It's much later, curled up together on the slightly lumpy futon but enjoying the chill in the air, that either of them bring up the earlier conversation Sara had somewhat overheard.

They'd actually passed a fairly enjoyable evening at STAR Labs with Barry, Iris, and Cisco—Joe West was being kept hopping by cop business related to the weather (though nothing Flash-worthy), while Harry Wells and Caitlin were off visiting Earth-2. Cisco and Leonard traded barbs (and Cisco fished for news about Lisa, whose on-again and off-again relationship with him was off again), while Barry snoozed in his chair under Iris' affectionate eye and Sara chatted idly with Iris about this and that.

("I hadn't realized you and Leonard had become friends," Sara had murmured. "Frenemies, maybe. Tolerating each other, maybe.")

(Iris had smiled a little, watching her husband and Sara's across the room. "Well. You know that series I wrote about six months ago?")

("The one that won you the award? Where you exposed those issues in the family court system?" Sara blinked at her. "You mean…")

("Yes, he's the one who clued me in and helped me get the goods on that one judge." Iris smirked a little. "Apparently the same guy was a real shit to a very young Snart. He holds a grudge, your guy.")

("I've noticed…")

But now, Sara's just about to drift off, cozy and comfortable with Len's arms around her, when she hears her husband's sexy low voice in her ear—saying words she doesn't expect.

"You want kids?"

"What?" Sara's eyes fly open. "Len…"

"Chill." She feels his chuckle against her back. "Sorry. Old habits. Sara, we've never talked about it, but we should have. Do you want kids?"

She's silent a long moment. He waits.

"I…" Sara clears her throat. "I…I'm not sure I even can, you know. I was dead for a year. And I've killed so many people. It doesn't seem right, that…"

"…that you should be able to produce life?"

"That sounds so...cheesy. But...yeah."

"Not cheesy." He shifts a little and she hears him sigh. "I dunno. I...I killed my own dad. Doesn't seem right to me either, that I should then be able to be one. But then...maybe...it would balance some things out."

"That's a lot to put on a kid," Sara murmurs in the darkness, almost unable to believe they're having this conversation. "Isn't it? To the means by which we...balance things?"

"Maybe that's not quite right." Len's quiet for a long moment. "Look. You and I, think we've done our time paying for what we've done in the past. And we'll continue doing so. This is...maybe more about doing right by ourselves." She feels his shrug, which seems almost frustrated. "I'm not saying this right."

"It's OK. I think I know what you mean." Sara nibbles her lip a little. "Leonard, are you saying you do want a kid? Kids?"

A long quiet moment again.

"Well, I think that since you'd be doing most of the work—in producing a hypothetical kid, anyway—the final decision is up to you." There's almost some humor in the drawl. "And doesn't seem right that there will be little West-Allens speeding around without a Lance-Snart to give them hell. I guess I'm saying, I'm in if you want to." His arms tighten around her. "But it's not like I'm going anywhere no matter what. Got that? Been through too much together."

Given that this is a conversation she's really never envisioned having, Sara's surprised when her eyes well up with tears at the words, and the sentiment behind them. She tries to will them away, fiercely, failing completely, and Leonard lets her have the moment, continuing to hold her, steady and warm there with her in the night.

Finally, she gets enough of a grip to take a deep breath, decide her voice is steady enough, and speak.

"I...let's think about it," she whispers. "A little more. I didn't think you'd want to, because of...because of your dad...and I'm still not sure if I can, so I didn't ever really entertain the thought before."

She feels Leonard shift again.

"I did partly raise Lisa," he points out. "And while that didn't always work out for the best, I did do the best I could with the resources I had. We have a lot more resources now." He chuckles quietly. "And I have someone now who will keep me in line, call me on my mistakes, make sure I never become my father, no matter what."

Sara smiles to herself, wrapping her fingers around the scarred forearm that's curled around her. "That's sweet."

"I meant Barry."

She hits him with a pillow before it all degenerates into kissing.

And Cisco may never go into the server room again.


After that, Sara's tired enough to sleep soundly despite the unfamiliar surroundings. That makes it all the more disorienting when she's jolted awake by a crack of thunder, opening her eyes to pitch darkness and a crook who's cursing quietly besides her.

