Author's Note: This story is not historically accurate and is almost purely fictitious, based upon the "Patriot" movie and not actual history. Also, I am not Catholic but I have a friend who is. I don't remember specific religious customs for Catholics so I'm sorry if what I've written, isn't accurate either.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Patriot or any canon characters. My characters that I invented belong to me! As another note, part of this was inspired by "Kate and Leopold" and "Back to the Future". So those general ideas are not mine.


LEGACY: Chapter 1

- April 5th, 2017 -

Jayne Peyton stood beside her father, with tear-filled eyes lowered towards the soggy ground. It was pouring rain in huge, cold droplets that would have otherwise left her completely drenched if it weren't for the dark black and grey umbrella currently shielding her from the elements.

The umbrella was being steadily held aloft by the strong, firm grip of her father. As he sheltered them both from the merciless downpour, he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders in a one-armed embrace.

Jayne barely heard the words of the priest as he read from a thick, leather bound bible. Her attention was focused mostly on the sleekly polished, black coffin that was being slowly lowered into the ground. About two minutes later, she heard the word "Amen" as the priest closed his eulogy in prayer. Jayne watched with dull eyes as other relatives and friends gently dropped roses and other vibrantly colored flowers atop the coffin that had finally been lain to rest at the bottom of the freshly dug grave. A thick, plastic tarp sheltered the final resting place of the deceased, keeping the earth and soil dry and well protected from the storm above them.

Jayne walked forward once she was the last of the family to pay her respects. Not trusting her own voice, she remained silent to prevent it from cracking, as she used her fingers to cross herself as was custom for her catholic upbringing. She stared for what felt like hours at the casket below ground before finally bending down to drop a single, red rose into the gravesite of her dearly departed grandfather.

She choked on a sob and turned away, breaking free of her father's grasp and left the protective shelter of the umbrella. Jayne headed for her father's car, uncaring that she was soaking wet from the never-ending deluge. It was fitting weather for a funeral. Now with an emotionless expression and grief within her heart, she grasped the handle of the sleek, bright red 2017 Toyota corolla and glanced back, only once.

The great thing about walking through the rain, she mused…was that no one could see the trail of tears that ran silently down her face.

- 4 Hours Later –

Jayne was sitting on the edge of her bed, staring absentmindedly down at the soft, light blue carpet of her bedroom. The reception had ended an hour earlier. She was clothed in a dry pair of black cargo pants and a long sleeved, navy blue shirt with bold white print on the front. Three large letters stood out from all the rest. C.I.A. Right beneath it, a phrase read: "Confidence In the Almighty".

She had always considered herself a tomboy of sorts. She only wore makeup on special occasions or to job interviews. Currently, she was on the verge of becoming a college senior. Jayne had only three more weeks of summer vacation left until she had to drive out from her home in Radcliff, Kentucky all the way down to South Carolina State University.

Jayne was majoring in the medical field. Apart from learning all about modern day medicine, she did on many occasions learn all about natural medicine and the healing arts from her second cousin on her mother's side. She simply called him her uncle Jonathan. He was half-Chippewa and taught her all there was to know of the wonders of herbal medicine. He even taught her how to use a bow and how to throw a Tomahawk.

Jayne's grief deepened. It was hard enough burying her father's father that day…but only a month earlier, her uncle Jonathan died. That wasn't even the half of it.

Her mother passed away from breast cancer during her freshman year in college, only a mere three years past. That was one of the main driving forces that inspired her to go into the medical field. Her desire was to save as many lives as she could. She planned to go to an actual medical school after she graduated from the University in order to get her doctor's degree.

A soft knock on her bedroom door-frame broke her silent, depressive reverie. She looked up into the concerned, sky-blue eyes of her father. Eyes that were identical to her own. Rather than inheriting customary blonde hair in addition to her blue eyes, her hair was a light, reddish brown, just like her mother's had been.

"Jayne…there's something you need to see," her father stated softly.

Jayne nodded silently and slid off the bed. She rose to her feet and silently followed her father up to the attic of her home. It was very dusty and Jayne sneezed upon the opening of the door. Her father led her over to a locked chest. It looked, well…ancient. Like it was at least over a hundred years old. The metal hinges were rusted and the outside showed mild signs of decay. Her father crouched down and held a gleaming, silver key up for her to see.

"Your grandfather left this chest and all its contents to you," he smiled softly, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Jayne hesitantly took the key from him with great confusion and curiosity.

"Why didn't grandpa give this to you? You're his son."

"For reasons unknown, he wanted you and no one else to inherit it. He never told me why."

"What's inside it?"

Her father smiled again although his eyes were still sad, no doubt still grieving the death of his father.

