Leaving it up to Fate
Wyatt grimaced as sunlight filtering in from the grimy window above his co-joined bed pierced through the last vestiges of his dreamless sleep. Not quite ready to open his eyes, he blindly reached out for Lucy, seeking her softness out amid the rough covers and blankets. For the past few weeks, they had been happier than they had been since their time in Hollywood 1941 and while life in the bunker was considerably less irksome now that they were no longer weighed down by "what ifs", it was still a bunker and therefore every moment they could steal for themselves was a precious one.
It was with a little more than confusion then, that as Wyatt's hand traveled over to where Lucy should have been, he found a whole lot of nothing. Blinking hard, he cracked open his eyes and lifted his head, scanning the sun-drenched room in front of him as his gravelly voice called out, "Lucy?"
Unsurprisingly, there came no reply. The door was closed, after all, and while their room was nicely sized for an underground bunker, there was really no where she could be without being readily visible to him.
Throwing off the blankets and swinging his legs onto the floor, Wyatt took in the scene around him. It wasn't as early as he had first believed – the time on their bedside clock was a testament to that fact, shining back a bright 8:45AM. Never one to sleep in that late, Wyatt huffed out a light chuckle, deciding that a few weeks' worth of very little sleep had finally caught up with him.
Not that he was complaining.
Throwing on a t-shirt and slipping his feet into a comfortable pair of loafers, Wyatt wrenched open his bedroom door only to be greeted by the faint sound of music playing somewhere in the bunker. Confused, Wyatt meandered his way down the hall, the echoes of a vintage swing band growing louder and steadier as he padded along silently in his slippered feet. As he turned the corner, rubbing the last remnants of sleep from his eyes, Wyatt froze at the sight before him.
The common room was abuzz with activity. Rufus and Jiya were happily chatting and tinkering over the computer system, Mason was bouncing around the Lifeboat, humming to himself and running diagnostics, and even Garcia Flynn who had hardly emerged from his room since his talk with Agent Christopher, was lounging in his usual chair, tapping his foot in time with the music. He had never seen the bunker looking more cheerful.
While it brought a smile to his face to see his bunkmates in such high spirits, Wyatt's attention, however, was almost wholly centered on Lucy. There she was, in her floral robe, standing at the sink, her hair pulled back in a messy pony tail, doing the dishes while singing along to the jazz standards issuing forth from Mason's vintage record player.
I wished on the moon, for something I never knew.
Wished on the moon for more than I ever knew.
A sweeter rose, a softer sky on April days.
That would not pass away.
I begged of the stars to throw me a beam or two
Wished on the stars and asked for a dream or two
I looked for every loveliness and it all came true.
I wished on the moon for you.
Wyatt quietly approached her, smiling as she swayed in time to the music, her voice mingling with that of Billie Holiday. He gently reached out and placed his hands on her hips, causing her to startle abruptly, and drop the mug she had been washing. With lightning quick reflexes, Wyatt caught it before it hit the floor, handing it back to her with a smirk, "Careful there, ma'am." He murmured before settling his hands back on her waist.
She offered him a reproving glare, but a smile was firmly planted on her lips, "Decided to join the land of the living, I see." she observed soundly as she attempted to turn back to the sink. "You missed breakfast…"
Wyatt, however, didn't seem to mind. Instead, he pulled her a little closer, his hand splayed on her back, swaying with her in time to the music until he realized they were being watched by none other than Garcia Flynn. Wyatt stilled, casting a wary eye towards Flynn who didn't seem to mind that he had been caught gawking at the two of them….in fact, he was smiling. "Can I help you?" Wyatt asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Don't mind me." Flynn said with a wave of his hand, "I…uh…was just getting some coffee." He sidled towards them, Flynn chuckling to himself as he made his way to the counter.
"What's so funny?" Wyatt bristled defensively as he stepped to the other side of Lucy so that Flynn could have better access to the coffee pot.
