Story [Timeless] Strawberry Dreams - The Time Team returns to a changed timeline that will affect Lucy

Welcome all to another adventure I've based on the NBC show Timeless. If you haven't watched it yet, please do. It is not like other time travel shows. You will fall in love with these characters. And you get to learn obscure history, too. We are still waiting for NBC to renew the show. If you have watched it and love it, I have a good one for you. This is set a few days before the two-part finale last Sunday. And if you know where I got the title, you may want to have the tissues handy. So, as always, thanks for reading and enjoy and review as you see fit.

Strawberry Dreams​

The rush of air came through suddenly in the main hangar of the bunker. The whooshing sound of it was not deafening. It was almost like a vacuum, bending the space time continuum to return the craft back from the past. The sound was now commonplace to those living in the bunker in the current timeline.

Jiya was sitting at the computer when the Lifeboat returned. She tried to hold down some papers in a nearby folder but only half succeeded. She called out to the others in the bunker, "They're back!" Jiya got up to move the large metal step ladder under the opening hatch.

Coming into the hangar was Agent Christopher and Connor Mason followed behind her. The FBI agent glanced at the former millionaire and scientist and asked, "Everything ready?"

"All up to speed," Connor said in his pristine English accent. "Perhaps we should allow Lucy to freshen up first."

Agent Christopher gave him a wry look. "Connor, I don't think she'll care what she's wearing . This is too important to her."

"Which is why we're taking the secret agenda approach instead of the direct one."

"We've been over this. It's best that we ease her into it first."

"Fine."

They both focused on the hatch to the Lifeboat as it opened. The first to climb out was Lucy Preston, dressed in a simple dark suit and skirt with a small hat. The fashion of the late 30's. She eased down the ladder. Behind her, emerging from the Lifeboat, was Garcia Flynn, Wyatt Logan, and the pilot, Rufus Carlin.

Lucy quickly went up to Jiya, who had already returned to the computer. She asked her with great anticipation for the answer, "Did the atom bombs happen in World War Two? Hiroshima and Nagasaki?"

Jiya started typing in the information and she quickly said, "Yes. Both places bombed exactly when they were supposed to. You did it. The letters to FDR from Albert Einstein were received." Lucy sighed in relief.

Agent Christopher turned to Wyatt and Flynn. "What about the sleeper agent?"

Flynn replied, "Shot him in the stomach before the car exploded. He'll be dead in a few hours." Flynn stopped to think. "Or he's already been dead for eighty years."

"Did you say exploding car?" asked Christopher.

"Affirmative," said Wyatt. "Sleeper tried to kill Einstein and his colleagues with a car bomb with the letters. He used an old tilt fuse bomb. Insurgents used them in Saudi. Recognized it immediately."

Rufus came up and said, "If it wasn't for Wyatt, we'd all be dead."

"Seems you might have said that same thing once or fives times before."

Lucy added, "This time you saved Albert Einstein!"

"And the rest of his friends," said Rufus in fake casualty.

Connor perked up. "They all were there?"

Rufus smiled. "Yep. Einstein. Szilard. Teller."

Connor's eyes went wide. "Oh, to have a conversation with those three."

"Well, I did," said the not so humble Rufus. "I fulfilled the dream of every physicist at MIT. Me and Einstein, we go way back. Spoke to him on his time theory."

Connor grinned. "Oh, great! Wait, how did that come up?"

Rufus gave his embarrassed look. "Well..."

"He knew," said Lucy. "Einstein knew we travelled through time."

"And how would he have known?" Connor insisted.

Rufus said, "We kinda, might have said the wrong thing."

Lucy, the historian, explained. "We mentioned the next set of letters that Einstein would send, also sourced by Szilard. However, those were dated April 1940."

"Oh. Months ahead of their future," noted Connor.

Lucy almost sounded excited. "Yes, but the others didn't catch it."

"But Einstein did," Rufus said. "There were other things he noticed. The fact that our clothes weren't ours. Our speech patterns. Flynn's accent."

Flynn injected, "Sorry, I can't speak American."

Lucy continued. "At least he confronted us without alerting the others. I had the feeling the others wouldn't quite agree with his time theory. Here I thought he won a Nobel Prize for it."

Rufus started to counter but Connor beat her to the correction. "Einstein didn't win the Nobel for his relativity theory. He won it in 1921 for explaining the photoelectric effect. Even then there was red tape to go through with the Nobel Prize."

Rufus told Connor, "Anyway, he knew and I had to explain the physics of our time machine. He asked all the right questions and I answered them. He was fascinated. I showed him a dime I had made in 2005. Of course, I had to name drop a certain Connor Mason on his own time theories. He said they were brilliant."

Connor was speechless. Almost. "Einstein...said I was brilliant. Wish I'd been there with you."

"Me too. But the shoot out and the car explosion was intense. Still, it was a proud enough moment for the both of us," Rufus stated.

Connor asked, "Better than meeting Mark Hamill at Star Wars Celebration?"

Rufus considered. "Different. But no less proud. But, thank you. Always a plus to come back to a timeline where Star Wars still exists."

Wyatt poked his head through and said, "Sorry to interrupt Star Wars and physics speak, but I'm going to see my wife. It's late but I'm sure she'll wake up for me." He left. They also just noticed that Flynn left without any word.

Rufus spoke as if Wyatt never said anything. "Connor, Einstein also said I have great instincts."

"Oh, I see. I've been telling you that for years, which you ignore. Albert freaking Einstein tells you and you act like a bloody hero."

"I'm not a hero, Connor."

Jiya immediately surrendered her seat at the computer to squeeze in and wrap her arms around Rufus. "Yes, you are! But you're my hero." They kissed. Then Jiya announced, "Excuse me while I take my hero away so we can ravage each others bodies." She pulled Rufus away by the arm.

As he was being dragged away, he said, "We may be a few hours."

Conner cried, "That, Rufus, is what you Americans refer to as TMI."

Feeling literally like the last one standing, Lucy said, "Well, I'm getting out of these old clothes. Literally, old clothes."

"Just a moment, Lucy," said Agent Christopher. "Connor and I need to speak to you."

"About what?"

"Let's go into the other room."

"OK, now you're scaring me."

Connor assured her, "Not to worry, dear."

All three moved to a small room adjacent to the main dining and kitchen area. Christopher and Connor stood while Lucy leaned against the opposite wall. She looked as exhausted as she felt. "Can this possibly wait until morning?"

"I'm afraid not," replied Christopher.

Connor began. "Look, Lucy, whether you know it or not, you have changed history multiple times."

"I'm actually quite aware of it."

"Nevertheless, you've never experienced these changes as they happened here. It is a strange phenomenon to actually know that something in the current timeline has changed instantaneously, yet still remember events of timelines that previously existed."

"And you lost me, Connor. What are you trying to say?"

Agent Christopher cried, "Oh, for Heaven's sake. This is what you get when you have a physicist try to explain things. Lucy, the timeline changed for us, oh about two hours ago. Whatever you did in 1939 affected what's happened now."

"What? What changed? Spit it out. Is it my mother?"

"Not quite."

"Then tell me, Denise. You know I hate suspense."

"It would be easier to show you." She moved toward a door behind her that led to another room. She opened it and spoke to someone hidden behind it. "You can come in now."

Lucy waited in anticipation as a figure emerged from behind the door. Female of average height. Looked to be in her late twenties. Long auburn hair that was tied in a ponytail. The woman then looked into Lucy's eyes.

Immediately, Lucy lost her breath. In an instant she was experiencing a hundred emotions all at once. She didn't know which one to feel first. She started to breath, finally, but in harder bursts. The next stage was the whimpering that turned quickly into sobs. Lucy put her hand to her mouth. Tears soon ran over her fingers as she cried harder. The weight of emotions became too heavy for her to bear. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor.

The woman finally spoke, tears in her own eyes. "Hey, sis."

Lucy knew her name. She made it a point to remember it and everything else about her. Her name barely escaped her lips at the moment. "A..A...Amy?"

