Chapter 7

A/N #1: What happy timing (and excellent inspiration) for this story that our Timeless fandom was treated to a live streaming of "Hollywoodland" with Malcolm, Abby, and Matt the other night...if you didn't get the opportunity to participate, I hope you can check it out sometime on YouTube. It was awesome :)

"Um, guys, I think we might be lost," Rufus commented uncertainly from the back seat in spite of the discreet frown Lucy threw at him over her shoulder. She kept a reassuring hand on Wyatt's muscular thigh and pretended not to hear him swearing under his breath as the sturdy Buick carefully bumped along the rutted gravel road, its brilliant high beams barely slicing through the deepening darkness after leaving the paved, well-lit streets of 1941 Oakland behind what seemed like hours ago.

Privately, Lucy was tempted to agree with Rufus, but prudently kept that opinion to herself. Because the new prison was still under construction, naturally, it wasn't located on the map of California Wyatt had bought, and stopping to ask for directions under the circumstances was absolutely out of the question. Lost or not, the nearer they got to their destination, the stronger Lucy's uneasiness grew. There were so many unforeseen variables at play here, it would be a miracle if the plan actually worked. But, successful or not, it was the best the whole team could come up with. It had to work...

Glancing at Wyatt's somber profile while he concentrated on the road ahead of them, Lucy smiled fondly. Despite the inherent tedium of the trip, it was clear her soldier was more than just an experienced driver. He was also a guy who loved everything about cars and visibly relished the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a vintage automobile like this Buick or Ryan Millerson's racer during the mission in 1955 Darlington. Wyatt's shy words to her this morning at the Paramount lot echoed in Lucy's head as she snuggled a little closer against him. "It was nice to see him happy," she thought wistfully. Now that they were together, Lucy hoped she and Wyatt could look forward to making each other happy for a long time to come.

"You made me happy sometimes...You made me glad..."

After stopping briefly in King City for food and gas and to put the convertible's top up a few hours ago, Wyatt had made good time driving and the first part of their journey was nearly over. All that remained before the 350-mile or so trek back to where the Lifeboat waited was locating the correct cell and stashing the items Flynn would need to escape the prison more than 75 years from now. Even though this was the sole purpose for the long ride from Hollywood to Oakland and back, Lucy sighed inwardly at the thought of the bitter, volatile ex-terrorist joining them in the already crowded underground bunker, especially since he and Wyatt got along about as well as mixing oil and water.

The funny thing was–not that Lucy would ever think of mentioning it to either one-deep down, she suspected the two men had much more in common than not. Coming from military service backgrounds that led to Delta Force for Wyatt and the NSA for Flynn, both had proven to be not only highly skilled and intelligent, but also uncommonly stubborn.

While Flynn's attitude toward the Master Sergeant seemed typically adversarial for two men on opposite sides of the law, in Wyatt's case, however, it was likely he'd never forgotten–let alone forgiven–the older man kidnapping Lucy in 1780 and holding her captive for several days. Making matters worse, not long afterwards, Flynn appeared to have been more than willing to completely erase her from existence as some kind of collateral damage in his private war against Rittenhouse. Therefore, it was easy for Lucy to recognize that in Wyatt's mind, Garcia Flynn was a proven threat to her personal safety.

Which was definitely why forcing the guys to return to 2017 with Jiya and leave Lucy in 1954 D.C. with her grandfather and Flynn had been one of the most difficult decisions she'd ever made-and unfortunately, probably Wyatt's worst nightmare come true...

Flashback

"Lucy, no...no way," Wyatt's stunned whisper cut harshly through the frigid February air inside the cavernous, unheated warehouse just outside of Washington, D.C. Heart pounding wildly at his predictably disturbed reaction, she struggled to remain composed when-heedless of the varying degrees of interest displayed by their unintended audience-his disapproving gaze raked her from head to toe.

