SARA

Graduation was just over a week away, and Sara honestly couldn't wait. She couldn't wait to be out of that place for good. She and Leonard had talked about taking a trip after graduation. They hadn't made an official plan, but as long as she was with him, she didn't care.

It had been two months since the shooting, and from what she could tell, her sister still hadn't gotten enough courage to go and speak to Mick. Sara knew that she shouldn't push it, but part of her wanted nothing more than to slap Laurel.

Sara had of course, told Leonard about her conversation with Laurel. They had agreed not to talk to Mick about it, but part of Sara wanted to know why he hadn't fought harder for Laurel. After all this time, if he still loved her sister, why wasn't he at least trying to win her back? It seemed dumb to Sara, being in love with someone and not being with them. She couldn't imagine not being with Leonard.

"Hello, anyone home?" she called as she opened the door to the Snart residence.

The place seemed quiet, as if no one was home, although she had a feeling Leonard was just in his room and couldn't hear her.

A figure walked around the corner, and Sara gave a small smile upon seeing Lewis.

"Sara, Leonard said you were coming over. How is the wrist?"

"It's much better, thank you," she replied.

"I'm glad to hear it. How's the studying coming along for finals?"

Sara shrugged at the man. "Okay I guess, I'll just be glad when it's all over."

"Mick was the same way, couldn't wait to get out of school, but then again, he also had his heart broken, so I can't imagine seeing his ex every day was fun," Lewis said.

"Do you know who he was seeing?" Sara asked.

"Never said, and honestly, I didn't feel like I needed to know. If Mick wanted us to know, he would have told us."

Sara nodded. Since the shooting Lewis had acted different toward her. He was, well, for lack of a better word, he was nice. He used to be gruff and all but grunt responses at Sara, but now he actually held conversations with her. She wondered if this was the side Jessica saw all those years ago.

"It's hard to picture Mick dating. I don't think I've seen him with anyone in all the time I've know him," Sara said.

"He hasn't dated since then. If you ask me, I think he's still carrying a torch for that girl."

"He's so tough, I just don't think about him dating, not in the sense of being head-over-heels in love," Sara said with a shrug.

"He is tough, but Mick has a lot of heart, always has. But look, I'm on my way out, are you hanging around for dinner?"

"I thought I would, yes," Sara replied.

"Okay, I'll let Jess know. She'll be home in about 20 minutes, and Leonard is in his room. You can head on up."

Sara said goodbye to Lewis and headed up the stairs. She pushed open the door to Leonard's room and found him once more on his bed with his earphones in. Making her way across the room, she sat on the bed and pulled his earphones out.

"So, I just had a real conversation with your dad," she told him as he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Oh?"

"Turns out that he knew about Mick's break up, but he never knew who the girl was," Sara said.

"You're going to get yourself involved in this aren't you?" Leonard asked.

"Don't you want Mick and Laurel to be happy again?" Sara questioned.

"Of course I want them to be happy, but it's their issue, not ours, Sara. They need to fix it themselves, and as far as we are aware, they haven't even spoken since the hospital."

"I'm telling you, they need a push," Sara said.

"And I'm telling you that if you push them, it may not turn out the way you want it to."

Sara thought about Leonard's words and pouted at him. He was most likely right, and she hated when that happened. She took his hand in hers, and Leonard pulled her down next to him.

"You're right," she finally whispered.

"I'm sorry what? I didn't get that," Leonard said with a smirk.

"I said you're right," she mumbled, glaring at him.

He cupped her cheek and pressed his lips to hers in reply, before he pulled away.

"I think that's the first time you've ever said that."

"Well, there's a first time for everything, but it will also be the last!" Sara exclaimed.

She sighed as she laid her head against his shoulder. Part of her wanted to ignore Leonard and do something for her sister and Mick, but the bigger part didn't want to cause them more heartache.

"So are we actually going to study tonight, or is your brain too busy plotting out the idea for a new romantic comedy?" Leonard asked.

"Ha ha, you're very funny," Sara said, sarcastically. "We'll study, I just want to lay here for a bit longer though."

"We're free!" Sara exclaimed to Felicity, Caitlin, and Kara as they walked out of their last exam.

"Now graduation and the rest of our lives," Felicity said, looping her arm through Caitlin's.

