It Takes Time

by yellowcanary's

It's Thanksgiving 2019 and Ava has a ring burning a hole in her pocket, but after a night of fun Sara finds out she's pregnant. Now they must figure out how a baby would fit into there messy lives. All while the Bureau and the Legends are pulling them in two different directions.

2. Just for the Three of Us

I am so happy to be posting this, back in October soon after I posted the last chapter tragedy affected me and my family. My writing took the brunt of it but I hid it well on Tumblr. I'm back now and doing better and you guys will be happy to know that I am in the finishing stages of editing the next chapter and it will be up next month.

Special thanks to adacanary and red-opti for beta reading this Fic for me.

---

December 19th, 2019.

"I have a few days off," Ava said, pressing a kiss to Sara's forehead. "Apparently some of my vacation days are about to expire at the end of the year."

The metal floor of Sara's bathroom where they were sitting was surprisingly warm. The only room with a private bathroom, it was only a sink, toilet, and shower, but it was spacious. Ava was able to stretch out her legs as Sara sat sideways on her lap, with her head tucked under her chin.

"Don't you get a few weeks off, for the holidays?" Sara asked, turning her head to look up at Ava.

"Only the 24th through the 26th, and then the 31st and the 1st," Ava replied looking down at her.

"That sucks."

"Yeah well, time and magic don't abide by Christian holidays or New Years."

Sara hummed growing quiet, a rarity for her.

"So what do you say?" Ava asked again.

"To what?" Sara asked.

"To having some time off? We could spend the week at my place and figure all this out..." Ava said, exaggerating with her free hand.

"What's there to figure out? I'm pregnant." Sara shrugged.

"Well there's the logistics and stuff, we need an OB-GYN and you're going to have lots of appointments. We need a parenting style, and baby things like a crib and diapers and clothes and blankets, and you need prenatal vitamins and good diet and rest, and we're going to need to move in and..."

"Ava, slow down," Sara said. She turned around to face Ava and threaded her legs around her hips as Ava pulled her close.

"Relax, we have months to figure it all out, okay. Breathe baby, breathe." She had a small amused smile on her lips, as she took Ava's face between her hands.

Ava smiled too; Sara could always read her so well. Ava leaned forward and pressed another kiss to her lips. She took a breath, breathing her in, Sara smelled like the metal of the Waverider, of the lavender soap she used, and of a scent that was only hers. For all her worth, Ava couldn't describe it.

"But you're probably right, I don't want to tell the team right away, and we should find a doctor," Sara said, bringing her back.

"Probably right?" Ava teased, slowly raising her eyebrow.

Sara simply raised her eyebrows in return. They faced off for a moment before Ava snuck her hands up from Sara's hips and pounced on her sides. Sara shrieked with laughter and squirmed in Ava's lap until she retaliated with her hands under Ava's arms. Ava squirmed trying to get away as her laughter joined Sara's.

"Okay, okay stop!" Sara said as she started to hiccup.

Ava pulled away and their laughter died down.

"Do you want some water?" Ava asked as Sara hiccuped again.

Sara shook her head and shuffled off of Ava's lap. Ava immediately got up and offered her hand to Sara. She pulled Sara up, but Sara staggered and Ava caught her waist.

"Are you okay, are you dizzy?" Ava asked, her face twisting in concern.

Sara took a deep breath and gave her a half smile, patting her cheek. "Yeah, but it's gone and so are the hiccups."

Sara walked out of the bathroom to grab her duffel bag from the cabinet in her room, leaving Ava to stand in the doorway.

"Ava, please, relax," Sara insisted when she turned back to see Ava's look of concern.

Ava dutifully followed her and sat on the bed. "I'm allowed to worry, and I don't want to do anything that makes you ill."

"You didn't, I think it's just how it is. I've had to be careful with any sudden movements in the past few days," Sara said as she collected a few things.

Ava frowned and Sara could see her thoughts going a mile a minute. Sara placed her hands on either side of Ava's cheeks.

"Deep breaths, remember," she said gently.

"I'm just worried."

"I know, but you can't worry about everything. It will drive us both crazy. What's one thing you can do right now?" Sara suggested, knowing that it would help ease Ava's anxiety.

"I don't know," Ava admitted.

"Well, why don't you go home and clean or get started on dinner? I'll gather the team and let them know I will be gone for a couple days."

Ava looked reluctant to leave so Sara added, "You can come back in a few minutes and pick me up if you want. I just think that the look on your face will worry the others."

"Okay, you're probably right," Ava replied as she got off the bed.

Sara smiled and reached forward to catch her hand and pull her in for a kiss. Ava relaxed into her lips as Sara drew comfort from her arms as she held her close. Sara pulled back but gave her one last peck before they parted.

"Now go," Sara said, untangling herself from Ava and going over to her dresser. She busied herself by pulling out a few pairs of panties, but when she turned around Ava was still hovering.

"Go!" Sara insisted, swatting her with a blue pair.

"Okay, okay," Ava said, holding up her hands before she programmed her Time Courier. Sara smiled as Ava took one last look at her before stepping into her apartment.

---

"I'm sure you guys can handle it," Sara said, as she grabbed her favorite pair of jeans from her dresser and put them in the duffle on her bed. She figured she'd only need a few pairs of things, as she had a drawer at Ava's that could suffice.

"I'm glad you have complete confidence in us," Behrad said, with sarcasm from where he leaned against her doorway.

"You'll be lucky if you return to a ship that's not on fire," Nora said, from where she stood next to him, earning a laugh from everyone else.

"Or worse, the bottom of the ocean," Charlie added.

"Don't joke," Nate said. "That actually happened once."

"Ignore them," Ray said. "We'll all make sure everything goes smoothly while you're gone."

"Yeah," Zari said. "You deserve some time off, and we can handle anything that comes our way."

Nate and Ray fist bumped as Sara zipped up her duffle bag. She shouldn't worry, but given her team's history they will probably end up needing her sooner rather than later. However, she needed this time with Ava; she was right, they had some big decisions to make.

"As much as I appreciate your help, Nate, I want you at the Bureau. I trust Rip but..."

"You want a second pair of hands smoothing things over this week," Nate said, making the motion with his hand.

"Yes," Sara said, zipping up her bag. "I don't want Ava to have to go in for any reason this week."

"Hey Boss, what are you doing?" Mick said as he stopped outside her door, having been drawn to the commotion.

"Sara's going away for the week with her girlfriend," Zari teased.

"Ahh," Mick said drawing out the syllable. "You and Pantsuit are gonna..."

"Yes," Sara said cutting him off. "So I can't believe I'm saying this but, Ray, you're in charge."

"Yes," Ray cheered. "Don't worry Sara. I'll keep the ship in tip top shape."

He looked so excited to have the opportunity to prove himself, and he would probably do his best to fix whatever mess they got into.

"Or die trying," Nora quipped, but the smile on her face betrayed her love for Ray. They certainly weren't your typical couple, but they fit together like two sides of a coin.

"I know you will, Ray. I trust you." She wasn't lying. Ray had gotten better at handling the Legends pretty well, but that didn't stop her from worrying.

"I know you'll probably still worry about us, but try to enjoy your time with Ava," Zari said.

"Thanks, I will," Sara said, walking up to her and putting a hand on Zari's arm. "Can you help out too, please? I know the others will listen to you."

"Of course," Zari said patting her hand.

Sara moved away and starting the round of goodbyes, as they all filtered out and went back to their usual afternoon activities.

"Rory."

"Yeah, Boss."

"Keep an eye on things for me and please keep out of trouble."

"Everything okay?," he asked, showing his concern for her, with his eyebrows knitted together.

"Yeah, Ava and I just need this week to figure something out. I'll tell you later, I promise," she said.

