It was while dealing with an anachronism in 2014 that she saw her for the first time since it had happened. First, she was happy to see her, but soon that happiness faded away and was replaced by sadness as she remembered why she hadn't seen her in so long. Then came anger, followed by emptiness and loneliness. She broke down crying in the middle of the busy Starling City street, the anachronism long forgotten. She hadn't seen her yet, which Sara was grateful for because she wasn't sure she was ready to talk to her yet. The emotion that overthrew all others was regret. She fell to her knees crying. There was nothing else she could do.

It was about half an hour after the blonde first broke down, that the other Legends showed up. They found their Captain in a state they'd never seen her in before. Sara was known to be cool and collected, but seeing her right now was the complete opposite. Ray tried to pull her to her feet, to help her back on the Waverider so they could find out what had happened and help her. But the blonde fought back. She shoved Ray away from her a little more forcefully than necessary.

Her breathing started to pick up quickly and the scientist recognized the signs of an oncoming panic attack. The Legends were worried about their leader, to say the least. They didn't know what to do, having never had to deal with Sara in a state like this before. In the end, it was Amaya who took action. She pulled out a communications device and opened a line to a woman they had come to know as an important ally.

The woman on the other end of the line looked annoyed, a look she wore often when they first met, but more than that she looked tired and her eyes were slightly bloodshot. "What?" She growled at the totem-bearer.

Amaya sighed, "we have a bit of a..." she hesitated, looking at the team surrounding the crying and hyperventilating woman. "situation," she finally decided on.

The Time Bureau Director rolled her eyes. "Don't you always?" She said in an annoyed tone.

"This is different," Amaya said urgently. "It's Sara." She turned the cam towards the distressed blonde.

Within seconds a portal opened and a frantic Ava walked through. She pushed her way through the team until she was face to face with the Captain. "Sara," the woman said frantically, but not getting any reaction from the other woman. Gently, she got closer to the sobbing blonde and kneeled before her. Slowly, she put her hand closer to her companion and put it over her heart. Sara visibly relaxed upon the touch, but not enough to be able to move. "Shh... Calm down. Breath with me," Ava whispered to the blonde. As soon as the panic attack had died down, the Time Agent pulled Sara into her arms. Ava carried Sara, following the team back to the Waverider.

The team left the two women in the Captain's quarters, trusting that Ava could handle the situation. Once they were alone, Ava tried her best to calm the sobbing blonde enough to talk. Sara might have broken up with her, but the Director still cared a lot about the Captain. She was worried and seeing her like this was breaking her heart even further.

"I was dealing with an anachronism," Sara explained when her crying had lessened, "I didn't know she'd be there, I didn't expect to see her there." A haunted look crossed the distressed woman's face.

"Who?" Ava prodded gently, even though she had a slight idea, given the time they'd just come from.

"Laurel," the name sounded so broken, pained from Sara's lips, feeling another tear roll down her cheek.

Ava pulled the other woman closer to her. "I wish there was more I could do to help you," she said, sighing.

A small smile pulled at the corners of Sara's lips, "you already helped me so much. You have no idea. Even after everything I've put you through, you're still here."

The taller woman kissed her forehead. "I'll always be here for you, Sara. Wheather you want me to or not. I care about you," she smiled sadly.

Sara finally swept the tears off her cheeks and sat up straight, pulling herself together. The pained expression on her face told Ava that what was coming wouldn't be good. "They shouldn't have called you," Sara said, looking away.

"You needed me," Ava protested.

Sara looked down, "I did, but you deserve better than to have to deal with this broken idiot," Sara whispered, gesturing to herself.

Ava forced the other woman to look up, into her eyes. "First of all, you needed me, so I came. Not because I had to, but because I was worried about you. Second, you don't get to decide what I do or don't deserve, jerk. Third, you might be a broken idiot, but you're my broken idiot and I'd rather have you, broken and idiotic, than not at all."

More tears were running down the Captain's face but for a whole other reason this time. "I don't want to hurt you," Sara said, clinging to the edge of Ava's shirt as if she could disappear in a second.

Ava shook her head. "You won't" she answered confidently.

"How can you say that so confidently, I already have," Sara said, pain evident in her voice.

"Because," Ava shrugged, "I'm not letting you push me away anymore, to start with, and I'm not a defenseless little lamb, Sara. I can handle myself. Besides, you couldn't hurt me if you tried, you love me too much to be able to, possessed or not." The teasing tone in her voice, reminding Sara of their usual interactions.

A small smile crossed her features. "That last one's not very far off," she leaned in until their noses were almost touching. "I do love you, Ava, so much," and closed the distance between the two.

"I love you too, babe," Ava smiled widely as they pulled away from the kiss. They stayed very close together. Sara yawned, all the emotions she'd been through this past hour had tired her out. "You should rest, Love, you've been through a lot today," she pulled away from Sara slightly, but the shorter woman had a tight grip on her.

"Stay," Sara sounded so small in that word.

"Of course," Ava kissed her lips briefly, "I was just going to reassure your team. Why don't you get in bed, while I do that and I'll be right there."

Sara kissed her lips once more, before pulling away and nodding.

By the time Ava got back to the room. Sara was shaking in bed. Her eyes were shut tightly, but the blonde was far from resting. Ava hurried to her side shook the blonde awake. "Laurel," Sara screamed as her eyes flew open. As soon as the Captain realized where she was, she silently got into Ava's embrace. From the moment she could hear Ava's heartbeat, she calmed down and fell into a peaceful sleep.

The Time Bureau Director pulled her sleeping companion closer to her, gently pulling her closer and sighing happily for the first time since Mallus had possessed the former assassin. She gently stroked her hair, loving having the other woman so close to her once more. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep too. Both sleeping better together then they ever could apart.