AN: This is dedicated to t1mco on tumblr, for the gorgeous Razaya reunion piece.

Disclaimer: I do not own Green Lantern: The Animated Series or its characters.

"Aya?"

She grinned up at him, the corners of her eyes crinkling with the gesture, and Razer felt something well up within him at the sight, as the disbelief slowly trickled away into slowly dawning comprehension.

It was her, alright – there was no doubt in his mind about that. He'd know her anywhere, regardless what form she wore, but still he could not fully wrap his mind around the fact that she was...that she was...

One of the small hands that were gripping his forearms to keep herself steady reached up, and he nearly recoiled in surprise at the unexpectedly warm touch as her fingers ghosted over his cheek, until her hand came to cup the side of his face. The gesture was hauntingly familiar in more than one way, but there was nothing tragic about their current embrace; she was not about to dissolve in his arms. The solidity of her form and the warm living pulse he could feel leaping beneath the hands gripping her tightly was evidence enough of that.

"Hello, my love."

A choking sort of noise caught in his throat at her soft utterance, and he could only stare at her in wonder. His hands were still shaking where they held her, and the muscles in his legs strained against the unnatural crouch he had fallen into in his hurry to catch her before she fell.

"How...?" he croaked, a trembling hand releasing her shoulder to tentatively touch the side of her face – gently, as though she would vanish beneath his fingers if he applied too much pressure; evaporate in a shower of light and dust.

Aya leaned her face into the touch, and Razer sucked in a sharp breath. She smiled. "I said I would always come back for you, did I not?"

He shook his head. "But–you–" he let his gaze sweep over her shape, huddled as she was against him, from the top of her head to the bare toes now covered in dirt and grime. Shifting his weight, he rose slowly to his feet, keeping his grip around her shoulders as he focused on her feet, and the slim legs straightening as she rose with him. No robotics – no boosters for her to power her flight. Only legs, and ankles and small feet, bare and flat against the rocky surface of the crag.

He tore his eyes away with effort, meeting her curious gaze, only to find amusement swimming in her eyes. And they were the same eyes, even if they were not. Almond shaped, framed with dark lashes, devoid of their former synthetic light, but smiling – crinkling at the corners.

"I take it you are glad to see me?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in the same manner he remembered, and the action was so familiar – so staggeringly dear – that the words had barely escaped her before he was pressing her close, burying his face in the crook of her neck with none of the restraint he had showed her in the past. Now he breathed in the life of her, clutched her to him like a precious lifeline in the bottomless chasm of deep space, unable – unwilling – to let her slip from his grasp again.

"A greater exaggeration has never been uttered," came the rasp of his voice, hoarse as though he hadn't used it in years. "Aya, I–"

He felt her hands come up on either side of him, wrapping gently around his midsection, and he felt her chest heave as she drew a deep breath, and the action was both so alien and yet so comforting that he didn't know what to do with himself.

"I know," she murmured against him. "I know you never gave up."

Pulling back enough so he could meet her gaze, Razer watched as her eyes did a sweep of his form, before a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "You conquered your rage," she said, as she brushed a small hand over the blue plates of his armour.

Razer shook his head. "I have you to thank for that. It was through you that I found the hope I needed to purge my hate."

She shook her head, but said nothing, and he cradled her face, taking in the sight of her as every movement, however minuscule, showed him something new; the slight shift of her gaze that made her lashes brush against her cheeks, or the barest flare of her nostrils as she breathed. He brushed a thumb across the curve of her cheekbone, and her eyes fluttered shut.

"How are you here, Aya?"

She opened her eyes again, and opened her mouth as though to speak, before closing it, hesitation evident on her face. "It...it is hard to explain," she said finally, her shoulders slumping a little, as though not having an answer to his question was physically draining. But then, knowing her curious nature, it didn't really surprise him.

She looked over his shoulder then, towards the silent shape of Saint Walker he could still sense behind him. "I...the technicalities escape me, though I believe I have been 'resurrected'," she said then, as by way of explanation.