He gave her a two finger salute and walked away, leaving only Nora. Her face didn't display her emotions, but she peeked back down the hall before she stepped closer to Sara. Her arms were crossed and she reached out with one hand to Sara's lower abdomen. Sara had come to know Nora very well in the past year since the Bureau had released her into the Legends' custody. Once they had gotten past everything, they had become quite close.

"How did you find out?" Sara asked as Nora placed her hand over Sara's jeans.

"I was meditating and felt something different with you so I investigated," Nora explained, with a shrug.

Sara nodded, not quite understanding the magic. She reached down and squeezed Nora's hand, giving her a smile that Nora returned.

"It's just a bit of extra energy," Nora explained. "Which you're low on, btw."

Sara smiled. It's things like that, that reminded her Nora and Zari were technically younger than her.

"Can you keep this between us? I'd hate to ask you to keep this from Ray, but I don't want them to know just yet."

"Of course, besides, it's not my secret."

"Thank you."

Nora looked at their hands. "Its energy is like yours."

"Which means that this child is bound to be trouble," Sara said, with a laugh at the thought of a little girl running around the Waverider getting into things she shouldn't. "Can you tell if it's a boy or a girl?"

"Not yet, and I won't check if you don't want me to," Nora said, with a certain softness she rarely displayed. Like Ray, she put up a mask, but where his was goofy kindness hers was a hard shell of sarcasm and anger. She chose to reveal herself more and more to them as she grew comfortable aboard the ship.

"Please don't, at least not for now," Sara said, inclined to the idea of a surprise, not that it would change anything in her mind.

Nora just nodded. "I think Ray is hoping to settle down sometime soon. I know he wants a family, and a house with a stupid white picket fence life."

"What about you? What do you want?" Sara asked.

Nora looked down at their hands.

Sara took the jump ship key out of her pocket and with her other hand handed it to Nora. "Ava should be here in a moment to pick me up."

A silent understanding passed between them, something Sara had grown used to. She could rely on Nora to communicate with her through a glance during a mission, and that carried over to their personal relationship. Although Nora was Ava's best friend, they were Legends, which meant they were family.

Nora took the key and nodded her thanks. Sara could see the shift in her as she put up her walls again and pulled her hand back from Sara's belly. She crossed her arms and let the vulnerability fall from her face.

"This means I can't try and stop the rest of those idiots from making a mess of things while you're gone," Nora said.

"I'll tell them to take the week off and spend some time in Star City. Constantine can see his boyfriend, Mick can hit up the bars, and Zari can drag Charlie to that convention she keeps talking about," Sara said, thinking it would be better to have them separate than together. "They can't blow up the world individually."

Nora laughed. "Have you met them?"

Sara must have had a panicked look in her eye she didn't mask, as Nora laughed harder.

"Don't worry, Captain," Gideon assured her. "I will be sure to keep an eye on the crew and stop them from doing anything terrible while you are away."

"Thank you, Gideon."

Nora's laughter died down as Sara watched her walk away. Sara sighed and walked back to the bridge to tell the rest of her crew to take the week off.

---

Sara texted Ava to pick her up, knowing her girlfriend was eagerly waiting for her. Sure enough, the portal opened in front of her not two seconds after she sent the text and Ava stepped through. Sara could also feel her exhaustion seep in, she knew she'd need a nap when she got to Ava's. Building a human was hard work.

"Hey," Ava said, as she picked up Sara's duffle bag, swinging it over her shoulder. "I've been researching some doctors. I found a few that I like and I think we should go over them and make an appointment for tomorrow."

Sara nodded, thinking it over, but before she could reply they heard a portal open in the hallway behind them. Sara cursed whoever had come through, it looked like their week off had ended before it had begun.

"Hello," Miranda said, stepping out. "Rip called and said you two might want some help with something."

Or maybe not. Sara smiled at her, relieved to see a familiar face. After they had killed Vandal Savage they were able to save Miranda and Jonas, although they had to relocate to 2018.

"Miranda, you're a midwife right?" Sara asked.

"That I am," she replied. "But you both knew that."

Confused, she glanced between them as Sara and Ava exchanged a look. "Is there something that I should know?"

---

"Okay, let's start off with your cycle Sara. What was the day of your last period?" Miranda asked, as they walked into the med bay.

"November 1st," Sara said as she followed her in.

"Right, and how long is your cycle?" Miranda asked, picking up a tablet from the drawer in between the seats and starting to take her notes.

"28 days. It's like clockwork, which was why I knew something was off," Sara said, sitting down in the chair on the right. She figured she would have to sooner or later.

Miranda nodded and continued to type, probably pulling up the medical records Gideon kept on her. Sara looked over at Ava, who stood awkwardly by the door, and held out her hand to coax Ava to her side.

"That puts you at five weeks today and due August 20th," Miranda said, looking up at them. "Has your cycle been like this since you were resurrected?"

"Yes, before that it was kind of off. I was often late, and I didn't get my period from around winter 2007 to around spring 2009 or something," Sara said. Her memories of the Amazo were ever present and traumatic, leaving her unsure of some of the details, while others were crystal clear.

Miranda nodded and Ava took Sara's hand, squeezing it tightly. Sara had never discussed her time on the Amazo in detail with Ava.

"Have you ever been pregnant before?"

Sara shook her head, "Nope."

"Are you currently on any medications?"

"No."

"Alright, for now, why don't we base our assumptions off of your current medical history from the day you were a resurrected in November 2014. If it's necessary though, we will defer to your whole medical history."

"Sounds good."

"Why don't we get your blood pressure and start with a blood test," Miranda said. She set down the tablet and walked over to the sink, washing her hand and pulling on a pair of gloves. "Can you put on Gideon's medical bracelet, take off your jacket and hold out your arm?"

Sara did as she was told and put the medical bracelet on her wrist as Miranda pulled out the blood pressure monitor.

"What about your family history? Are there any history of birth defects or genetic diseases that I should be aware of?" Miranda asked, as she placed the blood pressure cuff around Sara's arm.

"Other than alcoholism, one of my cousins had a cleft palate. It was fixed after they were born so I don't know much about it, " Sara said as she watched Miranda.

"Okay, good to know," Miranda said. "It's something we'll keep an eye on."

"Is it genetic?" Sara asked, suddenly worried. She never thought about how it had occurred or that it could affect her baby.

"It can be, but there are a lot of factors that can cause those birth defects," Miranda reassured her.

She finished measuring Sara's blood pressure and removed the cuff.

"Gideon can you add that to Sara's chart, blood pressure is 110/70."

"Yes, Nurse Coburn."

"What about you, Ava?" Miranda asked.

"What," Ava asked, caught off guard.

"Do you know your genetic and medical history?"

Sara could see Ava blank at the question. What did they know? Sure, she had read the pamphlet of Ava's genetic origin from the AVA Corporation, but that was mostly a bunch of marketing stuff. They had no idea what her true genetic makeup was. Ava looked around the room and pulled at the collar of her shirt.

"I.. I really don't know," Ava admitted. "Gideon, do you have a file for me?"

"I do have a medical file for all of the Avas, including you, beginning in November 2016."

"My own little toddler," Sara said affectionately.

"Speak for yourself, you're not much older," Ava said, crossing her arms.

"I am a full year older that counts for something," Sara said, with a smile.

"But no genetic history?" Miranda asked, bringing them back to the conversation.

"No, Nurse Coburn."

"Thank you, Gideon," she said.

"Is that important?" Ava asked.

"Only if we find any genetic abnormalities in the upcoming months or if the pregnancy isn't progressing as it should. We'll see what the tests show today." Miranda said.

"If I was gonna guess," Sara said, taking her hand again, "I'd bet that you're pretty healthy."

Ava nodded, but didn't appear to be convinced.

Miranda walked over to one of the drawers and pulled out a gown, and a few other pieces of equipment.

"If you two are ready we can continue with exams, but Sara you'll need to get undressed." She said handing her the gown. "We'll do some blood work and a urinalysis, then we'll discuss things further. At the end, we'll do an ultrasound."