"Please, Wyatt, I know this is hard for you, but now is not the time," she silently begged, meeting his outraged glare as steadfastly as she could manage, desperate for him to acquiesce. Not only was Jiya in serious need of modern medical attention, but Lucy sincerely believed witnessing the Lifeboat's departure first hand was the only way to convince her grandfather time travel was indeed real–and that she was exactly who she claimed to be.

Instead, to her dismay, Wyatt stepped even closer, mere inches away from Lucy-so close, she could practically feel the wave of fury coming from him. Lowering his voice, he gritted out, "Look, we almost lost you once...I cannot lose you again." While Lucy's very being thrilled at the depth of emotion he unknowingly revealed, regretfully, whatever this was happening between them would have to wait.

Pressing her trembling lips together, she stared into Wyatt's wintry blue eyes and reasoned quietly, "You trusted me this long, I just need you to do it a little longer..." For several tense seconds, the air between them fairly crackled with unspoken, unresolved feelings before Wyatt drew a ragged breath, his cold gaze seeking Flynn. While the older man was seemingly indifferent to their exchange-lounging casually against the front of the car, arms folded across his chest-Lucy sensed his dark, hooded gaze was focused intently on her and Wyatt.

"If you hurt her," Wyatt warned grimly, before Flynn interrupted him, taunting, "What? You'll try and kill me again?"

Surprisingly, aside from briefly shooting the other man a menacing scowl, all of Wyatt's attention was centered on her and her alone. The sorrow and doubt reflected in his steely blue eyes pierced Lucy's heart. If something happened to her...if Flynn failed to keep his word...if the two of them somehow returned in the Mothership to a different time line...while she was extremely worried what losing another woman he cared about would do to Wyatt, it just couldn't be helped. There was too much at stake here-their whole future, it seemed-with absolutely no guarantees.

As Flynn and a bewildered Ethan Cahill looked on mutely, Wyatt frowned disbelievingly at Lucy for a few emotionally-charged seconds. Then, with what was clearly great effort, he shook his head once and inhaled deeply. Her chest ached in the face of Wyatt's anger and fear for her safety. Wearing a distinctly unhappy expression, he finally turned away from her. Unconsciously clenching her gloved hands, she shivered mentally at the abrupt physical sense of loss and had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from running after Wyatt. The nearly overwhelming desire to throw herself into the comfort of his strong arms and beg him not to leave her made Lucy's head spin.

"...I didn't wanna tell you, I didn't wanna tell you..."

In that moment, she understood with a terrible clarity–despite being unable to fault the logic in her painful decision–Wyatt was fighting against every single instinct he possessed to protect her, even with his life if need be. "It will be okay." Seeking perhaps to reassure both of them, the impulsive, well-intentioned promise fell breathlessly from her lips, even as everything in Lucy hoping fervently she was telling the truth.

After taking a couple tentative steps, Wyatt stopped and turned around to look at her. The pain and underlying sorrow on his face nearly brought Lucy to her knees. Gone was his anger from before. In that split second, Wyatt Logan–headstrong, brave, honorable Delta Force soldier–seemed uncharacteristically defeated...and sadly, that was all on her. Facing each other for what she secretly feared might be the last time, everything around them faded away as Lucy concentrated on Wyatt and him alone. Please, God, please, don't let this be the end...the last time I ever see him, she prayed brokenly, unable to bear the thought of living in a world without this man in it.

Raising a shaking hand in farewell, her lips curled into a rather unconvincing smile (that felt more like a grimace) just in case Wyatt turned around one last time. But he didn't. Trying to remain calm while her heart was breaking into a million pieces, Lucy watched the only man she would ever love stiffen his shoulders and slowly walk away before reluctantly climbing into the Lifeboat...leaving her behind.

As the time machine's massive steel rings began to spin in opposite directions before taking off with a thunderous roar, a welcome numbness settled over Lucy, blanketing her distracting emotions and giving her the strength to see this madness to its logical conclusion. She would see Wyatt again, because the alternative was too devastating to contemplate. Taking a fortifying breath, Lucy turned to face her grandfather and Garcia Flynn, perfectly aware that although Wyatt was unlikely to let himself understand why, she nevertheless truly believed the terrorist was no longer a threat to her...