"I don't know. That…is something you must discover for yourself."

He stood from where he'd been kneeling and left his daughter in the attic alone.

Jayne watched him leave and sat down on the dusty floor in front of the old, worn chest and studied the silver key. It felt heavy and it had multiple scratches and small, barely discernable dents on the surface. The key otherwise was in good shape.

With a weary sigh, she carefully slid the key into the pronged key-hole and slowly turned it counter-clockwise until she heard a loud 'click'. Without removing the key, she slowly raised the lid and peered inside, thankful that soft, yellow light poured in from the open attic door and for the small flashlight in her hand which illuminated the contents mysteriously held within.

Very old documents, antique trinkets, and black and white photographs from a time long past, were the majority of what encompassed the chest's interior. An old leather bound journal also caught her eye. After scouring through most contents, she discovered that the oldest written document was dated around 1775. Her eyebrows knit in contemplation.

Wait, wasn't that around the time of the Revolutionary war between the British and the colonials?

The document was worn, yellowed, slightly torn, and the creases suggested it had been folded and unfolded countless times. The creases were taped, which suggested that over time, someone did their best to preserve it. Now, she could see that it had been laminated. It appeared to be a love letter. It was written with the most elegant penmanship she'd ever seen. It was from a woman named Sarah Hewitt to a man named William Tavington. The woman wrote the letter from England to her fiancé. It read:

My Beloved William,

I pray that this letter finds you well. Not a moment goes by that I do not think of you. Our hometown of Liverpool has greatly expanded in your absence. They have opened additional trade routes along the coast.

Summer is ending. Merchants have been selling the last of the Strawberries in the region.

Oh my dear Will…nothing has been the same since your departure. I know that you are a soldier and that it is your duty to fight for King and country. I just wish the war would end, so that you may return to me. I want you safe in my arms. Nothing else matters.

If only we could finally wed. My parents have grown rather impatient. They believe that I should accept the fact that you are never coming back… they want me to court another suitor. Edrick Miller has already called upon me. Of course I politely declined. Nothing is the same without you here.

You are my true love, Will. I will wait until the end of time if I must. All I want, is to hold you in my arms again. I desire to change my name in secret.

Sarah J. Tavington.

It has a nice ring to it, don't you agree? Please stay safe, my love. I love you…now until forever.

Eternally yours,

Sarah.

Jayne released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. So…was Sarah Hewitt or Tavington…a distant relation? May, 18th 1775…that was the date on the letter.

Wait…wasn't William Tavington a British Colonel with a savage reputation?

Jayne ran out of the attic and to her room. She grabbed her American history book and ran back upstairs and dropped to her knees as she skimmed through the index. Finding the right page, she began to read.

So…she was right. Colonel William Tavington. Soldier of the British Calvary—a special unit called the "Green Dragoons". Tavington in history was also known as "The Butcher" due to his rather ruthless and merciless tactics.

Didn't someone make a movie called "The Patriot"? She knew Mel Gibson and Jason Isaacs starred in it. She thought she might have watched it once but couldn't remember their roles.

Her eyes caught sight of something else in the chest. Something that she knew did not belong with all of the other antiques.

A rectangular case with an unmarked VHS in it. She looked around and spotted the old TV set and VCR that her father kept stored away and plugged both in to the outlets nearby after dusting them off. It was a miracle that they still worked. She popped in the VHS into the VCR and was startled when it immediately began to play a visual recording…tears formed in her eyes when she came face-to-face with her grandfather.

"Hello Jayne. If you are watching this tape, then I'm afraid that means that I am no longer with you. I know you must have many questions. I will do the best that I can to answer them for you. The contents within the chest hold our family legacy. Everything you see within have been passed down from generation to generation, through your father's bloodline…"

He paused and rubbed his eyes tiredly and exhaled a heavy sigh. He looked back up to the camera and his entire demeanor changed. His expression grew very severe.

"Jayne…what I'm about to tell you will sound nothing short of crazy. I can prove that my words are solid truth. In the chest, there is a gold watch. It's from the 1890's. It is not open faced but is covered with a small lid, you know…the antique ones that contain a single photo inside of it?"

Jayne rummaged around in the chest until she found the gold watch her grandfather described. She examined it carefully in her hands a moment and then lifted her eyes to stare evenly at the screen.

"…that watch doesn't just tell time. It's a link to our past. It was crafted by a brilliant inventor in the latter years of the 19th century. The watch in your hand was given to our ancestor, James Mitchell Hewitt in 1798. I know what you must be asking yourself. How did a watch crafted in 1893 wind up in the year 1798? James Hewitt is where our trouble truly begins. I'm sure that by now you have found and read the letter between Sarah Hewitt and William Tavington…"

He raised his eyes to look up at the ceiling and appeared to be considering what he was about to say next. When he looked back at the camera, his expression was grim.

