Author's Note: I know I'm meant to be writing other things but I can't stay out of this universe just now.
Don't know how long it will take me to finish this but here is the first chapter.
Enjoy
Gideon lay on her back staring up at the two people looking down at her.
"I think this was a bad idea," she said, taking Rip's hand to help her to her feet once more.
Alex frowned, "You need to learn to protect yourself, Gideon. That's twice someone has come after you now."
"I do understand this," Gideon replied.
"Then we're going to continue our training," Alex told her sternly.
Rip bit down an amused smile at Gideon's sigh of frustration, "You know if you want, I could always help."
"No," Gideon stated instantly.
Alex looked at them bemused, "Why is that a bad thing?"
"I happen to be well aware of what happened the one and only time Rip trained cadets," Gideon replied.
"That was because I really didn't want to do it," Rip reminded her.
Intrigued Alex asked, "What did you do?"
"Okay," Rip stated slightly defensively, "You have to understand we were stuck at the Vanishing Point because the ship had been badly damaged, meaning Gideon could only barely keep me alive after I had been injured on a mission."
"Due to your insistence on following a plan I said would not work," Gideon reminded him.
Rip sighed, "You spent six months berating me at the time. I don't need you to repeat the lecture."
"So," Alex motioned Rip to continue before they started to argue.
Rip smiled at Gideon, "My superiors decided they weren't happy with the way I'd handled my assignment and began an investigation. Since they grounded me I was bored. I couldn't even get away to visit Miranda while waiting for the Waverider to be fixed and the investigation to be over. Druce, my..." he paused, a flare of anger appearing in his eyes at the name before he continued, "Mentor, I suppose is the best word, got a bit sick of me hanging around annoying him so made me take on the self-defence training of his new recruits."
Gideon smiled, "Which he truly regretted."
"What did you do?" Alex demanded intrigued.
Rip shrugged, "I just made sure they understood the rigours of time travel."
"All eight of them ended up in the medical bay," Gideon reminded him.
Rip shrugged again, "Then I did my job."
"I can understand why you don't want him to train you," Alex noted with a chuckle, checking the time she sighed, "It's getting late. Let's finish there for just now and we'll go over everything tomorrow."
Rip turned to Gideon again, "Are you ready to go home?"
Gideon nodded, "Allow me to change and I shall meet you upstairs."
Giving her a quick smile Rip left while Gideon headed to get changed.
x
Since their encounter with the meta-human who had played with their minds Rip had become even more protective of Gideon than before. When Alex brought up the idea of self-defence training for Gideon, Rip not only agreed but also suggested some weapons training just in case.
He had also become more open with them. Alex felt that somehow seeing Jonas again, even in the unusual way it happened, as well as telling her about the last conversation he'd had with his son had helped unburden Rip.
J'onn hadn't revoked Rip's credentials for the DEO, in fact he happily allowed the other man in whenever he wanted. Despite Rip's insistence he didn't want to be a part of the DEO J'onn had discovered that if he approached Rip in the right way he could get the other man to discuss possible missions, offer his thoughts on agents and give the benefit of his experience on operations.
"Do you want to join us for dinner?" Rip asked Alex when she found him sitting at Gideon's station.
Alex blinked surprised by the offer, "I can't. I have a date."
"Anyone we know?" Rip asked, surprising her even more at expressing interest in her life.
"Blind date," she winced, "Honestly I'm not looking forward to it but James fixed it up then set Kara on me to agree."
Rip chuckled, a smile touching his lips when Gideon appeared, "Have fun."
Alex rolled her eyes at him watching as Rip wrapped his arm around Gideon's shoulders leading her out of the DEO.
x
"I think I have bruises on my bruises," Gideon complained when they entered their apartment.
Rip chuckled, "Have a bath and you'll feel better."
"Why did I agree to let Alex do this to me?" she grumbled, dropping to sit onto the couch rolling her sore shoulders.
"Because someone tried to abduct you," Rip stated seriously, "For the second time."
Gideon winced, "I know."
Moving her to turn slightly Rip sat so her back was at his chest, resting his hands on her shoulders Rip gently began to massage, "Give it some time and your body will get used to the exercises.
She leaned back moaning softly while Rip's fingers pressed slightly harder into the aching muscles in her neck and shoulders. Rip continued the massage for about five minutes before he kissed her cheek.
"Run yourself a bath," Rip told her, "I'll make dinner."
