Rachel POV- Sara and Amaya drove up with rock music blaring. Rachel glared at her white bike before staring lovingly, if briefly, at the red 85 Iroc-Z Camaro.
"We circled the neighborhood checked the yard. It seems normal" Amaya said.
"Scary normal. Maybe young Ray died of boredom" Sara said.
"No something's up. Something's wrong. Look maybe it was the candy. Maybe I overdosed on high-fructose corn syrup and food coloring" Ray said coloring quickly.
"Or maybe your killer aborted when we showed up. Let's get back to the ship and check the historical record" Sara suggested.
"Yes thank God I'm dying to get out of all this… color" Rachel said looking down at her outfit.
"Give me a minute" Ray said as he took off running towards his childhood home.
"I got him" Rachel said jogging after Ray.
"I'm talking to someone in my room" Ray said on coms.
"Ray candy isn't going t…" Rachel said coming up behind Ray who cut her off when he put his hand over her mouth.
"Guys I think I know what kills me. It's a Dominator" Ray said quietly.
Slowly Ray walked away from his window pulling Rachel with him. Rachel let a small energy zap flare up from her hands to his hand that was still over her mouth. He let go with a small yelp of pain. He mouthed a silent apology and they quickly and quietly rejoined the team and headed back to the ship.
"So…aliens are real" Zari said watching the video the team had of the Dominators.
"Yep and those ones are called Dominators" Jax replied.
"They're nasty too. Capable of telepathy, advanced technology and the fun one, tearing people limb from limb" Nate added.
"Great" Zari said.
"The last time we faced them they almost wiped out meta-humans and made us fight each other" Sara said.
"And worse... fight together" Mick chimed in.
"Not to mention kidnapped Sara and I for mental research on how best to kill us all" Rachel said leaving out the shared world they lived in.
"And now little me kidnapped one of them and is treating it like a house pet which would be cool if it wasn't deadly" Ray said.
"Maybe the baby Dominator hasn't developed all of its abilities yet" Amaya said.
"The infant of the species has the strength of the adult with none of its discretion. It can also mind-control subjects at will" Gideon informed them.
"How can you not remember befriending an alien?" Zari asked Ray.
"Because I didn't. It never happened to me" Ray answered.
"The Dominator is an Anachronism. It's time-displaced" Nate explained.
"Right" Zari remembered.
"So we have to get the baby Dominator out of Ray's bedroom and back to where it belongs" Sara said.
"Perfectly before it or worse it's mother kills us all" Rachel smiled having poured a drink from Rip's stash.
"And how are we supposed to do that?" Jax asked.
"Uh well it should be easy. All we have to do is sneak into my house tomorrow when my mom's at work and I'm at school and kidnap the Dominator. I even know where the spare key is" Ray explained.
"Like stealing candy from a baby" Jax grinned.
"But not as fun" Mick mumbled.
"Hey when was the last time a mission was ever easy?" Rachel said to cheer Mick up, making him grin at the truth of her words.
Zari accompanied Ray to infiltrate his childhood home while Amaya and Nate were outside posing as animal control. Sara was on coms on the ship while the rest of the team was on standby for emergencies. Rachel paced with small sparks coming off her fingers. She was bored and felt way too overcharged.
"Will you please sit down or something? You're making me nervous of wayward shocks" Sara snapped.
Rachel stopped mid-stride and clenched her fists pulling her power back. Slowly she took a few deep breaths… which did nothing. She wanted to do something. She needed to do something or she'd scream.
Out of reflex only was Rachel able to block Sara's fist coming at her. However that didn't stop Sara she kept attacking and Rachel, though confused, fought back. Back and forth they moved across the bridge pushing each other. Rachel would gain the upper hand only for Sara to take it back and vice versa.
"Wait. Is that music?" Sara asked holding up her hand to Rachel.
Rachel stopped mid-swing and quickly turned her com on. Sure enough she heard singing.
"Yeah, 'Singing in the Rain' only the best musical ever" Ray responded.
"Not as good as 'Fiddler on the Roof.' I love that show… what?" Mick said realizing they were all staring at him as he'd spoken to himself.
"Thanks" Rachel turned to Sara feeling much better.
"You needed to blow off some steam" Sara smiled
"Do you know anyone who owns a green station wagon with fake wood paneling?" Nate asked.
"What's my mom doing home?" Ray asked.
"Dude you never mentioned your mom was hot" Nate replied.
"Why would I ever mention that?" Ray asked clearly so confused.
"Guys the Dominator's getting angry. Somebody needs to distract my mom" Ray said.
"Fine I'll take one for the team" Nate jumped on the opportunity.
"Yeah now would be great guys" Zari urged them.
"Captain Lance" Gideon spoke up.
"What's up?"
"I am detecting the approach of another timeship."
"What if the assassin followed us here? We need to plead for clemency with the Time Bureau and ask for help" Martin said sounding almost hysteric.
"Whosever here could be tracking us. Stay off the coms. I'm gonna check it out you keep watch here" Sara told Martin.
"I'm right behind you" Rachel said.
"No, I need you to stay here… keep watch" Sara said the last part softly looking at Mick and Martin.
"One is panicking the other is…well Mick" Sara added.
"Fine. But later you and I round two no holds barred?" Rachel almost begged feeling a bit of cabin fever almost like the walls were closing in on her.
"Deal" Sara promised before she left.
"Gideon let me know if Mick or Martin try to leave the ship" Rachel said heading for her room.
"Of course Ms. Stone" Gideon replied.
Rachel tried to nap but mostly she tossed and turned unable to get comfortable. She couldn't explain how being on the Waverider was starting to bother her in more ways than cabin fever. She wasn't tired of the adventure nor was she bored with the mission. She couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.