"I suggest shopping and Starbucks at the mall," Kara said. "Unless you have plans with Len, Sare?"

"Nope, well not till later," Sara said. "I'm totally free."

There was something about being at the mall with her friends that made Sara feel like she was in a chick flick. As they sat in Starbucks, Sara couldn't help but think over their years in school. If is wasn't for these three girls, she wouldn't have made it, that was for sure. She and Caitlin were the only ones who would be in Central City the following year. Felicity was moving to Star City, and Kara was headed to National City for college. They had made a pact to still see each other when they could, but Sara was a realist, and she knew that keeping in touch with friends from high school was easier said than done.

The girls had shopped and gossiped and reminisced for over two hours before finally deciding to head home. They all agreed to do breakfast the morning of graduation and get ready together. As Sara dropped them home, she also reminded them of the graduation party her parents were throwing and told them to make sure their families had the invitations.

She was in the lounge watching tv when the front door opened later that night.

"Look who I found pulling up behind me," Laurel said as she and Leonard walked through the door.

Sara smiled, got off the couch, and all but flew into Leonard's arms.

"We are done with school," she said, smiling as she pulled back.

"How did your last exam go?" Leonard asked.

"Yeah, I think I did okay, and then the girls and I went shopping, so that was fun," Sara replied.

"How did yours go, Leonard?" Laurel asked.

Sara smiled at Laurel as Leonard answered. She knew her sister had really been trying to accept him when he was in their house, to show him that she had changed.

"Dad and Mom went out. They left money for pizza or whatever," Sara said. "Len and I were going to watch a movie, if you wanted to join us?"

"Thanks, but I just came home to get changed. I'm meeting Alex and Iris for dinner," Laurel replied with a smile.

They watched as Laurel headed to her room to get changed, and then Sara turned to face Leonard. She stood on her toes and kissed him quickly before pulling back.

"So pizza or something else?" she asked.

"I'm good with whatever you want," he replied.

"This is why I love you."

"Because I let you choose dinner?"

"Among other things," Sara said, with a wicked grin.

"Is that so?"

"Mhmm, maybe later we can get to those other things," she said as she ran hand down his chest, and then she turned and walked toward the kitchen.

"You're evil, Sara," Leonard called after her.

"You love me," she replied, turning to look at him over her shoulder.

The food was cold and the movie they were supposed to be watching was rolling the end credits when Sara pulled her top back on and Leonard did up his jeans. She looked across at him and smiled before picking up the chinese takeout.

"I guess I'll heat this up," she said with a laugh.

"Probably better than eating it cold," Leonard agreed, following her into the kitchen.

Sara put the food in the microwave and hit the start button as Leonard wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I love you, Sara Lance," he said.

Sara smiled and turned in his arms. "I love you, too, Leonard Snart."

The microwave beeped, and Sara moved out of his arms to grab the food.

"We should probably eat this before it goes cold again," she said, handing him a bowl.

"You're probably right."

"No, I am right," Sara said with a smirk.

Graduation turned out to be filled with mixed emotions. If emotions were colors, Sara felt as if she were going through the whole rainbow. The pink was definitely the embarrassment she felt as she walking across the stage with her dad and Mick standing and cheering.

She stood in the garden and watched as people mingled about. Sara hadn't wanted to have a graduation party, but her parents had insisted, and as she looked around now, she was glad that they had.

Sara sipped her drink as she watched Felicity staring up at Oliver as they spoke to Tommy. Oliver had an arm around Felicity's waist and was holding her close. Sara smiled at the scene in front of her. Oliver had arrived from Star City the night before as a surprise, and Felicity had been over the moon.

"What are you thinking about?" Leonard asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Sara turned to look at Leonard and smiled. "I was just watching Liss; she looks so happy," Sara said, nodding her head in the direction of her friend.

"You know, that's what people see when they look at you too," Leonard said.

"That's because you make me so happy," Sara replied, leaning up and kissing him softly.

She pulled back after a moment and leaned her head against Leonard's chest, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"So we graduated," Leonard said as he rested his chin on Sara's head and let out a content sigh.

"We are. It was nice that your dad came today," Sara said.

"To graduation or to this party?"

"Well, both, although I didn't believe he would come here."

