Chapter 2

"I did not enter this marriage with any illusions about finding love," Sara reassures him.

That does nothing to ease his guilt. He does not show it often, but his conscience is constantly challenging him, making him question his actions. "I am sorry I took advantage of the financial predicament of your family and deprived you of a chance to find love," he tells her sincerely.

"You saved me and my family from the humiliation of not being married in a proper place in society," she protests.

"That's what I kept telling myself," he confesses with a sigh that seems to originate from a hollow chamber of his soul, "That this arrangement is beneficial to us both. But the more I unravel about you, the more I regret it. You are like a canary, Sara. You deserve to be free to fly, to sing, to love."

She stands, holding her chin up high and looking at him bravely. She has never been one to shy away from speaking her mind, and she will not start now. "You are mistaken, sir. I still am free to love, and I do not regret loving, not in the least." She bows to him and exits the room, leaving him speechless in shock, leaving him to process the fact that she confessed to loving him.

Once alone in her room with her thoughts left to haunt her, she analyzes her actions and seeks the reason she let him know how she feels. She concludes it is not because she expects him to feel something for her as well, or to shower her with affection and treat her like a queen. It is simply because Leonard is much too lonely in this world, and he deserves to know there is one more person who sees him for who he is, and cherishes him.

How he would react to this revelation is an entirely different matter, and she lets the tears fall that night, afraid that her confession will push him away.

Her suspicions are confirmed the next day when he meets her with a stoic expression, does not look at her, and does not say a word during the entire ride home. It is strange to be seated in the same carriage, at a trivial distance from each other and yet so far away, like she has just been shunned from his world, when they had been so close just the previous day. Sara finds out the hard way that when the tide recedes, it takes away a part of you with it.

It's a relief when they reach home and the servants arrive to carry their luggage. She enters the house silently, and when she hears the sound of the carriage leaving and does not see Leonard or his luggage in the house, she realizes he has left.

A heart break is a rather painful thing, Sara discovers. She drowns herself into mastering the art of sword fighting, and soon excels at being adept with swords, knives, and even bo-staffs. She sleeps with the knife he gifted her in her boudoir, the only physical reminder of the time they shared together, the only thing connecting her to him and helping her cope with his absence. She wonders if it was a mistake to tell him the truth, if she will ever get him back in her life.

Lisa's letter arrives, describing the love and devotion of her husband, and she writes back, happy for her friend and missing her own husband at the same time.

Laurel writes to her as well, expressing concerns about rumors that Leonard has appointed a mistress in town. She feels her heart break all over again at the thought of Leonard finding comfort in the arms of another woman. But Sara has never been a woman to despair, to surrender without a battle, and she is not going to start now.

"I wish to meet my husband," she tells Mick when he comes to the house to fetch a few things for Leonard.

Mick grimaces. "I like you, you are a wonderful woman. I want to help. But once Snart has made up his mind, there is no changing it. He seems intent on not coming home."

"Then take me to him," she orders boldly. How can things between them become any worse than they are now? How can he possibly punish her further than he already has with his cold shoulder?

Mick stares at her, trying to decide if she is serious. When he realizes she is, to her surprise, he gives in readily. "You have some nerve on you, lady. I can see why he likes you."

Leonard is shocked to see her, and she is shocked to see him looking like he hasn't slept in days, with the hint of a stubble on his face and dark circles under his eyes. Mick gives them privacy by leaving, and for a while they have a non-verbal stand-off, each daring the other to look away or speak first.

It is Sara who relents. "You said you did not want me to be unhappy. Yet, you abandoned me. You left me in isolation."

He doesn't waver under her accusation, his stare remaining icy. "There is nothing more I can do for you."

Sara glares at him. "Don't do that. Don't act like the cold hearted person that the world thinks you are. I remember Hub City. You let your guard down and revealed a part of you to me." She flings the sheathed knife at him, and he catches it reflexively. He stares at the knife first, remembering the day when he had felt lighter than he had in years, and then at her, trying to understand if she is returning his present and rejecting him.

"You promised to be my friend. You promised to teach me to sever arteries," she explains. "Are you not a man of your word?"

"Mick can teach you-"

"-I don't want Mick to teach me," she tells him stubbornly. "Tell me, sir, why are you doing this? Why are you pushing me away?"

"I do not wish to delude you," he answers in a distant tone. "Or encourage whatever feelings you have developed for me."

She steps in closer to him, and looks him in the eye. His tall frame towering over her seems to shrink under the weight of her resolute stare. "My feelings are mine and only mine to decide, and you will not dictate them. If you think I am a fragile flower that will wither under the grief of unrequited affection, and if you think disappearing from my life will make me forget you, then you are a damned fool, you do not know me in the least, and you are thoroughly mistaken." She takes in a deep breathe to channel her angel to be her strength. "If my presence keeps you away from your own home, then perhaps it is time I embrace my destiny and return to my father."

"You will not return home in shame," he tells her firmly, matching her glare with one of his own.

