Her hangover was strong, but a combination of Advil and willpower had tried to motivate her to ignore the pain... neither was really working and the pests hovering over her shoulders as she and Jiya tried to work were hardly helping.

"Three hours since Flynn jumped, and you still don't know where?" Agent Christopher impatiently question.

"Well, we know when," Rufus offered some sort of consolation as if trying to buy time while he leaned over Jiya's shoulder as she input a few more computations into the computer. "When's easy. Where in '62? Much harder."

"Could be anywhere," Scarlett muttered under her breath, massaging her temples with the tips of her fingers as discreetly as she could manage. As much as she despised being in the presence of the time machine, she couldn't afford to be sent home. She needed the distraction as the empty apartment only clawed at the gaping hole in her heart.

"Almost cracked it, though," Jiya added, refusing to look away from the glowing screen as her fingers feverishly typed.

"Crack harder," Christopher instructed as she turned to check on the status of several other stations.

At the same moment, Mason emerged from the glass room upstairs and approached the trio still hard at work. "Rufus. Can you come with me a moment?"

"Give me a minute," Rufus requested. "We're close."

Mason leaned closer and lowered his voice, "It's about Anthony."

He then turned and walked away without another word. Whatever priorities Rufus had for the current project were placed on hold as he didn't hesitate to follow after Mason.

It didn't go unnoticed either as Scarlett rolled her eyes and huffed under her breath, but quickly regretted that decision as the pounding in her head increased. She rolled her chair away from the desk, leaned back, and closed her eyes as she massaged just above the bridge of her nose between her eyes.

"Long night?" Jiya asked, breaking the silence.

"Didn't sleep well," Scarlett gruffly lied. Had she been sober, it certainly would've been the truth, but as she returned to the apartment in the early hours of the morning completely trashed, she'd passed out the instant she sat on the bed. She didn't even have the energy to correct her position, sleeping half on and half off the bed. Albeit sore from the odd positioning, her sleep had been thankfully dreamless.

From Jiya's skeptical expression, it was clear she didn't believe her, but she didn't question her honestly. "Maybe you should head to the break room for a quick nap? I can handle this."

Scarlett slowly shook her head, despite the horrified look that crossed her face and tempted to rush the motion. "No, no. I'll be fine. I need to do this."

The look of concern on Jiya's face only grew, but she didn't argue. She simply turned her attention back to the screen, offering a side glance every other minute as if to check on her. About twenty minutes passed before they made any successful progress.

"I got it. Guys, I know where they are," Jiya ushered the others to gather around as she tried to explain the method of how she came by her solution. "Um, uh, okay, so it turns out that the negative-mass kinetic energy given off by the Mothership actually leaves behind a trace of..."

Jiya slowly trailed off, recognizing that she was losing her target audience. Although hazy, Scarlett had enough of her wits to look at the screen and translate Jiya's scientific jargon into common English. "They're in Nevada. Somewhere in this 50-mile radius."

"Uh, not exactly a pinpoint." Mason leaned closer to the computer as if considering trying something himself. "Can we do any better than 50 miles?"

Jiya shook her head, restraining herself from making a snide comment at the dissatisfaction Mason had despite her progress. "Sorry, no."

"Well, it's either the desert or Vegas," Wyatt added his own input. "So... Vegas."

"But why would Flynn go there?" Christopher asked in confusion.

"I'm looking," Lucy replied, wheeling a chair to another desk before performing a quick research check. "Okay, September 21st. Vegas, 1962. President Kennedy was in town for a DNC fund raiser at the Sands hotel. Sinatra headlining."

"Love Sinatra," Scarlett muttered, earning an odd look from Rufus. He quickly tried to redirect the conversation from her divergence.

"So, what are we thinking?" Rufus asked. "Flynn's gonna "JFK" JFK one year early?"

"What would be the point in that?" Scarlett's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Well, that room was also filled with celebrities, politicians, Mafia... Flynn could kill any of them, and it would be a disaster," Lucy explained the alternative options.

Following a beat of silence, Wyatt moved to get them back on track. "Well, we need to get there first."

A single look from Agent Christopher was enough for the rest of the team to stand and follow after the soldier toward the costume department. However, Rufus quietly pulled Scarlett aside just before they entered the room.

"What?"

"Something you want to tell me?" He asked.

"Not really." She gingerly shook her head and tried to push past.

He took her by the arm and gently pulled her back. "Are you drunk right now?"

"The opposite actually," she contradicted.

"That would mean you're sober," Rufus retorted unamused. "I can clearly tell you're far from it. Your eyes are bloodshot, and you've chugged three Red Bulls since the moment you entered the lab... and that's only the ones I saw."

"It's just a little hangover," Scarlett insisted, trying to push past again. "I'm fine."

"You're not—"

"Rufus," Scarlett warned. "Let me go or I'm going to flip you over my shoulder."

He quickly released her arm and took a step back, raising his hands defensively, failing to understand that she was bluffing. "I'm just worried about you. Is it really a good idea for you to be going?"

"It's not like I really have a choice," Scarlett replied harshly. "Besides, I can handle myself. You just focus on what you need to get done and let me deal with my own life how I see fit."

Rufus let her pass but lingered behind just a moment longer. The look of concern on his face remained, but he kept his thoughts to himself, realizing she was right that there wasn't much of a choice as she was the only other pilot qualified to fly the lifeboat.

By the time they had changed and taken their seats within the lifeboat, Scarlett wasn't quite as queasy to her stomach. Although the pounding in her head was still present, it had lessened in the last hour and the fog in her head had thinned. For just a moment, she'd even forgotten about her ailment of the heart as her entire concentration was devoted to the controls, but that all changed the second Wyatt broke the silence.

"Something you want to tell us?" Wyatt asked aloud as he leaned over to help Lucy with her restraints, a developing habit over the past couple of missions.

"Huh?" Lucy asked in confusion.

"Your rock," Wyatt clarified, referring to the ring on her finger. "Is that part of the costume?"

"Oh. No, apparently, I'm engaged," Lucy bluntly replied.

"Congratulations?" Rufus said more like a question.

"To who?" Wyatt asked, and if Scarlett had been even a little more aware, she might have presumed him jealous.

"Exactly," Lucy agreed before quickly spouting off just about everything she knew about the guy. "His name is Noah. I've never met him before, but there's all these pictures of us on vacation that I have no memory of—I mean, ever since that we got back from the Hindenburg, my life has completely changed overnight."