"Me either. Coming to the police chief's house for a party, I'm pretty sure hell has frozen over," Leonard said.

Sara laughed at her boyfriend's comment. "Well, you like the cold, so you'll fit in there real well," she joked.

Leonard poked her in the side, and Sara let out a small squeal. She tried to move away from him, but he caught her hand and pulled her back against him.

"If that's where I'm going, I hope you like the cold, too, because I'm not going without you."

"You two are sickly adorable," Laurel said, rolling her eyes.

"Thank you, I think," Leonard replied.

"I just wanted to come over and say that I'm really proud of the two of you. I know I was never the biggest fan of you two being a couple, but I'm glad that you both got through high school and didn't allow anyone to change how you felt. You are both far stronger than me," Laurel said pulling them both into a hug. "Look after my little sister, Leonard."

Sara wanted to call out to Laurel as her sister walked about from them, but Leonard stopped her.

"There's no point in pushing things, remember," he said.

"I know, but Mick is here, and she is here, and they are just so stupid."

"If it's meant to be, it will happen," Leonard said.

Summer days had been long and hot, and they'd flown by too quickly. Kara had left for National City, Felicity had moved to Star City with Oliver, and Caitlin had interned over the summer at Central City memorial hospital. It was early July when Sara realized her parents were drifting apart, but at the same time, Leonard's seemed to be closer than she'd ever known them to be. Lewis was different, too. From what Sara could tell, he wasn't doing as many jobs as he had in the past, and he had even encouraged some of the guys to get other work. But the biggest change for Sara came when Laurel moved out and got her own place.

By the time summer faded into fall and Sara and Leonard had started college, her parents had split and her mother had moved to Gotham. Attending Central City College allowed Sara and Leonard to live at home while taking classes, which Sara was thankful for, because it meant not leaving her father alone. She also knew that Jessica was happy to still have Leonard at home, especially for Lisa's sake.

It was a cold night in mid-October when Sara heard the argument between Lewis and Jessica. It floored her. She didn't mean to eavesdrop on the conversation, but they weren't exactly quiet. Lisa was at a friend's place, and Leonard was finishing up at work, so she had let herself into the house, made her way through to the kitchen, and that's when she heard it.

"You promised no more jobs," Jessica said.

"This is the last one, I can promise you that, Jess," Lewis replied.

"You swore to me the night of Leonard's graduation that you would be done by the time he went to college!" Jessica exclaimed, clearly pissed off at her husband.

"I swear, this is the last one."

"I don't want this affecting our kids, Lewis. It's bad enough that you have Michael involved."

"Jess, this job will be easy, in and out. I promise that you have nothing to worry about, and Mick is a big boy. He can take care of himself."

"Don't be stupid, Lewis, he looks up to you, always has, since you let him be a part of this," Jessica said.

"Maybe because I was the first one who didn't treat him with kid gloves."

"Don't you dare throw that at me! He was 15 when he came to live with us, and he hadn't known what a real family could be like. Despite your insane need to live on the edge and not get a normal job like everyone else, I tried to hold this family together. Leonard and Lisa were ten and seven, and it was tough for them, too, but we adjusted, and I would do it all over if I had to."

Sara smiled at Jessica's words; she loved how much the woman thought as Mick as her own child, and she hated to think just what would have happened if the Snarts hadn't taken him in. A door on the second floor slammed, and Sara heard footsteps on the stairs. She was just about to put her headphones in when Jessica walked into the room.

"Hey," Sara said, with a small smile.

"How much of that did you hear?" Jessica asked.

"Enough to know that you're pissed and Lewis isn't backing down," Sara admitted.

Sara watched as Jessica pulled a wine glass down from the cupboard, so she turned and grabbed the open white out of the fridge and handed it to the woman.

"Thank you," Jessica said, as she took the wine from Sara and poured a large glass. "Glad I'm not working tonight."

"Me too," Said said as she grabbed a coke from the fridge.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that," Jessica said.

"It's fine. At this point I'm used to parents fighting," Sara said, and Jessica reached out and squeezed her hand softly.

"How is your dad doing?"

"He's okay. We've become pretty close since Mom left and Laurel moved out. I know he's glad that I can come here when he's working."

