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Chapter Text

Rain pounded against the grimy upper story window of the abandoned farm house that was currently serving as their hide out.  It was far enough out of the way to allow them some privacy, the dilapidated barn offered a sufficient and suitable dwelling for the LifeBoat and the peace and quiet of the surrounding countryside would afford Lucy the solitude she needed so that she could do what needed to be done. 

Wyatt, bearded and grim as he was these days, assured her that he would set up a perimeter with Agent Christopher around the outside of the house.  The Rittenhouse team of Emma and her well paid cronies wouldn’t be able to get within a mile of their hideout without Jiya’s alarm system alerting them of their presence, but the battle -hardened duo of Delta Force and Homeland Security didn’t put their trust in technology…they trusted their instincts. 

Lucy looked around the stark, depressing room taking in the single bed with a heavy sigh.  How the hell had her life gone so far off track? How the hell had it come to this?

For five long years they had been without their friend and team mate, Rufus Carlin.  He had been murdered outside a saloon in 1888 Chinatown and their team had not been the same since.  He had been the heart of their team, the one who made them laugh when times were tough...and boy, did they need a laugh these days.  Hope was a pipe dream now.  Amy was gone, Rufus was gone, and nothing they did seemed to bring them any closer to getting them back.  Emma had taken the reins of Rittenhouse and it seemed that everyday was another battle through time, another desperate attempt to keep them from taking even more than they already had.  

For five long years, they had waged a war against Rittenhouse.  Wyatt, convinced that his lying bitch of a wife was actually pregnant, allowed her to guilt him every time they had come face to face. Trying to tell Wyatt that no self-respecting pregnant woman would wear a damn corset, cinching her waist to impossibly small proportions, while downing a tumbler of whiskey was about as effective as talking to a brick wall.  He wouldn’t hear of it.  Lucy, trying to be supportive and caring had tried everything she could think of to convince him of Jessica’s treachery, but he was determined to save his “baby.”   They were trying to move forward with their relationship, but Jessica still stunk up the bunker like a day-old fish. 

No. Literally.  The nasty stench of her perfume seemed to permeate the walls of that rusty old bunker and finally one day they all had had enough and got the hell out of Dodge.  It wasn’t like they had much of a choice anyway.  Jessica being in the bunker had been a huge security risk and well…it wasn’t much of a stretch to assume that she and Emma would come a knocking one day when they least expected it. 

So, they left. 

No matter where they ended up, however, Jessica interfered.  She had done a damn job on Wyatt’s guilt.  Anytime they had gotten close to picking up where they had left off in 1941 Hollywood, Jessica would pop up, the alarm would sound, and Wyatt riddled with guilt would be a thousand miles away by the time they made it back to whatever hell hole they were squatting in for the time being.  One night, Lucy frustrated and fed up with his impossible state of denial, had overindulged in a bottle of Grey Goose and found herself wrapped up in a damn flurtleneck the next morning.

Abject horror didn’t even cover it. 

Wyatt took one look at her shame-filled face the next morning as she emerged from Flynn’s room and walked away before she could even explain the awful truth of the situation.

And things hadn’t been the same between them since. 

She didn’t blame him…she was disgusted herself waking up to see a robe-clad Flynn, his hair wrapped in a burgundy towel, as he ate a banana and he offered her a cup of coffee with a careless flourish.  “Oh my God!” she had gasped out as she wrenched the covers around her.

“Good morning, Lucy” Flynn had said with a devilish grin.  “Sleep well?”

Lucy gaped at him, “What am I doing in here?”

As Lucy had not taken the proffered cup of coffee, Flynn set it down on the nightstand next to her and sat down in his desk chair with a resigned sigh, “You came to see me last night…and I must say Lucy, I saw an entirely different side of you.”

One look down at the burgundy turtleneck hanging from her dainty frame was enough to make her shudder at that statement.  “Flynn…please tell me nothing happened.”

“Nothing happened.” Flynn said with a teasing smirk.

Lucy’s eyes darted to his, not sure whether to believe him or not.  “Are you…are you being serious or…are you just telling me what I want to hear?”

Flynn raised his eyebrows, “A little bit of both.” Lucy groaned. “I must say, Lucy…you kiss rather well.”

“Oh, my God.” Lucy cried out as she covered her face in her hands. “How could you let this happen? Didn’t you know I was drunk?”

“I did.” Flynn nodded. “That’s why I put a stop to it…before you and I did something we’d both regret.  You have my word, I was a gentleman.”

 “Uh-huh…and so I guess that’s why I am wearing one of your turtlenecks?!  Seriously, what the hell, Flynn?”

“I said I was a gentleman….I didn’t say that you were a lady.” 

Lucy blanched.  She was never going to drink again. 

Flynn smirked at her, “You came on pretty strong…wanted me to draw you…kept telling me that it was a birthday present for Wyatt.”

“Oh my God” Lucy muttered as she held her head in her hands.  “Please tell me you didn’t actually draw me.”

“You wouldn’t take no for an answer.” Flynn said matter of factly as he reached over to his desk and lifted a large piece of paper.  “I’m not much of an artist, but I tried to oblige you.”

Filled with dread and apprehension, Lucy took the paper he offered and cast her eyes upon Flynn’s handiwork and let out a loud laugh that made her wince immediately at the sharp pain that it sent shooting through her temples.  Flynn was right, he was no artist.  The picture was nothing more than a stick figure with heart eyes laying on a rectangle. “What on Earth?” Lucy asked as she sat up straighter in the bed.

“You said it looked fine last night” Flynn said with a mouth full of banana. 

“I was drunk last night” Lucy said with a groan.  “What else did I do?  Do I even want to know?”

“You sang Celine Dion.” Flynn said with a shrug.  “It wasn’t that good.”

“And why am I in your room?” Lucy asked with a little more than a hint of apprehension.   “I hardly believe that I came seeking you out when I was drunk….I mean, no offense…but I thought I’d be more likely to…”

“Go to Wyatt?” Flynn asked in amusement.

Lucy nodded sullenly…silently resolving never to mention this to him.    

“Because you were upsetting Mason.” At Lucy’s questioning glance he continued, “you kept making fun of his accent.  So, I brought you in here…so you could make fun of mine.”

Lucy looked at him doubtfully, “Why would you bring me in here and not just send me to my room?”

Flynn flushed, “Okay…well maybe I wasn’t being completely honest there….I was just trying to spare your feelings.”

“Spill it, Flynn.” Lucy demanded.

“Let’s just say I tried to put you in your room, but you kept wandering out of it wearing less and less…and finally I just decided to bring you in here to keep an eye on you.”

“Are you sure that’s the only reason, Flynn?” Lucy asked doubtfully.  “I notice I’m not wearing any pants.”

“As I said, that was yourdoing, Lucy.” Flynn said with a sigh as he handed her her pajama bottoms.  “I told you, I was a perfect gentleman. Besides you really aren’t my type…though you tried to convince me otherwise last night.” Lucy groaned again and hid her face in her hands.  “It’s nothing to be ashamed of Lucy…as I said, you kiss remarkably well.”   

“I’m never drinking again.” Lucy muttered through her fingers.  “What am I going to do?”

“About what?” Flynn asked as he observed her over the rim of his coffee mug. 

Lucy glared at him, “What do you mean, about what?  This? If Wyatt finds out…” she paused as a smile spread across Flynn’s face.  “Why are you smiling?”

“You…worried about Wyatt.” Flynn said with a shrug.  “Seems to me he could use a little push.”

“That is none of your business.” Lucy spat out angrily.  “And this? This wouldn’t exactly help our situation.  It would just make things so much worse.” Lucy whined in despair.  “He can never know about this….I need to get out of here.” She swung her bare legs out of the bed and wrenched her pajama pants from off the bed. 

“Don’t forget your portrait.” Flynn said as he sipped his coffee.

Lucy deadpanned him and picked up the drawing from the nightstand, her eyes scanning the badly drawn picture once more.  “Wait a minute…” Lucy said with a scoff, “…did you actually sign this?”

“Why not?  It’s my work.”

Lucy shot him a dubious glare and turned towards the door, her bare legs poking out from underneath the long expanse of the overly large turtleneck.  “I’ll um…have to get this back to you later.” Lucy said as she turned the knob to his room and stepped out into the hall. 

“No problem” Flynn said, “Come back anytime, Lucy…and I do mean anytime.”

And with that final and damning statement, Lucy had turned and bumped smack into Wyatt who looked horror-stricken at finding Lucy in such a state.  She didn’t look much better.  The very last person she hoped to run into while she was not only sneaking out of Flynn’s room but wearing his shirt was the very person she had to physically bump into as she made her shameful exit.

He didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to.  One look at his face and Lucy could tell he was shocked, hurt, upset and yes…there was anger in those eyes.  And why wouldn’t there be?  They were Lucy and Wyatt…a team…and a semi-couple?  Ugh.  Things were so weird between them and now things were just going to be that much worse.

 It wasn’t like she didn’t want to move forward with him.  She just wanted to knock some sense into his head, first. 

Somehow, she doubted that she would be able to do that now that he had caught her with her pants literally down…coming out of his arch rival’s bedroom.  She wanted to explain that nothing had happened…but she knew that was technically a lie.  Something had happened. Flynn had told her as much…and as much as she wanted to believe Flynn that nothing beyond kissing had gone on last night, she had to admit that not knowing for sure and seeing herself, dressed as she was, made her worry that something more just might have happened.       

After all, she and Wyatt  were supposed to be…something.  He had told her he loved her, they were trying to get their lives back on track after Rittenhouse threw them the curve ball of the century by bringing his dead wife back from the grave.  It really wasn’t fair.  Wyatt was fighting an uphill battle against a woman who was programmed almost from birth to lie, trick and deceive.  She knew which buttons to push, where he was most vulnerable, and she and Emma worked in concert to make sure they did a number on Wyatt…and they sure as hell did.

