Hands laden with groceries, Wyatt flipped on the lightswitch with his elbow, grimacing as a flood of light immediately illuminated his once darkened front hallway.
"Too damn bright," he grunted to no one but himself as he quickly made his way into his kitchen to put things away.
It had been a month since they had returned and even now, Wyatt was finding it surprisingly difficult to cope with the modern world and its conveniences after living for so long in the 18th century. He should have been relieved that he no longer had to hunt for his own food, forage for vegetables and fruits, sweat and strain for every single luxury the 21st century took for granted…but he wasn't.
It wasn't that he was ungrateful…Lord knows he appreciated running water, electricity, a microwave,…paved roads - but there was just something so gratifying about being self-reliant, living on the land, building a life with his own two hands that made modern life seem…unsatisfying.
He had just about everything he could hope for after scrounging out a living in the middle of nowhere in the 18th century - a decent apartment with insulated walls, comfortable furniture, central heat and air, electricity…a grocery store just around the corner - and yet, something was missing.
All of the ease and convenience modern life could offer somehow didn't and couldn't ever compare to the rustic lodgings that were once his. He often found himself, in quiet, dull moments, wishing he was back on that homestead, working the land, hunting for food, basking in the simplicity of a time and place far removed from the noise and bustle of the modern world. There was something beautiful -really beautiful about it all - the land, the trees, the way the sun shone through the blown glass windows. Sure, there was plenty to worry about with the war and disease and the hardiness frontier life required of them all, but after managing so well for those few months, Wyatt couldn't help but think that they could have done very well for themselves if they had stayed…not necessarily on the frontier…but somewhere safer, someplace less untamed.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" Wyatt muttered to the emptiness of his apartment as he startled back to reality with the sound of a passing siren.
He needed to get a grip- he wasn't doing himself any favors dwelling on a time and place he would never see again. It was lost to him forever and dammit, he just needed to let go and move on.
It probably didn't help that he wasn't sleeping well either.
It was too damn quiet and yet…too damn noisy all at once. The sounds of modern life - car horns, ceiling fans, televisions, music blaring in a nearby radio…assaulted his ears to the point of frustrated offense. His bed? Too comfortable to be comfortable. He knew it didn't make sense…but somehow hanging off the side of a lumpy, full-size mattress, fighting with Lucy for every last scrap of the covers was more appealing to him than his current king-sized monstrosity with the 20-year warranty.
As police sirens began to blare outside, Wyatt slammed the door of his refrigerator closed and flipped on the television, desperate to hear something other than the sounds of the city. He groaned as he flipped through station after station, cursing under his breath that there was never anything worth watching before finally settling on the History Channel.
…the assassination of Abraham Lincoln rocked the nation to its core and while the accomplices in the conspiracy to murder the President were all brought to justice, including famed actor John Wilkes Booth, the man who actually pulled the trigger remains a mystery.
Wyatt snorted as he returned to the kitchen and resumed putting away his groceries, knowing damn well who pulled that trigger…and how he got away with it. "Asshole," Wyatt muttered as he tossed a loaf of bread into his pantry, the memory of that mission still fresh in his mind - the bullet he took to his gut, the impromptu surgery, Lucy…covered in Lincoln's blood.
…witnesses to the assassination claim that after the assassin shot President Lincoln he scuffled with the President's son, Robert Todd Lincoln as well as the young woman he had brought with him to the play, Juliet Shakesman. Though she is credited for saving the life of Ulysses S. Grant, little else is known about her as she seems to have disappeared from the historical record.
Settling down in front of his television with a sigh, Wyatt watched as the actress playing "Juliet" reenacted the fateful attack. She lunged at the unknown assailant, attempting to wrench the gun out of his hand, but she was soon overpowered by a hand to her throat and finally tossed aside like a rag doll.
Just seeing it play out made Wyatt's blood boil.
He had never asked Lucy what happened that night, figuring she was already traumatized enough as it was, but now? Well now he wondered what actually had happened in that Presidential box at Ford's. He knew he had had a hell of a time of it, fighting off Seward's attacker…but Lucy? She got a front row seat to one of the worst moments in American history…had been there when Flynn pulled the damn trigger…and yet, she never told him anything more than what she had admitted in the Lifeboat, that she had tried to stop it…and failed.
Now, after seeing Hollywood's rendition of what had occurred, he kicked himself for never asking her about the details, never pressing her to confide in him about all she had suffered…physically and emotionally that night. It's what he'd been trained to do after all, look after his guys in Delta, keep them from cracking up…but for some reason, with Lucy…the usual words just wouldn't come.
All he could do was just…hold her hand as she cried.
John Wilkes Booth was found outside the Presidential box and subsequently hung with the rest of the conspirators. Not one of them ever revealed the name of the President's assassin, though witnesses report seeing them together just before that fateful night at the theatre.
Wyatt chuckled to himself as he considered how Lucy could really make a name for herself by "solving" that historical mystery. He wondered how different her book on John Wilkes Booth was now since history had changed. Maybe, he thought, he'd buy a copy…or maybe he'd just ask her…if he ever saw her outside of a mission again.
He didn't begrudge her for her absence. Hell, what were they to each other, really - except co-workers? Yes, she and Rufus had both insisted nothing would change when they got back to the 21st century, but Wyatt knew then, just as he knew now…life doesn't work that way. Rufus had his own family to get back to and look after…and Lucy? Well, she had her fiance.
A man she didn't even mention once the entire time they were stranded together in 1754.
Ah…but what the hell did it matter? She was with him now and Wyatt? He was fine with it. She deserved to be with someone who loved her…not someone constantly pining after his dead wife. Sure, there were moments when he thought that maybe…if they had stayed in the 18th century with no hope at all of coming back…but that was just it - they had come back and well, they had to face reality. Lucy was just his friend…his co-worker…their marriage wasn't real. Anything he thought he felt back then, in those desperate circumstances? It wasn't real.
If anything, it just made him appreciate what he had with Jessica.
Having someone to wake up next to every morning? Having someone to get tangled up with in bed at night. Someone to fight over the covers with? Come home to? God, he had missed that…and until that charade with Lucy he hadn't realized how much.
But now? Now that he was back he was more determined than ever to have that back again.
He just had to figure out a way to save Jessica.
His musing was interrupted by the buzz of his phone, the number on the screen telling him immediately that any plans he had been making for a dinner for one were going to have to be put on hold. "Dammit Flynn." Wyatt grumbled as he snatched his keys from off the counter, but as he made his way out of his apartment and his down to his Jeep there was an undeniable anticipation bubbling in his chest that belied his outward grumpiness. Wyatt tried to tell himself it was just adrenaline…the eagerness that always precipitated a dangerous mission - but when he arrived at Mason and saw Lucy's Honda already sitting in the parking lot, the little flip flop in his stomach had him cursing himself for his own pathetic weakness.
With a renewed determination to be nothing more than the soldier he was hired to be, Wyatt marched into Mason Industries with a sullen frown, his mind rehashing every possible reason why he shouldn't be anxious to see Lucy when he practically ran into her as he quickly turned the corner to race up the stairs to the conference room.
Stopping suddenly, he mumbled out a quick apology, offering her a wide berth to cross in front of him, which she took him up on, muttering a stiff apology of her own.
"You…are you okay?" Wyatt couldn't help but ask, noticing the way she avoided his glance.
"Huh? Oh…um…yeah, I'm fine. I just…wasn't expecting to get pulled in here tonight, that's all," she added with a disappointed sigh.
Wyatt nodded thoughtfully as he followed her up the stairs, feeling 100% vindicated. See? There was absolutely no reason why he should have been itching for a mission as an excuse to see Lucy when it was clear she wanted to be anywhere but here.
No. She had her own little world that she belonged to - a world that did not include him…and that was fine. He was fine. Well, maybe he wasn't exactly fine…but that was just because he wasn't sleeping much and Jessica was still dead…and dammit, if someone didn't turn off that alarm…
"Whoa there, man," Rufus exclaimed as Wyatt turned and nearly made him topple backwards down the stairs. "Where are you going? Conference room is that way."
Ignoring him, Wyatt raced down the stairs and made his way over to the control desk, sweeping away a few stray papers on Jiya's desk with a huff until he found the offending switch.
"Easy there, soldier," Jiya stopped him as he made to punch the button with an angry huff. "I've got it." Eyeing him warily, Jiya gingerly pressed the button indicating the Lifeboat's readiness, "You okay? You seem a little tense."
"I'm fine." Wyatt gritted out, more to himself than to Jiya as he raced up the stairs back to the conference room. "What do we got?" he asked with a sullen frown as he crossed over the threshold only to pause in confusion as Lucy and Rufus quickly hushed him into silence. One peek around the corner and he could see why - the normally stoic Agent Christopher, oblivious to their presence, was on the phone speaking in a very motherly tone to some unknown entity that Wyatt quickly deduced was her daughter.
It was hard to imagine the no-nonsense federal agent as anything other than just that…no -nonsense. To hear her now, speaking with so much motherly affection was jarring…yet somehow comforting to know that this small woman, who could silence any one of them with a look (including Connor Mason) was actually human. Any allusion to her life outside of Mason, however, was quickly done away with the moment she got off the phone and saw, with obvious annoyance, all of them standing there staring at her.
