A/N: @moneyfordiamonds requested I write a drabble of my Time Travel AU so here it is.
Elizabeth Richmond glanced at the Time Ticker on her wrist. The glowing substance had almost reached the level that Hana had pointed out to her, which meant it was time to go home. She remained in bed for a few more seconds, mentally going over the plan Bertrand, Damien and Olivia had plotted with her. It was simple get in, get the device, get out. She’d already accomplished steps one and two and she marvelled in restrained optimism about how relatively simple it had become. She shouldn’t have been hopeful. There was still room to make a mistake if she wasn’t careful.
Try to act normal, people don’t know you well back then, Bertrand’s warning came back to her ears now. You’re just an ordinary suitor for the prince’s hand. Any false move and you’ll be suspected for suspicious behaviour.
If fact the fewer people who see you, the better, Olivia echoed. Try to remain hidden. Focus on the mission.
Elizabeth had nodded firmly, determined to see it through. His life depends on it.
And don’t do anything that would mess up the current timeline. Damien’s eyes bored into hers, meaning clear.
If she messed this up, the entire future will be compromised. She’d swallowed harder at that but nodded again.
The Time Ticker glowed brighter now, illuminating the figures on the dial.
12:06am.
It was time to go home…
In a flash, she ripped off the blankets, already fully dressed in the black jumpsuit she’d been given and carefully arranged her past self in bed.
Although she knew she would have run into the past Elizabeth Richmond, it would never not be weird to see her doppelgänger in person. She looked so innocent and peaceful as she slept under the special sleeping drug Hana had prepared, and totally unaware of the dangers that faced her in the future.
If we get this right, there won’t be any dangers, Elizabeth thought to herself grimly as she retrieved the object of her mission from behind the bedside dresser, examining it for a moment to find it intact and ready in the time-repellant velvet bag she’d stashed it in.
The Time Ticker clicked once, the sound spurring her on and with a cursory glance out into the hallway, she disappeared into the darkness, shrouded by the shadows.
The light from the full moon filtered through the long windows of Applewood Manor, casting eerie shadows that danced and swirled wickedly across the floors. She could hear the wind outside picking up, wailing its despondent songs through the cracks in the walls. Her shoes made virtually no sound over the hardwood floors as she picked her way through the mansion and she silently thanked Hana again for the sound muffling formula she’d given her.
As she slipped into the main hallway, a sound from the left — a guard’s low command — indicated that she was close to her destination and as the voices drew closer, Elizabeth paused, temporarily hidden from sight behind a massive suit of armour. She held her breath, as the pair of guards patrolled the room, one false move away from being discovered by their blaring yellow flashlights.
On her wrist, the Time Ticker buzzed gently indicating that the portal wouldn’t be open for much longer and speed was of the essence. As the bright beam passed over her hiding place, she gulped quietly, hoping the loudly hammering of her heart wouldn’t give her away. Not when she was so close, to success, just a few steps away from reached the portal’s vortex with the device that would surely restore his —
‘All clear in section 5a,’ the guard reported into his walkie-talkie.
‘Copy that,’ came the reply and the door swung shut with a soft click as he continued his patrol.
Elizabeth released a pent up breath of relief and deftly side stepping out of her hiding place, resumed her mission, running into no further disruptions. Reaching the stairs that spiralled downwards, she cast a quick glance over her shoulder to be sure no one was following her. They’d run this plan a hundred times and she knew once she made it to the staircase, she’d be on the home stretch.Call it the thrill of end in sight or her own human error but she failed to pick out the broad figure hidden in the shadows, eyes trained on her every move.
Now with the end in sight, she flew down the stairs with abandon, the sensations of the Time Ticker buzzing on her wrist and the adrenaline of the finish line dulling her other senses as her mind focus with razor sharp precision on the exit plans, unaware of her surroundings.
Get to the basement, shut the door and enter the Time Vortex. Don’t waste a single second. Damien’s voice echoed back to her. He’s counting on you Liz.
I know…
Her hand had barely touched the doorknob to the basement when a voice rang out from behind her.
‘Going somewhere Richmond? Because last I checked the bathrooms were that way.’
Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut, a wave of panic coursing through her. This was the last person she needed to see. Digging her nails into her palms, she turned around to see her one weakness, the whole reason she was doing this in the first place, the one person who she had risked everything for staring back at her.
‘Hey Drake,’ she drawled nervously, her voice shaky as she took in his broad figure, arms folded across his chest as he regarded her with a raised eyebrow. ‘Are they really? I must have taken the wrong turn or something because I swear I was ju-’
‘Cut the crap Elizabeth,’ he fixed his steely eyes on her. ‘I know you better than that.’
