It's been a while. Hello! To remind you, I started this fic to play with the themes of family and a huge emphasis was on the sisters' relationship with their dad. Well, he came back up in series so here we are! A heads up: I am playing with time. I went into this with the view that each season is roughly a year. Roughly. The last time we saw Sam was 2 seasons prior. So this is a Sam who has lived in Miami with Lucy for 2 years. Got herself a whole life now. That means we've got some build up.

This will be my only note for the next several chapters! I wrote this in a day and I didn't really proof it. Sorry about mistakes. Also, this is officially it for Sam and this story. Enjoy!

It was hot. Dark and hot. Only a few gleaming numbers from the alarm clock stood out in the room. National City has been hot too but not like Miami. Miami was relentless, and the breeze off the ocean that Lucy loved so much did little to relieve Sam. The rustle of distant crashing waves could be heard through the door. Two and a half years in Miami did nothing to help her get used to the intense heat. Sam laid there for a moment longer silently complaining before pushing herself up. Gathering her things in the dark was not ideal, but this was the routine. Sam could manage it with her eyes closed at this point.

With everything set, she glided soundlessly to Lucy's side of the bed and leaned down to kiss her temple. The quick, silent getaway was thwarted. Lucy caught Sam's wrist. She muttered out, "you know I hate when you try to sneak away without a real goodbye."

"And you know I hate waking you up so early."

Sam didn't fight the tug at her wrist. She leaned down, moving to sit on the side of the bed, and kissed her girlfriend soft. Lucy kept hold of Sam's wrist. Her other slide onto Sam's leg and curled above her knee. Their kiss was a sleepy one that went nowhere. Not that Sam was eager to take it anywhere. Lucy had a few more hours until she needed to get up, but Sam needed to head out.

Two more slow, sweet kisses came and went before Sam pulled herself away. Lucy let her hand drop from Sam's wrist without a fight. "Be safe," she muttered before rolling over. Sam couldn't resist leaning over to give her another kiss on the side of her head.

"I'll be home before you know it," she whispered into Lucy's hair.

Sam didn't bother turning any lights on as she made her way out. All part of the routine. The garage door rumbled its way up; the light in the garage stark after so long ambling around in the dark. The jarring sound in the early morning hours was also less than pleasant. Sam scanned the sky as she rounded her truck and threw her pack into the bed. It would be another two hours or so until the sun rose. Perfect.

Air streamed into the truck cab through the open windows as she drove. A low murmur of music played at the edges of Sam's attention. She pulled into the marina unsurprised to find herself the first of her crew to arrive. Manuel waved to her from his kiosk as the gate lifted to let her in. She rested her arm out the window. A bag hanging from her hand in offer to him.

Manuel smiled as he accepted. "You're too kind, Sam. I keep telling you that my wife is starting to wonder why I don't come home hungry for breakfast some days. She's giving me those suspicious eyes a to who I'm eating with."

"You still haven't told her?"

"It spices things up." He said with a shrug, already pulling out the hash brown. "After 35 years of marriage you'll welcome any kind of spice. You keep that in mind if you ever get there."

"As long as it doesn't get you in any trouble. Or me," Sam gave him a wave as the gate hit its peak and she began to roll through. "Have a good one."

Manuel had been the third shift marina supervisor since Sam started working for Project Perdita Spe. He was kind to Sam and helped her learn the ins and outs of the marina. Plus he didn't ask too many questions or give those who came back with her a second look. Not a necessity in her new line or work but definitely a bonus.

With her truck parked and pack slung over a shoulder, Sam made her way down the line of boats until she came to hers. Salvation. It was a large boat. Larger than she had ever wanted or dreamed of. Perks of the job. Sam climbed aboard and began her inspection. When she was finished, Maya was coming aboard.

"Morning," Sam called out.

"How do you always beat me here?" Maya asked. "I was an officer in the Navy. We're supposed to be punctual to a fault. I even left a half hour early this time!"

"I was military too."

"Yea but not by choice. You said so yourself. If I didn't work with you, I wouldn't say punctuality is your thing," Maya said.

"Yes, Maya. We all know you love being on time," came another voice from the marina dock. Danny walked toward them, tossing his pack on board when he was close enough. His accent like a legato over the words. A smooth blend from one sound to the next, sculpting them out of his native Spanish. "Morning Captain."

"You know I hate that," Sam said. Danny didn't seem to care. He gave a shrug as his hands rested light on his hips awaiting her next words. Ones that really proved his case. "You know your duties. We're out of here at sunrise."