"Did the power...?"

Even as she speaks, there's a faint noise, barely audible beneath the continuing rumbles, and the faint flicker of low lights across the room at a power strip. Generator kicked in, Sara decides, them sits up as another even louder crack of thunder echoes. And another.

Leonard's already sitting up too, and in the very dim light, Sara can see him frowning.

"Hell of a storm," he mutters. "I..."

Then there's another flicker, but this one resolves into a harried-looking Barry, who stares at them with wide eyes and an expression of panic. Sara's immediate suspicion is confirmed quickly as he drags in a breath and starts talking so fast she can barely understand him.

"Iris' water just broke," he says, "but I can't get Joe on the phone. I can't get Cisco. I can't get anyone on the phone! Not a cab, not even 911! And I can't flash her to the hospital now...Caitlin said it wouldn't be a good idea in the third trimester, let alone in labor..."

Sara reaches out and grabs her own phone, checking the screen and then trying to make a call, shaking her head as it fails. She glances at Leonard, who's doing the same, and they both start to get out of bed.

Barry continues. "She'd been having some contractions, but the fake ones have been common for a while now, and we didn't think..." He gulps. "We had a plan! Honest! It was a good plan."

"Always expect the plan to do off the rails, Allen!" Len shakes his head as he pulls on a shirt.

Barry looks at Sara. "Sara? How long do you think we have?"

Sara, who's grabbed a pair of shorts from her go bag and is pulling them on under her nightshirt, stops and stares at him. "I have no bloody idea! It doesn't come with the two X chromosomes!

"Get her into a wheelchair and get her upstairs." Leonard's voice is sharp and definite. "When we find transport, she'll need to be there anyway. Can anyone get Snow? So there's at least a doctor here just in case?"

"Cisco might be able to, but he didn't stay here."

Leonard gives him a long-suffering expression as he puts on his shoes. "But you could flash over and get him, right?" He holds up a hand as Barry looks surprised. "Not yet. Plan B. C. D. Whatever." He turns away from the sputtering speedster. "Sara? Can you help him with Iris? I'll meet you upstairs."

Sara wants to ask what he's going to do, but then he's gone, and there's a panicked father-to-be before her, looking at her like she might have answers.

She sighs. "Come on, Barry. Let's not forget the pregnant lady."


Iris, stained bedsheets and contractions notwithstanding, is doing far better than Barry. She smiles a little at Sara when they enter, then catches her breath, focusing on breathing.

"These…kids…have lousy timing."

Sara smiles back. "Yeah, well…from what I hear, that's probably something you'll have to expect for, well, ever now." She glances over as Barry finds a wheelchair and wheels it over. "Can you get in there?"

"Of course. Well. I think so." Iris gingerly moves over, sighing as she sits down. "OK. Did you get ahold of someone?"

"Well. Let's get upstairs, OK?"

The elevator works OK, thank heavens. Sara steers the wheelchair over the threshold to the ground floor gingerly, Barry hovering behind her, but Iris simply grips the arms of the chair, expression determined.

"So," she says, taking a deep breath. "What now?"

"Well…" Sara pauses. "Well. Len?"

She raises her voice for that last word, but there's no response. Sara sighs. "OK," she mutters. "Damn it, Len. Let's…"

There's a noise from the entryway, then, and Leonard, soaked to the skin and looking irritated by it, pokes his head in. "Sara? C'mon. Gotta ride." He shakes his head, sending droplets of water spraying everywhere. "And it's shitty out here. Hurry. And…grab an umbrella."

He vanishes again. Sara lets out another sign, smiling just a little. "Of course. OK." Of course he'd come through.

There's a small chuckle from Iris, who, despite her own issues, isn't unaware of what's around her. Barry, who's a little more oblivious, just grabs the requested umbrella and follows, a look of relief on his face.

The rain is absolutely sheeting down outside, and Sara pauses, then determinedly pushes the wheelchair, Iris holding the umbrella, toward the dark blue—and utterly unfamiliar-SUV waiting outside, Barry tagging along.

Leonard, rain running down his face, watches her stoically, then nods, getting back in the driver's seat. Sara takes a deep breath, then opens the back door, nodding to Iris.