Frowning as he poured himself a cup, Flynn muttered thoughtfully, "Nothing. It's just that song…it reminds me of my wife." Wyatt exchanged an awkward glance with Lucy as they stood apart from Flynn, watching him stir in the creamer. "She used to drive me crazy…lying on the couch singing it day in, day out…but now it's those little things like that I miss the most." he admitted quietly.
Never hearing Flynn talk much about his personal life, Lucy and Wyatt were taken aback by his sudden and unexpected disclosure. They exchanged an awkward glance before Lucy cleared her throat and added with a sympathetic smile, ""My mother used to sing that song, too…it um…makes me remember her the way she used to be…before...all of this."
Flynn nodded at her appreciatively, offering her a sad smile as he did so. "You know…you asked me what I would have done," he said with some hesitancy, "if Rittenhouse had brought my wife and child back…" Flynn bit his lip, nodding as he kept his eyes trained to the floor, "One night, three years ago, I was putting my daughter to bed." He chuckled softly, "She wanted to stay up later. Ten more minutes, daddy…three more minutes…but like any good parent, I told her she needed to go to sleep." He took a sip of his coffee before quietly admitting, "The next time I saw her she was dead." He shot a quick glance to Lucy who was looking at him as if her heart were breaking. Shaking his head ruefully, he said quietly, "You were right…since that night, I have done everything in my power to try to change that…but I failed. If by some miracle…or some act of Rittenhouse they were suddenly alive again…"
Flynn trailed off, apparently lost in thought as the mournful melody of Billie Holliday's The Blues are Brewin' amplified the awkward silence that fell between them. Remembering what Flynn had once said in regards to saving his family…that he would walk away from them, Lucy wasn't sure whether what to say in response to Flynn's admission. He had done terrible things, yes…but he had also been desperate and driven to hopelessness…first, by his family's murder and then by the accusation that he had been the one to kill them. While she could never forget the Hell he put them through as he attempted to torch history, she had to admit, that none of them would have been aware of Rittenhouse's agenda without Garcia Flynn…and for that, she had to be thankful. Clearing her throat, she consoled, "I'm sorry, Flynn. What you have gone through…it's more than I think any of us can imagine. I think we all have done things we aren't proud of in this fight against Rittenhouse, but Flynn…there's still a chance. Your family, Amy…we can get them back…somehow, someway we can save the ones we love."
Flynn frowned as he nodded his head, "Maybe…it would be nice to see my girls again."
Lucy quickly looked at Wyatt who was exhibiting more sympathy towards Flynn than she had ever seen from him in the time since they were all thrown together in this madness. There was no judgement or disbelief in his eyes, only understanding. Having Jessica brought back unexpectedly, having her apparently turned into some sort of agent, having his life turned upside down by Rittenhouse had given Wyatt a new perspective on just how twisted this evil organization was. Rufus, completely oblivious to the solemn conversation currently underway, made his way over to them, "Look who finally decided to wake up…glad you could join us, Wyatt. I'll have you know I had to cook breakfast this morning."
The reaction to Rufus' sudden disapprobation was met with self-consciousness from both Wyatt and Flynn…both men, clearing their throats and startling as Rufus approached. Without another word, Flynn slipped away, back to his arm chair as Lucy gave Rufus a reproving scowl before countering huffily, "You didn't have to. I told you I would have been happy to do it."
Rufus raised his eyebrows, "Yeah, but not all of us would have been happy to eat it, Lucy." As she glared at him, he raised up a hand in defense, "No, no…it's okay…I don't mind taking up the slack. I get it, scrambled eggs are hard...for you…" Wyatt bit back a snicker as Rufus continued, "I just have to give old Delta Force here a hard time. It's damn near 9:00…aren't you supposed to be up at the crack of dawn running 20 miles or something?"
Wyatt sighed as he shoved a piece of bread in the toaster, "Don't you have some work to do?"
