Author's Notes: Thanks for joining the ride everyone! Hope you're ready for where the groovy crazy train will take you.
"So, tall dark and accented… what's the plan?"
Flynn huffed at his partner's snark. "I figured that we should shake down the closest police precincts. There were lots of pre-planned police raids back in these days, so the Stonewall stuff is already in the works. There was a hefty amount police brutality and unrest in New York. There was actually a group called the Public Morale Squad. They dealt with, well... I'm sure they're all itching to get their hands on the people at Stonewall. Let's go pick up on that chatter."
"That's actually a solid plan…?"
"You don't just bring me along for my looks after all!"
"How do you know all that?"
"You know you don't have to be a history professor to know some stuff about history."
"Yeah, well. I chose to fill my head with how to build and pilot a time machine instead."
"We all have our shtick."
The men found their way to a city map, finding the closest two precincts and plotting out a course to each of them.
"How are we planning to get inside to hear the chatter? Cause I definitely do not volunteer to cause a scene, or be arrested, or…"
"Don't worry," Flynn put a hand up. "I'm not going to try to get rid of you."
"This time," Rufus muttered.
"Let's just go in, say we have some information about gay activities, and see where the conversation takes us."
"God that's weird. To think that 'gay activities' used to be as bad as terrorist activities."
"To some people it still is."
"Let's just focus on the problems of the past, not our own, please."
"Indeed."
30 minutes later they were sitting in uncomfortable plastic chairs waiting for someone to come talk to them. Rufus tried not to fidget.
"So at this point, do they hate black people or gay people more? Cause I really think maybe I should just wait outside."
"You know they've had black policemen since 1911. It's not like we're in the 1700's."
"That's still not stopping the looks I'm getting. Modern racism may be different but it's still there."
"You'll be fine."
At that moment a cop in his mid 30's strolled up, eyeing them both suspiciously.
"You have information about Stonewall?"
"Yes, Officer, we do," Flynn stood up. "There's all kinds of disgusting activity going on there, and I'm pretty sure they are not abiding the liquor laws at all."
"And how would you know this?"
"My cousin, sadly, is one of them. He got drunk the other night and showed up at my door at three in the morning. Confessed to all kinds of depravity."
"And you? Who the hell are you?"
"Oh, me?" Rufus stuttered. "I'm just a uh, an electrician. I was checking out some bulb issues in this man's hallway that night and heard all the drunken chatter. It was appalling. Something should be done about that place."
Their disgust seemed to appease the cop, who smiled and leaned in towards them.
"Well thanks for the tip gentlemen, but we've already got it covered."
Flynn's eyes went wide in feigned surprise. "Oh?"
"Oh yeah. Operation tomorrow night. Pete Hamilton himself is leading the raid."
"You don't say," Flynn gushed. "In good hands, then?"
"Don't you worry. Petey'll make sure they get what's due."
"Well I am just so relieved," Rufus laughed. "We'll leave you to it then," he clapped the cop on the shoulder. The cop went stiff and glared at him. Rufus quickly retracted his hand and looked down at the floor. "Back to my job then. Lights. Bulbs. Yup. Good luck tomorrow." He turned and fled out the door.
"Tradesmen," Flynn shrugged. "A strange breed." The cop laughed and wished him a good day and Flynn casually walked out of the door. He found Rufus half a block down the street, hiding around a corner.
"You really are paranoid aren't you."
"History has taught me to be so."
"You know the more you try to be cool and collected, the worse you get?"
"I am well aware of my failings, thank you, no need to point them out."
"How about I point us to the next precinct then, huh?"
"Sure. Though I think we got the info we needed."
"Peter Hamilton."
"Exactly."
"If he's the head honcho, he'll be the target. Eliminate the main man out for blood, and maybe the Raid stays just that, a pointed but peaceful raid."
"We need to find out more about him."
The task turned out far easier than they'd anticipated. Captain Peter Hamilton was the main man at the next precinct, a large and in charge fellow in his early 50's, primed and ready for action. Just sitting in a waiting area Flynn and Rufus could hear him bantering with his men, openly slandering the gay community, and egging his men on with suggestions of what they could get away with. It made the time travellers sick to their stomachs. They knew they had to let it happen... but they didn't have to like it.