Barry gets it a moment later.

"Snart? Did you steal a car?"

"Stop complaining and get in." Leonard, still dripping, glances back at him, eyes determined.

"You can't just steal cars!"

"Barry," Iris grits out, shifting herself into the backseat. "Shut up and help me. I don't want to have these kids here."

"Um. OK."

Leonard, when properly motivated, drives like a bat out of hell. But with the flashes of lightning and constant thunder and the rain sheeting down so hard it's difficult to see, it's not that easy. So, he takes his time, Sara perched in shotgun, Barry and Iris in the back, eyes on the windshield, hands on the wheel. Sara splits her attention between helping Leonard navigate and noting the time between Iris' hisses of pain, wondering what's considered dangerously close.

When the lights explode behind them, everyone in the vehicle groans.

"I'm going under the speed limit," Leonard grumbles. "There's no reason…"

Sara shushes him. "Keep going." She glances back, sees the expression on Iris' face. "Keep going. That's the most important thing."

They make it to the hospital, still in the downpour, still with the flashing lights behind them. Barry bursts out of the vehicle, Sara on his heels, both of them heading for the emergency room door. Leonard steps out of the vehicle with a sigh, holding his hands up, facing the two young patrol cops who have emerged from their car.

"Greetings, gentlemen," he drawls, cool as anything. "I suggest you call Detective West, to start…"

Sara decides to assume he has it handled. She retrieves a wheelchair inside while Barry starts frantically explaining the situation to the startled woman at the front desk, steering it back outside. At least they're under an overhang at this point, because the rain is coming down even harder, if that's possible, and the wind has picked up again.

Leonard's hands are down and there are no weapons being pointed at anyone, Sara notes with relief. He's speaking with one of the cops, while the other is hovering around Iris, who's gotten the door open and looks ready to waddle into the hospital under her own power, contractions notwithstanding. Still, she looks greatly relieved at the sight of the wheelchair, and the officer—looking a little panicked around the eyes—offers her an arm to lean on as Sara holds the chair steady.

And then Barry, obviously making an effort not to "flash" in defiance of every instinct he has, is running outside, a nurse right behind him, and Sara, giving Iris' shoulder a squeeze, lets them take her friend, vanishing through the ER doors and heading toward…parenthood.

Whew.

Sara lets out a long sigh, then turns to grin at the baffled-looking patrol cop—god, some of them look young these days—and head toward Leonard, who's leaning on the back of the SUV and looking amused. The other cop is in his car, on the radio.

Her husband gives her a look that manages both to be long-suffering and impish as she joins him. Another car, unmarked, pulls up along the patrol car as they wait.

"Turns out I stole a car that's registered to someone the CCPD really, really wants to speak to in an ongoing case," he says in a low tone. "I think they've decided to ignore the 'stolen' part as long as I tell them all about where I got it. Especially considering the situation, and how it involves…"

"Snart! Are you kidding me?"

Leonard smirks and straightens out of his slouch. "Detective," he drawls. "If you wanna be there when your grandkids are born, I'd stop yelling at me and head in there."

Joe West shakes his head, pointing a finger at the crook. He looks, Sara decides, like he can't decide whether to thank them or arrest them, just to make a point. "We're going to talk," he informs the recalcitrant thief. "About actions and consequences. But for now…" The accusatory finger shifts into an extended hand. "Thank you."

Leonard, looking surprised and trying to hide it, shakes it. Joe smiles at Sara, winks, and then moves at a jog toward the hospital.

The wind picks up again, lashing the rain under the overhang, and despite the continued warmth of the night, Sara shivers just a little. Len, noticing, takes her arm and leads her a little closer to the building, into a more protected corner as thunder echoes again, the storm making a comeback.

"Kinda appropriate," he says, peering upward as he puts his arm around her. "A storm made the Flash. Now, his kids are getting born during one."

"Fitting." Sara smiles a little as she considers the almost poetic words. Thinks about the way they'd stepped up and handled this crisis together, in their own inimitable way. And about what the future holds.

"Len?" she murmurs, leaning into him as they watch the lightning flicker overhead.

"Hmm?"

"Let's do this."

He doesn't need to ask what she means.