Sara let out a long sigh of relief.

It was over and they'd all survived, although Ray and Amaya were injured and were currently in the medical bay.

"I can't believe we won," Jax sighed from his spot on the floor, "I vote we go home and do nothing for the next month."

"Sounds great," Mick said while Nate and Zari nodded in agreement.

"Not yet," Sara told him standing and stretching her back, "We have one more thing to do."

"Which is?"

Sara knew this was something they weren't going to be happy about but none of them had the full story, "We need to get Rip."

"Rip?" Nate demanded incredulously, "The guy who treated us like dirt, betrayed us and then told Darhk how to get onto the ship?"

Jax stood joining them, "Yeah, it's a good thing you had an override code for Gideon to stop him."

"And where do you think I got that?" Sara frowned at them, "I'm Captain. It's my decision."

She headed to her study and found the Time Courier Mick had lifted from Rip the day they stole the Waverider, still annoyed Rip had won that bet. Attaching it to her wrist she tapped the controls.

"Come on," she murmured, "Please work, please work the way it was meant to," Sara let out a quiet cry of triumph when she got a signal and opened a portal, "Nate, Mick, let's go."

The two men both looked annoyed but followed her through the portal into a darkened room. Sara hit her flashlight on and found the man they were here to find in a heap on the floor; tossing the flashlight to Nate she dropped down praying that she found a pulse. He was covered in blood and bruises marred his pale skin, she could hear a slight rasp to his breathing and, from his thinner than normal frame, she could tell there were a lot of broken bones. The man gave a slight moan and Sara thanked whatever deity there might be she had got to him in time.

"Rip," she called, "Rip, can you hear me?"

"Sara?" he forced out so quiet she had to strain to hear him.

She smiled slightly, "It's me."

"Is it over?" Rip murmured, "Did we win?"

Sara gently squeezed his hand, "It is and we won."


Sara opened the door to her crappy apartment hating it, her hideous job and the fact she had to buy groceries again. Kicking the door shut she stalled seeing the man leaning against the table waiting for her clean shaven in his dreadful blue suit.

"Get out," she stated sharply.

Rip pushed off the table and held up his hands, "I just need to talk to you. Preferably without weapons."

Sara dropped her bags, "No promises."

Rip let out a soft sigh of relief asking, "Can I sit or..."

"Stand so you can leave," Sara told him when he trailed off, "And talk fast."

"I'm sorry," Rip stated, "About what happened when we met up again but I had a very good reason for everything I did and said."

Sara headed into the kitchen, made herself coffee making Rip some tea while he continued.

"When I left the Waverider, I wanted to create an agency to take over from the Time Masters," Rip explained, "I intended for you and the others to join in the hopes you would train agents as well as go on missions. But then I discovered that we had been infiltrated by a creature called Mallas. He is dangerous to the entirety of time."

"What does that have to do with you acting like a total and complete ass then disbanding the team?" Sara demanded.

Rip let out a sigh taking the tea she handed him, "Because the Legends are the only ones who have a chance of stopping him as long as he doesn't know you're coming for him."

x

"Whoever Mallas has in the Bureau, and I'm not sure who it is or if there is more than one," Rip frowned, "They can read minds. So, I have no way to recruit anyone to help me if I tell them what's actually going on."

Sara frowned confused, "Won't they know you're talking to me?"

"Thanks to John Constantine my mind can't be read," Rip shrugged, "Fortunately that was a favour he owed me."

"What about me?"

"Because you died and were resurrected," Rip explained, "Your mind is closed. I checked."

Sara drank her coffee leaning back for a second as she studied him, suddenly realising how tired he looked.

"So, what's the plan?" Sara asked.

Relief covered his face and he started to explain everything he already had in mind. Sara every so often making changes and they talked for most of the night planning everything they could.

"What about Gideon?" Sara asked finally, "You and I both know she isn't going to let us take her without you and if I have to do anything against your well-being or that will take you away..."

"Which is why I have reprogrammed her and she is currently off," Rip explained with a slightly guilty grimace, "Until I provide the override code she will only be able to recognise my presence when I speak directly to her. That way she will continue with you as Captain."

Sara frowned slightly, "Are you okay sending her away?"

"I've had to spend five years without her keeping me in line," Rip replied with a sad shrug, "I can manage until this is finished."

"What if this doesn't work the way we hope?" Sara asked.

Rip shrugged, "I know you'll do what you have to."


Rip moaned in pain as Nate and Mick helped him off the floor and through the portal back onto the Waverider before he seemed to slip into unconsciousness. They took him to the medical bay and rested him on the chair where Sara snapped the cuff onto his wrist while the rest of the crew watched.

"Gideon," Nate said when nothing happened, "Why are you not doing your scans?"

"There are currently no patients," Gideon replied.

Sara grimaced, "Damn. Rip," she called, shaking him slightly to get him back to semi-consciousness, "Rip, you need to give your override code for Gideon to recognise you're here."

"What?" he murmured.

"You need Gideon and she can't help you until you remove the block," Sara reminded him.

Rip moaned again, "Gideon, Obsidian."

"Captain Hunter," Gideon stated, starting the scans and pushing painkillers into him, "Just relax, I have you."

"Missed you," Rip murmured before he slipped into unconsciousness once more with a happy sigh.

Sara turned to the others who were watching in astonishment, "I take it you all want an explanation."

Several heads nodded as Gideon stated, "Yes."

Sara grimaced and took a deep breath, "Basically..."


Author's Note: Not sure where this came from but I was thinking that basically this is probably the only way Rip could come back to the team