Author's Note: I don't own the show or characters except for the OCs. I have used lines from the show. I'll finish episode 3 next chapter. Also the song mentioned in this chapter is Burn It to the Ground by Nickelback.
Mick's P.O.V.
FLASHBACK
"So long story short the only thing we remember from the 3 day drunken haze is Mick yelling the word 'bull', drinking a lot of booze, and being a part of a bar fight." Red says giving wild gestures with a beer bottle in her hands. Red and I were sitting back to back. Sara was sleuthing in a chair next to Len who was laying across from us on the bed. "Next thing we know we're waking up 3 days later in a very expensive hotel room. Lisa woke up on a love seat, Mick was upside down in a chair, Lenny was on the pool table, and I woke up in a chandelier. We were all semi-naked."
"Of course." Sara chuckles.
"My hair dyed cotton candy blue with lime green and soft pink highlights. Lisa had an engagement ring on. Yes, ring finger left hand. And believe me we checked and she didn't get married, she got engaged. Which trust me ended the second Lenny met the fiancé, he scared the living shit out of him. Well, that may have had something to do with Lenny waking up with a tattoo that makes people think he's a part of the Japanese mafia. We checked and he isn't a part of the mafia. And Mick somehow woke up with an open wound on his ass. The 3 of us spent 3 hours stitching up Mick's ass."
"Yeah that was fun." I say sarcastically.
"I never needed to see that and I think the scar looks like a wolverine." Red says.
"I think it looks like a dragon breathing fire. Beautiful fire." I say.
"I think it looks like a ninja in a snow pile. Well my sister thinks it looks like melting statue of Lady Liberty." Len says.
"Seriously?" Sara laughs.
"It is a very argued subject." Red says seriously.
"We even made it into a game. One time a bar fight even started because nobody could agree on what it was." I say to Sara's amused face.
"Wow." Sara says.
"You want to play or see Len's ink?" Red says while suggestively raising an eyebrow.
"I'm not nearly drunk or high enough for that." Sara says and shakes her empty beer bottle. "I'm gonna grab another."
"I'll get one too." Len says putting his empty beer down. They both get up and go to the other side of the room to grab more beers.
"Okay Red," I whisper so Len and Sara wouldn't hear. "I ain't complaining, but why you'd invite Canary."
"Len was gonna do his 'not subtle are you okay' and I'll end up retaliating with 'how are you doing about the dying reincarnated mom thing'." Red whispers low enough that only I would here. "So with Sara here we can't talk about either of those with her here and we get an awesome new drinking buddy. It's a win win."
"Smart move Red." I say and then say loud enough for everyone to here. "So what movie we watching next?"
End of Flashback
Ray's P.O.V.
"Jax, Professor, how are you guys doing this morning?" I ask walking up to Jax and Professor Stein in the hallway. Professor Stein and Jax are dressed and ready for today, but Jax looks like he's still half asleep. It's a good thing the shower woke me up or I'd look like Jax.
"Tired." Jax yawned. "Why we have to get up at 7am I'll never know."
"Come on, Jefferson it is always good to have an early start to the day." Professor Stein says.
"It's will be fine. Some coffee will wake you right up." I say trying to be cheerful.
"It would be if the food this ship makes didn't taste like crap." Jax says.
"Yeah, I can't argue with you there." I say rubbing the back of my neck.
"I'm sure we can find something edible." Professor Stein starts. "Maybe it was just that specific food we choose late night that had an unpleasant taste."
"Yeah right." Jax mutters. "Wait, is that bacon?"
"What?" Professor Stein and I ask.
"I think I smell bacon. The food Gideon made didn't have a smell, right?" Jax asks.
"It doesn't." Professor Stein confirms. The 3 of us head down the rest of the hallway to the entrance the kitchen. The door opens and what sounded like a rock song about getting drunk and burning something was playing, and the smell of great food filled my nose. The Rogues and Sara were sitting at the table eating and actually enjoying the food. Sara and Red were sitting next to each other with Mick and Snart across from them.
"Good morning guys." Sara after swallowing a bite of omelet.
"Hey weirdos." Red said through a mouth full. She was eating an omelet with bacon in it. Or it was eggs in bacon.
"Sup." Mick says with food in his mouth and nods.
