finger across his bottom lip, instantly giving his already pleasantly sated body some naughty ideas. Even as his arms instinctively tightened around her lithe body, Lucy sat up and fussily gathered some of the sheet around her, watching him with a knowing expression on her pretty face. She held up a hand to stop him when naturally Wyatt reached for her.

"And that's what you might say is payback for last night, mister," she informed him proudly. Frowning slightly, Wyatt's hands stilled while he swiftly thought back over the past few hours until his mind arrived on what went down between them during dinner. Oh, yeah. Getting his fiancé all riled up like that actually had been pretty funny. He grunted when she smacked him with a pillow. The hell?

"Oh, it's on now, sweetheart," Wyatt promised with a leer, grabbing Lucy by the waist and deftly rolling her beneath him to finish the battle in a decisive manner. By the time they flopped back against the pillows panting and trembling (each thinking they'd bested the other), the shadowy dawn had burned into full daylight.

"That was one of the best nights of my life," Lucy gasped breathlessly before rolling over and nestling against his damp chest. They cuddled in peaceful silence for a while until she reluctantly pulled out of his arms and got out of bed. Grabbing the discarded slip from the floor (where he'd tossed it last night after eagerly removing it) and dropping it over her head, she blew him a kiss and made her way to the bathroom. Wyatt grinned at the cute gesture before relaxing against the pillows with a contented sigh. It had been a memorable night for him also. His Lucy was truly the perfect woman and thank God, all his for the rest of their lives...

Felt to him like the precious minutes went pretty fast after that. Naturally, to save time, they shared the shower (and maybe fooled around a little) and got all packed up after getting dressed before going downstairs to the dining room to enjoy brunch. They'd more than earned it, to Wyatt's way of thinking. Efficiently working his way through a plate loaded down with scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, fried potatoes and biscuits, he shook his head sadly at the oversized blueberry-oatmeal muffin and bowl of fresh fruit the woman he loved considered to be a hearty breakfast. No wonder he could practically wrap his hands all the way around her waist.

After the satisfying meal was finished and the server refilled their coffee cups, they lingered a while at the table, discussing plans for the rest of the morning before leaving for home. At one point, Wyatt's conscience got the better of him, and he confessed that if she'd been 100 percent serious about eloping to Vegas last night—truthfully, it would've been fine with him. He ducked and laughed out loud when Lucy threw a chunk of her muffin at him before giving him a sly smile and telling him while she loved him and appreciated his honesty, he hadn't fooled her at all. Yeah, right, who was being honest now?

Since they had done all their souvenir shopping the day before, Lucy proceeded to show Wyatt a brochure she'd found in the lobby about tours given at the Hotel del Coronado, enthusiastically reading parts of it aloud to him. While it wasn't particularly his idea of fun, Wyatt knew how much his school teacher loved brainy history stuff like that and therefore was fine with spending an hour or two indulging her—especially when the woman's face lit up in pleasure at his easy agreement.

While his fiance waited patiently near the entrance, Wyatt dropped off the key cards and paid their bill with the gift certificate they'd received last Christmas from Bam and Julie and her parents, adding a generous gratuity of his own. Taking her hand securely in his, they went outside to wait for the valet to bring Wyatt's Jeep around front. Saying little on the way to the famous hotel, the couple was more than happy to just be together when so few hours of their special weekend remained. It occurred to him during the brief drive that in only a couple of days, he and Lucy had made some great memories here on Coronado Island–possibly making it the perfect place for them to honeymoon. Not a bad idea at all, Logan, he told himself, vowing to look into it once they settled on a wedding date.

About an hour into the tour that turned out to be more interesting than he might've guessed, Wyatt noticed Lucy didn't seem to be enjoying herself like he assumed she would. Pulling her away from the tour group, he asked worriedly if anything was wrong. To his surprise, she shrugged and confessed that all of a sudden, she was really homesick for Jamie—but hated to not finish the hotel tour since they'd already paid for it. Wyatt bit back a smile of relief because he felt exactly the same. Taking her left hand in his, he gently rubbed his thumb over her glittering engagement ring and took a deep breath.