"Yes." She went over with tears in her own eyes to Lucy and bent down to hug her.

Lucy held Amy tightly in her arms. She gasped at the feel of her sister in her presence for the first time in more than a year. She didn't care about history or time travel. It was all in the past. This is now. She no longer needed to search for her sister in time. She was right in front of her now. Lucy let out cries of joy that she herself did not know existed inside of her.

She separated the hug but kept Amy at arms length. "Is this real? Are you real?"

"It's real, Lucy. I'm here."

"You don't know how long I've been searching for you."

"Well, for me, I've been searching for you, too. You disappeared for months."

"Disappeared? As in...not existing?" She looked up at Connor.

He tried to hide the wiping of his eyes by feigning to scratch his nose. He explained, "Most likely not. If you had disappeared from existence, Lucy, we would know. No, it seems from speaking to your sister for the past few hours, most everything that had happened in the past year happened just as we experienced. The difference, of course, was Amy's appearance."

Agent Christopher shoved a tissue in her pocket. She added, "According to Amy, you disappeared about the same time when Connor's lab exploded."

Lucy filled in the blanks. "That's when we moved in here." She looked at Amy with an apologetic expression. "We were under strict rules to not to leave here to avoid the risk of exposure." She stood up and Amy followed. "I guess you know what my next question will be, Connor."

"How? I couldn't begin to calculate the possible outcomes. It was obviously something you did, or didn't do in 1939."

"Which was two years after the Hindenburg," Lucy noted.

Christopher said, "At some point, Henry Wallace married Carolyn Preston instead of the granddaughter of Irene Doehner. Again."

Lucy gasped and said to Amy, "You do know we're talking about time travel, right?"

"I know, Lucy. It's incredible. Connor here explained it but I didn't believe it until I watched on a monitor your ship appeared out of nowhere."

"Well, we just came from 1939. We saved World War II. Again. There were letters written by Einstein and his colleagues that were sent to FDR warning him that Germany was developing an atom bomb."

"Lucy, stop. You're historing again. As usual."

Lucy chuckled. "Historing. I forgot you made that up. So, bottom line. Time travel! What do you think?"

"Mind blowing. Sis, you have an actual working Tardis!"

Christopher asked, "A what?"

Connor said, "It's a Dr Who reference. Which, I must say, is a much proper reference to time travel than anything Rufus or Jiya have come up with."

Lucy sighed and looked at Agent Christopher. "We are officially surrounded by nerds."

"That I actually knew," the Agent said.

Lucy looked at Amy again. "I still can't believe you're here."

Amy shrugged. "Believe it."

Lucy gasped again. "Do you know about Rittenhouse? About Mom?"

"She's been briefed, Lucy," said Christopher. "We didn't want to overwhelm her too much in one day. More details in the morning."

Lucy perked up. "She's staying here?"

Amy said, "Only for a few days. I do have a tournament on Saturday."

"Oh, right. You're still a Black Belt."

Christopher said, "I thought that a few days here would be safe enough. She won't be able to stay permanently but we'll find a way for you two to communicate or even visit."

Connor added, "Besides, we are running out of bedrooms for everyone we disclose our time travels to."

"She can stay with me in my room!" cried Lucy.

Connor chuckled. "Good Lord, you're as giddy as a schoolgirl."

Lucy looked him seriously. "Connor, the next time one of your beloved family members blinks out of existence, we'll see how you react when they suddenly reappear."

Connor bowed his head and uttered in a low voice, "Touché. Sorry."

Lucy erased her seriousness and blurted with glee, "Oh! You have to meet the team! I've told them all about you. They'll be so happy to finally meet you."

Agent Christopher said, "Lucy, it's late. You just came back from a mission. Maybe it can also wait until morning."

Connor mentioned, "Also, I think the two other couples may be a bit busy right now."

"Yes. Of course. Tomorrow," Lucy said.

Amy said, "Plus, it will give us a chance to catch up. And by catch up I mean you can tell me all about where and when you went time travelling."

Lucy nodded but added, "That may take a few nights." She became emotional again and she hugged her sister again. "Oh, Amy."

"Seriously, Luce? I think you hugged me more today than ever in my life."

"A year without you cured me of that."

Agent Christopher nudged Connor and he got the message. She said, "We'll leave you two alone for the night."

Lucy said, "Yes, good night. And thank you. To both of you."

"You are welcome, Lucy. Amy, good night." Connor left the room.

Agent Christopher went up to the sisters. "I wanted you both to know how deserving of happiness you both are. Amy, Lucy once had me research ways to get you back. And for a long while, I came up with nothing. I started to lose hope. But Lucy never did. She taught me more about family in that act than I could ever imagine. But, it was fate in time that decided that you two belong together. Cherish it."

"Thank you, Denise," said Lucy.

"Yes, thank you," Amy said.

Denise nodded. "You two have a good night. See you in the morning."

After Denise left, Lucy looked back at Amy. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She uttered, "Strawberries."

"Strawberries?"

"Your hair smells like strawberries."

"My hair? Strawber-..oh, Luce. I haven't used that shampoo since I was thirteen."

"Don't care. I still smell them. Reminds me of the milkshakes we used to get at that dairy bar down the street."

"Oh my god, yes. You would have two of them but you still didn't gain any weight. Hated you for that." She paused and said, "I also remember those nights when I was scared. And I curled up to you in your bed. You just held me. And I wasn't scared anymore."

"I remember."

"Maybe I need to comfort you tonight."

Lucy shook her head. "No comfort needed. I'm happy right now. You'll never know how long it's been since I've felt this happy."

"Good. Well, come on, sis. Lead me to your bedroom so we can talk all night. Unless you fall asleep like normal."

"Amy, I don't think I could sleep tonight."

"Too many dreams of milkshakes?"

Lucy considered. "No. Won't need them now. My biggest dream has already come true."

They walked together with each of their arms around their waists.

"So, Lucy, who was your favorite historical figure you've actually met?"

"Oh, that's too impossible to answer. But I did meet Abraham Lincoln."

"Shut up! Abe Lincoln? Who else?"

"Let me change out of these clothes and I'll tell you all about them. Did I mention Ian Flemming hit on me?"

"The James Bond writer? No way!"

The sisters' laughter echoed throughout the bunker.

The End...?

 

Very good tale, and attention to detail, both physical and temporal.

Nice touch bringing the sister back, and description of Lucy's period attire.

The exchanges about earlier Einstein conversations, were very entertaining.

 

Thanks for reading , Sith-I-5!

I try to keep my descriptions to a minimum but just enough to get the picture in your mind. I'm of the Elmore Leonard school of thought where he said he avoided long descriptions and inner thoughts because those are the parts that readers skip.

One of my fan groups on Timeless asked which figure in history should the Time Team meet next? (hopefully in season 3 #renewtimeless) I said it would be cool if they met Albert Einstein. The letters to FDR by he and his colleagues is a true story. After FDR received them he formed the Manhattan Project.

I am writing Chapters 2 and 3 now so keep a watch out soon!

Thanks so much, Mira_Jade!

Unfortunately, this piece is set deep into season 2 and I'm afraid there may be some spoilers coming in the next chapters. I think you will enjoy season 2 even more than the first. And that season (NOT Series!! ) finale!!! All rules broken! You'll see. Meanwhile, my next chapters should be posted by the time you catch up.

 

I LOVE Timeless!! It's the show I most desperately wanted renewed for next season (and I say that loving Lucifer and upset it got canceled) especially after that season finale. I NEED more.

Great start! I love that Amy is back, but I get the feeling that won't be the end of and things might not be happy for poor Lucy. The part with Einstein figuring out they were from the future was so much fun! And like the show, I feel like I learned something!

I also loved all the nerdy references!

I'm looking forward to more!

 

Gah, I didn't realize there were other Timeless fans here! I've adored this show from Day One. Still pestering NBC every day to give us their decision, grr.

