A/N: So there is a rather a lot on Wyatt and Lucy in this chapter but there really wasn't a way to avoid it. Currently Lucy is stuck in between what was with Wyatt and what could be with Garcia.

Hard Truths

Bunker, Present Day

Still angry, at both himself and Wyatt, after their argument in the shower, Garcia stalked around his room, slamming things down as he finished getting ready for the day. He missed Lucy. Had missed her from the second she left his room. Some part of Garcia acknowledged that missing someone this acutely after such a short absence meant that his feelings had gone well beyond friendship.

Last night had been wonderful. He enjoyed getting to know the parts of Lucy that her journal hadn't enlightened him about. He wanted to spend more time with her, uncover more of her quirks. If the journal, and Lucy's notes to him in that journal, were to be believed, Garcia would come to know this Lucy much better. One of the other things that journal Lucy had written to him was to not share these notes with present day Lucy, his Lucy. Journal Lucy said that it was important to both of them that his Lucy make her own choices unburdened by the knowledge of her future, potential future, he reminded himself, choices. That was why he had removed several pages prior to returning the journal to Lucy. He guessed that she hadn't brought herself to read it yet or he would have heard about those missing pages. Of that he was sure.

Garcia still didn't know how he felt about the messages that journal Lucy had left for him. He was pretty sure that future him hadn't read them. Initially when he did, he was angry. Journal Lucy had intrigued him when they met, Garcia admitted that much, but at the time there was no way he could see himself with anyone but Lorena. One of the things that journal Lucy stressed in that first message was that the future wasn't set in stone. Things could be changed. Another reason for Lucy to not know about those messages. But he was the only one that was burdened with the knowledge of what they one day could be. Would be? Garcia really wasn't sure how to refer to the relationship described in the journal.

Garcia could finally acknowledge, to himself at least, that his emotional investment in his relationship with Lucy was growing rapidly, but he still wasn't sure if he was ready to move on from the past. Until he did, he wouldn't allow himself to start anything with Lucy. He'd be damned if he treated her like Wyatt. When he made a move it would be because his whole being was committed to a relationship with Lucy. That is assuming she let him. Assuming she could move beyond her feelings for Wyatt. Garcia could see, even without the insight of her thoughts in the journal, how deeply Lucy loved the other man. That was why it was so important to him that Lucy know nothing about her future messages to him in the journal. If Lucy ever decided to be with him, Garcia needed to know that it was because she chose to be with him in this reality. Not because she was lead there by the words of her future self from a different timeline.

Resolved, yet somehow unsatisfied, he decided to leave things as they were. He would continue to work on getting to know Lucy. He would be her friend. Give her whatever she needed from him. Although he wasn't quite sure how he would handle it if what she needed was Wyatt. And with that happy thought, Garcia resolved to get on with his day. The sooner he left his room, the sooner he could see Lucy. He knew that giving her too much space right now would undo all of the progress he'd made last night.

XXXXXXXXXX

When the alarm signaling that the Mothership had jumped blared, the team was dispersed throughout the bunker, intent on their tasks for the day. Garcia had been helping Lucy research any changes to history from Rittenhouse's recent missions. Wyatt had stormed off to God knows where after finding them working together. Jessica was busily taking inventory and putting together a shopping list for Agent Christopher. Rufus and Jiya had their heads together bent over a computer working on some sort of coding issue that he could never hope to understand. He had no idea where Mason and Agent Christopher were but within seconds of the alarm everyone had converged on the makeshift mission control set up in the largest room of the bunker.

Jiya, quick as always, hit a few keys on her keyboard and provided the team with what they needed to know.

"They went to March 4, 1919, New York."

Wyatt immediately looked to Lucy, confident as always in her ability to prep the team with all the necessary historical facts. Despite everything that was going on between them, he knew she wouldn't let the team down.

"New York 1919, what happened?"

"March 4? That was Woodrow WIlson's last day in the United States before traveling to Paris to negotiate the Treaty of Versailles."

After some discussion of Rittenhouse's possible motives, the team was ready to head out.