And now, after everything they had been through…after all the ground they had made up in the way of their relationship, Lucy had to go and lose herself in a bottle of vodka and screw everything all up.  She had to make this right…she had to find Wyatt…but first, she needed clothes. 

She could hardly expect him to believe her claims that nothing had happened if she was still wearing Flynn’s turtleneck as a nightshirt.

A burgundy one at that.

Rushing to her room and dressing as quickly as she could, she ran down the stairs to the small 1970s kitchen in the run down townhouse they were currently using as a base.  Her resolve, however, was suddenly shattered as she stepped over the tiled threshold when she overheard Jiya’s gasp and hushed exclamation, “Oh my God, I thought I heard someone singing Celine Dion last night.  I thought she was with you.” 

Oh, if the floor could just open up and swallow her whole.

Lucy cleared her throat and waved as Jiya and Wyatt both shifted uncomfortably at her approach, “Morning.” she muttered awkwardly.  “Um…have you eaten yet?”

“Have you?” Jiya asked with raised eyebrows as Wyatt swatted at her. 

 Lucy paused uncomfortably and flushed, “Listen…about last night I…”

“I don’t need to hear the details.” Wyatt said gruffly as he stalked out of the kitchen leaving an embarrassed and exasperated Lucy behind with a bemused Jiya. 

“What?” Lucy spat out as she rolled her eyes at Jiya’s “what the hell” look.  “Nothing happened, okay?”

“That’s not what I heard.” Jiya argued, “And I heard a lot.”  She rounded on Lucy, “Really?  Flynn? What the hell were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t thinking…I was drunk.  But Flynn swears nothing happened.” Lucy argued back. 

“And you’re just going to take his word for it?  Lucy, Wyatt told me you were wearing Flynn’s turtleneck…which means….”Jiya offered pointedly. 

“I know what that means, Jiya.” Lucy gritted out.

“I’m just saying…at some point your shirt came off and his shirt came on.” she said with a shrug.       

‘Wyatt’s pretty mad, isn’t he?”  Lucy asked as she clenched her eyes shut, not wanting to think about Flynn seeing her topless…not wanting to think of Flynn at all, actually.

Jiya let out a short laugh, “That’s the understatement of the year.”  Lucy plopped down in a dining chair and covered her face with her hands as she breathed out a curse.  “Can you blame him?” Jiya asked. “My God, the man only tried to kill all of you for a year!”

“He hasn’t tried to kill us lately.” Lucy said defensively. “Besides, with Wyatt so mixed up over Jessica, I guess I just…needed somebody to talk to.”

“Hi, I’m Jiya.” Jiya said as she extended her hand with a forced smile, “I like to talk and my boyfriend has been dead for almost five years…I’m kinda having relationship issues too.” 

Lucy tilted her head and looked at Jiya in exasperation, “I don’t even know how I ended up in Flynn’s room. Apparently, I got drunk and started harassing Mason and Flynn took me away to his room to keep me out of trouble.”

“Or get you into trouble” Jiya muttered out of the corner of her mouth. 

Lucy gave Jiya a sideling glance as she rubbed her hands over her arms, feeling a sudden chill. “I don’t know how I’m going to fix this. How is he ever going to believe me that nothing happened, when I can’t even remember how I wound up in there?”

Jiya didn’t answer. She, like Lucy, was at a complete loss as to what to say. 

That didn’t matter, however, because no sooner had the silence in the kitchen stretched to an uncomfortable level of awkwardness then the alarm on Jiya’s phone sounded indicating that the Mothership had once again jumped.  There was no time for regrets now, they needed to put their battle faces on. 

Grim and determined, Lucy marched with her head held high out of the door to the kitchen, headed down the narrow sidewalk to the large shed in the back lot of the townhouse they were presently occupying.  As far as she knew she had nothing to be ashamed of…well, there was plenty to be ashamed of, but Flynn had assured her she hadn’t gone thatfar and that was at least something…she had a shred of dignity left and she was going to milk it for all that it was worth. 

Resolutely she climbed into the hatch of the Lifeboat only to find that Wyatt was already there…seated in the Captain’s chair and looking absolutely miserable.  “Oh.” Lucy gasped out in surprise, “hello, again.”

Wyatt stared at her incredulously before finishing with his harness.  His silence more deafening than the loud sirens blaring around them. 

Jiya followed soon after, her phone in her hand as she tried to discover the latest time and location that Emma and Jessica had selected to visit.  “Hmmm…looks like we’re going to Paris March 31, 1889.”

“That’s the day the Eiffel Tower was opened.” Lucy responded as she clicked her harness into place, not missing the fact that Wyatt had hardly glanced her direction since she sat down. 

“Ah…are we going to Paris?” Flynn asked as he ducked into the LifeBoat. 

“Yup.” Jiya answered as she cast a quick glance between Lucy and Flynn. 

“A city for lovers.” Flynn remarked with a grin.  Whether he caught Wyatt’s glare or not Lucy would never know…she certainly hadn’t missed it.  She was just about to tell Flynn to “knock it off” when he reached into his pocket and to her up-most horror pulled out something that looked uncannily like….”Your bra, Lucy.” Flynn said with a wicked grin on his face.  “You left it behind this morning.”

“Thank you very much.” Lucy gritted out angrily as she quickly wrenched it away from him and stuffed it under her shirt.  “Can we go? Please?” Lucy snapped at Jiya as she glared at Flynn. 

Jiya’s eyes darted between her three travel companions.  Wyatt had completely turned his chair away from Lucy and Flynn and was staring at the destination panel.  Lucy was flushing a violent shade of red looking like she was ready to murder Flynn who was nonchalantly buckling himself into his seat, a carefree smile planted on his face.  “Alright….keep your shirt on, Lucy” Jiya responded as she turned away to punch in the destination. 

Lucy closed her eyes in embarrassment, hearing Flynn chuckle softly and sensing Wyatt tense.  She had walked right into that and well…she deserved this.  She had acted like a fool last night and now she was dealing with the consequences. 

But damn Flynn…did he have to make it worse?

They landed with a thud somewhere on the outskirts of Paris and Lucy was desperate to get out before anyone else.  The already uncomfortable situation was only made worse by the confined space and she needed air.  Not even waiting for the hatch to open fully, Lucy wriggled her way out of the sliver of an opening and slid out of the LifeBoat onto the grassy expanse of a small Parisian field. 

She heard a foot fall behind her and saw to her chagrin that Flynn had followed after her and was now approaching her with his arms extended, “Are you feeling alright, honey? You haven’t seemed like yourself this morning.”

Lucy swatted his hands away from her, “Don’t you honey me…what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Lucy asked in a harsh whisper. 

Flynn leaned forward, “I’m trying to give Wyatt a little push.”

But as he said that, Wyatt himself, exited the Lifeboat, took one look at their close proximity and stalked away…presumably in search of clothes.   

“Well, good job.” Lucy spat out. “Just stop trying to help me, okay?” she hissed as she ran after Wyatt.

Jiya watched Lucy go with a shake of her head before turning her attention to Flynn who gave her a smirk and a shrug of his shoulders.  “That wasn’t cool, Flynn.”

“Oh, come on, I’m just having a bit of fun.” he answered with a scoff.  “She’s the one who came onto me, after all.”

“Yeah…well, that’s a mistake she won’t make twice.”

There is an idiom that is commonly used in situations such as this when someone makes a pronouncement they cannot possibly know for sure will actually come to pass.  Too often, they are found to be wrong...and when that occurs, the turn of phrase, "I spoke too soon" innately follows.

Jiya most definitely spoke too soon.   

Chapter Text

If Lucy had thought things couldn’t get worse after that morning, she was sorely mistaken. 

After securing a change of era appropriate clothes, she searched the streets of Paris for Wyatt, desperately hoping to find him and explain that what had happened the previous night was not only a mistake, but one that she didn’t even remember. 

Not that that made it any better. 

Still, she couldn’t have Wyatt thinking that there was something going on between her and Flynn…not when they had been making such great progress after all of these years of tension. She knew he carried so much guilt over what had happened to Rufus, so much that it kept him from believing that he was even worthy of her forgiveness.  Every time she had tried to get close to him again, he would gently push her away, telling her that he needed to “make things right first.”

But Rufus was still dead after five years and they had nothing to show for it. 

And now she had given him every reason to believe that she had moved on…and she SO hadn’t. 

Near the Eiffel Tower, amid a sea of dignitaries and excited Parisians, Lucy, Flynn, and Jiya finally spotted him, looking ever vigilant as he scanned the crowd for any sign of Emma and his treacherous ex-wife. Lucy, breathless from her fast-paced and desperate trek across the city, rushed to Wyatt’s side, “There you are…I’ve been looking all over…”

Not removing his eyes from the crowd, Wyatt grimly replied, “Didn’t think you’d need me – now that you have Flynn.”

Lucy pursed her lips together angrily, “I don’t have Flynn, Wyatt.”  He scoffed as she continued in an angry hiss, “If you’d just let me explain instead of stalking off…”

“We’ve got to move.” Wyatt said stoically as he reached into his frock coat and gripped his handgun. 

With a steely eye focused near the front of the gathering, Wyatt stealthily made his way through the crowd towards the platform where the ribbon cutting ceremony was about to start. “Wyatt!” Lucy hissed after him, but he remained focused on the objective and Lucy, frustrated that they never seemed to have time for themselves, threw up her hands in exasperation. 

“Where did Captain Sunshine head off to?” Flynn asked as he craned his neck over the crowd to ascertain where Wyatt had gone. 

“Don’t call him that. You know he hates it when you call him that.” Lucy snapped. 

“Alright…” Flynn nodded, “where did the Brooding Wonder run off to?  Did he see his estranged wife?  Maybe this time she’ll admit she was lying about her pregnancy.”