It's nice to finally see Amy back! I'm looking forward to seeing Wyatt's and Rufus's reactions to meeting her at last. Curious to see if there was something specific that happened in this last mission to cause Amy to reappear (re-exist? Is that a word?), or if RH did something, or if it was something completely different.

I'd never heard about the letters from Einstein before. That's an interesting aspect.

I'm glad Rufus got to fanboy a bit with one of his historical heroes.

Looking forward to more!

 

Thanks to all for reading. Cool to see more Timeless fans on here. As I said or typed earlier, this story is knee deep into the 2nd season, so if you haven't watched the 2nd season yet, STOP for spoilers! If you have, then enjoy. I do have a third chapter in the works but not sure if I want to go further yet. We'll see.



Chapter Two

New Rittenhouse warehouse headquarters

It was after she took away her grandfather's empty supper tray when Carolyn Preston started to feel sick. Something hit her stomach so suddenly that she almost dropped the tray of dishes into the utility bath that was being used as a temporary sink. She caught the tray in time and sat it on the counter safely. The stomach pains shot upward into her lungs now. She began a violent stream of seemingly endless coughing. She doubled over from the force of the coughs and the sudden sickness. What could have started this?

After the coughs settled down and finally ended, she reached over to grab a paper towel from a loose roll nearby. Soon after she wiped her mouth she heard another famous sound coming from the main area of the warehouse. The Mothership. Emma was back from her current mission. Carolyn hoped she could brighten her spirits with good news. It wouldn't happen.

The first sign that something went wrong was seeing Emma climb out of the time machine alone. She had taken with her a bomb expert and another hired gun for protection. Only Emma had returned. The next sign of bad news was when Emma cursed and emptied the contents on top of a table with her arm. She then screamed.

Carolyn approached the woman carefully. Her red hair ran wildly over her face. Sometimes Carolyn believed that Emma Whitmore's red hair grew from her ferocious rage inside her. At least that rage was currently being reduced by her affair with Nicholas. Neither of them knew that Carolyn was aware of them being together. She would confront both of them when the time came. That time was not now.

She spoke to Emma in a soft tone. "I take it things did not go as planned."

She turned to stare at the leader of Rittenhouse violently and hissed, "Your princess and her merry men happened. Again! Should have killed her when I had the chance. And I've had many chances. No thanks to you."

"Be careful, Emma. Remember who is in charge here."

"Oh, you're in charge? Some leader. You keep giving me missions that fail because of your daughter and her team. You wouldn't let me solve that problem in Paris. All you do is threaten and serve that ancient man his modern food."

Carolyn edged closer to the woman and shot back, "At least I'm not sleeping with that ancient man."

Finally. The first look of horror she had seen on Emma in quite a while. In that moment, Carolyn knew she owned her. And Emma knew it, too. She continued. "What happened?"

Emma sighed and explained more calmly. "Our bomb expert placed the device on the car that Einstein and his colleagues were using. They all got in, including Lucy and her team, but they all immediately got out before the bomb detonated."

"More likely Wyatt's military background alerted him."

"Exactly what I thought. Your so-called protection fired on them prematurely, which led to a shootout with me, him, Wyatt, and Flynn. The car was hit in the process and it triggered the bomb and blew. It took out your hit man and the bomb expert. Our sleeper in 1939 was shot by Flynn. Everyone besides myself died and those who were supposed to die in the mission got away. Which, I'm assuming, means that the letters about the nuclear bomb reached FDR anyway."

Carolyn shook her head. "Sloppy."

"What would you have me do, Carolyn?" Emma snapped. "If you had any guts we could have been rid of her in 1918 France!"

"Then the world would have never known Marie Curie," Carolyn reflected absently.

Emma scoffed. "Oh, and there it is. Of course you don't have the guts. Too much sentiment. Too much compassion. You should really read your own grandfather's writings. There's a section in it about the dangers of compassion."

Emma walked past Carolyn but she didn't get far. She stopped suddenly to ask Carolyn a question that she didn't expect to ask. "Carolyn, when did you start smoking?"

"What? Emma, I stopped smoking..." And Carolyn stopped there. To her previous knowledge, she had never smoked. But she had. She could now detect the smell of nicotine on her breath. The coughing and the sickness earlier. That wasn't there earlier. Was it? "No, I don't smoke."

"Really? You smell like a smokestack."

"No, I didn't smoke before...unless..." Carolyn motioned to the laptop on the floor courtesy of Emma's tantrum. "Quick, grab that and look someone up."

Emma did so in confusion. She turned it on. "Who am I looking up?"

"Irene Dohner. Her granddaughter. Whom did she marry?"

Emma typed away and finally said, "It doesn't say."

"There's no mention of Henry Wallace?"

"No. And why does that name sound familiar?"

Carolyn sighed. "Because I married him. Again."

"Wait, no. You married Benjamin Cahill."

"Not in this timeline. It changed somehow in 1939."

"What does it mean?"

"I think you know, Emma. She is back. Amy."

Emma screamed again. "No! I made sure that could never happen. I covered all scenarios."

A male voice echoed in the warehouse as Nicholas Keynes called out, "You couldn't have, Emma"

Emma turned to Nicholas, now walking towards them in the wide area of the warehouse. Emma defended herself as usual. "I missed nothing."

"Oh, yes you did," Carolyn countered. "JFK. Robert Johnson. Alice Paul. And now Albert Einstein. Shall I go on?"

Emma corrected, "Alice Paul was killed by the sleeper."

Nicholas spoke, "But Grace Humiston took her place. History for women continued on anyway. Which brings me to my point, Emma. I didn't mean to mock you, earlier. I've read Connor Mason's theories on time travel. Though a large portion of it is full of scientific speak that I don't understand. He does bring up a valid point on a paradox. Our futures are affected by our choices but small changes can affect those choices as well. Emma, there are a million different scenarios, as you call them, to affect the full disappearance of Amy Preston from existence. You are good, Emma, but it would take a lifetime to cover every different scenario."

She seemed to accept the answer, yet she still fumed. "That's great and all, but now the princess has a new recruit."

"I'm not so sure," said Carolyn. "I know Lucy. Right now she's probably overjoyed that her sister is back from oblivion. She won't want her in harm's way."

"Like mother, like daughter," Emma mumbled.

Carolyn ignored the remark and continued to say, "You don't have to worry about Amy joining their team. She may supply Lucy with hope and confidence, but it won't affect us."

Nicholas suggested, "Perhaps we can use that hope against her and to our advantage."

"How so?" asked Emma.

"Have our insider awakened."

Emma scowled. "Isn't it too early? She's not ready."

"She's ready enough. Her reports seem to indicate it. Also, we may not have a choice. Our missions are failing because of Carolyn's daughter and her team. This plan changes all of that. It gives us the advantage. You know what I want her to do."

Emma sneered. "We don't need another pilot."

"I don't want her for her piloting skills. What I've read from the insider's reports is that their second pilot has a unique gift. One that I will want to investigate further."

Carolyn said, "That's fine, but we already have a mission set up now. We have to get the item to our sleeper."

"Yes, of course," Nicholas said. "That is important. We have to disrupt Ms. Tubman's efforts. Emma, care to go back to the Civil War?"

"As long as I don't have to live there for another ten years."

Nicholas chuckled. "No, you won't be there long. Just as long as it takes to hand our sleeper a new history book. I have it in my study. After your preparations you can pick it up."

"We'll have to let the batteries cool for at least a few hours. It's not advisable to launch this close after coming back. I highly suggest we wait until morning."

"Understood. You know best."

"I can get a message to her while tonight."

"Excellent. Get it done, Emma." He turned to leave before she could reply.

Emma uttered just loud enough for Carolyn to hear, "Maybe I'll get a chance to eliminate both Preston girls this time."

Carolyn snapped, "Those are my daughters you want to kill. And one is a true descendant of Rittenhouse. "

Emma shot back, "That one has been a thorn in our side since we began. Now Lucy has her sister back. Sorry, I don't agree with you thinking that Amy won't help them. How well do you know Amy, exactly?"