Her crew didn't complain. They stashed their things then set to work. Sam ran through a last-minute check of supplies and equipment. This was a short mission. Back in 36 hours…if everything went to plan. That plan started with their initial check in. Once everything seemed in order, Maya brought the boat engine to life. Sam, Maya, and Danny chattered through the radio as they departed from the marina. Once they were clear, Sam switched channels.

"Salvation to HQ."

"Go for HQ."

"We are on our way to Puerto Rico."

"Roger. Weather looks clear. No changes anticipated to timeframe due to travel. Ready for mission details?"

"Yes."

"You are looking for a family. Parents and a child. Last known location near El Yunque National Park. You have been granted motor access, but an emphasis has been placed on natural preservation. Do only as much as necessary."

"Understood."

"An agent will meet you at the rendezvous point when you return. Expectation is 1400 in two days. Send word if this time needs to be changed. I do not think I need to remind you that only an emergency warrants a reschedule."

"Understood."

"Good luck Salvation."

The distinct click from the other side meant that no further communication would be had. Not unless something went wrong. Only in case of an emergency. Sam switched channels again and relayed the information.

Danny's voice answered back. "That's it? Not even a description?"

"Apparently not. The park is about 45 square-miles. It isn't huge, and they won't be where anyone would find them easily. A description might not be as crucial as we think. They'll most likely be the only ones in the park by the time we arrive," Maya responded. Sam said nothing. While Maya made a good point, she was inclined to agree with Danny. She'd have to reach out to J'onn about the quality of their intel recently. Maybe there was something he could do about it.

Puerto Rico was a 13-hour trip one way. The three took turns monitoring their route so the others could rest. Salvation was comfortable. Each have their own cabin, with a few others to spare for their targets. Rescues was the better word. Refugees was what Sam preferred. Headquarters referred to them as targets. Which they were, Sam had to concede, until they were found.

Docking in Puerto Rico went as smoothly as their travel. Weather was beautifully calm. The PPS contact took care of everything and assured them that the boat would be secure until their return. The three unloaded their packs and their transportation. Each had their own BMW adventure bike, customized to their needs. There was also a jeep tethered in the boat for larger groups of refugees. Another perk of the job. Speed and mobility were needed more than comfort this time. They opted for the bikes. The contact handed each a special license and slip of paper that had a very important looking seal, granting them access to the national park in a way most would be denied.

The three rode out. Murky purple took over the sky. It would be dark soon. Sam hoped this would go quickly and easily.

Maya led, navigating as she always did and was trained to do. No one stopped them as they entered the park despite the late and dark hour. Maya pulled to a stop as did Sam and Danny.

"Let's split up," Sam said. "Fan out and search for potential starting points. We have 20hrs to find our refugees and get them back to the states. That said, I'd like to cut time if we can."

"Agreed. My bed is much better than the cabins. Anytime I can avoid a night in those narrow beds is a win for me," Danny said. Maya gave a nod. All business.

Together they rode forth. A half mile up the road, it split. Danny was the first to veer off. Next was Maya.

The park was dark. Very little electric lighting put in. That was fine with Sam. It made spotting anything that wasn't supposed to be there easier. She rode slow. Her headlight letting her navigate as she looked around her for signs of light or life. When she hit the edge of the park, she turned back empty handed. Danny was waiting for her. Soon Maya showed up too.

"I didn't see anything. Hard to tell for sure in the dark but still." Sam said. "It seemed like the only thing out that way was me."

"I thought I had a trail but ended up being nothing. Just an old, unused path to the river," Danny said. "No signs of recent activity."

"I might have found something. It was hard to tell like you said, Sam. Just some light off in the trees but when I stopped and went back, it wasn't there," Maya explained. "It could be nothing but my gut is telling me maybe it wasn't."

"Let's listen to your gut then. That seems like our only lead anyway. Let's eat something then go check it out." Sam checked her watch. 9pm. She wished they could wait until morning. It would be less shocking for those they were trying to find but PPS could only manage small windows for their team to work within the permission of the government. Often they had no control of when the windows were.

Danny pulled out a small camping stove. Next, he cracked a Ziplock bag and dumped its contents into a pot on the stove. Soon the area around them smelled amazing. He handed them three bowls of rice with shredded meat on top.

"Ropa Vieja! Just like abuela makes! She'd be equal parts disgusted and impressed I managed it out here. And also not exactly like abuela. She adds a bit more to it but I think this is still a damn improvement to whatever Sam has in her pack."

Danny's infinity for food made them their willing and able field chef, even if that was not his actual role. Sam rolled her eyes but Danny was right. She had a power bar, jerky, and some Skittles. Not exactly a dinner of the same caliber.