"Morning." Snart says as the first Rogue not to talk with food in his mouth.
"Morning guys?" Jax says confused and eyeing the Rogues and Sara questionably. "Are you guys enjoying the food?"
"Yes." Sara says before taking another bite.
"Duh." Red mutters through her food.
"Would we be eating it if we didn't like it?" Snart snarks.
"Wait, Gideon made something tasty?" I ask. Sara, Red, Mick and Snart look at us like we're crazy.
"What? You think we'd eat the shit this ship spits out?" Mick says almost spitting out the food in his mouth.
"Damn you guys are a riot." Red says breaking into a potbellied laugh.
"Wait, if Gideon didn't make it, than where'd you get the food?" Jax asks.
"We robbed a grocery store and a farm last night and Mick cooked the food." Red explains before shoveling more bacon into her mouth.
Of course they robbed it.
"You cook?" I say looking at Mick.
"You got a problem with that?" Mick glares at Professor Stein, Jax, and I.
"No, no, no, no." I say quickly shaking my hands and head. "Just surprised."
"I get to work with fire and people can't hassle me about it. Of course I'm gonna do it." Mick says like it's obvious.
"You made all this?" Professor Stein asks waving his hand in the direction of their plates.
"Duh." Red says.
"What'd you make?" Jax asks.
"Can you make crepes?" Professor Stein asks.
"Why you wanna know?" Mick asks as he leans back in his chair, eyeing the 3 of us curiously.
"Just curious." Jax says.
"Mr. Rory made his pancakes and scrambled eggs, Ms. Baxter's cheese, hash brown, and bacon omelet, Ms. Lance's green pepper, tomato, and spinach omelet with a side of pancakes and Mr. Snart's French toast with American fries." Gideon says suddenly and turns off the music and then turns it back on once she finished speaking.
"No offense Gideon, but Mick's food is better tasting than the food you make and I would have said that early but I didn't realize you were in here." Sara says.
"It's alright the food I produce is designed for nutation and health benefits, not for flavor or taste. So I take no offense and for future reference I'm in every room except for the bedrooms and the bathroom, unless I'm invited, at all times." Gideon says, turning the music off and not starting it again.
Wait, she heard the conversation in the hall.
"Just to be clear, you're only in our rooms or the restroom if we invite you." Jax says. "How do we invite you and how long does that invitation last, does that mean if you're invited in once you can come in whenever? And if you can only come in when invited how'd you come into wake us this morning?"
"I would like to know that as well." I say and raise my hand.
"I can hear every sound on this ship, so all you have to do is just talk to me. The invitation lasts until you tell me to leave and I went into your rooms on the Captains orders." Gideon explains.
"That's good to know." I say.
"Sorry about what we said in the hallway Gideon." Jax says slightly embarrassed.
"It's alright. Also we have just landed in Leipzig, Germany." Gideon said.
"Wait, the ship was flying? Are we still in 1975?" I ask.
"Yes and we only flew. We didn't time jump." Gideon explains.
"Okay, thank you Gideon. So on to the subject of crepes." Stein says changing the subject.
"I'm done cookin', if you wanted me to make you breakfast ya should have got here while I was still cookin'. You want crepes make your own." Mick says before shoveling pancakes into his mouth.
"Mr. Rory-"
"I said I'm done cookin', got it?" Mick says giving a glare.
"So what'd you get from the grocery store?" I ask.
"Why don't you, I don't know look in the cabinets." Red sassed.
Wow. The Rogues are not morning people.
I walk to the cabinets on the left of the sink and raise my hand to the middle cabinet. "Did you guys get anything gluten fre-"
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU FOUR DO?!" Rip shouts charging into the room, smoke could almost be seen rolling out of his ears.
"Show time!" Mick says cheerfully.
Oh god what did they do?
"Morning Rip, sleep well." Snart says smirking.
"Did someone sleep on the wrong side of the bed?" Red said in a similar voice to what she used when she called Jax a cutie when he was drugged.
"Cut the crap. You know exactly what you did." Rip glares daggers at them well the Rogues look smug and Sara smirks.
"Well, we don't know what they did, so do you mind explaining?" Jax ask.
"I second that." I say raising my hand.