"Have to admit, I'm missing the little guy, too, and ready to go any time you are. Tell you what–why don't we ditch this tour and head home?" he suggested, amused by her eager nod. "Before we go, though, I wanna thank you, Ma'am, for just about the best weekend I've ever had in my whole life. I love you so much, Lucy Preston, and can't wait to be your husband," Wyatt added in a husky voice, touched by the luminous smile she gave him. "Now, let's go make our son the happiest five-year-old on the planet..."

Epilogue

June 2, 2029

"Family gives you the roots to stand tall and strong..." - Anonymous

Standing in front of the full-length mirror in Mom and Dad's bedroom, he tried for the third time to get the blue striped necktie knotted right, but it was hopeless–no matter which way he twisted the silly thing, it just wouldn't lay flat. Dropping his hands in frustration, James Logan sighed and eyed his reflection critically. He didn't know why Dad was being such a hard case about the whole tie thing. The light blue button down shirt Annie helped him pick out at the mall looked nice enough with the khakis Mom ironed for him this morning. And he'd bet twenty bucks half the guys in his graduating class would be wearing casual stuff like polos and cargo shorts with flip flops under their graduation gowns. But like it or not, when your dad was career military like his, a kid got used to being held to a higher standard.

Glancing over at the dresser, James smiled fondly at the casual grouping of family pictures that sat on the top. So many good memories over the years. Two rather simple frames in particular caught his eye. Carefully placed under the glass of one was not a photo, but a somewhat faded greeting card that was actually the valentine Mom had given Dad for their first Valentines Day together when James was in kindergarten. It was an illustration of a dark-haired young woman dressed in what he guessed was Victorian era clothing sitting at a desk with a quill and parchment and across the top were the words, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways...

As a child, James had been curious about why his Mom would bother to put this particular card in a picture frame, but on the few occasions he asked his parents, they would only smile rather mysteriously at each other—and Dad would usually change the subject. As he grew and matured, James came to understand (and respect) how important whatever was written on the inside of the card was to his intensely private father.

In the other frame was the card he'd made for "Miss Lucy" that same first Valentines Day with her. Though only five at the time, James still remembered how with Dad's help, he'd carefully labored over printing the words I Love You on the front in red crayon and drawing misshapen hearts inside ('cause Dad told him, ladies really, really like hearts and girly stuff like that, son). His little chest had puffed up with pride when she naturally made a big fuss over the card, and by saving it in a picture frame, he realized later how much his childish card meant to her.

The door opened behind him. "Jamie, sweetie, are you still fooling around with that necktie?" his mother asked, pretending to be exasperated. She was the only person besides the Baumgardner sisters he permitted to use the childish nickname after deciding on his tenth birthday he'd rather be called 'James' instead. "Don't forget now, you have to be at school by 12:45 for your group picture before the ceremony, and you don't want to be late," she reminded him.

Coming to stand in front of James, close enough he could smell the faint scent of her favorite perfume, Lucy's slim fingers deftly knotted the tie in what seemed like seconds, only lingering long enough when she was finished to gently pat the now perfectly flat tie with a wistful sigh. Stepping back to examine his appearance, he wasn't surprised when she bit her lower lip, her soft brown eyes shining with tears. It was an accepted fact in their large family that Lucy Logan always got a little emotional over stuff like this.

"Aww, now, Mom, please don't cry. You're gonna mess up your makeup and you look so pretty," he scolded lightly, leaning down to kiss her smooth cheek. At just over six feet, James had grown some during his senior year and was now slightly taller than his dad, though not quite as broad-shouldered. Aside from his dark blond hair, he looked almost exactly like Wyatt Logan at the same age–he'd seen the pictures.

As for Mom and Dad, amazingly, despite both of them turning 43 this year, his parents could easily pass for years younger, which was why it never failed to amuse him when his normally serene mother got upset and complained loudly at spotting a new gray hair (or two). On the other hand, Dad just laughed when his hair began to go a little silver at the temples–something that tended to annoy his wife. Still, compared to some of his friends' parents, Mom and Dad really were a nice looking couple and seemed rather young to have a child graduating from high school. Hopeless romantic Annie always sighed and said it was because Uncle Wy and Aunt Lucy were just so much in love.

