We are all damaged, but because of her I am beautifully sewn. - Christopher Poindexter
This first chapter has no warnings except a lot of fluff (too much is never enough...)! Enjoy :)
"Babe, no offence but you look-"
"Exhausted? Very perceptive, Ms Sharpe." Sara interrupted, her stern response earning a fond chuckle from the blonde. For the past fortnight the Legends had been working tirelessly in their fight to capture magical fugitives - from a vampire in rural Fiji to a a cyclops in Victorian England, they'd been working overtime to complete their missions. As a result, every member of the team was very worn out. And for each fugitive they captured there was a mountain of paperwork for Ava to complete back at the Bureau; as a consequence, the two lovers had barely seen each other.
"Sorry!" Ava laughed, smiling as Sara laid her sleepy head on her pillow. "Gideon, are there any more fugitives?"
"I can currently see no fugitives present on the timeline, Director Sharpe." The AI replied, helpful as ever. Her response put a speculative glint in the blonde's eyes. Seeing as Sara had no responsibilities for tomorrow, and Ava finally had a well-deserved day off, a plan began to formulate in her quick mind.
"Thankyou Gideon. And please call me Ava!" Even after sleeping over in Sara's room countless times and in the habit of making very often visits to the Waverider, the AI still insisted on using the formal title.
"Certainly Ava. Good night to you both."
"Did you hear that Sara?" Ava murmured, her grin growing upon hearing an affirmative noise leave the tired Captain. "Rest well my love, because tomorrow you're all mine." Opening her eyes, Sara smiled at the mystery of her girlfriend's words. With a quick but tender kiss, the two tired women fell asleep in each others arms, Sara dreaming of all the wonderful possibilities tomorrow might bring.
Blinking against the bright (artificial) sun beaming into her bedroom, Sara slowly woke up. She had slept well, dreaming of her beautiful girlfriend and exciting adventures; as ever, she had only sweet dreams when in Ava's arms. Her gaze happily travelled to the still-asleep woman in her arms, watching the rhymtic rise and fall of her chest. Sara's fingers slowly stroked through Ava's hair, happy to lose themselves as Sara shuffled closer to the warm form of her girlfriend.
"Wake up, sleepyhead." Sara placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, a soft smile lighting up her features as Ava slowly awoke from her slumber.
"Morning babe." Ava's voice, full of sleep and bliss, earned a fond laugh from Sara. In contrast to the Captain, Ava quickly woke up, finding the prospect of spending a full day with her girlfriend far too exciting. After giving Sara a tight hug, she stood up and reached out a hand for Sara. Smiling, the blonde took it, allowing her girlfriend to pull her up and into her arms. Just as Sara leaned in for a kiss, Ava placed a finger to her lips. "Sorry Ms Lance, but we have no time for that." As Ava walked off to take a shower, Sara let out a surprised gasp before laughing and following her girlfriend; she figured Ava must have a brilliant plan in mind to resist a kiss.
"So you really won't give me a single clue?" Sara pouted, gazing at her girlfriend with big puppy-dog eyes.
"No! And stop it with the sad looks, it's not going to work." Ava replied as she ate her breakfast. Aside from spending the night with her girlfriend, the main perk of breakfast on the Waverider was the delicious French toast.
Looking up from her Froot Loops, Zari put down her spoon and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What are you two talking about?"
"Not another fugitive..?" Nate winced at the thought of yet another day without relaxing - he had planned a fun day off including a pizza party with Ray, video games with Zari and maybe even watching some football with Mick.
"No, no, nothing like that." Ava replied, smiling as Sara rolled her eyes in her typically dramatic fashion. "I am taking Sara somewhere for a surpri-"
"And she won't tell me where!" Sara continued, disbelief ringing in her tone. Unfortunately, her plight wasn't recognised by the other Legends - they just laughed before continuing with their breakfasts. The blonde let out a small growl upon looking over at the smug smile playing on her girlfriend's lips.
Sara, dutifully playing her part as the surprise-reciever, had remained in the library chatting to John whilst Ava had been busy on the bridge. The Director had plotted a course and taken the Waverider to a surprise location. Her mission was aided by Gideon who was, as always, happy to play her part in a lovely surprise for her Captain.