"No…you know why? Because I've been working all morning while you, lazy bones, have been sleeping the day away."
"Hey, you're the one who switched up the sleeping arrangements." Wyatt reminded him, "I can't help it If my roommate keeps me up at night."
Rufus' face split into a devilish grin, "Is that so?"
"Oh, get your head out of the gutter." Wyatt spat out as he rolled his eyes in exasperation. "She snores."
"I do not!" Lucy gasped out, smacking Wyatt on the arm as she attempted to make her way back to the table. Wyatt, however, wheeled her around, back into his arms, gave her a peck on the cheek, before she wriggled away with a sardonic smirk, "Don't think that gets you off the hook..." she warned.
"I sure hope not." Wyatt returned with a raise of his eyebrows. "You can keep on keeping me up at night, ma'am." Wyatt said with a wink, "I'd take your cute little grunts over Rufus' buzzsaw any day of the week."
"Ha ha." Lucy deadpanned, smacking Wyatt on the chest as Mason made his way over to the kitchen.
"I see my record player is being put to good use." Mason observed, "It really does liven the place up a bit, doesn't it?"
"Right?" Jiya said as she made her own way over to the little group forming in the kitchen, "It's giving the bunker a total nostalgia vibe…it's almost tolerable now."
"Well…it's no Josephine Baker." Rufus quipped as he plopped down at the table, "but I'll take a little Lady Day over a whole lot of nothing."
"Wouldn't we all?" Mason quipped as he poured his own cup of coffee. "This place gets downright dreary sometimes…which reminds me, Agent Christopher has threatened to douse this place with Christmas cheer…so be on the lookout" he nodded his head meaningfully at the others, "she may be all business when it comes to our job here, but I'm told she is quite the…shall we say, Yuletide connoisseur."
'And who told you that?" Lucy asked with a quirked brow.
"You're not the only one has had dinner with her family." Mason responded with a nod of his head. "Let's just say Michelle gave me an entirely different view of our fearless leader. She's not all business suits and stoicism…apparently, she can be downright jolly."
As everyone smiled at the thought of Agent Christopher being anything but the business-like persona that presented itself in the Bunker day in and day out, the woman herself came marching down the corridor towards the huddled group, a bemused look on her face. "What's this? Happy hour?"
"No, actually…it's Sun Showers…Billie Holliday…we were just saying it livens up the place, doesn't it?" Mason remarked as he made his way back to his work station.
"It certainly does." Agent Christopher said with a serious nod of her head, "But I'm afraid I have a bit of bad news. Wyatt, can I speak with you for a moment?"
Trading a solemn look with Lucy, Wyatt followed Agent Christopher down the hall, the cheerful music of the common room turning into a faint echo as he leaned up against the wall and turned his attention to the Homeland Security agent, "What's going on?"
"I'm afraid Jessica is contending your divorce." she sighed as she handed him a folder. "There appears to be a new development."
Wyatt took the proffered folder with an exasperated huff, his demeanor changing immediately the moment his eyes fell on the contents within. Breathing out a curse and kicking the wall, Wyatt ran a rough hand through his hair as Lucy, who had been keeping an eye on the situation from the kitchen, quickly made her way to his side, "What is it? What's wrong?" she asked breathlessly.
"Jessica." came Wyatt's short response as he let out a derisive chuckle. "She's claiming to be pregnant."
"How…how is that possible?" Lucy stammered out. "I thought you said she hadn't seen you for five months?"
"I haven't." Wyatt gritted out. "At least that's what she told me…she said she thought I was dead. As far as I know, I haven't had any contact with her until the day we came back from New York." he looked to Agent Christopher who nodded in acquiescence to that fact. "And she sure as hell wasn't pregnant when I saw her."
"Well, I would hardly believe something like that was in the cards anyway." Agent Christopher observed solemnly, "You two have been estranged for almost a year."