She lets out a hollow laughter. "What do you care if I am shamed? You have made yourself abundantly clear to me. Now it is my choice, my turn to decide my next step." She turns to leave, her anger fueling her with the courage to walk out of this marriage, but Leonard takes hold of her wrist and stops her.

She is surprised at how gentle his touch is, in contrast with his words and his stare. "Stay," he whispers softly, pulling her closer. "I may not love you, but I do care about you. I do not want you to face such humiliation, specially because of me."

She closes her eyes so he can't see the tears welling in them. "If you indeed care about me, then trust my ability to live with my feelings, and do not push me so far away."

He stares at her, contemplating the right thing to do, while keeping his expression unreadable. Once again his conscience challenges him, telling him a creature so pure will be destroyed by his touch. But his heart argues that perhaps her innocence can drive away some of his demons, and perhaps she will not be tainted by him. Finally, he places the knife back in her hand and lets go of her wrist. "Alright."

Things are difficult for the first few days. Sara holds her head high and keeps her distance, while being civil and companionable throughout. Leonard speaks little and spends most of his time alone, only taking his meals with Sara, with Michael acting as a buffer between them.

On the third night, she reaches for a bottle of wine, deciding to drink straight from it instead of using a glass. Leonard and Mick share amused glances as she pours the liquid down her throat.

"I am curious," Leonard drawls, beginning his first proper conversation with Sara since their reconciliation, "Preciously how much did you and Lisa secretly consume at school for you to not be intoxicated by the amount you are currently drinking and in such rushed manner?"

Sara crosses her heart and shakes her head. "Secrets between sisters are to be taken to graves. But let me confess to one thing. I believe men would be intoxicated before I am if we were to consume the same amount."

Mick chuckles. "That is because you have never met me."

She pushes a bottle to his side. "Is that a challenge, Mick?"

Mick looks at Leonard, who deadpans. "Please, do continue. I am dying to see whether my best friend or my wife gets drunk first."

Surprisingly, it's Mick who falls asleep on the dining table while Sara triumphantly looks on, wine bottle still in hand.

Leonard stares at her appreciatively. "Once again you have proven yourself to be perfect to be my friend."

Her gaze softens around the edges. "I am your friend. Now carry Mick to his room where he would be comfortable."

"Yes, my lady," he answers with a grin. He is grateful that they are at ease once again after his self-imposed detachment. For a man who claims not to love his wife, he certainly has missed her profusely.

Sara does not want to spy on her husband, but she has seen the pitying looks the maids are giving her, and she intends to find the reason. She stands outside the doorway, like a stealthy shadow hiding in the dark, and strains her ears to overhear the conversation.

"I would be delighted to make the arrangements," she hears a man say.

"That is not necessary, thank you," Leonard answers curtly.

"Please, my Lord, I insist. Valentina would be delighted to see you too."

Sara feels her temper flare when she hears that. She had dismissed the rumors of Leonard having a mistress and chosen to believe in his inherent goodness. How dare he! She rushes into the room, letting her presence be known by her forceful stride. "Who the hell is Valentina?" she demands.

Their guest is startled by her sudden intrusion, her aggression and her language. He gapes at her like she's a creature from another world.

"We are not having this conversation now," Leonard answers calmly.

"We are having this conversation this instant," she returns sharply, "You will explain yourself to me right now."

The guest gasps. "Forgive me, Lord Snart, but your wife is in serious need of discipline. Perhaps a few beatings with a cane can instill some decorum in her."

Leonard's entire body tenses on hearing that. "You wish for me to hurt Sara?"

"To keep her in line."

Sara opens her mouth to let the man know that she is not to be spoken to like she is some unruly child, that he is in one of her homes and he is to treat her with the respect she deserves, but it is Leonard who speaks first. His steady voice reminds her of the calm before the storm, while his eyes warn of an oncoming blizzard. "Sara is well within her right to demand answers from her husband. I only object to her doing so in the presence of an utter and complete nincompoop. I am more offended and frankly repulsed by said nincompoop suggesting I lay a hand on my wife. Nobody shall touch Sara. Not while even a single breathe remains in my body. Now leave before I lose my temper, and do not dare to return."

Sara watches the confused, offended and frightened guest stumble out, before Leonard turns to her with an icy stare. "Do you honestly believe I would keep a mistress. Like my father did?"

Sara wishes the ground would swallow her now. In her rare jealous fit, she did not consider the facts properly, and as a consequence, she ended up hurting him. She decides to share the reason for her behaviour in the hope that he might forgive her. "My brother-in-law had a string of mistresses. My sister was ceaselessly betrayed. I have always been afraid of sharing the same fate as her. I am sorry. I should have had more faith in you."

He smiles sadly. Can he really blame her for not trusting him? After he warned her that he hurts and leaves people? "You shouldn't. You wouldn't if you knew who I am."

"I do know you," she whispers softly, stepping a little closer to him. He doesn't object to her invading his personal space, and she takes that as a good sign. "I think who you are is amazing. I am truly sorry."