"How's that case Lucy's been working on?" Maya asked, turning the conversation away from Danny's ribbing.

Sam shrugged. "Almost over. That's all I care about. This guy has been running her around with all his fake emails, meetings. You name it. She thinks her partner cracked the story though. They'll get him for more than the original agreement they put forth. It's kind of scary to see the pleasure she gets when talking about how he'll wish he just took the plea by the time she finishes with him."

"But in a sexy way, right?" Danny asked. Sam laughed and nodded her head as Maya rolled her eyes.

"How're things with Ethan?" Sam asked Maya. "He still buying that you're in New York stuck in meetings during all this?"

Danny snickered as he took another bite. Ethan was Maya's still fairly new boyfriend that had been the topic of many discussions between the three. Maya sighed. "For now. I doubt for much longer though. Makes me wish I was attracted to dumb guys. Not to mention I kind of hate lying to him. When you don't know each other all that much it isn't a big deal. It's starting to feel like one."

"This is why I don't date. I don't have to keep secrets," Danny said. "Although, a girl finding out about Project Perdita Spe would actually be the least of my worries."

"You'll find someone. Plenty of humans date aliens. I've met at least three," Sam said, thinking back on Kara's past boyfriends.

"Oh wow. Three?" Danny deadpanned back. "I'll be beating them away with a stick."

"Okay. I know that didn't seem convincing but if I am one person and know three. Wait! Wait, I know four. My sister's friend dated an alien. But if I know four and other people know four then soon there's a whole bunch of people," Sam explained. "It's math."

Maya tipped her head side to side, trying. "I guess that logic pans out."

The conversation turned to other aspects of catching up. The three didn't spend time together outside of work but the nature of their job ensured they spent a lot of quality time together. They were friends, good ones if Sam had to put a label to it but, at least for her, she took advantage of time off by doing very little that had to do with Project Perdita Spe when she was home. Finished eating, they stored their dishes and set off for Maya's potential sighting.

Just as Maya said, a faint light a few miles away was just noticeable in the trees on the west side of the road. At first they missed it. Maya pulled them back around but when they pulled back to the spot, it was gone.

"What do you think?" Danny asked.

"Looks like we're hoofing it from here. The bikes might be scathing them off," Sam said. "And an emphasis on preservation makes me think that bikes off the road is the number one thing they want to avoid. It didn't seem to far off anyway."

"Are you sure? All our stuff is on these bikes. What if we run into trouble?" Maya, always one to be prepared, asked. She reminded Sam of Alex in that way. A step ahead, the right gadget for any situation. It was comforting to know she had Sam's back.

Sam flexed her hand in and out of a fist. "I have what I need. Get yours. We're going light and on foot."

Then she walked into the trees. Sam let herself smirk. Super strength let you have cool moments like that. Danny and Maya followed behind after a moment.

For a while they walked through dense foliage that let barely any moonlight through. Sam checked her watch. Time was going faster than she liked. Despite the dark, no one dared take out a light. It didn't matter after long though. The firelight they saw from the road flickered back into sight just a few hundred feet ahead.

They each sunk lower into a slow, crouch. Careful not to jostle too many leaves or crunch too many sticks under foot. When they got just outside the circle of firelight, Sam raised a hand to stop them. Around the fire were three aliens. Two parents. One child. As directed. Their hands were large and slim with elongated fingers. Pale orange skin was contrasted by jet black hair.

Danny shifted next to Sam. A stick snapped. Before Danny could mumble a curse or an apology, the fire blinked out.

No one moved. At least neither Sam nor her crew did. Each waited with bated breath. Minutes crawled by. She wasn't sure how long they waited. Her muscles growing sore with the tension.

Finally, the fire came back. Sam was astonished to see it leap from one of the parents' hands to the crude fire ring they made. Things got a touch more dangerous with that new detail. In truth, it mattered little. This job may not be as dangerous as those Sam had in the past, but there were still risks and there was no more time to waste. They'd be stuck like this all night if Sam didn't make a move. As it was, they'd already wasted over an hour since leaving the road. Time was dwindling. Missing rendezvous was not something Sam was keen on.

Sam stood in a smooth, fluid motion. Silent like the shadows around them. She took one step and was bathed in the fire light. One of the parents grabbed their child as the other raised a hand to snatch the fire away.

"Wait," Sam said. Both hands up, palms facing the aliens. "I'm here to help. Please. My name's Sam. I promise I'm here to help you."

It was enough to get them to hesitate.