Carolyn stopped to reflect on the question. Could she remember the last time she even spoke to Amy? She remembered in that timeline that she was in bed littered with cancer. Amy took care of her while Lucy worked as a teacher of history. That seemed like a lifetime ago rather than a year. How can one measure a year when time travel was involved? Carolyn also started remembering other things about Amy in the original timeline. She remembered how close the two sisters were. She remembered how protective Lucy was over her young sister. There was the time when Lucy nearly punched the guy who dumped Amy right before her high school prom. She remembered the times they went to the movies together. They would always stop at that dairy bar up the street from their house and ruin their dinner with double milkshakes. It made Amy become independent on her own through Lucy's protection. She also became more stubborn like her big sister, too. They complemented each other. It was amazing to Carolyn how Lucy didn't go insane with Amy's absence for so long.

Carolyn uttered without realizing she was saying it, "Lucy deserves her sister."

"What was that?" asked Emma.

"They deserve each other," Carolyn Preston tried to sound resentful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

next chapter coming soon

 

I have the next chapter written. And now that the show is dead in the water (thanks a bunch, NBC) I am able to move forward with my own AU ending. Or many other new beginnings. Thanks for reading!

Chapter Three​

Mornings while living inside a former Army bunker had varying degrees of awkwardness for the current tenants. Some were early risers and the rest were nowhere near. Garcia Flynn had always been one to wake up early in the morning. It was a habit carried over from his days working at the NSA in the earliest hour of sunlight. He was always careful not to wake up his wife and child while he retrieved his breakfast before he left. He had never lost that habit when he could help it.

Flynn entered the kitchen area to fetch a cup of coffee. He hated the coffee here. He had better coffee while he was in prison. He remembered how good the gourmet coffee his wife always drank. He sat down at the table and forced down what he barely considered coffee. He cherished the silence.

The silence continued even when Wyatt Logan entered the area to make his own coffee.

"Morning," greeted Flynn.

No response.

Flynn wasn't surprised. Wyatt had acted strange ever since Flynn joined the team. It was to be expected. Having a shootout to the death with someone doesn't exactly invite friendship later. Yet, Wyatt held a special grudge against Flynn. He knew why. Wyatt could act happy that his former dead wife, Jessica, had returned in the current timeline. Flynn could tell that it was simply an act. He couldn't trust Jessica being back, but Flynn could sense that Wyatt may not either.

The silence officially ended with the arrival of Rufus and his tech girlfriend, Jiya, in the kitchen. They both came in laughing and hanging on one another like two school kids.

Rufus greeted Wyatt, "Hey."

"G'morning," responded Wyatt.

Rufus reached for the Pop Tarts, and Jiya sat at the table across from Flynn. Rufus asked Wyatt, "Hey, did you hear voices coming from Lucy's room last night?"

"Can't say that I did."

"Oh, of course. You and Jessica were too busy."

"Let's leave it at that, Rufus," said Wyatt.

Jiya suggested, "Maybe she and Agent Christopher were talking?"

Flynn interjected, "No. I heard them too. There was too much laughing for it to be Agent Christopher."

At that very moment, Agent Christopher herself entered the kitchen. "I heard my name. Insulting your liberator from prison, Flynn?"

"Wouldn't think of it, Agent."

Rufus popped his and Jiya's breakfast in the toaster. "Uh, Denise, did you hear laughter coming from Lucy's room last night?"

"Maybe. I would ask Lucy when she comes in." She reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a plastic container. She opened the lid.

Rufus said dryly, "Ah, I love the smell of curry in the morning. Almost masks the aroma of my cherry Pop Tarts."

Denise retorted, "Don't you insult my mother's Sooji Upma. At least it's more healthy than your fake American pastries."

"Hey, Pop Tarts are delicious."

Flynn said, "Next time we're in Paris in any time period, Rufus, I'll show you pastries that will put those to shame."

"Yeah, if we ever have time to eat. At least we have time to drink."

Wyatt sipped his coffee and said, "Yeah, that's the real reason we go back in time. Historical drinking."

Flynn mentioned, "When Lucy and I were at the World's Fair in Chicago 1893, we had one of the first Pabst Blue Ribbon beers."

Wyatt said sarcastically, "Oh, you mean the place where you kidnapped Lucy and I was trapped in a serial killer's death hotel?"

"Fun times," said Rufus as he placed the Pop Tarts on a plate and sat with Jiya. He took one and Jiya the other.

They all heard the sound of shoes approaching.

"Incoming Lucy," muttered Rufus.

Running from the halls that led to the bedrooms, Lucy tried to stop at the doorway to the kitchen area. Instead, her momentum made her slide past it. Looking like a 1920's era silent film comedienne, she caught herself at the edge of the doorway and finally entered. "Guys! Is everyone here?"

"Everyone important," answered Rufus.

"Not everyone," uttered Wyatt. "Jessica's still asleep."

Jiya said, "And Connor's not here."

Lucy waved a hand. "Oh, he already knows."

"Knows what?" asked Wyatt.

Lucy began excitedly. "OK, guys. Something happened to the timeline when we came back from 1939 last night. Something that I still can't believe. It's so incredible."

"Lucy, spit it out." said Rufus. "What changed?"

Before Lucy could speak again, Amy Preston walked into the kitchen area as casually as if she had done so a thousand times. "I'm back. That's what changed. My god, Luce, you are so overdramatic. Hi, everyone. I'm Amy, Lucy's sister. Or, I guess to you I'm her long lost sister."

There was a few moments of silent shock from everyone before Rufus broke it. "Oh my god. So you're the infamous Amy. Of course, Lucy has told us nothing about you in the past year."

"Normally, I'd say typical, but I know you're lying. Rufus, right?"

He nodded, but Lucy cursed. "I'm sorry. This is Rufus Carlin, our pilot and hero."

Amy and Rufus shook hands as she said, "So you're their Timelord, huh?"

Rufus chuckled. "Depends on which regeneration."

"Oh, Tennant, of course," Amy shot back.

He turned to his girlfriend. "I'm going to like her."

Wyatt stood in front of Amy with a shocked expression. He traded looks from Lucy to Amy and back, clearly in disbelief. He finally said, "Ma'am."

Lucy scoffed. "Is that the only way you greet women you first meet?"

He smiled widely. "No, ma'am."

"Shut up. This is Wyatt Logan, our soldier, protector, and also a smart-ass hero."

Amy and Wyatt shook hands. "A pleasure to finally meet you," said Wyatt.

Lucy motioned to Jiya. "This is Jiya, our tech. She helps bringing us back in time."

"Ah, so you're the Timelord in the group," said Amy.

"More of a smart companion. David Tennant, by the way. Good choice."

"The only choice," replied Amy.

Lucy began to say, "And in the corner there..." She stopped as Flynn got up and left the room without a word. Lucy continued, "Well, that was Garcia Flynn."

"What's wrong with him?" Amy asked.

"Oh, where do we start?" said Wyatt.

Rufus explained, "He was once our enemy and now he's helping us."

Amy said, "Uh, huh. So he was turned from the Dark Side, like Vader?"

Rufus brightened. "Exactly!" He turned to Jiya again. "I'm really going to like her."

"Don't like her too much," said Jiya, dryly.

"Ah, sweetheart, notice I said 'like'. With you it's more like love."

"I know," said Jiya.

"Good save, Rufus," said Amy. "Hey, those Pop Tarts are calling me. Do you mind?" Rufus nodded and Amy proceeded to make one.

Wyatt sat back down and asked, "How did this happen?"

"We don't know, exactly," said Agent Christopher.

Lucy added, "At some point in 1939, something changed where my mom married Henry Wallace again. He's Amy's father and my stepfather."

"You don't think Rittenhouse is involved?" asked Wyatt.

"I wouldn't think so," answered Christopher.