"Can we just get out of here before I throw up?" Rufus asked. "Let's look up the guy's address in the yellow pages. No way is Rittenhouse gonna try to move on him in the middle of his own precinct. They'll probably go after him tonight at home, or in the morning before he gets to the precinct."
"Are you suggesting an all-night stake out?"
"Oh God no… what can we do to avoid that at all costs?"
"Call in and pretend to be a crazy gay person who knows about Hamilton's homophobia and has a major hate-on for him. Throw in a death threat. He can get his own people to protect him and we should be off the hook."
"You really think that will work?"
"I think a host of his own bloodthirsty homophobic comrades would be more effective than just little old you and I."
"I don't know. You Flynn it up real good when you need to."
The older man smiled. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
"Well don't let it go to your head. You're still the creepy uncle."
"Means I'm still part of the family though."
Rufus looked at him curiously. Flynn stayed silent.
"Whatever man," Rufus threw his hands up in the air and stalked off back towards a payphone he could see down the block.
Flynn smiled widely. Rufus hadn't denied it. He was part of the family. His long stride led him to the payphone before Rufus had even made the call. He listened carefully, nodding as Rufus left a message filled with just the right amount of hysteria, hate, and a cliched gay dialect he knew Hamilton would eat up.
"These kinds of call always make a ruckus in movies. Let's hope it works in real life."
"Let's hope indeed."
"Back to Greenwich? We have a couple hours before check-in, but we could still run into Wyatt and Lucy. If not, I'm starving."
"I would like to try some classic New York Deli," Flynn nodded.
"Let's go."
Wyatt and Lucy were led to a pristinely decorated ground floor apartment not five minutes away, as promised.
"Darling, we have company!" Jimmy announced as he swanned in the front door.
A short man in his early 30's appeared from the living room. He was outfitted immaculately in dress pants, shirt, a vest and tie, but he walked without any of the theatre of his partner. He could have been any regular, well-to-do, straight businessman.
"This is my darling Simon," Jimmy introduced. "And this is Ellen and John."
"Pleasure to meet you," Simon smiled, his blue eyes crinkling. "And how did you end up in the clutches of Jimmy here?"
Lucy laughed, feeling an immediate liking for this younger man as well.
"Your dog tried to kill me," she announced.
"Oh dear… Chester really is a wild one, I do apologize."
"No harm done," Wyatt smiled. "Ellen here is a major klutz. She could very well be blaming the dog for something he didn't even do."
"Hey!" Lucy's eyes went wide with offense and she smacked him loudly on the shoulder. Their hosts roared with laughter.
"Oh Simon, these two… I tell you I just met them, but they have unresolved sexual tension like you wouldn't believe!"
The time travellers' laughter turned to splutters and coughs, faces turning red as they looked to opposite sides of the room.
"Wow," Simon nodded. "We have our work cut out for us."
"Oh, no, we don't need…" Wyatt tried to say.
"We're not-" Lucy tried.
"Tea, anyone?" Jimmy overcut.
"Yes please!" Lucy nodded vigorously. Nothing in the world, or timestream, could not be made better by a good mug of tea.
"We do make a mean cup of tea," Simon chuckled, winking at Jimmy. Jimmy winked back. Wyatt had the feeling a whole conversation had just occurred between them.
"Let me show you to the drawing room," Simon offered with a wave of his hand as his partner hustled about in the kitchen.
They were led to a stylish but ultra-comfortable lounge area and plunked onto a lush, but small couch. It was barely bigger than a loveseat. Simon took a seat on a mid-century Pearsall style sculptural chair covered in crushed green velvet.
"Tell me everything," he stated boldly, crossing a foot over the opposite knee.
"Well, we're here on vacation," Lucy began, trying to remember what she'd told Jimmy. "And we wanted to see some shows, but not the regular type of shows. We heard Stonewall would be a good place for us."
