Chapter 3
It was turning out to be an even worse night than Wyatt had gloomily predicted. Shortly after he had finally drifted into a restless, fitful sleep, a piercing, terrified scream from his bedroom shattered the calm stillness of the apartment. Heart pounding, he stumbled off the couch and down the hall, only to find a sobbing Lucy thrashing around his bed, desperately struggling with someone or something that only she could see. Wyatt approached the bed cautiously, worried that he might distress her even more, when suddenly, Lucy sat up and burying her face in her hands, began to cry softly. "Lucy? Are you okay?" he whispered as he sat gingerly on the side of the bed and hesitantly touched her shoulder, and he was startled when without warning, she threw herself at him, trembling and whimpering his name over and over against his neck, "Wyatt, Wyatt, you're here, you found me," and he realized she was still at least half asleep. Holding her closely to him, Wyatt tenderly rubbed Lucy's back as he murmured soothingly, and as her tears gradually subsided, he felt the difference in her slender frame when she was fully awake.
Stiffening, she pulled back abruptly, swiping at her wet cheeks, and Wyatt immediately missed her warmth against him. "Lucy, are you okay?" he asked, hands still draped loosely around her, and when she wouldn't meet his eyes, he put a hand on her cheek and tilted her chin as her teary dark eyes flickered up and away from his gaze. She was embarrassed, he realized, and Wyatt's heart broke a little at her miserable expression, "Lucy, listen, bad dreams are likely, hell, even to be expected, after what you've been through the past couple of days, please don't be embarrassed." When she didn't respond, he put a hand around her neck and pulling her to his chest, Wyatt took a chance, and continued gently running his hand up and down her back before asking if she wanted to talk about any of it. God knows there was a regular laundry list to choose from, he grimly acknowledged: the team's horrible confrontation with David Rittenhouse, being Flynn's prisoner, the nearly lethal encounter with Holmes. Wyatt marveled anew at Lucy's strength and courage. He had served with many men who had crumbled in the face of far less.
When she hesitated, Wyatt made the decision for her, standing and offering Lucy his hand, and suggested it might be easier if they took their discussion out to his living room. After a long moment, she threw back the covers, and looking up at Wyatt with a puzzled expression, asked, "Um, Wyatt, why don't I have any pants on?" His faced reddened as he stammered, "Uh, yeah, I may have taken them off of you, but only so you could be more comfortable," and he only pretended to be annoyed when she giggled at his faintly chagrined expression, secretly delighted with her amusement. Wyatt groused, "Okay, sure, have a laugh at my expense," as he found an old pair of sweats in his dresser and tossed them to her. "Just come out to the living room when you're ready, okay?" and turning to leave, stopped at Lucy's soft words, "Thank you, Wyatt, for taking care of me, you always make me feel better," and his heart lightened just a little, even while he was uncertain he deserved her gratitude.
Once they were settled side by side on the sofa, Wyatt put his arm around Lucy's slim shoulders and invited her to lean against him, and was encouraged when she rested her head against his chest. Gently stroking her soft wavy hair, Wyatt assured Lucy that she could tell him as much or as little as she was comfortable with, and waited patiently for her to start. Trembling slightly, she took a deep breath and began to speak in a hushed monotone as Wyatt fought desperately to hide a growing sense of dread and anger. Lucy had been strong all by herself for too long, and this time, he would not let her down, so he remained as calm as possible. She glossed over the initial abduction by Flynn himself (no matter that she downplayed it, Wyatt was still going to kill Garcia Flynn one day soon, very soon, if at all possible). Lucy paused long enough to ask for some water, and sat quietly with her eyes closed while Wyatt retrieved a couple of bottles from his fridge. After she drank a little bit, Lucy put her head back on his chest, and continued.
Flashback
Lucy was huddled on the thin mattress, her knees drawn up to her chest in an attempt to stay warm. The chilly, damp air continuously seeped under the door of the small locked room where she was imprisoned, and she was acutely aware that her muslin undergarments, bulky as they may be, offered little protection from either the cold or the leering glances of Karl and his friend, No Neck. Lucy had never felt so vulnerable before, and unbidden, an image of Wyatt one of the last times she had seen him flashed through her mind, and she ruthlessly pushed the thought away. She was barely hanging on by a thread as it was, and if she let herself think about Wyatt and the possibility of never seeing him again, Lucy feared it would be all too easy to give in to her panic and despair.