"Flynn's taken the Mothership to May 22, 1934, Arkansas," she remarked curtly, not giving any of them an opportunity to remark on her personal life. "Any idea why that date is so important?"
"1934 Arkansas…that's Dust-Bowl -era…Great Depression." Lucy replied with a shrug.
Turning their attention to a pair of projected images, Agent Christopher continued, "From that raid on Flynn's warehouse a few weeks back, we found this photograph of a necklace and a key dated 1934. We had no context for it until," Agent Christopher flipped to the next picture and remarked, "we found this note in the briefcase Rufus obtained from Anthony Bruhl in Houston." Looking at Lucy she remarked again, "May 22, 1934 again …this time with McIlroy Bank and Trust…and the words 'Rittenhouse key."
"Rittenhouse key? What does that mean?" Lucy asked with a frown.
"No idea." Agent Christopher replied, "But whatever it is, we think Flynn went back to 1934 to retrieve it." Studying Lucy, Agent Christopher frowned before observing, "Rittenhouse…that was the name Flynn mentioned to you at the Hindenburg wasn't it?"
Lucy cast a wary look towards Rufus and Wyatt before nodding, "Yeah, yeah it was."
"And has he mentioned it to you since?" Agent Christopher pressed.
Once again, Lucy turned a wary eye towards Rufus and Wyatt both of whom shifted uncomfortably and looked away. For Wyatt, just the memory of that mission and the revelations that came with it was enough to make him flush with anger and humiliation.
He had forgiven Lucy and Rufus long ago for their duplicitous secrecy…hell, after everything they had gone through together, it hardly seemed important now. No, it was the memory of Flynn goading him with that damn journal that remained fresh in Wyatt's mind even as Lucy shrugged again and straight up lied telling Agent Christopher that Garcia Flynn hadn't mentioned that shadowy organization since that first mission to 1937.
That journal, that not only alluded to a future closeness between Lucy and that sonofabitch Flynn, but also left Wyatt an implicit warning - that he needed to get over Jessica's murder and move on.
Move on.
Wyatt scoffed at the idea. Once, he believed it was a possibility, but coming home had changed all of that, hadn't it? Reality had changed that. How could he possibly think about moving on when Jessica's murderer was still at large? How could he possibly think of finding happiness again when there, staring him right in the face when he walked into his apartment, was the very reason he was so damn miserable to begin with?
Yes, it was five years ago - but it could have very well been yesterday for as raw as the pain still was. It was his damn stubborness, his damn jealousy that had gotten Jessica murdered - how could he move on when the woman he had promised to love and protect was lying six feet under in her grave?
Besides, he thought as he cast a scornful eye to the massive engagement ring gracing Lucy's finger, it wasn't as if there was anyone worth moving on with anyway.
"No," Lucy sighed in answer to Agent Christopher's question, "not since the Hindenburg"
Wyatt knew differently.
He had heard it himself…from Flynn, from Lucy, from Rufus…hell, from Richard Nixon himself. Whatever this Rittenhouse was…it wasn't a figment of Flynn's imagination…and from what Rufus had told him, they were involved (just like Flynn said) with the time travel project at Mason.
Which meant that owning up to a full-fledged knowledge of that shadowy organization wasn't in their best interest. They had no idea who was involved and what their true motivations were…so playing dumb? Well, that was the best defense they had and while Wyatt hated lying to Agent Christopher and hated Rittenhouse…and hated pretty much all of the shitty things that had happened since they stepped into that damn time machine, there was no way in hell any of them could spill the beans on what they knew…the risk was just too much.
"Hey man, tried calling you last night to see if you wanted to catch "Masterminds"" Rufus chided him as he made his way to the wardrobe bay, "You turn off your phone or were you just screening your calls again?"
"I don't…" Wyatt began, before sighing heavily, "I just…I didn't feel like going out, okay?"
Nodding thoughtfully, Rufus frowned, "Well, it's too bad…we had a great time. Lucy sure missed seeing you."
"Wait… Lucy went with you?" Wyatt inwardly grimaced the moment the question tumbled out, fully aware of how disappointed he sounded.
Grinning, Rufus nodded, "Yeah…why? Would that have made a difference?"
Wyatt flushed at the insinuation and quickly shook his head, "No…I just. I'm surprised that's all," he dismissed before adding with a touch of bitterness, "I just thought she'd be out with that fiance of hers."
"He was working." Rufus offered, still smiling. "I uh…I think he might be working this Friday too…we could go…"
Wyatt, however, didn't hang around to find out where or what Rufus was planning to go on Friday because he already knew - he wouldn't be going. He knew damn well Rufus had ulterior motives and well, he wasn't going to play along. Hell no. No more play acting for him…especially where Lucy was concerned. She had made it perfectly clear she was off-limits and well dammit, so was he. Jessica was his wife and he was going to save her…to hell with Rufus' lame attempts at playing match-maker.
He stomped down the stairs towards the wardrobe bay, the memory of that awkward moment at the bar replaying in his mind…how he just sat there, stupidly by himself as Lucy waltzed right out the door with that smarmy jackass.
Of course she had every right to do it - who was she to him, anyway? Still, it was weird…right? There they were having a nice drink together, alone…and the minute that fake fiance showed up…ah, hell…it didn't matter. Lucy was off-limits in more ways than one - she was engaged and he? He was in love with his wife. If she wanted to marry a man she hardly knew, what the hell business of it was his?
Yet even as that thought crossed his mind, Lucy manifested before him, thoughtfully poring through a rack of 1930-era dresses, the glint of that damn rock on her finger causing him to observe before he could even stop himself, "Still wearing the engagement ring of a guy you don't know?"
Lucy startled slightly and glanced behind her shoulder, "Yeah," she muttered somewhat despondent before adding with forced enthusiasm, "We had a date tonight."
"A date?" Wyatt replied in kind, his heart inexplicably dropping to his stomach.
Turning back to her dress rack, Lucy sighed, "Yeah, first date for me. 400th for him. It was a disaster ."
"I'll bet." Wyatt offered, the knot in his chest loosening slightly. He should have just left it there, grabbed a suit and walked off, but the fact that he wasn't wrong - that Lucy Preston was actually dating the fiance from the damn Twilight Zone bugged the hell out of him in a way he knew it shouldn't. Before he could stop himself, he found himself asking, "Why don't you cut the poor bastard loose already and let him be with someone he's meant to be with?"
Lucy scoffed, clearly annoyed, "What if I'm whoever he's supposed to be with?"
At that, Wyatt's chest inexplicably tightened again as he looked back at her in total disbelief, "You can't be serious?"
"Think about it," Lucy offered with a shrug, "In this alternate reality we were engaged. I was…in love?"
"Do you feel that way about him in the here and now?' Wyatt asked, hardly knowing if he wanted to hear the answer.
Lucy stared at him for half a moment before turning back to her rack of clothes and admitting with a huff, "No."
Wyatt couldn't help himself - at that admittance, he made his way over to her and tried to make her see reason, "Lucy," he pressed incredulously, "You're supposed to have your sister."
Lucy huffed again as she shifted uncomfortably, "Believe me, I know that."
"Then you should know," Wyatt continued, "you're not supposed to be engaged. Hell," he added, letting it all spill out now, 'you shouldn't have even met this Noah guy."
"I know…"
"So," Wyatt pressed, "you should let him be with who he is meant to be with."
"I thought you didn't believe in 'meant to be's'?" Lucy muttered as she turned to search through her rack of clothes again, finally settling on a pink dress, "That it was all just a roll of the dice? Dumb luck? Random chance?"
"It…I wasn't…" Wyatt stammered, as his own words from what felt like centuries ago came back to haunt him. "Look," he said finally with a huff as returned to his rack of clothes and grabbed the first complimentary suit he found, "do whatever the hell you want…but at least be honest with the guy. You don't love him? Then quit pretending like you do." As Lucy opened her mouth to protest he added hotly, "Don't lead this guy on…like…like he has even the remotest possibility of actually making things work with you when he doesn't."
He pushed past her with a huff, not even waiting for her reply but the moment he entered the locker room, Wyatt felt horrible. Angry, frustrated, and dammit all disappointed that Lucy, for all the incredible things she was, could not see that she was toying with that poor bastard's heart with her insistence on playing a damn role. A role she would never have had to play to begin with, Wyatt thought with a huff, if it hadn't been for Garcia Flynn.
Hell, none of this would've happened if it weren't for Garcia Flynn.
"I'm going to kill that sonofabitch if it's the last thing I do." Wyatt muttered to no one but himself as he tied up his oxfords and buttoned his suit coat.
Fedora in hand, Wyatt emerged from the locker room, determined to not even acknowledge Lucy for the rest of the damn mission - he was done - absolutely done playing roles and putting on stage plays. No. If he couldn't go it alone like he had done in the last mission to Houston, he would team up with Rufus…let Lucy have her damn side chat with Flynn for all he cared. At least, maybe then, she could sideline him enough for him and Rufus to get that Rittenhouse key, kill him…or both.
He was just going to inform Rufus of his plan when he stopped short, seeing the pilot locked in a tender embrace with Jiya.
Recalling the now distant memory of Rufus sharing his regrets with himself and Lucy, he couldn't help but be happy for his friend. He had, in fact, seized the day as Lucy had put it and asked Jiya out. "Good for you, man" he muttered to himself as he made his way to the Lifeboat instead.
