A/N: It looks like that 2x01 deleted scene was all I needed to find my muse again. This was supposed to be just a one shot with short missing scenes from season 2, but just the first scene got entirely out of hand, so I'm breaking this baby up in chapters. This is unbeta'ed, so whatever mistakes you see are my own and I apologize.

Little do you know (I'm trying to make it better piece by piece)

He gave her a half hour head start.

After the team meeting and the revelation that Rittenhouse had even more sinister plans for the world than they could have possibly imagined, Lucy had stayed around the common room for another hour - just enough time for Jiya to throw some quick dinner together for all of them. Wyatt had watched her as she'd played with the food on her plate, but had barely eaten anything.

Their eyes met a couple of times, but never for too long, and she was always the first to look away. Did she already regret their almost kiss? Or was it something worse, some unspeakable evil Rittenhouse had done to her? Hadn't she already mentioned that she'd thought they were all dead?

When Rufus got up to put his plate in the sink, Lucy took that as her cue to leave. She quietly excused herself, claiming she was exhausted, and retreated to the room she now shared with Jiya.

He knew she needed space, that she needed time to process everything that had happened, so he gave her a half hour. Maybe that was enough time for her to fall asleep, he told himself. He just wanted to check in on her, to make sure she was really here in one piece, that she had really come back to him.

After those excruciating thirty minutes finally passed, he bid the rest of the team goodnight and made his way to her room. On his way out of the common room, he caught Jiya watching him and nodded when she smiled at him encouragingly. God only knew how unbearable he had been during these past few weeks without Lucy, not knowing if she was alive, if she was hurt. They were all probably relieved for his sake as well.

He just needed to be near her, to watch her breathing in and out, so he could finally convince himself that she was truly alive and that this wasn't just a dream. That he wouldn't wake up tomorrow and she would still be missing.

When Wyatt reached her room, he tried to open the door as quietly as possible. The room was shrouded in darkness, but the light coming from the hallway illuminated her petite frame on the bed to his right. He had given her some of his clothes when they arrived back at the present, and they completely dwarfed her small body. Even in sleep, she still looked worried and afraid, and seeing her like this made his heart ache for her.

He just wanted her to be okay.

Pulling the covers over her frame, he allowed his hand to linger on her back for a moment, just to feel her even breathing. After six weeks of endless torture, she was here. Safe. With him.

He was never going to let her out of his sight again. Crouching down beside her, he pushed her hair back lovingly, so relieved to be able to do this. Her expression softened when he touched her cheek and he couldn't help but smile. He just wanted to protect her. To make her smile.

Leaning in, he gently kissed her cheek, taking her sweet scent in. Her breathing changed for half a second and he pulled away, afraid to wake her up. With one last look at her, he finally stood up and pulled the covers closer to her, tucking them in around her shoulders.

He was about to step out of the room when her voice startled him.

"Stay."

It was so quiet and timid that he almost thought he had imagined the whole thing. But when he turned around, there she was, looking at him with pleading eyes. He crossed the space between the door and her bed in three quick steps and crouched down next to her again.

"You okay? I didn't mean to wake you." He apologized quietly, his hand pushing her hair back behind her ear of its own volition. "Just wanted to check in on you."

She leaned into his touch and a small smile turned his lips up. Feeling bold, he allowed himself to gently caress her cheek, only to find a lone tear making its way down her soft skin.

"I'm just tired." She shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, but her shaky voice betrayed her. "I just… I don't want to be alone." She confessed, her hand covering his.

Wyatt immediately stood up and toed off his shoes, but something still held him back. He was about to ask if she was sure, but Lucy was already scooting over closer to the wall, making room for him. Nodding, he quickly slipped into bed next to her, gladly surprised when she immediately curled up to his side, hiding her face in the crook of his neck.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked quietly, gathering her even closer, fingers dancing up and down her arm.

"No," her voice was muffled, but he felt her lips moving against his neck, and he couldn't help the shiver that ran through him at her touch. "I'm just glad you're here." She whispered after a beat, her arm finally snaking around his waist. "I thought you were dead for these past six weeks. They showed me pictures of Mason Industries. What was left of it."

Her voice shook again and he could feel her tears on his skin. Hugging her tighter, he had to take a deep, steadying breath to keep his own at bay.

"I refused to believe you were dead." He confessed. "Agent Christopher had to lock us up in here to stop me from going after you." He felt her watery chuckle against his neck and smiled, running a hand through her hair. "I never would've given up, Luce."

"I'm so glad you're okay." She pulled away just enough so she could meet his eyes. He smiled at her and gently wiped away her tears with his thumb.

"That feeling is very mutual, ma'am." He told her and she laughed quietly, tucking herself in against his side again, face in the crook of his neck. "Not letting you out of my sight ever again." He promised her and felt her nodding against his skin, before her lips touched his neck.

"Thank you for not giving up on me." She whispered, hugging him close again.

"Never."

They were quiet after that. A few minutes later, he finally felt her breathing even out. Pulling the covers up to their shoulders, he kept running his hand up and down her arm. This was everything he wanted, to have Lucy back in his arms. Safe.

Maybe Rufus was right. Maybe he did love her. God only knows what he went through when she went missing, and his reaction had been pretty similar to when Jess disappeared all those years ago. Maybe he really was ready to love again.

Lucy sighed and mumbled something in her sleep, something that sounded a lot like his name, and he smiled, holding her closer.

He was never letting his historian go. Ever.

A/N: The muse survives solely on reviews. Please?

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