Author's Note: It was a long ride to Port Royal in 2.9. This is the conversation that I imagined taking place. Also, I do not speak Croatian. I used both Google translate and an English to Croatian app. Please forgive any errors. The translations are listed at the end of the chapter.

The Art of Communication

June 1, 1863, Beaufort County, South Carolina

It was a long ride to Port Royal and Garcia was glad. To be able to spend hours alone with Lucy, even with the seriousness of their mission, was a gift. Even if they didn't speak a word to each other, he would be content in her presence. Unfortunately, they were going to have to speak and discuss a rather unpleasant topic. He had watched Lucy that morning as Mason and Agent Christopher disclosed to the group that Rittenhouse had a full pictorial history of Jessica Logan's life stored on one of their hard drives. Agent Christopher had given him a heads up the night before so he knew it was coming. If he hadn't been so caught up in Lucy's kisses he would have remembered. He wasn't sure how he could have prepared Lucy but he would have tried.

Garcia guessed that Rittenhouse must be feeling incredibly threatened at present because, in Journal Lucy's timeline, Jessica Logan had remained deceased. So he had had absolutely no warning for what came next. His heart broke when he saw the look on Lucy's face as Wyatt dropped his bombshell about Jessica being pregnant. She looked like she had been stabbed when that ass said he would leave the team if Jessica was forced to leave the bunker. Wouldn't you? If Lucy were carrying your child, wouldn't you walk away from anything to keep them safe? He knew the answer to the question that the taunting little voice in his mind was asking. Even as he slammed the door shut on an image of a glowing Lucy round with his child, he knew. Garcia couldn't let himself go there. Couldn't allow that image to let him dream. To want. To feel any sympathy for Wyatt. The man had placed the entire team in danger and that was nothing compared to what he was doing to Lucy. Besides, Garcia was highly sceptical of Jessica's condition.

Still, he was going to have to discuss this with Lucy. He needed to make sure that she was okay. To allow her to have some time to vent her feelings before they re-joined Rufus and Wyatt. The aggression Wyatt was directing at all of them, especially Lucy, was adding extra strain to an already difficult day. He glanced over and watched her as they rode. Too quiet. Garcia could see Lucy withdrawing into herself. One deep breath and he took the plunge.

"Lucy, are you okay?"

"Why would I not be okay Garcia?"

With the look Lucy gave him, he should be dead. He didn't think he had ever heard that bitter ice cold tone from her before. Journal Lucy had quite the temper but she tended to internalize and self direct her anger. This hostility from his Lucy was far better. He would allow himself to be a handy target for her anger. He could take it. Maybe once she verbalized the anger and the hurt she could move past it, begin to heal. Then they could finally begin to communicate and, please God, become what they were meant to be.

"Wyatt's little bombshell springs to mind."

"Really? We're going to go there?"

"Yes, Lucy. We're going to go there. I know what happened in 1941. I know how you felt. Journal Lucy was quite forthcoming about your feelings for Wyatt."

Garcia knew he was goading her. He couldn't help it. He told himself it was because she needed to get mad and this was a way of provoking her. Of making himself the target. But that wasn't it. Not even close. It had torn his heart out reading about her feelings for Wyatt. About the intimacies she had shared with the other man while he, Garcia, burned for her.

"Well perhaps you could have been a bit more forthcoming about 'Journal Lucy's' insights when Agent Christopher and I visited you in prison. What would it have taken Garcia? How hard was it to say 'Oh, by the way Lucy, another little freebie for you. Don't sleep with Wyatt on this jump tomorrow because his wife will be back from the dead!' Damn you … damn …"

And with that she broke. Harsh racking sobs shook her body. Garcia grabbed the reins of her horse and steared both their mounts off the road and under a nearby tree. He dismounted and pulled Lucy down and into his arms. She fought him for a moment before subsiding and clutching at him like he was her only salvation.

Garcia carried Lucy to a fallen log and sat. Holding her tightly to his chest, he allowed her to cry. His big strong hands moved in comforting circles on her back. Broken by her pain, he was hardly aware of the soft words he murmured to her.

"Moj voljeni. Tu sam. U redu je. Siguran si. Drzite moja srce. Necu te ostaviti."

Garcia rocked her and kept repeating words of comfort and endearment until the storm of her tears ended. He pressed a tender kiss into her hair and asked "Better?"

Lucy nodded and his arms tightened around her, trying to remind her that she was not alone.

"Thank you. I didn't realize how much I needed that. I'm sorry for …"

He laid gentle finger's on Lucy's lips silencing her words. Garcia's lips brushed her forehead with a featherlight kiss.

"There's no need draga. I told you, I'm here for whatever you need."

Confusion marred her beautiful features as she raised her face to his. Tears clung to her eyelashes as her luminous brown eyes searched his.

"Why?"

Garcia couldn't quite contain the harsh laugh that escaped at her question. But he gave her a soft smile and another gentle kiss to the forehead. His large hand caressed the back of her neck as he replied.

"That is, perhaps, a conversation for a later time. We should be on our way. I just wanted … I thought that … You've been so strong and I, um, thought that away from everyone, you could take a minute to grieve."

Lucy didn't bother to protest. They both knew who and what she was grieving. She simply nodded and allowed Garcia to help her mount her horse. Once they were safely on their way again, he allowed himself to answer her question.

"I didn't know. If I had I would have tried to …" He let out a sigh of frustration. "I just wouldn't have wanted you to get hurt like that if I could have prevented it."

"But, Journal Lucy didn't …"

"You said you hadn't read the journal. Well that wasn't in the journal. That didn't happen in Journal Lucy's timeline."

He ran a hand over his face and through his dark hair. Another sigh of frustration escaped as he tried to explain.

"One of the things that she said was that the future isn't set in stone. Some things can be changed. Some of the events that she mentioned haven't happened, or at least not the way she said they would. Other events that have happened aren't mentioned in the journal at all. Jessica Logan returning from the grave is one of those things that isn't mentioned in the journal."

"Okay."

"The one thing that you should know is that Agent Christopher told me what she and Mason found a few days ago. It was one of the reasons that I moved you into my room."

Lucy said nothing, simply looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"She asked me not to say anything to you or anyone else until she and Mason could investigate further. Lucy, both Agent Christopher and I think that there is more to this than Rittenhouse keeping watch on Jessica."

He looked over at Lucy. His gaze burning into hers.

"I, um, couldn't handle it if anything happened to you. Please, be careful. Don't be alone with Jessica. Stay by Christopher or Mason or one of the others. Or me. You can always stay by me." Please stay by me. Stay with me.

Lucy could only nod. They rode in silence for a while. Lucy taking the time to digest all that she had been told and Garcia enjoying the uninterrupted time to study her. The way her chignon exposed the graceful lines of her face and neck. The fullness of her skirts accentuating her tiny waist. He had watched her throughout centuries and she looked at home in every one. He particularly liked her in the fashions of the 1920's and 30's. The daring flash and sparkle of the twenties brought Lucy to life in a way that the clothing of other eras had not. The smooth lines of the thirties dresses accentuated her delicateness and femininity. Garcia knew that she had a special affinity for the styles of the 1940's. He would have given anything to see her in Katherine Hepburn's dress. Philadelphia Story had always been one of his favorite movies. Never again would he be able to watch it without thinking of Lucy.

Lucy drew to a stop just before the last hill that would lead them into the Union camp. She turned in the saddle to face him.

"Garcia, thank you."

"Lucy, it's not necessary."

She leaned over and grasped his hand.

"It is."

She waited until he looked at her. Met his eyes and let him see inside her before continuing.

"Thank you for knowing me. For knowing what I need."

Draga = dear, beloved

Moj voljeni = my beloved

Tu sam = I'm here

U redu je = It's okay

Siguran si = You are safe

Drzite moja srce = You hold my heart

Necu te ostaviti = I will not leave you