Giving him a shaky smile, Mom apologized, "I'm sorry, it's just that you look really grown up all of a sudden, and I honestly don't know where the time has gone. Seems like only yesterday, you were so small, all big blue eyes and dimples like your dad and shyly introducing yourself to me on your first day of kindergarten. And here you are, James Wyatt Logan, turning 18 years old next week, graduating from high school, heading off to college the end of August. It's kind of a lot for a mother to adjust to." Inhaling deeply, she looked in the mirror and using her knuckle, wiped away a stray tear, taking care not to smudge her mascara. James smiled fondly. Even though she hadn't married Dad and officially become his mom until right before he entered first grade, this woman was the only mother he'd ever known (or wanted).

"Yeah, it was kind of an important day all around, wasn't it?" he reflected thoughtfully. That was the day life as he'd known it up to then changed forever. Dad's first wife and his biological mother, Jessica, had been killed by a drunk driver when James wasn't even a year old, so Dad was raising his young son all by himself...until that fateful day the Logan men met the newest kindergarten teacher at Palm Grove Elementary School, who'd come all the way from San Francisco to live with her sister.

While it had taken his reserved, stubborn father a bit longer to come around to the idea, five-year-old James decided within days that sweet, pretty Miss Preston was the perfect lady to be his new Mommy—one of the reasons his Aunt Julie teasingly called him "the little matchmaker" for a while when he was younger. Secretly, James still felt kinda proud it was his innocent marriage proposal that October morning on Dad's behalf that compelled the man to ask Mom over for dinner the very same day. They began dating the same week (a movie and pizza at Galelli's with a thrilled five-year-old tagging along the Saturday after that as he recalled), and very quickly fell in love, culminating in Wyatt Logan proposing to his new girlfriend a mere six months later and making a certain motherless little boy extremely happy...

Flashback

April 23, 2017

As much as Jamie always loved spending time with his second family, he was starting to get just a little impatient by Sunday afternoon. Sitting quietly on the floor in the front room with Annie watching her Zootopia DVD while Sadie was taking a nap (finally), Jamie wished he could tell time so he could know when his Daddy and Miss Lucy (who he liked to pretend was his Mommy for real) would be here to pick him up. Maybe Aunt Julie could tell Jamie was ready to go home because she walked in the room and sitting down on the sofa, patted the cushion beside her. He obediently hopped up and snuggled against his aunt with a sigh.

"Hey, little man," she whispered affectionately, kissing the top of his head, "Everything okay? You seem kinda quiet right now. This is just a guess, but I was wondering if maybe you might be missing your Daddy and Miss Lucy?" Jamie pulled away and stared up at his aunt in wonder. How did she know? Grownup people were so smart, especially ladies like Miss Lucy and his Aunt Julie. He squirmed a bit when she smiled in understanding.

"Maybe..." he allowed, ducking his head in embarrassment. She probably thought he was a big baby, acting younger than Sadie...even though he was almost six years old...

To Jamie's surprise, though, she tugged him close and promised Daddy and Miss Lucy would be here very soon so he needed to be patient just a bit longer. "And if I know them, I bet they will probably bring you a surprise or two. That will be nice, right?" No sooner had he nodded his head when there was a loud knock on the front door. He heard the sound of the door opening and Uncle Bam's deep voice in the hallway.

Completely forgetting Sadie was upstairs sleeping, Jamie jumped to his feet, shrieking, "They're here! They're here, Aunt Julie!" Running into the hallway, he slammed into his father's legs, making the grownups laugh. Bending over, Daddy scooped him up and gave him a big hug. "I missed you and Miss Lucy so much, Daddy," he confided shyly, resting his cheek on his daddy's strong shoulder with a happy sigh.