"Put your hand down Haircut! This ain't a damn classroom." Mick says with a disgusted look on his face.
"These four!" Rip started, ignoring Mick's comment. "Oh wait, maybe you should ask the Russian contortionist," Rip pointing at Red. "the Italian health inspector," Rip pointing to Mick. "and the married French couple" Rip gestures to Sara and Snart. "who robbed and started a brawl in a grocery store!"
"You did what?" I ask staring at them.
"Russian contortionist?" Jax said at the same time the Professor said, "Married French couple?"
Sara was the only one who looked slightly sheepish, the Rogues looked like they didn't care.
"In our defense," Red started. "Starting the brawl was not our fault."
"Really?" Rip questions raising his eyebrow.
"It wasn't our fault the bagboy decided to slap my ass. He had the kick to the junk coming."
"You started a grocery store brawl by kicking a bagboy in tentacles?" Rip asks with a mixture of shocked, slightly horrified, and exhaustion.
"You didn't know?" Mick, Red, and Snart said in unison.
"Next thing you're gonna tell us is you don't know about the quickie I had with the store owner's daughter. Also part of the reason we got kicked out." Red says chuckling.
"YOU WHAT?" Rip says, eyes almost bulging out of his head.
"You know if you're gonna chew someone out for something that we don't give a damn about and aren't going to listen to the crap that comes out of your mouth, you should really get all the facts first." Snart says as he, Mick, and Red get up and start walking out of the room.
"We're not finished here!" Rip shouts.
"Aw," Red says as she faces us in the doorway, talking in a voice someone would use when talking to a toddler. "he still thinks that he ever had any actual power over us." Red then turned and the door close behind her.
"Aaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!" Rip yells at the ceiling. He turns to Sara. "What do you hav-"
Rip was interrupted by sirens and the ceiling flashing red lights.
"Captain we have an emergency in the Medbay." Gideon says sounding slightly panicked.
Wait! Is it possible for an AI to have feelings?
"Professor Stein, Dr. Palmer!" Rip shouts as he runs out of the kitchen. Professor Stein and I run after Rip.
"I thought she stabilized!" Rip shouts.
"As did I!" Professor says.
The door slides open before we're even close and we run into the Medbay. Kendra is shaking and groaning in pain, in the chair. A red light is flashing over her. We go over to her and the professor puts his hand on her forehead.
"Carter!" Kendra says starting to scream in pain, taking breathes loud enough we could hear anytime she breathed. "Argh!" Rip moves away and starts to pace. "Where's Carter? Ahh!"
"He's gone, Kendra." Professor says.
"Ahh!" Kendra keeps screaming.
"I'm so sorry." I say.
"Argh!"
"Gideon would you turn that bloody noise off!" Rip shouts.
"Yes, Captain." Gideon says and the alarm that has been going off every 2 seconds finally stops. But something is still happening to Kendra.
"Ahhh!"
"Any ideas on what happened?" I ask.
"It appears Ms. Saunders has had a complication." Professor Stein snaps.
"I can see that, what kind of complication?" I ask.
"How could you leave him?!" Kendra screams, before her breathing starts to falter and she collapses into the chair.
Oh no.
"Is she-" I start.
"Medbay gave her a sedative." Professor Stein interrupts me. "But obviously her condition is worsening."
Red's P.O.V.
"Pieces of the dagger are, as we speak, on route to her heart." Rip says doing a horrible job of putting on a brave and indifferent face as he looks at me and Mick, whose pacing as I slouch in a chair, to Sara who's doing a similar 'lean on anything' thing that Len does, to Jax who is freaking out on next to the control panel, to Len who's leaning up against a chair from the floor. Its obvious Rip thinks she's doomed, he's just trying to be in denial about it.
"Can't we just time jump to the future where they have the stuff they can fix her?" Jax asks Rip starts pacing in his office.
"This ship is from that very future and so thus far been unsuccessful in saving her." Rip shouts giving wild hand gestures.
"Kendra wouldn't survive the time jump anyway." Len says casually. Causing Rip, who stopped pacing, Sara, and Jax to look at him surprised. "What? I pay attention."
"To sum up:" Mick starts, glaring at Rip. "Carter Hall is dead,-"
"The girlfriend isn't too far behind,-" I say.