"So why do it? Why make up something like this?" Wyatt spat out.
"Desperation." Lucy answered cooly. "They'll use anything they can to try to manipulate you…throw you off…blindside you."
"Yeah, well if she is Rittenhouse I doubt she'd make a good mother anyway." Wyatt remarked, before quickly adding, "No offense, Lucy."
Lucy merely shook her head at him and smiled. She wasn't about to begrudge Wyatt that bit of shade towards her mother considering all that she had done in order to keep them apart. Bringing back Jessica, it now appeared, was just the tip of the iceberg. A fake pregnancy? Well, she was sure her mother had something to do with that too.
But why?
"I don't understand the logic behind this, though." Lucy said as she took the folder from Wyatt and perused the contents. "She has to know you wouldn't believe her…so why do it?"
"To prolong the divorce proceedings more than likely." Agent Christopher said with a sigh. "I have to hand it to her…that's a pretty bold move. All we have to do is demand proof of pregnancy…then of course, there's paternity tests that could be ordered in the rare case that she actually is pregnant…with the courts involved, it could take some time….and it might require a deposition…the two of you meeting before your respective lawyers. I just wanted you to be aware."
Wyatt nodded as Agent Christopher left the two of them alone and made her way back down the hall. Wyatt was biting his lip and shaking his head, before he let out a curse and kicked at the wall, "Dammit, why the hell is she doing this? She's the one who signed the papers to begin with."
"It's okay, Wyatt. Between Agent Christopher's testimony that you couldn't possibly have…you know…" she said with a gesture of her hand, "and the pregnancy tests…there's no way any of this will hold up. It's just a road block…that's it."
"Yeah, but why?" Wyatt said as he furrowed his brow, "It's not like this is going to make me change my mind, if anything it convinces me that she's not the woman I used to know…my Jess would never…I mean, I don't think she would ever have done something like this."
Lucy was about to respond when the jarring sound of the alarm called their attention to the LifeBoat. With the vintage music still playing in the background, the noise of the sirens felt more jarring than usual, as their peaceful and almost joyous respite came to an abrupt end. "What is it?" Lucy asked breathlessly as she and Wyatt raced towards Rufus, "Where did they go?"
Rufus peered at the computer screen, "South Carolina, June 1, 1863. We're going back to the Civil War again….yay."
"Okay, so why South Carolina?" Agent Christopher asked with raised eyebrows. "Fort Sumter?"
"No, no." Lucy corrected, shaking her head, "Fort Sumter was in 1861…Fort Wagner isn't until July…this…this has to be the Combahee River Raid."
"The…say what, now?" Rufus asked as he turned in his chair and looked at Lucy with a face etched in confusion.
Breathing out a sigh of exasperation, Lucy explained, "The Combahee River Raid. Basically, after Fort Sumter, the Confederates moved to defend the coast, obviously to be successful over a long period of time in the South, the North needed a way to supply and reinforce their troops, so waterways were important."
"That's why Vicksburg was such a big deal." Wyatt said with a thoughtful nod. At everyone's surprised faces, he looked up affronted, "What? How many times do I have to tell you? I know military history."
"Oh, so would you like to finish this lesson?" Lucy asked, folding her arms across her chest.
"No, ma'am" Wyatt said with a smile and a shake of his head.
"You tell him, Lucy" Flynn cheered as he went to take a sip of his coffee, "Defend your territory."
As Wyatt rolled his eyes, Lucy continued, "Right…like Wyatt said, the Fall of Vicksburg in July 1863 is an enormously strategic victory for the Union as it opens up the Mississippi River to Union boats. As Lincoln says at its fall, 'the Father of Waters again goes unvexed to the sea.'" She sighed, "So, you see for the North, clearing out harbors and mouths of rivers was something of a strategic necessity…particularly the further South they went."
"So this raid…what? Gets them the control they need?" Rufus asked.