End Flashback

"Hey, there's a sign," Rufus exclaimed in relief, thankfully interrupting Lucy's troubled thoughts. Wyatt eased the Buick to a stop beside a large, surprisingly well-lit sign that proclaimed, Future Site of Oakland State Penitentiary, before turning to look at Lucy. At her wordless nod, he obediently put the car in gear and shutting off the headlights, cautiously drove past the forbidding, partially-built facility to the very back of the site.

Parking on the other side of a hulking piece of construction equipment, Wyatt helped her out of the car before grabbing a flashlight from the glove box. Waiting patiently while he popped the trunk to collect the small canvas bag they'd retrieved from the Lifeboat on the way here, Lucy shivered in the chilly night air, grateful for the thick, warm sweater Wyatt had thoughtfully bought her this morning. What she wouldn't give to be back in 2018 right now, cuddled up with him on one of their narrow, uncomfortable cots...

"Let's go," he said once Rufus joined them, taking Lucy's hand securely in his larger one. She openly clung to him as they moved stealthily single file towards the structure, making their way around numerous neatly-stacked piles of concrete blocks. Coming to a halt at the back wall, Wyatt shone the flashlight all around, eventually locating a nondescript door a few yards away with "No Admittance" spray painted on it. "No padlock," he noted approvingly in a low voice as they approached the door. Deftly jimmying the standard lock and pulling the door open, Wyatt waited for Lucy and Rufus to proceed him before closing it behind them.

The eerie stillness seemed to instantly envelope them and Lucy's hand flexed anxiously in Wyatt's. Sparing her a sympathetic look, he leaned in and whispered softly against her cheek, "You're okay, sweetheart, I'm right here." She nodded hesitantly. Wyatt wouldn't let anything happen to her, Lucy reminded herself, pushing back against the instinctive wave of claustrophobia that threatened to overwhelm her. Luckily, things moved fairly quickly once they spotted the steps to the upper level and located the particular cell Flynn would occupy in 2017.

Lucy entered first, the guys crowding in behind her, and by the dim glow of the flashlight Wyatt held, began counting concrete blocks from the far corner. "This is it," she whispered, bending down and lightly touching the tenth block across.

"Right there?" Wyatt asked before handing off the flashlight to Rufus. At her silent nod, he dropped the bag on the floor and digging out a small pick, eyed Lucy briefly over his shoulder before crouching down to chisel away at the concrete. Within twenty minutes, their task was complete, and they were leaving the future Oakland State Penitentiary behind for the long drive back to Hollywood. The sense of relief in the car was palpable and the conversation lively during the first hour or so they were on the road, with Rufus going into enthusiastic detail about some of Hedy and George's amazing inventions.

Lucy scooted even nearer to him when Wyatt invitingly placed his hand on her thigh. "If I didn't know the man was head over heels for Jiya, I might think someone has a little crush on Miss LaMarr," she whispered. His lips quirked in amused agreement.

"Hmm, apparently, Rufus is one of those rare guys who don't find beautiful women with brains intimidating," Wyatt observed thoughtfully in a quiet voice, raising a dark brow in her direction. Lucy blushed at the subtle reminder of their intimate conversation beside the movie star's pool last night, even as she tucked her suddenly warm cheek against his sturdy shoulder with a tiny yawn while Rufus continued to talk–loudly at first, then growing softer as he gradually surrendered to his fatigue.

Concerned Wyatt might doze off at the wheel, Lucy tried not to fall asleep, she really did, but after the third time she jerked herself awake, he chuckled and murmured, "C'mon, Professor, quit fighting it. Go ahead and get some sleep, I got this." When she shook her head in protest, he explained, "Look, I've pulled plenty of long-ass duty shifts in the service, so, unlike you and Rufus, I'm used to going for long periods of time without rest...plus, I figure you're probably pretty worn out since neither one of us spent too much time sleeping last night, remember?" with a crooked, rather satisfied grin.