"Of course! You are always welcome here Sara, no matter what," Jessica said, pulling Sara into a hug.

Two weeks had passed since the night Sara heard the argument between Lewis and Jessica, and although she hadn't heard anything else about it, Sara noticed a shift in the feel of the household.

"I come bringing gifts," Sara called out, carrying a tray from Starbucks as she entered the Snart residence on a cold, Thursday afternoon.

"I like gifts," Lisa said, getting up from her spot on the couch and Sara handed her a drink. "Pumpkin spice latte?"

"Is there anything else this time of year?" Sara asked with a grin.

"Yes," Leonard said from behind her.

Sara rolled her eyes before turning to Leonard. "Boring regular black coffee," she said, handing him the drink.

"Lucky she loves you," Jessica said from the kitchen.

"She's lucky I love her," Leonard called back to his mom.

Sara shook her head and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek before heading through to the kitchen.

"A pumpkin spice latte, for my favorite," Sara said, with a grin, placing the drink on the counter.

"See, this is why you and Leonard can never break up," Jessica said, "and if it does happen, I might just keep you instead."

"Gee, thanks, mom," Leonard said, entering the kitchen.

Sara laughed as she sipped her latte and leaned into Leonard's side as he wrapped his arm around her.

"You know I'm kidding," Jessica said. "Kinda."

"I brought you coffee yesterday," Leonard said.

"Yesterday is not today, Leonard," Jessica replied, with a wink. "Sara wins today."

"She wins everyday," Leonard said.

"Aww, you do, too," Sara said standing on her toes and kissing him quickly before pulling back.

Sara sipped her coffee and sighed. It had been a long day, and she was glad to be in the company of friends.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Leonard asked.

"You could set the table," Jessica replied.

"Lisa! Mom wants you to set the table!" Leonard yelled.

Sara elbowed him in the stomach and placed her coffee down and then moved around the kitchen, pulling out plates and cutlery. She set the table and picked up her coffee again.

"And that is why Sara wins today," Jessica said, and Sara dissolved into fits of laughter.

Dinner, or as Leonard had dubbed it, "pick on Leonard meal," had been uneventful. The girls had decided to watch The Notebook, something Leonard had fought against. He gave in while his mom and sister were doing the dishes, but only because Sara had suggested a reward for the next day, one that he was rather invested in.

Shouting in the street just after midnight caused Jessica to pull back the curtains and glance outside. Sara stood behind her and could make out Lewis, Mick, and some of the guys she knew were the crew he worked with. As for the other group, Sara had no idea who any of them were. When it started to rain, visibility, even with the street lights, became impossible.

"Stay here, don't move. I'm going to call the police," Jessica said before she walked off to the kitchen.

Leonard got up and headed for the door as Lisa started crying.

"Len, what are you doing?" Sara hissed, as she pulled Lisa into a hug.

"That's my dad and Mick out there. I can't just sit here."

Sara heard the front door open, and she hugged Lisa tighter. Through the now-open door, she could hear the fight a little better, but it did nothing to calm her down. Car tires screeched to a halt outside the house, and the fighting got louder, as if to outdo the rain. The first gunshot was like a bullet to her heart.

It froze her in place and took her back to the drive by shooting only months earlier.

It was the second gunshot, followed by a third, that caused her to get off the couch and head toward the door.

"What are you doing?" Jessica asked as she walked back into the room.

"I… um… Len's out there," Sara said, tears forming in her eyes.

Another gunshot, and Sara heard Leonard's scream as if he were right next to her. She looked back at Jessica, and then turned and ran for the door. She ran down the stairs and onto the sidewalk with Jessica on her heels, and then she froze at the sight in front of her. Four or five bodies lay in the street, and she was sure that if it hadn't been raining, the road would have been stained with blood. Sara watched as a couple of guys piled into a car and drove off, shooting the gun into the air as they did.

Her hand went to her mouth in shock. How could this have happened? Sara brushed her wet hair out of her face and looked up and down the street, and she realized that she couldn't see Leonard anywhere. The rain had stopped, but as she made her way down the road, her hair and clothes clung to her and made it harder to move at a pace she would have liked. Police sirens rang out in the distance, but nothing pierced through the dark night more than the scream that Sara let out when she found Leonard.