"I thought of that last night, too," said Lucy. "Bringing back Amy would be the last thing Rittenhouse would want to do on purpose. I'm sure Emma will be pissed once she finds out."

Rufus mentioned, "That's one woman you don't want to see pissed. And that's even before she turned to the Dark Side."

Wyatt gasped and asked Amy, "You do know about Rittenhouse, right?"

"Oh, yes. I've been, uh, briefed I believe is the military term."

Rufus asked Lucy, "Is there anything in that journal about this that Flynn keeps talking about?"

Lucy stared at the spot where Flynn sat just minutes before. "I'm not sure."

Amy asked, "Luce, you want a Pop Tart?"

It took a moment to shake herself out of her daze before Lucy said, "No, I'm just going to have coffee." She went over to pour herself a cup. For the first time since the previous night, her mind wasn't on her sister. She wanted to know why Flynn left so abruptly. She needed to know for some reason. She listened to Amy, Rufus, and Jiya begin a Dr. Who conversation. Now would be the time to sneak away like Flynn did. It wasn't so easy with Lucy.

"Where you going?" Agent Christopher stopped to ask her. "Your sister's here."

"I know. They're all speaking nerd now. We talked non-stop all night. Besides, there's something I wanted to check on since we got back. Didn't get a chance last night."

"Oh, sure. Always the historian. I won't keep you. Just remember that Flynn's room is on the left."

"Wh..what?"

"The actual reason you were trying to sneak away."

"Well, I...uh...it's not what you think."

"Lucy, give me some credit. I was a Criminal Intelligence Analyst in the FBI. I know people."

"Right. Hate you for that."

"Well, it is sort of your own fault. You and Jiya convinced me to stay with it in 1981."

"True." She paused and said, "I just want to know why Flynn left so suddenly after I introduced my sister."

"Lucy, he feels like an outsider here. Give him a bone."

Lucy crinkled her brow. "When did you start warming up to Flynn?"

Denise sighed. "Don't think I forgot his actions from last year. It's just that he gave me some great advice recently." She made a deliberate motion to glance at Lucy's sister. "About family."

Lucy realized suddenly. "And his is still gone. Meanwhile, Wyatt's wife is back and so is my sister."

"Go see how he is."

Lucy turned to leave but abruptly looked back at Denise and said, "This is still not what you think."

"I don't think it, Lucy. You and Flynn? It would never work." She allowed a pause as Lucy walked away and said, "No matter how much vodka you drink."

Lucy turned back around with her mouth gaping and cried, "Seriously?"

"Go," demanded Denise.

Lucy finally went to Flynn's door and knocked. He opened it and feigned looking around. "What, you're not parading your sister down this street?"

"Stop with the sarcasm. What's wrong?"

He opened the door wider and walked away as a silent invitation for her to enter. She did so and closed the door. She reiterated, "Why did you leave when I was introducing everyone to Amy?"

"You know I'm not welcome here, Lucy. I can accept that given my behavior last year. I mean, it wasn't long ago when Wyatt called me the Yoko of the group. I will never be a part of your team." He paused. "Or your family. So, when you started introducing your newly found sister, I left."

"All right. That's about a third of the true answer. What's the rest?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you. There's another reason you slipped away without a word."

Flynn started to grin. "You think you know me, Lucy? Granted, you do come closer than most here, including Agent Christopher."

"It has to do with your own family, doesn't it?"

He sighed. "Partially. Look, I'm happy that your sister is back. I'm happy that Wyatt's wife is back."

"But your family is still gone."

It was obvious to Lucy that Flynn was irritated with her assumption. Which only spoke to how close to the truth she really was. He blew out a breath and then said in a low voice, "Lucy, like I told you in 1947 on the way to record Robert Johnson, I still have hope that my family will return to me. All I have left is hope. Every time I step out of that machine, from the first trip in the Mothership to our latest one last night, I always imagine that I enter a timeline where my family did not die." He sat down on the edge of his cot.

She stood in front of him. "I know I was skeptical about getting Amy back before 1947. Many times after our first trip to the Hindenburg, I would also hold my breath each time I stepped out of that time machine when we returned from some time. I would hope that this would be the timeline where Amy existed. When that didn't happen several times, I stopped wishing. I even listened to Emma when she claimed she made sure Amy could never return. I believed her."

"That was your mistake for listening to that wench."

"Exactly. I know I shouldn't have. It wasn't until that night in '47 in the car when you told me to keep that hope that she would return. And now she's in the next room." She paused before saying, "Maybe next time it will be your family there to greet you."

"Perhaps. I still have that hope. But I'm also a realist."

"Can't help you there." She noticed him looking into her eyes and then quickly look down. "There's something else, isn't there?"

"No," he said. On her raised eyebrows he admitted, "Ok, yes, but I don't think you want to hear it now."

"You do know that phrase means I have to know now."

After a heavy sigh of realization that he couldn't reason with this woman, he went on to explain. "Lucy, I know you've heard me say this several times, but I have read your journal thoroughly."

She let out a exasperated cry. "Not the journal again."

"I said you wouldn't want to hear it."

After a moment of consideration, she said, "Tell me anyway."

"I've read all about your sister through your words. Your backgrounds. Your closeness. I read some of the things you did to support her and in some cases defend her."

"And?"

He hesitated before he said, "Nowhere in the journal do you say that Amy had returned."

"So the timeline changed. We've been through this before, Flynn."

"Not like this, Lucy. I'm going to indulge in what Rufus would refer to as a spoiler. There is nothing in that journal to this point that has not come to pass. Until now."

"How do you know? If I wrote this in the future then it was written from one specific timeline. That doesn't mean our timeline here can't change."

"I'm not concerned that our timeline here had changed. I'm worried that whenever we come back again that it will change again."

Lucy sighed in frustration. "Flynn, you're not making sense. And you're using that journal as a blueprint of what's supposed to happen."

Flynn raised his eyebrows. "It led me to take down Rittenhouse."

"And how is that working for you?"

"I could ask you the same. After all, you gave me the journal for that purpose."

"Or I gave it to you so you don't repeat the same mistakes that were already made when I wrote that journal."

He irritably stood up. "Lucy, we could go back and fourth on this all day. My only concern about Amy's new presence here is that it...doesn't feel right."

"It feels damn right to me. Would it feel more right if it were your family out there instead of Amy?"

"That's not fair."

"Not fair? Flynn, we deal with time travel, and it's never fair. It took away my sister for a year. And it's now given me the greatest happiness since the Hindenburg by giving her back. How can that not feel right?"

"Lucy, that's not what I meant."

"Then what, Flynn? You don't trust her like you don't trust anyone? You think Rittenhouse planned for her return? Maybe they brought back Jessica, too?"

"Lucy, stop. I'm not sure about Jessica's return. But I feel I know Amy through your words. I can't see the purpose of Rittenhouse returning Amy. From what you told me, Emma would be pretty angry about Amy being at your side again. I don't know how she can make the claim that she made sure Amy would be lost forever, but it obviously failed."

Lucy was forced to grin, picturing Emma Whitmore finding out that Amy was alive. "Yeah, she would freak out."

Flynn went on. "And it's not that I don't trust Amy herself. I guess I don't trust time travel. Like I said, I'm afraid that when we get back from our next trip in time, Amy won't be here."

Lucy hesitated before asking him, "Why do you care, Garcia?"

For once, Flynn fumbled for words. "I...I'm only concerned about you and your sister."

"That's BS and you know it," she shot back. "Maybe I should rephrase. Why do you care about me? Is it because you read about me in that journal? Let me tell you something. That Lucy Preston who wrote that journal doesn't exist. I'm not sure she ever will. Yet, you place me on such a high pedestal because you think you know me. I can't compete with your Lucy Preston. You may admire her, but that's not me." He was about to say something but she cut him off quick. "And if you say 'not yet', I'm going to slap you."

Flynn gave a defeated expression and chuckled. "That's not what I was going to say. I was going to explain to you that you are that Lucy in the journal already. It seems about right. You are always in competition with yourself." She offered no words back in response. He continued. "I may have been brought here from prison as a Rittenhouse reference source. But I had another purpose in coming here."