Her determination to be brave had only faltered once, and that was when Flynn had confronted Lucy as she opened the bathroom door the first time and demanded that she remove her cloak and dress. "No, I won't," she had gasped in disbelief, and instinctively stepped back as Flynn reached for her arm and jerked her out into the open in front of the other men. "Don't worry, Lucy, your virtue is safe with me," he had sneered before conceding, "However, Karl does seem to have an eye for petite brunettes, and of course, my man Duncan here isn't choosy at all, so I grant you may have some cause for concern."
Searching his implacable face desperately, Lucy had swallowed her pride and implored in a harsh whisper, "Flynn, please don't do this, please don't make me take off my dress. I'll do whatever you want, I promise," but apparently, Garcia Flynn was in no mood to be generous or compassionate. "Sorry, Lucy, but I can't risk you trying to escape, and Anthony has told me it would be inhumane to keep your wrists bound, so I think perhaps keeping you in just your undergarments might be incentive enough for you to stay put until I get what I need."
Helpless to stop the tears of humiliation sliding down her face, Lucy had closed her eyes and stood like a statue while an obviously nervous Anthony stepped around Flynn and carefully removed her cloak and with shaking hands began unlacing the bodice of her fitted wool jacket. After he pulled the garment from her shoulders, he froze when Lucy suddenly opened her eyes and hissed at him, "Are you proud of what you've become, Anthony? As if helping Flynn murder God knows how many innocents and wrecking mayhem through history isn't despicable enough, now you stoop to molesting female hostages?" For the briefest of seconds, he hesitated, but then Flynn barked, "Get on with it, Bruhl, or I will let Karl assist you, and I doubt Miss Preston would appreciate Karl's decided lack of finesse." And Lucy knew then that Anthony Bruhl's soul was beyond saving, if it ever was after throwing his lot in with Garcia Flynn.
She shivered as her skirt fell away, too, wrapping her arms protectively around herself as she defiantly asked if she could go back to her tiny prison now. "Maybe later," Flynn had replied indifferently, signaling No Neck, who cruelly grabbed Lucy by the arm and dragged her to a desk with a computer set up near the mother ship. "Let go of me, you creep," Lucy demanded, trying to suppress the tremor in her voice. "Now, now, manners, Lucy, if you please. You're going to hurt Duncan's feelings," Flynn sarcastically admonished. And when Lucy made the mistake of stealing a glance at the thug, she was frightened by the look in No Neck's eyes as they moved over her body slowly.
Trembling, Lucy was shoved into a chair and ordered by Flynn to track down John Rittenhouse, since she had been the one to let him escape. "He was an innocent child," she protested weakly as Flynn snarled, "Who probably grew up to make Rittenhouse even stronger. Now, I have an errand to run, so do as I ask and behave and perhaps you can go back to your room when I return," and then he and Anthony boarded the mother ship and it vanished, leaving Lucy alone with her two guards.
End Flashback
Lucy wasn't even aware she was crying until Wyatt handed her a couple of tissues. Sitting up and noticing the big wet spot on his tee shirt, now she really was embarrassed, and after blowing her nose (I feel so attractive right now), when Lucy tried to apologize, Wyatt wouldn't hear of it. "Lucy, you have nothing to be sorry for. I think you're one of the bravest women I have ever known," and her face warmed at the sincerity in his blue eyes. "I'm the one who needs to apologize," he muttered. "Whatever for?" she interrupted. Wyatt sighed, "Lucy, I should never have agreed to join forces with Flynn, let alone consented to split the team up to look for John Rittenhouse. I should have kept you safe with me."
"Wyatt, no, don't you dare blame yourself. You had no idea how this would all turn out," she reasoned. He argued right back at her, "Lucy, besides taking out Flynn, my number one priority is your personal safety, yours and Rufus', and I failed." Slumping against the back of the sofa, Wyatt closed his eyes wearily. Lucy considered his words, and deciding she was faintly offended at his defeated attitude, she then impulsively repeated her actions from that last day at the Alamo by leaning toward him and putting her hands around his neck.
When his eyes flew open in surprise, she gave him an affectionate smile and declared, "Wyatt Logan, you are an idiot, but I'm willing to overlook that because in spite of what you might tell yourself, you have been taking excellent care of me and saving my life over and over again since our first mission, and in no way, shape, or form do I hold you responsible for the actions of a mad man like Garcia Flynn. Now, have I made myself clear?" While she had been scolding Wyatt, his hands had lifted to lightly grasp her wrists, and she blushed when his dark blue gaze drifted to her smile. As he lowered his mouth to hers, he breathed, "Yes, Ma'am," against her lips, and her eyes fluttered shut while his warm lips teased delicately at hers.