"Okay," Sara said, as she took the gown.

Miranda pulled the curtain around them, giving them some privacy as Sara changed. Ava seemed distracted as she helped Sara change. She looked away from her as she reached down to help Sara step out of her jeans. Sara knew how much all this would affect Ava. After she put on the gown she reached up and cupped Ava's face with her hands, pulling her in for a quick kiss that she knew would help Ava relax and focus on the moment.

---

"Alright, Sara you can relax and take your feet out of the stirrups," Miranda said as she finished Sara's internal exam and stripped off her gloves.

Sara removed her feet from the stirrups as Gideon put them away and moved the chair into an upright position.

"Everything looks and feels fine,' Miranda said with a gentle smile.

It was then that Ava relaxed, as Sara folded down her gown and took Ava's hand.

"Gideon, do you have the results from the blood tests and urinalysis for me?"

"I do Nurse Coburn,"

"Could you please display them on the tablet."

Sara patted Ava's hand as Ava squeezed hers too tight. Ava looked down at their entwined hands, realizing how tight she was holding her and loosened her grip.

"I'm relieved that everything is going well," Miranda said as she looked over Sara's results. "You are clear of any infections or STDs, you're up to date on your chicken pox, rubella, and hepatitis vaccine, which is always good because you can't receive these vaccines while you're pregnant. Your hormone levels are where they should be and you're Rh-negative, so I would like to test Ava to see if she's positive or negative."

"Remind me what that is again," Sara asked.

"It's a blood protein on the surface of your red blood cells. If you have it you're Rh-positive, or if not you're Rh-negative. Since you're Rh-negative, there's a possibility that Ava could be Rh-positive, pass it on to the fetus, and you could develop antibodies. If you choose to get pregnant again the antibodies would attack any future children you choose to carry," Miranda said.

Miranda was always meticulous with her words, she tried to explain everything to them in simple terms. She was always that way, with clear words and a gentle disposition. Sara was grateful to have someone she trusted to care for her and that Miranda was willing to care for her on the Waverider rather than at her own practice.

"All right," Ava said, taking off her suit jacket.

"If you'd like we could also get a genetic profile on you. I'm not too concerned about your history, but in case you would like to know."

"I don't know," Ava said.

"Think about it, you can do the test with me or on your own with Gideon and then share the results with me later, or not do it at all," Miranda said, leaving it at that.

Ava nodded and stepped aside to sit in the seat next to Sara's for the Rh test. She put the medical cuff over her wrist and barely felt the pain as Gideon inserted the needle and drew her blood.

Ava was still considering her history or lack thereof. Sara was probably right, her designers would want her to be healthy with no possibility of her developing a genetic disease or having a history she could pass on. Not that she could procreate, or at least she thought she couldn't. She had never gotten her period and was amazed at the reality before her.

She had come to terms with her creation and creators, moving forward in life, but she never thought she'd have to look back. It brought up her insecurities of being a clone and what that meant for their child. Gideon signaled that she was done with her test, so Ava removed the bracelet and returned to Sara's side.

"So we've gone over your medical history and exams and after we get the results from Ava's blood test we will do the ultrasound. In the meantime Sara, let's discuss your health going forward. I'll give you a packet of information, including a list of foods to stay away from and some prenatal vitamins that you will need to be taking daily," Miranda said, then paused to be sure they were listening.

"So stay away from raw fish, meat, and eggs, and deli meats, soft cheeses, and unpasteurized milk or cheese products, as well as fish that is smoked or high in mercury. The list I'll give you will be more specific. The reason I asked you to stay away from these foods isn't that they are harmful, it's just that there's a higher risk of you contracting an infection. Stay away from certain pesticides and cleaners, cat feces, and avoid staying in a hot tub or sauna for more than 15 minutes, at least in your first trimester."

"Why hot tubs and saunas?" Sara asked.

"They raise your core body temperature, and that can cause birth defects or a miscarriage," Miranda explained. "My firm no's are alcohol and smoking. Now I know this is a lot of information, which is why I'll give you a packet, along with some other information."

It certainly was a lot. Sara looked up at Ava who gave her a reassuring smile. Rules and homework Ava could do, and she was always eager to help Sara with things like this.

"Is there anything else we should be concerned about?" Ava asked. "Like time travel, miscarriage, diet, or exercise?"

"I don't see why you can't continue to time travel, so long as you are not too nauseous and up to date on your vaccines. However, please keep both myself and Gideon updated on where you go, so she will be able to do a risk assessment for you. I know you two both have a healthy enough diet so continue with that, and I don't see why you shouldn't continue to exercise in moderation so long as you're up for it," Miranda said, stressing the last phase. "I would like to see you gain about 28 to 40 pounds, but I'm not too worried about that in your first trimester. For now, don't actively try to lose any weight."

"This is all pure muscles," Sara said patting her abdomen.

"Don't feel too bad when you start gaining weight, I know I did with Jonas, but it is necessary," Miranda said. "As for a miscarriage, stick with what I've recommended for you. In reality, there are several factors that contribute to a miscarriage and there's not much we can do to prevent it, especially if there is a fetal abnormality. We'll see what the scans say today, but that can change."

Ava nodded, suddenly somber as Gideon dinged with her blood results. "You are Rh-positive Director Sharpe."

"What does that mean?" Ava asked.

"It means that we will check Sara for antibodies," Miranda said, looking down at Sara's test results. "You're clean now, but when you are 28 weeks, you'll get an Rh immune globulin injection and another after you deliver, if the baby is Rh-positive."

Ava nodded and squeezed Sara's hand. She thought about the genetic test, this was the first thing she had that affected Sara and the baby. What if there were other things that could affect them that she had no idea about?

"Do you have any more questions?" Miranda asked, then continued when Ava and Sara were silent. "It's okay if you don't, we'll schedule an appointment for when you're eight weeks and we can discuss things more then."

"Yeah, okay," Sara said.

"Okay," Miranda said, as she put the tray of medical instruments away to be cleaned. "Just two more things, then you're free to go. I'll give you your shots, which will include a flu shot and a Tdap vaccination, then we'll do an ultrasound. I always like to save it for last as it's often the best thing about an otherwise boring appointment."

Sara nodded and squeezed Ava's hand. Nodding and hand holding seemed to be the only thing she could do right now. Sara never looked away as Miranda administered the shots.

"You're all set," Miranda said, disposing of the syringes. "Now, just slide back and put your feet up again. You're not far enough along for an external ultrasound, which is why it's transvaginal."

Sara nodded along with everything as Miranda pulled out the ultrasound machine, preparing the wand with lube and a cover. Everything grew quiet and Gideon dimmed the lights as Ava pulled Sara's hand to her lips.

"You'll feel a bit of pressure, but let me know if you're in pain or need more lube," Miranda said, before she inserted the wand.

A few seconds later there was a picture on the screen. Ava wasn't surprised when there wasn't a perfect picture of the baby on the screen; she wasn't that far along. Instead, there was a gray picture with a black circle in the middle.

"I can confirm that you are most certainly pregnant," Miranda said. "With just one embryo."

"There you can see the gestational sac along with the yolk sac across from the fetal pole," Miranda said as she zoomed in on the black circle. "Do you want that picture?"

"Yeah," Sara and Ava whispered, transfixed by the screen.

She pulled up a few things on the screen and took some measurements. "The measurements line up with your due date, they're currently .13 inches long."

---

Everything was over too quickly for Sara, the lights slowly returned to their normal brightness as the ultrasound machine had shut off, and Miranda removed the wand. She cleaned the machine as Sara's chair turned into an upright position.

"Your scans are clear of any abnormalities, things are the correct position, and everything is progressing," Miranda said, as she handed Sara a slide of photographs from the ultrasound. "Congratulations to you both."