"Our family name was changed at least ten times due to marriages within the last two centuries. We are descended from the Hewitt bloodline for certain. I don't know what role Tavington played that effected our family's past. In history, he was considered a cruel and heartless man. He committed atrocities during the Revolutionary war that not even I want to mention…he died right before the battle of Cowpens. Jayne, he was never supposed to die. All I can really say, is that James Hewitt drastically altered the timeline. Colonel William Tavington is your primary mission…" Her grandfather paused as he ran a hand through his thinning hair.

"Jayne…to put it simply…the pocket watch has the ability to open a gateway through time and space. It sounds like a fairy tale. It really should be…" He leaned forward until his face was mere inches from the camera lens and then continued. "I can prove it…look inside the chest again. There are photographs that were taken many years ago, long before my birth. They are in a tattered envelope. Those photographs, my granddaughter…are all the proof you need. I was one of the ones foolish enough to utilize the watch. One of three. Time travel is dangerous and can alter not just your destiny…but the lives of everyone else as well. It's called the "Ripple Effect". My grandfather explained it in detail in one of his journal logs. Pause this tape and then resume this recording after you've studied the pictures closely…"

Jayne did exactly as her grandfather ordered and paused the VHS. She dug around inside the trunk until she found the envelope he had described. She pulled out numerous photos. To her confusion, there were a few that utterly confused her. As though they had been taken during different time periods. The majority however appeared to have been taken during the 18th century. After looking through each one, she came across a picture that she knew couldn't possibly exist.

"Impossible", she breathed in astonishment.

In the photograph, she could see from a distance, the bodies of British soldiers and colonial regulars littering a recent battlefield. It wasn't the fact that the timestamp was dated for the Revolutionary war in 1776…it was the person in the background.

"Oh my God…"

There in the distance…was a young woman. Her identity was unmistakable.

The girl in the picture…was her. Jayne Peyton was walking out into the field with what appeared to be a medical bag slung over her shoulders. Her head was down as she appeared to be searching for any wounded survivors. There was a British soldier, a strange looking one from his attire, following behind her. He wore a uniform befitting the British army but he wore a strange hat with something…fluffy on top. Like a helmet someone would use while horseback riding. If anything, it gave the man an arrogant sort of look.

If that was her in the background…then who the hell took the picture?! She whirled around to stare at the screen and pushed the resume button.

"I'm sorry Jayne. Yes, that was really you in the background. I know, because I'm the one who took that picture! When I traveled to the past, which was an accident I assure you, I altered time. If you do not go back to the year 1775…you and me…our entire family, will cease to exist altogether. There are clues within some of the other photographs and within my grandfather's journal that will aid you in repairing the timeline. I cannot tell you anymore. It's not safe. Your destiny must not be altered, or the consequences could be disastrous, remember that! This is the reason why you and you alone, inherited the items contained within the chest. Once you return to the future…nothing will be the same. It's an unfortunate price that must always be paid. There are instructions inscribed on the watch. Follow them. They will be your guide. And Jayne…"

The young woman held her breath as she waited to hear what he had to say to her next.

"Whatever you do…do not confront me when you travel back to 1775. The picture was taken before your father was even born. I was a young man and had no knowledge of your identity. I cannot be made aware of your existence or the future may be rewritten…and you and your father, will cease to be. I love you so much Jayne. I'm so sorry. Only you can set things right. I believe in you. You're the bravest young lady that I've ever known…and I've never been more honored, to have been your grandfather."

The tape ended with the image of her grandfather's proud, yet tear-filled, smiling face frozen on the screen.

Jayne pressed her lips against her fingers and then touched the television screen in a farewell kiss. She sat stunned with misty eyes for a moment as she tried to process everything her grandfather had just revealed. Then without further delay, she rummaged through the photos and other historical items in the chest. She pocketed the watch, the envelope with the photos, the small journal, the love letter between Sarah Hewitt and William Tavington, and made sure her wallet was stuffed safely within one of the many pockets in her cargo pants. She shut the lid and locked it. Deciding against her better judgment, she pocketed the silver key as well.

She stood up from where she had been kneeling and stretched stiff muscles.

So the pocket watch was a time-traveling device, huh? She never would have believed her grandfather had it not been for that photo. Jayne stood still as her mind began to race. What would happen if she refused to travel to the past? The image of herself back in that historical era proved that she had already time travelled!