He motions for her to take a seat, and she does, watching him tentatively. For a while, he is quiet, and he watches the flames in the fireplace, as if waiting for a wildfire to begin and engulf them all. Finally, he speaks, in a voice devoid of any emotions. "My father laid his hands on my mother every single day he was home. I could not save her. I was young, and I was sent away to school. When I was home for Christmas, one day, my father threw a bottle at Lisa. I saw my little sister bleeding right in front of my eyes. She was only four. I was relieved when Lisa was sent to school. But she came of age, and my father was arranging her marriage to a duke purely for financial gains. When Lisa told him about Cisco, he hit her again. And again and again and again. I could not stand it. He wouldn't stop. Lisa suffered a blow that made her unconscious. That was the last straw for me. I killed my own father, Sara. I'm a murderer."

To have a monster as a father and to be responsible for his death, to constantly feel guilty for it like an honourable man, it has to be one of the hardest things in the world. Leonard has been carrying the burden all alone. She knows a thing or two about how that feels. She reaches out and places a hand on his arm. "What you are is a good human, and a good brother. It's the circumstances in this scenario that make your actions noble."

He stares at her fingers that grip his arm. The touch is comforting and makes him feel human, and it scares him, because he is not a good human. "You shouldn't be with me," he whispers sadly. "You will be consumed by my darkness."

She places her other hand on his cheek and urges him to look at her. When he does, she smiles. "I have my own darkness too. The only reason you have never seen it is because when I'm with you, your light drives it away. Before I met you, I believed I was something irredeemable. Now I know that there is redemption, and there is hope. And one day soon you shall have the same realization."

He meets her eyes and nods softly. "Do you wish to share with me what burdens your soul so much?"

Sara hesitates. She trusts him, even with her life. But does she trust him to understand, like he always does? Or will he be repulsed by the secret she keeps? Tentatively, she confesses her sin. "I was in love with a woman. Nyssa."

He places a hand over hers, where it is caressing his face, and this time, he is the one who coaxes her to meet his gaze, by gently lifting her chin with his fingers. "I believe love is never wrong, and I will not judge you for it."

She feels relief wash over her at his words. She now realizes what Leonard meant when he had told her they are kindred spirits- they are both rebels, they are both haunted by the things they did that they should regret but do not, and their avant garde beliefs are unacceptable at least for the next century or two. In each other, they have found an abode, a safe haven where they can be unabashedly themselves.

"I want you to understand this, Sara," he begins again, breaking the comfortable silence. "When I decided to marry, it was out of my deep seated hatred for my father and my need to not let him deprive me of what is mine. I did not wish to maliciously ruin a woman's life. But I am a very selfish man. I know now that my life is better with you in it, and I have changed my mind. I am no longer ready to let you go." Sara feels her heart begin to race at his words, and he continues, taking her hands in both of his. "I have spent my whole life trying to shield myself from being hurt, here," he leads her hands to his head, and then to his heart, and she feels it pounding akin to hers, "And specially here. I tucked my heart away so long ago, but you, you impossible girl, you have broken through my walls. I will no longer fight it. I love you, Sara Snart."

"Quite right to," she answers with tears streaming down her cheeks and a mischievous grin.

And they lived happily ever after, with one incident that deserves special mention. It is midnight in Hub City, where Sara, Leonard and Mick are staying on business. Leonard and Mick have a meeting with a potential seller, and they brush aside Sara's concerns about meeting a stranger at such an odd hour, and proceed with the transaction. It turns out that Sara's instincts are never wrong, and it is an ambush, arranged by Hunter's former employers. Mick and Leonard's drinks have been laced with a sedative, and with their guns tucked in their pockets, they are just overconfident enough to indulge in drinking. Fifteen minutes later, they stumble to the ground in the middle of the road, the whole world spinning around them.

Druce appears with a medieval sword.

"I would drop that if I were you," comes a very calm and confident female voice. Mick and Leonard conclude they are hallucinating in their hour of death, because they could have sworn it's Sara.

Druce pauses out of sheer amusement. "And why should I do that? Who would stop me? You?"

She answers by taking a knife out of the secret pockets of her dress, the one that Leonard had given her so long back.

"You brought a knife to a sword-fight?" Druce asks with a laugh.

In a matter of mere seconds, three more knives are taken out and plunged into Druce, one at the hand gripping the sword so that it falls to be ground with a metallic clink, two at his right leg so that the pain makes him crouch, and the last one into his abdomen so that he cannot reach for the gun tucked in the pocket. She pulls the knives out and lets him scream in agony and bleed.

"What kind of woman are you?" Druce groans as he makes a hasty retreat while he still can.

Sara smiles triumphantly. That's a rather spectacular first battle.

"We had it handled," Mick mumbles, rubbing his eyes with the back of his palm.

"As is evident from your current state," Sara retorts, extending a hand to help him up.

"Exactly how much weapons do you have concealed in your clothing?" Mick enquiries curiously. Sara only grins.

"My knight in shining armor," Leonard comments with a smirk once he is on his feet.

Sara shoots him a glare. "You should listen to me more often, my damsel in distress."

Mick disrupts the moment by vomiting into the street. The end.

A/N: That is it! Hope you liked it :)