"Aah," Simon chuckled. "Things are making more sense by the minute."
"They're open-minded," Jimmy hollered from the kitchen, so pointedly you could hear the quotation marks around the words.
"Yeah. So. Have you ever been?" Wyatt asked.
"Certainly. Best dancers in the city. Of course, it's the only bar in the city where they're actually allowed to dance, so…"
"Really? The only one?"
"The only one. It was bought three or so years ago by some, shall we say, Members of a Family, and they made it into a much more… welcome, place. There's no liquor licence, and certain other substances are known to be exchanged, but Police show up once a week and collect envelopes, if you know what I mean, and then turn the other way."
"So they let it slide as long as they get their pay-off."
"Yup. And we'll keep showing up as long as it's there."
"It's a good place, then?" Lucy shifted towards him, which was coincidentally also further from Wyatt.
"It's amazing," Simon confessed. "A place where we can be free, open. Jimmy and I have this dream that some day it won't just be one bar, but many. Or maybe one day we won't need our own special places. To just be accepted as a person like everyone else…" he trailed off.
"We have that dream too," Lucy nodded. "And trust me, it's going to happen. It might be a long, hard road, but we can't keep quiet, we can't stay hidden."
"Oh my god, Jimmy… where again did you find these people? It's like they were dropped from Heaven right onto our doorstep!" Simon laughed.
"You know I have good instincts," Jimmy preened as he entered the room carrying a silver tray. He set the tea service on the coffee table and proceeded to pour Lucy and Wyatt a cup.
"None for you?" Wyatt asked politely.
"Oh no dear, it's 4 o'clock. Something stronger for me!"
Lucy grinned as he poured two amber coloured drinks from an unlabeled bottle into two gilded crystal glasses.
"So I have to ask," she started after they all clinked glasses and bid "Cheers". "You two are rather, shall we say transparent, about who you are, and it seems like you live together openly…"
"How do we do it?"
Lucy nodded sheepishly.
"It's not easy," Jimmy admits, his voice now even and serious, his façade dropped. "We've both been hurt. Physically and emotionally. Things always seem to get in our way, try to derail us. We have terrible timing."
"We know something about that," muttered Wyatt, quietly. Lucy refused to look at him.
"But we also tried to be apart," Simon picked up. "And it was so much worse. With all the odds stacked against us, an ocean of opposition, all we had to keep ourselves afloat was each other. What are we fighting for if not each other? What's the point of an easy life, alone?"
Jimmy reached across to his partner and took his hand. They were silent for several moments as they looked into each other's eyes, slightly misted, but happy.
Lucy finally couldn't resist the pull. She looked up through lowered lashes. Wyatt was gazing at her, eyes so blue and open. She could see the wheels turning behind them.
What are we fighting for if not each other? What's the point of an easy life, alone?
"They can beat us, scorn us, arrest us. But we'll still be us. Maybe we'll only live a short life. But damn are we gonna live it!"
Wyatt and Lucy laughed at Jimmy's proclamation, breaking eye contact and looking are their hosts.
"Well cheers to that," Lucy raised her teacup once more and they all clinked. She sighed as she took a sip of tea. Damn it was good. Just what she needed.
"What is this?" she asked, looking down into the greenish liquid.
"House blend," Jimmy said proudly. "An herbal mixture. We grow some of it right here in our garden!"
"It's amazing," Wyatt admitted, peering down into his own cup in surprise.
"Oh wow," Lucy giggled. "You guys don't know what you've just accomplished. Wy… John Connor, admitting he likes tea!"
The men were highly amused at Wyatt's eyeroll.
"I like tea," he said.
"Since when?"
"Since always!"
"You never take it when I offer."
"Well you offer too damn much. Who can drink so much tea? How do you not have to go to the bathroom like, every 10 minutes?"
"Who says I don't?"
"I know you don't. You go…" suddenly he turned red and abruptly shut his mouth.
Lucy's jaw dropped. "Do you time out my freaking bathroom breaks?"
"No!"
"You totally do!"
"I just… I observe things, remember? My job is literally to notice, take note of, and remember everything!"