Sara could feel her cheeks ache from smiling, not that it made her stop. She couldn't contain the happiness that she felt in the moment. Not just at the thought of seeing her baby, but of having them. She couldn't believe it. She was having a baby. She didn't realize she was crying until Ava wiped away her tears. She looked up at her to see that Ava was emotional as well, and she could see the tears were collecting in her eyes, but had yet to spill over. Ava leaned down to kiss her, a soft peck that made Sara feel loved and supported.

"Thank you," Ava said, turning to Miranda, finding the words where Sara could not.

"I think we're all set here. You can get dressed, and Gideon, if you could send the file to my office, we will be all set for your next appointment," Miranda said.

She pulled out her card from her purse. "This is my professional information, the address for the birth center I work at is on the front. If you had any problems or concerns feel free to call this number or my personal number. If you call Julia at the front desk and tell her you're my patient, she will set you up with an appointment."

"And when will that be?" Ava asked.

"Around the time your eight weeks, so after January 9th but before the 16th."

"Thanks again," Ava said, reaching out to shake Miranda's hand.

"My pleasure, I'm always happy to help my friends bring a new little one into the world," she said.

"Thank you," Sara finally managed. Miranda smiled back at her and reached out to take Sara's hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Take it easy and listen to your body. It knows what it's doing."

"Is that advice from a fellow mom or from my midwife?"

Miranda smiled, "let's just say a bit of both."

---

Ava opened the portal into the space between her kitchen and the dining room. Sara quickly stepped through it into their home. They had discussed so many things with Miranda that Sara felt like her head was spinning from all the information. She was thankful for the packet she had given them, though there were still things that they had to worry about and plan for.

Sara took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She realized how exhausted she was and decided to take a nap. She walked over to the couch, picked up her favorite blanket that was neatly folded in the basket under the end table and curled up on the couch. Ava set down her prenatal vitamins and followed her there. She picked up Sara's feet and placed them on her lap.

"Tired?" Ava asked.

Sara hummed her reply.

"Can we discuss something?"

Sara sighed and Ava quickly added, "It's just one thing and then you can have your nap."

"Fine," Sara said, and rolled on to her back to look up at Ava.

"I just keep thinking about what Miranda said, about the risk of miscarriage and everything, so I don't think it's a good idea to tell anyone else for now," Ava said.

Sara was a bit taken aback at her words. Naturally she had assumed she would tell her mom and a few of the others, especially since Nora knew. She was hoping they could rely on them.

"I don't know," Sara said. "I think it'd be good to tell some of the gang. I mean if I do miscarry, I'm not gonna hide it from them."

"And I wouldn't ask you to, I just want to keep it between us for now," Ava said, threading her fingers in between Sara's.

Sara could see how nervous she was with this whole thing. She hadn't considered that Ava wouldn't want to shout it from the rooftops like she wanted to.

"Okay," Sara said. "How about we compromise? We'll keep it a secret, and only tell the few people who we think can help us, like my Mom, Kendra, and maybe Jax. Also, Nora knows so..."

Ava looked confused at Sara's suggestion. "Why your Mom?"

"I just think she could really help us figure everything out, and chances are my pregnancy is gonna be like hers," Sara said.

Sara could see that Ava wasn't on board. Ava had never been close to her parents, given the fact that they weren't real, and she never truly understood Sara and her mother's relationship.

They had been really close when Sara was a kid and up into her teenage years. Her mom had always been there for her, even when she didn't agree with the path as Sara was taking. Things had changed after the Gambit and Sara had a hard time reconnecting with her. However, since Sara started traveling with the Legends she had put more of an effort into her relationship with her mom. They had grown quite close again.

"Please, Ava," Sara said. "You and I can't do this on our own we need her."

"You're right," Ava said.

"Can I get that in writing," Sara joked.

Ava rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You shouldn't have to ask if you want to tell someone. I just wanted it to be something special between the two of us. I wanted to figure it out on my own, but a little bit of advice isn't gonna kill me."

"Ava Sharpe admitting that I was right and that she could use some advice. I never thought I'd see the day." Sara said, and with a yawn she closed her eyes.

"Yeah well, we're kind of in uncharted territory here. I mean technically I was never born, and who knows how that could affect the baby. I've never even been to the doctor before. I wonder if my immune system is different from everyone else? Do you think that would show up on a genetic test? Plus I know absolutely nothing about pregnancy, or babies, or any of this. I was thinking about going down to the bookstore and getting some pregnancy related books. What do you think?" Ava stopped her rambling and looked over at Sara, her face was relaxed and Ava could hear her even breaths.

"Sara?" Ava asked, just to make sure she was asleep.

When she got no reply Ava knew that she was out cold. She squeezed Sara's hand and looked at how peaceful she was. She wondered how much longer this peace would last. She was so nervous about everything, especially since there wasn't much that she could do. However, She did know that she had to do something, she couldn't sit around and wallow in her thoughts, so she decided to do what she did best, research.

Ava carefully and quietly moved out from under Sara's feet, placing them back on the couch and gently tucking Sara in. She scribbled on a sticky note and placed it on the coffee table in case Sara woke up before she got back from the bookstore. She put on her coat and grabbed her keys before turning back to look at the back of the couch. The room was so quiet that she could hear Sara's soft even breaths. She decided to go back and gently walked over to Sara, leaning over the back of the couch and placing a kiss to her forehead, brushing away a few of Sara's baby hairs.

"I'll be back soon," she whispered, kissing Sara's head again.

She knew she shouldn't be, but she was nervous about leaving Sara alone. However, her desire for knowledge outweighed her worry. She knew it was the only way to put her mind at ease, so she walked out the door and went to the bookstore.

---

The first thing Sara was aware of when she woke up was the sound of turning pages and Ava muttering under her breath. She peeked with one eye to find Ava still sitting at the end of the couch with her feet on her lap, reading. The book Ava was currently engrossed in was very thick, while a few others sat untouched on the coffee table. The paper bag next to them was from the bookstore up the street that Ava was a frequent visitor of.

"Hey," Ava said quietly, catching Sara's attention. "Did you have a good nap?"

Sara yawned and stretched her arms above her head and Ava chuckled.

"I'll take that as a yes," she said, as Sara gave her a sleepy smile.

"What's all this?" Sara asked.

"I went to the bookstore and got a few things," Ava said, showing her the cover of the book she was currently reading. "What To Expect When You're Expecting." It's been great so far, with some really good advice. I wasn't completely sure what to get so I just kind of went with the generic ones that had good reviews. I figured we could get more later if we wanted to."

Sara surveyed the books on the table. There were only three, two other pregnancy books and something else.

"Aw, you got a Dad book," Sara said, picking it up. "We're Pregnant! The First Time Dad's Pregnancy Handbook."

"Yeah, there wasn't really any alternatives, so I thought why not. I wanted to get this one queer pregnancy partner's book, but they don't have it and I didn't want to drive to The Queer Corner across town."

"It looks pretty good," Sara said, flipping through it. She went to the page on the fifth week of pregnancy and was surprised with the advice the little book had. She knew for certain it would be a great help to Ava. She closed the book and placed it in Ava's hands over the one she was currently reading.

"You should read this one, Dad." She teased, stealing the What to Expect book Ava was reading and getting up from the couch.

"Sara!" Ava shouted, at her as she shuffled away, not amused with her suggestion.

"I gotta pee!" Sara shouted back as she made a beeline for the bathroom.

A few minutes later Sara returned, having taken a little bit longer as she had quickly gotten engrossed in the book. She could guess why it was the number one pregnancy book. It had a lot of information, but Sara wasn't too wild about the question and answer format.

As soon as she sat down she could sense that Ava had something on her mind, so she moved to face her and Ava grabbed her hand.

"I want you to move in with me," Ava announced. "I'm not asking you to give up your life on the Waverider or your job as Captain. I know how important it is to you. I just want a stable environment for you and the baby."