It would be a blessing if she followed.
"-Vandal Savage is sitting pretty in 1975," Mick says as he finally stops pacing.
"-which we're all now stuck in." I finish, sending a glare.
"That how the plan supposed to work, Rip?" Mick asks sending Rip a glare of his own.
"Do you guys do that…," Jax says waving his arms between me and Mick, "talk in those complete each other's sentence figment thing often?"
"The 3 of us just think on the same wavelength." Len says pointing to himself, Mick, and I. "It happens sometimes. Now back to the point."
"No, obviously," Rip says annoyed. "the mission was supposed to be simple. We stop Vandal Savage here in the past and we save the future."
"Simple don't mean easy, Captain." Len says putting as much distain as possible in the word captain.
"Oh I never said it was." Rip starts putting false hope in his voice. "The benefit of being a Time Master is that the length and breathe of history gives one…" Rip actually takes a dramatic pauses. "perspective. I've seen darker days. I've men of steel die and dark knights fall, and even then I accomplished my mission no matter what." He steps towards the control panel.
"Just one question." I say.
"Who you trying to convince with that crap speech?" Mick asks picking up where I left off.
"Us or you?" Len finishes. Rip looks a little shock and quickly looks away.
"Gideon, what is our status?" Rip says, saying the word status weird. A blue hologram of the ship appeared on the control panel.
"When the Waverider was attacked by Chronos the Jumpship was damaged. Unless you make repairs we will be unable to-"
"Whoa, wow, wait, Jumpship?" Jax asks interrupting Gideon.
"It's a small expeditionary vessel at the belly of the Waverider," Rip pauses a second getting a 'eureka moment' look on his face, well Len gets his 'I starting to plan' look on.
"The Waverider got a dingy?" I say surprised, getting a laugh out of Len and Mick.
Did he seriously just tell the 3 possibly 4 wild cards on this boat, about a little hot rod waiting to be driven? Hello dinos! Hello Times Square!
"It's not a dingy." Rip says turning to me and giving a frustrated glare before turning and pointing to Jax. "And Jax you're a mechanic! You have a look at the Jumpship." Rip finishes as he starts to walk to his study.
"Uh…auto mechanic." Jax starts, pointing at himself and then gesturing to the room. "Uh…spaceship." Rip just gives him a look. "Okay, if you've got a set of wretches, I'll see what I can do." I roll my eyes.
Really, come on show some will power.
"I guess we know who wears the pants out of Stein and Jax." I stage whisper to Mick and Len, but is ignored because Len is in his head and Mick wants some answers or to set something on fire.
50/50 or both.
"What about the rest of us? Do we just sit?" Mick asks.
"Capital idea, Mr. Rory." Rip says in a 'thank you captain obvious' tone. "You're not nearly as thick as most people say." Rip says.
Is that supposed to be a compliment? The fact that you don't realize that he uses his appearance to make you think he's an idiot is just proof of how much more intelligent he is than you, Rippy.
"And you're not nearly as great of Time Master as you've said you are, Rip." I say smirking. "What was with all the stoking your own ego, you trying to compensate for something?" I gesturing towards his crotch with my eyes and head.
"Ms. Baxter!" Rip shouts shocked, gapping like a fish. Mick was openly laughing, while Len snicker and smirked. Jax looked at me wide eyed mouth almost falling open. Sara looked like she couldn't decide between laughing and trying keep a straight face.
Mick's P.O.V.
"I found an interesting little something about the Jumpship." Len says walking into the hidden room I found, door sliding closed behind him.
"We're calling it the Dingy!" Red shouts head popping out of an air vent in the ceiling. "Cool hidden room! I got half the ship mapped out." Then she went back into the vent and the tile went back into place.
"Anyway, I know how we can take a little trip-"
"Time-douche and Sara are talking about robbing a bank!" Red shouts popping her head out of the ceiling air vent, hanging opposite down like a bat.
"Let's go!" Len and I say in sync. Red jumps down from the vent and leads the way after we leave the secret room.
"…and if it helps I'm not giving you a choice. I'm going with you to that bank." Sara says with an 'I'm not taking your shit' tone.
"Somebody say bank?" Len says as we walk into the bridge.
"Your services aren't required Mr. Snart. Neither are yours Mr. Rory, Ms. Baxter. This is purely reconnaissance." Rip says.
"We know how to case banks." I say.
"It's true, were practically bankers." Red says with pride, doing a half walk, half skip sassy walk to the control panel.
"'Cept we take the money out." Len says doing an exaggerated hand gesture.
"Yes, and when I need someone to steal something, you 3 will be the first to know, I assure you." Rip says sounding like he's just saying whatever he can to get rid of us.
"Listen, Englishman." I start, getting agitated, getting all up in his face. "I'm getting bored being struck on this tin can. Red's starting to get bored, too."
"Mick or me getting bored is one thing." Red says taking the reins. "But both of us bored, is a hold different level of insanity." Red said standing next to me, putting an equal amount of empathsis and death threat and glare, into the word 'insanity'.
"Now, now, now," Len says pushing Red and me away from Rip. "we're all on the same side here." Len slips whatever he took from Rip's pocket and slips it into his own pocket. "My hot headed friends and I just want to be helpful. That's all."
"Duly noted." Rip says not believing Len for a moment. He left and Sara quickly follows.
"See ya later." Sara says giving a little wave before she's out of the room.
"You should have let me punch him." Red and I said in sync.
"Yeah, then we wouldn't have gotten this." Len says holding up some weird tech thing that looks a little like a flash drive, which Len took from Rip's pocket.
"That connected to the little trip we're taking off this bucket of bolts?" Red asks eyeing the whatever, future thing like it could bite.
"Yes it is." Len says smirking.
Jax's P.O.V.
"Ha! Nice ride!" Mick says.
"Fuck this is cool!" Red says. I stop what I'm doing and turn my head and see the Rogues walking in the Jumpship. Red throws herself into one of the chairs. Mick and Snart move and stand behind me.
"Yeah, it can hit Mach 3 on a walk. Pretty cool." I say looking around this thing and turning to face them.
Man this thing is so cool!
"How'd you know so much about it?" Snart asks.
"Little thing called an instruction manual." I say.
"You read the part about how to fly this thing?" Snart asks but it sounds like a statement.
"Maybe." I say suspiciously. "Why?"
"We're gonna take a sojourn in Central City. There's a priceless jewel that needs to be freed from captivity." Snart says now sitting in a chair. Mick in one across from him.
"You want me to help you guys steal something? Nah man. I'll pass." I say.
I can't believe these guys.
"Not exactly asking, Jax." Red says eyes flashing yellow and voice getting growly. I flinch back a bit.
She doesn't eat people. Right?
"Wow!" I say with disbelief. "Carter is dead, Kendra is this close to joining him,"
Is it my imagination or did Snart flinch a little at the Kendra thing?
"And Vandal Savage is still alive and out there doing god knows what, and all you can think about is stealing some diamond?"
"It's an emerald." Snart says like it makes a differences.
"Is there anything you think about other than yourself?" I ask.
"Yes." Snart says. I look at him in disbelief. "Money"
That makes more sense.
"Nah. I'm not helping you guys steal anything." I say. Mick grabs his heat gun and gets out of his seat along with Red and start moving towards me. "So if you want to shoot me, shoot me."
Mick says "Can I shoot him?" at the same time Red says "Can I maim him?"
"You got a pair on you, kid. I respect that." Snart says holding his hand up to stop them.
Mick and Red say, "So no shooting." and "So no maiming." at the same time and sit back down.
"Look, you don't actually have to help us steal anything." Snart says. "We just need to get to Central City. We'll be there and back before anyone knows we're even gone."
It would be cool to take this thing for spin… But stealing is wrong!
"Man, even if I wanted to help, and I'm not saying that I do, this thing's got a security lockout. We need an access key." I say with defeat.
No way to start this thing, no need to make a decision.
"You can't tell me you don't wanna see what this baby can do." Snart says holding up some future tech that looks like a flash drive that must be the key.
It probably won't do that much damage to anything to take this thing for a test run. Right?
Len's P.O.V.
"That's what I call a clean heist." Mick says as he, Red, and I walk into the Jumpship with the Maximilian Emerald in my hand. Red jumped into the air landing in one of the seat.
"Whoa! I needed that." Red said relaxing into the chair. Mick took the seat next to her and I leaned against the wall across from them.
"Thanks for not setting the museum on fire," I say looking at Mick. I turn to Red. "thanks for not killing or maiming anyone." I turn to Jax. "And you, thanks for being our away driver."
"Speaking of, let's get the hell back to the ship." Jax says clearly trying to stay calm, as he turns back to the controls.
"Oh, one more stop." I say causing Jax to turn away from the controls.
"What're you talking about, boss?" Mick asks as he and Red look at me like their trying to read my soul.
"1629 Handley Avenue." I say, hoping Red and Mick don't interfere.
"What's on Handley Avenue?" Jax asks, looking confused.
"It's where he grew up." Red and Mick say in sync.
"That's why you wanted to steal the Maximilian Emerald." Mick says giving me an 'are you stupid' look.
"Don't take this the way, but are you stupid!" Red shouts the last bit.
"Enough." I order, giving them both a glare.
"You wanted to give it to your old man so he wouldn't go to jail trying to steal it for himself." Mick says.
"That fucker doesn't deserve your help." Red says, her eyes flashing yellows and black veins started appearing at the mention of my father and disappearing shortly after.
"Your father was a thief too?" Jax asks.
"And unfortunately not a very good one." I say glaring.
Let's just get this over with.
"I'm never the buzzkill and I hate listening to Rip." Red starts.
"But didn't he say something about not messing with the timeline?" Mick finishes. Jax gives Mick and Red a weird. But they don't stop glaring at me.
Wow the talking in sync thing really weirds Jax out.
"You could accidently blink yourself out of existence. You're screwing with history here, man." Jax says trying to talk me out of it.
"Yeah, well, history screwed with me first." I say. "Let's go. 1629 Handley Avenue." Jax turns to Mick and Red silently asking them what to do. They stop glaring at me and look at each other having an unspoken conversation. They both huff and turn back to us.
Wow, they are really in sync.
"Do it." Mick orders. Jax nods and turns towards the controls.
"But that doesn't mean this isn't an extremely idiotic idea. And that's coming from the people who once set a chain saw on fire, while using it." Red says, gesturing to herself and Mick.
"You what?" Jax says looking at them like they're crazy as he turned away from the controls again.
It's possible they are. It's also possibly I am, so.
"It was on my bucket list." Red said like it was self-explanatory. "It went so wrong so fast." She smiles fondly and laughs a little at the memory.
"Not the point, but we're the people who thought it was a good idea, the fact that we think this is a stupid idea should say how stupid of an idea it is." Mick said pointing his finger at me. "But if you want to high dive into a sea of stupid, go ahead. Drive Jax."
"Okay." Jax shakes his head turns towards the controls again. I sit down before the Jumpship starts flying. Red and Mick just glare at me like I'm stupid. After about 7 minutes I couldn't take it anymore and I look anywhere but at them.
"Okay, we're here." Jax says breaking the deadening silence. As the Jumpship shook slightly as it lands.
"I'll be back soon." I say as I get up.
"Try not to make any big changes that could change everything." Mick says.
"Oh wait." Red says giving a look of fake shock. "You are." She really laid it on thick.
"With how stupid my dad is, I'm just delaying the inevitable." I say trying to keep the misery out of my voice.
There are some things you can't change no matter how much you want to. I'm not going to make the mistake of thinking he'll care or do something right by me or Lisa ever again.
"Don't get your hopes up, Len." Mick says.
"I won't." I say flatly.
"We got your back." Red states. I stand up as the hatch opens, I walk out of the Jumpship. I get to the front door and take my lock picks out quickly unlock the door. I open the door and slowly walk inside. I slowly and quietly close the door. The room is dimly lit and messy. The table has a couple of beers and an unfinished card game on it, empty beer cans on the floor. I start walking through the house, the kitchen has a couple empty beers near the sink, papers everywhere, and two 6-packs on the counters. Jack Daniels. The living room is messy, there's a children's coloring books, crayons, beers, a teddy bear on the table.
I thought I never had that toy.
My mother is passed out in an arm chair with a beer bottle hanging limping from her arm that's hanging over the chair's arm. Her hair is a mess, an hour old beer stain on her shirt. The resemblance to Kendra is uncanny.