Lucy, Rufus, and Wyatt immediately raced up the steps to the Lifeboat. Wyatt going without a thought or word to his wife. Rufus and Lucy were already inside and Wyatt was just starting to push the stairs away when Garcia hit the first step.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa."

Wyatt glared at him and continued to try to push the stairs away.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"1919"

"Yeah, we're good, thanks."

Hostility was evident in Wyatt's every word. He gave no sign of relenting and started back down the stairs to continue arguing with Garcia.

"Wyatt."

Agent Christopher's tone was a warning. She did not want to deal with this right now. The team needed to get going.

Jessica stared on, watching the unfolding scene, anxious and somewhat resigned to what she was witnessing. She was pretty sure that she knew what this was all about. Jessica saw how solicitous Flynn was of Lucy and how crazy it made her husband. Oh, Wyatt tried to hide it, but she could always tell when he was feeling jealous of Lucy and Flynn. Wyatt would be extra sweet to her, even more generous than usual in bed, as if to make up for his focus on another woman. It was how Jessica had discovered Wyatt's first affair. Although she knew there was nothing currently going on between her husband and the petite historian, Jessica knew there must have been something between them in their original timeline. When he returned from this latest mission, she fully expected that Wyatt would act the same way, just as he had been doing for the last couple of weeks. Clearly she would have to monitor the situation closely. It could become useful.

"Uh, yeah. We're a team already. We're the Beatles. We don't need Yoko."

Garcia just shook his head in disgust. Sarcasm out in full force as he responded to the younger man.

"You do realize there were four members of the Beatles don't you?"

Wyatt just glared at Garcia, barely registering as Agent Christophertried to reason with him.

"We've got four seats now and you can use the backup. We're not leaving one empty."

Never one to be put off or deterred in any way, Wyatt had a quick comeback for that one.

"Well bring Mason."

Standing behind Jiya, Mason let out a sound of amusement, both with the situation and the suggestion.

"Uh, how do I put this?"

"Hell no." Jiya, frustrated by the situation, struggled not to express her thought that Wyatt was being an ass.

"Yeah" Mason nods his head in agreement, a smirk on his face as he watched Wyatt realize that his maneuvering wouldn't work.

Agent Christopher silently mused that perhaps Mason wasn't as oblivious as they all thought he was. But all she did was issue her command thus ending the debate.

"Flynn is going. End of discussion."

Victorious, Garcia smiled and made his way up the stairs. He shrugged his shoulders apologetically and told Wyatt "She's the boss."

High road Garcia told himself. You got what you wanted. You're going on the mission with Lucy. Take the high road.

The high road lasted exactly three steps. As Garcia drew even with Wyatt he leaned into him. Mock whispered "Oh, don't forget to say goodbye to your wife."

Garcia smiled and pointed behind them, helpfully indicating to Wyatt just who his wife is. Because, as their conversation in the bathroom that morning clearly indicated, Wyatt seemed to be forgetting that a lot lately.

Wyatt sighed defeatedly. With a decided slump to his shoulders he turned around to give Jessica a sheepish smile and a half-hearted wave. He boarded the time machine mentally telling himself that he'll do better. He'll remember that Jess should be, is, Jess is, his first concern. It's just that Wyatt can't erase the sight that has been plaguing him all day. The sight of Lucy, disheveled and gorgeous, leaving Flynn's bedroom early that morning.

XXXXXXXXXX

March 4, 1919, New York City

No sooner than the time traveling quartet entered the lobby of the York Hotel, they heard gunshots. Startled, they, along with a lobby-full of others, looked frantically around and tried to assess which direction the danger was coming from. Garcia and Wyatt both sprinted ahead. Put themselves between danger and the rest of their team. Between danger and Lucy. Both looking for Emma and any other Rittenhouse members that she might have brought along. Ready to neutralize the threat that she presented.

