Two Thieves And An Atom

They didn't live in Central City, or anywhere near it, despite Len doing "jobs" there. When he took his sister in, he made sure she was far from that life, despite her knowing what her brother more or less did. They city they lived in, wasn't a big as Central or Star, but it was big enough that Len wouldn't be recognized while walking down the street. The apartment wasn't middle-class, but it wasn't a hellhole either, and the neighborhood even less so.

"What the hell is this supposed to be?" Mick grunted.

"Dinner." Len responded as he placed down Lisa plate.

Mick picked up his fork, and poked at his…dinner, "It moved."

"Eat it, or starve."

Lisa ate it, the fact that she didn't say a word, or make a face, told Mick that she was either use to this. Or her taste buds had died long ago. Mick is not sure which is worse.

"Next time I'm cooking," Mick grumbled as he started eating.

Lifting Ray out of his carrier, and settling him in the crook in his arm, Len huffed. "I refuse to eat spaghetti for the rest of my life."

"At least you'll know what it is, and are less likely to die from it."

"And yet you're eating it."

"I'm an idiot."

Lisa giggled, rolling his eyes, Len sat down in the chair next to his sister, picked up the warm bottle, pressed the tip to Ray's lips. The baby opened his mouth, and started eating. Balancing the bottle in one hand, he used the other to pick up his fork to eat. After dinner, Len handed Ray off to Mick while he did the dishes, grunting Mick settled Ray proper in his arms before going to the sofa to watch TV; Lisa following behind like a duckling.

"Can I hold him?" Lisa asked once they were settled, and the TV was on.

"Hold his head right, or your brother will have a heart attack," Mick said as he handed the dozing baby over.

"I know," Lisa said with a tone that told of one who has heard the instructions a dozen times before.

With his head properly supported, Ray stared up at Lisa with sleepy eyes, before giving a big yawn. Mick took the small blanket (one of many around the house for this purpose) and wrapped it properly around Ray's body. Duties done for now, Mick turned his attention back to the television screen, lips twitching when slightly off key humming started up next to him. When Len had finished up in the kitchen, and came to announce it was time for his sister's bath, Lisa's humming had turned to low singing. Still off key, but Mick didn't mind neither did Ray, seemingly cooing softly in response before eventually falling asleep.

"Can I take a bath with Ray?" Lisa asked as her brother took Ray from her so she could go get her nightclothes and get into the tube.

"We'll see," Len hummed.

That meant yes.

Ray slept through his bath, and dressing, much to Lisa's disappointment. After putting Ray to bed, Len joined his sister and Mick in watching a movie. Stolen baby monitor on, and close by. Lisa made it about half-way through the flick, before she was out like a light, curled up between the two; her head in her brother's lap.

Len covered her with a blanket, and continued with watching the movie

~.~

Three months later, Mick is in a baby store, glaring at two different baby formulas, cursing Len for not being more specific. Something the man knew his partner did on purpose, because Len was specific about everything.

Who knew the man would get so pissy about eating the last cup of chocolate pudding.

"….Erm, excuse me?"

Mick looked away from the containers to Store Associate, Ritz according to her nametag, and she looked very nervous.

"Security still at the door entrance, emergency exit to the left, sound activated."

In in the basket, and his carrier, Ray coo'ed, and squealed happily. Mick, with the two baby food in hand, moved over to him. "Yeah?" He then said to the girl.

Ritz shuffled nervously, "Do you need any help? You've been staring at the formulas for some time."

Mick grunted, and looked down at the formulas still in his hands, honestly he should just buy both as his response to Len being a passive aggressive ass. Then again, him getting the right tin would piss Len off, as it would have ruin his plan. Pleased, Mick held out the tins toward the woman.

"My partner sent me out with a list, and didn't put down which type," Mick said bluntly, "and I know if I come back with the wrong one, he'll be a smug bastard all day. However, if I come back with the right one, he'll sulk. I want him to sulk. Oy, what did I say about kicking off your socks."

Ritz blinked at the word partner, eyes staring for a good moment at the man who grumbled at the cooing baby who starting kicking his feet as Mick tried to get the sock back on. Whatever nervousness or fear she had went away as she watch the man's eyes go soft when a tiny hand wrapped around his finger.

"Well," she cleared her throat, and getting Mick's attention, "let's see if we can guess right. What do you remember about the tins at your house?"