"To be a killer again?"

Flynn grinned. "No. More than that. I am here, Lucy, so that I can be witness to when you finally discover who you truly are."

Lucy was speechless. Silence fell between them. It didn't last long.

The klaxon sounded throughout the complex.

Flynn said, "And that is our main purpose calling for us."

They both left Flynn's room and headed to the main area that held the Lifeboat. Agent Christopher, Rufus, and Wyatt all joined. Jiya was already busy at the computer. Amy stood around them, confused.

She asked Lucy, "What the hell is that?"

Lucy explained, "That's our alert that Rittenhouse used the other time machine." She turned to ask Jiya, "Where did they go?"

Jiya finished typing. She stated, "June 1, 1863, South Carolina."

Rufus retorted, "Back to the Civil War we go. Yee Ha!"

Chapter 4 will be soon!

 

And when I said "soon" that's Procrastination speak for 2 years later.

I have Chapter 4 written, just not typed in yet. Had some issues with where I wanted to go with it since the show was finally cancelled. We did get a "holiday" special to tie up loose ends. This next chapter won't be set during the special. It will begin where the episode The General ended.
Soon.
And this time, I do mean in the next few days, not years.

 

Strawberry Dreams
Chapter Four​

The typical whoosh of the Lifeboat returning filled the compound. The door to it opened and out came Lucy, Wyatt, Rufus, and Flynn. They were dressed in the rugged clothing of 1863.

It was almost by instinct that Jiya had her laptop bookmarked to the web pages of whatever event the team had come from. It was their litmus test of what they had changed in the past. Lucy didn't even have to ask as she approached Jiya. She rattled off history as it was now.

"The Combahee River Raid is now known as the Willow Glen Plantation Raid. There's mention of a Colonel Ryerson who was found out to be a Rebel spy and was murdered by an unknown assailant." She looked up at Wyatt, who joined Lucy in the briefing. Flynn was behind them. "I assume that was your doing."

Flynn said, "No, actually that was Harriet Tubman who took care of the sleeper agent. Tough woman."

Lucy pressed on. "So, the Civil War. The Union Army won? Again?"

Jiya nodded, "Yep. The names may have changed but the outcome was the same"

Rufus added, "And some slaves were freed as well." He paused and corrected, "Well, I guess all of the slaves were freed eventually. That's a good thing. I wasn't looking forward to coming back with a chain around my neck."

Agent Christopher joined them and smiled as she said, "You did it again. Well done. All of you."

Rufus spoke in an exaggerated Southern accent. "Well, ma'am, aye do declare it was the work of Colonel Sanders that saved us. I done heard that he went up to Kentucky to fry some chickens."

They laughed but Wyatt said, "Sorry, I didn't use that name. Didn't want to tarnish Colonel Sanders' legacy. Used a different name."

Rufus snapped, "Please don't say Major Payne."

Wyatt answered sheepishly, "No, I…I was Rhett Butler."

They all laughed. Lucy suggested, "On the bright side, maybe Margaret Mitchell found your name in the history books and used it."

In walked Amy Preston and Jessica Logan. Lucy spotted her sister and exclaimed, "Amy!" She went to hug her. "You're still here."

"Yes. Where else would I be?"

"Oh, I don't know. Oblivion?" She let go of her sister but kept her within reach.

"I hear it's nice there. Kinda quiet."

Jessica put her arms around Wyatt. "You guys went on another mission?"

Wyatt tried to sound modest and failed. "Yeah, we saved the Civil War."

"And that's a good thing? Can't you just go back and make sure it never happens at all?"

Lucy replied, "It's not that simple. Too many variables to change for that to happen. Plus, it may make some people not exist and create people who should have never existed."

Wyatt motioned to Lucy. "What she said." He eyed Lucy and she smiled back. Jessica noticed and she gave Lucy an awkward stare.

Lucy changed the subject. "I don't know about anyone else, but I'm ready to get out of these ten layers of nineteenth century clothing. Then I'm going to sleep. For a week."

Rufus said, "I'll see your week and raise you a month." He and Jiya walked off.

Agent Christopher told them, "Yes, go rest, all of you. You deserved it." She addressed Amy. "I have an anonymous transit to take you home this afternoon at 1500."

"1500? That's 3 o'clock, right?" The agent nodded. "Ooh, I'm getting good at this military speak."

Lucy asked, "You sure you want to leave all this adventure behind?"

Amy replied, "This is more adventure than I can take." She and Lucy went to their bunker.

When the team settled in their respective bunkers, Wyatt and Jessica retired to their own. Their arms were around each other and they were deeply kissing.

In the midst of their action, Jessica uttered, "I will be so glad when we're out of this place."

"We will. Once we take down Rittenhouse." He backed away to face her and said, "Hey, something I've been thinking about. Maybe you should leave the bunker."

"What? Why?"

"It's not safe for you here. And it won't be safe while you're pregnant."

"I can handle it."

Wyatt kept it in the back of his mind the doubt surrounding the possibility that Jessica may have been saved by Rittenhouse. He remembered when she first mentioned that she was pregnant. His first thought was joy at being a father. He swore that he would be a better father than his own. He also remembered that her revelation came after he questioned about her brother, Kevin. Kevin wasn't alive in his timeline. He died at age three of leukemia. In Jessica's timeline where she survived, Kevin also survived. She claimed he was saved by a miracle stem cell cure. Wyatt knew that would be expensive. He also knew that Jessica's family were not well off. They struggled for money. Who else but Rittenhouse could approach them with that miracle cure—for a price?

Wyatt decided to use his interrogation techniques. The kind where the person being interrogated doesn't realize they were being interrogated. "Why do you want to stay? And don't say it's for me."

"Why not? I'd like to be with my husband while I'm having his child."

"Jessica, you know what we're doing here. It's dangerous. I know the risks. You do also, but the baby won't. Is that fair to him? Or her?"

"Why do you want me to leave? Is it Lucy? I see how you two are."

"Once, maybe. But you're here and alive now. Whatever me and Lucy wanted to start, it's over now. So there really is no reason for you to be here. Unless, there's another reason."

"What are you saying?"

"Are you sure you don't remember how Kevin was saved?"

"What? What's Kevin got to do with it?"

"A revolutionary cure that eliminates leukemia. Who paid for that, Jessica?"

Jessica stuttered her words. Her pupils dilated. She looked up at the ceiling. She was about to lie. "I don't know. I told you, I can't remember. I was nine."

"Uh huh. I'm just trying to see things clear. A sudden miracle dropped in your family's lap and paid for by some mysterious benefactor."

"Oh, my God. You think it's Rittenhouse. Why does everything have to be done by Rittenhouse? All of you."

"You don't know what they're capable of, Jessica. They have power over everything. They want to change history to their will. They want to control America."

"Do you even hear yourself think? Maybe they're not so bad."

"Why are you defending them?"

"I'm not. I just try to give people the benefit of the doubt."

"Excuse me if I don't give Karen Preston the benefit of the doubt."

Immediately, Jessica crinkled her brow and corrected, "You mean Carol Preston."

Wyatt backed further away from her. He let go of her waist. He shook his head and smiled. He was calm on the outside, but inside he was screaming. "How did you know her name was Carolyn, Jessica? I don't believe we disclosed that information to you."

"I..I must have overheard Lucy say it."

"Stop. Just stop. First off, if you know Lucy, then you would know she doesn't speak about her mother openly."

Jessica shot back, "And you know all about Lucy, don't you Wyatt?"

"And you know all about Rittenhouse." Jessica closed her eyes. She sat on the cot behind her. "I didn't want it to be true."

"It doesn't have to be, Wyatt. We can leave. We can get away from all of this. Leave it behind. We can live in luxury. We can give our child a great life."

Wyatt's voice was sarcastic. "All on Rittenhouse. No, thanks. You should know me better than that. I thought I knew you."