Unable to find Emma, Wyatt and Garcia found themselves back in the lobby with Rufus and Lucy. Police and reporters everywhere. Forced to wait with everyone else to find out what just occurred. Something that neither man was good at. This resulted in yet another disagreement between the two over which of them would go find out what happened.

Lucy, who was seriously annoyed with them both, hurried off in the direction of the nearest police officer.

"Excuse me. Excuse me Officer. Was President Wilson shot?"

The officer looked over his shoulder and addressed Garcia, who had quickly followed Lucy.

"Sir, please control your wife."

For once eager to play his assigned role, Garcia stepped into Lucy and placed a husbandly, guiding hand on her back. Before "helping" Lucy back to the others, he managed to inquire "Excuse me Officer. What happened with President Wilson?"

"The President is safe. There is no more information at this time."

Lucy sighed with relief and allowed Garcia to lead her away. She was disgusted by the time and the archaic view that she is, should be, nothing more than a sheltered, pampered piece of property. Poor Rufus, she thought. As bad asthis is for me, it's ten times worse for him, just like most of our missions. Sometimes history just sucks.

A reporter strolled past and Lucy managed to extract the necessary information from him. It was Senator Wadsworth, not President Wilson, that had been shot. According to the reporter, Alice Paul, a "militant suffragette" was arrested. Lucy hurriedly explained Alice Paul's importance to the suffragette movement. Garcia and Wyatt reverted back to bickering but eventually they had a plan. Rufus and Garcia will head out to find Emma and the sleeper agent. Lucy and Wyatt will head to the police station and get Alice out of jail. As they walked away, Garcia looked back at Lucy. Gave her a questioning look, silently asking if she would be okay. He didn't want to leave Lucy alone with Wyatt, afraid, after their argument in the bathroom, the other man would hassel Lucy about him. It wasn't until Lucy nodded and made a shooing motion with her hands that Garcia followed Rufus. He didn't like it, but he would trust Lucy to know her own mind. If she felt that she would be okay then he would have to let her go.

XXXXXXXXXX

Police Precinct, New York City

The police desk sergeant had been rude and spectacularly unhelpful but his mention of Sherlock Holmes seemed to jogg something in Lucy's memory. She was instantly moving down the hallway at a fast clip leaving Wyatt to trail in her wake. He tried to get her attention so they could talk but she was either oblivious or ignoring him and Lucy was never oblivious.

Damn that woman and her stubborn nature thought Wyatt. He really needed to talk, actually talk, not the weird polite facades of conversations that they had been having lately, to Lucy. He needed to tell her about the encounter with her mother. How he couldn't take the shot, despite Agent Christopher's order, because he knew how devastated Lucy would be. He needed to tell her how much he missed her. How he hated not talking to her. Wyatt needed to man up and tell Lucy how he felt about her. He didn't know what, if anything, it would change, but he needed Lucy to know. Feeling those bullets hit his flack jacket yesterday brought home to Wyatt just how quickly things could change. He wanted Lucy to know in case … Wyatt reached out and made one last attempt to stop her but she was already sliding through the door to Grace Humiston's office. All he could do was sigh and follow her.

Wyatt was still reeling from his internal dialogue and what he had almost admitted, at least to himself, when Mrs. Humiston started making her deductions.

"Sorry, I don't take romantic disputes. If you want my advice, you have better things to do than waste your time and keen intellect on a married man, even if he is a soldier and a war hero."

The first words out of Grace Humiston's mouth didn't endear her to Wyatt. How dare "Mrs. Sherlock Holmes" tell Lucy that she was wasting her time on him. She didn't even know him, know Lucy. When Wyatt asked, Grace explained how she knew he was a soldier, but he just had to ask how she knew the rest.

"You're wearing a wedding ring; she's not. She's trying to keep her distance from you. You're trying to get closer. And I'm betting he didn't tell you about the wife either, but that one's just a guess."

Wyatt really didn't like Grace Humiston. Didn't really like hearing the truths that she was spouting. But it was true. Lucy had been pulling away from him. Not just today but ever since Jess had come back. He was still so happy that Jess was alive and he wanted his marriage to work. Wanted it to be the way he remembered it but he couldn't make himself let go of Lucy.

