Part 1 of the Bits and Pieces Series.
A series of stories mostly addressing those things Sara changed (or tried to) during her years on the Waverider.
These works complement the Screw Normal series, so they might make reference to specific situations mentioned there (in no specific order).
The Stabbing
"Sara, did you grab the list? I left it on the counter for you"
"Can't hear you! We're leaving!"
"I know you can hear me, please take—"
"Gonna be late! See you later, babe! Love ya!"
The door slammed shut and Nyssa sighed, shaking her head and smiling. She ran her fingers through her hair and took her phone out of her pocket, ready to text the blonde the contents of the 'forgotten' grocery list, when the doorbell rang.
The brunette smirked and walked down the stairs, coming to a stop at the front door and reaching for the doorknob "Did you forget your keys again?" she asked, pulling it open.
Her smirk was immediately replaced with a frown when she saw it was not Sara waiting on the other side.
"I'm so sorry to bother you, but I need your help" a blonde man said hurriedly in a British accent.
"Mr. Hunter?"
"Oh, you know who I am. Excellent. May I?" he asked, jerking his head past her.
Nyssa moved to the side, letting the man walk inside the house.
"I take it we have met before?" he asked once she closed the door and joined him in the living room, where he was already pacing impatiently.
"You were present at our wedding, Mr. Hunter. You have been here, in our home, on numerous occasions" the brunette stated frowning, still confused with the man's odd behavior "You even assisted Sara in rescuing me when I was p—"
"Please…" he held his hand up and bowed his head "...don't finish that sentence. Too much information about my future could be catastrophic for the timeline"
"Future?" Nyssa asked folding her arms "I have known you for years"
"Yes, of course" he clapped his hands once, rubbing them together as he explained "You obviously have met a future version of me. Which, I'm glad is the case, because I don't believe you would be willing to assist me otherwise. Like I said before, I need your help"
"Mr. Hunter…" the woman said carefully "...care to explain?"
"Of course. I am a previous version of the Rip Hunter you know. I travelled to the future with the sole purpose of finding you. For me, we have just met"
"I see"
He eyed her suspiciously after her calm reaction to his revelation "Do you believe me?"
"Shouldn't I?"
He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged "According to Gideon, there was a fifty-fifty chance. I'm thrilled you do"
Nyssa pursed her lips and nodded once "How can I be of assistance, Mr. Hunter?"
"It's Sara"
"My Sara, or your Sara?"
The corner of Rip's mouth twitched up in amusement; this woman was obviously familiar with the basics, it would make things a lot easier for everyone "My Sara"
"What did she do now?"
He took a deep breath, releasing it in a long, tired sigh "She was bent on preventing you from marrying Oliver Queen when she found out about it. In her efforts, she tricked me, stole the jumpship in June 2016, and went to May 2015"
"I take it she did not succeed"
"Precisely. Or not yet. I'm not sure. It's quite hard to answer that question, us being from different times. What I do know, is that she managed to get herself incarcerated in Nanda Parbat" he looked her in the eye and winced.
Nyssa sighed tiredly and rubbed her forehead "Of course she did"
Rip sighed and pursed his lips before finishing his briefing "Nyssa, she's awaiting execution"
"So, what about me? Am I rich in 2020?"
Nyssa laughed and shrugged, aware she was not supposed give the man too much information.
"Wait, am I dead?"
"Mr. Rory, please stop harassing Mrs. Raatko with questions about your future" Rip said still looking down at the tablet in his hands.
The woman smiled from her spot and silently shook her head 'no' at Mick.
He grinned pointing at her "I like you, assassin lady"
"Place both your palms there" Rip instructed pointing at a stand holding a scanner, and she immediately moved to do so "I will save your prints so you have full access to all common areas as well as Sara's bedroom in case you need to rest, if that's alright with you. We are short of empty quarters at the moment"
The brunette narrowed her eyes at him and smiled, remembering her first time in the Waverider in 2016 "Of course"
He nodded once and tapped a few commands. After about ten seconds, Gideon announced "It's done, Captain"
"Thank you, Gideon. Were you able to determine the best time for our approach?"