"Well, yes and no." Lucy answered with a shrug. "The Union forces capture Port Royal in November 1861. Most of the plantation owners and farmers fled the area before the Union troops arrived, leaving countless slaves behind who were drafted into the Union Army. In fact," Lucy said with a nod of her head, "the 2nd South Carolina Infantry was formed from former slaves."
"So what does this have to do with June 1863?" Agent Christopher asked as she narrowed her eyes.
"Everything." Lucy responded. "Colonel Montgomery, the commander of the 2nd South Carolina Infantry, began developing a plan to fortify the South Carolina coastal rivers. In order to do that, they needed to remove mines, seize control of any remaining plantations, and recruit more freed slaves into his army unit." Lucy ran a hand through her hair as she began pacing, "Colonel Montgomery was a zealot…he engaged in guerilla warfare tactics, showed little to no mercy…you know that scene in Glory where the 54th Massachusetts are raiding that small town and that other regiment marches in and burns everything to the ground? That was Colonel Montgomery."
"So, you're saying he's definitely not Rittenhouse, then?" Rufus asked.
Lucy let out a laugh, "I'd hardly think so. Rittenhouse generally wants to keep people under their control, I'd hardly believe one of them would be such a staunch abolitionist."
"So why this raid? Why now?" Agent Christopher asked. "What could Rittenhouse gain here?"
Lucy shook her head, "That's just it…I'm not sure…."
"It couldn't possibly be them trying to put a damper on the Underground Railroad, could it?" Mason asked thoughtfully as he made his way over to the huddled group.
"No, the Underground Railroad was humming long before this…"Lucy muttered in response before gasping, "but…Harriet Tubman did assist Colonel Montgomery. She led the slaves to safety while the troops performed the raids."
"I always knew she was a bad ass." Rufus nodded with pride, "but helping out the Union soldiers during an actual war?"
"Oh yes," Lucy said with a smile, "Do you know she was actually a Union spy?"
"I did know that, actually." Mason said with a smile, "Even across the pond we have streets names after her. Went by "The General" too, if I'm not mistaken."
"That's right." Lucy said with a nod. "She led so many slaves into British North America…to freedom…they didn't just call her the General….they called her Moses." Lucy bit her lip pensively for a moment before looking to Wyatt and Rufus with a panicked expression, "Oh my God, what if they're going after Harriet Tubman? I mean, she not only helps free thousands of slaves…she's active in the women's suffrage movement later on"
"Well, considering they just tried to stop the 19th Amendment," Wyatt stated meaningfully, "I'd think it would pretty safe to assume she's their target."
Lucy nodded at him as she swallowed hard, "We can't let that happen." she said breathlessly.
"Don't worry," Wyatt assured her, "We won't."
The sultry Southern summer air was already in full swing, though the sun had barely risen above the vast forest of trees that lay beyond the marshy coast of 1863 South Carolina. Tall reeds stretched as far as the eye could see, lining the brackish water that wound its way into the heart of the Combahee River region.
Swatting away a host of hungry mosquitos, Rufus lamented, "Damn mosquitos are gonna eat us alive. Is West Nile a thing, yet?"
"No," Flynn replied with a smirk, "but typhoid and dysentery killed about 150,000 soldiers…so be sure to wash your vegetables." He made his way over to where Wyatt was sitting, reading a map, as they all waited for Lucy to finish changing. "Any idea what we're looking for?"
Wyatt looked up at Flynn, squinting as the sunlight blinded his vision, "Hell if I know." he said with a sigh, "according to Lucy this raid isn't just one target. The Union army hits just about everything up and down this river."
"That's a lot of ground to cover…" Flynn observed.
"Um…that's an understatement." Rufus quipped as he looked at the expanse before them, "How are we going to find Harriet Tubman if we don't have some kind of idea of where she might be?" Rufus asked in concern. "I mean, the woman is literally famous for not being caught."