Sara didn't let her face betray her thoughts as she looked away from Ava to glance around the house. Ava could see her mind working as she considered her offer. Sara had thought about where she wanted to raise her baby. She wanted to give them the childhood that she had. She also wanted to give her child a bit of adventure. She didn't want to harm them or expose them to anything dangerous. However, the scene of family they had on the Waverider, she wanted that for her child.

"You don't have to decide right now," Ava said, putting aside her feelings of uncertainty. "We can talk about it more later or..."

"I think…" Sara began. "I think it would be good to raise the baby here. We can convert your guest bedroom or the office into a nursery, but from the look on your face it's gonna be the guest bedroom."

"No it should be the office, I don't want to bring my work home with me. I want to set aside that time for you and the baby."

Sara smiled at her words and absent mindedly placed her hand on her abdomen. On one hand, everything just felt so real. They were doing this, they were gonna be a family. On the other, Ava was right: they could miscarry and lose all of this.

Before she could tell Ava this, her phone rang. Sara pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the screen. The title of Mom ran across the banner and Sara quickly answered.

"Hey Mom," she said.

Ava perked up at this and leaned towards Sara.

"Hey, sweetie, how are you?" Dinah replied.

"I'm… doing okay," Sara said, not sure what to tell her. She didn't want to lie to her, but she also didn't want to spill her big news over the phone. "How are you?"

"Sara, what's going on? I can hear it in your voice something's happened," Dinah said, her voice laced with concern.

Sara sighed. She never could hide anything from her mother.

"Um, what are you doing for Christmas Mom?"

Sara waited patiently as Dinah hesitated over the phone. Deciding whether to continue to pursue her concerns for Sara or be led away to a new conversation.

"Well, Roger and I were just going to have a nice Christmas dinner and I was calling to get Ava's address for your presents, but I won't if you and Ava are coming over for your birthday and Christmas," Dinah said.

Sara should have known her mom wouldn't drop her concerns easily and having her there meant she could bug Sara in person. Not that she would have to if Sara told her once they got there.

Sara put her hand up to the receiver and whispered to Ava, "My mom wants to have us over on the 25th, I think it'd be good. We could tell her then."

Ava drew her mouth down to one side in a form of a grimace. Clearly not thrilled with the idea of spending the holidays with Sara's mom and her partner. Calling Roger her mom's boyfriend still felt weird in Sara's mind.

Sara's finger must not have been over the receiver as her mom quickly replied. "Not just the 25th, you two could come for a few days if you wanted."

Sara watched as Ava thought it over in her head. Sara could see her go through a list of pros and cons as her facial expressions changed and she nodded her head from side to side.

"Can you give us a moment, Mom?" Sara asked and pulled her phone away from her ear. She made sure her finger was over the receiver.

"But what about us? I was hoping to get some special time with you," Ava said, pouting and scooting forward until her knees touched Sara's. She pulled Sara's legs over her own and wrapped her arms around Sara's waist.

"It's only the 19th. We could go from the 23rd to the 26th, I mean I know we have unofficial plans with the Legends and stuff, but we could always spend Christmas morning with my Mom and then have dinner with them later. I think we should go, I want to tell my mom in person," Sara explained.

She couldn't help but be a little bit excited to tell her Mom about the baby and to spend Christmas with her, something they hadn't done since Sara had left for college all those years ago.

Ava must be able to read her thoughts based off of the look on her face, because her features softened and she smiled back at Sara.

"Yeah, why not," she said.

Sara leaned forward and gave Ava a quick peck before putting the phone back up to her ear.

"That sounds great Mom, we would love to stay with you for the holidays."

"That's great sweetie," Dinah said. "I'll make up the guest bedroom for you and I'll get a honey ham for christmas dinner."

"Thanks Mom, but the Legends and I were kind of planning on having Christmas dinner together."

"Well, why don't you invite them over here? We'll have a real Christmas party."

"You don't mind having them over?" Sara asked, bewildered as to why her mom would want to host all of her friends for Christmas.

"Of course not. We have spent the last few Christmas alone, but it would be nice to have a houseful of people again."

"I'm sorry Mom, I should have come to visit more around the holidays," Sara said, frowning and crawling into Ava's lap.

"Don't be sorry honey, you have your own life. I'm just happy that I can have you over this year," Dinah said sincerely.

"I love you Mom and we'll see you soon," Sara said.

"I love you too, Sara. Was there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?" She asked, leaving Sara room to talk if she wanted to.

"No, that's all."

"Okay," Dinah said accepting Sara's answer. "Bye, sweetie, call us when you get here."

"We will. Bye Mom," Sara said, hanging up, and placing her head on Ava's shoulder.

"Is everything alright," Ava asked, rubbing Sara's back.

"Yeah," Sara said picking her head back up and kissing Ava again.

"You know," Ava said, moving to kiss her way down Sara's jaw. "Since we are on vacation, with the Legends and the Bureau having strict orders not to contact us, we could spend all day in bed."

She punctuating that last words with kisses down Sara's neck.

With Ava's mouth at her pulse point, Sara seriously considered taking her up on her offer. Although, the nausea pain in her stomach and, despite her nap, the feeling of fatigue made her pull away.

"I would love to," she said, looking down at their entwined hands and the little bit of skin between Ava's waistband and her shirt. "But I just don't feel up to it right now."

"What's wrong?" Ava asked. "Are you nauseous or tired or sore or… "

"Yeah," Sara replied. "All of the above."

Ava kissed her forehead again and slowly pulled away from her. "Rip gave me some teas that should help with the nausea. Do you want me to make you some?"

"Yeah, that sounds great," Sara said. "In the meantime, I'm gonna call the Legends and see how many of them want to go to my Mom's for Christmas."

---

December 23rd, 2019.

"Okay let's go over this one more time," Ava said, as she stood in their bedroom.

Sara sat on the bed next to their suitcases and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This was the second time that Ava had gone over their packing list, making sure that everything was in their suitcases, but Sara let her do it. Ava had been more nervous than Sara had ever seen over the past few days, constantly double checking and triple checking everything, and worrying about her and the baby.

"Socks, underwear, bras, do you need new ones?" Ava asked as she started to list off every item.

"Yes, yes, and," Sara said, pausing to feel her chest, her breast were tender but not any bigger than usual. "Not yet."

Ava continued to list off everything they could have needed for the trip, double checking that everything was in the suitcase. It was a long list and halfway through Sara shuffled back to lean against the pillows.

"Are you okay?" Ava asked, pausing.

"I'm fine Ava," Sara said, for what felt like the millionth time. "Keep reading."

Sara knew that Ava was only concerned about her throwing up unexpectedly, which had happened a few times the past few days. She was so worried and it was starting to affect Sara. She just hoped that Ava could learn to relax a little bit over the holidays and not be so incessantly worried throughout her entire pregnancy.

Ava finally finished listing off every single item on her list for a second time.

"Great," Sara said, shutting the lids of their suitcases and hastily zipping them up. "Let's get going!"

Sara slid off the bed and started to walk out of the room to grab her coat.

"Wait," Ava said, using her no nonsense voice, halting Sara in her tracks.

Sara sighed and turned around, plastering an excited smile across her face in the hopes that Ava couldn't tell she was frustrated with her. The smile, however, was true, Sara really was excited to spend the holidays with her mom.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Ava asked, walking up to her and wrapping her arms around Sara's waist.

"Ava..." Sara whined.

"I won't ask again, I promise, I just don't want you to feel like you have to go because you said we would or because it's the holidays," Ava said, ducking her head down to Sara's eye level.

Sara's hands played with the zipper on Ava's fleece vest, considering what Ava said. She got briefly off track, wondering if she could convince Ava to wear a knitted hat with little pom poms dangling from the sides, she'd look so cute.

"Sara," Ava whispered, bringing her back.