Lucy glared at Flynn sardonically, “Lay off of him, Flynn.  Besides, if he’s brooding, it’s your fault.  Did you have to hand me my bra in the LifeBoat?” 

Flynn shrugged, “Nothing happened, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of…”

“He doesn’t know that.” Lucy snapped angrily, “Besides, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t be a little put out if you saw your….your…”

Flynn raised his eyebrows at Lucy, “My what?  Girlfriend? Wife? Fiancé?  What exactly are you to Wyatt?”

“That’s not the point.” Lucy said angrily, “It’s complicated and you know it.  All I’m saying is that what you did this morning didn’t help.”

“Um…I hate to break up this necessary and not at all inappropriate conversation but maybe we should go see if Wyatt needs help?” Jiya suggested. 

Nodding curtly, Lucy spun on her heel and led the way through the crowd, craning her neck as she looked over a sea of hats and parasols for any sign of Wyatt, Emma, or heaven forbid, Jessica.  A small band played nearby and the upbeat music seemed to serve as a soundtrack to her search…adding a bit of drama to the moment as she dodged happy attendees who were dancing to a selection of songs from The Mikadowhich, Lucy knew, was still highly popular four years after its debut in 1885.   

But she didn’t have time to think about Gilbert and Sullivan right now, she needed to find Wyatt. 

Lucy, Jiya, and Flynn reached the front of the crowd and were faced with a host of dignitaries all awaiting the opening of the Eiffel Tower.  If Emma was planning on doing something here, today…this was where she would be…but there was no sign of her, Jessica or even Wyatt.  “Flynn?” Lucy breathed out anxiously, “Do you see them?”

“No.” he said seriously. 

“Maybe we should split up?” Jiya suggested. 

Lucy shook her head, “Absolutely not.  We’re already missing Wyatt, we don’t need to lose each other too.”  She bit her lip as she scanned the area once more in a frantic search for him, but there was nothing.  “C’mon he was headed over this way, he might have gone past the monument. The Eiffel Tower was built for the World’s Fair that’s going to open a little over a month from now.  The Exposition Universelle.”  Lucy snaked her way through the crowd to get to the walkway that led to the unopened exposition area beyond the Eiffel Tower.  “One of the objects on display was the Imperial Diamond…the largest in the world at the time.  Since her latest schemes are all involving monetary gain, I wouldn’t be surprised if her plan was to grab it while all the attention is here at the tower.”

“Sounds reasonable” Jiya agreed.  “But do you think it’s already here?  A month before it’s supposed to be on display?”

“I don’t know, Jiya” Lucy spat out angrily as she shrugged, “I’m just trying to think why Emma would be here and that seemed like a good start.  I just want to find Wyatt.”

The pavilions scattered beyond the Eiffel Tower were just as grand as the tower itself.  As they made their way through the exposition grounds, they kept their eyes peeled for any sign of trouble.  Though the fair was not yet open, the area was still bustling with activity.  Workmen were putting the finishing touches on the fairgrounds and curious onlookers were strolling casually down the wide sidewalks admiring the work already completed. Emulating their example, the trio made their way through the grounds as slowly as they dared, given the circumstances. Yes, they were fighting against the clock, but they didn’t want to rouse unwanted suspicion.  T

They had just turned a corner when they came face to face with Emma and Jessica who, thankfully weren’t looking in their direction…yet.  Instead, the two of them were in deep conversation, huddled together by one of the exposition buildings.    

Jiya let out a curse as she ducked behind the building next to them, but Lucy who was momentarily frozen from shock couldn’t move fast enough to move out of sight without making it obvious that they were trying to avoid detection.  Jiya’s expletive, however, had been enough to cause Emma to glance their way.  Panicking, Lucy spun around and grabbed Flynn by the lapels pressing her lips against his in a desperate attempt to hide in plain sight. 

“Well, well, well…” Emma’s voice echoed off the empty buildings surrounding them, “I guess she got tired of waiting for your divorce to finalize Mr. Logan.”

Letting out a squeak of despair, Lucy broke apart from Flynn and peeked over his shoulder only to see, with horror, Wyatt looking more hurt than ever, pointing his gun at both Emma and Jessica. 

Dammit.

Flynn pulled out his own weapon as Lucy joined Jiya on the other side of the building, each of them fumbling for their own guns safely stowed in their handbags as Jessica turned her attention to Wyatt, “I tried to tell you, Wyatt.  She’s too good for the likes of you.  You belong with me…and our baby.”

“Just how old is your baby now, Jessica?”  Lucy spat out angrily.  “Funny, I don’t remember you taking any maternity leave.”  

As Jessica’s face contorted in confusion, Wyatt voice rang out defensively, ““She wouldn’t lie.” But as Flynn, Jiya and Lucy all turned to look at him with incredulous expressions he amended, “Not about that.” He nodded his head as if trying to convince himself of the fact, “I can’t believe she would be thatcruel.”

“Believe it.” Flynn said lazily as he rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Emma and Jessica.  “So, you’re what?  62 months pregnant?  I must say, you carry your pregnancy weight very well…wouldn’t even know to look at you.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Jessica gritted out.  “Of course, I’m not still pregnant…I had the baby  ages ago.”

“Really?  When?” asked Flynn. 

“That’s none of your business.” Jessica answered angrily.

Flynn frowned and shrugged, “I’m not going to steal its identity, I just want to know when your baby was born.  I think Wyatt, as the father, has a right to know when he needs to send a birthday card to his child.”

“February 29th.” Jessica blurted out.

“Leap Day?” Flynn said with a nod as he turned to Lucy and Jiya conversationally, “You know I always felt sorry for those babies born on a Leap Year.  How would it be to not be able to celebrate a birthday every year?”

“It’s fine.” Jessica gritted out. 

“That must have been very hard for you.” Flynn uttered sympathetically.

“People have babies all the time, I didn’t need anyone there.” Jessica argued.

“No…that’s not what I meant.” Flynn clarified.  “By my calculations, you would have been 10 months pregnant in February 2019…but seeing as that was not a leap year, that means your baby wasn’t born until 2020. That would’ve made you...” Flynn scoffed, “22 months pregnant by the time you gave birth…fascinatingly enough that’s the same gestation period as an elephant.”

Jessica flushed as Wyatt lowered his gun in shock.  “Okay fine, it wasn’t the 29^th okay?  I just don’t feel comfortable with you knowing my child’s birthday.”

“Boy or girl?” Lucy deadpanned.

Jessica’s hesitated and looked towards Emma before answering, “B…I mean, girl.”

“What’s her name?” Jiya yelled out from behind Lucy. 

“What?” Jessica asked in annoyance.

“Your baby.  What’s her name?” Jiya asked. 

An awkward silence arose as Jessica’s eyes widened.  It was clear that she was rattled and Wyatt noticed, “There is no baby, is there?”

“Of course, there’s a baby, Wyatt.  I told you I was pregnant.  Would I lie about that?” she spat out.

“Why not?  You’ve lied about everything else.” Lucy muttered.

“You stay out of this.” Jessica growled as she pointed her gun towards Lucy. “You think I don’t know that you’ve been trying to put the moves on my husband?”

“Ex-husband” Wyatt reminded her.

Jessica, ignoring him, tilted her head at Lucy and narrowed her eyes, “I guess you finally realized he was never going to be yours…can’t say I’m surprised you moved on with the Croatian tree.  I would’ve done the same.”

“You know, I don’t like being referred to as a Croatian tree.  It’s kind of demeaning…and it makes me feel uncomfortable” Flynn argued meekly, but no one was really listening.  Wyatt was biting back tears as he was coming to terms with the full force of Jessica’s treachery while Jiya and Lucy were focused on the slowly advancing Rittenhouse duo in front of them. 

Well, Lucy was trying to focus on Emma and Jessica, but she couldn’t help but cast sidelong glances towards Wyatt.  All of these years she had hated Jessica more and more for manipulating Wyatt’s emotions and using that to her advantage, yet because of one drunken mistake of a night she had unwittingly given her more ammunition to use against him.

Dammit.

In a desperate attempt at clearing the air, Lucy inched herself over towards Wyatt and whispered harshly, “It’s not true, Wyatt.  There’s nothing happening between me and Flynn.” 

“You think I’m going to believe that after everything I just saw?”  Wyatt gritted out angrily. 

“Wyatt, I swear,” Lucy cried, her full attention turned to him now, “I was drunk last night, I don’t even remember going into Flynn’s room…much less anything else…”

“Holy shit.” Wyatt spat out angrily, “Flynn, you sonofabitch…you took advantage of Lucy while she was drunk?” 

“Do you mind if we have this argument afterwe deal with the issue at hand?” Flynn suggested.  You may not have noticed but your wife has us all at gun point.”

“Ex-wife” Lucy and Wyatt said in unison. 

“So, the Rittenhouse Princess has been breaking the hearts of her boy toys?” Emma cooed silkily as she sauntered next to Jessica, eyeing both Flynn and Wyatt suggestively. “Better be glad your mother isn’t alive to see how promiscuous you’ve become.”

“You leave my mother out of this.” Lucy snapped back, “What I do and who I do it with is none of your business.”

“So, you admit, you and Flynn have something going on.” Wyatt nearly shouted, disgust at himself written all over his face.  One look at him and Lucy knew he was blaming himself…absolutely kicking himself for supposedly driving her into the arms of Garcia Flynn.

“Wyatt, why after everything we’ve been through together, would I take the same risks with Flynn? You were a widower…”

“Still alive.” Jessica sing songed.

“…he’s a widower.” Lucy continued to argue, completely ignoring Jessica’s interruption.  “Why would I make the same mistake twice?”

Wyatt flinched at her words, “You…you think we were a mistake?”

“No, that is not what I meant!” Lucy exclaimed as she placed her hands over her face. 