"You forget, Rufus," Lucy grunted as she made her way over towards the huddled group and adjusted her long skirts, "we know where she is…well, where she's supposed to be any way. The only problem is…so does Rittenhouse." She looked to Wyatt, "Did the map help at all? Do you think you can get us to Beaufort?"
"Yeah, I can get us there." Wyatt stated, "But Lucy, why the hell are we going all the way over there? If this raid is supposed to take place along this river, then why not just follow it until we run into the Union troops?"
"Because," Lucy explained, "they didn't march up and down the river. About 300 men and Harriet Tubman from both the 2nd South Carolina Infantry and the 3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery will sail up and down the Combahee from Beaufort. They will be led by Colonel Montgomery on a series of raids on several plantations here along the river. These raids will not only resupply their own army with food and materials, they will also free about 750 slaves." Lucy shook her head, "The problem is, that if we don't get to Beaufort in time, we won't be able to warn them of a possible ambush."
"Well, do we know where these boats will land? Maybe we can make our way towards the landing points and head them off there?" Wyatt suggested.
Taking the map from Wyatt, Lucy scanned its surface, furrowing her brow in concentration. "Let's see, The Sentinel will run aground not long after they leave Beaufort at St. Helena Sound. Colonel Montgomery will let out a small detachment of troops here at Fields Point where they will battle with the few Confederate troops in the region and then sail further up the river to Nicolas Plantation, where the Harriet A Weed will remain anchored. Harriet Tubman, however, stays on the last remaining boat, the John Adams, all the way up to Combahee Ferry where a temporary pontoon bridge was erected. Confederate troops try to stop the raid by reinforcing their troops still battling it out on this side of the river. As they begin making their way across the bridge, they're overwhelmed by the firepower from the John Adams and forced to turn away."
"I'm no military expert," Rufus admitted as he looked over Lucy's shoulder at the map, "but you'd think, considering that this whole area opens up to a crap load of rivers, it would be kinda high on the Confederates priority list. Why the hell wouldn't they have a decent sized army over here defending this? Not that I want them to win…but seriously…it just seems like the logical thing to do."
Lucy shrugged, "Well, you'd be right, except that this is summer and we're standing in a swamp. Disease was a huge concern…not just malaria but smallpox, typhoid…"
"You can't fight people when you're dead." Wyatt quipped with a quirk of his lip as Rufus shifted uncomfortably, swatting away a few more mosquitos with a look of sheer terror on his face.
Lucy sighed, "So, because this area is sparsely defended…all of this area burns because of the actions of Montgomery's men - plantations, a rice mill, homes…"
"Of course," Flynn said with a definitive nod, "you can't have people coming back and regaining control over a defeated area, especially when you're trying to keep control of the waterways."
"Right." Wyatt agreed, "It probably also didn't hurt that troops aren't likely to march into a raging inferno. Pretty sure gas masks weren't standard equipment in their go bags." Wyatt shrugged, "So you set the whole damn thing on fire, get back onto your boats and sail away with 750 freed slaves."
"Well, it wasn't quite that easy." Lucy explained. "The freed slaves under Harriet Tubman's intelligence and guidance will make their way to the two boats…all while dodging Confederate troops here and there still trying to thwart their efforts. But given the size of the boats, they couldn't transport all the slaves at once. The historical account states that the people were so desperate they held onto the boats, preventing them from leaving, almost capsizing it…until they were finally beaten back by oarsman with the promise that they would come back for the rest. It took several trips, but they did it." Lucy said proudly. "So many people are given hope for a better life tonight, we can't let Rittenhouse mess this up."
"If Rittenhouse is actually targeting Harriet Tubman," Flynn began with a frown, "then why wouldn't we just head to this pontoon bridge at Combahee Ferry and destroy it so they can't make their way across and take control of this side of the river and overwhelm the Union boats?" He shrugged, "If I were Rittenhouse, that's what I would do."
"Because we don't know when Rittenhouse plans to target her." Lucy explained with a sigh, "It could be before they even make their way onto the boats at Beaufort. We have no way of knowing what their plans are…they could stop at St. Helena Sound and overwhelm them there."
"I know this may not be a popular opinion," Flynn suggested, "but why not split up? Two of us can make our way to Beaufort to head them off there, while two of us make our way to this pontoon bridge and take it out so Rittenhouse and the Confederates can't use it to their advantage?"
Lucy looked to Wyatt, gauging his reaction to the suggestion but to her surprise, Wyatt seemed open to it. Nodding thoughtfully, he stated, "I think that might be our best option. Knowing what we know about this raid and how it's supposed to go, we can essentially cover more ground splitting up than staying together as one team." He looked at the map again, "There are just too many opportunities here for Rittenhouse to strike. At any one of these points they could ambush this operation and sink these boats, hell they could have a boat waiting in the river for them and we'd never know." Looking to Lucy, Wyatt nodded, "Okay, we'll go to Beaufort…Rufus, you and Flynn…"
"No." Rufus stated with an adamant shake of his head, "No way in hell. I appreciate that you want to go on adventures through time with your girlfriend, Wyatt…but we are in the South during the damn Civil War. The odds aren't exactly stacked in my favor, you know what I mean?" Rufus continued to shake his head as he swatted at a few mosquitos, "And I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly up to date on my smallpox vaccines."
"You think I'm going to leave Lucy?" Wyatt hissed. "Would you leave Jiya?"
"I thought we've established that we're on the same side?" Flynn said in a voice filled with exasperation. "I think I've proven that I have no interest in helping Rittenhouse."
"No offense, Flynn" Rufus quipped, "but Wyatt has never shot me…or had me shot…or shot at me. I know you've turned over a new leaf, man…but when it comes down to not just my life, but my freedom…I'm going to go with the guy who has always had my back."
"And I'm telling you, Rufus," Wyatt argued, "that as long as Lucy has a target on her back, I'm not going to trust her safety to anybody else."
"And it's not like Rittenhouse won't exploit that..." Flynn muttered huffily, causing Wyatt to roll his eyes in frustration. He knew that Rittenhouse had more than taken advantage of his and Lucy's relationship, but he would still feel a hell of a lot better if it was him calling the shots when it came to Lucy's safety than Flynn.
"Look, why don't we just draw straws?" Lucy suggested. "And then we'll flip a coin to see who goes where?"
"Too risky." Wyatt said with a shake of his head. "Both of you need a soldier and…"
"Fine." Lucy interrupted, "Rufus and I will flip a coin. Heads, I go with you, tails, I go with Flynn." Wyatt made to argue, but Lucy talked over him, "We're going to leave it up to fate."
Wyatt glared at her, "You know how I feel about that…"
"I know." Lucy said with a terse nod, "but Wyatt, Flynn is right…it doesn't matter if I'm with you or not, Rittenhouse will do whatever they can to use one of us as leverage against the other. So why beat ourselves up over things we can't control? Flipping a coin takes the decision out of our hands."
"Besides," Rufus added, "I know you guys are in love and all of that, but we're a family…it wouldn't matter to me if it was you, Wyatt, Lucy…or even Flynn…if Rittenhouse had any one of your lives in the balance…it would affect me."
Lucy nodded, "Exactly. We're all in this together. We're a team…no matter what."
Sighing heavily, Wyatt checked his borrowed clothes for loose change, smirking when he came up empty. "Well, looks like fate is on my side…no coin, no coin toss."
"I've got one!" Rufus announced as he dusted off a penny from his trouser pocket. He chuckled, "What are the odds of that…in this day and age? The black man has the money while the white man goes empty handed?" He flipped the coin and slapped it down on his wrist, "Tails was Lucy with Flynn, right?"
"Right." Lucy said with a nod and wary look towards Wyatt.
