"And then Gideon jumped onto the couch making Trina spill her drink all over Ali's legs," Jonas finished his story with a big grin.
Rip chuckled, "Poor Ali."
"She pretended to be mad but she thought it was very funny," Jonas told him, the little boy gave a sigh leaning against him as they sat in an office in Star Labs, "I've missed you, Daddy."
"I know," Rip sighed, wrapping his arms around his son, "I've missed you too these past few days but what I'm doing is very important."
Jonas grimaced, "I know."
"Hey," Rip turned Jonas so he was looking at him, "The reason I am working so hard and long is that there are some people who are missing. And what I'm doing just now will help find them."
"Will you find them soon?" Jonas asked softly.
Stroking his son's hair Rip nodded, "We're almost finished our repairs and things will be back to normal soon."
"Okay, Daddy," Jonas hugged him.
Rip held his son for several minutes before pressing a kiss to his hair, "I have to go back to work now. Be good for Ali and Katrina. I promise we will do something fun when I'm finished."
Rip turned to Katrina who was standing nearby waiting to take Jonas home.
"Thank you for bringing him here," Rip told her, "I know the past few days…"
"Michael" Katrina stopped him, "You're trying to help people. Jonas is fine with us. Just make sure you take some time to rest yourself."
"I will," Rip promised, giving his son one last hug before placing him on the ground where Katrina took his hand. Jonas turned and waved at Rip as Katrina led him out the lab.
"I like her, Rip," Gideon's voice came in his ear, "Ensuring your health and caring for Jonas. You must trust her a great deal."
Rip smiled as he started back to the ship, "I do. I am so lucky that the apartment Cisco found for us came with Katrina and Ali as our neighbours. They help me with Jonas, give me people to talk to and introduced me to a group who have become my friends."
"You care for them?" Gideon asked softly.
Rip nodded, "They're my family here."
"Then I am grateful that you met them."
x
The engines started then the entire bridge lit up fully to the cries of joy and relief from the occupants.
"Gideon," Rip called, "Status report?"
"The ship is now at one hundred percentage efficiency," Gideon replied pride in her voice at the product of all their hard work.
Rip turned to Jax and Cisco, both looked as exhausted as he felt but they had finally fixed the Waverider and could now start planning to rescue the Legends. He hated how sad the thought of rescuing them made him but this meant he would soon have to say goodbye to Gideon once again.
"Okay," Rip took a breath, "You should both go and get something to eat then sleep. I will start Gideon searching for the team. Once we know where they are we can work on a proper rescue plan."
Cisco sighed, "That sounds like a great idea. I'm calling for pizza. Jax, you want some?"
"Sounds fantastic," Jax said, "Rip?"
"No but thank you," he replied, "I have some…personal matters to take care of. I'll have Gideon make me something to eat."
Pushing his hand through his hair Cisco nodded, "We'll see you in the morning. We better check if Caitlin is still here," he said as he led Jax off the bridge, "She'll never forgive us if we order pizza without her."
x
Rip waited for them to leave. He had ensured he kept Jonas' existence a secret from Jax and avoided answering any questions the younger man had about how Rip was still alive and why he was living in Central City.
Pulling out his phone he was about to dial when he stopped remembering it was connected to the Waverider now, "Call Katrina for me please, Gideon."
"Of course," she replied sweetly.
Rip took a seat in the pilot's chair waiting as the line connected listening to the ringing while he waited for it to be answered.
"Michael," Katrina greeted him, "Just in time. Jonas is about to go to sleep."
Smiling Rip leaned back, "Let me talk to him."
"Daddy," the happy voice came over the speakers.
"Hey," Rip replied glad to hear his son's voice, "I'm sorry I didn't call sooner but I have some good news. I'm almost finished here."
"Does that mean you'll be home soon?" Jonas asked hopefully.
Rip let out a long breath knowing he could possibly be lying to his son, "It does. Any idea what you want to do for our fun day together?"
"I want to go to the zoo," Jonas told him decisively, "And see the lions and monkeys and tigers."
Rip laughed, "That sounds like a great idea. That will be so much fun. We'll do that."
Jonas cheered and Rip could hear Katrina's chuckle in the background.
"It's time for you to go to bed," Rip told his son, "I will talk to you tomorrow and I'll see you soon, I promise."
"Goodnight, Daddy," Jonas said, "I love you."
"I love you too."
x
Gideon watched her Captain as he fabricated himself some food and a mug of tea. She watched while he ate in silence, sadness radiating from him. She watched him clean up after himself before heading to his room.