"I'm afraid not, Captain. I don't have intelligence on specific League matters"
"That's alright, we have our best chance at rescuing Sara here with us"
"Ah, yes. Good afternoon, Mrs. Raatko"
"Good afternoon, Gideon" the brunette answered, then looked at Rip with great interest before asking "Mr. Hunter, may I ask why this version of me?"
"Excuse me?" Rip asked genuinely confused.
"Why did you come find me in 2020? Why not a younger 2008 Nyssa? Or any other time for that matter. Why now?"
He sighed, moving one hand up to run his fingers through his hair "Statistically, this version of you is most likely to succeed. Gideon examined your entire timeline and pointed that exact day and time to come find you. Any version of you previous to mid 2017 wouldn't exactly know what she was truly fighting for, should it come to that" he held up his hand to stop her when he noticed she was about to say something "I don't know why, so, please, don't tell me; but, whatever the reason, there is something more now that is fueling your desire to rescue Sara. Something other than your love for her"
"That is correct"
"You are at the prime of your physical strength and condition, too, if we consider that year your starting point"
"I am"
He nodded just once "That's why. Now, please, don't say anything else; no matter how much Mr. Rory insists"
She smiled and nodded her understanding "Where is she?"
The man leaned back against the wall and folded his arms "I believe your father had her locked in the dungeons. Not the regular ones, the ones far away from where Mr. Queen's friends will be incarcerated soon enough"
"M-my father" she whispered in shock.
"Yes" Rip frowned "Ra's al Ghul. He is your father, am I correct?"
"Yes" she nodded regaining her composure "Wait" she held her hand up when Rip's words registered "My father knew—knows Sara is there?"
"Yes" the man nodded "He ordered her incarceration for future execution. I believe he wants to do it right after the wedding"
"Tonight"
"Yes"
"What are we waiting for, then?" Mick asked "Let's go burn some assassin ass and get our Canary back"
"No; we have to wait" Nyssa shook her head "The commotion of the wedding and my father's other prisoners shall provide the perfect cover for our mission"
Rip nodded his agreement "Is everyone in the League attending?"
"Attendance is mandatory for everyone who is stationed in Nanda Parbat at the time"
"Will the cells be unguarded, then?"
She shook her head and pursed her lips "Knowing my father, he will not take any unnecessary risks; he knows who he is dealing with. I would expect, probably, three of four guards"
"Piece of cake!" Mick said a little too enthusiastically, actually making Nyssa chuckle "How do we get in, though? You know, fortress full of assassins an' all"
"The only entrance I used to know is sure to be locked after the break in of 1960" Rip shrugged apologetically.
"Indeed. I have heard the story" the brunette smirked "However, there are more convenient ones for our current needs. There is a secret passage that leads right to the dungeons used to incarcerate or torture treacherous League members. I believe that is where they are keeping Sara prisoner"
"When do I get to use my gun?"
Rip sighed and turned around to whisper "Be quiet, Mr. Rory!"
"This is boring. I need violence" the man shrugged.
Nyssa turned around and covered her head and face with some standard League robes they managed to steal before "Four guards" she whispered, her eyes the only part of her body that was still visible "Don't burn anyone, Mr. Rory. I shall take care of the guards without alerting the whole League of our presence"
"Why do you get to have all the fun?"
"Because that is my wife—"
"Wife?" Mick asked grinning "Blondie got herself domesticated!"
Rip glared at him, but the man decided to ignore the glare when he could easily see in Nyssa's eyes that she was actually smiling under her robes.
"You have no idea, Mr. Rory" she said, her eyes twinkling with the light of the torches. Suddenly she pushed both men back into a darker corner and barely got to duck out of sight before two League members walked down the corridor "Be mindful of your surroundings!" she hissed angrily.
"Where did I hear that before?" Mick asked scratching the back of his head.
"From Sara" Rip provided, hissing, too "How many assassins do you happen to know?"
