"I think it would probably be best if I went first," Sara said, and Leonard could see the nervousness on his wife's face.
"If that's what you need to do," he nodded.
"Just give me five minutes, then he'll probably be fine."
Sara and Leonard were standing outside the coffee shop, CC Jitters. Beside them, holding tightly onto Leonard hand, was Elsie, their three year old daughter they had rescued from Norway nearly five months ago. Rip had granted the team shore leave for the day, and they'd all decided to spend it in present day Central City. Sara realized that not only had she never had the opportunity to tell her family about Leonard, but Elsie had also come into her life since she'd joined Rip Hunter's mission. She hadn't seen any of her family since she joined, and now it had been a few years, she'd gotten married, she'd adopted a kid, and her family deserved an explanation.
Leonard had infatuated Dinah Lance and Elsie had done the same to Laurel, and now it was time for them to meet Quentin.
Sara was probably most nervous for her family to meet her father. She knew he'd probably be okay eventually, but she also knew that while Sara had been away for nearly four years, they'd returned to July 2016, mere months after the day they'd left. It would be difficult to bridge that gap for her father.
"Can you wish Mom good luck?" Leonard murmured to Elsie.
"Good luck Mommy," Elsie repeated with a big smile. It was clear she had no idea what was happening.
"Thank you, bear," Sara said, running a hand over Elsie's blonde hair, "I'll see you in a few minutes."
Sara took a deep breath and walked towards the coffee shop. Just before the door, she stopped and glanced back. She saw that Leonard was following Elsie as she ran towards a fountain in the small plaza that neighbored the coffee shop. A bell jangled as Sara opened the door to Jitters and again as it swung shut behind her. She looked around for her father.
She found Quentin Lance sitting in a booth towards the center of the coffee shop.
"Hi Dad," Sara said as she approached the booth.
"Hey baby," Quentin stood up, "Long time no see."
"You have no idea," she replied as she hugged her father.
They both sat down, Sara across the table from her father.
"Your call sorta came out of nowhere after the silent treatment you've been giving me over the past few months."
"Yeah, sorry about that," Sara cringed, "But it hasn't exactly been a few months."
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"
"Did Laurel tell you anything about what I've been doing?"
"No," Quentin said with furrowed eyebrows.
"I've been time traveling," Sara said, knowing that it would be a waste of time to beat around the bush. With her father, it was best to be straight to the point.
"Time traveling?" he repeated.
"Yeah," Sara nodded, "It's been almost four years."
"Four years?" Quentin exclaimed, his eyes widening, "What are you talkin' about?"
"The mission I was on?" Sara started again, "It wasn't exactly a normal mission."
"Are they ever?"
"Point taken." Sara relaxed slightly, rolling her eyes, "Anyway, I've kind of spent the past four years time traveling."
"Time traveling? Like in Star Wars?"
"I don't think anybody time traveled in Star Wars, dad."
"What movie am I thinking of, then?"
"I dunno, Back to the Future?"
"That sounds right," Quentin nodded before quickly shaking his head, "Wait, we're talking about time travel like it's actually possible. It can't be possible."
"That's what I said at the beginning," Sara shrugged, "But I guess anything's possible."
"But why?"
"Why time travel?" Sara asked. Quentin nodded, "We're trying to save the world."
"There're other people with you? You're not doing this alone, right?"
"No, I'm not, dad," she replied, "There's a whole team of us — Ray Palmer, for one. You know know Ray."
"I thought Ray Palmer was dead."
"So was I," she shrugged. Quentin was silent for a while, and Sara could practically see the cogs turning in his head.
"So this is really happening," he finally asked.
"Yeah," she nodded.
"So you, what, poof and you're in a completely different year."
"Different year, different place," she affirmed, "We do it all."
"Where've you been?"
"Soviet Russia, Oregon 1958, Star City 2046 — that wasn't pretty — Ancient Greece, just to name a few. All sorts of places."
"Sounds interesting," Quentin said. "So is the mission over? Are you back in the time, uh…now…for good?"
"No, we're just taking a few days off," Sara replied, "and I wanted to see you and Laurel and Mom. It's been a while. I missed you."
"Well, I know it's been only a few months for me, but if it makes any difference, I've missed you too."
"Thanks dad," Sara smiled. She glanced at a clock on the brick wall of the coffee shop and felt an anxious pulse in her chest. She only had a minute left to break the news to her father.
"So," he said with an exhale, "Saving the world."
"Yeah," Sara nodded.
"Is someone really so bad that they deserve to be chased through time?"
"If you're an immortal psychopath, you do."
"Jesus Christ."
"No kidding."
"You're keeping safe, right?" he asked somewhat nervously, "You're not doing anything that could get yourself killed, right?"