At the touch of a warm hand gently rubbing his back, Jamie lifted his head to see Miss Lucy smiling at him. "Hey, sweet boy, you ready to go home now?" She laughed when he nodded so hard he almost slipped out of Daddy's arms. Before he knew it, Aunt Julie was handing Miss Lucy his pillow and bag and kissing him goodbye. Jamie giggled when Uncle Bam pretended to hurt his hand punching him on the arm. His uncle was so silly. During the ride home, he got Daddy and Miss Lucy all caught up on the fun stuff that happened since Friday, like going to see the Boss Baby movie yesterday and a visit to the zoo this morning after Aunt Julie made his favorite waffles for breakfast.

"So you had a good time, buddy?" Daddy asked, smiling at him over his shoulder. Jamie nodded, rubbing his eyes. He was starting to feel a little sleepy but trying hard as he could to stay awake. He was getting too old for naps.

"Yes, sir," He yawned, "I always have fun at Aunt Julie and Uncle Bam's house, even when Sadie gets tired and acts like a cranky baby," which made them laugh. Closing his eyes for just a second, the next thing Jamie knew, Daddy was unsnapping his seatbelt and picking him up. He wrapped his arms around Daddy's neck and hung on tight while he carried Jamie right upstairs to his room. "But I'm not sleepy and pretty soon on my next birthday, I will be six and a big boy and big boys don't take naps," he protested with another yawn, even as Daddy pretended not to hear, just kept right on taking off his shoes and socks and helping him get under the covers.

"I know, little man," Daddy soothed, tucking James in nice and snug like he always did, "but since you already had such a big day what with going to the zoo and walking all over the place, it won't hurt to lay here quietly for a little while." Just then, Miss Lucy walked in wearing a big smile and sat down on the end of his bed holding a plastic bag. "See, here's Miss Lucy with a couple surprises we got you since you were such a good boy for Aunt Julie and Uncle Bam while we were gone. But here's the deal: you have to at least try to sleep afterwards if you want the surprises." Of course, extremely interested about what might be in the mysterious crinkly bag, James nodded eagerly and forgot all about not wanting a nap. Pushing the covers down a little and hurriedly sitting up, he watched Miss Lucy expectantly.

Scooting closer to him, with Daddy sitting right beside her, she told James how proud they were of him before handing over the bag. Inside were three new 'Berry Stain Bear' books and even better, a new tee-ball mitt. "It's a new mitt! Just for me! Thank you, thank you, Daddy and Miss Lucy!" he said excitedly, immediately pushing the mitt on his left hand and flexing his small fingers. It felt new and stiff but James couldn't wait to use it. Maybe after his nap, he and Daddy could play catch outside before supper and he could show Miss Lucy how good he caught the ball sometimes.

All of a sudden, Daddy cleared his throat and said in a deep, serious voice, "Hey, Jamie? I know it's been a while now, but do you remember the day you went to school last fall and asked Miss Lucy to marry me?" James looked up from the mitt to find both grownups watching him with funny looks on their faces. "Son, do you remember?" he prompted.

"Yes, sir," James answered slowly, not sure why Daddy would ask that. "I waked you up in your bed when it was dark outside and asked you if I was a good boy, could I have two Mommies 'cause I was worried. And you said we can't go to Toys R Us and buy a new Mommy...that made me laugh, Daddy. Then you said the only way I could have a new Mommy is if you get married again and your wife would be my new Mommy, right, Daddy?" Before James could say anything more, Daddy took a hold of Miss Lucy's hand.

"That's right, son. Nice job on remembering all that. Now, will you do me a big favor, Jamie?" And of course he nodded 'yes' right away. "Can you ask Miss Lucy again if she will marry me?"

Now James was really mixed up, but his Daddy and Miss Lucy looked at him like it was really important, so he obediently stared at her and asked, "Miss Lucy, can you marry my Daddy?" And then James Wyatt Logan got the biggest, bestest, most special surprise he could ever remember.

The woman he loved with all his childish heart, the woman he wanted more than anything to be his second, forever Mommy practically from the day they met, leaned closer and looking him right in the eyes, gave him a little smile and said, "Yes, Jamie, I can marry your Daddy and be your new Mommy." For a few seconds, James was so shocked, he couldn't even breathe. What? No more pretending that Miss Lucy was his real Mommy? She was gonna marry his Daddy and really, really be his new Mommy? And then Miss Lucy showed him the shiny, pretty ring on her hand and before he knew it, all three of them were hugging and crying...