He had just managed to clamber into the portal when Lucy began to scramble in right behind him, slipping as she usually did, on the time machine's slick surface. "Here," he offered, holding out his hand.
As her fingers curled around his own, Wyatt ignored the little flutter that stirred in his chest, inwardly committing himself to his earlier decision - he would spend the mission as a one man show, just like he did in Houston while Lucy and Rufus handled whatever….
"Ow…sorry," Lucy exclaimed as her heel caught on the edge of the portal, causing her to trip, right into Wyatt's arms.
"Whoa, you okay?" he asked, holding her for a beat longer than was necessary before she straightened and nodded stiffly.
"Yeah…I'm fine," she remarked, looking anything but. He stood watching her for a moment as she awkwardly sat in her seat, her eyes trained resolutely on the floor before taking his own seat. He briefly thought about helping her with her harness, but given that she would hardly glance his direction…and the fact that she was fresh off her date with the fiance that she didn't love, well…he figured he would just leave her to make her own choices…even if they were wrong.
"That buckle goes to that clip over there," Wyatt guided, unable to help himself.
Lucy paused momentary, staring at the twisted straps in her hand, "Oh," she muttered despondently, glancing momentarily his way, "I didn't…thanks."
"Don't mention it," Wyatt sighed as he leaned his head against the headrest and closed his eyes, "ma'am."
Wyatt stared up at the ceiling wondering how in the hell things had gotten so out of hand. Hadn't he explicitly told Lucy he wasn't going to put on a stage play for Bonnie and Clyde? Yet here they were, lying side by side, half dressed…and pretending once again to be a couple.
And all because of that damn ring on her finger.
Maybe, he thought, he should have helped her with her harness…because maybe then he would have noticed the rock the size of Rhode Island before Bonnie Parker did.
As it was, he hadn't noticed…had done his best to look at everything and anything other than Lucy until Bonnie's nosiness had him reliving one of those most important days of his pathetic life and pulling Lucy in for a desperate kiss to save both of their skins.
A kiss that had him still reeling.
What the hell was that anyway?
Yes, he had kissed Lucy before…but she had been drunk. This? This was… not that . This was…God, he didn't even know how to describe it. The feel of her lips pressed to his, the touch of her hand against his cheek, the way her silken hair felt, twisted in his fingers…the way she looked at him afterwards…even now, Wyatt could feel the jolt of energy that exploded into his heart like a God damn defibrillator.
It wasn't supposed to mean anything…it was just supposed to help sell the engagement story and get an already suspicious Clyde off their case. He had overplayed his hand, though…taken the charade too damn far…and now, now he was desperately trying not to think about the fact that Lucy was pressed up against him in nothing more than a thin silken slip as the twin bed next to theirs groaned and creaked under the combined weight of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.
"I thought you said they'd pass out?" Lucy hissed beside him.
A lurid moan from Clyde and a giggle from Bonnie had Wyatt shifting as much as he possibly could away from Lucy as he replied, "Maybe if they ever came up for air".
It served him right, dammit. Stuck like this…with Lucy? He should have never attempted to cover for her ass. She's the one who brought the damn engagement ring…she should have been the one to get out of it - she could have told them anything, anything at all other than the lie that was their phony engagement.
"I mean, can you believe the way they are together?" Lucy whispered, forcing a heavy sigh from Wyatt.
"Yeah…well they may be robbers and killers but you can't say they aren't in love."
"No," Lucy dismissed, "I meant all the "meant to be's, "only ones…"
"Yeah," Wyatt shrugged,confused, "what about 'em?"
"Well there's a billion people in this world and they're the only ones for each other?" She chuckled mirthlessly before scoffing, "what are the odds?"
Wyatt narrowed his eyes, not quite able to make heads or tails of what he was hearing. If there was anything Lucy Preston was, it was a hopeless romantic. He saw how she gushed over Bonnie and Clyde's love story, knew how much she loved throwing "fate" in his face. Hell, hadn't he just about killed himself trying to save Jane Fraser when John could have been just as happy with Mary - all because they were "meant to be?" How many times had he argued against this very thing only to have her disagree with him? Now…now she thought it was what? A crock?
Snorting in disbelief, Wyatt observed, "What? You're all about fate and destiny except when it comes to love? Since when?"
"I don't know," Lucy sighed as she shifted next to him, her arm softly grazing his as she sought a more comfortable perch in the too-small bed. "I've seen attraction and chemistry, but no lightning bolt from the heavens…nothing like that."
If Lucy was looking to pour salt onto the already gaping wound that was his pride, she was doing a damn good job. Wyatt scoffed as he yanked his arm out from underneath hers, desperate to forget that kiss, the way she felt in his arms, the way she looked at him…but he couldn't, dammit. Lucy Preston had branded him the way no other woman ever had…and now that iron was being driven like a stake into his pathetic, bleeding heart.
He couldn't dismiss her, that kiss or what he felt as nothing lying right next to her…no matter how much he wanted to…so instead he decided that he would just be brutally and pathetically honest. "I've seen it," he admitted sullenly, "it happened to me."
Lucy turned her face to look at him and he could feel his own skin burning with a desire to touch her, kiss her, make her feel what he felt - that damn jolt, that surge of electricity that made him feel alive again after so many years of nothing. But no, Lucy seemed bound and determined to show him just how much he didn't mean to her by observing, "The engagement story you told…that was how you proposed to Jessica."
Ouch.
That one hurt, probably more than the "no lightning bolt from the heavens" line. Sure, maybe he embellished it a bit, but damn he thought even she would have recognized that story he told, that memory? Was about her.
Them.
He had wanted it to be special, had wanted her to feel like she wasn't settling by agreeing to marry him. He had wanted to make her dinner and then, once everything had been cleared away, take her down to that tree…that same tree where she had broken down in tears against him, where he had kissed her (albeit on the forehead) for the first time…and propose.
Instead, he had fumbled the whole damn thing, nearly lost the ring and barely stammered out a proposal. He had no idea why she ever agreed to it or why he ever thought it was a good idea, given all the trouble it caused. Still, he wasn't lying…that peck on the cheek, that simple little chaste kiss she planted on him afterwards that came out of nowhere?
It was one he would never forget.
Which made her complete disregard for the whole damn thing all the more humiliating.
In hindsight, it shouldn't have surprised him. That proposal hadn't exactly been romantic - hell, it had hardly been civil. Lucy, mad as she was, had only agreed to marry him when he assured her that theirs was going to be a platonic union - a stage play put on for the benefit of their meddling neighbors. Why in the hell would she have thought of it in any other light than what it was?
A farce - a damn lie to cover all the other lies they had to tell in that damn century.
That peck on the cheek? A chaste kiss that should have meant nothing and probably had meant nothing but gratitude for her…but for him? Dammit, it had been the first time a woman had kissed him since Jessica died and chaste or not…it meant the world to him. For the first time in five damn years he felt…cared for. Hell, the fact that Lucy had even agreed to be his wife had already had him reeling with grateful confusion, but that kiss? That chaste little peck on the cheek, just about knocked him flat on his ass with awe.
"If there's one person for you in the whole wide world and you lose them," Lucy whispered, still eyeing him, "does that mean you have to live the rest of your life without anyone else?"
Wyatt frowned, thinking over her question. He had never given much stock to "meant to be's and only one's"...yet for years, how many times had he insisted Jessica was "it" for him? Her death, tragic as it was, had scarred him, made him feel unworthy to try again. For a brief time in the 18th century he thought he might be able to actually do it - move on - live a life free from a tragedy that wouldn't occur for another 200 and some odd years…but that was just it.
He wasn't free.
He was, in that sense, very much like John Fraser - living in a fantasy - until reality came crashing in. Jane Fraser wasn't dead…and in the end, John had to let go of Mary - hurt the woman who had saved him because of his moral and legal obligation to his wife.
But Jessica, a small voice inside Wyatt's head insisted, was dead…and had been for five long years.
"I think you…me…anyone," Lucy continued as Wyatt remained silent, "has to be open to possibilities."
Possibilities.
Wyatt slowly turned to look at Lucy, his mind a jumbled mess of conflicting thoughts. There she was, lying closer to him than she had in weeks…staring at him with the same expression she had when his lips reluctantly pulled away from hers not an hour ago…and that jolt, that bolt of lightning that Lucy so callously dismissed, was back, sending an electric shock straight to his heart as her gaze darted from his eyes to his lips.
He wanted nothing more in that moment than to pull her in and kiss her until she understood how much she meant to him, but his brain was stuck on one particular word…and that word had him second-guessing every damn impulse that had him both cursing and thanking the universe that he was lying down.
Possibilities.
The same damn word he had delivered to her not even five hours ago in the wardrobe hangar at Mason in regards to the fake fiancé, Noah. He had told her…challenged her, really…to stop screwing with the man's heart, to stop making him believe they had any possibility of a future and cut him loose.
And what had she said?
Maybe I'm the one he's meant to be with?
Was this Lucy was giving him a not so subtle hint that no matter what he said, she was going to jump headlong into possibilities with Noah? Why the hell not? Fate? Meant to be's? All the things she used to passionately defend 'til it drove him up the damn wall didn't matter anymore, apparently. No, it didn't matter that she didn't love the guy, didn't matter that she wouldn't have known him from a hole in the ground if it hadn't been for Garcia Flynn…no, she was "open to possibilities" because Amy was gone and Noah was here…and that kiss that had thrown him for a damn loop obviously didn't mean a thing to her.