"I'm being very careful, Dad," Sara replied with a smirk that seemed to contradict what she'd said. Quentin raised his eyebrows, knowing that both of his daughters were hopeless cases.
"So," Quentin exhaled, leaning back in his seat, "Four years. What's been going on with you — besides the mission anyway."
"Actually, I'm glad you brought that up," Sara said, grateful for the natural segue. She hadn't been sure how to bring the topic of her family up, "I sort of…well…I got married while I was away."
"What!" Quentin exclaimed incredulously, shooting up in his seat. Sara winced and glanced anxiously around as a few other customers in Jitters looked over to them, "You got married? How long ago? Who? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I wanted to tell you, daddy, but I couldn't," Sara protested, interrupting his barrage of questions, "I couldn't just abandon the mission, you know that!"
"I just can't believe you went on a time-travel-world-rescue mission and got married! What's next, you're gonna tell me you had a kid or somethin'?"
"Well…"
The bell above the door jangled as someone entered the coffee shop. Sara looked towards the noise to see Leonard in the doorway, holding onto Elsie's hand. He glanced around the room, searching for his wife. When he found her, their eyes met. He raised his eyebrows, silently questioning if he could come over. Sara nodded once and Leonard started towards the table, picking up Elsie so he could better maneuver the tables and chairs of the coffee shop.
Quentin noticed his daughter's gesture. He narrowed his eyes and turned in the direction Sara was looking. He instantly saw Leonard and Elsie.
"That's Leonard Snart. He's wanted in about a dozen cities," Quentin said slowly, gripping the edge of the table, "And he's got a kid."
"Sorry," Sara winced. By now, they'd reached their table.
"Mommy!" Elsie stretched her arms towards her mother.
"Hi bear," Sara said, pressing a kiss onto the top of Elsie's head as she took her from Leonard.
"Hope we're not too late," Leonard said, giving Sara a knowing look as he slid into the booth next to his wife. "We were right behind you and then this one…" he paused to run a hand over Elsie's hair, "got a bit distracted by the ducks in that fountain. I hope we didn't miss too much."
"Nope, you're right on time," Sara replied, "We were just talking about you."
"Sara?" Quentin said with a perplexed expression on his face as he looked from Leonard to Elsie and back to Sara, "What's going on?"
"Dad, this is my husband Leonard and my daughter, Elsie."
Quentin was very still. His mouth was slightly open and he appeared to be in a state of shock.
"You okay, Dad?" Sara asked tentatively.
"I-I-I just can't believe you have a…a kid. I mean last time I checked, you were a kid," Quentin stuttered, seeming a bit out of breath, "Now you-you've got one of your own. And…and she's so beautiful and I'm so proud of you, honey, but, you know, it's just a lot to take in."
"Sorry," Sara apologized again.
"No, you don't gotta apologize, honey," he shook his head, "You didn't do anything wrong. I just wish you'd 'a told me sooner. I mean, she's — what —three years old now? It's kinda weird to think you had a kid for that long and didn't tell me. Unless you thought I'd be mad," Quentin suddenly looked a bit panicked, "I wouldn't 'a been mad, honey."
"Dad," Sara interrupted him, "Relax. We adopted her. Of course I would have come home if I was actually having a baby, are you crazy?"
"You adopted her?"
"Yeah. We were on a mission in Norway during World War Two when we found her. Her whole family had just been executed by Nazi soldiers and she was living on the streets, so we took her back to the timeship with us to get her checked out and make sure she was okay. Then we decided that she should just stay with us."
"You rescued her?" Quentin's face softened.
"Yeah," Sara replied.
"That's really nice."
"Thanks, Dad," she replied, looking down at her daughter, "Can you say hi, Elsie-bear?"
"Hi," Elsie said bashfully.
"Do you remember when I showed you a picture of him this morning?" Sara asked, gesturing towards Quentin.
Elsie nodded.
"This is my dad. You know what that means? He's your grandpa!"
In unison, both Elsie and Quentin smiled. Sara knew that after what happened to Elsie's mother and father and siblings in Norway, she would be excited any time she got to meet someone she could consider family, and all Quentin ever wanted for his daughters was happiness, and if her family was making Sara happy, then he was fine with it.
"Your name's Elsie?" Quentin said, leaning towards the little girl.
"Uh-huh — well my real name's Elisabeth, but everyone calls me Elsie 'cause it's easier to say," she nodded matter-of-factly.
"Huh," Quentin smiled at her forwardness, "And how old are you, Elsie?"
"Three," Elsie replied, holding up four fingers. Sara reached forwards and folded down her pinky.
"Are you having fun time traveling?"
Elsie nodded enthusiastically, dropping her hand into her lap, "When I'm turning four, Mommy and Daddy said they'd take me wherever I want."
