Cogs Of Fate

Sealed Door

1955

The Lifeboat landed in a secluded cove along the coast of Santa Barbara. Rufus hopped out last as the other two were already glancing down the length of the coast. He patted his pockets and muttered a curse under his breath. When the other two looked over at him, he admitted, "I forgot the transmitter."

"Well, can't do anything about it now," Wyatt replied, scanning the beach outside. "I don't see anyone out there right now. We should be okay to get some clothes."

Rufus nodded, looking at his watch. "We should find out when the tides come in," he said, glancing over to the Lifeboat. "Something tells me that we don't want to have the Lifeboat turn into a yellow submarine."

"Then let's get moving," Wyatt sighed. He shook his head at Rufus's remark as he marched out of the cove.

Rufus stepped up to Lucy and motioned over to Wyatt. "Oh, he's going to be a joy to work with."

Lucy shook her head, keeping her thoughts to herself. She couldn't disagree with Rufus but she also understood where Wyatt's head was at. She didn't agree with him but she did understand the challenges of having Tenley back so suddenly.

As they followed Wyatt out of the cove, across the beach, and into town, Lucy marveled at the times. The 50s weren't so distant but there was something so magical about those years that she loved so much. The music, the hair, the fashion - just the simple lifestyle. She often found herself adding pieces of vintage clothing into her own wherever she could.

The team struggled to find decent clothes to change into. Wyatt scanned the street they were on and spotted a few teenagers standing toe to toe, preparing for a fight.

Rufus took in their appearances. "Did they really have showdowns between Grease and Leave It To Beaver?" Lucy opened her mouth to reply but Wyatt motioned for them to stay back as he approached them. Rufus asked, "Uh... what's he doing?"

They watched as Wyatt stumbled through the group of kids, pretending to be drunk. He apologized to them as they shouted and pushed him out of the way. Whistles from approaching policemen echoed along the sidewalk, causing the kids to disperse quickly.

Wyatt stood up straight and headed back toward Lucy and Rufus, hurrying them along and out of sight of the incoming police. The police seemed much more interested in the kids than them.

"What was that all about?" Rufus asked. "Are you so angry still you're hoping to get your ass kicked?"

Wyatt smirked. "Relax, would you?" he said, holding up a wallet. "We need clothes, right?"

"You pickpocketed Grease Lightning?" Rufus gasped. "I don't want to be here when John Travolta's mini-me comes back..." he ran a hand over his head. "You really do want to get your ass kicked!"

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "We needed to do something, so I took control of the situation."

Lucy hummed a response as she turned to look down the sidewalk. She spotted a couple of diners, a bookstore, a mechanic shop, and finally, a clothing store. "Come on," she said, motioning with her head. "Let's get some clothes and figure out why we're here."

The three strolled across the street, entering the clothing store. The moment they entered, the three ladies working inside stared at them before their eyes drifted down the length of them, clearly scanning their clothes. One of them approached the trio. "Can I ...help you?" Her voice indicated that they weren't welcome.

"We're here to buy some clothes," Wyatt stated, tugging Rufus towards the men's section.

Lucy blinked at him for leaving her alone with the clerk who was still scanning the length of her, almost in disgust. Lucy forced a smile and said, "We've just returned from Europe. Needless to say, we're ready for some regular, good ol' American fashion."