Razer frowned. "On Zamaron?" he asked, remembering the portal. "But...why? And..." he trailed off, unable to address the situation glaring him in the face; the organic form she had been given, he presumed, by the Zamaronians. But he could not for the life of him fathom why–

"You are the one to thank for this, are you not? The 'benefactor' I was told of," Aya said then, but her words were not directed at him. Razer's frown deepened, and threw a look over his shoulder at his fellow Lantern.

"You?" he asked.

Saint Walker smiled. "Yes, though I have been but a small cog in the great wheel of her rebirth. Her survival, along with the success of her awakening, is solely her own doing, though she may not be aware of it."

Aya frowned. "My memory is...incomplete, but I am sure I was not able to download myself after I unleashed the virus. I cannot see how–"

Saint Walker held up a hand. "You speak as though this virus was flawless, though as I have often experienced, living beings are...prone to make mistakes. Are you certain you created a perfect virus?"

Aya merely stared at him, and Saint Walker continued, "A living soul since your inception, you have never possessed the infallible mind of a machine, though you may have believed as much at one time."

"I do not understand..."

Saint Walker tilted his head. "Though the virus was created to delete all versions of yourself, did you account for your own desire to live?" he asked. "It is, I believe, one of the strongest desires of the heart. Strong enough, perhaps, to defy even death."

The sudden truth of his words fell like a physical weight upon the three of them, and Razer watched as Aya's eyes widened in sudden realization along with his own. It would figure, of course, that the key to her survival lay not in the strength of her robotic shell or her ability to download herself if her physical form failed her, but in the strength of mind that marked her as a living being.

The will to live in the face of death.

"I merely provided the means to ensure you a suitable form upon your awakening," Saint Walker continued. "And for that, I requested the help of an old friend, whom I believe you have met."

"Na'ane."

Saint Walker smiled. "Though she refused at first, I knew the challenge would intrigue her enough to try to convince the Queen. Mind you, it was not an easy task."

"I can believe that," Razer muttered dryly. From beside him, Aya quirked a small smile.

"So you see, Aya, this is no sole work of ours. We would have had nothing to save, if you had not first saved yourself."

Aya met Razer's gaze, and then looked back at Saint Walker. "I...had not thought it would change anything. Whether I desired to live or not...I knew what I had to do."

Saint Walker shrugged. "Alas, one may convince oneself of what one believes to be truth, whilst unaware of one's own deception. In fact, sometimes the greatest victim of one's lies is oneself. It is a well-known practice amongst near all species of the universe."

Razer tried not to flinch at the well-aimed words, but his brows furrowed in remembrance of his own deception.

You are a machine...and I can never love you.

"Your will to live, Aya, is what overrode your decision to delete your existence from the universe. It was what kept you alive, though your army perished in wake of the virus."

Aya shook her head, as though disbelieving. "I...how did you know? That I would survive?"

Saint Walker smiled, and Razer knew what he was about to say even before the word left his mouth.

"I had hope."

He tilted his head in a gesture towards Razer. "It is the power we pledge ourselves to, and in it we find our strength. Likewise, I chose to pledge my belief in that you had found a way to save yourself. That I was not the only one to do such was not made clear to me until after I had found you."

Razer frowned. "And why did you not tell me sooner, when you knew of my search?"

Saint Walker's smile had not left him. "Patience, brother, is a skill honed over time, and as you well know, a core aspect of the power you now serve. I knew you would not sit still if you were told of her survival. In your search, you have learned much – that much is clear to me. Your will has only grown stronger, not weaker, and that was part of my purpose in not keeping you informed. Though the ring chose you, it is but a pretty trinket if your will is not strong enough to withstand adversity in the face of your mission."

Razer said nothing to that, for as was often the case with Saint Walker, when faced with a good point, arguing was either difficult or clean out of the question. Turning his gaze back to Aya, he let it travel the curve of her nose to the arch of her expressive brows, and the inquisitiveness of the clear blue eyes beneath them. It was not hard, thinking back to the long months of his tireless search, to remember a time where the memory of her face had been of the few things that had kept him going. He would be lying, to himself as well as Saint Walker, if he claimed he had conducted his search completely without struggle. There were nights, long and cold, where the doubt had come creeping in, but though his strength had wavered, his belief in her survival had kept him going – had kept him sane for the months she had been gone from his life.

