Note: I wrote this for Jael's birthday last year. Finally getting around to posting it here!
Leonard frowned at Mick and the kid's questioning look as he walked down the steps of his childhood home's porch. "I don't know. I just thought maybe things would be different," he said with a bit of a sigh.
Mick grunted. "The Englishman said it takes time for time to change."
Jax glanced back at the van parked in front of the house before turning to look back at Leonard. "What were you trying to change?"
Leonard eyed him, considering him for a moment, before answering. "My dad was never Father of the Year but at least he never raised a hand to any of us."
Understanding flashed in Jax's eyes. "Until he went to prison, which now he won't."
Nodding, Leonard moved forwards. "Let's get out of here."
None of them said anything as they headed towards the van, each glancing around to make sure that they wouldn't be spotted. They all froze when they heard Sara's voice.
"So, how hard do I get to punch your dad?"
Leonard raised an eyebrow, glancing back, and frowned when he realized that he couldn't actually see Sara. His gaze snapped to an equally surprised Mick and Jax when he heard his own voice, sounding amused, reply,
"Why do you think you're going to get to punch my dad?" There was a pause and then Leonard's voice came again. "Don't give me that look."
"Well, I was trying to avoid saying I'd get to hit him because he's an ass."
"He hadn't actually turned in to an ass yet. No, wait. He was an ass but not an abusive one."
Mick raised an eyebrow. "What are you and Blondie doing here?"
Leonard shot him a look. "Get behind the hedges," he told them quietly. When it looked like Jax was going to protest, he shook his head. "Even if my dad left it unlocked, there's no way to get in the van without them hearing us. Hide behind those hedges before we're spotted." They quickly moved and ducked down, just in time it turned out because Sara and another Leonard, clearly from some point in the future, quickly walked around the corner from the other side of the house.
"So, now that the past you created enough of a disturbance with this visit that a time traveling assassin is coming to kill your toddler self," Sara said as they stopped and stared up at the house, "what's the plan?"
The future Leonard smirked down at her. "Well, you were the one that called Team Kidnapping."
Sara smirked right back and bumped him with her hip "Shut up. I just meant that past you just got done threatening your dad after handing over that emerald. So, Lewis is probably going to be a bit jumpy when two people, one of which is the same man that just left a few minutes ago, break back in to his house and kidnap his son."
Leonard tilted his head to the side and shrugged. "Good point."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "I better not get shot, Len."
He laughed softly. "I've seen you take down a room filled with men and you expect me to believe that my dad would be a challenge for you?"
A smug smile appeared on Sara's face. "True." She shot him a look. "But the point I'm trying to make is that we need a plan. Which will probably involve me fighting your dad and you kidnapping yourself since you just introduced yourself as a friend of Lewis's."
They watched as Leonard reached up and tapped something at his ear rather than answer and they all paused as they realized the two must be wearing comms. Off of his look, Sara nodded and tapped hers as well.
"Okay," she told him, turning so that they were face to face, "comms are off so what did you want to say that you didn't want Rip to hear?"
Leonard watched, stunned, as his future self reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Sara's ear before resting his hands on her shoulders, a soft look on his face.
"I know what I said about you being able to take out an entire room of men but my dad...he doesn't care who he hurts, Sara. I want you to be careful. If he gets even the slightest chance to take a shot—"
Sara stepped closer to him, her hands settling on his waist as she looked up at him. "He won't. I'm kicking him straight in to the first side room I can so that little you doesn't see me kicking the crap out of him." She shook her head. "If it wouldn't cause Lisa to blink out of existence, I'd kill him tonight."
Hands tightening on her shoulders, Leonard shook his head with a frown. "You're not a killer anymore, Sara."
"I am when it's for the right reason and this would be," she insisted, tilting her head back slightly.
His eyebrows went up slightly. "It would?" he asked.
"He wouldn't be able to hurt you." She sighed and shook her head. "But I won't risk Lisa's existence. So, right now, all I can do is hurt him a bit." Sara paused. "Maybe maim him a little."
Lips twitching, Leonard leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Nothing permanent," he told her.
"Spoil my fun, Crook."
Smirking, Leonard pulled back. "We can always stop in 1990 or something so you can beat the crap out of him. But no killing him."
Sara didn't respond, simply smiled and, to all of their surprise, stood on her tip toes and pressed her lips softly against the future Leonard's. "Come on. Let's go kidnap your Mini-Me before the Pilgrim gets here."
"You realize that your teenage self is probably going to end up babysitting me, right?" Leonard asked as they stepped away from each other and tapped their comms. He rolled his eyes at whatever he heard. "Rip, it's not our fault that you have subpar equipment that randomly goes on the fritz. Get something better next time."
They both shook their heads at whatever Rip said as they climbed the steps and Leonard noted that even their steps were perfectly in sync with each other. A quick glance at each other and they shoved the door open, entering the house with no hesitation.
"Let's move," Leonard told Mick and Jax, moving before either of them could say anything. The jump ship wasn't far and they broke in to a jog as the sounds of a fight broke out.
"That does not sound like just Sara and your dad," Jax observed as they came to a stop in a small clearing that was just a couple houses down.
"My guess is that whoever the Pilgrim is showed up."
As they settled in to their seats and Jax powered up the jump ship and began to take off, Mick grinned. "So," he smirked, "you and Blondie."
Leonard narrowed his eyes. "Shut up, Mick." He very deliberately refused to think about it at that moment. He could think about it later, when he was alone.
Before either of them could say anything else, Stein's frantic voice came through the jump ship's speakers.
"Jefferson? Jefferson, where are you?"
Jax shrugged as if Stein could see him even as he steered. "Well, it's not a short story."
"There's no time! Gideon will upload you the coordinates to the Greyhill Building. Rip and Sara are in danger," Stein told him.
The only danger their current team was facing was Savage which meant that Rip and Sara were going against the bastard that had killed Carter without any back up. It wasn't something that had bothered him earlier when he'd heard Rip insisting he'd go alone to a bank and Sara forcing her way on to the mission, which had sounded like nothing more than reconnaissance.
Now Leonard thought of how the Sara he knew called herself a monster yet talked about getting better. He thought of the future version of her that he'd seen tonight, the one that had looked up at a future him and told him that being a killer again was right if it kept him from getting hurt. The woman that he would one day be comfortable enough to let step in to his personal space, who would one day kiss him softly and move completely in sync with him.
He clenched his jaw and punched the button that would power up the cold gun. "We're on our way, Professor."