“Sounded like that’s what she meant to me.” Emma muttered.

“Oh shut up, who asked you?” Lucy snarled. 

“EVERBODY SHUT UP” Jessica bellowed as she reached out and wrenched Jiya’s arm in her grasp, pulling her towards her and holding her pistol to her head.  “Now if anyone else says another word, your pilot gets it.” Jiya fought against her captor, but in vain.  Jiya was damn tough, there was no question about that, but Jessica fought dirty and the way she had Jiya’s arm twisted around her back was no exception. 

Panicking slightly, Lucy held her hands up in surrender, “Let’s just…calm down, okay?  Nobody needs to get hurt.”

“Speak for yourself.” mumbled Flynn as he rolled his eyes at Lucy and re-aimed his gun towards Jessica.

And just what is that supposed to mean?” Lucy hissed indignantly.

A wave of anger was building inside of her, churning at her insides until she felt as if a wall if fury would come crashing down upon the two people she hated most in this world. Emma Whitmore, the woman who had killed her mother and Rufus…and Jessica, the woman who had killed her hope of happiness with the man she loved. 

But it wasn’t just Emma and Jessica who were in danger of being swept away by the sheer force of Lucy’s raw emotions.  Garcia Flynn was also climbing high on her shit list. 

“What do you mean, Flynn?” Lucy gritted out, as if daring him to pretend once more that they were more than just team mates and sometimes friends.  He had already made her previously strained relationship with Wyatt even worse because of his antics that morning and Lucy was determined that if he acted in the same vein as he had done when they dropped down in Paris she was going to have to explain to Agent Christopher how they had lost their secondary soldier because he couldn’t keep his cheek in check.

Flynn shrugged dismissively, “Only that I thought your comment was a little hurtful, that’s all.”

“What?  That you and I would be a mistake?” Lucy asked him, gaping. “It was…I mean, it would’ve been if anything happened…and you assured me that nothing did happen, so why are we arguing?”

“We’re not arguing…I was just telling you how I feel.” Flynn said as he readjusted the aim of his gun on Jessica. 

“Wait a minute…are you serious?” Wyatt asked, his voice suddenly hopeful. “Nothing happened between you two?”

“No…nothing happened, Wyatt.” Flynn answered with a resigned sigh.  “Unless you count Lucy’s drunken kisses and a very unexpected though not entirely unwelcome burlesque show in the hallway.”

Wyatt looked as if that did count by the clench of his jaw, but Lucy didn’t have the opportunity to assure him that she was so far gone with alcohol that she had no clue what she was doing – at that moment Jessica yanked on Jiya’s arms causing her to cry out in pain.  “I mean it…one more word and your pilot is DEAD.”

“Well, we have auto-pilot, now…” Flynn said dismissively.

“Yes.” Wyatt said angrily, “but that doesn’t mean we want to see Jiya die, now does it, Flynn?” 

“ENOUGH!” Jessica screamed out as Emma smirked.  “She will die if I hear one more peep out of you, the princess, or the Croatian tree!”

“I told you, stop calling me a Croatian Tree!” with a cry of fury, Flynn lunged at Jessica taking her completely by surprise.

Jiya was able to wrangle herself away as the two of them traded blows.  Wyatt took a shot at Emma who fell back with a cry of pain as she gripped her arm and Lucy ran to Jiya’s side, “Are you okay?”

Jiya nodded as she rubbed her shoulder, wincing a bit as she hit a tender spot on her shoulder. Wyatt, meanwhile, was approaching Emma with caution, kicking away the gun she had dropped involuntarily when she was shot.  “Don’t even think about it.” Wyatt gritted out as she made to dive after her pistol. A cry from Flynn as Jessica gained the upper hand, however, turned his attention to his ex-wife and hated nemesis who were both attempting to gain control of the remaining pistol left between them. 

What happened next would be the cause for a series of debates that would most certainly have raged for the next 20 years had Lucy not been driven to a secluded room in an abandoned farmhouse. 

A series of gun shots pierced the sunlit calm of the Parisian afternoon.  The first had most definitely come from either Flynn or Jessica. The next, had most certainly come from Wyatt.  The third, no one knew, but in the end, two people were lying on the paved walkway; one dead, the other mortally wounded. 

“You shot me?!” Flynn cursed as Wyatt approached the grisly scene. 

Lucy turned an accusing stare to Wyatt who gaped at her defensively, “I…no….I didn’t shoot Flynn!” 

“Did you shoot Jessica?” Lucy asked in awe. 

“No…I don’t know…maybe.” Wyatt said as he put a hand to his head.  “They were moving so fast, I heard the gun shot and was just trying to injure her, but I missed.”

“You sure about that?” Flynn gritted out. 

He really wasn’t. Could he have shot Flynn? Was his, the fatal shot to Jessica?  The thought made Wyatt crumple to his knees.  After all the guilt he had carried around with him for so long, to be responsible for her death? 

“Where’s Emma?” Jiya asked as everyone suddenly looked around them.  They had completely forgotten she was there.  “Her gun is missing…could she have shot one of them?”

“Flynn?” Lucy asked as she swallowed hard, “Did you shoot Jessica?” 

“I don’t know, the gun went off…but I didn’t realize I was shot until she was dead.” He cried out in pain as he sat himself up. 

“Let me see.” Wyatt sighed as he crouched down beside Flynn, taking care not to look too closely at his dead ex-wife.  “Um…” Wyatt muttered as he examined Flynn’s side. 

“What?” Lucy and Flynn said together.

“Two holes.”  Wyatt muttered in shame.

“What does that mean, “two holes?” Lucy asked as she rounded on him.  “An entrance wound and an exit wound?”

Wyatt looked desperately over towards Jessica, noting the obvious exit wound in her stomach.  He swallowed hard and picked up the discarded gun and checked the bullets, “Dammit.” he murmured under his breath. 

“Wyatt?”  Lucy asked, her voice dangerous.  “Did you shoot Flynn?”

“Well…I didn’t shoot Jessica.” Wyatt said as he motioned towards her lifeless form.  “She was shot in the back.”  As he looked towards Lucy and Flynn, he nodded as if to confirm what they already knew, “Emma.”

“Why would she shoot Jessica?” Jiya asked.

“To make a clean break for it.” Lucy said flatly.  “She never was the sentimental type.”

“So why do I have two holes, Wyatt?” Flynn asked with a quirked brow, his face pale. 

Wyatt threw his hands up in exasperation as he began pacing around nervously, “It was an accident, okay? I was trying to knock the gun out of her hand…shoot her in the arm.”  The three of them looked back at him doubtfully, “You think I did this on purpose?!”  he exclaimed.

“It’s no secret we’re not friends, Wyatt.” Flynn admitted.  “And then of course, you were under the impression that I was…”

“No!” Wyatt interrupted, “whatever happened between you and Lucy…”

“NOTHING HAPPENED” Lucy growled out in frustration.

“Even so, I would never…” he looked at Lucy helplessly, “C’mon Lucy, you know…I would never…” 

“I don’t know what to think anymore.” Lucy said as she rubbed her forehead, at a complete loss of what to do.  “Let’s…let’s just try to get you back home, alright, Flynn?”

She nodded at Wyatt and the two of them went to lift him, but he groaned in pain and inched away from them, “I’m sorry, Lucy.  I failed you.”

“What do you mean?” Lucy asked as she brushed the hair out of his eyes, “Jessica is dead.  It doesn’t matter who killed her.”

“Yes, but what good does that do anyone now?” Flynn answered with a grunt.  “I should’ve killed that bitch a long time ago.”

Wyatt bristled, “Hey, you watch your mouth.  Whatever she became, she was my wife.  Show her some damn respect.”

“She was also the woman who kidnapped me.  She’s the reason Rufus is dead.  So, forgive me if I don’t shed a tear.” Jiya spat out irritably.

Lucy furrowed her brow, “What do you mean…what good does that do us now?  She’s dead.”  She offered Wyatt a sympathetic look…though she really wasn’t sorry at all.  “She can’t hurt us anymore.”

“Not any more, no.” Flynn gasped out, “but like Jiya said, she’s the reason Rufus is dead.  She’s the reason that you and Wyatt aren’t together.” At that utterance, Wyatt looked pained and turned away as Lucy attempted to ease Flynn’s suffering, though he waved her away. “It’s fine.  There’s nothing you can do.  I should’ve gone back and killed her in 2012.  I would’ve been able to see my family again, and then she could have never caused so much grief.”

Wyatt turned back to Flynn suddenly, “What do you mean?  You mean…oh my God, of course…why didn’t we think of it before?” 

“Think of what before? Killing Jessica in the past?” Lucy asked incredulously.  “We can’t go back on our own timeline…that’s suicide.”

“Not necessarily.” Flynn gritted out.  “But for some of us….me…the risk is not so great.  I want to be with my family, Lucy…and I can’t get them back.” 

“No.” Lucy shook her head. “None of us are expendable.” Lucy shot a glare at Wyatt who threw his hands up in mock surrender desperately mouthing, “It was an accident!”

“I’m expendable.  I knew we could probably get Rufus back if we got rid of Jessica….but I didn’t think Wyatt would allow it.”

“Me?” Wyatt said defensively.  “I….I….okay, you have a point.  But if it meant getting Rufus back and not spending five years…” He gritted his teeth, “we can still do it…we can still go back to 2012 and make sure she never sets foot in that bunker.”

“And who’s going to do it?” Lucy asked doubtfully, “You?  Wyatt, be realistic.  You blamed yourself for Jessica’s murder for years…how do you think you’d feel if you were actually responsible for her murder?” 

Wyatt and Lucy looked down at Flynn who shrugged weakly, “Don’t look at me…I’m dying.”

And not very long after that…he did. 