"In the end, your search proved a success. You have come far, brother, since the day we first met," Saint Walker said then, following his declaration with a bow at the waist. "Alas, now is the hour of my departure. I trust you will be fine on your own." The last remark was uttered with a distinct teasing lilt, and Razer resisted the urge to glare.

Walking towards the edge of the crag, Saint Walker looked out across the sprawling valley below, before throwing a last glance over his shoulder towards Razer and Aya. "Welcome back, Aya. May the hope you have kindled never be extinguished. And Razer," he added, with yet another oddly knowing smile. "Good luck on your new journey. We shall no doubt meet again in not too long." And with a parting salute, he jumped, taking to the air with a flare of blue light. Razer followed the departure with his eyes until he was but a speck high in the atmosphere, before turning his attention back to the small shape at his elbow.

A breeze passed over the crag, and he caught her sudden shiver as it raced through her, before her hands shot up to rub at her arms. She blinked, noticing the small bumps below her fingers. "What...?"

Razer frowned. "You are cold," he said, also taking notice of the thin fabric of the white shift that barely covered her. He averted his gaze just as she looked up to meet it.

"The temperature is indeed different than on Zamaron," she said, rubbing at her arms, brows furrowed in obvious discontent.

Razer nodded, and sighed, knowing what he had to do though he would have preferred otherwise. Lifting the hand holding his power ring, he breathed deeply, knowing also that he was probably going to regret it, before sending out the signal. Knowing Hal, he would not waste time if he could help it, and he had told Razer to give him a call if he ever needed anything. In the meantime, they would just have to wait. Stepping closer, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and she sighed, letting her forehead rest against the armoured plates of his chest as she huddled closer.

It did not take long before his ring thrummed – they must not have been far when he'd made the call. A moment later, a familiar yet disembodied voice reached their ears, loud in the silence that had settled between them.

"The heck are you doing on a backwater planet like this, Razer? You forgot to recharge or something?"

Razer rolled his eyes. "Not quite. I called to make a...request. Any chance you could pick us up with the Interceptor?"

The comm crackled. "Us? What, did you go and find new friends on your adventures? I'm hurt." Hal's laughter drifted out to them, and Aya smiled at the sound. Razer shook his head; Hal never changed. "Nah, I'm just kidding. Sure, I'll come pick you up. How many are we talking about here? You got a whole new club or something?"

Razer sighed, but a smile tugged at his lips. "Only one."

Hal was silent on the other line for a long moment. "Wait. Razer, you're not saying–"

"–whaddaya stalling for, Jordan? We gonna pick up Red or what?" Kilowog's voice overrode Hal's query, and Razer rolled his eyes, wondering if he shouldn't have just taken Aya away on his own. He'd almost – almost – found himself missing his former crew in his months of travelling alone, but now he was quickly regretting even making the call. But Aya did not have her old powers in her...new body, and would require another form of transportation. The Interceptor was the logical choice.

And, he figured, grudgingly, Hal and the bolovaxian would no doubt be glad to see her again.

"Razer?"

Slim fingers curled around his, and Razer started, still not used to the feeling. Aya grinned up at him, and despite his growing irritation, he felt a smile tug at his lips in return. Closing his hand around hers, he held the one carrying his ring towards her in silent acquiescence.

"Green Lantern Hal," she began, her smile widening as she spoke. "This is Aya, requesting permission to board the Interceptor. Do you copy?"

No sound reached them from the other side, and Aya looked up at Razer in confusion. Had the connection broken?

Then, "...say that again?"

"Is your translator not working or are you being purposefully dense? She asked you a question."

The comm crackled again, but it was not Hal's voice that drifted out from the other end. "Red, you...you found Aya?!"

Looking down at the creature in question, Razer smirked. "Not exactly," he retorted, and at the confused quirk of her brows, his smirk widened.

"I was not the one doing the finding."

They watched the familiar sleek shape of the Interceptor as she descended towards them; the sight of her sending a thrum of longing through Aya's veins, and she realized suddenly how long it had been since she had stepped aboard the ship – her old home.