"Within reason," Leonard cut in.
"I wanna go to Mount Vesuvius while it's still erupting," Elsie said, stumbling over the Greek word.
"That's not exactly within reason," Leonard raised his eyebrows.
Quentin turned to Sara "Did she already meet your mother and your sister?"
"Yes she did," Sara nodded, "We just came from mom's house."
"How'd they take it?"
"Better than you," she snorted.
"And what about him?" Quentin tipped his head in Leonard's direction, crossing his arms. Sara could see in his eyes that he recognized him, but beyond the recognition, she saw apprehension (which she supposed was better than anger).
"What about him?" Sara asked.
"He met Laurel and your mom?"
"He did."
"And?"
"And what?" Sara asked, "What do you want me to say? I'm not going to say they didn't like him or that they were mad just because it fits your narrative, because they weren't.
"Y'know, I have a hard time believing that," he replied, looking straight into Leonard's eyes, "I know your career history, I know you've been incarcerated more times than I could count—"
"Daddy," Elsie whispered, pulling on Leonard's sleeve, "What's incarcerated?"
"Nothing, bear, don't worry about it," Sara assured her before Leonard could say anything. She turned back to Quentin, anger in her eyes, "Dad, could you try to contain yourself around Elsie?"
Quentin took a deep breath, letting it out again just as slowly.
"I'm sorry Sara," he began, and Sara was surprised to see that he actually looked remorseful, "I just wasn't expecting you to be with someone like Snart."
"His name is Leonard," Sara said emphatically, "And let's just take a second to go over the other people I've been with. First of all, Oliver. Twice. He's the reason you thought I was dead for half a decade and the pretty much the reason I actually died. He's the Green Arrow. He kills people and you can say all you want that it's for the greater good, but it's still murder. Second, Nyssa. She kills people too. She's the leader of the League of Assassins. She threatened to kill Mom and tried to kill Laurel. All Len has done is try to steal things."
"What do you mean try," Leonard asked with a look of dismay on his face. Sara ignored him.
"He's also been helping me save the world, Dad."
"Mommy," Elsie whispered, "does Grandpa not like Daddy?"
"No!" Quentin replied hurriedly, "Nothing like that, honey. I'm just having a tough time understanding everything, is all. The last time I saw your mom, she wasn't married and she didn't have you."
"Oh," she replied. She looked up at the ceiling in thought and then met Quentin's eyes again, "But why d'you hafta understand? We're here."
Quentin raised his eyebrows and sat up a bit straighter.
"I guess you're right," Quentin said, his head tipped to the side in consideration, "You know, you're very smart."
Elsie giggled, her mouth spreading into a wide smile.
"I know my whole ABC's!" she said proudly.
"Not to mention she's fluent in English and Norwegian," Leonard added, "although she came to us like that."
"Do you remember Norway," Quentin asked Elsie. She nodded.
"We're making sure she doesn't forget." Sara told him, "We try to visit whenever we can."
"You should try to stop around these parts too."
"I mean to dad, I swear. Things just get busy."
"I know it does, honey," Quentin nodded, "and I'm so proud of you, I really am, but I just found out ten minutes ago that you have a kid and a…a husband. When am I supposed to get to know them with you galavanting across space and time?"
"I'm sorry," Sara said, feeling as if she was on trial for a crime she didn't mean to commit, "but you know how I am. I can't just let this go. I have to help people who need it."
"I know, but that doesn't make your family any less important," Quentin said somberly. He turned to Leonard, "You got one that could back me up on this?"
"You're looking at it,"Leonard replied, and Quentin's face softened slightly, "You're a cop. I'm sure you're aware of my family situation."
"He's got a sister here in Central City too." Sara added, "We're visiting her tomorrow."
"Does she know about Elsie?" he asked.
"She doesn't even know about me," Sara shrugged, "Like I said, it's been a while since we were back here."
"So how long are you…" Quentin hesitated, "…three gonna be back?"
"We take off tomorrow night," Sara replied.
"And you'll be time traveling again?"
She nodded.
"I really wish you didn't have to leave so soon."
"I know dad," Sara said, smiling sadly, "But you know I can't walk away from people who need help. You taught me that."
"Yeah, well I didn't exactly mean for you to become a time traveling vigilante."
"Hey, go big or go home," Sara shrugged, "and speaking of home, I think it's time we head out."
"So soon?" Quentin asked.
Sara nodded, "Our captain wants us all back and accounted for as soon as possible ever since we crashed the royal wedding."
"When will you be back?" he asked, looking crestfallen.
"I don't know dad. Soon, I promise."
"Don't be a stranger, okay? You're like me; you have a hard time stepping away from people you think need help, but trust me, sometimes you can let your family be more important. Don't forget that."
"Don't worry dad. I won't."