Mick left the store with the tin with the pink label, along with whatever was on the list. Ritz doesn't expect to the see the man for a while, or ever, so imagine her surprise when Mick came back. No baby, but with a six pack of beer, which he handed to the slightly big eyed woman.

"He sulked." Mick grinned.

Despite knowing better, Ritz giggled, "I would have preferred rum." She grinned at him.

~.~

"Lenny?"

"Hm?"

"Are you Ray's mommy now?"

From where he was sitting on the large cover, dubbed the play cover, Ray settled between his folded legs, and leaning back against Len (though he had a tendency to tilt to the side, his balance was still off). Giggling, and laughing as Len used the grip the baby had on his fingers to move cubby arms up and down. The thief looked over at his sister who was laying on the cover, her homework spread around her, eyes looking and waiting for her brother's answer.

"Why, do you ask?" Len finally asked once his brain had clicked back on.

"My friend, she said, that since Ray doesn't have a real mommy and daddy. You, or Mick have to be them."

Now, Lisa, Len knew. Was a very smart girl, far smarter than any girl her age should be, smart enough to know the answer. So, what was his darling sister up to? Humming, and looking down when Ray squealed, he turned the baby around, and with a firm grip placed him on his feet. Because he was still figure out his legs, Ray didn't stand, not a problem for Len who bounced the baby up, and down. Lips tilting up into a soft smile, at the big gummy smile he got.

"If anyone is the mommy, it's Mick."

"Am not!" came a voice from the bedroom.

"Are too!" Len shot back.

Lisa giggled.

~.~

"Len,"

"What?"

"He's doing something."

"Raymond is always doing something."

"This is a weird something."

Sighing, Len turned off the stove, and moved the pan off the burn (he had yet to burn anything, and wasn't planning on doing so now), he then went into the living room where Mick and Ray were. He stopped, and stared.

Ray was crawling.

Okay, he wasn't crawling, the baby still was figuring out his arms, and legs. No, but Ray was moving, it was kind of cross between a wiggling and belly scoot, the best the man could describe it would be like watching a salmon swimming upstream.

It was adorable.

"…..Why are you making that face?"

"I'm not making a face."

"Are too."

"Am not."

Ray coo'ed, and continue on.

"Where is he trying to go?"

Len shrugged, as he settled down on the blanket to watch, Ray having noticed; turned his direction. Something warm filled the thief as he watched the baby head toward him, picking up the child when Ray bumped into his leg. Ray gurgled, and making what was pretty much a happy sound when Len held him closer to his chest.

"You're making that face again."

~.~

Len woke up to Mick snoring in his ear, and two very unhappy children. The man all but shot up, alert.

"What happened?" he asked, already tossing the covers back.

"I—" Lisa bite her bottom lip, in her arms, Ray wiggled, and whimpered unhappily.

Lisa shifted him in her arms, Ray wiggled some more.

"Lisa," Len reached for Ray, worried that his sister would drop him.

Lisa flinched, pulled Ray closer, and took a step back.

Len froze.

"Lisa," Len's voice is soft this time, and his arms lowered.

With his back still to Len, Mick's snoring had stopped.

"I—I had a dream that he came back, h-he h-hurt you. A-And h-he, R-Ray—"

Tears were rolling down her cheeks, and her voice started to hitch, sensing the mood as all child do; Ray whined. Len is up, and over to them. Both are in his arms, and then they are all back in the bed. Sniffing, moving closer to both Ray, and her brother, the little girl made a distress sound when Len moved Ray. The man made soft soothing noises, saying quietly that he was merely moving Ray into a better position. When that was done, Lisa settled an arm over Ray's stomach to cling to her brother's shirt, Len reached over Ray's head to run his fingers through his sister's hair. Between them, Ray settled down, from feeling both calmness returning and Len's other hand's thumb rubbing the free space of his tummy.

Both Snart siblings stared at each other, Lisa's eyes wide with fear of his brother disappearing like in her dreams, while Len did his best to show her that she had nothing to fear, he was here. He wasn't going to go away, nothing could make it otherwise.

A sudden humming, startled them.

It was deep, rough, tone familiar.

Lisa sighed, the tight grip on her brother's shirt loosening as slowly her eyes closed. Her brother's hand, the humming chasing away the worry and bad dreams, Len watched her sleeping face, looked down at the sleeping baby, lips twitching when he saw the baby sucking on an invisible pacifier. Then he looked up at Mick.

Mick stared back, still humming.

Len fell asleep, something light in his chest.

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