A part of her wanted to do what Ava suggested, and just curl up in her lap and sleep the weekend away. She was so nauseous and tired, and all she wanted was to be comforted by Ava. Another part of her knew that the nausea and tiredness is just a part of pregnancy and she'll have to get used to it if she wanted to do anything in the next few weeks. She does want to spend Christmas with her mom, to have that little bit of her childhood back.

"I really wanna do this Ava," she whispered, finally looking up at her and placing her hands flat on Ava's chest.

"Okay," Ava agreed, pressing a kiss to Sara's forehead, lingering there for a moment. "But please tell me if you're not feeling well, and I'll make up some excuse so you can go lay down. I don't want you having to tough it out."

"Okay," Sara said, leaning up to give Ava a proper kiss, relishing in her warm lips. "Now let's get going!"

Sara pulled away and bounded down the stairs as carefully as she could, pulling on her snow boots and coat. Ava followed more slowly down the stairs, carrying their suitcase. She followed Sara into the mudroom and got dressed as well, zipping up her thick blue coat with a matching hat and gloves. Sara put her hands on the handle of the suitcase and waited as Ava finished getting ready. Ava grabbed an extra blue, white and tan scarf from the hook. The scarf was hers, but she wrapped it around Sara's neck. Ava tucked it right up against her chin.

For which Sara gave her an eye roll. "I doubt we'll be outside for more than 5 minutes."

"I know, I just don't want you to get cold."

Sara sighed, she was still unsure if she was comfortable with Ava's attentive care. The worry was one thing, but the extra attention and care were another.

"I don't see why we can't just portal into the living room, my Mom already knows we're time travelers."

"If you want to tell her that you're pregnant this afternoon, then I think we should keep the unexpected arrivals to a maximum of one."

Sara placed a hand below the belt of her jeans and her eyes softened as she gazed down at her hand. Sara was surprised at how happy she felt, so full of joy and content.

"Unexpected arrival indeed," Sara whispered.

Ava took a cautionary a step forward into Sara's moment. Sara looked up at her and then reached out and grabbed Ava's hand, placing it over her belly. At first, Ava felt ridiculous doing so, it's not like she could feel the baby kicking or anything, but for Sara, placing her hand there made it all feel very real. Ava's face lightened as soon as Sara wrapped an arm around her, leaning into her side, and placing her head on Ava's shoulder. They stood side by side and Sara placed a kiss on Ava's cheek, then took a deep breath.

"Ready?" Ava asked, unwinding her arms around Sara to program her Time Courier.

"Yep."

Ava opened the portal in her mudroom to reveal the steps leading up to Dinah's townhouse in Central City. There was a fresh layer of snow on the bushes, but the steps had been freshly shoveled, with only a thin layer of mush on the surrounding pavement. Ava grabbed the bags and put her arm around Sara's shoulders, as they walked together up the steps. Sara leaned forward and rang the doorbell as the portal closed behind them.

The door opened wide with a rush of warm air surrounded them, to reveal Dinah with all of her curls in a warm brown sweater. She didn't wait for Sara to step forward in order to pull her in for a hug.

"Oh sweetie, I've missed you," she said, while squeezing Sara.

"I missed you too Mom," Sara said. They embraced for several minutes, as Dinah held her daughter.

"Oh, Dinah, bring them in. It's far too cold out," Roger said, as he appeared in the door frame, ushering them in.

They had only seen Roger a handful of times, as he often stayed in Central City when Dinah would make a trip to DC or to Star City to see them.

Dinah and Sara parted as they all clambered into the hallway, shaking off bits of snow that had collected on their hats and shoes. Roger said hello to Sara and Dinah pulled Ava in for a quick hug and hello.

"Hey Ava, it's good to see you," Roger said as he shook Ava's hand.

"It's good to see you too," Ava said.

"I'll take your bags up to the guest bedroom and then show you where it is later," Roger said, already climbing up the stairs before either of them could protest.

"Did you to take a cab? I didn't hear it pull up," Dinah asked as she took Sara's scarf and coat and hung them in the closet.

"Well, we just kinda jumped over here from the Waverider so, you know," Sara fumbled, not wanting to lie to her mother.

Dinah accepted her lie without question as they walked into the living room. "Do either of you want any coffee? I just made a fresh pot."

"That would be gre.. oph." Ava began to say before Sara cut her off with her elbow. Sara shot her a look. Ava had agreed to cut back on coffee and adjust her diet alongside her.

"Actually Mom, I think we will both take some tea, do you have peppermint?" Sara said, as they all settled on the couch.

"That I do," Dinah said, putting the kettle on.

"So, do you two want to do anything special while you're here?" Roger asked, reappearing in the room and settling in his chair.

"Not really," Sara said. "We were just hoping to spend some time with you two actually."

Sara twisted her fingers into the blanket next to her, more nervous than she feels she should be. The words seem to be on the tip of her tongue, threatening to spill out at any moment. She slipped off her shoes and curled up next to Ava, who seemed to be as tense as she was. The simple movement helped her relax and she could feel Ava let out a breath and sit back into the couch.

"Oh, well we're looking forward to it," Dinah said, appearing with four mugs, two in each hand.

They all settle in with a bit of awkward silence as they sipped their drinks. In this moment, Sara realized that she's been neglecting her relationship with her mom and wondered if she'd done the right thing by coming here for Christmas. She set her mug down on the coffee table and planted her feet on the floor, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees.

"There's actually another reason we wanted to come here. Ava and I," Sara said, looking back at her. "We're going to be making some changes in the next eight months or so and… well… I… We want you to be involved."

She couldn't seem to find the right words when a moment ago it was on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to be careful about how she asked for her mom's guidance. Sara looked back at Ava who gave her a reassuring smile and took her hand, sitting up again. She looked at her mom and saw the fear in her eyes.

"It's not bad news, it's good news actually," Sara said, she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face, it felt so bright she could feel her cheeks begin to ache. It seemed that all she could do when she thought about them or talked about it was smile.

Dinah seems to relax, but a look of confusion crossed her face, "okay well..."

"I'm pregnant, we're having a baby," Sara said, her voice filled with excitement.

"You are?" Dinah asked in disbelief, but matching her daughter's level of excitement.

Sara just nodded and squeezed Ava's hand, she could feel Ava's leg bounce with excitement.

"Oh Sweetie, that's wonderful!" Dinah said, getting up and rushing over to Sara, pulling her in for a hug. "I'm so happy for you!"

Sara let herself be embraced by her mother and be pulled into her warmth. She didn't realize how nervous she had been for all of this until now when it was all over and her mother was rejoicing in their news. She squeezed her eyes shut and she could feel the tears formed in her eyes begin to fall down her cheeks.

"Well, congratulations," Roger said from behind her, but she couldn't hear Ava's excited reply.

When she pulled back she saw the both of them had gotten up and were embracing as well. Dinah pulled out a tissue box from thin air and wiped away her tears, which only made Sara sob harder. Sara tried to take a few deep breaths and collect herself. She felt Ava's sit back down beside her and rub her back.

"Don't try and fight it, darling. No one here is going to fault you for your tears," Dinah said.

Sara nodded and accepted more tissues, she looked up to see tears in Dinah's eyes as well and they both cried, surrounded by their family.

---

After the tears had all been dried up and the tissues thrown away, they were all back to where they started, seated in the living room.

"So how far along are you?" Dinah asked, with a bigger smile than Sara had seen in years across her face, which is only a testament to their separation.

"I'm not very far along, only five weeks."

"So you're still getting used to the hormone changes then."

"Yeah," Sara said. "I'm just a bit nauseous and tired all the time."

Dinah nodded, "I remember what that was like and if you're anything like me, you might want to talk to your doctor if it gets too bad. I had it pretty bad with Laurel and then with you, I actually went on medication."

"We'll see how it goes," Sara said, with a yawn.

"Why don't I go grab the journal I kept while I was pregnant with you," Dinah said, getting up from the couch. "Ava, do you think that you could help me? It's packed away in the attic and I don't want to get a chair."