End Flashback

James sighed wistfully. Yeah, that had truly been one of the best days of his childhood. He supposed it was only natural then on a milestone day like his high school graduation for all of them to look back and revisit special memories. So much had happened with the Logan family since that momentous day in August 2016 when he started kindergarten (besides his teacher marrying his dad the following summer).

Since he'd been barely six years old at the time, James really didn't remember much about the wedding itself that took place in one of Camp Pendleton's chapels except it was the happiest day of his young life. He was so proud to serve as ring bearer, standing at the altar between Dad and his best man, Uncle Bam, both wearing their military dress blues. There was one picture of the three of them Aunt Julie took that Mom loved so much it still sat on her and Dad's dresser. In it, the newlyweds were gazing at each other at some point during the reception, positively radiating happiness, while a worn out James had fallen sound asleep on Dad's shoulder.

It had also been a pretty exciting day for his constant childhood companions—Annie and Sadie—because Mom asked them to be flower girls and they got fancy new dresses. As he recalled, Sadie practically lived in hers for the rest of the summer. It wasn't easy for three kids under the age of six to stand still during the ceremony (especially for a firecracker like little Sadie), but to James, every tortuous minute was worth it because near the end, the second Dad slipped the shiny gold ring on her finger, his greatest wish came true...Lucy Preston became Lucy Logan, his forever mom.

He guessed Mom was right about one thing...the years since that wonderful day had gone remarkably fast. Around the time James was in middle school, as a result of their hard work and impressive success rate as T.I.'s, Dad and Uncle Bam were promoted to Command Sergeant Majors in charge of all new recruit training at Camp Pendleton. He remembered Mom and Aunt Julie making a huge fuss over the momentous promotions, which of course, embarrassed his quiet Dad to death—although in typical Dave Baumgardner fashion, his uncle ate up all the attention. Modest as always, his father hadn't said much at the time, but James knew deep down, Wyatt was damn proud of the advancement.

One of the most successful, best loved teachers at Palm Grove, his endlessly patient mother was still teaching kindergarten, although sadly, Uncle Rufus had moved to San Francisco when James was in the third grade after Aunt Jiya went to work at Mason Industries headquarters there. A really great teacher, Mom, too, had won her fair share of awards over the year also, including Palm Grove Elementary's "Teacher of the Year" a couple times.

On the home front, not too many months after the wedding, an elated James became a big brother when Jackson David Logan was born on New Year's Eve. Then by the time Jack was starting kindergarten, everyone (including Mom and Dad) was stunned to find out she was expecting the twins, Carrie and Emmy—which was super embarrassing for a guy in the seventh grade. After he got past his shock and discomfort over the gross idea of his parents doing, you know, sex stuff, surprisingly, having two tiny babies in the house at the same time had turned out to be pretty cool, actually, and way more fun than he expected. Sure, as the oldest Logan offspring, he might pretend to gripe from time to time—and to be perfectly honest, sometimes mean it—about having three younger siblings, but James knew how lucky he was to be part of a close, loving family, and would always be grateful for them.

Naturally, while it definitely wasn't something he said out loud very often, James truly did love his brother and sisters with all his heart, and was seriously gonna miss the brats when he left for college in August. Life in the Logan house tended to be hectic and kinda loud (more often than not), with stuff going on all the time like sports and dance recitals and loads of time spent with his second family, the Baumgardners. After those quiet years of just the two of them before Dad married Mom, it had been admittedly somewhat of an adjustment for the Logan men–especially once the babies started coming along—but James wouldn't have it any other way. Riding herd over four smart, lively kids was a big-time challenge, but somehow, Lucy and Wyatt Logan made it look easy.