"You still do."

"No! I knew another Jessica. She died. You're a different Jessica. One who was paid for by Rittenhouse. Let me guess. The price for your brother's cure was you. You grew up with their family. They trained you, nurtured you, brought you up as one of their own. All to set up this moment. What was your plan here, Jessica?"

"Wyatt, I—"

"Answer the question!"

Jessica's voice hardened. "Do you really think I'm going to tell you? I'm sorry, Wyatt."

"What could you be sorry about?"

"I'm sorry it's come to this." Without warning, Jessica quickly swung her arm around. She had Wyatt's gun in her hand that she picked up off the bed behind her. She struck Wyatt with the handle of the gun hard. It knocked him out and down to the floor.

Some time later, the yelling woke him up. It was yelling coming from the main room. Wyatt slowly picked himself up and rubbed the side of his head. Realization came back to him. He was hit by his own gun. And Jessica held that gun. Jessica was Rittenhouse.

He couldn't think about that now. He darted into the main room to find the team, save for Flynn, confronting Jessica. She still held Wyatt's gun. It was now pointed at Jiya's head. She had Jiya in a one-armed choke hold. A military choke hold. Rittenhouse trained her well. She was walking backwards closer to the Lifeboat and dragging Jiya with her.

The team were shouting at her in turn.

Rufus warned, "Jessica, let her go! If you hurt one hair on that girl you're not coming back from that."

"Dream on, Loverboy!"

Connor Mason tried to reason with her. He said in his calming accent, "Jessica, you can't kill Jiya. You won't have a driver. You can't pilot the Lifeboat."

"Who said anything about kill? I can settle for a wounding. She can still pilot the ship with a wound. I mean, Rufus did it once, right?" She pulled on Jiya's hair, producing a cry of pain. "Right? Oh, by the way, I had her disable the tracking on the ship so you won't find us."

Wyatt edged closer to the scene. When Jessica spotted him, she cried, "Oh, look, the legendary husband woke up from his nap."

"What are you doing, Jessica?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? Me and Jiya are taking a little trip."

"Let me rephrase. What is Rittenhouse doing?"

"Rittenhouse!," Lucy gasped. "Jessica is Rittenhouse?"

"Yes," replied Agent Christopher.

Wyatt snapped to the Agent. "You knew?"

"We had our suspicions," Christopher said.

Connor explained, "We found a picture of her in a ruined device from that Rittenhouse base you infiltrated."

Christopher said, "We were going to tell you all, but Amy suddenly appeared."

Lucy snapped, "No! Don't put this on Amy. You should have told us as soon as you knew!"

Rufus quipped, "It's not like any of us have never kept secrets from the team before."

Wyatt's voice was cold at Agent Christopher. "You knew we had a threat living with us. Who I was sleeping with! And you said nothing. Now that threat is endangering Jiya and the Lifeboat. I only suspected. I found out my own way. You must have found that picture at least a week ago. My raid was last month."

Christopher said, "Like I said, we had our own suspicions. We couldn't act on them without facts."

"Facts?" cried Lucy. "We deal in facts every day. Sometimes we change those facts. We've never ignored threats to the team."

Rufus began, "Well, there was that one time in Watergate when we found out that you were—"

"Shut up, Rufus!" Lucy snapped.

Jessica spoke up. "Uh, guys. I still have Jiya here at gunpoint. You can sort out your trust issues later." Jessica was at the foot of the ladder to the Lifeboat. Jiya struggled in the hold on her. "Now, all of you back away. Or I can make Pilot #2 here have serious blood loss." She turned to look at Amy. "Or I could take out your precious sister."

"No!" Lucy shouted in tears. "Please, no. You don't know how long I've searched for her."

"Oh, yeah. Emma told me she made your sister disappear permanently in time. So much for that plan."

Amy stated, "Sorry if I messed up Rittenhouse's plans."

"Not messed up. Rearranged. My original orders were to kill you all and destroy the Lifeboat. Things change. Don't they, honey? I think taking your pilot in training and your ship is a bit more hurtful."

"Don't!" shouted Rufus as he reached further.

"Ah, ah, Loverboy! I said back up. Me and Jiya have places to be. And your team can be together again." Jessica considered. "Except for one." She pointed the gun at Amy and fired.

At the same time, Lucy shouted, "Amy!" and lunged toward her sister. She tackled her to the floor.

Coming out of the bunkers was Flynn. He immediately started firing at Jessica. She fired back while keeping a hold on Jiya and dodging Flynn's bullets. The rest of the team hid for cover. Lucy stayed with Amy, almost oblivious to the bullets flying. Jessica threw Jiya into the Lifeboat in between firing at Flynn. The door to the Lifeboat closed and Flynn's shots ricocheted off the metal. The rings began to spin and soon the Lifeboat disappeared into time.

Flynn shouted, "All the sharpshooters in this room, and I'm the only one shooting?"

Wyatt replied embarrassingly, "She did take my gun."

Flynn motioned to Amy. "Better tend to her." He turned and faced Agent Christopher. "Way to protect the team. A Rittenhouse spy under our noses." He holstered his gun and walked back to the bunkers shaking his head.

"Amy? Amy?" Lucy was crying at the limp body of her sister.

Wyatt ran to her side. A small pool of blood was under her arm. He reached with two fingers at her pulse on her neck. He smiled. "She's alive." As proof to his statement, Amy began to moan in pain. "Don't move, Amy. The shot was a through and through on your upper arm." He spoke to Lucy. "Get some water and the bandages from the first aid kit. I need to clean the wound first."

Seeing how Lucy was consoling her sister, Agent Christopher said, "I'll get them!"

Amy was now more alert. She mumbled, "Lucy?"

"I'm here, Amy. Always. You're going to be all right." She held Amy's good hand.

"Did…did she mean to shoot me in the arm?"

"Not likely," said Wyatt. "She went for the kill. You can thank your sister for tackling you in time to ruin her aim."

"Ugh…do I have to?" She smiled at Lucy.

Lucy smiled back, shaking her head. "Even when you're injured, you're a pain."

Several hours later

Jessica was correct when she told them she had Jiya disable the tracking system on the Lifeboat. They had no idea where Jessica took Jiya. Connor and Rufus were working frantically for a solution. Wyatt cleaned Amy's wound and bandaged it. They found a piece of dark cloth to put her arm in a sling. Wyatt went off to his now empty bunk with his thoughts. Agent Christopher was researching more information that might have been missed on Jessica. Flynn stayed in his bunk as always, keeping to himself.

Lucy sat in the kitchen area with a half empty bottle of vodka sitting on the table. She was nursing her current shot when Amy came in.

"Can I buy you a drink? Or a bottle?"

Lucy said, "Help yourself." Then she winced. "Oh, sorry, can you pour?"

Amy took the bottle in her good hand and poured a healthy amount in a nearby mug. She set the bottle on the table before she sat in the chair opposite Lucy. "Nothing stops me from having a drink when I truly need it." She took a long sip. "Wow, we haven't sat down to drink together in a long time."

"The closest I can think of recently is when we ate the unopened Snickers bars we got for mom when she had cancer. Of course, that may not have happened in your timeline."

"I remember the Snickers bars she loved. Not the cancer."

"Maybe that's for the best. I wish I could forget seeing mom sick with cancer." She finished her shot and poured another.

Amy said, "I was supposed to go home this afternoon, but Jessica had other plans."

"I'm so sorry, Amy." Lucy gasped. "Oh, your tournament! You won't be able to go now."

Amy waved her good hand. "I don't mind. Truth is, I was getting bored with karate. I already made black belt. Nothing much after that. I mean, I've been going to karate since the tenth grade. You remember taking me to my practices and tournaments?"

"Oh, yes. Every single one. A byproduct of mom's teaching schedule." Lucy allowed a space of silence to pass before she said, "Amy, I'm not going to ask how you are right now. I will ask you what you're thinking now."