Chapter Text

The trip back to the present was subdued, at best, as Wyatt, now weighed down from guilt with the death of two of his team mates sat solemnly in the Lifeboat as Jiya and Lucy strapped themselves in.

Lucy wanted to say something…anything…to ease his mind, but she knew it was no use.  Wyatt would blame himself no matter what she said, and as he had actually shot Flynn, there was no way she could spin it to make him feel that guilt any less.  Instead, she settled for a terse comment on their current situation, “We have no idea if Emma was successful today.  If she was, she’s going to have a hell of a lot more resources than she had before. That diamond is worth over 100 million dollars in today’s money.”

Wyatt frowned and nodded tensely, understanding what this meant.  If Emma had gotten her hands on that diamond, their war with Rittenhouse was far from over.  She could hire any number of goons for that kind of cash and they would be used to ensure she got more. 

Jessica, for all the trouble she had caused, had been the least of their problems.

“Do you think we should have…brought him back with us?  Flynn?”

Lucy’s hands faltered as she attempted to buckle the last strap of her harness.  Lifting her gaze to Wyatt briefly before turning to Jiya, she breathed out “No…we would have been too conspicuous, carrying him to the Lifeboat.”

Lucy’s eyes darted back to Wyatt who was staring at the instrument panel.  She couldn’t help but wonder if his thoughts were on Jessica and how they had just left her there, dead on the sidewalk…the woman whom he had loved, lost…and then lost again.  She couldn’t blame him for feeling some sense of regret.  How had she felt, after all, when Emma had killed her mother?  True, she hadn’t exactly been mother of the year…but she was her mother…the only family she had left…and Lucy had felt her loss as surely as Wyatt probably felt Jessica’s. 

She just hoped he wouldn’t put the blame of her second death upon himself like he had the first.

Wyatt must have sensed Lucy’s gaze; he gave her a sidelong glance, a frown of shame, and then turned his chair away so that he was almost completely obstructed from view.  Jiya, noticing this, turned a sympathetic eye to Lucy who just shook her head sadly as she fastened the last of her buckles. “Are we ready to go?” Jiya asked uncertainly.  Lucy nodded, but Wyatt gave no indication that he had even heard the question. Jiya cleared her throat, “Wyatt? Are…are you ready to go home?”

“Let’s get the hell out of here.” was his short reply.

With a sigh, Jiya punched in the coordinates on the autopilot screen and sat back in her chair as the rings outside the time machine spun rapidly causing the Lifeboat to shake violently with turbulence as it ripped through the fabric of space and time, taking them from the grisly scene of the past to a present that was grimmer than the one they had left that morning. 

Once back in the present, Lucy and Jiya unbuckled their safety harnesses, but Wyatt remained sitting, unmoving.  Casting a nervous glance between her two companions, Jiya excused herself and darted out of the LifeBoat, leaving Lucy behind.  She freed herself from the multiple straps and climbed into the seat next to Wyatt, steeling herself for the difficult conversation that was sure to follow.  “Wyatt…I’m sorry about Jessica.” she finally said with a heavy sigh. 

“I’m not upset about Jessica.”  Wyatt murmured as he gazed at the instrument panel.  “Flynn was right, we should have taken her out a long time ago.”

Lucy shook her head, “Wyatt, we…”

“Ishould have taken her out a long time ago.” Wyatt corrected himself.  “I brought all of this on us.”

“No, you didn’t.” Lucy said firmly.  “It was my mother and Emma who brought her back and turned her into…one of them.” she placed a hand on Wyatt’s arm but he moved it away, “Wyatt…this is not your fault. So, quit blaming yourself.”

“The hell it isn’t.” Wyatt said gruffly as he threw off his harness and stalked out of the time machine and into the town house.  Lucy closed her eyes and heaved a sigh, knowing that it would be impossible to reach Wyatt now that he had even more guilt weighing him down.

Slowly, Lucy followed Wyatt’s lead and headed back into the townhouse.  When she entered the darkened kitchen, Jiya was sitting alone at the table. “Where is he?” Lucy asked.

Without lifting her eyes from the mug of coffee sitting in front of her, Jiya answered, “His room…probably.  He breezed in through here without so much as a glance in my direction.”

Lucy nodded as she pulled out a chair and sat down across from Jiya, the weight of all that had passed finally settling down upon her like a two-ton weight.  Her shoulders sagged under the pressure and she could no longer stop the stream of tears from flowing.  There was no judgement or commentary from Jiya, for which Lucy was grateful and when she did speak, it was to inform Lucy that she had contacted Agent Christopher to let her know what had happened. 

“Good.” Lucy managed to say, her emotions seemed to have a strangle hold on her throat.  After a few beats, she was able to settle herself down enough to ask, “Did she say anything else?”

“She’ll be coming by shortly.” Jiya answered mechanically. 

Flynn hadn’t exactly been as beloved a team mate as Rufus.  Despite their alliance, no one except Lucy had forgotten the hell he had put them all through that first year.  Wyatt had told her more than once that she was naïve for trusting him and though no one else went so far as to openly agree with him, it didn’t take a great stretch of the imagination to know that the rest of their team felt the same way. Even when Rufus was alive, he had dubbed Flynn the “creepy uncle” of their group and never felt quite at ease with the idea of Flynn being “one of them.”

Still, Flynn had saved their skins more times than he had tried to take them.  He was, nevertheless, Flynn…snarky, ill-humored, and stand-offish…but given their battle with Rittenhouse, they needed all the help they could get…and his loss would be felt…considerably.

Lucy stood up to get herself a mug of coffee, hoping that its warmth would work to stifle the chill that had settled into her bones, even though it had nothing to do with the weather, when Wyatt came marching down into the kitchen.  He was dressed in his modern clothes and placing his gun in his shoulder holster when, without a word, he wrenched open the back door and headed resolutely to the shed that housed the Lifeboat. 

Leaving her mug unattended, Lucy made her way to the open door, “Wyatt?” she called but he didn’t turn or acknowledge her in any way.  With one terrified look towards Jiya, Lucy ran out after him, her anger mounting at every passing second.  He was hoisting himself up into the time machine when she gripped the back of his shirt and yanked him back onto the ground, “Just what in the hell do you think you are doing?” she shouted. 

“I’m doing what I should have done a long time ago.” Wyatt said without a hint of hesitation.  “I’m taking Jessica out of the timeline.” Lucy gaped at him incredulously. “That will fix everything.  Rufus will be back…and hell, maybe even Flynn…you won’t have to deal with the consequences of my mistakes anymore.”

He turned again to clamber into the Lifeboat once more but Lucy ran in front of him and blocked his way, “No, Wyatt!” Lucy screamed.  “Are you really going to leave me and Jiya alone?” 

“You’ll be fine.” Wyatt said with a sigh.  “You’ve both been trained,…hell, Jiya can break wrists and arms better than I can.”  His feeble attempt at a joke fell flat as Lucy continued to glare at him.

“Don’t you think we’ve lost more than enough people?” Lucy gritted out angrily. 

“So, that’s what this is about.” Wyatt said with a nod.  “It’s just about numbers…”

“No!” Lucy shouted. “Don’t you dare try to turn this around, you know exactly how I feel about you.”

“Do I?” Wyatt asked with more emotion than Lucy expected.  “I told you years ago, how I felt.  You’ve never…” Wyatt bit his lip, “I don’t want anything from you, Lucy. Lord knows I don’t deserve a damn thing. But don’t you see?  This is why I have to do this.  I have to make it right.”

“You have to make what right?”  Lucy pressed. “Rufus’ death?  Jessica’s deception?  Flynn?”

“Yeah…let’s not forget about Flynn, right?”  Wyatt murmured harshly.

“And just what do you mean by that?” Lucy spat out angrily. 

“Oh, come off it, Lucy. You came out of Flynn’s room wearing his damn turtleneck…you don’t have to spare my feelings.  He handed you your damn bra, right in front of me.”   

“I’ve told you,” Lucy gritted out, “NOTHING happened.”

He shook his head, “I’m not mad…I’m the last person to expect you to…” he bit his lip again, in obvious frustration, “I’m sorry I’ve messed everything up for you.  I didn’t mean to shoot Flynn.”

Lucy threw her hands up in exasperation, furious at Wyatt for not believing her, angry at herself for drinking so much damn vodka to begin with, and mad as hell at Flynn for making a bad situation worse with his insatiable need to get under Wyatt’s skin. Now that he was dead, she was the one left dealing with the consequences.  “Dammit, Wyatt.  Just stop. Okay?”  Tears of anger and frustration were streaming down her face, “No one on this team is expendable…it doesn’t matter what you think you are responsible for, alright?”

“I am responsible.” Wyatt argued.

“You get in that time machine, and I’m coming with you.”  Lucy said firmly as Wyatt glared back at her.  “We do this together or not at all.” 

“She’s right.” Agent Christopher’s voice called from the open shed door.  She stepped inside and surveyed the two of them, both red faced, angry and obviously hurting.  “Master Sergeant Logan, step away from the time machine.  That’s an ORDER” she added as he began to argue with her. 

With an impatient huff, Wyatt stalked away kicking over an old barrel as he did.  “Feel better?” Agent Christopher asked.  Wyatt didn’t respond, he merely frowned and kept his eyes trained on the ground.  Agent Christopher’s eyes lingered on Wyatt’s tense form for a beat before she continued, “I understand we lost Garcia Flynn on this last mission.”  Lucy nodded curtly.  “And Jessica?”

“Dead.” Wyatt said flatly. 

“Very well.” Agent Christopher said with a sigh.  “Well, I hate to be the bearer of even more bad news, but the Imperial Diamond was stolen from Paris in 1889.”

“Dammit.” Lucy cursed as she paced in front of the time machine. 