"I have two crew members with me." Sam shifted just a hint to gesture to where Maya and Danny were waiting. "We were sent to help you get to the states. Have you heard of the Pan-American Amnesty Treaty?" The aliens shook their heads no. At least Sam now knew they could understand her. "It will help you get citizenship here in Puerto Rico, but the liaison office is in Florida. We'll take you to them so they can help you out. Can my friends come out?"

One of the parents, the father Sam assumed by the short hair and broader features, nodded. Sam gestured with fingers, still limiting movements, for the other two to join them. She called out, "Slowly."

Maya and Danny obeyed. They came out of the trees with hands mirroring Sam. Maya offered them a smile as Danny let his illusion fall. His true form looked nothing like these aliens, but Sam hoped it at least put them more at ease to see them with an alien.

"This is Maya and Danny. We work with Project Perdita Spe. Have you heard of it?" This time the aliens nodded. Sam could have melted in relief if she weren't trying to placate the three in front of them. The child still hadn't turned its head away from its father's shirt to look at them. "Okay, good! That makes this easier. You know that we help aliens get settled here on Earth. That's what the Pan-American Amnesty Treaty is. It will let you gain citizenship here. Be protected by those who want to limit undocumented alien immigrants."

"We must come with you to receive this help? It cannot be done here?" The father asked. His voice was deep and jumped from word to word. His English only marred by the thick accent.

"Correct. It's a fairly new act. The only office is in Miami. We'll take you there, another agent will help you through the process. Then, they'll help you get settled here in Puerto Rico," Sam continued.

"How do I know we can trust you?" he asked. The question was directed at Sam but he looked at Danny. Sam nodded to Danny so that he could answer.

Danny reached into a pocket slowly and brought out his badge. He took a tentative step closer and held it out for the family to see. "I know this badge might not mean much to you but, as an alien, it does to me. We work to help those who need it. My own grandparents were not granted this when they came to Earth and it was much harder for them to get settled here. We are trying to ease that process. Please, you can trust us. All of us."

The father looked at them for a few moments then looked to his wife. They seemed to communicate without words. Then the father turned back, "Okay. We will go with you. Thank you."

The six travelers made their way through the forest. Sam checked her watch. They were cutting it dangerously close. She hated to rush them, but rendezvous must be met. That was made irrevocably clear when she started this job.

Once on the road, each agent climbed onto a bike. One refugee each. The child was placed with Danny. Most aliens with children tended to, placing the most trust in the one agent most like them. Sam didn't mind. It made Danny an invaluable member of her team. The father climbed on with her. The trip back to dock was taken slower to try to keep the family as comfortable as possible. At the boat, Maya jogged on board to start their departure process as Sam dealt with their contact and Danny settled the family on the boat.

Sam gave a long, loud sigh of relief when she reached Maya at the boat controls. Maya gave her a knowing smile but still Sam said, "If that took us any longer, we would have been late."

"Do you know what happens if we are?"

"And there is no emergency to warrant it? No. I don't and I don't want to find out. Our patrons are kind and generous, but these rendezvous aren't with them. I'd hate to think our timing would end badly for the refugees," Sam said. It was the only consequence she could think of. The PAAT, Pan-American Amnesty Treaty, was still new. Some governments were apprehensive about it. Others outright displeased. It seemed like they'd take an excuse to deny it.

"Go get some rest," Maya said. "Or check on the family. Call Lucy. Anything but stay up here with me. The weather still looks clear. Your worrying is only going to irritate me."

With a chuckle and thanks, Sam left. It was 4am in the morning. She couldn't call Lucy, not yet. She'd see her soon enough anyway. Instead, Sam headed down to check on the family. Danny intercepted her.

"They're in the far cabins. I thought they might appreciate the privacy," he explained. Sam nodded. It was a good idea. They weren't as spooked as some they found. If they were, he would have placed them close to their private cabins in order to more quickly come to their aid. "I think they're sleeping now though so I wouldn't bother them."

"Right," Sam said. "I guess I'll go lay down then. Get me when it's my turn."

Her cabin was pretty sparse. A bed with a couple pillows, a blanket from home that Lucy spent weeks spraying with her perfume and sleeping with. All just to ensure that Sam didn't 'forget about her while she was gone for so long,' as Lucy put it. A picture of Lucy hang on the wall as did one of Sam with her sisters and Sam with her mom.

She rummaged in the drawer next to her bed for headphones. Once in, she put on a soothing playlist of smooth, quiet music to wind down. This mission had been easy and calm. Still, it keyed Sam up. No matter how much safer it was than her time in National City or in the army, Sam was always braced for the worst to happen. It was habit at this point. Thankfully, she was able to turn it off when she was off duty. Time and space were kind to her in that way.