"You gonna take his name or are you gonna keep yours?" Wyatt joked.

"I don't even know his last name," Lucy admitted.

"Well, look on the bright side," Wyatt suggested as he finished Lucy's buckle then started on his own.

"There's a bright side?" Lucy skeptical asked.

"You still got the honeymoon to look forward to," Wyatt winked with a click of his tongue.

"Plus, you get to go to Vegas," Rufus added; however, he paused as he noticed how quiet Scarlett had been throughout the whole conversation.

He understood her well enough to know that she normally wouldn't have hesitated to join in on the teasing. Instead, she sat completely still with her eyes glued on the screen in front of her. He considered consoling her, but stopped as her eyes watered, and she adjusted her gaze so that no one would see if those tears slipped from the corners of her eyes and slid down the sides of her face. Instead, he focused on his own role as a pilot and finished making the necessary preparations for their voyage.

The lifeboat rattled and shook as the take-off procedure began. Within the blink of an eye, they were transported back into the sixties just outside the city where they'd deemed the most likely place for Flynn to go.

Scarlett was the first one out of the lifeboat, pushing past Wyatt and Lucy to stumble down the steps. She managed to make it a few feet from the pod before collapsing into a pair of bushes before her stomach heaved the granola bar and energy drinks that she'd considered breakfast.

Wyatt was next out of the lifeboat and fell to his knees, panting to keep the contents of his own stomach still while voicing another complaint. "You couldn't land any more out of the way?"

"You rather I park on the Strip?" Rufus questioned, similarly out of breath before helping Lucy down from the pod,

Just as Scarlett finished hurling and rejoined the group as they started in the direction of the city, an explosion in the distance echoed as a nuclear cloud of smoke billowed in the air.

Scarlett gasped. "We're too late."

"That's not Flynn," Lucy shook her head and corrected her, "There's a nuclear test site about 60 miles on the other side of town."

"Who's crazy enough to test a nuclear bomb outside of Vegas?" Rufus asked incredulously.

"The U.S. Department of Energy," Lucy replied matter-of-factly, leading the group once more toward the city.

"During the '50s and '60s, they tested over 1,000 nuclear weapons in the Nevada desert. Set 'em off a couple times a week," Wyatt explained, but stopped as the other three glanced back at him with looks of stupor. "What? I know my military history."

"Before Vegas was known as Sin City, they called it Atomic City," Lucy added.

Rufus sighed but still quipped, "Anyone got any sunscreen?"

Scarlett lightly rolled her eyes, finding her head even clearer than before. It looked like the combination of hurling her guts out and the nauseating effects of time travel were just the prescription the doctor ordered to clear most of the lingering effects of her hangover. "Yeah, I somehow doubt a little tan is the biggest of our concerns."

Rufus raised an eyebrow, but noticing that her mood seemed lighter, he couldn't help but smile and leaned over just a bit to whisper, "Welcome back to the land of the living."

Scarlett's lips pursed. "Quiet or I'll make sure you're the one who looks like an extra from Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'."

He discreetly raised his hands into a defensive manner, but both of them recognized her threat to be empty. A pair of small smiles pulled at the corners of their lips as if sharing an inside joke while silently recognizing the implied concern between them. It was a brief moment of distraction that she genuinely appreciated. She was only sore it couldn't last longer.

——— • — 𖥸 — • ———

As they arrived in the city, Lucy led them straight to the lounger without hesitation. The lively environment was infectious as laughter, music, and general conversation flittered around the room.

"How lucky can one guy be?" Sinatra's voice echoed around the room even though he was nowhere to be seen. His voice was unmistakable, even if his name hadn't been plastered to every sign within the vicinity.

Rufus seemed to share Scarlett's eager sentiment, albeit for different reasons. He laughed. "There's, like, fifty-four years' worth of baseball games we can bet on in here." As Lucy scoffed, he turned toward her with an innocent expression. "What? You don't like money?"

Lucy playfully rolled her eyes before turning her back to look around the rest of the room, no doubt taking in the historical importance of each passing second. Rufus continued to glance around at the gambling tables. Scarlett found herself stood in front of one of the headlining signs, reading each line while quietly humming along as Sinatra performed in the next room over.

"Ain't that a kick in the head? The room was completely black. I hugged her and she hugged back. Like the sailor said, quote: 'Ain't that a hole in the boat?'"

Wyatt had taken a quick stroll around the place, checking his shoulder to ensure he remained discreet as he investigated the defensive measures of the lounge. It didn't take long for him to wander back over to the group and explain what he'd seen. "Security's pretty tight. I don't know how we're gonna get into the show with no tickets, which are sold out."

"Why don't we call in a bomb threat?" Lucy suggested. "They'll shut it down. Clear out JFK."

Wyatt shook his head. "For once, I know where the son of a bitch is gonna be. I'm taking Flynn out at the show tonight."

"Okay, so how do you plan on keeping the President and a dozen other celebrities safe?" Lucy asked, keeping her tone low as she spoke.

Although the two didn't notice Rufus sneaking off, the action hadn't escaped Scarlett's line of sight. She reached out to pull him back, but she'd hesitated just a second long enough for Rufus to escape. She sighed under her breath, hoping he didn't plan to get himself into trouble just yet.

"Saving history is your job," Wyatt retorted, reminding Lucy of his priorities. "Mine is Flynn."

"What, so you just get to make this call?" Lucy's eyes narrowed. "No debate?"

"No," Wyatt agreed, "there's no debate."

"Guys, I got uniforms," Rufus interrupted the argument as he returned, holding several articles of clothing in hand. "We can get in."

Wyatt's brow furrowed in confusion as he took one of the uniforms and looked it over. "What? How did you--"

"'Cause in '62, I'm pretty much invisible," Rufus interrupted, but he did seem to smile as he added, "It's my superpower."

Lucy frowned as she held up the uniform that Rufus had gotten for her. Her look screamed disapproval even though she kept her voice low. "Really? You couldn't have found me a thong?"

"It's a cigarette girl's uniform," Rufus tried to defend himself, lifting his shoulders in a defensive manner as his hands remained full. "Hey, I didn't invent Vegas."

Lucy scoffed and handed the uniform back to him. "Well, go back and invent me a waitress uniform."

Rufus's eyes widened and he nodded to show he understood as he turned to return to the employees closet. "Got it."

However, Scarlett quickly realized she hadn't been given her uniform yet. She called after him, but he didn't seem to hear as he was already pushing through the crowded casino room toward the back.

"Rufus!" she called again, trying to keep her voice low so she didn't draw too much attention to herself, but she also needed him to notice her. "Rufus, wait up!"

She tried to follow his path, carefully sliding her way between waiters serving drinks and customers rolling dice. It was a difficult feat and he just barely managed to exit her line of sight before she reached the backroom. However, as she tried to push open the door, she ran into a manager who disapproved of her actions.

"You can't go back there, ma'am," he courteously explained. "It's for employees and performers only."

"There's been a misunderstanding," she tried to improvise her way past. "I work here, I'm just trying to get changed. There was an incident with my costume that needed dry-cleaned and the young gentleman who just went inside was supposed to bring it back."

The manager's eyes widened, and he quickly nodded his head apologetically while taking her by the arm and leading her backstage. "My apologies, ma'am. I'll have this resolved right away."

"Thank you," she placed a false smile on her face to cover her concern, and then tried to separate herself. "I think I can find my way from here."

"I insist," the manager contradicted, leading her past the employee change rooms and toward backstage. She turned her head in confusion, lingering on the room Rufus had certainly entered and they'd just passed. "I'd hate to detract from Mr. Sinatra's performance solely because he had an uneven number of dancers."

"I'm not—" her tongue caught in her throat as she realized her mistake. By claiming she needed to change into a costume rather than a uniform, he'd assumed she was a performer. She made an attempt to amend the mistake but was ushered into the ladies' changing room before she could. The door closed behind her and as she turned her head, the dancers already warming up for Sinatra's next numbered had all turned to look at her.

She swallowed, knowing surely the ruse would end here. However, she was again proven wrong as one of the costume directors barely batted an eye before handing her a bejeweled one-piece and urged her to change. She opened her mouth to try and explain herself, but quickly choked and spat as a mouthful of feathers threatened to suffocate her as the headpiece was shoved into her face.

Her face grew hot as the blood rushed to her head while her heartbeat felt sporadic with panic. The costumes made a point of showing more skin than covering up, but that wasn't so much what bothered her as opposed to the upending knowledge that she'd dug herself into a hole she wasn't escaping from.

The next five minutes was a blur as her movement wasn't even her own at that point. The various directors and managers, plus the additional stagehand, shoved and pushed her around from seat to seat. Passing her along from costuming, to hair, to makeup before she was thrown into the crowd of other dancers and nudged toward the stage.

"I'm really shouldn't be—" her explanation was again cut off as the trumpets and musicians on just the other side of the curtain introduced the next song.

The announcer's voice boomed as he enthusiastically signaled for the performers to step back out onto the stage. "And let's have a warm hand to welcome back these lovely ladies and the man of the hour: Frank Sinatra!"

Cheers erupted and the combination of the sound and the blinding lights overhead completely deprived Scarlett of her senses. However, she wasn't given time to think or deal with the panic attack growing in her chest. She just wanted to shrink inside herself and curl up in a corner at the back of the room. Instead, she was forced forward by the other dancers and unfortunately into the back of Sinatra.

Miraculously, he didn't stumble or show any signs of disruption, but as the band started the opening verse, he gestured for them to prolong the intro with a longer build-up as he turned around to face her.

She was utterly starstruck as he took her hands to steady her. "You alright, doll?"

She didn't move at first. She simply stared into his glittering blue eyes. It was only after his brow furrowed with concern that she processed his question and quickly nodded her head. "Yeah, yes. I'm fine."

His gaze lingered just a second longer, but as the band reached the top of the chorus and led straight into the first verse, Sinatra whirled around, shining a bright and charismatic smile, and started to sing. "They call you Lady Luck, but there is no room for doubt. At times, you have a very un-ladylike way of running out. You're on this date with me, the pickin's have been lush. And yet, before the evening is over you might just give me the brush. You might forget your manners. You might refuse to stay. And so, the best that I can do is pray."

Without much of another option, Scarlett followed the lead of the other dancers and swayed to the tune of the music. Briefly closing her eyes to feel the rhythm of the beat, it didn't take long for her confidence to return. Her movements grew bolder as she followed in sync with the other ladies, opening her eyes to the crowd and placing a charming, but false smile onto her face.

"Luck, be a lady tonight. Luck, be a lady tonight. Luck, if you've ever been a lady to begin with, Luck, be a lady tonight."

As her confidence grew and the actual reason behind why she was on stage faded from her mind, the infectious excitement of the room transformed the flirtatious smile into a genuine beam. Had she not been in the middle of a performance, she would have thrown back her head, spun, and released a freeing laugh. As she felt far lighter than she had over the past two days, the thought was tempting still.

Her gaze drifted out into the crowd as if looking for a familiar face, but who was there to recognize in the sixties aside from celebrities? Well... there was the rest of her team. They'd entered the room just before the song had begun, but only now did they notice her presence on stage. The three briefly stood dumbfounded in place, although it was only Rufus who truly looked panicked.

Working with the energy of the crowd, Scarlett winked in Rufus's general direction and blew a playful kiss only with the intention of aggravating his overprotective stance. However, she failed to realize that the split-second decision had pulled the crowd's attention to her as she broke formation from the rest of the dancers. The crowd wasn't the only ones to notice though. As Sinatra began the next verse, Scarlett turned to see that he'd faced her as if dedicating the following lines to her.

"Tonight, Luck, let a gentleman see, how nice a dame you can be." His blue eyes were no longer focused on the crowd, just solely on her. "I know the way you've treated other guys you've been with. Luck, be a lady with me."

Realizing she had two options: she chose the bolder. For just a moment, she felt free and didn't want to give it up for the world. She took a step closer to Sinatra, playing on the energy of the crowd and the whistles she normally would've found patronizing, but there was something about the sixties that created a femme fatale instinct within. She crossed in front of Sinatra, trailing a hand across his chest as a distraction before stealing the mic and singing the next pair of lines herself. "A lady doesn't leave her escort. It isn't fair, it isn't nice. A lady doesn't wander all over the room and blow on some other guy's dice."

Sinatra was stunned, but the crowd ate up the sudden chemistry between the two. Rather back off and let her take over, Sinatra placed a hand on the mic and playfully pulled it back in his direction. "Let's keep this party polite. Never get out of my sight. Stick with me baby, I'm the fella you came in with. Luck, be a lady tonight."

She was prepared to step back and rejoin the dancers, but stopped as he took her wrist and turned the mic in her direction. The dynamic of the song immediately changed as the solo was suddenly turned into a flirtatious duet between strangers acting like they'd known each other the entirety of their lives. "A lady never flirts with strangers. She'd have a heart, she'd be nice. A lady doesn't wander all over the room and blow on some other guy's dice."

"Let's keep this party polite. Never get out of my sight. Stick with me baby, I'm the fella you came in with." As they came to the final lines of the song, Scarlett took a single step back to place Sinatra back in the center of attention as he finished the song, belting the final notes. "Luck, be a lady tonight."

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause as they finished. Scarlett's chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath while processing that the crowd's enthusiasm was directed toward her. Still playing with the audience, Sinatra gently wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. The cheers and whistles grew louder, but the sound was incomparable to the standing ovation they received as Sinatra swiftly pulled her across his body, dipped her, and pressed his lips against hers.

However, the sound of the room was drowned out by the blood rushing to her head as she leaned into the kiss. But the sudden, gut-wrenching, feeling of guilt that punched her in the guilt immediately chained her back to reality.

Sinatra slowly pulled her back to her feet and stepped forward to introduce the next guest to join them onstage, "A very good friend of mine, the President of the United States, John Kennedy. Yeah, Jack."

Her head was swimming and clouded as she stumbled back, overwhelmed and suddenly overstimulated by the energy of the crowd. Her gaze drifted to the ground and her eyes widened as her fingers brushed against her lips, horrified by the betrayal of mourning her fiancé. Her hands trembled and she lost all sense of direction as she stumbled back another step to join the other dancers.

A couple reached out their hands to steady her while also applauding her performance, but her ears didn't process any sound. She could only hear the thumping of her own heart pounding against her ribcage as the world started to move in slow motion.

She lifted her head to look back up at Sinatra, but since the song had ended, he hadn't even cast a look in her direction. However, it was the movement just beyond that caught her eye and turned her blood to ice. There he was... the source of her misery: Garcia Flynn. It was the blatant reminder she needed to get her mind back on track to the mission.

Flynn bent over and whispered into a woman's ear before leading her out of the room. Wyatt was quickly on his trail and gone not even a moment later. However, Lucy appeared lost in the crowd. The historian's gaze wandered to the stage and Scarlett subtly raised a hand to call for her attention. With a nod of her head, she gestured in the general direction that Wyatt had gone, and it took just a second longer for Lucy to understand and follow.

As the dancers drifted toward backstage as Kennedy took over the attention of the room, Scarlett tried to make her way toward the exit to join the others. However, a hand gripped her wrist and pulled her attention back.

Sinatra smiled and silently seemed to ask her to come back. Although hesitant because she did have other priorities, she did grace him with another minute. "You were real swell out there. I don't suppose you'd have time for a drink?"

Scarlett was caught off guard by the sudden invitation. Genuinely, she'd thought he wouldn't even glance her direction following the show. Contrarily, it looked like she'd made an impression. Unfortunately, it was neither the right time nor the place to get distracted. She had a role to play, and as much fun as she'd experienced in the brief moment of limelight, she was a pilot. As such, she had a responsibility to her team to focus on her role and overall objective rather than the pleasant distractions that the past offered. Afterall, it was the past that had screwed over her future.

"Another time perhaps," she politely declined then turned without leaving so much as her name.

——— • — 𖥸 — • ———

"Does anyone want to explain what's going on?" Scarlett asked as she exited the car.

The team had left the lounge in a hurry, and with them one additional guest. All Scarlett had been given was a brief introduction to the woman referred to as Judith Campbell and the feeling that once more they were on the run.

"I'll explain in a minute," Rufus replied, leaning in to whisper as the group approached the motel room they'd rented for the evening. "Well... as much as I can anyway."

Judith Campbell was less than pleased to be roughly forced into the room by Wyatt as he checked his shoulder. Even though he had the advantage of size and strength, she still tried to fight against him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm saving your life," Wyatt insisted, pushing her further into the room. "You're welcome, by the way."

"You let me out of here!" she demanded.

Wyatt's eyes narrowed. "Lady, I'm trying to protect you."

"By kidnapping me from another kidnapper?" she asked skeptically.

"She has a point," Scarlett agreed as she leaned up against the wall while Lucy closed the door. "It doesn't exactly sound great."

"All right," Rufus cleared his throat. "We're Vegas PD."

"We're, uh... we're undercover," Lucy added.

Judith looked between the four unconvinced. "Let's see some badges."

"Why would we bring our badges?" Rufus asked then added an explanation. "We're undercover. They're back at the precinct."

Judith scoffed. "If you're cops, I'm Princess Grace."

Lucy was the first to break. "Okay, we're not cops."

"Seriously. Really?" Rufus looked toward Lucy with disappointment. "I really thought I had it sold."

"It wasn't a bad idea," Scarlett attempted to console him. "I'm actually impressed you managed to stay calm."

"Okay, look. The truth is we do work for the government," Wyatt offered a half-truth. "We're trying to get the man who grabbed you. His name is Garcia Flynn, and he's dangerous."

"And if he wants you," Lucy added, "he's not gonna stop coming for you."

"So why does he want you?" Wyatt asked.

"Lots of men want me," Judith retorted. Scarlett raised an eyebrow and Wyatt scoffed. Judith then rolled her eyes as she looked Wyatt over with disdain. "They're usually more polite about it."

Realizing they weren't getting anymore, Lucy seemed to offer a moment of peace. "Why don't you come freshen up, and we'll get this sorted out?"

"And then you're gonna let me go," Judith replied with the tone of a demand as she entered the bathroom.

"Yeah, as soon as possible—" Lucy agreed, but the door was slammed in her face.

Wyatt lowered his voice and gestured toward the bathroom, "Okay, she is hiding something."

Lucy also lowered her voice as she stepped back over to the group, "What she is hiding is that she is Kennedy's mistress."

Rufus leaned forward in his chair, expressing his surprise. "Seriously?"

Lucy nodded. "For the last two years. And Sam Giancana's mistress."

"The mob boss?" Wyatt questioned.

"Yes, remember the plot to kill Castro I told you about?" Lucy asked rhetorically. "She is the one that delivers messages from JFK to the mob. Not a lot of people know her name, but she is at the dead center of 1960s politics."

Rufus tilted his head and leaned back in his chair with a deep breath. "Okay, this is some real Oliver Stone stuff right here."

"You're saying she's got some of the most powerful men in the world wrapped around her finger?" Scarlett asked, revealing how impressed she was as her brow raised.

Lucy nodded, but Wyatt redirected the conversation back to their priorities. "So, she's an operator. What does Flynn want with her?"

A thud echoed from the bathroom. A single glance between them was enough to send them all to their feet and over to the door. Wyatt reached for the doorknob, but it didn't budge. He shook his head, took a step back, then kicked in the door.

"There goes our security deposit," Scarlett muttered under her breath.

The state of the room wasn't even a concern for Wyatt as he rushed forward and pulled Judith away from the open window above the toilet. "Come here!"

"No! No, you... no!" Judith squirmed and fought against Wyatt as he lifted her from her feet and pulled her back into the room before forcing her down into a chair. "You let go of me!"

"I am tying you up to keep you safe," Wyatt announced.

Judith gasped. "Don't you dare!"

"He is not going to tie you up," Lucy contradicted, throwing a glare in Wyatt's direction.

He returned the look with a warning. "Oh, the hell I won't."

"Look, I don't know what this Flynn guy wants, okay?" Judith defensively held out her hands before adjusting her dress. "But he threatened me."

Wyatt slowly bent down so that he was eye-level, refusing to conceal how annoyed he was. "With what?"

"He knows things about me," Judith replied, pushing herself onto her feet before taking a step away from the chair and the group. "Personal things that are none of your damn business."

Wyatt scoffed. "What, like screwing JFK?"

"Wyatt!" Lucy hissed as both Rufus and Scarlett's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry," Wyatt apologized, facing Lucy. "We cannot play coy anymore."

"Stop it!" Lucy demanded.

"How did you know that?" Judith's voice trembled. Slowly, she took a deep breath and provided answers. "He has pictures, okay? How he got them, I don't know, but if I don't do whatever it is he wants, he could ruin me. And cost Jack the next election."

"Trust me." Lucy took a step forward with a look of sympathy. "We won't say anything."

"Oh, so I should trust you?" Judith remained unconvinced, looking beyond Lucy at Wyatt. "Is that before or after he ties me up?"

Lucy shot a look back at Wyatt. With a huff of resignation, he walked into the adjoining room while Rufus turned toward the window. Realizing the tension wasn't going to break on its own, Scarlett took a seat on the couch, flipped on the television, and motioned for Judith to join her. Judith's brow furrowed, but eventually she gave in and took a seat. Offering as much hospitality as she could while keeping Judith essentially prisoner, Lucy filled a glass of water and approached the couch.

A recording of Kennedy played on the screen as the historian joined them. "Let the record show that our restraint..."

"Water?" Lucy extended the glass.

"If you sprinkle it on top of a glass of gin," Judith replied as she pulled her gloves off her hands by the fingertips. She then looked up amused. "So, you and brooding blue eyes in the next room. You sleeping with him?"

"What?" Lucy's shock was poorly concealed on her face as she released a nervous laugh. "Um, no."

"He could use it. He's wound pretty tight," Judith replied then glanced over at Scarlett. "That was some performance. I didn't realize Sinatra had a girl."

"Innocent fun," Scarlett replied nonchalantly as if still playing the role. "A girl's gotta make her way in the world some way."

The blinds clattered as Rufus's fingers slipped from the one he'd been holding, distracted by the conversation he'd been eavesdropping on. Uncomfortable, he cleared his throat. "Okay, I'll just..."

A small grin pulled at Scarlett's lips as she watched him walk into the next room over, joining Wyatt. At least one pleasant thing had come from the evening, she'd never give up an opportunity to annoy the other pilot.

"So, how'd you know?" Judith asked with a sigh, redirecting the conversation. "This Flynn guy tell you?"

"Doesn't matter. Your secrets are safe with us," Lucy insisted, "As soon as we find Flynn, you can go back to--"

"To Jack?" Judith interrupted. "All right. Go ahead, say it. You think I'm a tramp."

"No." Lucy quickly shook her head. "I think you're fascinating."

Judith chuckled under her breath. "Don't think another woman's ever called me that before."

"I mean it. A woman..." Lucy smiled softly. "Especially in this day and age. Living the life that you're living. The people that you know. The things that you've seen."

"Honestly, I..." Judith sighed, "felt like a nobody. And then one night, I met Jack. And the next morning, it was all different. Like a roller coaster. You ever wake up one day and not recognize your own life?"

"Yes, actually," Lucy agreed. "A lot lately."

"And now I never know what's going to happen next." Judith leaned back. "I really don't."

"Isn't that terrifying?" Lucy asked.

"Some of the time," Judith admitted.

"Do you ever wish that you could go back to your old life?" Lucy asked.

"Never." Judith shook her head without hesitation. "It'd be easier, I guess, but I think if I did, I'd always wonder."

"Wonder what?" Scarlett asked, leaning closer as she rejoined the conversation.

Judith looked between the two with a knowing smile. "If I was missing out on something better."

As the conversation quietly lulled, Wyatt walked back into the room as if on a mission while Rufus tailed him. The soldier's line of sight never left Judith as he abruptly asked his question. "The name Christy Pitt mean anything to you?"

Judith shook her head. "Never heard of her."

"Rufus, find out who she is," Wyatt instructed. "Meantime, we're not gonna find Flynn. Flynn's gonna find you. I'll take you back to your hotel room, and when Flynn shows up, which he will, sooner or later, I'm gonna take him out."

"You want to use her as bait?" Scarlett incredulously asked as she stood from the couch.

"He's not gonna hurt her," Wyatt defended his decision. "He needs her for whatever he needs her for."

"Are we a hundred sure this is our best plan?" Rufus leaned over to Wyatt, asking in a low tone as he adjusted his uniform overcoat.

"And you'll get the pictures back?" Judith asked.

"When it's all over?" Wyatt clarified with a nod of his head. "Yeah, they're yours."

"I need a word." Lucy stood from where she was seated with a frown. Quickly, she pulled at Wyatt's sleeve and led him back into the adjoining room where their hushed argument could slightly be heard.

Scarlett walked around the table in front of the couch and pulled Rufus aside, but remained within the same room as Judith as she didn't think the conversation between Wyatt and Lucy should be disturbed. "You're okay with this?"

"I know you feel like you have to walk on eggshells—"

"Of course, we should be walking on eggshells," Scarlett interrupted with a hiss. "This is the past we're talking about. Everything we do ultimately affects the future, and if Lucy says she's important then is this a chance we should be so willing to take?"

"Look, Wyatt's tired of being a step behind Flynn," Rufus replied. "And honestly, I am too. But if you're so worried about the past then maybe you should set your damn priorities straight instead of coming into work hungover or fooling around with celebrities. What would Carlos think about it, hmm?"

There was immediately silence between them. Scarlett's breath grew heavy as she glared while her eyes watered. Just before the first tear could fall, she knocked her shoulder into him and pushed past then entered the bathroom. Although the door had been kicked off its hinges, the team had tried their best to prop it up against the wall. Scarlett took the opportunity to block off the entryway in case Rufus tried to follow then whirled around toward the sink.

With a flick of her wrist, she turned the knob on the right and cold water rushed into the sink. She refused to look into the mirror, fearing the state of herself. Instead, she stared into the miniature, man-made waterfall as her knuckles turned white from gripping the edge of the sink so tightly. Her own tears added to the quantity of water in the sink, tainting the pure with salt.

In a moment of weakness, she glanced into the mirror and her bloodshot reflection stared back at her. Her hair curled around her face in thin wisps as her show-makeup stained her cheeks. She closed her eyes and her chest heaved. She didn't ask for any of this, yet here she was unable to change anything that personally mattered to her. Oh, what she wouldn't give to go back a week and run her fingers through his curled hair or feel his heart beat against hers. Maybe then she would've agreed with Judith about choosing a new life and never turning back.

But she couldn't now. More than anything she wanted to be given the choice of hanging up the phone and saying goodbye to her father once and for all just so that she might see him again. Without hesitation she'd chose Carlos over everything else, but since that wasn't an option... vengeance was all that was left. There was no consolation and there was no closure. There was only the heartache of grief and the flame of rage. Frankly, the pain of the second was easier to deal with than the first. So, she'd focus on the mission and she'd focus on taking away what little Flynn cared about as he'd taken her entire world.

A gentle knock echoed on the wood of the door. Scarlett remained silent, but moved closer as Lucy's voice could be heard on the other side. "Wyatt's taken Judith back to her room. Rufus and I are gonna investigate the Christy Pitt angle from the lounge."

Scarlett silently sighed, tried to clean herself up as best she could, then pushed back the door and joined Lucy on a walk back to the lounge where they met with Rufus, who was in the midst of speaking with a concierge at the front desk.

"Are you sure there's no Christy Pitt here?" he asked, clearly not the first time. "Got this bottle of champagne I'm supposed to deliver to her."

"I'm sorry, man." The concierge shook his head. "No one by that name."

Rufus sighed but nodded his head. "Thanks."

Lucy pulled at both Rufus and Scarlett's arm to get their attention before nodding her head in the direction of the other room. Rather than turning to ice like it previously had, the blood in Scarlett's veins boiled as she caught sight of Flynn and his henchmen making their way through the lounge.

"Come on," Lucy insisted. "I'm not just gonna stand here and do nothing."

By the time they made it upstairs, it seemed that Flynn had gotten away yet again. Wyatt sprinted around the corner, stopping just as the elevator closed while the other three caught up from behind. Startled, Wyatt whirled around, aiming his loaded gun in their direction. The three jumped back and stumbled.

"Oh! Oh!" Rufus defensively held out his hands.

"It's just us!" Lucy hissed.

Wyatt closed his eyes and took a deep breath before lowering his weapon and continuing the argument. "I told you to wait downstairs!"

"Yeah, no, you look like you had it well in hand," Scarlett snapped. Wyatt shot her a shocked look, but she didn't back down. She remained defiant and stood by what she said. "Am I wrong?"

"What happened?" Lucy called his attention back.

"She double-crossed us. That's what happened," Wyatt replied, clearly upset. "She went right to Flynn."

"Well, of course she did, because Flynn still has the pictures and she's still afraid that he's gonna use them. He has the upper hand. Plus, you could've been a little nicer to her," Lucy explained. Wyatt didn't wait around for her to finish. He holstered his weapon and pushed past the group without so much as another word. Lucy scoffed at his demeanor, but he didn't even glance over his shoulder. He simply kept walking.

"What? No. Hey, where are you going?" Rufus questioned.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Lucy asked expectantly awaiting an answer. None came as Wyatt just kept walking.

"Perfect," Scarlett muttered under her breath, barely managing to keep her own emotions in check. "Now, who's the genius that formed this dysfunctional team?"

The pattern of silence continued as the group begrudgingly followed after Wyatt. It didn't take long for them to find him stopped at the concierge desk. Although it was tempting for all of them to approach and get things back on track, they listened as Lucy said she wanted a moment alone with him.

Obliging, Rufus and Scarlett turned toward the bar and took a seat. Without thinking, Scarlett waved over the bartender and ordered a drink, but only hesitated as she noticed the look she received from Rufus as she raised the glass to her lips. She set it back down on the table and expectantly turned toward him.

"What?"

He just rolled his eyes and tried to turn away. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back. If he had something to say, she was going to make him say it. Her look hardened and he sighed, inevitably giving in. "Don't you think you've had enough?"

"I haven't had anything since last night," Scarlett contradicted lifting the glass back to her lips to take a sip before continuing the conversation. "Who do you think you are, my mother?"

Rufus's brow furrowed and he shook his head. She could tell that he was biting his tongue. "I just care about you. That's all... Remember that I've known you longer than anyone else here. We both know you don't have much discipline when it comes to drinking, or have you forgotten your college days.

Scarlett scoffed, sniffing in the process. "I don't need you hanging over my shoulder, Rufus. I'm capable of caring for myself. I didn't need you to step in at MIT and I don't need you stepping in now. I'm not overdoing anything. I'm fine."

"Yeah, you look fine," Rufus scoffed. "With everything that's happened in the past couple of days, I don't blame you for trying to distract yourself, but I can't sit by and watch you hurt yourself. I didn't abandon you then and I'm not going to give up so easily now."

Scarlett chuckled bitterly under her breath. "Give up the betterment of humankind crap, Rufus. Your MIT ingrained mottos and phrases aren't going to change my mind."

"That's not what I'm doing, Scar—" Rufus froze mid-statement. Had Scarlett not been so familiar with his mannerisms, she would've grown frustrated, but she recognized the look of a lightbulb clicking on in his head. "Why didn't I think of that before?"