Jayne ran down to her room and pulled on a black hoodie and left the house. Luckily, she had a friend that lived only a couple of blocks away and had a copy of "The Patriot". She knew it wasn't entirely, historically accurate. Still, she needed to see it. Her friend Megan allowed her to borrow it and after Jayne watched it, she frowned.

Tavington was a total asshole!

Still, if what her grandfather said was true. Then William Tavington was in mortal danger and it was her responsibility to ensure that he survived for the sake of her family.

What had her so confused though, was that in the movie, Tavington was killed by Benjamin Martin during the battle of Cowpens. She paused and pulled her great-great grandfather's leather bound journal from out of her pocket and skimmed through each page. There was a journal entry dated August 8th, 1775. According to the log, Tavington was assassinated by James Hewitt…in 1776 before the battle of Cowpens! Unfortunately, that journal entry did not say when or where that event occurred.

"Wait a minute…" she mumbled as she rummaged through the photographs again. She found two photographs that her grandfather must have taken around that time frame. One depicted two men struggling and grappling for dominance as they both tried to use the musket they were fighting over to knock the other down. Scribbled on the backside of the photograph was faded, blank ink. It read: Stewart Peyton vs. James Hewitt. The second picture in addition to that one, showed the image of a Green Dragoon getting shot in the chest by James Hewitt at point blank range. The soldier's back was turned towards the camera, so Jayne couldn't get a good look at his face. His body was flying backwards mid-air and his arms were flailed above his head. He had a pistol clutched in one hand and had a sword in the other. On the back of that black and white photo, a rather sloppy scribble explained the identities of the two men. James Hewitt assassinates Colonel William Tavington. Jayne frantically searched for a timestamp that might suggest the exact date that the picture had been taken but couldn't find one.

She mumbled a soft curse of frustration. How the hell was she supposed to prevent Tavington's death if she didn't even know the exact time and date that he was killed?!

After returning Megan's movie, Jayne ran out towards the park on the edge of town and was relieved to see that nobody was there. It was still raining…that was probably the reason.

She shivered against the chill and rubbed her arms in a vain attempt to stay warm and jogged over to a nearby tree, seeking privacy and shelter. She pulled out the pocket watch and flipped the lid open to reveal the watch face. She saw an inscription inside the lid and had to squint to make out the tiny print. She began to read it out loud…

Touch the key

And you will see

Your forgotten legacy

Reverse the time

And you will find

Ties that will forever bind

Jayne stopped reading and yelped when the pocket watch began to freaking glow. Almost as though a mini golden sun was sitting just beneath the clock face. She felt incredibly frightened and her resolve to see her mission through wavered…until the image of her grandfather's face surfaced to mind. He believed in her.

As much as she didn't want to…she knew she had to do this. With newfound determination, she released her anxiety with her next exhale and returned her eyes to the script and continued to read aloud.

To set things right

Prepare to fight

Or plunge into eternal night

She paused and swallowed a thick lump in her throat as her mouth began to go dry. That last phrase really, really didn't sound good…

How encouraging.

There were only three lines left…

To mend the past

Just count to three

Then forever think of me…

What the hell did all of that mean?! The pocket watch was glowing now with greater intensity, casting light upon her face.

A key was required to unlock the watch? Her grandfather never mentioned that! That's when she noticed a smudge on the gold surface on the backside of the timepiece that she hadn't noticed before. It looked like a bloody thumbprint…

Wait a minute…

That had to be the key! Only those within her bloodline had ever used the watch! Jayne pulled out the small pocket-knife that had been strapped to her ankle and made a small cut on her thumb with a grimace and pressed her bloody thumbprint against the surface with a small hiss. Then her eyes quickly skimmed over the words again.

Second step was to reverse time. She rewound the watch backwards and stopped once it refused to wind any further. The third direction was "to count to three and think of me…" Think of whom?!

Wait. It was a riddle! She had to close her eyes and picture the time period she wanted to go and picture who it was that she wanted to see. Her thumb found the small button on the right side of the watches' rim that would start the clock. To prevent herself from losing her nerve, she stubbornly willed herself not to succumb to the fear that was trying to drown her, and hastily clicked the button. She felt an immediate change.

The pocket-watch in her hand began to feel warm and the warmth spread throughout her body…then without any warning, the warmth turned into mind numbing agony as the heat intensified to unbearable levels. The watch felt as though it had melted to her hand and she couldn't stop the agonizing scream from ripping out of her throat. All around her, she could see landscapes altering and whizzing past her at dizzying speeds that were barely discernable to the human eye. Then the watch radiated a brilliant white light and completely blinded her.

Then she knew no more.

TO BE CONTINUED!