“Her financial woes are no more.” Agent Christopher said simply, “which means…”

“Which means,” Wyatt announced, “we’re no closer to ending this damn war than we were five years ago.” With angry tears in his eyes he spat out ruefully, “If I had just been man enough to take Jessica out of the damn timeline…hell, if I hadn’t brought her into the damn bunker, none of this would’ve happened.”

Lucy’s eyes darted up to Wyatt.  For years she had defended him, had tried to help him see that he shouldn’t carry around his guilt like a millstone, but he had let it consume him to the point of driving a wedge between them; a wedge that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t overcome.  Right now, however, she was angry…angry that he was so ready to abandon her to ease his guilty conscience.  He had almost left her without even saying goodbye.  Maybe it was because it hurt too much, but the fact was she had pulled him out of the Lifeboat moments before he was about to leave on what would undoubtedly had been a suicide mission without so much as a word. 

No, angry didn’t cover it…she was FURIOUS. 

And hurt. 

And disappointed. 

And she was sick to death of all of it.  Five years. Five years of Wyatt being manipulated by that bitch of a wife (ex-wife, she reminded herself), five years of him pushing her away with his determination to “make things right.” Didn’t he realize that they were better together?  How much time had they wasted…and now, because of everything that had happened, how much further had they drifted apart? 

“If I could just go back and change that one thing…” Wyatt gritted out through his tears. 

“Well you can’t go back Master Sergeant…you know it’s impossible to travel to your own timeline.” Agent Christopher stated matter of factly. 

“Not necessarily.” Lucy muttered, hardly believing her own ears even as she recognized that it was her own voice that was speaking. 

Wyatt and Agent Christopher stared at her as Jiya joined them in the shed.  “Hey, I…what’s going on in here?” she asked as she looked nervously at everyone standing apart from each other looking tense. 

“Lucy was just telling us that we could travel back to our own timeline.” Agent Christopher answered with raised eyebrows. 

“Are you crazy?” Jiya asked as she rounded on her.  “Traveling back to your own timeline is suicide.”

Lucy raised her eyes from the dirty floor and looked directly at Wyatt who met her gaze momentarily before turning away, “So what if it is?”  She scoffed, “Wyatt’s right.  We’re no closer to ending this war and it’s…” Lucy paused to get a rein in on her emotions, “it’s hopeless…so why not just risk it all?”

“Lucy…” Wyatt said with a soft, yet firm voice, “that’s not what I…”

“Really, Wyatt?  Because last time I checked, you were about to jump in this time machine to go to God know’s where to do God knows what.  So let’s just do it.  Together.  Risk everything.   And then maybe…just maybe we can change the past for the better.  We can save Rufus,  We can go back to a time before…” she paused and glanced quickly at Wyatt before turning away once more, “Maybe things could be different.  Maybe not for us…”

“But for another version of us.” Wyatt answered softly, nodding in understanding.  They could very well die on this mission, but if they were successful then maybe their past selves would live past this moment in a happier time. 

No one said anything for a long while, the silence seemed to stretch on for ages…appropriate, since it seemed to echo the heartache, loneliness and despair that encompassed all the time that they had wasted.  Jiya cleared her throat and the sound seemed to pierce the quiet stillness like a firecracker, “If you do go back and change things…it could change here…I mean, technically, our future would be different.”   

“We may not be here to see it.” Lucy said without emotion. 

“You could…if you didn’t stay very long…” Jiya answered. 

“What do you mean?” Wyatt asked, “Rufus said if we traveled to our own timeline…”

“Yes…he was referring to a particular instance with a test pilot who stayed within his own timeline for hours.  He sent a distress signal, so we were able to navigate him in…much like we did for you all when you jumped from 1754…but…”

“But what?” Agent Christopher asked anxiously. 

“He was suffering from brain bleeds, massive headaches, he was completely out of his mind….and no, he didn’t make it.  But that doesn’t mean you won’t.”  She looked between Wyatt and Lucy apprehensively, “If you only stayed a few minutes….it could…it could work.” 

“But our memories would still be the same.” Lucy said flatly.  “And how can we unknow all that we know?” She looked at Wyatt as she said that and in that moment she knew he was thinking the same thing.  There had been so much hurt between them, even if they came back to a future with Rufus, would it matter for them?  Could they move past all of the hurt and pain and finally…finally come together?

“Not necessarily.” Jiya said slowly.

“What do you mean?” Wyatt asked…a tinge of hope in his voice. 

“I mean,” Jiya explained, “if you could go back to a time and…I don’t know, warn yourselves about what was going to happen…you could come back here and then the future could change around you.”

“Our memories…”Lucy began.

“Would change with the timeline.” Wyatt finished as he looked at her, really looked at her…for the first time since he had seen her coming out of Flynn’s bedroom. 

“Okay…so what’s the plan? What do you need?” Agent Christopher asked. 

That question made their resolution seem suddenly real.  They were going to break the rules of time travel, possibly die in the process, but if they were successful…if they were able to change things…

It would be worth it. 

To live a life without the threat of Rittenhouse hanging over their heads every waking moment of the day?  To live in an actual home and not live a life as vagabonds?  To not have the memories of all the horrible battles and fights that had won and lost hanging over them.  What would it be like to go to bed without the knowledge that somewhere in the past five years they had lost some piece of themselves.  Flynn had once said that the Journal Version of herself had been impressive but…

Lucy froze mid-pace as the realization suddenly dawned on her.  “Oh my God…I’ve done this before…”

“Done what, before?” Wyatt asked, anxious about Lucy’s sudden state of panic.

Sinking down on an overturned bucket with her head in her hands, Lucy sobbed, “I’ve traveled back to my own timeline before.  I would’ve had to, to give Flynn the journal…but it…it obviously didn’t work.  Look where we are.”

The hope that had glimmered momentarily was abruptly snuffed out.  Even with a road map, they were still where they had been before. 

Or were they?

“What did you tell Flynn when you gave him the journal the first time?” Jiya asked quietly. 

Lucy laughed despairingly, “Who knows?  He never told me that…just told me we were going to be “quite the team” someday.”

Jiya raised her eyebrows at Wyatt and turned back to Lucy, “What would you have told Flynn?”  Lucy looked up at her blankly, “Would you have told him to do all of those terrible things?”

“No,” Lucy sniffed, “Of course not.  I would’ve told him about Rittenhouse…and I would’ve told him that they were funding Mason…and that they had plans to plant sleepers in the past.”

“Right.” Jiya said excitedly, “Flynn took your journal and stole the time machine…and he did try to stop Rittenhouse…but he did it…”

“To save his family.” Lucy said with a gasp.  “But they couldn’t be saved, because if he had saved them, he would’ve never stolen the time machine…and that means…”

“No one would have stood in their way.” Wyatt said passionately, “They would have done whatever the hell they wanted to do and no one would have been the wiser.  History would have changed all around us.”

“Exactly” Jiya said with nod.  “Maybe this time, you don’t give it to Flynn…maybe this time…you give it to yourself.”

Lucy laughed heartily. “Flynn will have to have it, otherwise….”

‘Don’t you see?  You’ve…you’ve already given it to him…if you travel back to…I don’t know…sometime before all of this goes to hell….but after you have given him the journal…”

“We can change things from there…”Lucy said with a gasp.  “We could go back to before Jessica comes in the bunker…it will be like it never happened.”

“No.” Wyatt said with a shake of his head, taking Lucy by surprise.  “Lucy, if we did that, we’d have to erase 1941.” He looked at her with pleading eyes, “I don’t want to lose that…ever.”

Tears fell freely from Lucy’s eyes as she considered what Wyatt was saying.  All of the pain they had gone through, all of the hurt they had both suffered could easily be swept away, but in order to do that, they would have to sacrifice a time when they had been the happiest.  “Okay…” Lucy sobbed, “but when?  Wyatt, right after that…”

“I know.” Wyatt said with regret etched all over his face.  “I know, Lucy…I don’t want you to go through all the shit I put you through again.  But the fact is…I did…and I shouldn’t get a free pass.  If we do get through this and you decide to hate me for the rest of your life, then dammit, that’s a consequence I’m going to have to live with.”

"I don't hate you." Lucy said softly. "I would never...Wyatt, I knew...even then...that you were just trying to do the right thing."

Wyatt let out a breath of relief and nodded, looking as if a terrible weight had been lifted off of his shoulders as he offered her a small smile.

“Well, if we’re planning on doing this any time after Jessica came into the bunker, it’s going to be tricky." Agent Christopher remarked in her business like tone.   "There was the Rittenhouse raid and finding out Jessica was actually Rittenhouse…”

“Yes, and I wouldn’t have believed it…if Jessica was alive…I would…” Wyatt sighed heavily as he looked to Lucy apologetically, “she was my wife and if we hadn’t known she was Rittenhouse, I would’ve been manipulated even more than she already manipulated me.”

As much as it pained Lucy to know that she and Wyatt would be torn apart again by his conniving ex-wife, she realized what he was saying was true.  She had seen him struggle with his guilt and his sense of obligation for so long even with him knowing that she was Rittenhouse…but if he hadn’t had that knowledge, she would’ve been able to manipulate him right off the team.  He would be lost to her forever. 

“Okay…” Jiya nodded as she swallowed hard, “so what about after the raid?”

“That’s when you all went back and saved me…” Agent Christopher said thoughtfully. 

Jiya nodded her head quickly as she blinked back her tears, “So…it would have to be…

“Rufus will have to die.” Lucy uttered with a quavering voice.  “Jiya will have to be kidnapped...my mother…all of it.” Lucy covered her face in her hands as the memory of that awful day replayed in her mind. 

Wyatt stood apart from her, wanting to offer comfort, but knowing that five years had been too long and it had been all of his fault.  It wasn’t his place…not anymore…hell, it hadn’t been for a long time.   If he had just held onto her when they had gotten back from Chinatown instead of insisting on making things right first…

“What about right after I told you that I loved you?” he whispered from across the room, hardly daring to look at her. 