"Think of what?" Scarlett's brow furrowed in confusion, no longer understanding the context of his words.

He didn't answer. Instead, he stood from his seat and rushed across the room back over to Lucy and Wyatt. Scarlett sighed, left a few bills on the countertop then followed after the other pilot as he called out to the rest of their team.

"Guys, guys, guys. I know why Flynn is here," Rufus called out before babbling under his breath. "It was staring at me right in the face. I'm so sorry, it was staring at me the whole time."

"Spit it out, Rufus," Scarlett instructed, trying to tell him to get to the point.

However, Lucy took an alternative approach as she calmly suggested, "Slow down."

"It's just such an outdated phrase," Rufus continued to apologize. "I've only heard it once used at MIT. Leave it up to Anthony to call it that."

"Rufus, what are you talking about?" Wyatt asked, taking Scarlett's side on the matter.

"Christy Pitt," Rufus replied, quickly going on to explain his revelation. "It's not a person. It's the Christy pit. Named after the physicist Robert Christy. It's slang for an A-bomb's plutonium core."

Scarlett's expression fell as the familiar information finally clicked in her own mind. She wasn't given much time to process said information though as Rufus took the lead, walking toward the exit of the lounge.

"A nuke?" Lucy questioned.

"Technically an atom bomb," Rufus corrected.

"How in the world could Flynn possibly steal an atom bomb without anybody noticing?" Lucy's tone was hushed as her questions continued.

"He doesn't have to steal the whole nuke," Scarlett replied, finally on the same page as Rufus. "Just the plutonium core."

Rufus nodded in agreement. "Once the pit's removed, it's actually quite small."

"Wait, so Flynn is suddenly an expert at dismantling an atomic bomb?" Wyatt skeptically asked.

Rufus shook his head. "Well, Flynn doesn't have to be. He's got Anthony."

Wyatt had slipped into the front of the group, but froze, turning back to face the others. "Could they take the core in the Mothership?"

"I don't know." Rufus shook his head again and shrugged. "It's not exactly something we ever tried before, but if it explodes during a time jump, who knows what it'll do? To the past or the present."

"And Flynn's just crazy enough to try it," Lucy blinked and pushed her way to the front, leading the others out of the lounge.

Ever since Rufus had explained his Christy pit revelation, a pit had formed in her gut. Now it only grew with the fear that everything had seemingly grown so much worse in the span of five minutes. For the umpteenth time that day, she found her priorities changing from solely vengeance to survival and preservation of the few things she had left. She'd been so focused on a potential family with Carlos that she'd forgotten about the family she had in her father and in Rufus. She was a mess, and she recognized that, but she'd solve her issues later. Her minor revelation reignited the fire of having something to fight for, something she was no longer willing to give up in exchange for even just one more second with her fiancé.

Unfortunately, as they came up with an answer, a dozen more problems seemed to jump into existence. Aside from a time machine, they had no viable mode of transportation. Wyatt seemed to recognize this fact as they exited the lounge. "We gotta get to the test site fast."

"Any ideas?" Scarlett asked just a a cherry red vehicle pulled up to the curb. Without an explanation, Rufus moved to the driver's side and extended a hand.

"Welcome to the Sands, sir," he greeted and accepted the keys as they were handed to them. With a grin, he turned back toward the others and tossed Wyatt the keys. "See? Invisible."

Scarlett couldn't help but smile at the sudden confidence Rufus displayed and how much he'd grown over just the past few days from the timid technician. However, she didn't let those thoughts linger as she climbed into the backseat beside him, nudging his shoulder with a nod to convey how impressed she was.

Without delay, Wyatt pressed the gas as soon as he'd taken his seat and Lucy had closed the door on the passenger side. They flew down the road at speeds that surely weren't legal, but none of them had any concerns for the law. They were on a mission with no intention of being deterred. Although the night sky overhead made things difficult to see, a pair of headlights were noticeable visible up ahead.

"I think that's them," Wyatt stated. "Hold on."

He increased his speed, pressing his foot harder on the gas. Scarlett and Rufus shared a look of concern before he tried to get Wyatt to think about what his reckless action. "Wyatt, what are you doing? He's gonna hit us!"

"No, he won't," Wyatt contradicted but didn't pull his eyes from the road.

"How do you know?" Rufus's voice cracked as he leaned forward, trying to appeal to reason.

"'Cause then we all blow up," Wyatt said matter-of-factly.

"Wyatt," Lucy winced, almost pleading for him to reconsider.

However, he'd been right. Both cars screeched to a halt as the driver's slammed on the brakes, rotating the steering wheel to avoid crashing into one another. That didn't stop them from veering off the road, barely missing the outcropping of rocks along the desert ground.

"Stay in the car!" Wyatt shouted an order.

"No!" Lucy shook her head and returned his tone of authority. "No, you cannot do this alone."

"I'll get the nuke," Rufus volunteered.

"I'll get Judith," Lucy added.

"And I'll provide support," Scarlett extended her hand as if asking for a weapon.

"I've only got the one gun," Wyatt reminded her.

"And you're sure as hell not giving it to me," Scarlett interrupted. "Yeah, yeah, I know... I can still watch Lucy's back."

Surprisingly, Wyatt conceded. Agreeing with a short nod of his head, he heavily took a breath before climbing out of the car. "Be careful."

No one had a chance to reply as the air immediately filled with gunfire. Bullets ricocheted and took off chunks of the rocks they currently used for cover while glass shattered and the metallic clang of the vehicles themselves echoed and joined the cacophony of noise.

"Go!" Wyatt shouted. "I'll cover you!"

As if counting to three, Scarlett and Rufus exited the vehicle from opposites sides as Lucy sprinted toward the vehicle Judith was sitting within. Rufus rushed toward the nuke while Scarlett charged the nearest opponent. As he'd been solely focused on Wyatt, he hadn't expected her to lung at him from the darkness. There was a brief squabble, but with the element of surprise, she had the upper hand and knocked him unconscious, taking his weapon for herself before making her way back over to Wyatt.

As she fired off a round of shots, he looked over at her incredulously. "Where did you get that?"

"I improvised!" she shouted back.

The took turns firing rounds, going back and forth until one ran out of ammunition. As Scarlett didn't have anything to reload hers with, she tossed the weapon aside as Rufus and Lucy made it back to the car.