"Including my toilet time?"
"I'm not gonna win this am I?"
"Hell no."
He slumped into the couch and took a large gulp of tea, wincing as the hot liquid seared his throat.
The two local men watched them with rapt fascination.
"I've never seen anything like it," Jimmy shook his head. "What did you two say you did for a living?"
"We didn't," Wyatt mumbled.
"He's in the military," Lucy supplied. "I'm a nurse. On the base."
"Aaaah," the men nodded. "That very bizarre conversation now makes sense. So you two live together but not… together…"
"Something like that."
"Hmmm."
The pair sipped their tea nervously while the appraisal continued. It was almost like being at a job interview. Despite the strange situation though, they felt themselves getting more and more relaxed as time passed. More drinks were poured and more history was shared by the couple. Before they knew it, food was being served. Lucy insisted on helping with the dishes after, while Wyatt was invited by Simon to explore the house a bit more. Lucy would probably appreciate the classic example of mid-century design more than him, but it was still a fascinating place. He was being shown an art-deco painting when Simon was called away by Jimmy.
"Hey."
Lucy's soft voice made him jump. She laughed.
"Wow. Delta Force, huh? That's some great training you have there."
"I just wasn't expecting… and you… whatever." He huffed and went back to looking at the painting. He realized he hadn't really been looking at it before, had just been staring into space, thinking about… well, someone he shouldn't be thinking about. Who was now standing next to him. Looking at an artsy, graphic painting of a naked couple, twined around each other, supine on a couch. Great.
"So this is the kind of art you like?" Lucy teased.
"It's the kind Simon likes."
"Even though it's a man and a woman?"
"Well, I think no matter what your preferences may be, anyone can appreciate a beautiful body, man or woman, especially in a piece that depicts love and intimacy like this one does."
Lucy stared at him until he shifted uncomfortably.
"What?"
"I just… never thought I'd hear something like that come out of your mouth."
Wyatt shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. Lucy looked back at the painting. Beautiful bodies. Love. Intimacy. She suddenly realized how close Wyatt was standing. She could feel heat radiating off him. Smell his shampoo. Feel the carpet move below her as he shifted back and forth on his feet. She looked up at him. He was looking at her. He blew out a tight breath when their eyes met and she could feel it wash over her face. Without any thought or will her feet took a step forward. So did his. Another shuffle and their noses were almost brushing, the tips of their shoes knocking into the others. Lucy gulped. Wyatt's eyes darkened then blurred as he tipped his head to the side, leaned forward…
"Friends? Where are you? Where's our new friends?"
Jimmy's brash voice cut through their haze. Lucy gasped and jumped backwards. Wyatt stumbled away and swiftly turned around. She couldn't look away as he tried to subtly adjust his pants. Damn did he have a fine ass. She licked her lips and stepped forward but was stopped short by a hand on her shoulder. She yelped and jumped. Wyatt whirled around, eyes wide and fist raised, ready to defend her.
"Woah woah woah soldier boy," Jimmy laughed. "It's just me."
Wyatt dropped his fist but continued to breathe heavily. Lucy brought a hand to her chest, trying to calm the rapid staccato of her heart.
"You two are wound so tight if you were a ball of wool, you'd make a scarf the length of Manhattan!"
Wyatt recovered first. "You can see why we needed a vacation," he laughed tightly.
"Mmmhmm." Jimmy pursed his lips and looked between the two of them. "You guys need some more tea. Come on now."
They returned to the drawing room, collapsing back onto the couch and readily accepting more tea, hoping to calm their nerves. Before they knew it the flow of conversation made them forget all about the painting incident. It wasn't until much later that, with a jolt, Wyatt suddenly remembered their rendezvous with Rufus and Flynn. He bolted upright on the couch.
"Hey!"
He looked over at Lucy, a clearly cross look on her face. He realized they'd somehow been sitting a lot closer than when they'd arrived, and his sudden movement had jostled her.
"Sorry. But… Rufus. Flynn."