Pulling his mother close, James hugged her tight and whispered, "I might've only been five, but I figured out the day we met you were something special, and I was right. You're the best mother a guy could have. Love you, Mom." As expected, she immediately began to tear up again at the unabashedly sentimental words when his dad drawled from the open doorway, "Well, hell, son, now you've done it. Your mother's been crying off and on for days now, probably gonna cry through the whole damn graduation ceremony this afternoon, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if she's already gone through every tissue in the house."

James snickered at the fierce glare his mom shot her unrepentant husband, even as she turned away for a second to hastily swipe at her telltale damp cheeks while he smirked at their eldest son behind her back. It always seemed funny to him that most people's first impression of Wyatt Logan–especially if you happened to be one of his poor new recruits–was that of a tough, no-nonsense Army guy from Texas, but their family and close friends knew he was just a big old softie (and a total marshmallow when it came to his wife).

"Now you listen here, Wyatt Logan, I think on a special day like this when our oldest son graduates from high school, I'm entitled to a tear or two," she huffed, winking at James before crossing the room to unnecessarily fuss with her husband's already immaculate necktie. Seeing the way Dad's face brightened and then softened with love as he smugly returned Mom's reluctant smile with a crooked grin, James felt his chest get just a little tight. Even after being married for nearly 12 years, it was obvious to anyone with two good eyes his parents were still head over heels for each other. Witnessing their love and devotion used to embarrass a younger James at times, but now that he was an adult (or close enough), it felt rather comforting, and something he secretly hoped to have himself some day...

And then the sweet, rather intimate moment between the three of them was shot to hell when his not quite identical twin sisters burst into the room, all riled up about something, which was pretty much how the six-year-old 'divas in training' (as he and his brother liked to call them) usually rolled. He had to admit, though, even when they were annoying the ever-loving hell out of him and Jack (which was a lot), they were unintentionally funny in the way little kids could be sometimes and sorta cute—small and dark-haired like Mom, but like James, born with Wyatt Logan's bright blue eyes and dimples.

"Mama, Mama, Jack's being mean again," Carrie wailed as she and Emmy wrapped chubby arms around their mother's tiny waist. All eyes turned to the open door, where his little brother leaned against the door frame with a bored expression on his face. Stick thin and already taller than Mom, Jack was the only Logan sibling who'd inherited her dark brown eyes. His personality, though, was pure Wyatt Logan–smart, patient, and quiet, at least until pushed hard enough to get his mad on,and then watch out.

James started to laugh when the pre-teen insolently stuck his tongue out at the twins while their parents weren't looking, but settled for a muffled cough when his dad abruptly caught his eye and frowned in warning. "Jack?" he asked calmly. Lifting one shoulder, his brother explained in a long-suffering voice that Mom told him earlier at breakfast to turn off the television by noon, so it wasn't his fault Carrie and Emmy were unhappy at missing Doc McStuffins or whatever. Jack grinned impishly when James discreetly gave him a thumbs up behind Dad's back. Sometimes, he felt bad for the poor kid, getting stuck in their family between a much older brother and not one, but two younger sisters, but like Dad, he was usually chill and kinda went with the flow.

"Alright, thank you, Jack." Wyatt smiled warmly at his younger son before directing a stern glance at the twins. "As for you, Miss Caroline and Miss Emilia, this is a very important day for your big brother, so your mom and I expect the two of you to be on your very best behavior. That means no messing around or throwing tantrums. We want to see nothing but good manners from our girls. Are we clear, ladies?"

James could tell by the hint of laughter in Dad's voice he was trying not to smile when the girls let go of Mom, and watching him with wide blue eyes, fixed innocent expressions on their faces and answered in unison, "Yes, Daddy." Little troublemakers, he thought with a grin. Even young as they were, while Mom was definitely more of a soft touch with her children, Carrie and Emmy knew Dad's word was law in the Logan home.

Looking around the room at the familiar faces of his parents and siblings, his heart was filled with love mixed with a bit of sadness at the knowledge that after today, change was gradually coming for the Logans, and special family moments like this would happen less and less. Before the end of summer, James would leave the familiar behind and take another of life's important steps to adulthood when he left for college...in a way, kind of like the day he started kindergarten. He wasn't worried or afraid, though, because like every other 'first step' in his life so far, James Wyatt Logan was secure in the love of a family who was—and always would be—there for him.