"Mom, she's only a few inches taller than me," Sara said.

"Yes, but she's much more lanky then us and I'm sure her arms are longer."

"It's okay I don't mind helping," Ava said, getting up and following her.

Dinah led her up the stairs, pointing to the first room on the right. "There's your room."

Ava nodded as she continued to follow Dinah down the hall to the last door on the left. Dinah pushed open the door to reveal a storage room packed with several boxes. Dinah stepped in and went straight for the boxes in the back as Ava slowly followed her in.

The first few boxes seem to be just your average storage totes with labels like Christmas or spring, but the rest of the boxes had either Sara or Laurel's name on them. Ava looked at a tote that was labeled as 'Laurel's apartment' and another that was labeled 'Sara's dorm room'. Ava took a step forward to investigate, but quickly stopped herself, not wanting to intrude, and clasped her hands behind her back. She looked at Dinah and blushed when she realized that she had been caught.

"After Sara... disappeared… on the gambit," Dinah said, trying to find the right words. "We had a company collect her things from her dorm, everything got put in boxes and we left them in Sara's room. They stayed there, along with Sara's other things completely untouched, waiting for her to come home. That is until Quentin and I divorced a year later and we couldn't pay the mortgage. Then I packed all of her things up and put them in here, and when Laurel died I did the same thing."

"I should make her go through it all since she's here," Dinah said, as she looked around at the towers of boxes that touch the ceiling. "You must think I'm crazy, having all of Laurel and Sara things in here."

"No," Ava said, earnestly. She wished that she had boxes of childhood things tucked away, if only for sentiment.

Dinah shook her head and pointed to the box she wanted. Ava stepped up and was able to easily get it down. Dinah busied herself with the box of Sara's baby things and pulled out the journal that she was looking for.

"Here it is," she said, before putting the top back on the tote.

---

They walked back down the stairs into an unusually quiet living room. The tv was on, but Ava saw Roger with his head back against the chair snoring away. She walked around the couch to see that Sara had curled up on the cushions and was fast asleep as well.

Dinah handed her a blanket after she placed one over Roger and Ava spread it over Sara. Tucking her in and placing a kiss to her forehead.

"Why don't we let them get some rest," Dinah whispered.

She led Ava down the hall into her office. The walls were lined with books that were older than she was, which wasn't very long considering everything. Ava ran her fingers along the worn backs.

"Sara tells me that you're a time traveler as well," Dinah said, catching Ava's attention.

"Yes," Ava said, turning back to her. "But I mostly just supervise everybody else these days."

"Well, I suppose you must have some adventures?"

Ava smiled as they settled down in two matching armchairs. "Well, what do you want to know?"

"Have you ever been to Ancient Greece?" Dinah's eyes lit up in the same way that Sara's did when she talked about something she was passionate about. The two fell into an easy conversation.

---

December 24th, 2019.

Christmas Eve seemed to pass them in a flash. They went ice skating, only to have Ava fail miserably while Sara skated circles around her, but they both enjoyed getting to know Dinah and Roger better. Sara was right about Dinah being able to help them out. She offered them tips and tricks on how to navigate things and ease their fears of impending parenthood.

The Legends had agreed to Christmas morning at Dinah's, if only because John, Nate, Mona, and Nora were the only ones who celebrated it, and they didn't care if they waited. Then, they would celebrate the fourth night of Hanukkah, with everyone at Star Labs that night, meaning that Sara's birthday surprise was coming along as planned.

Before they knew it, dinner was put away and their favorite Christmas movie, Home Alone, had ended. Sara and Ava had gone up to bed, pretending to be tired, in order to wrap presents.

"I can't believe we didn't get these done sooner," Ava said, as she sat crisscross on the floor wrapping Zari's last present.

"Well we've have had a lot to deal with in the past few days," Sara said, turning in her chair at the desk.

"I know I just feel bad doing this last minute."

Ava carefully folded the paper and taped it shut as Sara licked the envelope. It was now well past their usual bedtime and Ava could feel the sleepiness surround her. She glanced out the window to see fresh snow softly falling, illuminated by the streetlamps and porch lights. The Christmas light on the houses and the trees in the window made her smile, feeling soft or perhaps just tired.

"Well we're almost done, and no one will be any wiser," Sara said, handing her the card and yawning.

Ava tucked the card under the bow of Zari's present, then collected them in her arms. "Do you want to help me bring them down?"

She turned around to see that Sara had already gotten in bed. Looking sheepishly up at her, Sara slipped down deeper into the mound of blankets.

"I'll wait up for you," Sara said, with only her head peeking out.

"I'll hold you to that," Ava whispered, as she opened the door and snuck out.

The red, green, and white lights from the Christmas tree were softly aglow in the living room, making it easier for Ava to sneak around. She carefully placed the first batch of presents under the tree before going back for the rest. It seems she wasn't the only one playing Santa, as she saw several new gifts from Dinah and Roger.

Ava took one last look at the tree as she stopped in the doorway to the hall. The scene before her reminded her of a red Christmas card, with the tree and decorations all and in perfect place, gleaming in the mellow Christmas lights. It was in that moment that everything seemed magical and wonderful. Ava let herself be filled with excitement as she smiled and let out a squeal, wiggling with true joy, as she bounded up the stairs.

True to her words Sara was awake, for the most part, and waiting for her. She never opened her eyes as she pulled up the covers, inviting Ava in and wrapped her arm around her, then tucked herself against Ava's body. Ava brushed the hair away from Sara's face and leaned in to kiss her.

"Merry Christmas Ava," Sara whispered to her, almost asleep.

"And happy birthday," Ava said, imitating Frosty the Snowman, earning a laugh from Sara.

She leaned in to kiss her again before pulling away and settling down. Sara fell asleep within minutes, something she seemed to have no problem doing these days. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light, snoring softly next to her. Ava's excitement and anxiety about the next day's party kept her up longer than usual. She looked over at Sara and rolled onto her side to face her. She wrapped her arms around Sara and pulled her close.

Words couldn't contain the love that Ava had for her. Sometimes it felt like she might burst from all the love she had inside. All she could do was tell Sara that she loved her and watch the smile bloom across her face. Though, Ava still worried about whether she would be enough.

Ava sighed and pushed the thought away. Tomorrow she could try and be enough, she could be herself and know that Sara loved her. Right now, all she could do was sleep.

---

December 25th, 2019.

Ava's internal clock woke her up, precisely seven hours after she had finally fallen asleep. She was sure that it was part of her being a clone, but she liked to think that it was because of her diligent training and natural disposition. She looked over at the clock to see if it was still considered early, if only by Sara, despite her late night.

Sara had rolled on top of her in the night and was snoring away on her chest. She folded her arms around Sara. Then, as quiet and slow as possible, she gently rolled Sara onto her back. Ava slowly crept out of bed, taking her phone with her as she tiptoed to the door. She froze as she heard Sara roll over and let out a sigh. Ava turned around and thankfully Sara remained asleep. She opened the door and slipped out, carefully closing it.

Ava opened her phone and sent the Legends a text, as she walked down the hall. She opened the door to the storage room, where Dinah had helped her stash Sara's birthday presents and decorations, pulling out the bags and hauling them downstairs.

Just as she put them down on the table, the portal opened and all the Legends tumbled out in their pajamas. Just as Ava had requested.

"Hey, quit shoving me," Zari said, as she fumbled in behind Mick and Charlie.

"No one is touching you," Charlie replied, turning to look back at her.

"Where am I supposed to put this?" Ray asked, carrying a mound of presents that were taller than he was, as Nora led him through the portal.

"Someone is clearly pushing me," Zari said, turning around and pushing Gary, who was behind her.

"It's not me," he said, holding up his hands as Behrad laughed beside him.

"Wow, they really when all out with the decorations," Mona, said as she looked around.

"Yeah this is a nice, eh Pretty?" Mick said, looking around as well and elbowing Nate.