Lucy's senses reeled at the feelings Wyatt's kiss was coaxing from her, and she very distantly recalled her cynical dismissal of "chemistry" and "lightning bolts" that night in 1934 Arkansas while sharing a bed with him. She had tried to convince herself in the weeks since then that Wyatt had been right, they had merely been playing roles in front of Bonnie and Clyde, but there were no murderous outlaws to pretend for now. When the tip of his tongue tormented her bottom lip, she parted her lips eagerly and whimpered as his mouth leisurely took possession of hers and drove just about every coherent thought from her mind. Several long, blissful moments later, Wyatt had deftly maneuvered Lucy's now very relaxed body under his, and only the need to breathe forced him to pull back.
Panting lightly, he grinned at Lucy's dreamy expression and swollen dark rose lips. Gazing into her glowing brown eyes, Wyatt confessed, "I've been wanting to kiss you again for a long time, but I thought maybe I had ruined any chance of that with my stupid comment about role playing." "Yeah, that was a pretty stupid thing to say," Lucy agreed with an impish look that was almost immediately spoiled by an enormous yawn. She clapped a hand over her mouth as Wyatt chuckled, "Am I boring you, Miss Preston?" and taking pity on her, reluctantly pulled himself away, saying, "Lucy, you need to rest. Think you can try to sleep now?" and frowned when she hesitated. "Lucy, what is it?" Shrugging self-consciously, she whispered, "I don't want to be alone. Could I stay out here with you?" and gazed up at him hopefully.
Wyatt gave her an easy, dimpled smile, and after swiftly kissing her once more, said, "C'mere," and tugging Lucy to her feet, straightened the pillow and quilt he had been using, and lay back down on his side facing front and opened his arms invitingly. "Maybe we can keep each other's bad dreams away?" he offered. Lucy nodded shyly, and carefully stretched out in front of him facing forward and sighed happily as he put an arm over her waist, holding her securely. She shivered as his warm breath swept across the back of her neck, "I'm right here now, Lucy, try and get some sleep," as he covered the two of them with the quilt.
Daylight was gradually filling the corners of the room when Wyatt slowly opened his eyes. He lay quietly for a peaceful moment, savoring the feel of Lucy in his arms. It had been so long since he had slept with a woman, and Wyatt had forgotten how comforting it was and how much he had missed that feeling. He glanced down to see that somehow Lucy had turned over during the night, and was nestled against him, her soft breath whispering across his chest. One of her long, slender legs was wedged between his, and she had a pretty good grip on his tee shirt. Judging by the amount of light in the room, Wyatt was amazed and pleased at how long they slept, and gratefully acknowledged that they had evidently kept the nightmares away for each other. He gazed longingly at her slightly parted lips, and willed back the urge to kiss her awake. Time enough for that later, he supposed, because right now, Lucy needed all the rest she could get, especially when the team had this mandatory counseling crap to look forward to.
"Aw, hell," it suddenly occurred to Wyatt, "She didn't even know yet." He guess that maybe her phone was in her bag in his bedroom, but she had been so exhausted when he brought her home last night, he doubted she had looked at it. Just as well, because last night had been traumatic enough for her without the knowledge of this mess hanging over her head. The two of them had practically had their own personal therapy session last night, and he was so humbled that Lucy trusted him enough to confide in him.
For now, as much as he'd like to stay tangled up in Lucy's arms on his sofa the rest of the day, he needed the bathroom, and probably should check in with Rufus. Delicately prying Lucy's small hand from his shirt, Wyatt cautiously slid her leg from between his, and scooted out from behind her. Relieved to see she hadn't even stirred, he carefully tucked the quilt securely around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head, grabbed his phone from the end table before heading for the bathroom. Just as he finished washing his hands, his phone chimed with a text from Rufus.
Hey, you up?
Yep
OK, good...WHAT THE HELL, man? Mandatory counseling?
Yeah I'm not happy either.
What exactly does that mean?
Just what you think. Team's grounded until we're cleared by a therapist.
Well that's just frickin great (that was sarcasm if you weren't sure).
Yeah I got that.
Does Lucy know yet?
No she's still asleep.
Oh OK...in your bed, lol?
NO, not that's it's any of your business.
Jeez, dude, defensive much?
Jeez, dude, still none of your business.
Ok, ok! You think we should get together and figure out how we're gonna handle this?
Yeah, good idea. Can you come over here in a couple hours? I have to take Lucy home to get some clothes.
She gonna pack a suitcase, lol?
Rufus, STILL none of your business.
Ok, ok, see you in a couple hours. I'll bring bagels.
Ok, thanks see you then.
Wyatt shook his head fondly at his friend's persistent curiosity. Deciding to let Lucy sleep a little while longer, he snagged some clean clothes and took a hasty shower, and twenty minutes later, was sitting on the sofa trying to wake her. He began to gently rub her back, murmuring, "Lucy, c'mon, time to wake up. Lucy," and grinned when she growled at him and buried her head deeper into the pillow. So, Lucy Preston is not a morning person. Good to know. However, much as he'd like to indulge her, there just wasn't time, not when Rufus would be here in less than two hours.
"Lucy," he coaxed, leaning in and running his finger down her cheek, "If you wake up, I'll make you breakfast," he offered. Nothing. Wyatt thought for a minute, and putting his lips against the soft pink shell of her ear, promised, "Lucy, I'll give you a kiss if you wake up right this second," and was greatly amused when her drowsy eyes instantly snapped open as she rolled over to face him with a very pretty blush rising up her face. "Wyatt Logan, did you just try and bribe me with a kiss?" "Yes, and I'm a man of my word, Lucy Preston," he teased before lowering his mouth to hers. Her slim arms eagerly wrapped around his neck, and Wyatt very quickly comprehended two things: he and Lucy were already crazy good at kissing, and unfortunately, they really didn't have time for kissing right now. Reluctantly, he drew back and couldn't help a tiny flicker of male satisfaction at the dazed expression she wore.
"Good morning," she whispered breathlessly as her eyes fluttered open. "Good morning," he responded, "How are you feeling?" as he tenderly brushed her soft hair back from her forehead. "Much better, I think, and thanks to you, no bad dreams," she bashfully admitted. "Me, either," he agreed, and taking a deep breath, Wyatt confessed, "Lucy, there's something I have to tell you," and he felt terrible when the smile fell from her face. "No, no, you and I are fine, Lucy, it's work," he hastily assured her. "Agent Christopher texted me late last night after you fell asleep that all three of us have to undergo mandatory counseling before the team is cleared for duty," and his heart sank at her reaction.
Struggling to sit up, Lucy put her hands over her face and started to apologize, "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault, if I had just gotten away from Flynn, you and Rufus wouldn't have been trapped in the murder castle when you tried to rescue me." Wyatt interrupted her pity party, "Lucy, seriously, for such a smart person, you just jumped to a not-smart conclusion," and pretended not to see her indignant glare. "Did you just call me dumb?" she asked suspiciously. Tugging her close, he hugged her and said, "Yeah, maybe, but it's for your own good, because you are completely wrong about this. I'm pretty sure that not only is Flynn a highly-trained former NSA operative, he's at least a foot taller, and probably 100 pounds heavier, than you. So, no offense, but even I might not have been able to get away from him," and Wyatt stared at her until she grudgingly conceded his point.
"Okay, what's the plan?" she sighed, and Wyatt told her that Rufus was on his way over in less than two hours so the team could figure out how they were going to handle the counseling in the quickest way possible so they could resume their missions. Lucy hurriedly dressed in her own clothes, and they drove to her place so she could shower and change. Wyatt wondered if it might be too soon to ask, and was quite pleased when she came down the stairs with a small duffle bag slung casually over her shoulder. Without either of them saying a word, he reached for the bag and taking her hand, carried it to his truck. They arrived back at Wyatt's about fifteen minutes before Rufus, and while Lucy carried her bag to his bedroom, Wyatt took some eggs from the fridge and started making breakfast.
When Lucy answered the door at Rufus' knock, his eyes widened and hugging her tightly, said, "Lucy, you look so much better than the last time I saw you! How are you feeling?" and she got a little bit emotional at his concern. "Much better, thanks, and I'm so glad you're okay, too. C'mon in, Wyatt's making breakfast," and he followed her into the small kitchen where Wyatt was just finishing the eggs. Setting the paper bag from a nearby bakery down on the table, Rufus glanced at the other two and asked, "What are we going to do?" and Lucy and Wyatt looked at each other before answering him. At Lucy's nod, Wyatt said, "Between the three of us, we have a lot of brains, education and field experience, and we are going to need every bit of it to bluff a licensed therapist. Here's what we need to do..."
A/N: Yep, a little cliffhanger there, oops ;) So, no "official" therapy yet, but I think Lucy and Wyatt have made a good start, right? I'm kind of blown away by the positive response to this story, and having a lot of fun writing it. My sincere appreciation to everyone for their amazing reviews and the favorites and follows, and a big shout out to the guest reviewers...you guys rock! Thanks so much for the support :)