Amy took another drink and sighed heavily. "I am thinking that you have a dangerous life right now. A little too dangerous for my taste. Seriously, Luce, you are…were the last person I'd expect living this kind of life."

"It wasn't by choice. Or, maybe it was. Of all the historians in the world, they choose the one who has direct relations with Rittenhouse."

"I can't believe mom is the head of Rittenhouse."

"Not sure if she is the head, but she's pretty high up. Every time I saw her back in time or the current present, she would lecture me on my legacy. I want no part of it."

"I know. Jessica mentioned Emma. You told me last night that she made it so I couldn't come back. How could she do that?"

Lucy looked at her sister. "There's something I left out last night. It won't be easy to tell you. We have a father that we knew and loved. To me, he is our father. But he's not my biological father. That would be Benjamin Cahill. He was a former head of Rittenhouse. He's in prison now. Long ago, he and mom had an affair and she had me."

"Jesus, Luce. Have another drink."

Lucy took a swig and poured another. "Way ahead of ya, sis! I actually think Emma told me that she made you disappear just to threaten me. Her and I don't get along."

"Can't imagine why." Amy smiled and Lucy smiled back. "Look, Agent Christopher told me that her courier to take me home will be here in about an hour. Being that I'm in a sling and drugged on pain pills, it might be good for me to get some rest and silence. Two things I don't think I'll get here right now."

"Our last hour together."

"It doesn't have to be our last."

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you." Amy paused before she said, "Before I go, there's something I have for you. For us." She got up and went to the refrigerator to bring out two large paper cups, each with plastic lids and straws. She tucked one under her working arm and the other in her hand. She set one down in front of Lucy and the other for her. "While you guys were off saving the Civil War, Agent Christopher went out to get these. Strawberry milkshakes."

"Strawberry? How did she—what am I saying? That woman finds everything out eventually." Lucy began sipping the shake. "Mmm, not bad."

After sipping her own, Amy said, "Eh, not as good as the Dairy Barn back home."

"No. Is that place still there?"

"No, it closed ten years ago. There's a Speedway there now."

"Everything changes."

"Yes, Lucy, everything does change. Isn't that sorta the point of history? If everything stayed the same, things would get pretty boring."

"Something my life has not been in the past year."

"Oh, get off your pity horse, sister. Your attitude certainly didn't change with the different timelines."

"And you're still your stubborn self. You were always my Voice of Reason."

"Whenever you listened to me. Which was not often."

"I remember." Lucy leaned forward in her chair. "Amy, I remembered you. For the longest time, I was the only one who remembered you. I only have the one small picture of you that I keep in my locket. I take it with me everywhere. I had it on me during that first trip to the Hindenburg. When I got back, all the pictures of you didn't exist. Erased. That one picture I had was it. It didn't change because it was part of me in my original timeline." Her voice began to break. "Time went by and I hadn't looked at your picture in a while. Then I forgot. I forgot your birthday. And I thought if I forget you, then you would truly be gone forever." Lucy started crying.

Amy reached for Lucy's hand with her good one. "I'm here now, Lucy. I'm right in front of you. I don't know how and I don't care. I'm not comparing our tragedies, but you disappeared from me too. You went missing after the explosion at the Mason Industry explosion. I thought you were dead. Like you did for me, I remembered you. I remembered all the times you saved me and stood up for me. You are not just my sister, Lucy, you're my hero. My idol."

Lucy sniffed. "Yet, you're leaving me in an hour."

"To my home. I live less than thirty minutes away from here. I have to get back to my life. And this life here, whether you chose it or not, I can't be a part of it. I would just be in the way." She chuckled. "And after today, that's in the literal sense."

"What happens when you disappear from me again? What happens when I get off that time machine—if we ever get it back—and you don't exist again?"

"Then you'll remember me again. Maybe this time your team will remember me. But that hasn't happened."

"How? How can I remember?"

Amy thought for a moment and asked, "Do you have your cell with you?"

Taken back by the question, Lucy hesitated before she replied, "Yes." She reached into her pocket to retrieve her cell phone. She handed it to Amy.

Amy took it and started swiping. She reached the app that she needed and said, "Ok, dry your eyes and give us a smile." She scooted her chair closer to Lucy and she snapped a picture of them. She looked at the picture and said, "Aw, come on, Luce, you can smile better than that. Imagine you're sitting next to Ian Fleming."

Lucy scoffed. "Please. He did not impress me with all his flirting."

"All right. Then imagine Wyatt professing his undying love for you."

Lucy's mouth gaped. "Amy, he's married."

"Don't know if you're up on current events, Luce. If Wyatt still wants to be married to Jessica after what she did today, then he may not be the one for you. Also, she shot me, so, not a big fan of Jessica."

"All right. Take another one."

Amy snapped another picture and Lucy smiled wider this time. "There. Now I'm a bit rusty on my space time knowledge, but if you put these pics on a flash drive and keep it with you they shouldn't change."

"Works in theory."

"For now, though, let's finish our shakes."

"And vodka."

"Amen. Two things that go together perfectly."

"Just like us."

Amy and Lucy spent the next hour talking about everything besides time travel. Amy revealed that she was dating a guy who owns a fitness complex. Lucy asked her about that strawberry shampoo that she remembered. Amy told her that Avon discontinued it years ago. They reminisced about their prom and when Lucy beat up the guy who stood up Amy. It was that act that made Amy stick with karate. Lucy expressed regret for not taking the teaching position in Ohio that her mother advised against but Amy told her to take. Lucy confessed that she would never listen to her mother's advice ever again.

When the hour was up, Agent Christopher came in and announced that Amy's ride was here to take her home.

Lucy said to her sister, "As we say around here, time's up."

"Lucy, we're not saying goodbye forever. We will see each other again."

"Unless Rittenhouse has something to say about it."

"I may not know much, but I think Rittenhouse may have bigger plans."

Agent Christopher added, "My sentiment as well. Right now, keeping Amy away from you is low on their priorities. Jessica's actions today proved that."

Amy asked, "Is there any word on getting Jiya back?"

"We know that they didn't time travel anywhere. They stayed in the present. Where exactly is still unknown. Connor and Rufus are not stopping until they find out."

Amy said, "I hope you find her and bring her back." Christopher nodded her thanks and Amy's attention was to Lucy. "Ok, sis, bring it in, but be careful."

Lucy went to hug Amy, mindful of her injury. "You don't mind if I stay in this moment a little longer? I imagined this moment for an entire year. And now it's real."

Amy looked into her sister's eyes and reiterated, "We will see each other again, Lucy. You just keep doing good and save people. Go figure. My sister—the Time Traveling Superhero."

Lucy let go of her embrace and said, "Go make me a cape."

"Oh, I can so see you in a tight, bright yellow latex suit."

"I'm not wearing that."

"We'll see. Bye, sis."

Amy walked with Agent Christopher. Lucy called out, "Amy! I will remember you!"

"You better! If not I'll haunt you from Oblivion!"

Lucy watched as Amy turned the corner and disappeared with Agent Christopher. She felt more confident that she would return.

She didn't have long to enjoy the moment as the klaxon alert sounded through the complex.

She ran to the main control area. Rufus and Connor were at the computers. She cried out, "Is it back? Is Jiya back?"

Rufus brightened. "I think so. Looks like she's coming home."

Connor exclaimed, "Jiya must have managed to escape."

"That's my girl."

A rush of wind began to swirl in the area and an image of the Lifeboat appeared. For a few seconds. It then disappeared and the wind died down.

"What happened?" cried Lucy.

Wyatt ran into the area. "Is she back?"

"I don't know!" snapped Rufus. He was typing frantically on the computer.

Connor asked, "Did she stick to the landing?"

Rufus cried out, "No! No! No! This isn't right. It's gone."

Connor looked panicked. "Could you be a bit more specific, Rufus?"

Rufus turned to them and said in monotone, "The Lifeboat. Jiya. They're lost in time."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End…of this story.

Timeless continues with the episode Chinatown

Epilogue to follow soon!​