And, once the ship had finally arrived at the destination, Ava went to the kitchen, fabricated a picnic then rescued her girlfriend from John's lecture on historical magic. The two said goodbye to the rest of the Legends before leaving the ship, the excitement clear on Sara's face. She'd been in many previous relationships, but never something like this. Never so loving or domestic or wonderful. There was something Sara adored about the way Ava treated her; unlike Nyssa, Ava never tried to make her into anything she wasn't. Ava understood her heart, her soul, and loved her nonetheless - small things, like Ava getting her presents or leaving her notes in her bedroom, made Sara feel so loved. The feeling was intoxicating and Sara couldn't imagine ever living without it. She knew it softened her and the former assassin didn't mind a bit. As a result, as the two women walked off the ship, Sara tightly grasped Ava's hand and smiled as warmth spread through her body from her heart.
Confusion flitted across Sara's features as she gazed at the scene around her. Gideon had automatically cloaked the Waverider, revealing a huge forest. Sunbeams shone from between the green canopy, slivers of a clear blue sky peeking from behind the leaves.
"Where are we?" Sara asked, her attention transfixed by an elegant deer in the distance.
"We're not there yet babe." Smiling, Ava gazed down at the blonde. "As you know, I don't have many childhood memories. And now I know they're not to be trusted." Sara placed a gentle hand on Ava's arm, her touch comforting against the still painful reminder of Ava being a clone. With a small shake of her head, Ava continued - unusually, she wasn't sad, but instead grateful for these memories. "However this place is one of my fondest memories; I can remember coming here as a kid and loving it."
"In that case, I cannot wait to see it." The ground underfoot turned from hard bark to a softer grass as Ava lead them away from the main path and through the trees. Thick tree roots jutted out from the grass and, in a rush to show Sara her surprise, Ava nearly tripped over one. As ever, Sara's reflexes were sharper than a knife and she quickly steadied her girlfriend, laughing before they continued on.
"Close your eyes." Ava ordered, a soft chuckle leaving her lips upon seeing the mischievous glint in Sara's eyes. As soon as she'd followed her orders, Ava carefully led Sara past the last few trees and out, finally, into the open. "We're here my love. Take a look."
Dutifully opening her eyes, Sara let out a soft gasp as she gazed across the scene infant of them. A gorgeous meadow, completely untouched and unmarred, adorned with a rainbow of wild flowers in every colour. Wild grass happily grew to above their knees and, as Sara took a few steps forwards, it brushed against her palms, softer than silk. Golden sunbeams shone down on the idyllic landscape, giving the air a warm and hazy glow. "It's beautiful." Sara breathed. As if in a dream, she turned around to face the grinning Director, her eyes swimming with pure joy. "I love it. And I love you, Ava."
"I'm so glad you like it!" Ava's shoulders relaxed in relief; she had been so worried the place didn't exist, or was nowhere near as amazing as her memories had made out, but seeing the happiness in Sara's eyes instantly eased her anxiety. With the picnic basket hooked in her elbow, Ava reached out and wrapped her other arm around the blonde's waist. "I love you too." She placed an affectionate kiss on Sara's flushed cheek. Warmth radiated from both women as they pressed into each other, grass brushing past them as they walked through the meadow and enjoyed the cheerful bird song.
Ava happily brought out a picnic blanket from her basket and laid it on the soft grass, chuckling as Sara quickly sat down on it. As she sat down and opened the picnic basket, she could feel the excited curiosity of her girlfriend's gaze which only made Ava laugh more. "I had Gideon fabricate some of your favourites..." Grinning, Sara eagerly watched as Ava brought out the various contents of the basket. True to her word, she had brought all of Sara's favourite foods, from PB and jelly sandwiches to chocolate cupcakes.
"And you even remembered these." Sara murmured as her soft gaze landed on some lavender shortbreads. Ages ago the Legends had visited Scotland in search of the Loch Ness monster and they'd come across these delicious biscuits; for Ava to not only remember but search for the perfect recipe to use to fabricate them was unbelievably kind. Smiling, Sara reached out to hold her girlfriend's hand. "What did I do to deserve this? Or you?"
"You've been working so hard, and I love showing you how much I love you." Grinning, Ava placed a soft kiss on the back of Sara's hand before starting to tuck into the picnic, her girlfriend happily doing the same.