The other man shrugged and jerked his head in Nyssa's direction when he noticed the woman silently moving down the corridor. Rip followed his gaze and both men soon started following her.
She stopped at the entrance of the dungeons and turned around to address Rip "How should I proceed?"
"Kill 'em all!" Mick roared extending his arms, gun dangling from his hand.
"No one can alert your present self of Sara's condition" Rip whispered "We cannot alter that"
"By 'condition' you mean that she's alive?"
"Yes, Mr. Rory, that's exactly what I mean!" the man snapped at him.
"Then say that instead of those stupid things you keep saying"
"Keep arguing and you shall alert everyone of our presence and get us executed along with Sara" the woman said threateningly.
"There's something else" Rip said holding one finger up "Sara is not supposed to know it's you rescuing her"
The brunette nodded "For all intents and purposes, you and Mr. Rory shall be the ones who rescued her. However, if she witness a fight or looks into my eyes, I cannot promise she will not recognize me"
The Captain pursed his lips, considering the woman's words before shaking his head "We'll deal with that if it comes to it. Our priority is to save Sara and not let present Nyssa know she is alive"
With a short, silent nod, Nyssa disappeared past the door leading to the dungeons.
"Do we follow her?" Mick asked trying to whisper.
"I'm not sure"
Before they could keep debating, a body dropped at their feet. It was a man dressed in League robes identical to the ones Nyssa was wearing.
"He dead?"
Rip bent down to check his pulse and shook his head "No, merely unconscious"
"That guy's twice her size" Rory pointed out "I gotta see how she does it!" and following that sentence, he stepped over the man's body and past the door, leaving Rip to follow him.
They walked into a dark, small hall just in time to witness Nyssa silently approach another guard. This one also twice her size. Maybe even bigger.
She moved fast, her boots not even making a sound on the stone floor as she rushed the man. She used his own thigh for leverage, bouncing off it just enough to be able to hook her other leg over his shoulder and on the back of his neck, making him bend over. She then kicked the back of his leg as soon as she regained her footing, forcing him to kneel in front of her. Once standing behind him, she easily held him in a chokehold until he, too, passed out from lack of oxygen.
"Beautiful!" Mick exclaimed, still mesmerized.
"Mick?!"
Sara.
"Oh" the man winced when he realized what he had done "What the hell?!" gun at the ready, he shrugged and took a step in the direction of the blonde's voice.
"Mick!" they could hear Sara's voice again.
Nyssa exchanged a worried look with Rip, but it didn't last long, because soon enough, two more guards emerged out of the corridor and into the small hall.
Mick stopped, glancing at Nyssa to see the woman silently shaking her head. Then he decided to completely ignore her, by firing his gun and setting the two guards on fire.
Rip cursed under his breath, but Nyssa reacted quickly. Before they could even scream in pain or shock and alert anyone else, she fired two arrows, one into each of the guard's left eye, and glared at Mick once both men hit the floor, dead.
"That was badass" the man said and walked down the corridor with long, heavy strides.
"I apologize for his behavior"
The brunette shook her head and whispered "You don't need to, I know him quite well"
"Then I'm just sorry for you"
She laughed and silently jerked her head in the cell's direction; they could already hear Sara talking to Mick.
Rip ran forward, with Nyssa following him close behind after she carefully retrieved a set of keys from one of the guards' still burning robes.
She gasped at the sight of the bruised blonde behind the bars. She had a long gash on her forehead, a split lip, her nose was obviously broken, her right eye was partially shut due to some very aggressive swelling, her knuckles were incredibly bruised and bloody, and her usually shiny blonde hair was dirty with dried blood.
"Get me the fuck outta here" she mumbled "I have a wedding to stop and some Queen ass to kick"
"Sara, how could you be so reckless?!" Rip asked stepping closer to the gate.
Nyssa lowered her gaze, avoiding the blonde's, as she tossed him the set of keys for him to find the right one.
"Who's…" the blonde started, looking at the unidentified assassin, but trailed off with a frown. She shook her head and stepped out of the cell once Rip opened it "...nevermind as long as they're on our side. Now, if you'll excuse me, I got back home and my sister told me fucking Oliver married the woman I'm supposed to marry one day. I can't have that shit, so—"
"We are not here to stop this wedding from happening, Sara!" Rip said sternly.
"Well, I am, you can do whatever the fuck you want"
"We need to get you out of here. It is imperative that we do before—"
"Don't give a shit" she interrupted him, pushing him aside and walking past the three of them and down the corridor "I'll meet you back at the Waverider, just give me like fif—"
And then all they heard was a surprised gasp, followed by a pain filled "Fuck"
"Sara" Nyssa whispered rushing down the corridor.
She emerged from the corridor and into the dark hallway only to find the blonde slightly bent over, one hand clutching her lower abdomen, while an assassin stood in front of her with a bloody dagger in his hand.
"No" she gasped in horror, catching Sara when she stumbled backwards with her hand still covering her abdomen.
Rip rushed to her side, immediately placing his hand over Sara's and applying pressure on the wound.
"No!" this time it was a painful, angry, devastated scream escaping Nyssa's lips, bouncing off the walls and echoing all around them.
She lunged forward and reached for the assassin's arm, the one still holding the dagger. He tried to fight her off, resist her attacks as best as his training allowed him to, but her rage finally took over and she was able to get the upper hand. She kicked his knee and reached for the dagger at the same time, succeeding in both. The man fell to one knee, but before he could try to get up, she was standing behind him with the blade pressed to his throat.
The brunette finally looked into Sara's tired eyes; her own filled with rage, worry and sorrow.
"Nyssa?" Sara asked weakly, recognizing the woman's eyes, and the last thing she saw before losing consciousness was the blood stained blade slit the man's throat in one swift motion.
"I need to see her"
Rip placed his hands on the woman's shoulders and stood in front of her, preventing her from going into the Med Bay "She's in surgery"
"She has been in surgery for over an hour. I need to see her" Nyssa repeated holding back a sob "Please"
"We got her back in time" he reassured her "She got stabilized right away and now Gideon is performing surgery on her. She'll be alright, Nyssa, I promise"
Mick grumbled to himself and approached them, carefully wrapping one arm around the woman's shoulders. When he noticed he kept his arm, in addition to his life, he sighed relieved and pulled her closer to his body.
For a few seconds she forgot this version of Mick wasn't the one she had grown used to over the years. Instead of the raw, dangerous, unpredictable arsonist he was at the time, she recognized their friend from 2020; the brave—yet still slightly unstable—man who fought with her side by side, risking his life for her family. And she let him hold her.
Nyssa placed her hands on his chest, letting the sobs take over her whole body.
Mick glanced at Rip, not really knowing what to do, and decided to tighten his hold on the woman. She gripped his jacket and cried for a few long minutes, until the sobs started to subside.
"Ms. Lance's surgery is over, Captain" Gideon announced "She is still sedated and recovering"
"Thank you, Gideon"
Nyssa let go of Mick's jacket and used the back of her hand to wipe her teary eyes. She smiled sadly and looked up at him "Thank you"
"No problem" the man grumbled uncomfortably.
"Can I see her? I know she is not my Sara, but I need to. Please?" she asked again, and this time Rip couldn't deny her the chance to do so. He nodded and walked her to the Med Bay, opening the door and letting her go in first.
She found Sara sleeping peacefully. Her face and hair fully clean, and all other minor wounds already taken care of. She was wearing some kind of hospital gown, and there was a drainage bag attached to one side of the bed.
"Is she alright?" the brunette asked, her voice filled with fear.
"Gideon?"
"Ms. Lance will surely make a full recovery. However, most of her reproductive system was compromised. I had no other option but to fully remove her left ovary along with the Fallopian tube. I was able to regenerate part of the torn upper-left side of her uterus, but couldn't complete the process due to severe internal bleeding" Nyssa raised her hand to cover her mouth and gasped, but didn't say anything "I interrupted the regeneration process and focused solely on stopping the bleeding before it was too late. The surgery was successful, overall. Some anomalies on her menstrual cycle are to be expected in the future. I would recommend consulting a professional"
"Other than that?" Rip asked nervously.
"Like I said, Ms. Lance will make a full recovery"
"Thank you, Gideon" Nyssa said in a low voice.
"I'm sorry, Nyssa. If I had known—"
The woman shook her head and interrupted him "There is no need for apologies" she sighed and moved to sit down next to the blonde. Taking her limp hand in hers, she kissed it softly before smiling at Rip "This is what was supposed to happen. I never knew when or where, but she always said I would one day"
Rip rubbed the back of his neck and decided to ask "She warned you? This happened in your timeline?"
Nyssa pursed her lips, debating on how to answer his question without giving him too much information "I believe you could say that, yes. She always referred to this incident as 'the stabbing', and used to say I would understand everything one day" she looked down at the peaceful looking blonde and smiled "She was absolutely right"
The man smiled at her and leaned back against the other bed, folding his hands in front of his body "I still feel the need to apologize"
"There truly is no need. None of this shall represent a problem in the future. I know I should not say anything, and I will not, but rest assured, Mr. Hunter: our lives were not—and will not—be affected by this incident in the slightest"
"Babe? I'm home!"
Nyssa walked out of the kitchen and into the living room at the same time her wife was hanging her coat by the front door. She smiled sweetly at the woman, and reciprocated the kiss when blonde's lips found hers.
"You okay?" Sara asked as she pulled back from the kiss, keeping her arms around her wife's neck.
The brunette placed her hands on the woman's hips, her right thumb sneaking under her clothes and softly tracing the still noticeable scar on the left side of her lower abdomen "I am" she assured her smiling softly. She looked around the room and frowned "Where—?"
"My dad's, you know how he is" Sara interrupted her question smiling, then leaned forward to kiss her again "Is that okay?"
"Of course, beloved"
"You sure you're okay?"
Nyssa smiled and nodded again, then directed her eyes down to Sara's stomach "Mr. Hunter came by earlier today"
"Rip? Why?"
"He needed my assistance"
"With what?"
"Freeing a trapped bird" the brunette said half smiling, her thumb still rubbing Sara's scar.
The other woman frowned in confusion, then noticed what her wife was doing and gasped "Today?"
"Yes"
"Alright…" Sara nodded and tightened her arms around her wife's neck "...in that case, I've been waiting years to say this…" she leaned forward and kissed her softly one more time, pulling back a couple of seconds later to look into her eyes "...thank you"
"You do not need to thank me, beloved. I would do anything for you"
"I know, but still. I didn't think he would ask you for help"
"You knew, though, did you not?"
Sara smiled and nodded "I told you before, Nyssa, I would recognize those eyes anywhere. You think some standard League robes could fool me? "
"Obviously not"
"Nope" the blonde grinned and slightly nudged her wife back, placing her hands on Nyssa's shoulders to encourage her to sit down on the couch. She moved carefully to straddle her lap, then tangled her fingers in the other woman's hair before she started kissing her neck and mumbled between kisses "You know, I really wanna thank you for rescuing me, and it's been a while since we've been able to do this here"
Nyssa chuckled and nodded, sneaking her hands under her wife's shirt and running her fingers up and down her back "Almost two years"
"Two years is a really long time" Sara said, slowly kissing up the brunette's neck before nipping at her earlobe "I think we should fix that"
"Y-yes, we should" Nyssa said gasping before removing the blonde's shirt.
"We have three hours to ourselves…" Sara said smiling as she kissed down her wife's jaw "...think it'll be enough?"
The brunette grinned devilishly and wrapped one arm around Sara's waist, flipping them over so now the blonde was lying on her back and she was hovering over her body "I do believe I can make it work"
The blonde grinned and tangled her fingers in Nyssa's hair, pulling her down for a deep, passionate kiss, at the same time she wrapped her legs around the woman's waist "Bring it, Mrs. Raatko"