Razer stood beside her, a silent pillar in the wake of everything that had happened since she'd passed through the portal from Zamaron. There was a galaxy of unanswered questions between them still, yet neither of them had said anything in their wait for the arrival of the others. Content for the moment in each other's company and the knowledge that they were together, they needed nothing else. He was not a man of many words, as she well knew, but the hand curled protectively around hers spoke volumes where his voice did not.

She saw the hatch to the hull open up, followed by the familiar, green-clad shapes of her old companions as they exited the ship. Razer's hand tightened around hers, and she gripped it back with as much strength as she could muster. Worry crawled in her stomach at the thought of how they would react to her change, and the sudden thought that they would not like what they saw made her stomach do a strange roll that made it feel as though something was about to force its way up without her permission.

"Relax," came the low rumble from beside her, and she drew another deep breath.

"I worry."

"You need not."

But even as he spoke the words, she wondered. He had not broached the subject after Saint Walker's revelation, and she wondered why. He had asked no more questions; had made none of the queries she would have thought natural for anyone to ask in light of her acquiring a new body. An organic body; not just the robotic parts with which she had clad herself in the past. She was determined to bring the subject up the next time they were alone, but for the moment pushed her sudden insecurities about Razer to the back of her mind in favour of those towards the Green Lanterns approaching them at top speed.

"Aya!"

Raising her free hand, Aya waved, as she had seen done by many in similar situations, and despite her concern she felt something warm kindle within her at the sight of Hal Jordan's elated grin as he landed on the crag before them, closely followed by his trusted partner. And Aya had not even had the chance to open her mouth before a pair of great arms whisked here away from Razer, pulling her into a rough embrace as Kilowog hoisted her up and off the ground.

"Kiddo! I can't believe you're back!"

And quite without her knowing how she produced the sound, laughter bubbled up within her to tumble off her tongue as she was crushed against the bolovaxian, who spun her around with an eagerness she had not known she had missed–

She felt him halt mid-spin at the sound, and knew the moment realization dawned on him even before he lifted her at arm's length in order to have a better look at her.

The sight of his brow shooting towards his hairline looked quite comical, though she kept the thought to herself, and tried not to avert her gaze as Kilowog regarded her as though sometime during his hug, she had been replaced with someone else.

"Kid...what..."

"She has been given an organic body," Razer spoke up then, saving her the trouble of explaining, for which she was glad. A lump of sorts had formed in the base of her throat, and she tried to swallow over it, but it pushed back. It was only through sheer will that she was able to keep the tears from welling up in her eyes, though it was no easy task.

Kilowog blinked, though he did not take his eyes off her. "A what?"

"What, so...lungs, heart, blood – the works?" Hal cut in, stepping into Aya's line of vision where she was still held up and at arm's length by the large bolovaxian. He whistled.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Hold on! You're...organic, Aya?" Kilowog asked, brows still furrowed over his sharp eyes as he had another thorough look at her. And quite for the first time since waking, Aya felt oddly exposed.

A blue-gloved hand closed over one of Kilowog's forearms then, and she looked down with a start to see Razer glare at him. "You can put her down now, Seargeant."

Something stirred within Aya at that, and she felt heat rise to her cheeks again – a reflex she was growing to dread, as she appeared to have seemingly no control over it.

"Well excuse me for wanting to have a look at her! It's a bit much to take in, and we can't all react with that 'Blue Lantern calm' mumbo-jumbo you're always sprouting." With a grumble, Kilowog put Aya back down on her feet, and the sudden change in equilibrium almost had her falling over. Thankfully, the bolovaxian had good reflexes, and steadied her even before Razer had a chance to reach her.

"Whoa, easy, kiddo!"

"I am quite alright," Aya replied as she tried to steady herself, "I am simply having minor difficulties with my new appendages."

"It is quite the transformation," Hal commented as he stepped around Kilowog to look at her, arms crossed over his chest in the comfortable manner she remembered. An easy grin broke out across his face. "I like it. It suits you, Aya."