"Oh!" her eyes went wide. So wide that the shifting sun now reflected against them, setting off the golden caramel of her normally dark eyes. They were practically glowing. Mesmerizing.
Wyatt shook his head, admonishing himself as he realized Lucy had been talking and he hadn't heard a word.
"Sorry, what was that?"
Their hosts snickered.
"I said it's only 7. We still have time."
"Oh. Good."
"Kids, I don't know what friends you're meeting or what your plans are, but they have now officially changed."
The traveller's heads turned towards their hosts.
"We're taking you out tonight. No arguments allowed. It's you, us, and the Stonewall."
"Okay!" Lucy readily agreed.
"Yeah. Amazing. Sure!"
It would provide them valuable intel, but Wyatt could admit to himself it was more than that. Sure they were on a timeline, but he felt oddly confident that Rufus and Flynn had things in hand. They could afford a few hours of… historical appreciation. He grinned as he looked at Lucy's animated features. Yeah. Historical Appreciation.
"However," Jimmy's voice boomed into his thoughts and he was suddenly worried.
"We can't take you out looking like that."
Lucy and Wyatt looked down at themselves. "Why not?" they said in unison.
Jimmy's hand flew to his heart. "Oh God, so cute…"
Wyatt scowled. Lucy blushed.
"You two look like something straight out of a movie poster. Far too perfect and wholesome."
"What's wrong with-"
"No no, flower child," Jimmy wagged his finger at Lucy. "We'll fix you up, have no fear." He turned to his partner.
"Call Barbara," he commanded.
"Already on it," Simon beamed.
"Barbara?" Lucy asked in a small voice.
"Oh yes. Barbara," Jimmy laughed. "You won't regret it, honey. Believe me."
10 minutes later Lucy and Wyatt were being shuffled down the street to another humble yet stylish apartment and welcomed exuberantly by a strikingly beautiful woman in her early 30's. With her platinum blonde hair and big lips, she was straight out of a Bond Girl catalogue.
"Oh," Wyatt stuttered. Lucy was suddenly, irrationally, jealous.
"Well hello beautifuls," the woman praised, unknowingly repeating the phrase her friend had used earlier that day. "We have some prime real estate to work with, don't we?"
The pair were hustled up a set of stairs into a gaudy and elaborate bedroom. Barbara threw open two doors to reveal a vivid and dizzying display of clothing. The next thing Lucy knew, she was being grabbed by the waist and pulled towards the closet.
"You are a tiny thing aren't you," Barbara smirked, giving her a thorough and appreciative look, from head to toe. Lucy stood stock still, totally and completely unsure how to handle the situation. "But I know just the thing."
Barbara reached towards a single hanger like a homing missile, pulling out a flash of white and shoving it into Lucy's hands.
"You have three minutes until I'm coming in for hair."
And with that Lucy was further shoved into a bathroom oozing with the smell of perfume and overflowing with beauty products.
An hour later, the historian was staring in the mirror, mouth agape. Behind her, Barbara placed her hands on Lucy's shoulders and laughed at their reflections in the mirror.
"You're gorgeous, darling," Barbara insisted. "Are you sure you must go out tonight? I'd be happy to pour you a drink here." She trailed a hand down Lucy's back, tracing her side and landing on her waist.
Open-Minded, Lucy reminded herself. Play the part.
"You know how Jimmy is," Lucy laughed and shrugged. Barbara pouted, but let her go.
"Well we can still have fun at the club," the woman winked, then opened the door to the bathroom.
"Boys?" she trilled.
Lucy took a steeling breath and turned around.
She gasped.
Wyatt.
In a powder blue suit that should look ridiculous, but only served to highlight his muscled figure and bring out the endless, fathomless blue that were his eyes. And the way his hair went all wavy like that. She was paralyzed, unable to move, gaping in awe at the example that he was of male perfection. She didn't even realize that he was frozen as well.
To Be Continued…
I told you things would get wacky… the whirlwind will definitely not let up 😉
The character of Simon is for my best guy friend, the most snappy dresser, and one of the best people I know. I don't know how a good man hasn't snatched him up yet.