A while later, after they'd enjoyed all the spoils and riches of Ava's perfect picnic, the two were happily lying on their backs, admiring the clear blue sky.
Slowly rising to lean on her elbow, Sara gazed down at Ava, her eyes still closed and drinking in the sun. Sara ran her finger gently down Ava's cheek, following her sharp cheekbones and jawline and running into her soft blonde hair. Suddenly a brilliant idea flashed in the Captain's mind.
"Have you ever made a flower crown?" She asked as Ava opened her eyes and sat up.
"A what?" Confusion flashed across Ava's face.
"A flower crown!" Smiling, Sara's eyes glimmered with a child-like playfulness and mischief that made her girlfriend's heart sing. "We used to make them at summer camp all the time." She quickly reached out for a blooming flower, it's petals fragrant and rose pink, and carefully pierced a small hole in the stem. "Then you just take another flower-" Sara grabbed another and expertly threaded it through the hole. "-and keep going till you have a crown! Here, have mine and keep it going." Ava's tender gaze sparkled as she heard the enthusiasm in Sara's voice and, without hesitation, the Director started trying to follow Sara's instructions.
However they were nowhere as easy to make as Sara had made out and, whilst Sara ended up creating a perfect crown, Ava's was far from perfect. "I really think arts and crafts aren't my thing." Ava mumbled, a blush across her cheeks as she held up her crown. Flowers stuck out at all weird angles and, as she held it up for Sara to see, random pieces of grass started to fall from it.
"No, maybe not babe." Sara laughed, Ava's embarrassed wince only making her laugh harder. "But you're better at other things instead-"
"Yes, like paperwork and bossing about Gary."
"No...Okay yes, but also like chasing a werewolf through New Delhi, or saving us from a dragon in Camelot." Smiling, Sara gently placed her perfect crown atop Ava's blonde curls, the pink roses and purple carnations complementing the faint blush across her cheeks. "There. Gorgeous." Ava's fingers reached up to touch the crown. Looking down at her own creation, Ava decided Sara was far too beautiful to wear such a mess and so instead Ava picked out a delicate white daisy from her crown and placed it behind Sara's ear. "You're not so bad yourself, Captain Lance." Expecting Sara to laugh, Ava smiled. However, upon hearing a small sigh leave her lips, Ava's brow knitted in question.
"For a very long time, I thought I would never be happy again after Laurel died." Ava reached out for the blonde's hand, urging her to go on. "But you, Ava Sharpe, have made me happier than I could've imagined." A huge smile lit up Ava's face. She loved making Sara happy - there was little that filled the Director with more joy than making her girlfriend laugh and feel loved. Rip had once told Sara (who had then eventually told Ava) that the Ava clones weren't designed to feel emotions. But, thanks to Sara Lance, Ava could feel every emotion under the Sun and she was grateful for every one; Ava had decided that, seeing as without Sara she wouldn't be able to feel anything, she would try her damn hardest to make her girlfriend as happy as possible. With a small nod, Ava encouraged Sara to say whatever still remained on her chest. "I wish I could tell my younger self, running from the League of Assassins with nothing but coldness in her heart, that life gets better." Sara mused, a sad tinge to her tone. The blonde regretted so much of her life; she had lost so much and so many people. Whilst this heartbreak would always be a part of her, Sara had finally come to realise that it didn't have to define her nor exclude the possibility of joy and love in her life once again. Raising a hand to stroke Ava's warm cheek, Sara smiled. "My life gets so much better, thanks to you."
Leaning forwards, Ava kissed Sara. Her lips were so soft Ava couldn't believe she hadn't dreamt them up. The two women leant into each other, bodies getting closer as their kiss deepened. Magic tingled in Sara's veins and in that moment she knew exactly how John felt after performing a spell. She lazily moved her warm lips across Ava's sharp jawline and down her neck, settling on her pulse point. Gently running her tongue over Ava's soft skin, a smile flitted across Sara's lips as she felt the blonde tip her head back, neck muscles tensing. She knew how much Ava loved having her neck kissed; as Sara moved to the other side of her neck, she was hit with a fresh wave of her vanilla, rosy scent which caused a breath to hitch in the Captain's throat. She would never get used to the beauty of her scent.