Lucy raised her head slowly, thinking about how she felt the moment Wyatt had uttered those unexpected and yet long awaited words.  Her face had been beaten, bruised, her heart had been ripped to shreds…but in that small moment, sitting underneath that damn fan, Lucy had felt something that she hadn’t felt in a very long time. 

Hope. 

With a shaky breath and a slight nod of her head, Lucy answered, “That will work.”         

Chapter Text

Lucy entered her bedroom. Somewhere in the depths of a box full of precious mementos, procured for her by Homeland Security, was the journal her mother had bought her.  After her mother’s death, the home she had shared with her had become a figurative gold mine.  Piles and piles of evidence against Rittenhouse had been collected and Lucy, being her only surviving relative was given the arduous task of helping them sort through some of the more personal belongings. 

It had been painful. 

It was one thing to go through her dead mother’s things, quite another to see photo albums filled with pictures of people, places and events that she had no memory of.  That, however, was nothing to the jarring and upsetting photos of celebrations she did recognize that had captured everything as she remembered…everything except Amy. 

As she sorted through her mother’s belongings, she was struck…really for the first time, that her life…her past, was nothing like how she remembered it.  She didn’t know the Lucy Preston in those pictures.  That was a Lucy who had not grown up without Henry Wallace as a father or Amy as a sister.  That was a Lucy Preston who had been engaged to…what was his name again? Something with an “N”…Nathan? Neil?  Nolan?  No.  Noah…that was it.  The Lucy in those photos didn’t know what it was like to watch her brilliant mother fade away as the cancer overtook her body, she didn’t know what it was like to feel the pressure from all sides to carry on her mother’s legacy at Stanford and the cruel disappointment for finding out that after years of trying to fill the shoes of her beloved idol, she had fallen so short, she couldn’t even secure a tenure meeting. 

She wasn’t even worth the consideration. 

Not that that mattered now. 

She wanted nothing to do with her mother’s legacy…academic or otherwise.  The few mementos she gathered, she kept either for sentimental reasons or for their usefulness and practicality.  The journal, being unused, had naturally been included in the things she was permitted to take away from the place that was at once a place of fond memories and family and a source of unfathomable pain. 

It didn’t take Lucy long to find the journal, a bit dusty and tattered from its years spent at the bottom of a moving box.  She fanned through the pages, the musty smell of old paper and binding filling the small space that served as her bedroom.  She crossed over to the small table next to the window only to find that, there, draped on the chair was the turtleneck that she had borrowed from Flynn. The full shame of that morning hit her full force…as did the loss of Flynn when she looked on the table and found the stick figure drawing he had made. 

Consumed with…she didn’t even know what…Lucy sat down at her desk and tried to write, but try as she might, the words just wouldn’t come.  Being in a townhouse, while useful for its convenience to things within walking distance, made the outside noise quite unbearable at times.  Lucy hadn’t agreed when they had selected this location for their temporary headquarters.  She felt too exposed, too much in the middle of busy city life…but that, argued Wyatt, was one of its greatest draws.  So many people coming and going, so much activity going on in such a large place, they would be able to hide in plain sight.  Whatever the benefits, it did her no good now as a car horn blared outside her window, further frustrating her efforts at writing some kind of warning in her damn journal.  Disgusted, she threw her pen on the desk and flopped down on her lumpy twin bed.  It wasn’t long after that that there had been a soft knock on her door. 

“What is it?” she muttered through the pillow she had pressed over her face. 

“Lucy?” Wyatt’s voice called from the other side of the door, “Can I come in?”

Lucy couldn’t remember the last time Wyatt had come into her bedroom…which was sad considering they were supposed to be something.  Tossing her pillow to the side and sitting up abruptly, Lucy stammered, “Um…yeah, sure…come on in.”

The door to her room swung open slowly and Wyatt stepped inside, his face showing a world of care beyond his years.  “I just wanted to see if you need any help.” he offered as his eyes avoided hers. 

She hated this.  She hated this awkward distance between them. She could barely remember the days when they had been best friends, a team…a couple…and now, they hardly spoke to one another.  How did it get so bad between them?  That is what she needed to write about, but where to start?  What to say?  Lucy groaned as another car horn blared outside, “Sure, if you can turn off that noise, it’d be great.”

“Well, we could always go someplace…quieter.” Wyatt suggested in a hushed voice as he stood awkwardly by the door. 

Lucy bit her lip in thought. Peace and quiet was just what she needed.  “Okay. How soon do you think we can get out of here?”

She waited for Wyatt’s response but he seemed to be distracted.  Following his line of sight, her eyes darted from his to the chair on which was draped Flynn’s burgundy turtleneck.  Springing up from the bed suddenly, she wrenched it from the chair, rumpled it into a ball and threw it into the corner.  Wyatt’s jaw tensed slightly, but he didn’t look mad, he looked sad.  “I’m…I’m sorry, Lucy.”

“For what?” she asked, her voice strangely hoarse. 

Wyatt was silent for a good long while before answering, “Everything.”  He turned abruptly on his heel and headed back out of her room, stopping momentarily at her door to call over his shoulder, “I’ll ask Christopher about the new base.” and with that, he was gone again. 

                                                            *********

The farmhouse had been abandoned several decades before the government had procured it for their use. All types had sought refuge here before them…and evidence of their infrequent stays littered the downstairs floor.  Lucy was grateful, as she looked around the room she had selected as her own, that a suitable bed and desk were available for her to work. 

Sitting at the desk, her heart ached at the thought of putting into words all the pain and suffering they had gone through over the past few years.  Obviously, she couldn’t put everything…but what highlights would she choose?  How could she possibly pick? 

Deciding that the best way to start was at the beginning, Lucy talked about herself, who she was, why she was chosen and what job they had been called to do.  Rittenhouse was detailed to the best of her knowledge…its founding in 1780, the known members among the elite of society…the members among her own family…

No.  She couldn’t expose her mother.  If, when she delivered this journal to Flynn eventually, he tried to tell her that her beloved idol and hero was a member of the secret organization she had been fighting against, she would have never believed him. 

That kind of thing you have to find out on your own. 

After that, the words just started flowing from her pen.  What Rittenhouse had done, the plans they had for the Mothership, the consequences to the timeline.  She was so engrossed in what she was writing, she jumped at the sound of Wyatt’s voice near her shoulder, “Make sure you warn me about Jessica.”

Lucy breathed out in relief, “My God, Wyatt you scared me.”

“I knocked.” He said apologetically.  He handed her a coffee mug, “I thought maybe you could use a pick me up.”  He offered her a soft smile, but even as she smiled in return, things were still tense between them.

“Thanks.” Lucy muttered as she cupped her hands around the warm mug.  The aroma drifting from it, immediately brightened her senses and lifted her mood.   Wyatt was already heading out the door when Lucy called him back, “What should I say, exactly?”

Wyatt turned and shrugged, “Whatever you wrote last time…obviously I didn’t listen…but maybe next time, I will.”

“What did I write last time?” Lucy asked, somehow desperate to keep him here with her and talking. 

Wyatt took a step forward and folded his arms across his chest, “Well, I don’t remember exactly what you wrote…” Wyatt’s eyes darted up momentarily before he cast them away again, “Flynn read it out to me during the Watergate mission.”

“When he was threatening to kill you?” Lucy said with a quirked lip.

Wyatt nodded and gave a shallow laugh.

“It’s kind of hard to imagine that in those days we thought Flynn was our biggest problem.”  Lucy had tried to keep her voice light, but the bitterness of all they had suffered came through at the end an almost had her in tears. 

Wyatt, noticing, took another uneasy step towards her, “Here…here’s the newspaper clipping about her murder…” Wyatt pulled out a yellowing piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.  “I don’t know why I kept it…maybe because I knew we would need it.”  As soon as Lucy took the clipping from his hand, he stepped back again, as if burned. 

Lucy immediately began reading and transcribing the events of Jessica’s murder, calling on Wyatt to fill in any gaps of the narrative that might need to be included.  As she finished writing out the circumstances of Jessica’s demise, Wyatt nodded as then muttered, “Tell me I need to get over her and move on.”

“Wyatt, you realize this is going to sound like it’s coming from me?  Don’t you think other you is gonna be a little upset that I’m telling you to get over your wife?  How does that help us?  I mean, we weren’t even an us then.”

Wyatt paused and frowned thoughtfully.  He remembered that mission…when he had felt utterly betrayed by both Rufus and Lucy. Rufus, because he had been recording their conversations for Rittenhouse and Lucy…because she had kept the journal from him.  He had been pissed, yes…but the embarrassment he had felt knowing that some version Lucy knew what had happened with Jessica had given way to the realization that someday they might be close enough for her to care that he needed to move on from his dead wife.  He cleared his throat nervously and muttered, “Just put it.  It will help.”

Lucy shrugged and did as he asked, not quite comfortable with the idea that Wyatt’s words would be taken as her own…in her mind, Wyatt telling himself that Jessica was a deceitful, lying Rittenbitch would go over far better than anything she had to say on the matter.  “Anything else you want me to add?  Remember this is going to us…they can give this to Flynn when the time comes again.”

Wyatt looked like he was about to say something and then thought better of it, shook his head and began to walk away.  He had just reached the door, when he turned, hesitated again and then stammered out, “Just…just let me know that if I don’t get my act together…I lose you.”

Lucy stared at him stoically, hardly daring to move or breathe.  Wyatt wouldn’t meet her eye, in fact, his head was bowed and turned mostly away from her.  Lucy could barely see the hint of an apologetic smile his lips before he turned once more and left the room. 

A barrage of tears such as she had never known followed his departure.  He had given up on her…them.  Now more than ever, she knew that she had to do this…to change this hellish dystopian future to something a little less grim.

Okay, a lot less grim. 