Lucy was relieved that Grace took Alice's case. Alice didn't say much when they visited her in her cell but it must have been enough to convince Grace. Now she and Wyatt were impatiently waiting for Grace to question the investigating detective. Lucy couldn't stop pacing, between the need to get Alice freed and the uncomfortable tension between her and Wyatt, she was almost to the end of her rope. She hoped things were going better for Garcia and Rufus. Honestly, what the hell was Wyatt's problem? She was sick of these angry wounded looks he kept giving her so she forced him into saying what was on his mind. Perhaps not her wisest idea.

"You wanna talk, fine, let's talk. I saw you this morning."

Lucy flinched from the anger in his voice. Fuck. This wasn't good. Still she didn't have to explain anything to him.

"Saw me what?"

"Coming out of Flynn's room. Flynn, for God's sakes. The terrorist who spent all last year trying to kill us? Look, I know the Jessica thing was a little unexpected and - and maybe you're on the rebound or something -"

Unexpected. Rebound. He had some nerve.

"Rebound? I'm sorry, from what? Our one-night relationship?"

Wyatt couldn't hide the pain Lucy's words caused him, which just made her angrier. He somehow knew this and tried to backpedal but the damage was done.

"That is not what I meant. I just meant that you are making a big mistake."

At the moment I'm not so sure Garcia is the mistake from where I'm standing thought Lucy. Somehow she managed to not let that thought escape her lips. Instead she merely told Wyatt the reality of their situation.

"What I do and who I do it with is none of your damn business."

Their argument just went on and on. Lucy wished that she had been the one to go with Garcia. Rufus and Wyatt could have tried to free Alice and investigated her murder. At least with Garcia Lucy wouldn't have to worry about her heart getting trampled in the process. Ever since he had joined them in the bunker, Garcia had been nothing but kind to her. Now she and Wyatt were fighting about the fact that she would have to be the one to give Alice's speech.

"I'm not gonna let you get hurt."

She couldn't do it anymore. How could Wyatt be so damn clueless? Lucy was done worrying about his feelings. He needed to know how his choice made her feel.

"Little late for that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Okay, look, Wyatt, I have tried really hard to seperate whatever's going on between us from the work that we have to do but you are not making it easy."

"You think this has been easy for me?"

"You got the love of your life back, Wyatt, and I got the rug pulled out from under me again. So I would really appreciate it if you would stop acting like you were the one that got screwed!"

There was really nothing more to say. Lucy stormed off. She had a speech to give. Wyatt, terrified that something was going to happen to her and stuck close behind her. He didn't know how to deal with Lucy's anger but he'd be damned if he let anything happen to her before they had a chance to work things out.

XXXXXXXXXX

Bunker, Present Day

All in all, it was a bruised and battered group that stumbled out of the time machine. Rufus, physically injured from the beating given by the police in 1919. Wyatt, emotionally reeling from his fear for Lucy's safety, Mrs Humiston's assessment, and Lucy's own words. When he reached the bottom of the stairs and Jessica wrapped him in her arms and kissed him, he almost surrendered to the comfort and familiarity of her warmth. But he couldn't stop himself from looking back at Lucy. When he saw her expression, he pulled away from Jessica and lead her away from Lucy's view. Still the damage had been done. Lucy felt yet another part of her heart break watching them.

Garcia hurt watching Lucy's pain. He wanted to go after her but knew she needed some time. He wanted to go and punch Wyatt for his thoughtlessness but knew Lucy would hate that. He wanted to take her in his arms. Feel her body against his. Reassure himself that she was unharmed physically and do his best to soothe her emotional pain. He forced himself to walk down the stairs, down the hallway, away from Lucy and towards the privacy of his room. Garcia realized that he needed some time as well. His fear for her on this mission, his need to take away her pain, the desire to run his hands through her hair, caress her cheek, feel her against him made him realize some hard truths about just how deep his feelings for her ran. He needed to get himself back under control before he went to find her.