"S-Sara..." Ava's voice, full of fear and tension, immediately made Sara stop and sit back. What she saw put an even bigger smile on her flushed lips. A little bee, no bigger than a thimble, sat atop Ava's nose. However the fear in her big, hazel eyes told Sara just how nervous she was and, as Sara remembered her fear of bees, she understood why.
Slowly, making sure not to scare Ava nor the bee, Sara gently scooped up the bee onto her fingers and, with a soft blow, the bee happily buzzed off into the distance, in heaven amongst the wildflowers. Ava let out a big sigh of relief; the Director had, for some reason, never really liked bees and luckily rarely encountered them in the Bureau. Nonetheless she could see the funny side of the situation and happily chuckled along with Sara. "My saviour." She laughed. Sara couldn't help but tease Ava about it for the next few hours, their conversation as effortless and lighthearted as ever.
Waving goodbye for another day, the sun slowly began to set. The two women sat, Sara curled up in Ava's sleepy arms, watching the sun dip below the canopy, lighting up the clear sky in dazzling hues of red, orange and pink. Warm sunbeams lazily shone on the meadow, lighting it up one final time before the moon began to slowly rise in the darkening sky. As the stars started to twinkle against the inky sky, the air started to become colder in the absence of the sun; as a result, the two women started to pack away their picnic and amble back through the moonlit forest to the Waverider, hand in hand and chatting amicably. Both agreed - it had been a wonderful day in an amazing place.
And, although they didn't know it yet, the location was even more special than either of them realised. The meadow, remaining untouched by anyone other than themselves, was destined to become their 'special place'. Many future hours were blissfully spent together in these meadows, their love not only for the place but also for each other growing stronger with every treasured visit.
Walking into the galley, Sara smiled even wider as she saw the rest of the Legends, all enjoying their dinner. "Sit down, I'll get you something." She murmured to Ava, putting the picnic basket on the counter-top before walking over to the fabricator.
"Boss. Mrs Boss." Mick grunted, giving a typical rough nod as a greeting.
"How was your day?" Zari asked as Ava sat down at the table; judging by the warm, joyous glow radiating from both women, the group could easily sense that they'd enjoyed their day off.
"Wonderful thank you." Ava replied with a smile. Finally, after months of being Director, she felt accepted amongst the Legends; they'd eventually come to see her not only as the 'scary' Director, but also as Sara's girlfriend and a friend and ally of the Legends. It warmed her heart to be accepted amongst the group. They'd always felt like such a tight-knit family and they were something Ava had wanted to be a part of for a very long time. Every member was valued and loved within the team and, seeing as Ava had never been in a real family, she couldn't have appreciated them more. "How about you guys?"
"Yeah good thanks, we had a pizza party then I tried to beat some of my high scores." She put heavy emphasis on the 'tried' - as ever, despite wanting nothing more than some peace and quiet, Zari had actually had very little time alone and certainly no peace. The Waverider had never been a quiet place. If it wasn't Ray singing about science, it was Nate talking about an 'interesting' historical fact, Charlie blaring punk music or Mick shouting at a football game on TV.
"Sounds good. Sara come sit dow-" As Ava turned around, she saw Sara walking towards her with two bowls of steaming pasta in her hands.
"Enjoy." She smiled, handing Ava the bowl of pasta and feeling her heart warm upon seeing a grin light up Ava's face. It was her girlfriend's favourite: spinach and ricotta cannelloni. It seemed only fair after how much thought Ava had put into their day together. As Sara sat down she felt the blonde gratefully squeeze her thigh before starting to tuck into Gideon's delicious creation.
Unlike the others, Nate and Ray saw this and they shared a happy glance and smile. Sara and Ava's love, although obvious to anyone in a 100 mile radius, especially pleased Nate and Ray. The two best friends had tried time and time again to get Sara to ask her out, or to get Ava to surprise her - finally their hard work had paid off and, as Ray always said, a happy captain really did make a happy ship. There was a joyfulness on the ship whenever the two women were together; even Gideon seemed happier, her AI form shimmering a little brighter than before.
For the rest of the evening the two women enjoyed chatting with the rest of the Legends, entertained by Charlie's tales of punk London and Ray and Nate's review of the newest Superman film. They were a family and Ava and Sara's hearts were both full with a blissful joy.