She wrote on and on, detailing missions until her hand ached from the effort.  She was just taking a well-deserved breather when Jiya appeared at her door.  “How’s it coming?”

“It’s coming.” Lucy responded with a yawn.  Taking that as invitation, Jiya made her way into the room and sat down on the corner of Lucy’s bed.  “I really hope this works, Jiya.”

“It will.” Jiya said reassuringly.  “Who better to figure this out than you, right?” 

Lucy shook her head as she swung her legs off the bed and sat up next to Jiya on the edge of the bed, “It’s Wyatt…he’s the one who needs to have the blinders taken off…we all knew.”  

“So, give the journal to him.”  Jiya said with a shrug.  “Tell him he needs to figure it out…better yet, tell him he needs to figure it out with you…other you, I mean.” 

“And what if he doesn’t?” Lucy said with a strangled sob.  “What if after everything…nothing changes?”

Tears flowed once more as Jiya put a comforting arm around her friend’s shoulders, “Hey…you still have each other…”

“Do we?” Lucy sniffed. “He just told me tonight that he wanted me to put something in the journal to let him know that he loses me.” She shook her head despondently, “He’s given up, Jiya.  He’s given up on us.”  Lucy sighed, “I guess seeing me come out of Flynn’s bedroom was the last straw.”

“Doesn’t sound that way to me.” Jiya said with a chuckle.  “He wants you to warn his past self about this…all of this.”

“Nothing happened, Jiya. And…I already wrote about Jessica…what more can I do?”  she stood up and paced the room in agitation, “he admitted that he didn’t listen the first time with what was written in the journal…”

“So, you need to put something in there that scares the shit out of him.” Jiya argued.  “I can tell you right now, he was completely freaked out about you and Flynn.  If I were you…that’s what I would put in there….I bet he’d straighten up real quick…Jessica be damned.”

Lucy stopped, “So you want me to put that one night I got drunk and passed out drunk in Flynn’s room while I was singing Celine Dion?” 

“No…I think you should lie.” Jiya said with a satifsfied smirk,  “Make out like you did sleep with Flynn.”  

“No.” Lucy shook her head. “No way.  I would never do that to my past self.”

“So…put it in some kind of code…some unlikely situation that only you would know would never feasibly happen.”  Jiya contended.  Lucy continued to scoff and shake her head, pacing the room furiously as Jiya continued to plead with her to reconsider, “Think about it, Lucy…Wyatt reads something that says that because you were so heartbroken over his commitment to Jessica, you found solace in the arms of his mortal enemy?  Flynn was the last person Wyatt would ever have wanted you to be with….I mean, the man tried to murder you all how many times?” 

“I didn’t find solace in Flynn’s arms.  We got drunk together a couple times.  That was it.”

“Yeah…and he drew you like one of those French girls.” Jiya teased.  “Don’t think Flynn didn’t tell me all about that stick figure drawing he made of you.”  Lucy rolled her eyes as Jiya added, “I’m sure Kate Winslet had nothing on you.”

“Oh God.” Lucy muttered in embarrassment. Celine Dion, suggestive, hand drawn portraits…that whole night must have been like some drunken reenactment from that scene in Titanic.Well, at least one thing was certain, if she did have a love affair with Flynn, it would have been about as doomed as Jack and Rose’s.     

As that thought crossed her mind, Lucy stopped short, her mouth dropping open in shock at her sudden brain wave. 

Titanic. 

A massive ocean liner, deemed unsinkable that sunk to the bottom of the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage?  It was a historical event that everyone knew and included some of the most prominent people in the world at the time, John Jacob Astor, Benjamin Guggenheim, Isador Strauss…any one or all of them could have been involved with Rittenhouse…but the mission itself? 

Completely illogical.  

Where, for example, would they leave the time machine?  On the ship? Back in England?  Even if they did manage to book passage on the most anticipated sailing of its day, why on Earth would they take such a risk when Flynn, Wyatt and Rufus would have been denied a seat on the lifeboats? 

No.  If Emma had ever dared try anything that involved boarding the R.M.S. Titanic, Lucy would have recognized it for what it was…a trap. 

“I think I have an idea.” Lucy murmured as she rushed over to her desk and picked up her pen.

Curious, Jiya made her way over to the desk and looked over Lucy’s soldier as she began writing. “No,” Jiya muttered, “you can’t just say you and Flynn made out on the Titanic….though I must say, I like the metaphor.” she added with a chuckle.  She wrenched the journal away from Lucy and flipped through it, “Look, see…you describe the missions so well here...”

“But this wasn’t a mission…” Lucy argued

Jiya rolled her eyes at her, “You’ve got to set the mood….if you just write” she flipped back over to the journal entry, “Flynn and I kissed on the Titanic, it’s going to stick out like a sore thumb.”

“It’s already going to stick out like a sore thumb…it’s the Titanic, that mission would be impossible…”

“Yes, but you’ve got to make it sound plausible…for Wyatt.” Jiya explained.  “What did you write about your time together in Hollywood?”

“Are you suggesting I compare my imaginary night with Flynn to my actual night with Wyatt?” Lucy spat out in disgust. 

“No…” argued Jiya, “that’s not what I meant…I meant what did you say about how Jessica’s return made you feel?”

“I didn’t say anything about that.” Lucy muttered in embarrassment.  “I…we both share the blame for what happened.  I knew Rittenhouse brought her back, but I still pushed him towards her.  I can’t talk about how hurt I was…how is that fair to Wyatt?  I’m sure I hurt him too.”

“Lucy, you’re looking at this all wrong.” Jiya maintained.  “The whole reason you are writing this is to fix all of this…we need Wyatt to realize that Jessica is not who we think she is on his own and I think he’d get there a hell of a lot faster if he felt knew how badly he hurt you…”

“She’s right.” Wyatt’s voice called softly from the doorway.  At the surprised looks of both Lucy and Jiya, Wyatt apologized sheepishly, “I’m sorry…I was just walking by and…I couldn’t help hearing…”

After gaping at him for what felt like an eternity, Lucy startled back to her senses and stammered, “No…no…it’s okay, Wyatt.”  He nodded at her, offering a small smile as he turned to leave again before she called him back, “Wyatt?  Did…I mean, would you help me?” she turned to look at Jiya, “Help us?  I think you would know better than I would what would…make other you…”

“I think that’s a great idea.” Jiya said enthusiastically.  “But I think we’re gonna need some alcohol.”

Wyatt didn’t contribute much, he sat in almost total silence as Jiya and Lucy worked on the particulars of the fake Titanic mission, going so far as to have Flynn and Lucy on staring back at the sinking ship on a lifeboat together and making out under the stars.  “That…seems a bit far fetched, doesn’t it?” Wyatt finally piped up. 

“What?” Lucy and Jiya asked together. 

“Just about everybody and their dog has seen that movie, Lucy.” Wyatt explained, “How the hell did Flynn get on a lifeboat when it was women and children first?  That makes him a grade A asshole…not that he wasn’t one.” Wyatt added.  He took another sip of the whiskey Jiya had found in a cabinet and bit in his lip in thought, “And where the hell are me and Rufus?  Still on the boat?  Frozen to death in the water?  In another lifeboat somewhere being grade A assholes too?  How the hell do you explain getting the four of us to safety when most of the people on that ship died?” 

Lucy turned to Jiya in frustration, “He’s right…this…this is too ridiculous.  He’ll see right through it.”

Jiya shook her head, “I don’t think so.”  She turned to Wyatt, “You have the benefit of knowing that this mission didn’t happen.”

“So, will my other self…you put that…what?  After Salem?” Wyatt asked. “You were sick, Lucy…hell, you almost died.  You weren’t in any condition to go on a mission, let alone make out with anybody.”

Lucy was about to rip out the page in defeat, but Jiya stopped her and sat next to Wyatt, “I want you to take yourself back to the day Rufus died…that day you told Lucy you loved her.”

Shame clouded over Wyatt’s features as his eyes darted to Lucy for a small moment before casting them to the floor, “What about it?” Wyatt asked gruffly.

“Well, I was pretty upset that day…wasn’t thinking clearly at all.” Jiya explained. “I was only focused on the pain of losing Rufus…and not much of anything else.”

Wyatt nodded, “Yeah…I was a mess that day.” he conceded. 

“Me too.” Lucy added. 

“Now imagine for one moment, that in the midst of all of that, future versions of yourself suddenly appear and hand you this journal…”Jiya began.

“My mind would be completely blown.” Lucy said with a chuckle.  “I think rational thought would go out the window.”

Jiya turned once more to Wyatt, “And what if, in this look into the future, you saw that Lucy and Flynn kissed…would you be looking at the mission?”

Wyatt looked at Lucy, his grim expression seeming even moreso as he considered how he would feel learning that just moments after telling Lucy he loved her.  He shook his head, “No…it would make me sick.” he admitted.

“That makes two of us.” Lucy said with a smirk. 

“Three of us.” Jiya corrected as she surveyed Wyatt with a satisfied smirk, “Alright then, the mission stays.  Once the initial shock wears off, you’ll most likely realize it was just a ruse, but by then it won’t matter, because Wyatt here…”

“I would do anything to try to make up for pushing her towards Flynn…even if it meant that I thought…” he swallowed hard and lowered his voice to an almost whisper, “I had lost Lucy forever.”  He cleared his throat as he stood back up, “I would do anything…including taking Jessica out of the timeline.”

“But Flynn would know he was the one who is supposed to do it…isn’t that what he said?  Before he died?  That he should have gone back to kill her in 2012…that it would have given him the chance to see his family?”  Lucy nodded thoughtfully, “So Flynn will know that it’s time.”

“And Rufus will be saved.” Jiya murmured as tears sprang to her eyes. 

“Not just Rufus.” Lucy said as she offered a watery smile to Wyatt, “us too.”