Cheeks flaming, she hastily checked over her shoulder and hissed, "Wyatt! Not in front of Rufus." Before he could respond, a gusty snore broke the silence from the back seat, efficiently rendering her embarrassed objection unnecessary.

"Pretty sure that's not gonna be a problem," he pointed out dryly. "I'm fine, sweetheart, I promise. So please, lean against me and close your eyes. I'll get us back safely." Staring at his beloved profile, lit only by the lights of the dashboard, a sweeping wave of love filled her heart...and in that moment, Lucy wanted so badly to tell Wyatt how she felt. Despite the fact they were lovers now, a lingering insecurity made her hesitate. As sweetly and tenderly as Wyatt had kissed and caressed her last night, she knew in her soul he cared deeply for her, but still...was he truly over his deceased wife? Was Wyatt finally ready to return her love?

The next time Lucy opened her eyes, it was still dark out. Wyatt was pulling off the paved street and guiding the Buick along the narrow dusty road winding through the Hollywood hills to where the Lifeboat was parked. Moments later, they were landing with a heavy thud in the bunker during the wee hours of the morning, thankfully avoiding a mission debriefing until Agent Christopher returned later in the day. Drooping with fatigue, Lucy barely noticed the knowing expression on Rufus' face when he gallantly offered to join Jiya in the room the two women usually shared.

"Thanks, man," Wyatt yawned widely, taking her hand. After a quick stop to snag a couple bottles of water from the fridge, he led her down the hallway to the guys' room, shutting the door firmly behind them and locking it. Standing between the two cots, it was plain to see which bed belonged to a soldier. One had been neatly made, the bedding tucked in with a military-like precision, while the other was a disheveled pile of pillows and blankets spilling onto the floor.

Following her gaze, Wyatt shook his head ruefully. "Yeah, Rufus Carlin is many things, but a tidy roommate he's not." His disgruntled expression made Lucy giggle helplessly as she stood there watching him with a goofy, sleepy smile. Wyatt really was gorgeous and so much funnier than she'd ever realized.

"Okay, you are officially about to pass out standing up, Professor," he observed with a dimpled grin, steadying her when she started to wobble. "Hang on a second and let me find you something to sleep in." Lucy tried to nod, but in her present state of exhaustion, it seemed to be way too much effort so she settled for yawning in agreement.

Grabbing a worn Army green tee shirt from the top drawer of his small dresser, Wyatt efficiently stripped Lucy down to her bra and panties in a surprisingly short amount of time, dropping the large, warm shirt (that smelled like him) over her head. Leaning down to pull back the sheet and blanket, he deposited her on the side of the cot with a gentle kiss to wait while he undressed and carefully stacked their clothes on the dresser in record time.

"You have some very impressive skills, Master Sergeant," Lucy slurred appreciatively, patting his stubbled cheek clumsily when a boxer-clad Wyatt finally joined her under the covers, tucking her securely against his broad chest. She could barely keep her eyes open.

Fully content now that they were safely together back in 2018, she sighed happily when Wyatt cuddled Lucy close and whispered, "Rest now, sweetheart." Her last thought before drifting off was how much she loved and needed this man.

"You know you've got the brand of kisses that I'd die for..."

Judging by the bright light flooding through the windows, presumably the middle of the day had come and gone by the time Lucy woke up. Blinking lethargically, her senses eventually began to stir, and she became aware that her very relaxed body was tucked up against a delightfully warm, bare-chested Wyatt. She could feel his heart beating steadily under her cheek, and along with his large, calloused hand soothingly rubbing up and down her back, it was all so comforting and made her feel so safe, she began drifting off to sleep again when to her mortification, Lucy's neglected stomach chose that moment to protest loudly.