Elizabeth’s heart sank. She knew she could never lie to him. But for his sake, she had to try. ‘You’ve only known me for a couple of weeks. Thats barely anything.‘
‘Maybe so,’ he reasoned, taking a step closer just as she took a step back. ‘But I can tell something’s wrong Richmond. If you’re in trouble, if you need help, I’m here for you.’
His dark eyes, so earnest and eager were fixed on hers as he took another step closer. Elizabeth gulped and took another step back. She didn’t have time for this. She couldn’t do this. In that moment, she wished it could have been anyone else that found her. Anyone but him…
To see him here, so hale and healthy and so… alive was enough to bring tears to her eyes. She wanted so badly to gather him up into her arms and kiss him with everything in h—
Again the Time Ticker buzzed, more incessantly now. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.
Elizabeth shook her head to clear her thoughts, gripping the small velvet bag tightly behind her back. She had to focus on her mission.
‘Go away Drake,’ she spat as every word pierced her heart like a sword. ‘I don’t want you here.’
‘You don’t believe that.’ He told her taking another step closer and as she moved to maintain the space between them, her back thudded softly against the door. ‘I’m here for you Richmond. Anything you need.’
He was close, so close now that she would feel the warmth radiating off him in waves, completely different from the cold lifeless skin that she’d clung to, begging and pleading with to just come ba—
‘You can help me by fucking right off,’ Elizabeth burst out, meaning to put fire behind her tone but it just wouldn’t come. How could she look at the man she loved, the man who was dead on the other side of a time vortex and tell him she didn’t want him?
The Time Ticker buzzed again, the pattern reverberating tinto her skin reminding her of the delicacy of the mission. If she missed this portal… Her heart leapt in her throat. She needed to get him out of here now before she ran out of time, before the portal closed. She’d already messed up so much of the space-time continuum by being here. Any second she spent here had the possibility to rip gigantic holes in reality, she needed to go now. But he wouldn’t budge.
‘Elizabeth — ‘ He tried again and she cursed his stubbornness.
‘Drake I don’t want you here!’ She burst out, feeling the sword rip deeper into her heart. ‘I am perfectly capable of handling myself! I don’t need some big conquering hero to come save me. And I certainly don’t need you of all people!’
He flinched at her words as if she’d slapped him, his shoulders sagging in defeat, eyes sliding down to the floor. The way his face fell at her words, wrenched Elizabeth’s heart in the most painful way possible and tears welled up in her eyes.
I’m sorry, she pleaded with him silently. But its for the best.
‘I hear ya Richmond,’ he finally spoke up hoarsely his voice plunging daggers into her soul. He settled his dark eyes back on her, not meeting her gaze properly and it just shattered something in her to see all his walls that she’d tried so hard to break down, built back up even higher now.
‘I won’t ever bother you again.’
Drake turned to go, the devastation evident in the way he held himself now and Elizabeth just… couldn’t leave him this way. She didn’t care if it was too early in the social season, too early in the timeline for this to be happening. Just in case this whole plan didn’t work, just in case she never got to see him again, she had to… Just one more time…
‘Drake wait!’ Elizabeth called after him and even before he’d fully turned around, she’d already closed to gap between them, pressing her lips insistently against his.
He moaned in response, pulling her closer and she gripped him tighter, kissing him like it was the last time she ever would. For a moment the rest of the world, the responsibilities she had, the dire situation they were in fell away. There was only him and her.
As it should be.
As it would be once she got this device back to the future and they could spend the rest of their lives at each others lips.
The Time Ticker began to buzz constantly on her wrist, signalling their time was almost up. She gently released him and his hands lingered on her arms, reluctant to let go.
‘Liz I… I don’t know what’s going on,’ Drake admitted his voice shaky. ‘You… I… we…’
The tears she had been holding back finally spilled down her cheeks as she backed away. ‘We’ll be together I promise. But now you have to let me go okay?’
She began to walk backwards towards the door, as he struggled to keep hold of her.
‘Elizabeth… I…’
‘Its okay,’ she promised as her hand found the doorknob. ‘We’ll be together Drake. I promise.’
She allowed herself to gaze into his brown eyes once more, silently conveying her message: I love you Drake Walker.
He started to say something but she twisted out of her reach and slammed the door behind her, quickly securing it with the latch. The vivid pulses of the Time Vortex filled the room as soon as she placed the Time Ticker on the floor, the portal sprung up, the winds of its furious swirls whipped her hair across her face wildly. Ignoring Drake’s pounding on the door to let him in, to please don’t go, Elizabeth grasped the small velvet bag to stop her hands shaking.
This is the only way.
And she jumped.