Suddenly, a car horn sounded outside, and the poignant moment was over. "That's Annie and Sadie," he announced unnecessarily, "I gotta go. The girls are going to save seats in the auditorium for everyone, so I guess I'll see you there." Kissing his mom's cheek once more, James solemnly shook Dad's hand and fist bumped Jack before leaning over to hug the twins. Pausing in the doorway, he turned around for one last look at his parents and siblings smiling at him, chest filling with emotion as wispy memories of his life so far flooded James' mind...

Those early years when it was just him and Dad, and how Wyatt took such good care of him, trying with everything he had to be both father and mother to his young son...

Learning from Dad how to fish during the occasional weekend camping trips they went on after he quit wearing diapers...

Dad, patiently teaching him how to catch and hit the first summer he played tee ball...

Climbing into Dad's big bed on weekend mornings or in the middle of the night when he was sick or had a bad dream...

The day he started kindergarten and his narrow world changed forever afterwards when first James—and then Dad—fell in love with his pretty teacher, Lucy Preston...

When he and Mom were in the scary car accident and her yelling, "put your head down now"...

Dad and Mom's wedding day, when she truly became his mother, and the thrilling first time he shyly called her Mommy...

The excitement of becoming a big brother when his parents brought Jack home from the hospital...and then five years later, the mixed bag of emotions (mostly good, though) when his sisters were born...

All the holidays the Logans spent together over the years like Halloween, Christmas, Easter, and annual family vacations, sometimes with the Baumgardners or Aunt Amy and Uncle Ryan and their kids...

How the years went by faster and faster the older James got as the growing, busy, loving family Wyatt and Lucy Logan built continued to live their lives every single day to the fullest...

So many memories James had...memories of Dad, Mom, Jack, Carrie, and Emmy and the life they shared...and he wouldn't trade any of it—good, bad or in between—for all the money in the world, because every second of that life helped make him into the person he was today, and James Wyatt Logan was pretty damn okay with that...

"Cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey." - Jack Layton

A/N #2: And there you have it. After close to five years, 54 chapters, and more than 240,000 words, "First Steps" is finally complete. There are probably some (perhaps many) readers who thought I would never finish–can't say I blame them since, unfortunately, it happens all too often in the world of fanfiction. As you might guess, I'm feeling a little emotional right now. Saying goodbye to this little universe I created has been much, much harder than I ever expected. To be honest, I'm experiencing so many different feels right now. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined back in June 2017 when I got an idea for an AU Timeless story (and decided despite my doubts and insecurities to give writing a try) that nearly a half decade later, I'd still be working on it. I recall like it was yesterday agonizing over that first chapter, worried sick it was terrible and no one would even read it-let alone like it. To my stunned delight, readers kindly embraced my first attempt at writing fanfiction, and chapter after chapter, left so many kind, encouraging reviews. Once more, I'd like to express my deepest appreciation to all of you for the tremendous support I've received over the years for First Steps and also my other 56 stories (to date). The wonderful characters of Lucy Preston and Wyatt Logan–and the gorgeous, talented actors who portray them-continue to be a constant source of inspiration for me, and happily, I still have lots of story ideas to explore (along with one or two WIP's I'd like to finish, too, like Yellow Rose of Texas). And yes, I suppose this story could've gone on forever because I love writing it, but after much thought, I decided to stop with Jamie once more asking Lucy to marry his Daddy so she could become his Mommy (with Wyatt's full consent this time, of course). Besides, I'm already planning a sequel to this fic tentatively titled, "Next Steps," which will go back and cover Lucy and Wyatt's engagement, wedding, her pregnancy, and the arrival of their son, Jack, so there's plenty of exciting possibilities there. Alright, then, enough of this ridiculously self-indulgent author's note. Thank, you, thank, you, THANK YOU, Timeless friends, from the bottom of my heart for going on this amazing, truly life-changing journey with Lucy, Wyatt, little Jamie and me...