He thought of the journal, of Flynn, the kiss….everything that had happened between them and found himself lost in the same damn mess he had been in since he caught a glimpse of her bare back in that jail cell in New Jersey.
He was in over his head when it came to Lucy Preston. It didn't make sense. They didn't make sense…but no matter how much he tried to tell himself she didn't mean a damn thing and could never be to him what Jessica was, his damn heart rebelled against him and refused to push her out.
Well if his heart wouldn't do it, he would. He had to. Hell, she was engaged…and had made it clear to him right there in Mason that she had no intention of breaking things off. Hell, right here in this bed she was waxing poetic about possibilities…possibilities Wyatt was sure, didn't include him. Why the hell would they? What could she possibly see in him when she had a literal doctor waiting for her in 2016?
An awkward silence arose between them, though Lucy, he was sure, was taking up more space on the bed than was necessary, as usual. He glanced back at her to tell her to 'move over' when he found that she was looking right at him in a way that damn near took his breath away. At least, he thought she was…but right now he wasn't trusting his brain or his heart when it came to anything regarding Lucy…especially not here…not now…not with Clyde Barrow's grunting snore sounding behind the feeble make-shift screen they had jimmy-rigged an hour before.
He's snoring.
It took Wyatt's brain a full ten seconds to register the fact that the moans and sighs he had so desperately sought to drown out had actually stopped and in their place? The unmistakable sounds of sleep.
Exchanging a look with Lucy, he bolted upright, explaining with a whisper that Clyde was finally out cold. He may have been doing his job, acting responsibly in the wake of a hell of a lot of temptation, but in reality he knew, leaving Lucy lying alone in that bed was the first step he was making in running for his proverbial life away from her, Noah…and hell of a lot of heartache.
Wyatt stood under the spray of the shower, praying the cool water would extinguish any lingering feeling he had for Lucy Preston in the wake of that earth-shattering kiss.
Unlike that drunken kiss in the cabin, this one was him, her, them…fully aware of what they were doing, fully conscience of the other's presence…and yet instead of freezing up and tensing in his arms as he had expected her to do, Lucy had melted…had sighed right into his kiss and caressed his cheek like they had done it a million times before.
Hell, he wished they had…then maybe he wouldn't have the strong urge to march right over to wherever the hell she was in that massive warehouse and kiss her until she felt that same jolt of electricity that was still, even now, surging through his body. But somehow he knew that, even then, even if he had kissed Lucy every damn day for as long as he lived, nothing…nothing would be able to stamp out the effect she had on him.
He had to get a handle on this. He had to nip whatever this was in the bud or else things would be incredibly awkward between them from here on out. Dammit - why the hell did he have to kiss her?
Since drowning himself in the shower wasn't a possibility, Wyatt decided the best course of action was to talk with her, play it off, convince her and himself that the kiss that still had him a little weak in the knees meant nothing.
Not that he was any good at talking.
His suit and fedora in hand, Wyatt made his way towards the wardrobe bay, half expecting he would have to wait another forty minutes before Lucy would emerge from the same small corridor. To his surprise (and alarm), however, he found she was already there, handing off her pretty pink dress to one of Mason's staffers for cleaning.
"Hey," he stammered awkwardly, forcing a smile on his face as he handed off his own suit, "about that um…kiss back there," he voice dropped to a near whisper as he quickly glanced around to make sure they were alone. "It was um…a just in the moment kind of thing…Clyde seemed like he was…ya know…I uh…I had to make it look real."
He searched Lucy's face for a sign of….what he hoped to find he wasn't quite sure - relief? Disappointment? But Lucy showed none of those things. Instead, she shrugged nonchalantly and replied with more ease than he felt, "No, of course, it was smart."
He should have left it at that, should have taken it in stride that Lucy had basically confirmed that kiss had not affected her in the same way it had affected him, but his damn mouth would not stop moving as another explanation tumbled out seemingly of its own accord, "I mean we just had to get the story on the key and pretend…it was…uh…it was just playing a role."
Lucy smirked at him looking cool as a cucumber as she nodded, "I know. It worked."
Wyatt nodded, feeling more and more like a damn fool with every passing second. "Anyway," he offered, not quite able to convince himself to walk away, "sorry, ya know…if it um…took you by surprise."
Lucy quickly shook her head and chuckled as she replied with a slight shrug, "I'll live."
Desperately trying to match her coolness, Wyatt forced a small laugh, "Okay then…well…I um.. I guess I'll see you around…babydoll."
The endearment had snuck out of his mouth before he had even began to process what the hell he was saying. Standing before Lucy was like standing before a damn firing squad and now? Now he had done it…he had flirted with her….right after she dismissed the kiss they shared as something forgettable…something that was nothing more than part of the job.
Dammit.
Dammit.
Dammit.
If Lucy was offended by his nickname, however, she didn't show it. Instead, she played right along, nudging him slightly as she replied in kind, "See ya around…sweetheart."
Wyatt offered her one last smile before turning on his heel and marching straight back from whece he came, kicking himself for being so damn stupid. Why the hell did he have to say anything to her at all? Of course, she knew it was a role - at no time on that whole damn mission had she acted like that kiss had been anything other than what it was…and yet, he - he Wyatt Logan, Delta Force soldier, had to go and make it weird.
He was halfway back in the locker room when he realized, in his awkwardness, he had gone the wrong damn way. So desperate was he to run away from Lucy and that painfully awkward conversation that he had hightailed it right into a corner. Cursing himself for being so pathetic, he marched his way straight back out again, hoping to hell Lucy was long gone by now.
But she wasn't.
He was just coming down the small hall from the locker rooms that led to the wardrobe bay when he heard her, having a hushed conversation on the phone with whom Wyatt soon deduced to be Noah.
"Yeah….I know," she groaned. "I know..and I'm sorry. You're right…you deserve better than just a job interview. I know, you didn't…but…that..that wasn't…that was our first date in….in a long time and I made it weird. Yes…yes I did."
Lucy remained silent for a while and Wyatt held his breath, hoping to God she wouldn't find him eavesdropping on her private conversation. He had just resolved to turn his ass back around to the dressing room when her next line had him frozen to the spot, listening with bated breath.
"I don't know…but can we…can we have a do-over? Tonight? I know it's late, but…I just…I want to make it up to you. I can't promise there won't be any more weird questions, but just…humor me, okay? Just answer my questions no matter how strange you think they are and I promise…I promise I'll try to get back to my old self. Okay?"
The silence seemed to stretch on forever as Wyatt waited, half expecting, half hoping for her to hang up the phone in disappointment…but no sooner had he convinced himself that Noah had told her to go to hell then Lucy's relieved voice sounded from just beyond the thin wall separating them, "Okay…okay great…just give me 30 minutes and I'll be home."
Wyatt swallowed hard, the harsh reality of Lucy's true feelings making him feel as broken and torn as the bullet-riddled bodies of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Noah was going to Lucy's… tonight …and while Wyatt wanted to believe that visit would end as disastrously as their first date of the evening, he had a feeling, a horrible, sinking feeling that this time, Lucy would make damn sure it didn't.
His suspicions were confirmed by Jiya who excitedly remarked, "Ooo hot date tonight?"
He heard Lucy chuckle as she responded with a sigh, "More like trying to make up for a really bad one."
"Ouch," Jiya groaned, "What happened?"
"Oh you know," Lucy sighed again, "I cooked him dinner and he thought I had it catered because I'm not supposed to know how to cook, so I just played it off like it was catered and then I just started asking him all of these weird questions." She let out a derisive laugh as she explained further, "You know…basic first date questions. Questions with answers I absolutely should already know as his fiance."
"Yikes."
"Yeah," Lucy agreed. "Like I said…horrible. And awkward…and ugh…I can't believe I'm doing this."
"So…" Jiya ventured cautiously, "Are you going to break it off?"
Wyatt's breath hitched in his throat as he waited in rapt anticipation for her answer. The seconds seemed to drag on as Lucy hemmed and hawed until finally letting out a frustrated grunt of, "I don't know." Wyatt's heart sank again as she stammered on, "I just…I think maybe the reason I don't feel anything for him is because I don't know any of our history together. How we met…what our first date was…how he proposed.."
"So…."
"So," Lucy sighed with a sound of resoluteness in her voice that had been missing before, "I think I should give myself the benefit of the doubt. Obviously some version of me loved this guy enough to want to marry him, right? So…I just…I want to talk to him…find out why…learn our story," she chuckled as she added with a derisive snort, "take my own advice."
"What advice is that?" Jiya asked as their voices began trailing away.
"To be open to possibilities," Lucy muttered, "Who knows? Maybe I'll find out he's my lightning bolt afterall."
Wyatt stood motionless in the small corridor between the locker room and the wardrobe bay for what felt like an eternity as Lucy's words reverberated in his brain, torturing him with the knowledge that he had been right - she had been thinking of Noah that whole time in that bed.
Hardy aware of where he was or what he was doing, he wandered back into the confines of the locker room, thinking over every damn moment he had shared together with Lucy…and how none of it had meant a thing to her.
Pissed as hell at himself for being so damn foolish he punched his locker, wishing it was his own damn face…because - maybe just maybe - then he would come to his damn senses.