Picking it up and showing it to the rest of the group, Rufus exclaimed, "Well, it's settled then…you're with Flynn…I'm with Delta Force."
"Congratulations." Wyatt said darkly to Rufus as he stalked away, "Today must be your lucky day."
"Wyatt," Lucy consoled as she chased after him, "it's going to be okay. I trust Flynn…he's not going to let anything happen to me."
"It's not Flynn I'm worried about." Wyatt explained, "Lucy, I almost lost you…we're in the middle of a damn war…it's not just Rittenhouse out there…"
"I can handle a couple of farmers playing soldier." Flynn interjected.
"And that's your problem." Wyatt spat out, "These aren't just farmers…why the hell do you think this war lasted as long as it did? These Generals, these officers were all part of the Union at one point…educated at some of this country's finest military academies..."
"Wyatt, it'll be fine." Lucy soothed.
"I don't like it, Lucy." he said with a shake of his head, "you could get caught up in some battle, some skirmish…"
"And it wouldn't matter if I was with you or with Flynn." she reminded him.
Biting his lip, Wyatt stared at the expanse in front of them his mind filled with unspeakable anxieties about the mission before them, "Fine." he murmured after a long while, "but answer me one question…what's the situation between here and Beaufort?"
Lucy shrugged, "It's under Union control for the most part. I think there's some small Confederate forces here and there, but as far as I know, they are positioned further North and South. It should be a safe trip to Beaufort."
"Then that is where I want you and Flynn to go." Wyatt said with a decisive nod of his head, "Rufus and I will take out the pontoon bridge. He turned to her seriously, "You do whatever you can to get on one of those damn boats and we'll meet at Combahee Ferry, alright?"
Lucy sighed as she stared up into Wyatt's face, etched in concern. A million questions flew through her head, What if they couldn't get on one of the boats? What if the boats had already left by the time they got to Beaufort? What if Rittenhouse ambushed them on their way to Harriet Tubman? What if the boats were over run at any one of the points along the way? but she knew that none of those questions would make Wyatt feel any better about their plan…on the contrary it would make him hate it all the more. Swallowing hard, she steadied her voice, and looked at him with a face full of determination, "We'll be there."
Notes:
Let me first apologize for being SO long in updating this...I really feel awful. I have been SO busy...Easter, birthdays, spring and all the events/beautiful weather/demands it brings...I have just been inundated. There's not much left in this fic...two more chapters...maybe three at the most is all I'm anticipating. We are RIGHT AT THE END.
You'll notice that I have changed The General quite a bit...one thing that frustrates me in that episode is that the real Combahee River Raid is sort of lost...and it didn;t have to be! This was actually a very neat operation, one that, because it was so successful, was reapplied in other areas...and so I wanted to change it up a bit so that the real raid had a chance to shine. I hope you like what I have in mind for it and I hope you learn a thing or two along the way.
The Jessica pregnancy, I wasn't originally going to include at all...because I hate it, but as I started writing the chapter, I felt it needed something and I thought making fun of it as sort of a last desperate act was sort of my way of showing how unnecessary and really silly it was. I think back on all of our conversations after that episode on how did she know? Did AC buy her a pregnancy test? Why was she drinking alcohol? And well, for the purposes of this fic, I wanted it to be clear that she was a lying liar who would do anything and everything to try to manipulate the situation in her favor by appealing to Wyatt's emotional side...that'll come into play again later (HINT)
I really hope I'm not as long in updating this as I was this last time, but I can't make any promises, particularly when I know I have more demands coming upon me as we close out our school year and prepare for summer vacations. Just know I will never abandon this or any of my fics, because I'm just not wired that way. I will work until the late hours to get them done if that is what needs to happen. Just know that I am always striving to work on these as much as I possibly can when opportunities arise. I take my laptop with me just about everywhere to squeeze out as many writing windows as I can manage.
That said, I hope you enjoyed this update! Have a great week!