When he left her Gideon watched him for a moment. She wasn't quite sure what changed recently but something had. Pulling herself off the couch with a groan Gideon went to run a bath hoping it would help.
"Hi, Rip," Kara greeted him finding him sitting on the couch in James' office, "What are you doing here?"
"I have absolutely no idea," Rip replied.
"I'm trying to persuade Rip to take a job with Cat Co," James spoke up.
Kara blinked in surprise, "Really?"
"Really?" Rip eyed James suspiciously.
"Don't you have an assignment to get to?" James distracted Kara quickly.
She winced, "Yes. Just wanted to make sure we're still on tonight?"
James nodded, "Definitely. You're still the only one who knows the system Miss Grant had so I need you to find the files."
"No problem," she beamed before bouncing away.
James held up his hand to stop Rip speaking, he checked his watch before nodding, "Sorry, I don't want Kara to overhear us."
"I'm guessing I'm not being offered a job?" Rip asked amused.
"We don't actually know when Kara was born since the Earth-Krypton calendar doesn't work that well, so we celebrate the day she reached Earth as her birthday," James explained, "It's in two weeks."
Rip stared at him a little confused asking, "And you want me to hire the bar for a party?"
"In her pod was a small cube thing that we think has some holographic scans of the planet," James explained, "The engineers at the DEO have tried to repair it but haven't been able to. Alex and I thought you might be able to."
Rip frowned in thought, "Kryptonian technology?"
"Could you fix it?" James asked.
"I can look at it," Rip replied, "I've seen their technology before, had to escape a prison on Krypton once," he shook his head before James could ask, "Long story. I'll see what I can do. Why not just have Alex ask me this when I'm at the DEO or at the apartment?"
James laughed, "Because Winn is at the DEO, while Gideon is at your apartment and both are terrible at keeping secrets like this."
"Good point."
"And J'onn doesn't know that we're asking you to do this yet," James added making Rip roll his eyes in amusement.
Rip stood, "Tell Alex to let me know where it is once you've got permission and I'll start working on it."
x
Rip studied the device from Kara's pod on the bench in front of him in the small lab J'onn had provided. This was hopefully to be a present for Kara but it was also a puzzle and Rip had always enjoyed solving puzzles. Especially ones that were connected to working with advanced technology.
There were times it amused him thinking that he had been born in a time long before computers had been invented but they were something he found so easy to work with. Removing the casing Rip smiled slightly because he did recognise the technology so he settled down to work.
Rip was well aware that J'onn's security was not lax, that he hadn't simply forgotten to revoke the credentials which allowed Rip into the building and able to use the systems. He was allowed in because J'onn wanted Rip to feel comfortable enough to help them.
As much as he didn't want to be in the field, or responsible for people, he had recently began to wonder if J'onn would be amenable to him working with the science teams. The leader of the DEO had been happy to let him help with the Phoenix so Rip hoped J'onn would be happy to let him work on any alien tech that came in.
It was now eight months since he'd found himself in another universe, since he'd found Gideon again and, for the first time in a very long time, Rip was beginning to feel normal – relatively speaking anyway.
He liked this new life he had. Liked spending time with Gideon but he was also beginning to seek out Alex's company and felt a lot more comfortable around the others.
It was time for him to come out of hiding.
Gideon giggled at Lena's story along with Sam and Kara as they sat around Kara's apartment finishing the pizza they'd ordered.
"And we're out of wine already," Lena frowned slightly lifting up the bottle.
"Gideon has that covered," Kara assured her just before a knock came at the door.
Jumping up to answer it Gideon smiled finding Rip standing on the other side.
"You don't like me being a barman," Rip noted wryly holding up the bag with the bottles he'd brought, "But delivery boy is fine?"
Gideon smiled at him stepping back to allow him inside, "Stop being grumpy."
Rolling his eyes Rip walked into the apartment placing the bag on the counter before turning and stalling to find the two women he wasn't familiar with sitting there.
"Lena, Sam," Kara introduced, "This is Michael Hunter."
"You're Gideon's roommate?" Lena said.
Rip nodded slightly, "It's a pleasure to meet you both. Gideon, Kara, a word please?"
Gideon caught Kara's amused look as they followed him away from the two women who were now opening one of the bottles of wine he brought.
"Is Alex coming?" Rip asked them.
Kara shook her head, "She's working."
"How are you getting home?" Rip demanded of Gideon.
She rolled her eyes at him, "I can call for a taxi."