She couldn't have hid the smile if she'd wanted to, nor could she ignore the surge of relief within her at his approval. "Thank you...Hal."

He laughed. "What, no title this time?"

She blushed. "I am...growing accustomed to familiarity. Vocal chords allow for a greater spectre of...nicknames, as you would call them. And I am no longer just your nav-computer."

Hal's eyes softened at that. Uncrossing his arms, he reached out to grasp her shoulder in a fierce grip, showing none of the tentative care Razer had earlier. "You were never just a nav-computer, Aya. I hope you know that."

She smiled up at him, and nodded, feeling some of her nervousness dissipate at the ease with which he handled the situation. She had been afraid they would reject her upon discovering her change, or that they hadn't forgiven her for what she'd put them through during the war.

But though both obviously had more questions for her, the smiles on their faces were those of companions welcoming back a friend – a comrade. The strange unease in her stomach seemed to settle a bit at their acceptance, and she released the breath she had not been aware she had been holding.

"Well, I can't be the only one with questions," Hal said, and nodded towards the ship. "I say we get back to the Interceptor and celebrate. What do you say, Aya? It'll be like a birthday party...sorta."

Aya grinned. "I would like that."

Hal returned the smile. "Then it's settled! Come on, Kilowog, I need you to check if we've got any of that sparkling stuff stashed away still, and..." his voice drifted out of earshot as he drifted back towards the ship, Kilowog beside him. The bolovaxian threw Aya a glance over his shoulder, accompanied by a smile and a nod, before gruffly retorting to what Hal was saying. Aya turned her attention back to Razer behind her, watching the departure of their friends with a grave look on his face.

She frowned. "You are quiet. Is all well?"

His smile was tired, but he nodded. "Yes. This...it is all a lot to take in, Aya."

She walked towards him, almost shyly. "Not too much, I hope?"

She must have said something wrong, because the moment the last word left her lips his hand made a grab for hers, tugging her towards him with enough force to make her stumble, but he caught and steadied her, wrapping her in his arms without a shred of his earlier care. Pressing his forehead against hers, Razer breathed, and Aya was frozen against him, caught in the sudden and unexpected show of vulnerability from the man who had kept stoically silent for the better part of the last half-hour.

"Never," he growled suddenly, the harsh quality of his voice a direct contrast to the shaking hands holding her to him. "Do not ever say that. You are everything, Aya, but you have never been too much."

She released a choking breath. "I am...glad."

Pulling away to look at her, their eyes met, and her heart leaped within her chest as anticipation shot down her spine. One of his thumbs traced the line of her cheekbone, as he had done before, but it was not with fascination this time as it was with...something else...something she could not identify, but she was vividly reminded of the time he had given her the flower when she had followed him to his old home on Volkreg...

Her eyes fluttered shut quite of their own volition as he leaned forward, tilting her head up and tangling his fingers in her hair–

"C'mon lovebirds, or we'll start celebrating without you! You can do that gushy schmushy crap later. Preferably in a room. Whoa, wait. Scratch that. Separate rooms for the both of you! And don't go getting any ideas now, Razer. You listening to me? Don't make me come over there–"

Razer sighed as Hal's rant crackled through the comm, leaning his forehead heavily against hers. Releasing her chin, he rubbed the bridge of his nose, no doubt irritated at the interruption, but the smile he gave her was nothing like the one he had given her on Volkreg. There was no resignation now, only humour; yet another testament of his conquered rage.

"Welcome home, Aya," he said instead, lifting one of her hands to place a kiss to it that had her heart thrumming so loudly against her ribcage she was sure the others could hear it back on the ship.

"Razer, I'm warning you–"

"It is alright, Hal," Aya cut him off, though never breaking contact with the gaze holding hers. Pushing her disappointment to the back of her mind, she laced her fingers with his. The unease in her stomach was gone, replaced by something else – a fluttering, like the beat of a hundred tiny wings. She grinned, and Razer returned it with a quirk of his own lips.

"We are coming home now."

AN: I have as good as sold my soul to this pairing. And papa!Hal, if they make a second season I request heaps and heaps of your doubtless cute over-protectiveness.