"What the hell is the matter with you?"
Wyatt turned to find himself face to face with Rufus who was dripping wet and wrapped in a towel. He first impulse was to shrug it off, dismiss his outburst as frustration over losing the Rittenhouse key to Garcia Flynn…but his hand and his heart were hurting too much to make any such excuse. Instead, Wyatt sank down on the bench in front of his dented locker and moaned as he held his head in his hands, "She made him dinner," he muttered more to the floor than to Rufus.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Noah," Wyatt said mechanically, dropping his hands from his face and dropping them down by his side as he leaned his head back and rested them against the lockers, ":ya know…her fiance? She made him dinner…on their date."
"Uh-huh," Rufus acknowledged with a frown as he gathered up his towel and took a seat beside Wyatt, "And she told you this?"
"Not exactly," Wyatt admitted despondently, "I heard her…talking to Jiya."
"And so," Rufus reasoned slowly, "you're pissed because Lucy should only be cooking dinner for you, is that it?"
"No!" Wyatt exclaimed immediately, "It's just…she hardly knows the guy, Rufus," Wyatt explained. "You should have heard her earlier…she doesn't even love him." Scoffing, he shook his head, "They're not even actually engaged."
"Uh-huh," Rufus mused thoughtfully, before adding with a shrug, "Just like you two weren't actually married."
"No," Wyatt replied with an adamant shake of his head, "no, this is different…"
"Is it?" Rufus replied with a shrug, "Because from Lucy's perspective, it's pretty much the same. Fake fiance, fake husband…she's just playing a role."
"Yeah, but Rufus," Wyatt countered seriously, "If she actually ends up marrying the guy, she won't be playing a role, she'll be…
"Actually married? Off limits? Someone else's wife?" Rufus finished for him, before eyeing him meaningfully and adding, " Look, Wyatt…I'm not trying to tell you your business, but if it bothers you so much, maybe you should do something about it."
"I tried." Wyatt groaned with a heavy sigh, ""I told you…she stood right out there and told me she didn't love the guy," he said with a rough gesture towards the wardrobe bay. "Ah, what the hell does it matter anyway?" Wyatt snapped, pushing himself off the bench and heading towards the door, "It's her damn life."
"Uh-huh," Rufus called after him, "And you seem to care an awful lot about her life."
Wyatt stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face him, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Gripping his towel around his waist, Rufus got to his feet and sighed heavily, "It means what it means. You care about Lucy…hell, you're head over heels in love with her but you're too damn stubborn to see it."
"I don't…"
"Yeah…keep telling yourself that Wyatt," Rufus spat out with a scoff, "Maybe she should marry that Noah guy…it'll serve your ass right. Now," he added as he gestured behind him with his thumb, "if you're done beating the hell out of the lockers, I'm going to get back to my shower. Scaring the hell out of me," he muttered as he disappeared behind the tiled wall.
Wyatt stared at the empty space Rufus had occupied for a long while, resenting the insinuation that he and Lucy were anything other than the co-workers they were. Yet even as Wyatt desperately tried to convince himself of that fact, he knew…dammit he knew, Rufus was right. He was losing Lucy…he was losing her to a smarmy jackass she didn't even love…and while he was pretty damn sure she didn't love him either, at least, he figured, she knew who the hell he was.
That had to give him some kind of chance, right?
Oh hell, it didn't matter…he just had to stop her from making the biggest damn mistake of her life.
Noah paced slowly in the foyer, making good on his promise to humor Lucy by answering every question, no matter how basic, mundane and confusing…and Lucy could tell, he was confused…and hurt…and oh she hated this.
He loved her…that much was clear. After everything she had done to him since landing in this timeline, he was still here….desperately trying to help her remember what it was they once had. What man would have the patience to regale his fiance with the story of how they first met like she had never heard it before? What man would have the composure to return time and time again to his fiance after she had rejected him so cruelly? Right after their engagement party too?
A man in love, that's who.
And Noah? He did love her…and she? She felt nothing, though she desperately wanted to…not just for his sake…but for hers. Kissing Wyatt tonight had been the last straw…the final nail in the coffin for her unrequited feelings. She loved him. She absolutely knew that now…and he? He would always love Jessica. He had made that clear with that engagement story, hadn't he? The way he looked…the way his eyes softened at the thought of her…of them…of that special time together? She wanted that for herself…for someone to love her like Wyatt loved Jessica…and here, here was Noah who did…and yet, she felt nothing for him.
What was wrong with her?
She tried to listen intently as Noah told her of how and when he knew he loved her. She had gone away to China and he? He had been miserable without her. She reached out and grabbed his hand, desperate to feel a connection, something from her old self that would push Wyatt out of her heart and mind forever, but even as Noah knelt before her, pleading that he "wanted her back," she knew…it was hopeless.
Still, she drew him in for a soft kiss, feeling at once how much Noah needed her…wanted her…missed her. He held her face in his hands, deepening it, pulling her closer with every pass of his lips over hers, pleading with her to come back to him. Lucy gripped his shoulders and pulled him flush against her, wrapping her arms around his neck as if willing some portion of the love he felt for her to blossom and reciprocate from her to him…but it didn't.
No matter how nice it felt to be loved, kissed, practically worshiped by the man currently holding her in his arms…it was nothing compared to the seismic shift that was kissing Wyatt Logan.
"This…this is different." Noah gasped as he moved from Lucy's lips to her neck.
"Oh..you have no idea," she groaned, willing her mind, her heart to let go of the Delta Force soldier and embrace a future, a real possible future with the man who was now pulling her to her feet and leading her backwards up the stairs.
They stumbled in a heap together, their hands and mouths too busy exploring one another to care much about anything other than each other…and for a moment, Lucy thought that maybe…just maybe her plan was working. Noah certainly knew her…knew where and how to kiss her…but even though she was fully prepared to make good on her promise to make all of the hurt up to him…one horrible, inconvenient fact remained.
She didn't love him.
That damn kiss that wasn't supposed to happen…that role she was never supposed to play had made her keenly aware just how much her heart belonged to one stubbornly infuriating blue-eyed soldier. She was desperately and pathetically in love with Wyatt Logan, had been for some time…and now, now she was using another man- a good man - in a sad and desperate attempt to supplant him.
"Wait," she gasped, as Noah pressed her against the wall and began removing her sweater, "I…I can't do this."
The words tumbled out of her mouth with a sob as she covered her face in shame, sinking down onto the topmost step of her mother's staircase. "I'm so sorry," she gasped, sensing rather than seeing Noah's shocked and hurt expression. "I'm…I'm so confused right now," she tried to explain feebly, knowing full well she wasn't confused at all.
"Lucy…" he began, scoffing in disappointment and frustration.
"I…I know…I know…I just…I think it's probably best if you just go," she muttered, hating Garcia Flynn for wrecking her life so completely.
Angry, frustrated, Noah stomped down the stairs, not even pausing as he reached her front door to say good-bye. What more was there to say? Two disastrous dates in one night? Lucy was sure that nothing she could say or do could make up for the mortification and hurt Noah had received in the past few months at her hands. The door slammed behind him with a hard snap and while she knew it was probably for the best, Lucy couldn't help but break down in tears over it all.
Wyatt was right. Noah didn't deserve any of this…he deserved to be with someone who would make him happy…and while she desperately wished she could be that person, she knew….she wasn't. Hoping that someday she might be wasn't enough…not for a man who loved her as much as Noah seemed to. THere was no guarantee that she would ever feel the same way, after all…and she knew, despite everything, that ultimately would be the crueler path. To give him false hope, to sleep with him in the hopes that someday she might feel something towards him only to break it to him later that, no, she actually wasn't the woman he fell in love with?
Lucy shakily made her way down the stairs, absolutely ashamed of what she had almost done. Pouring herself a glass of wine, she allowed a few tears to spill onto her cheeks before delighting in the bitter sting of alcohol on her tongue.
It wasn't as strong as the moonshine in 1934, but it would have to do.
Her heart broke for Noah and the version of herself that loved him enough to agree to be his wife. She wondered, idly, whether that version of herself would ever find her way back here…to Noah? But then she figured that version of herself didn't really exist…because she was still her, right? Just with a different past? Different memories? Oh hell, she didn't know….what she did know was that time travel was making her crazy. Crazy enough to spurn the love of a decent, honest, good man because she was hung up on her co-worker who never could and never would love her back.
Oh God…maybe she made a mistake? Maybe she should have just thrown herself headfirst into the deep end with Noah. If she was still herself…she'd have to fall in love with him again, right? Right?
She had just downed her second sip when a sharp knock on her door had her coughing and sputtering in anticipation. Maybe, she thought…it wasn't too late…maybe…maybe it was sign that she had been stupid for dismissing Noah so quickly. Maybe they just needed more….
"Noah, I'm sor-…Wy…Wyatt?" Lucy hiccupped in surprise, as she opened her door and found not Noah, but the Delta force soldier standing there looking almost lost as he paced awkwardly on her front walk. "Wh…what are you doing here?"
The question was a simple one, one that should have been readily answered as readily as it was given. Wyatt, however, was wrestling with the very real knowledge that his visit was totally unexpected and from the dismay in Lucy's voice…unwanted.
He thought, when he arrived, turning the corner to her street like a bat out of hell, that he had been too late. The Porsche in the drive-way was a tell-tale sign that the doctor was in…and no, the innuendo was not lost on Wyatt. He had heard the slant of her conversation with him earlier, knew she was planning on making their disastrous date up to him, as long as he humored her first…and well, the darkened windows had pretty much indicated to Wyatt that Noah had humored her…to great success.
He had almost driven off, had almost left as quickly as he came when a movement caught his eye; a tall figure, storming out of the front door, looking very much like he wasn't humored at all. Wyatt watched him go, a hope bubbling in his chest as he thought that maybe, just maybe Lucy had done what he had suggested…and cut the poor bastard loose.
The seconds dissolved into minutes and while Wyatt was initially satisfied that Noah was not coming back, he found he could not readily move from his Jeep and make his way to Lucy's front door. If she had cut him loose, after all…it didn't necessarily bode well for him. Hell, she might even resent him for interfering with her love life. And if she hadn't cut him loose…if Noah had just been called away (he was a doctor, after all) how would Lucy react upon seeing him…Wyatt…at her house, well past midnight?
He thought about hopping back into his Jeep, turning around and heading straight back from whence he came, but the memory of Rufus' sharp rebuke had him slowly making his way towards Lucy Preston's front porch.
Now, seeing her with tear stained eyes and Noah's name spilling from her trembling lips, Wyatt couldn't help but regret that he had even come. Lucy was staring at him like she had no idea why the hell he was there and well, he was wondering that himself. What the hell had he been thinking? Her fiance had just left. Her fiance …and yet here he was, standing in her yard because he was hung up over one…two…three kisses that never should have happened in the first place.
"Wyatt?" Lucy pressed again, her voice filled with concern now as she stepped onto her porch, hugging her arms around her in the chilly San Francisco night air. "What's wrong? Did…did something happen after I left? Did Flynn jump?" she asked, belatedly pulling out her phone and searching for a missed text that Wyatt knew wasn't there.
"No…no," he assured her, but no further explanation was forthcoming.
Shit. This was a bad idea. He might have been in over his head in feelings for her, but did she feel the same way? Probably not. And if he poured it all out now, what the hell would that do to their professional relationship? He thought of their awkward conversation at Mason and imagined how many more of those would be had unless he nipped this thing in the bud….but even as he thought of the bad that would come if he did say something, his mind was overwhelmed with the thought of what would happen if he didn't say anything at all.
He could lose her. He knew it. Looking at her now, knowing she was willing to work things out with her all too damn perfect fiancé, he knew….his only hope of actually moving on would move on without him if he didn't get his damn act together.
"Wyatt?" Lucy was touching his arm now, worry clearly etched on her face as he stood there, stupidly staring back at her.
He rubbed the back of his neck and ducked his head down as he tried to think up some reason why he should be there, at her place in the middle of the damn night. He thought about lying...telling her his car had broken down… something ...but that was just it…he couldn't lie to Lucy. She knew him too well, knew he was good with cars. She'd never buy it. He thought about just walking away and leaving, running for his life as it were...but the idea of losing her to that smarmy jackass she didn't even love kept him firmly planted in her yard like a damn lawn ornament.
He hated this. He wasn't good at making speeches...and with Lucy it was even worse. She intimidated the hell out of him.
"Wyatt?"
She was moving closer now and with every step she took towards him, Wyatt felt words he wanted to say slip further and further away as her mere presence and the memory of that kiss had him so tongue tied and flustered he could nothing more but stand there and stare even as Lucy shook his arm gently to bring him back to his senses.
No, he wasn't a man of words, Dammit…never had been. He? He was a man of action…and with that reminder, Wyatt took a deep breath, stepped forward, wrapped one arm around Lucy's waist…and kissed her.
The same buzz of electricity he had felt in front of Bonnie and Clyde was back, but this time, it was stronger…helped by the fact that this time they had no audience, this time, it wasn't to cover their asses…this time it was for them, just them.
He kissed her, desperate, hungry, needing to have more and more of her with each passing sweep of his mouth. Wyatt had half expected Lucy to push him away, but she hadn't.. didn't, instead, she snaked her hands slowly from where they had been at her sides, up to caress his face, kissing him back.
Breaking away from the kiss with a gasp, Wyatt stumbled backwards away from her, breathing heavily as Lucy stared back at him, confused.
Hell, of course she was confused...he wasn't much better off.
Why? Why did she have this effect on him? He had never felt anything like it.
"I um…" Wyatt began stupidly. "I just thought I'd…I mean, I wanted to…"
His need to kiss her again, however, superseded the need for conversation. Stepping forward once more he pressed his lips to hers, this time pulling her even closer...and Lucy didn't seem to mind...her arms immediately wrapped around his shoulders, her fingers threading through his hair driving him absolutely crazy. She sighed into his kiss, even as his hands traveled up and down her spine, finally tangling themselves in her hair. his mouth moving from her lips to her jaw and finally grazing kisses down the long column of her neck, before returning once more to her lips.
Breaking away again, Wyatt pressed his forehead to hers and breathed out, "I um...wasn't completely honest back there..".he swallowed hard as his eyes sought out her own, "when I said that kiss didn't mean…"
But his explanation was cut short by Lucy….who was now kissing him …and holy hell was she kissing him. She practically knocked him over with the force of her kiss so much so that he had to wrap his arms around her just to steady himself but even then he felt as though his knees might just give out and send him sprawling backwards onto her lawn.
Not that he could foresee any problem with that…hell, it was downright desirable.
He tore his lips away from hers with a panting gasp, stunned at the effect she was having on him. This wasn't a lightning bolt - no, that kiss in front of Bonnie and Clyde had been child's play. This? This was a damn power surge and he wasn't sure he could handle much more without spontaneously combusting.
Lucy looked up at him, her dark doe eyes enticing him to continue, her kiss swollen lips…lips that he was now pretty much addicted to, parting in a soft smile and…oh hell, he was a dead man. Cradling her cheek in his hand, he kissed her again…until air, once again, became a necessity. Panting as he tore his lips from hers once more, he admitted with a sheepish grin, "The truth is...ma'am...I've been wanting to do that for a long time."
"Yeah?" Lucy asked breathlessly, before pulling him down for another searing kiss, "me too" she murmured against his lips.
Delighted by that revelation, if not more than a little surprised, Wyatt dove right back into her, hardly caring that they were practically mauling each other in front of the whole damn neighborhood…but if this was going to escalate any further, that was going to be a problem.
Giggling, they fell back against her front door, hands blindly searching for a door knob, turning it haphazardly until ultimately physics won out and they stumbled, practically tripping over themselves into Lucy's front hall. Not content to be apart even for a moment, Lucy and Wyatt held onto each other, even as they bumped and collided with every furnishing in her hall until they found themselves falling into each other over the couch arm.
While the initial impact brought with it the need to make some awkward adjustments for comfort's sake, overall, there was very little to complain about in this new position. They absolutely molded together, curling around one another, pressing against one another in ways that Wyatt was sure would make even Bonnie and Clyde blush, Wyatt freely explored Lucy's torso with his hands, pushing her sweater up as he did so, until she sat up slightly and yanked it off the rest of the way. Her fingers went to work in his own shirt, which soon went the way of her sweater.
"God, Lucy…" Wyatt gasped as she wriggled into a more comfortable position beneath him, "why the hell didn't we do this sooner?"
"Shut up and kiss me" she gasped back, dragging her teeth against his lower lip.
"Yes, ma'am" Wyatt growled,taking the opportunity to roll her right off the couch and onto the floor, bracing her as he did so, allowing him to gently lay her down on the plush rug beneath them.
Lucy gasped as Wyatt latched onto her neck, every nip, every kiss, every gentle touch of his hand working to show her how very much she meant to him. She ducked her head down to kiss any part of him that she could reach, but he was already skimming down her torso, leaving a trail of hot kisses in his wake.
Her entire body was trembling with anticipation, her hands blindly seeking his when an incessant buzzing had her wriggling away from Wyatt in frustration, "Dammit, Wyatt…wait…"
"You have got to be kidding me," Wyatt groaned as he ceased his efforts and pulled his phone out of his jeans. Lucy didn't even need to ask what it was, knowing full well, with her own phone buzzing on the table beside her, they were being called in.
"I've got it." Wyatt dismissed as Lucy made to retrieve hers. With his own phone pressed to his ear, he kissed her soundly, breaking away only to respond to the subsequent Hello? with, "This is Wyatt."
He peppered Lucy with kisses, while the unknown voice on the other end briefed him on all of the particulars of the mission, Wyatt breaking away from his unrelenting work with a few punctuated "Mmhmms" and " Uh-huhs"...and one meaningful and interested, "oh, really? You don't say?" When at last, it finally came time to end the call, Wyatt smirked at Lucy as he spoke into the receiver, "No, it's okay…you don't have to call Lucy again. I'll tell her. Yeah. No, no… believe me," he said before he kissed Lucy soundly on the lips again, "it's not a problem...I'll let her know."
Hanging up the phone, Wyatt tossed it onto the couch carelessly and continued to lavish kisses on Lucy even as she attempted but failed to wriggle away from him. "Wyatt, " she giggled, "don't we need to….Wyatt," she murmured against his smiling lips, "don't we need to go to Mason?"
"We've got time," Wyatt assured her, "we have a damn time machine …"
"Yes, but Wyatt…" Lucy groaned as she managed to coax Wyatt's head out of the crick of neck, "we should get there early to…" she gasped as Wyatt latched back onto her collarbone, "to brief…"
"Already done..what the hell do you think that phone call was about?"
"Yes, but Wyatt…" Lucy admonished as he made to kiss her again, "we don't even know where we're going."
"See, that's where you're wrong," Wyatt replied with a smirk, "I know exactly where we're going and what's more…I'm pretty damn sure I know exactly what we're going for…and I'm telling you right now, you're gonna love it."
"Is that so?" Lucy challenged, eyeing him flirtatiously. "Alright then soldier, spill it."
"What if I were to tell you," Wyatt began, after pecking a kiss to her forehead, "we were headed back to the 18th century?"
Lucy sat up, intrigued. "I'd say you have my attention."
"I thought I might," Wyatt smirked, before diving back down and kissing her soundly and divulging with a gasp, "New York, September 21, 1780 to be exact" Lucy's eyes lit up as Wyatt paused in his ministrations and nodded in assurance, "That's right, baby doll…Benedict Arnold."
"Military history…" she murmured knowingly with a smile as Wyatt pressed another kiss to her lips.
"So, see" he muttered as he crashed her back down onto the rug, "the hard part is already over. We know where Flynn is, where he's going…and we have a pretty good idea of what he's trying to change…we have plenty of time…"
"Yes, but Wyatt…" Lucy groaned as wriggled back out from underneath him, "Benedict Arnold's treason? West Point? That's a pretty important historical event…don't you think we should…"
"We show up a day early," Wyatt suggested, "or stay a few days late to fix whatever needs to be fixed….I don't give a damn which, I am just not interested in heading to Mason right this second," he murmured against her neck before recapturing her lips in an insistent and bruising kiss.
"Okay," Lucy gasped, breaking away from the kiss, "okay….but we're going to have to be quick…and there won't be much time to shower…"
Wyatt kissed her again, "We can share…"
"But Wyatt…I won't be able to do anything with my hair," Lucy groaned as once again, she broke away from the kiss with a gasp.
"Your hair?" Wyatt chided, with a grin, " that's what you're worried about?"
Lucy glared at him sardonically, "You know what a curly mess it is when I don't blow dry it…."
"Mmm…I like it curly," Wyatt hummed as he kissed her again, "Besides," he reminded her with a wink, "with your hair…and the corset…it'll be like we never left…we could…pick up right where we left off."
Lucy stared up at him, a small smile playing in her lips as she got the gist of his meaning, "We…we couldn't." She said with a shake of her head as he nodded at her feverently, "no, no…Wyatt, we couldn't…how? With Rufus right there?"
"We'll send him on an errand," Wyatt remarked with a shrug, "Easy."
"And Benedict Arnold? Lucy gasped, pushing Wyatt away as he bent down to kiss her again. "What about him?"
"Relax…we'll make sure he still commits treason….but not too much treason," Wyatt added with a smirk as Lucy made to argue. "Once we sort out everything at West Point," Wyatt promised, "you and I will disappear…I don't know…find an inn somewhere and have that damn honeymoon John Fraser promised us all those months ago."
"We should have taken him up on that offer…" Lucy agreed with a sigh.
"Hell yes, we should have" Wyatt groaned as Lucy wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him to her.
"Something's different"
Lucy and Wyatt stared innocently at Rufus as he plopped down in his seat across from them at the conference room table. Eyeing them both warily, he pointed his finger at Lucy and offered, "Did you get a haircut?"
"Yes, Rufus," Lucy scoffed with a roll of her eyes, "In the few hours we had since we were here last, I got my hair cut."
"It's curly," Rufus observed, completely unfazed by her retort.
"Yes," Lucy nodded awkwardly, casting a fleeting glance toward Wyatt who was nonchalantly sipping his coffee, "that tends to happen when I don't get a chance to blow dry it."
"Huh," Rufus shrugged, "looks nice." Wyatt had just managed a fleeting "I told you so" smirk towards Lucy when Rufus continued, "There's something else, though…you look…different."
"Different? Different, how?"
"I don't know," Rufus shrugged, "just different." He continued to study the two of them through narrowed eyes, even as Agent Christopher burst into the room, looking more than a little frazzled.
"Well, I guess we should be grateful that he gave us a few hours before jumping again," not looking up from her piles of manila folders, she asked, "The Lifeboat is fully charged, correct?"
"Yes," Rufus replied, lifting his coffee cup to his lips, "and once I finish with this trenta mocha cappuccino, I'll be right there with it."
"Now this mission…"
"September 21, 1780" Wyatt replied impatiently, "Benedict Arnold, West Point…we know the drill."
Looking at him in surprise, Agent Christopher stammered, "I…I didn't realize you were so well-versed in history," looking to Lucy, she motioned, "is that accurate?"
Casting Wyatt a stern glance, Lucy nodded, "Yeah, that's correct Arnold will attempt to hand West Point over to the British. That is, until George Washington finds out…"
"Well…see that he does," she replied, eyeing Wyatt curiously. "Are you alright Master Sergeant, you seem…a little…edgy."
Wyatt, who had already been gathering up his things and ready to leave, eased back down into his seat and shrugged, "I'm just anxious to get started, that's all. I uh…have a personal stake in this mission," he said as he clandestinely touched Lucy's knee under the table, "what with it being West Point and all…you know… Army ."
"Yes, well…given that this mission could very well affect the very foundations of this country, I am glad you're taking this so seriously…" casting another glance around the table, she shrugged, "Well, if there's nothing else…"
"There isn't," Wyatt replied, jumping up from his chair.
"Then I guess you are free to go…" Agent Christopher remarked, but Wyatt was already halfway down the staircase and making his way towards the locker room, leaving a bewildered Rufus gaping at the table.
"You all saw that, right?" Rufus remarked, motioning towards the door. "I'm not going crazy? Since when is Wyatt so hellbent on getting in that machine? He gets sick nearly every damn time."
Sighing heavily, Lucy pushed herself away from the table and got to her feet and followed him out of the room, determined to tell Wyatt to bring it down a few notches. When she got outside the dressing room, however, Wyatt was whirling her into a darkened alcove silencing her surprised gasp with a kiss.
Pushing away from him, Lucy smacked him playfully, "I thought you said we'd keep things professional? You're going to get us caught." As Wyatt rolled his eyes, Lucy admonished further, "Rufus is already suspicious,.."
"I've got news for you, baby doll," Wyatt chided, "Rufus was already suspicious…hell, he thought we were shacking up in 1754."
"We were shacking up in 1754…we lived together, slept together…"
"Wasted a lot of damn time," Wyatt groaned as he latched into her neck.
"That too…" Lucy sighed, before pushing him away again, "I mean it, Wyatt, the mission comes first. We need to" she hummed as Wyatt pressed a kiss to her lips before continuing with a gasp, "seriously consider that Washington might recognize us from…"
Wyatt, however, silenced her fears with another kiss and ducked them further into the darkened alcove, determined to keep her there with him as long as humanly possible…and Lucy? She was pretty much fine with that…until she heard Agent Christopher's voice bellowing as she made her way down the conference room stairs.
"Wyatt!" she hissed with a giggle, "We're going to get caught."
"I don't care," he murmured back, but at the sound of Rufus' approaching voice, he thought better of it. Straightening up, he smirked devilishly at Lucy, managing one quick peck to her nose before winking at her and disappearing into the men's locker room. Stunned and still swooning, Lucy was physically bracing herself against the wall when Rufus turned the corner and stopped short at the sight of her.
"Are you okay?" he asked in concern.
"I'm fine!" Lucy breathed out, willing the flush in her cheeks to subside. "I just…I'm just psyching myself up to get back into a corset again, that's all."
"I know, right?" Rufus chuckled derisively. "Of all the freaking centuries to choose from…why the hell does Flynn insist on sticking us in places where the clothes are so damn uncomfortable? I guess I should be grateful that this time, at least, we're going someplace where there's civilization, right? If Flynn pulls off what he did in 1754, we won't be eating snake or traipsing through wilderness or…why are you smiling like that?"
"Huh?" Lucy startled, "Oh it's just…I was just thinking how different things would be if we did get stuck in 1780 for a little while…knowing all the things we do now, I mean…about life in the 18th century…."
"Uh-huh," Rufus returned, eyeing her warily, "well, you don't have to go on waxing nostalgic about it. If you remember, we nearly died…a lot…so ya know, forgive me if I am holding out hope that this is a quick trip."
"Not too quick though," Lucy offered up hopefully. At Rufus' puzzled glance, however, she colored and shrugged, "I mean, we still need to make sure we save West Point…that's…that's not something that can be rushed, ya know? I mean, it could take all day…maybe even two…or three….if things get really complicated. In fact," she added as she bit her lip, "we may need to get there a day early…just to be sure. I mean," she continued, "historians uh…they um…disagree about when George Washington actually arrived. It'd be awful if Flynn ambushed him and let Arnold get away with treason…don't you think?"
Rufus gaped at her. "I'm sorry…you want to get there a day early?"
"Just to be on the safe side," Lucy nodded fervently, her face flushing red hot. "I mean, we've got to be careful, don't we? Seeing as how we were with Washington in 1754…"
"Yeah, but we hardly spent any time with…"
"And then, of course, there's the capture of John Andre on the 23rd…"
"Wait…wait…who the hell is John Andre?"