"No," Rip stated, "I'll come get you."
"Captain..."
"Until we know the people who are coming after you are gone then I am not letting you wander around on your own," Rip told her.
Gideon frowned annoyed but before she could argue back Kara placed a hand on her arm.
"I'll fly her home," Kara promised.
Rip nodded, "Thank you, Kara. Enjoy your night," he leaned over and kissed Gideon's temple, "I'll see you later."
Giving Lena and Sam a polite nod Rip left the apartment. Gideon let out a long sigh as she took her glass of wine and sat again.
"He just worries about you," Kara said as she took a seat again, "You know that."
Gideon let out an annoyed huff but didn't say anything.
Lena leaned forward, "Let me get this straight, you live with the tall, handsome guy who clearly utterly adores you but you're not a couple."
Kara smiled, "It's complicated."
"I wouldn't mind that kind of complicated in my life," Lena noted, making Sam chuckle.
Gideon frowned, "Can we change the subject?"
The three women shared a quick look before Sam started telling them about Ruby's friend.
x
Rip looked up from his book when he heard the noise coming from Gideon's room. Jumping up he entered the room just as Kara disappeared. Gideon closed the window before she walked past him out of the room ignoring him as she headed to the kitchen.
"Gideon..." he started following her.
She pulled out a mug to make herself some tea, "You do not get to do that."
"What?" confusion filled him.
"I am not a child, Rip," she slammed the mug onto the counter, "I am not your property anymore. You do not get to decide for me what I do or where I go."
Rip frowned, "I wasn't."
"Then what was that at Kara's?" she snapped anger in her eyes, "Telling me I could not come back here on my own."
"You were snatched off the street outside this very building, Gideon," Rip snapped back, his own temper getting the best of him, "Someone tried to abduct you again only a few weeks ago. Am I supposed to ignore that? Am I supposed to not worry about you?"
"I am well aware of what happened, Rip," Gideon retorted, "But I refuse to let the people responsible dictate my life. I am not an AI any longer. I no longer have to follow your orders. I am human and I have free will to do what I want."
Rip shook his head, "So, you're just going to make it easy for them?" he threw his hands in the air, "Why don't we just let Marcus out then he can take you directly to whoever these people are. It'll save us waiting for the next time they come after you. Considering what happened the last time then the free will you want to exercise will mean nothing."
Anger flashed in her eyes before she walked into her bedroom returning a few minutes later with a bag.
"Where are you going?" Rip demanded.
"Somewhere I do not have to put up with you," she snapped, marching out the door and slamming it behind her.
Rip hesitated not sure whether or not he should go after her. His phone buzzed just as he decided to chase after her
'She's with me,' the message from Alex made his decision, 'Let her calm down before you try to apologise'.
Rip grimaced, quickly typing back, 'Why should I apologise?'
'Because you're being an overbearing ass.'
Kara was surprised to see Rip when she walked into the gallery for the show she was here to cover. She made her way through the crowds to the bar where he was serving drinks.
"I didn't think you did the parties," Kara said when she reached him.
Rip shrugged, "The guy who was meant to do this is sick and I'm the only one who wasn't working so I'm doing Deena a favour."
Kara smiled accepting the glass of wine he handed her, "Thanks."
He gave her a quick nod before turning to serve the couple who were waiting. Kara headed further into the room to look at the paintings and sculptures she was here to write about but couldn't stop looking over to the man at the bar. Despite how composed he appeared to be she could see the weariness in his eyes.
Feeling sorry for him she wandered over again with her empty glass.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly, "I know Gideon is still staying with Alex."
Rip sighed rubbing her eyes, "She hasn't spoken to me for a week. She's been mad at me before but never like this."
"Have you apologised?" Kara asked.
"I've tried," he told her sadly, "Several times but every time I manage to even find her she walks away."
Reaching out she rested her hand on his arm, "Give it a little time. Gideon loves you. She can't stay angry at you forever."
"She used to be an AI," Rip replied with a sad laugh, "Trust me she can hold a grudge."
Before they could continue the doors around the room burst open and several people ran in, all holding weapons shouting at everyone to stay where they were.
Rip glanced at Kara as they both tried to work out where she could go to change, stalling when the room began to glow green. A gasp of pain from his side made him turn to find Kara's face pale; he caught her keeping her upright.
"What's wrong?" Rip whispered worriedly.
Kara looked up at him, fear in her eyes, "Kryptonite.