"I've got it," Rufus hollered.

Carefully, Scarlett and Wyatt made it back over to the car without getting shot; however, it did provide time for Flynn and his men to pull away. Realizing he had just one more shot, Wyatt rose from his spot of cover and took aim at Anthony; however, Rufus quickly jumped into his path.

"Rufus, no!" Scarlett called out to him, but he didn't listen.

"Get out of the way, Rufus!" Wyatt demanded.

"Anthony gave us the nuke!" Rufus tried to appeal to him.

Wyatt shook his head. "It's not good enough!"

"He's my friend!" Rufus kept his hands raised defensively but refused to move. "And he needs our help!"

With a frustrated huff, Wyatt lowered his weapon and took a step back, breathing heavily. Wyatt shook his head then silently gestured toward the truck slowly disappearing into the night. Once again, Flynn had gotten away. Had the situation not been so tense, Scarlett might have knocked Rufus upside the head; instead, she pulled him into a tight hug."

"You're an idiot," she muttered under her breath. "I swear if you ever do that again..."

"I thought you didn't need me butting in your life?" Rufus quietly asked, wrapping his arms around her after the moment of hesitation he'd experienced from shock.

"We both seem to have a desire to destroy ourselves," Scarlett retorted. "Someone's got to look out for our backs, and I don't trust anyone more than you."

As Lucy finished her quiet conversation with Judith, Rufus and Scarlett moved to her side. Rufus still kept a hand over her shoulder while she kept one wrapped around him as if both were scared the other would leave. Although still clearly frustrating, Wyatt did eventually rejoin the group after lightly kicking the flat tire of the car.

"Hey," Lucy called after Judith as she began to walk away. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Always am." A sad smile graced Judith's face, but she quickly changed her countenance back to the sultry persona she kept around herself like a wall. With a click of her tongue, she addressed Wyatt, "Oh, hey. Sorry about the crack on the head, gorgeous. Don't take it personal."

While she turned back around and continued walking down the road, Wyatt quietly asked Lucy, "What happens to her?"

Lucy sighed. "Eventually, her secrets come out anyway. She's vilified by the public, and she dies of cancer."

"Damn," Rufus muttered. "She seems like she had it all together."

Wyatt gently shook his head. "No one's got it all together."

Nodding his head, Rufus lowered his hand from Scarlett's shoulder and inched backward. "Better get the suitcase back where it belongs."

"Hopefully before anyone knows that it's gone," Lucy agreed.

As Rufus lifted the case, he slowly seemed to recognize something solely based on its weight that he'd overlooked in the heat of the moment of being shot at. "No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no. He switched it."

The latch of the case was quickly undone and opened to reveal nothing inside. The group's faces fell, and a look of horror replaced whatever small sense of victory they'd previously had.

"Rufus..." Wyatt called for him to focus. "Does Flynn have the nuke?"

No one actually needed an answer to know the truth, which only made the moment that much worse. Not only had they failed, but there was also a chance that they'd be returning to a future that no longer existed.

——— • — 𖥸 — • ———

Although the crew of the lifeboat were shaken to their cores, the time machine itself safely landed back in the twenty-first century. Agent Christopher didn't hesitate to get right to business as she approached the group emerging from the lifeboat. "Did you find Flynn?"

"Yeah," Lucy's tone remained somber. "We found him."

"And?" Christopher asked for more information. "What did he want in Las Vegas?"

"You're gonna want to sit down for this," Rufus replied.

The group made their way up into the transparent room overlooking the lab and began to explain the events as they'd occurred. After about half an hour of debriefing and another five minutes of silence, Agent Christopher slowly shook her head. "You can't be serious."

"We saved Judith Campbell. Kept history the same," Lucy explained.

"But Garcia Flynn is still alive, and he got away with an atomic bomb," Christopher retorted with disbelief.

"The situation was chaotic," Wyatt tried to defend them and their decisions.

Trying to break the tension, albeit not at the best moment, Rufus added, "On the upside, we're finally starting to gel as a team. Just saying."

"And you believe that Anthony is working with Flynn?" Christopher continued her interrogation method of continuing the conversation.

"I think it's complicated," Rufus interjected before the others could. "There's got to be an explanation as to why. Anthony's not the type of guy that would do something like that."

"They never are on the surface," Christopher replied. "Well, makes one part of our job easier. We don't have to rescue Anthony Bruhl anymore. We just need to eliminate him. Leave Flynn without anyone to pilot the Mothership."

Rufus looked up from the ground, both shocked and sickened by the casual tone the conversation had taken. However, Wyatt nodded his head in agreement. "That crossed my mind."

"And in this gun battle, did you ever get a shot at Anthony?" Christopher asked.

Rufus discreetly cast a look in the soldier's direction as he hesitated, but Wyatt declined disclosing the full truth of what happened. "Never a clean shot."

"Next time, make sure you do," Christopher replied then left the room.

The team remained just a moment longer, glancing toward one another with a knowing look. However, a moment was all that it lasted. With the recognition that they'd been dismissed, Scarlett was the first to leave the room. She immediately went to change and leave as soon as humanly possible without dealing with any other interactions for the evening. She needed some time to deal with everything she'd just endured.

The night air was cool as she made her way outside and mounted her bike. At first, she had no direction as she rode off into the night, but subconsciously, she knew where she was going. The neon, flashing lights of the sign hung over the entrance of the bar welcomed her to enter.

She parked her bike and the keys jingled in her hands as she made her way inside, taking a seat at the counter. It almost felt as if she never left, falling into the habit of the previous night by ordering a drink with no intention of making it her first.

The glass was slid across the countertop and landed in her hand, but she hesitated, dragging her finger along the rim as if she couldn't bring herself to go through with the action of taking a single drink. She shrugged the feeling away and lifted the glass to her lips but stopped at the sight of the ring on her finger just within her peripheral vision.

"What would Carlos think about it?"

Rufus's words haunted her. Slowly, she set the drink back onto the countertop without letting a single drop touch her tongue. She wasn't an addict, but if she kept up this pattern, she would destroy herself. It was time to properly mourn and face what she'd been running from. Carlos was gone. She couldn't change that, but reminded herself that she still had a family worth fighting for and that was enough of a push for her to stand, leave the drink untouched, and leave. Sleep wasn't going to be easy that night, but she needed to ensure her mind was ready to face the challenges of tomorrow if she was going to protect what she had left.