"So really," Lucy continued, ignoring Rufus' question, "we should plan to be there for at least three days…maybe longer depending on what Flynn is actually doing…but that's okay, right?" she asked Rufus, hopefully.
"I…I…don't…" he stammered in confusion.
"It's like you said…it's not like we're going to be traipsing through the wilderness this time…we could find an inn or something…ya know, someplace quaint and comfortable…and cozy," she murmured almost to herself, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Cozy?"
"Of course," Lucy replied brightly, "it'll be like we never left."
Rufus gaped at her, "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"
Lucy, however, didn't reply. Patting him on the arm, she smiled brightly at him and offered him a chirpy "thanks Rufus" before slipping into her own locker room, leaving him completely dumbfounded.
What in the hell?
After their last jaunt in the 18th century, he was damn sure Lucy had even less fond memories of that place than he did. Kidnapped and dragged through the mud as she was, subjected to all kinds of handsy assholes….Lucy Preston had had it rough, probably rougher than any of them during that trip…and yet, here she was smiling and relishing in the thought of another extended stay in that God-forsaken century?
Why?
Jiya had told him that she had had a hot date planned with the doctor earlier that night…but if that were true then wouldn't she be upset about being called in here? Wouldn't she be raging over the possibility of an extended jaunt in another century extended stay away from her fiancé? I mean, if it were true and she had had two dates in one night with the doctor…then maybe they had finally hit it off? Taken their phony relationship to the next level? Maybe she was still riding some post-orgasmic high from her apparent midnight rendez-vou and was just in a really good mood?
Oh hell he didn't know…he just hoped to hell it wouldn't really take her three damn days to stop Flynn because of it.
He had a half a mind to relay his suspicions to Wyatt, when upon entering the dressing room he found the Delta Force soldier already dressed and whistling as he slid into his 18th century boots. "Why are you in such a damn good mood?" he asked, "Don't you realize we're headed back to the stone age?"
Wyatt shrugged, ""Yeah, so?"
"So…I thought…" Rufus shook his head, "never mind what I thought, I just…do you think Lucy's feeling alright?"
Wyatt shrugged, "Seems fine to me, why do you ask?"
"I don't know…she just…seems weirdly excited about this trip back to the 18th century. After what we just went through, that's the last place I wanna go…and she's…well…waxing nostalgic."
Wyatt couldn't help but smirk, "What, you don't miss it?"
"Miss what? Being shot at, almost being sold into slavery, traipsing through the woods like a wild animal?" He shook his head, now eyeing Wyatt warily, "can't say that I do." As Wyatt continued to grin as he adjusted his suit, Rufus pressed, suddenly suspicious, "You know Jiya told me Lucy had another date with that doctor guy tonight… after we got back from the mission."
"Oh yeah?" Wyatt asked, feigning surprise, "and how'd that work out?"
"I don't know…guess we'll have to ask her," Rufus observed, eyeing Wyatt with new interest. "You don't seem upset."
"About what?"
"Her date."
"Why would I be upset? Lucy can see whoever she wants to see," Wyatt shrugged.
"Uh-huh…." Rufus nodded with a frown before pressing, "and you're fine with that?"
"Yeah," Wyatt shrugged again, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know…maybe because you beat the shit out of the lockers when you found out she had made dinner for Dr. Whathisface," Rufus replied incredulously. "And now you're what? Over it?"
"Just needed to blow off a little steam," Wyatt offered with a smirk, "That's all." He made to leave the locker room before he seemed to think better of it. Turning on his heel, he made his way back towards Rufus adding, "Look, um…before we head out… I umm…I just wanted to uhh…say - this mission …it's an important one for me…I mean, it is West Point so…."
"Soo…it's not something that can be rushed?" Rufus suggested, frowning as he eyed him sardonically.
Brightening, Wyatt nodded, "Right…yeah."
"It could take all day…or maybe even two…or three?" Rufus suggested meaningfully, as he leaned against his locker, still frowning. "In case things get a little complicated?"
"Exactly." Wyatt nodded fervently.
"Hell," Rufus continued slowly with a shrug, "It may even be a good idea to get there a day early…get the jump on Flynn for a change, right?"
Wyatt positively beamed, "Rufus, it's like you read my damn mind."
Rufus smiled to himself and muttered quietly "No, just Lucy's"
"What was that?"
"Nothing," Rufus dismissed quickly, "Okay so just to be clear, you want to get to 1780 a day early…with a plan to stay at least three days, is that right? Three days," Rufus stressed meaningfully, "in a century with smallpox, war, itchy-ass clothes and no air-conditioning."
"Well, it's not like we'd be back on the frontier…"
"That's true," Rufus agreed, with a sardonic frown, "chances are we'll be able to find a nice, cozy inn somewhere."
"That…that would be perfect," Wyatt nodded fervently.
"Uh-huh," Rufus nodded with a frown, "and if Flynn jumps before the three days are up…what then?"
"Well," Wyatt shrugged, "we go too…but, there's a lot riding on this mission…I mean, the West Point conspiracy wasn't just a one day thing-there were other folks involved besides Benedict Arnold…and…and…what?" Wyatt asked, looking suddenly self-conscious as Rufus leaned back against the lockers looking highly amused.
"Nothing," Rufus shrugged, "just never saw you so excited for a mission before, that's all…."
"Well," Wyatt explained with a shrug, his face coloring slightly, "it's West Point."
"West Point, right," Rufus nodded. "And you're really into West Point. Love it, even."
"Well…yeah, I mean…it's…it's…"
"Lucy."
"Exac…wait…huh?" Wyatt replied, looking up at Rufus in alarm.
"Oh nothing," Rufus dismissed, "I was just saying we'll have to run your idea by Lucy…see if she feels the same way about…West Point."
Wyatt eyed him warily and nodded, "Well I…I hope she does…"
"Oh I'm pretty sure she does," Rufus nodded emphatically, "but it's just nice to, ya know, be sure about these things." Wyatt nodded, still eyeing Rufus warily as he continued, "in any case, it's nice to know you care about West Point so much…though, I can't say I'm surprised…ya know given your history…with the Army and everything."
"I don't want to screw this up…that's for damn sure."
"Exactly." Rufus agreed with a shrug.
Wyatt stood in awkward silence waiting for Rufus to elaborate further, but when he merely stood there and smiled at him with a shit eating grin, Wyatt cleared his throat and nodded, "Well…um…I guess, I'll head out and wait for you to get ready….thanks Rufus"
Rufus merely nodded in return, watching as Wyatt made his way out of the locker room, returning the wave the soldier offered him before the door swung closed behind him.
Once alone, he chuckled to himself and scooped up his 18th century apparel, shaking his head as he cast a glance back towards the locker room door as he muttered with a smile, "It's about damn time."
Notes:
And that, my friends, is the end...and holy crap, it was a LONG time coming. I want to thank you all for your both your patience and your readership as this monster grew to the epic proportion it did. I knew in starting this sucker it was going be long, but eve I didn't anticipate how long it would be...but man, when you've got all of these different storylines to resolve, that takes some time.
Now to this chapter. As I have mentioned multiple times before - this chapter was written at the same time as the first chapter - many many eons ago...and the main reason I wrote this chapter THEN as opposed to now was because I did not want to be tempted to shift the narrative and make Lucy and Wyatt happen sooner than the Bonnie and Clyde kiss (because believe me, the temptation was there).
The reason I HAD to have it this way, is not just because I'm super stubborn (I am) - but because long long ago, when we - the Timeless fandom -were fighting for the show to be renewed after Season 2's shocking ending many of us would discuss and (obsess) over different theories we had about the show on social media. Before I even knew what fan fiction was, I had multiple conversations with a fellow fan (who unfortunately passed away before the Timeless Christmas movie aired) and one of her favorite theories was that in the Bonnie and Clyde episode, when Wyatt is re-telling the engagement story - it was somehow a reiteration of a Lucy and Wyatt engagement from a different timeline. I always thought that was a nice little thought, but never really gave it much credence, wasn't sure how it would work with Wyatt remembering something Lucy didn't...UNTIL I started preparing this fic. I already had it in my head that Lucy and Wyatt would have to pretend to be married and then one day as I was fleshing out the storyline for this fic in my notes, it hit me like a lightning bolt from the heavens (see what I did there?) - there was a way to make that engagement story about them...by having them get married in 1754. In order to make it work with the B&C scene, I knew I was going to have to keep Lucy and Wyatt apart so that Lucy wouldn't immediately recognize the story as their own...leading to Wyatt's frustration and insecurities over their shared kiss that we see in the show. I therefore adopted that storyline, inspired, in part, by a fellow fan - and created the slowest of all slow burns to do my very VERY small part to honor a woman who worked tirelessly to see that Lucy and Wyatt got an ending they deserved and yet, didn't live long enough to see the fruits of those efforts. I have said time and time again, there was a reason for the frustration and the slow burn - and well, that's why, folks.
I truly hope you enjoyed it.
As for the epilogue...haven't decided whether I will do one or not for this - (I really want Lucy to come to the realization that...yes, the engagement story was about her) so you MAY see another chapter pop up for this LATER - but for now, I'm happy that after YEARS since writing this ending - I can finally dust it off and share it with you all.
Thanks for reading.