"Either someone's hungry or there's a wild beast hiding under the bed," Wyatt teased huskily as she buried her face in his chest. Nice going, Lucy, she winced mentally...only their second morning waking up together, and already she was making things awkward.

"I'll show you a wild beast once I get some food in me," she retorted half-heartedly under her breath, cheeks turning crimson when he laughed loudly in appreciation. Putting her hand over Wyatt's smirking mouth, Lucy narrowed her eyes in warning, which only seemed to amuse him more. Firmly, thoroughly kissing the smile from his lips, she pushed herself away from him long enough to gaze affectionately into his dancing blue eyes. Relaxed, sleep-rumpled Wyatt was quite appealing and sexy as hell, and just imagining waking up with him every morning (maybe for the rest of their lives?) sent a shiver up her spine.

"I want some love that's true...Yes, I do, indeed I do..."

"C'mon, soldier, get moving...we've slept half the day away, and apparently, I'm starving," she scolded lightly, climbing off his body and snagging her dress from the dresser before heading for the door, fully confident he'd be right behind her. Like a couple of mischievous children, they stole down the thankfully deserted hallway to the bathroom for a quick shower. Entertained by Wyatt's charming pout when it really was only a shower, Lucy dodged his possessive hands and laughingly kissed him, promising a worthy reward later for his 'good' behavior.

By the time they'd gotten dressed-Lucy blushing at the proprietary glint in Wyatt's eyes when she swiped one of his plaid flannel shirts to wear over her white tee-and were hungrily devouring the scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee he prepared, they were joined in the kitchen by Rufus and Jiya. Aside from the occasional speculative glance between her and Wyatt, the younger woman was curiously subdued.

Since he generously made the meal, Lucy volunteered for clean up, joining the others in the common area afterwards while they waited for Agent Christopher and the mission debriefing. Wyatt challenged her to a friendly game of checkers, and naturally, he was an ace, beating her every time. Not all that competitive herself, Lucy didn't mind though, especially after his bashful confession that he and his Grandpa Sherwin played often when Wyatt was a child. The next hour or so passed peacefully enough for the two couples until a solemn Agent Christopher arrived...because she wasn't alone.

"How'd it go?" she questioned, coming to a halt and looking intently from one face to another.

"Uh, we stopped them," Lucy responded, glancing inquiringly over her shoulder at Wyatt, who added, "And dropped off the package," before leaning back and crossing his arms with a satisfied smile.

"I know," the older woman answered gravely, as without warning, the tall, visibly thinner form of Garcia Flynn appeared. Lucy felt rather than saw Wyatt immediately tense behind her. Here we go, she thought apprehensively, when Flynn spoke.

"To think I escaped prison for this," he jeered, glancing around in apparent disgust.

For a long, fraught moment, no one said anything until a grim-faced Wyatt silently stood. Setting his jaw, he walked past Flynn, snarling at his superior, "Just keep him on a leash," before storming down the hallway.

Shooting Agent Christopher an apologetic look, Lucy jumped up and hurried after him. Wyatt had already made his strong feelings on the subject well known, but it was still disappointing to see his previously good mood completely disappear at the sobering, in-your-face reality that a man he thoroughly despised was now stuck in the bunker along with the rest of them.

"Hey, hey," she called out softly, trying to catch up with his long strides. Wyatt stopped abruptly and turned to face Lucy, his posture stiff with disapproval. Holding her hand out in a conciliatory manner, she instinctively tried to pacify him. "I know, I know." His shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.

"It's just...seeing Flynn here, with us, I don't like it," Wyatt said flatly, hands on his hips. She hated making him unhappy, especially now that they were together, but Lucy genuinely felt the team needed their former enemy if they were to have any hope at all of defeating Rittenhouse.

"I don't like it either," she admitted quickly, attempting to sooth his ruffled feathers, "But he's on our side now, and he can help us." A big part of her hoped fervently it was a true statement.