The woman who made my childhood hell, who tried to kill Lisa, was lying right there, while her next life is back on the ship, dying.
"I came down for a glass of water." A voice calls from behind me. Surprising me. It's 3 year old me, wearing dinosaur pajamas, with a glass of water in his hands. "I'm Leo. Are you friends with my parents? Are you okay, you look sad?" He asks. I realize I'm shaking and my breathing is erratic. I quickly put on a face of indifference and slow my breathing.
"I'm fine and kind of." I say.
"I think they're sleeping." Leo says. He's standing in the hallway so he can't see our mother passed out in the chair.
It's better he doesn't.
I walk towards Leo. I stop once I'm about 3 feet away and go on to my knees, taking a couple deep breathes.
"Can I tell you something, Leo?" I ask my voice shaking slightly as I look Leo, my younger self in the eye. "It's important." Leo nods. "Don't ever let anyone hurt you. Ever." I point to my head. "Not here…" I move my hand away from my temple. "and especially…" I put my finger right over his heart. "not here." I pull my hand away trying to hold in the tears. "No matter what you always have to look out for yourself. Okay? You understand?"
"I think so." Leo says looking slightly confused.
Tick, clank.
A gun crocks behind my head.
"You get the hell away from my boy you son of bitch." I recognized the voice instantly. My father is holding a rifle to the back of my head in front of my younger self. Leo notices the gun and starts to get scared.
"Why don't you go on up to bed?" I calmly ask. "Go on." Leo quickly walks down the hallway and to the stairs and starts walking up them. I turn and rise towards the younger version of my father.
"Move." He says gesturing with his gun towards the dining room. His eyes quickly flicker to my mother's sleeping form.
He's trying to get me away from her.
I walk into the dinner room and he follows, gun aimed at my back. He grabs the ceiling light and shines the light in my face.
"Talk fast, or you take a bullet. What are you doing in my home?" He asks.
"A favor for you." I answer.
Not that you deserve it.
I reach into my pocket. He sees the movement.
"Watch it." He orders waving the gun a bit.
"Relax." I say calmly. Raising my other hand in a show of surrender as I take the emerald out and place it on the table. He's eyes go wide.
"How the hell did you-" He stutters out.
"2 days from now, you try to steal this and you get arrested, and you spend five years in Iron Heights." I say firmly.
"What are you talking about?" He asks trying to look like he isn't hiding something.
"Cut the crap." I say.
Wow, he's a bad liar.
"We both know if I go down to the basement right now, I'll find floor plans for the Central City museum. Let's just say I saved you the trouble and from being arrested." I say, seeing his act crack.
"How do you know all this?" He asks shocked, unintentionally lowering the gun.
"The same way I'll know if you even think of raising a hand to your wife and son. Or I if you let your wife raise a hand to your son." I stock over to him threateningly. "I know who you are. I know the man you become and it's all I can do to keep from ending you right here, right now, but if I do, that means my sister is never born, so you get a pass." I finish and head for the front door. I barely hear dear old dad ask, 'Your sister?' before I'm out the door. I take a deep breath as the door closes and I'm finally feel like I can breathe. I walk off the front pouch and see Mick, Red, and Jax standing outside the Jumpship.
"Looks like you didn't write yourself out of the timeline." Mick says.
"Looks like." I say before Red moves from her spot and engulfs me in a hug. I freeze for a second before I return the hug.
"I heard what happened." Red whispers so Mick and Jax don't hear. "It sounded like you needed this." She removes her right arm and I remove my let arm and she holds my waist as I hold hers. She moves to my right side turning it into a side hug. She lightly nuzzles her head against my shoulder, making a comforting and calming, barely there purring sound.
"You felling okay?" Jax asks. Looking slightly confused by Red's actions.
"I don't know. I thought maybe things would feel different." I admit.
"The Englishmen says it takes time for time to change." Mick says.
"Maybe you have to wait a little bit." Red says sounding just as unsure as Mick and I, before continuing the purring sound.
"What were you trying to change?" Jax finally gets the balls to ask.
"My dad was never father of the year, but at least he never raised a hand to any of us." I say, tightening my fist.
"Until he went to prison," Jax explains realization dawning on him. "which now he won't."
"Let's get out of here." I say.