Chapter 11

Almost a month had passed since Ray had come clean to the team and revealed himself to Cisco. Cisco had taken things… rather well all things considered although he was offended that he hadn't been told sooner. March 19th Ray was hosting Game Night with Mark and Axel and Cisco had been invited to the mix. He and Mardon got on alarmingly well considering their past, then again Mark didn't know Cisco worked at S.T.A.R. Labs or with the Flash. He was also friendly with Axel who was quite the engineer. They had spent hours conversing about it until Lisa had pried Cisco away warning Axel to quit stealing her time with her boyfriend.

They had entered an online all night tournament that would always be showing the other teams competing while there's was offline. To win they needed to win all their opponents in the knock-out style contest. There were 16 teams entered so that meant four games. Ordering a tall pile of Pizza's they found their comfortable spots in the room and logged into their accounts on Ray's X-box.

The next evening Len and Ray were laid comfortably against each other, reading by lamp light when Len closed his book sighing. "Ray, it's almost time. I don't know how long they'll hold off if I keep resisting or ignoring the emails they send me. Not quite sure how they got that email address to be honest."

"I never gave them an email address," Ray said confused. "I guess they have more on you then I knew about."

"They clearly know nothing about enticing a criminal, you'd have to be stupid to fall for the fact they're acting desperate."

"I'll try getting them to back off when I check-in tomorrow."

Ray called them the next night at the scheduled time when Len had gone to pick up their dinner. "Are you guys for real? He's onto you. Constant emails are something only an absolute moron could fall for. Lay off before you blow my cover."

"Watch your tone Palmer, we can still arrest you for obstruction," his liaison warned.

Len returned shortly after and took the food to the kitchen. He could tell something was troubling Ray. "They're getting impatient with me. We don't have much time left." He sighed placing his hand over Len's on the counter.

"We need an escape plan, in case they manage to put me away."

"Len-"

"Ray if they're getting desperate, they could fabricate evidence. If they put me away you stay away, I can escape myself. I've done it before, it wouldn't be my first prison break. I'll return an email tomorrow," Len sighed.

"And after you break out, then what?"

"I run."

"You mean 'we' right?"

"Ray, life on the run isn't for everyone-"

"Len I'm not going to stand by-."

"They'll out you."

"They're probably going to do that anyway," Ray argued and they fell silent. "Len," he began, "I knew they'd do it anyway from the start, besides, I don't want to go back to that life. I always hated it. If you run, so do I."

Len knew he wasn't kidding, so he didn't argue. He just leaned forwards and kissed him.

Len was gone the next morning when Ray woke for work. Ray panicked for a moment before remembering he was setting up the bakery so he decided to stop by and pick up breakfast and treats for himself, Lisa and Axel and whoever else dropped by today. The girls welcomed him when he arrived, telling him Len was in the back and taking his order to prepare for his departure.

Len was in the office, there were only a couple of trays still cooling before they could be decorated. He sat at his computer eyes intent on the screen. "Morning," Ray said jolting him out of his musings.

"Morning, they really are stupid," he told Ray, "more emails. All different email addresses. I'm tempted to just ignore them all. I've replied no to most of them and picked something that seems challenging. I won't even take the Captain Cold persona, I'll politely decline and move to leave, though I doubt they'll let it get that far."

"Is there a lawyer that you've used before?"

"Normally they don't give me the chance to call my own, one steps in. My sister says Cisco knows someone, she's supposed to be a good ADA in Star City."

"Laurel Lance?"

"You know her?"

"We've met, she is good at her job. Getting her on side might be hard."

"Cisco offered to ask her. Lisa's given him a tour of the Centre like she did you? He's apparently fully on board with the not bad anymore."

"You gonna let her?"

"Do you trust her?"

"Laurel likes to know everything is right, show her what you've shown me and Cisco, she'll come on board. Also mention the school and scholarship programs, it all makes you look good and them look foolish." The computer made an alert noise.

"It's a reply. Friday."

"That's…"

"Soon, I know. We better prepare everyone. We don't have long, you and Cisco, reach out to Lance, after I'm arrested, I'll refuse to talk and I'll invoke my right for council. I hope she's as good as I've heard. They could be watching, we shouldn't be seen together unless in a work context." He told Ray who nodded solemnly.

Ray and Cisco made the trip to Star City, Ray keeping a low profile Cisco arranged a meeting, with Laurel, just out of town to avoid detection.

"OK, Cisco what was so important?"

"I need your help." Ray said from behind Cisco. Laurel froze, she hadn't even seen him.

"Ray? Where have you been?"

"The government has been blackmailing me, they're going to put an innocent man in jail, Laurel I need you to defend him."

Lauren considered, "just who are we talking about?"

"You won't believe this, Leonard Snart."

"You're joking right?"

"I wish, Laurel, please just hear me out."

"Laurel he's telling the truth, I've seen the good the guy has done, just see for yourself, the government is planning on arresting him Friday, they've been blackmailing me for months. Come with us to Central City let us show you." Ray begged. Laurel was hesitant, her work case load may have been lenient at the moment but her work with Oliver against Damien Darhk.

"I can't make any promises, but, I'll check in, make sure I'm not needed and if I can make it, I'll come tomorrow. First thing."

The two boys shared a look, "if you can, meet us at this location," Ray handed her a slip of paper. "Hopefully see you," he said.

He and Cisco arrived back in Central City and he dropped Cisco at Lisa's place before returning home. It felt empty without Len, but he knew it was for his own good.

The next morning Ray showered, dressed and took his bike to the Centre. To his amazement Laurel was sat outside in her car, drinking coffee from a thermos. "Morning," he said knocking on her window.

"Ray care to explain why I'm at a Children's Centre?"

"I thought you should see what the community thinks of Len before you hear what BS they're going to charge him with. Come on, the kids will be just finishing breakfast club. And here's the others," he said as a school bus pulled into the carpark.

Aideen saw him and ran over, "Ray!"

"Hey Aideen, this is my friend, Laurel, she's a lawyer, it's a really important job. She's here to have a look around."

"Hello."

"Hi," Laurel smiled.

"OK, go get signed in and I'll take you to the others when we finish OK?"

"OK," she grinned and ran back to her friends.

"Shouldn't she be in school?"

"Her school had a recent scandal so the kids either stay home or come here until the school sorts it. Come on, let me show you around." Laurel watched impressed as Ray walked in, greeted the staff all by name and he knew so much about what went on here.

"OK, I'm impressed," she said as they walked down a corridor, "but what does this all have to do with Leonard Snart?"

"He founded this place."

"What?" She looked around in amazement. "Captain Cold?"

"The very same. He grew up not far from here, brought his sister up, left school to do so and decided enough was enough, so he gives back to the people who need it. The families who need and deserve it, come with me," he said leading her to a room where several men and women were. "This is Eliza, Len provided her with a scholarship to Hudson to study Medicine, and she's now a practicing paediatrician. Andrew, you may know him as Star City's up and coming Pitcher. Scholarship again. All of the people in this room had a scholarship from Len to follow their dreams and get out. Len helped all of these people like he's helping all of the kids out there. The families, the parents, he gives them jobs, real jobs. He cares about these people," he told her as they walked out through the main playroom.

"And you care about him, don't you?"

"I do, very much. So you'll help him?"

"Friday night I'll be in the station declaring myself his lawyer, as long as he approves, I'll do my best. So where does all this come from?"

"Most of it I produced, the climbing frames, the computers, I built them." He explained lifting a small boy off of a high up ledge on the climbing wall.

"It really is unbelievable. Oh," she said as a small girl tugged on her arm, "hello," she smiled.

"Hello, would you like to come colour with us?" Laurel looked at Ray who nodded and allowed herself to be lead away by the girl.

Friday Len met Ray in his workshop to say goodbye. They shared a heartfelt kiss and a long tear-filled (for Ray) hug. "I love you," Len mumbled in Len's ear.

"I love you too," Ray replied softly.

Len arrived at the meeting point, in his casual wear, making it clear he had no intent of going through with it.

"You're late."

"I don't think I really had a choice, you've been harassing me," Len replied.

"Leonard Snart you're under arrest," came the sudden reveal of their scam, he listened as they read him his rights, snapped handcuffs around his wrists and placed in him the police car. The plan was in motion.