Her heart sank when Wyatt looked less than convinced, though, arguing, "Yeah, but will he? I mean, he got what he wants, so now what?" They stared wordlessly at each other for a long moment.

Inhaling deeply, she stepped closer to Wyatt. "Now, can we just forget about Flynn for, like, a minute, because we have each other, don't we?" she coaxed hesitantly, vastly relieved at the lazy grin spreading across his handsome face before answering in the affirmative. As he continued to smile rather boyishly at Lucy, her heart lifted faintly and she felt a little more sure of herself.

"I mean," she began with a timid smile, nervously pushing thick, unruly hair back behind her ears, "the other night, it was..." when to her delight, Wyatt nodded and moving closer, finished the sentence, "...pretty amazing." Lucy's heart leaped and her cheeks warmed at his intent gaze.

"You made me love you, and all the time you knew it..."

"That's what I thought, too," she allowed with a pleased smile. "So, we agree."

"We do," Wyatt confirmed in a deep voice, returning Lucy's smile, reaching out with large, masculine hands to gently cradle her slender hips.

They continued to watch each other until Lucy broke the silence. "So..." she murmured, deliciously aware of the heat of his hands on her body.

"So..." he echoed softly, smiling tenderly at her.

"What do we do now?" she asked a bit flirtatiously, peeping up at Wyatt from under her lashes.

He pretended to thoughtfully consider her question before teasing, "Well, um, we're already living together...so it's a pretty big step..."

A soft chime sounded, prompting Wyatt to pull his phone from his pocket and glance at it even as Lucy cheerfully countered, "Gosh, nowhere to go but down."

"That's right," he chuckled absently as his gaze abruptly sharpened on the device in his hand.

"What?" Lucy asked curiously when Wyatt went perfectly still, his face alarmingly blank.

"I'll be right back," he muttered without meeting her eyes before turning and swiftly disappearing around the corner.

"Okay," she stammered, taken aback by the bizarre way he was suddenly behaving. Staring after him in bewilderment, Lucy went icy cold all over, futilely calling out to him, "Wyatt?" But there was only silence. Something was terribly wrong here. One second they were smiling and flirting and (she'd later swear to it) happy...and the next, to her shocked dismay, she could feel Wyatt withdrawing from her–both emotionally and physically. What the hell just happened?

For a stunned Lucy, after Wyatt walked away from her, time seemed to literally stand still and yet move forward at a jarring, breakneck pace over the next several hours until all she could remember long afterwards were mercifully-blurred fragments of memories...

A haze of confusion followed quickly by a staggering sense of dread filling her chest when it was quickly discovered Wyatt had somehow left the bunker unauthorized in one of the Homeland Security agent's trucks...

The pitying glances from Rufus and Jiya a sharp contrast to the formidable anger darkening Denise Christopher's face and the perpetually mocking sneer Flynn wore...

Doing her level best to stay calm-while feverishly praying he was alright and would come back to her-as her increasingly desperate texts and calls to Wyatt's phone went unanswered...

The overwhelming relief when he finally answered his phone, followed almost instantly by a soul-crushing wave of pain and despair at his halting, impossible, unimaginable words, "Jessica's alive..."

Yes, it was pretty accurate to say that when she eventually allowed herself to think back to that magical night in 1941, Lucy could only marvel at how exquisitely perfect her song selection had been...

"You know you made me love you."

A/N #2: While it was wonderful to relive the romance of this shippers' dream of an episode and fill in the blanks, my gosh, the angst is pretty rough to get through. I gotta be honest here, reliving the last couple minutes about killed me (which is why I ended the story where I did). Have to give serious props to not only Abigail and Matt, but also the man who wrote Hollywoodland, the talented Matt Whitney. I can't remember a television show that took me from the height of happiness to the depth of despair in 42 minutes :/ My sincere thanks to everyone still following this story that I started writing almost exactly two years ago (March 30, 2018). Your favorites, follows and kind reviews are much appreciated :))