When he lay down to sleep Gideon slid into his dreams, laying beside him entwining her fingers with his.
"This is unusual," Rip murmured, "Every other time you've come to me on the bridge, in the parlour or the engine room but tonight you've joined me here?"
Gideon gave him a smile, "This is your last night with me. I do not want to pretend to do anything other than just be with you."
"It's nice to have you here," he smiled softly at her before confessing, "I don't want to leave you."
Gideon cuddled close to him, "I know, Rip but you must."
Rip wrapped his arms around her, "It'll be so hard to leave you again once we've rescued the Legends."
Gideon moved away from him staring horrified, "No."
Rip frowned, "Gideon."
"You are not going on the rescue mission," she told him sharply, standing she began to pace, "Why would you do something so stupid?"
Reaching out Rip caught her hand, "Because the last time whatever happened left you in a condition so bad that I had to be pulled in to fix you. I won't let that happen again."
"Rip…"
He stood directly in her path and rested his hand on her cheek, "If I was sure that you would be safe then I would let Barry, Cisco and their team go after the Legends. But I will not let you go after them if the possibility of you being damaged that bad again still exists."
Gideon wrapped her arms around his neck, "What about Jonas? What if something happens to you during the rescue?"
"After I was in hospital," Rip explained, "Once my memories were sorted, I spent some time thinking about what would happen to Jonas if something ever did happen to me."
Gideon stayed silent waiting for him to continue.
"If anything happens to me then Katrina and Ali will become his legal guardians," Rip told her softly, "They're the only ones I trust. After you of course."
Hugging him tighter Gideon whispered, "The zoo does a special experience package where you and Jonas can spend the day with the keepers. Would you like me to book it for this weekend?"
With a soft sigh Rip slid his hand into her hair before he whispered back, "That would be wonderful."
"Gideon," Rip asked, "Have you managed to restore any of the data on the mission the team were on?" He frowned swapping a look with Cisco at the silence before he said, "If you can't we'll find some other way to track the team."
"Pulling up the information you require," Gideon told him.
Rip grimaced when he read over the information, "An aberration in 1525. It seems straight forward enough."
"How can you tell?" Cisco asked.
"Because history was put back in place," Jax answered, "So whatever happened to the team happened after the mission ended."
Rip nodded, "Precisely. Gideon, where did the team go after the mission?"
"We returned to the temporal zone," she replied, "For something to eat and to relax after the mission."
"Then what happened?" Jax asked.
Annoyance filled Gideon's voice, "I have no further records. Other than an energy signal. Please refer to the screen."
"Oh no," Rip breathed as he looked at the information in front of him, "I should have known."
Cisco grimaced, "Know what?"
Rip pushed a hand through his hair as he began to pace, "It's a weapon. One which can neutralise an AI long enough for a ship to be boarded. It would be used by Bounty Hunters to take over a ship where the Captain had disobeyed an order."
"Why did they never use it on us?" Jax asked.
Rip shrugged, "They knew it was pointless to try since I knew how to neutralise its effect on Gideon because I created it."
"You created it?" disbelief filled Jax's voice.
Shaking his head Rip frowned at him, "Who do you think made all the equipment the Time Bureau use?" taking a long drink of the water sitting beside him Rip sighed, "It was a long time ago I was trying to stop a Time Pirate who was trying to start a plague early. The only way for me to stop the release of the disease was to disable the AI. I only made one device but…"
"But?" Cisco and Jax demanded.
Rip shrugged, "I uploaded the schematics to the Time Masters. It means that the information was out there. This is my fault."
"No, Captain," Gideon replied as Cisco and Jax nodded their agreement, "There was no way you could have known."
Rip took his seat and dropped his head into his hands, "We have no way to know where they are."
"And you don't know a way to track them?" Cisco asked.
"I can't think of one," Jax sighed.
Rip's head came up, "They used the weapon."
"What?" the other two men asked in unison.
"They used a weapon on a ship it could never be used on if I were here," Rip smiled, "A weapon I know the energy signature for because I made it. Gideon," he called bouncing over to her control console tapping in some information, "Scan for this signature."
"All instances found are now on the screen," Gideon replied.
"Eliminate all that do not have the Waverider's signature," Rip reminded her, "Which leaves…"
Pride filled Gideon's voice as she confirmed, "The Luminous City 2619."
"We have a time and a location," Rip said, "It's time to get the rest of your team together, Cisco."