"Looks like a false alarm. No sign of the Time Bureau here" Sara said on coms.
"Good. Nothing too exciting on this end yet either" Rachel replied.
"Ms. Stone? Professor Stein appears to be attempting to leave in the Jumpship" Gideon informed her.
"Martin? Not Mick?" Rachel asked clearly thinking Mick would be the one to want some action.
"That is correct."
Rachel jumped up and ran from her room. She ran all the way down to the Jumpship. Jax, Martin and Mick were all inside they appeared to be arguing about something.
"Guys! Hey what's going on?" Rachel asked standing in the doorway of the Jumpship.
"Grey's working with the Time Bureau" Jax accused.
"What? Never" Martin replied.
"What's in your back pocket Professor?" Mick asked a smug look on his face like he'd solved a case.
"It's a trans-temporal communicator" Martin explained.
"Mhm so you can talk to your little Time Bureau friends" Jax said.
"No! So I can talk to my… my daughter" Martin corrected just as she appeared on the screen.
"Hey dad oh and all of you guys" Lily said.
"Hey Lily" Jax said embarrassed.
"Dad? I think it's time. We're heading to the hospital now and you're gonna be here right?" Lily asked.
"How could I miss the birth of my first grandchild?" Martin said.
"Good cause… this baby's coming. Okay I will see you there. Bye dad" Lily hung up.
"You guys were wrong" Rachel said softly to Mick and Jax both of whom looked guilty.
"I took the Jumpship back to 2017 so I could give Lily the other communicator" Martin explained.
"And you wiped the jump logs why?" Jax asked as Mick rubbed his head with an odd look on his face, almost as if he were in deep thought.
"Because I wanted you to know that I was committed to you and to the team. I made the decision to stay and I needed you to know that I meant it. Clearly my subterfuge has… robbed me of the chance to be at the birth of my grandchild" Martin told Jax.
"No! We can take the Waverider" Mick said determinedly surprising everyone.
"What about the rest of the team?" Martin asked as Mick left the Jumpship.
"I'm sure they'll manage" Jax said.
"Sara won't like this…but she'd totally do the same" Rachel smiled at Martin before heading to the bridge.
They left Sara a note pinned to a tree they'd be back soon. Then Mick time jumped the ship to 2017 Central City. They landed on the roof of the hospital and engaged the cloaking shield. Martin rushed down to the lobby and got Lily's room number.
"We're gonna make it" Mick grinned charging through nurses and families to clear the way for Martin.
"Are you sure it's okay we borrowed the Waverider?" Martin asked.
"I'm sure they'll be fine" Jax assured him.
"Besides we're good at winging it" Rachel smiled.
They made it just in time for the birth and the look on Martin's face as he saw his grandson was beyond anything words could describe. Rachel wiped a tear from her cheek as she smiled it was a wondrous moment. Mick cleared his throat and crossed his arms looking tough.
"Big softie" Rachel whispered to him.
"I…I don't know what you mean… I need a beer" Mick replied walking away though she saw him wipe his eyes.
"What's his name?" Rachel asked awhile later as Martin held the baby and Jax was with him.
"This in Ronnie" Martin said.
"I'm sure Caitlin would be honored and Ronnie…he'd be so happy for you" Rachel said remembering Martin's first half of Firestorm, Ronnie Raymond.
"Thank you" Martin smiled.
"I thought we should celebrate" Mick said coming towards them with cigars.
"Oh" Martin was shocked.
"One for you, one for you, this is for you" Mick said handing Martin and Jax cigars and a blue bubblegum one to Rachel who laughed.
"Thank you" Martin smiled again.
"And one for you" Mick slid the last cigar into the sleeping babies hand.
"Man dude come on man not the baby" Jax argued.
"Cute" Mick smiled when little Ronnie cooed in his sleep.
"Not to cut this short but we should probably get back to the team" Jax finally said.
Goodbyes were made, hugs given and then they left 2017. Sure enough Sara ripped into them when they got back but quickly forgave them too when she found out why they left. They were given a brief report that the baby Dominator was back with its mom and Ray was safe now.
Zari convinced little Ray to go trick-or-treating and he dressed up as the Atom. The rest of the team dressed in their outfit as well and went to join Ray as his friends. Even Zari found a costume at a store, it was the Goddess Isis.
"What are you supposed to be?" a bully asked little Ray as they were walking up.
"I'm the Atom. That's like the coolest superhero ever" Ray replied.
"The Atom? That's a stupid name" the other bully said.
"Actually I think it's pretty clever" Ray stepped up behind his younger self.
Next to him stood Sara, Firestorm, Mick, Rachel, Nate, Amaya and lastly Zari. They stood behind young Ray in support. They didn't tolerate bullies especially when they messed with a member of their team. Rachel was tempted to let sparks fly up her palms but she was worried that might be too much overkill.
"Who are you guys?" one bully asked a little nervous.
"We're his friends" Zari answered.
"These guys are your friends? Cool" the other bully said.
"Hand the candy over…and your allowance" Mick said stepping forward raising his heat gun.
They got tons of candy plus a couple of dollars which Rachel made Mick give to little Ray. When trick-or-treating was over they said goodbye to little Ray and returned to the ship. Headed to her room Rachel walked past Ray who had a huge bowl of popcorn in his hands.
"Movie night want to join?" Ray asked.
"Is it 'Singing in the Rain'?" Rachel asked.
"Yes" Ray grinned.
"Yeah sure why not. But next we're watching 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' the movie" Rachel grinned back.
"It was a movie?" Ray asked.
Rachel shook her head and smiled as she wrapped her arm around Ray's waist and grabbed a handful of popcorn as they walked down the hallway.