"Quiet!" Ava whispered, in what Sara called her librarian's voice. Ava's shushing immediately caused everyone to grow silent and listen to her. "We need to keep it down if we don't want Sara to wake up."

As if to spite her, she heard footsteps from upstairs as the house creaked around them. Ava rushed to intercept her at the stairs only to see Dinah and Roger making their way down.

"Is everybody here?" Roger asked as he tightened his robe.

"Not yet," Ava said.

"Good," Dinah said. "I just checked on Sara and she's still asleep. I also got out the old baby monitor. I figured it would come in handy."

Ava breathed a sigh of relief. Dinah handed Ava the receiver and she turned it on. All she could hear was a little bit of static over the line, but if she listened closely she could hear Sara snoring.

"That's great, thank you, Dinah."

Once everyone has settled in the main room, Ava gave her orders.

"Roger, Nate," she said, pointing at them. "You two are on breakfast duty. Here a list of Sara's favorites," She began, handing them the note. "Ray and Zari, you two go pick up the Jacksons, Sin, Dinah; Laurel and Drake, and Kendra. I don't think Sara will sleep from more than an hour so I need you back here before then."

"I thought more people than that were coming," Ray said, as Ava handed him her Time Courier.

"The Queens, the Steins, and everyone else will be at Star Labs tonight for Hanukkah. This is just for Sara."

"Got it," Zari said. She opened a portal from her Time Courier and disappeared.

"Okay, everyone else is on decorating. Did you guys got the yellow birthday decorations I ask for?"

"Everything is right here," Charlie patting the box she had carried in.

"Good. Now all of the Christmas stuff goes down and the birthday stuff goes up." Ava said, pointing to the decor.

"All right, let's get to work," Nora said, as she pulled on Ray's shrink glove.

In less than no time, the house started to look less and less like Christmas morning and more like a birthday party. Charlie and Mick put up the yellow streamers. While the rest of the Christmas decorations were shrunk and placed in a box to be put back up later. Kendra, Karen, and Jax chipped in when they arrived. Just as Ava was steaming the milk for Sara's coffee she saw the lights on the monitor lit up.

"What the? Is this a baby monitor?" She heard Sara say.

"Quick everybody, she's up," Ava said, grabbing a mug and finishing the latte.

"We're not ready yet," Charlie said. "Zari's not back with the other Dinah's."

"And the quiche is still in the oven," Kendra said, next to her, having jumped in the kitchen to help when she arrived.

"I'll stall her," Ava said, as she grabbed the finished coffee and ran upstairs as quickly as she could with a full mug.

"I'll come get you when everything is ready," Dinah yelled, after her.

Everybody quieted down as she left the room. Nate finished putting the pancakes on a plate, and Jax finished putting candles with the birthday cake.

Thankfully, Sara wasn't in the hall and Ava opened the door to their bedroom to find Sara tugging on her favorite pair of sweatpants.

"Hey, baby," Ava said, holding out the mug to her.

"What is all this?" Sara said, holding up the baby monitor in her hand.

"Nothing, just maybe a little birthday surprise," Ava said, sheepishly.

Sara raised a single eyebrow and Ava walked over to sit on the bed gesturing for Sara to join her.

"I remember you telling me about how you used to celebrate your birthday in the morning before having a Christmas dinner."

"So you did what exactly?"

"I invited the Legends and a few other people over and they're downstairs with birthday presents and breakfast for you," Ava admitted, with a shrug and a smile.

When she looked back at her, Sara had gone soft, smiling as she came to sit down next to her and taking the mug Ava was holding.

"So I'm guessing that not everything is ready yet," She asked as Ava put an arm around her shoulders.

"Not yet," Ava said. "So why don't you and I just sit back and say good morning."

Sara sat the coffee on the nightstand. She leaned over to straddle Ava's lap and gave her a kiss. It was clear Sara was still sleepy and her lips reflected that.

"Good morning," she whispered, against Ava's skin.

"Good morning," Ava said, kissing Sara again.

"And to you too," she said, placing her hand on Sara's abdomen.

"It still doesn't feel real," Sara admitted.

"I know," Ava replied. "I think it just needs time. It will probably feel more real when you start showing."

Sara smiled at her and she placed her hand over Ava's. Then kissed her again, deeply this time, asking for something else. Sara slipped her hands under Ava's shirt, as Ava pulled her in. A knock on the door interrupted them.

"Come in," Sara said, rolling off her lap, despite Ava's quiet protest.

"Hey, you two," Dinah said, peeking her head in. "We're all set."

Sara nodded, untangled herself from Ava and getting up carefully.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," Dinah said, as she pulled Sara in for a hug.

"Thanks, Mom," Sara said, holding her tight.

At the top of the stairs Ava and Dinah each took one of Sara's arms and Ava put her other arm around Sara's waist.

"Close your eyes," Ava said.

Sara gave her an unsure look, but closed her eyes as they lead her down the stairs. Everyone was crowded around the bottom step with the lights dimmed low. They all sported excited smiles as they eagerly waited for Sara.

They stopped on the last step which gave a good vantage point over everyone and Ava leaned in and whispered in Sara's ear. "Okay, open your eyes."

Sara opened them and was shocked and surprised to see her friends and family surrounding her. The downstairs area had been transformed from a Christmas wonderland into a proper birthday party scene. With not a single Christmas decoration in sight, pale yellow and white streamers and paper lanterns hung from the ceiling.

"Happy birthday." Everyone yelled.

Jax and Kendra were standing in front of her, holding up a birthday cake in the shape of the number four, for the years she had been alive since her resurrection, but with 32 birthday candles. Sara laughed at the cake and leaned forward to get a better view of it.

Ava watched with eager anticipation, studying Sara's face to make sure that she was happy with her surprise. Despite her love for a good party, Sara was not too eager to be surprised, so Ava almost never planned them, except for on the rare occasion when she really wanted to do something special. Ava started to sing the happy birthday song and soon everyone joined in. Sara stared in astonishment and leaned into Ava, who held her tighter.

"Go on, blow them out," Sin said, as the song ended and the cake was held up to her.

"And don't forget to make a wish!" Mona said, standing up on her to tippy toes in order to see.

Sara smiled and leaned forward, blowing out all the candles as everyone cheered.

Kendra was the first person to pull Sara in for a hug. holding her for several minutes before Sin demanded a turn. Sara then happily greeted Karen and Jax, scooping up Martina for a quick kiss. Although Dinah Laurel wasn't her sister, they had grown close the summer after Quentin died, and Sara was happy to see her and her girlfriend, Dinah. After Sara had said hello to everyone, Ava steered her towards the breakfast that was set out on the kitchen island as everyone formed a line behind them.

"Where'd the cake go," Sara asked, twisting around to see.

"You can eat it after breakfast," Ava insisted.

---

Roger, Kendra, and Nate's breakfast was a huge hit. For a moment Sara thought that they would never eat the amount of food that the three had prepared. Until she saw Mick and Zari going back for a third serving.

Dinah sr. carefully eyed Zari as she shoved a whole waffle into her mouth.

"Zari, why don't cut it in half. It'll last longer," Behrad suggested.

"Nah I'm gowood," she mumbled with a mouthful, as she tried to shove in another piece with butter and syrup dripping down her mouth.

"For heaven sakes Zari," Sara said. "Take smaller bites."

Zari just shrugged and continued to shove food into her mouth as if it's the first meal she's eaten in weeks, causing Charlie, who was sitting next to her, to laugh. Sara shook her head and set her plate on the table next to her.

"Present time!" Mona announced, giving a little shake to her gift before placing it in Sara's lap.

Sara tore off the paper to reveal a small stack of books, all of them were different genres and sizes. Some of them were romantic novels, other historical fiction, and crime dramas. Sara pulled the one from the bottom of the stack and placed it on top. It's a deep purple book with an outline of a crown in a broken mirror.

"Rejected Princesses," