Leonard didn't even take notice that something was off with the team at first. Everyone was acting as they normally would, well at least for a while.
He first noticed the changes on Ray at first, and then Jax, and Stein, and Rip.
They were subtle, but they were there. The small pauses when they would use his name or how they would forget to call him on the main deck for a new mission sometimes. Sara and Mick would come and get him, but the fact that Rip would forget that he was on board was pretty suspicious.
The day that Ray forgot what his last name was, was the day that Leonard realized that something was really wrong with him.
At first, the team thought that he was being paranoid; but as soon as almost no one could answer simple questions about the crook, they were convinced that something was off.
Gideon was able to determine what was happening, by looking into her database and in Leonard's role in the timeline. Slowly and steadily, all traces of him were disappearing, as if he was ceasing to exist.
Druce and the other Time masters decided to eliminate the team, by erasing one of the most vital team members. According to Gideon, contrary to Leonard's past, he would have helped the team greatly in the future and that is why the Time Masters wanted to deprive the team of his unique skills.
There was nothing that anyone could do as Leonard would slowly fade away in time.
"Come on, Rip, there has to be something that we can do to stop this!" exclaimed Sara as she paced back and forth on the Captain's study.
"I am sorry, Mrs. Lance but when it comes to the Time Masters there is not much anyone can do." But upon seeing Sara's broken expression, the man decided to continue. "The only thing that we can do, is set a course for the Vanishing Point, and try to reason them. It is absolutely mental, but it's the only shot we have in saving Snart. And if we won't, we will at least be somewhere where time doesn't exist and Snart will not disappear."
"Gideon, estimate time until we all forget Leonard."
"Estimated time is twenty-four hours from this moment, Mrs. Lance."
Sara stopped on her tracks and looked at Rip hopeless.
"Then we better get going." Rip announced. "Gideon, set a course for the Vanishing Point. And let's pray that we get there on time…"
21 HOURS
"Snart, I just wanted you to know that I will try to remember you. It would be a shame to forget an amazing dude like you."
"Thanks kid, but really isn't up to you."
"I will try, Snart. And I think that we will find a way to fix this."
Leonard just smirked and walked away, not wanting to tell the younger man that he was losing hope.
12 HOURS
After a good night sleep; well as good as it got with his nightmares and the ship's movements, Leonard decided to walk over to the main deck and do some damage control as to who remembered him.
Jax and Dr. Stein still remembered his full name; and as for Ray, he asked who he was before he realized what he had just said.
His time was running out and they weren't even close to the Vanishing Point.
2 HOURS
When Mick didn't remember his name, Leonard felt a pain in his chest, as if someone had punched him straight-on.
His best friend was forgetting him; his team, his baby sister…
There was only one thing left for him to do before no one remembered who he was.
"Busy?" He asked Sara as he leaned against her bed.
"No, what's wrong?" She asked and sat up a little.
"You mean besides the fact that you will all forget I existed in about…" He looked at his watch. "Two hours from now."
"You know I don't think that I'm gonna forget you Snart." Sara stated, while she fiddled with the deck of cards on her hands.
"You will. Even Mick is. I am surprised that you lasted this long." There was melancholy in his voice, as he spoke.
"I have a lot to remember."
"In a while, you won't Lance." She finally looked up at him and tried to find something to say. For the first time she couldn't think of anything. "One last game?"
They fell on their personal little routine, shuffling the cards and playing in silence until…
"Once we get to the Vanishing Point, the Time Bastards will get me, you know that right?"
Sara set the cards on her bed and moved to sit closer to him.
"I won't let them. You might be a real pain in the ass, but I am not letting them get your hands on you."
Leonard reached out and hesitatingly took her hands in his.
"You are gonna forget me." He whispered and the sincerity on his voice was unmistakable.
"I won't." She whispered back; lacing their fingers together.
"Find some way to remember me."
Leonard reached for a card; an ace of hearts, and pressed it over Sara's heart. His voice was hoarse and strained when he spoke afterwards; trying to put into very little words everything that he and Sara had been through.
"Remember… Remember I love you." Sara's mouth parted as her eyes watered. Leonard still sat next to her, one hand laced with hers and the other one, holding the ace of cups above her heart.
She leaped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, letting the tears fall as she began to sob in his chest. Leonard held her until she calmed down, rubbing a hand soothingly in her back.
"We never had our dance, crook." She stated suddenly, sadness in her voice.
"It's never too late, assassin." Leonard stood up from the bed and pulled Sara with him.
He brought her close to his chest and wrapped his arms around her waist, as she wrapped hers around his neck.
She felt the warmth of his chest, as he held her and started to sway to a non-existent rhythm.
And all Sara could do was hold on to the man as tight as she could, because she knew that in the morning, she wouldn't remember the man with the cold gun and the beautiful blue eyes.
The ship started shaking violently and Leonard pulled away to look at Sara's eyes.
"Leonard, I-."
"I know." He whispered and Sara felt herself succumb to the darkness that began to overwhelm them.
"I woke up and I felt like I was waiting for someone; is this normal Gideon?"
"Mrs. Lance, I am not authorized to detect emotional changes in any of the seven members on board."
"Seven? Gideon we are six members on this team, after Carter and Kendra left."
"I am sorry, Mrs. Lance, it must have been a miscalculation in my system."
"Do you know this guy?"
"I don't know… I don't remember his name… And I don't remember ever seeing him."
"Then how the hell did you draw him?"
"What's your problem, Mick?"
"I think I have seen him too."
"Am I the only one who has been having memory gaps, about our past missions?"
"What do you mean memory gaps?"
"Do you remember who saved us when Mick turned to Cronos? Do you even remember why he even became Cronos?"
"The Time Masters…"
"Jax, who held you off when you were mutated?"
"Uhm, Mick maybe?"
"Who helped me hide when the Time Masters caught you and helped me get you away from the Vanishing Point?"
"Gideon, pull up the Waverider's camera files from when the Time Masters held us captive."
"I am sorry Captain Hunter, but the camera files are unavailable."
"Someone erased them."
"Gideon, the files from the missions Sara mentioned."
"Unavailable content."
"How did the man in your drawings look like again, Blondie?"
"Back when I was a Time Master in training, we were told that there was only one protocol that could be evoked under extreme measures."
"And what's that?"
"The Time Masters can literally erase a person out of existence."
Sara didn't know who he was; all she knew what that somehow he kept appearing in her mind and she just couldn't rid herself from him. Right now he was just an illusion; no, a memory, and one that Sara had to get back.
"Get him out of here!"
"No!"
"Just do it!"
Sara would wake up, dripping with sweat and tears rolling down her cheeks. The closest they got to the Vanishing Point, the harder it was from keeping these memories of the unknown man resurfacing.
He was close; she could feel it.
The night, or was it day, that they arrived in the Vanishing point, she thought that she saw him; leaning against her doorframe with a pack of cards in his hand.
"You wanna steal a kiss from me, Leonard? You better be one hell of a thief."
Leonard.
She didn't know him, but at the same time she did. And she was going to get him back.
"Remember I love you."
And she did remember, because she loved him too.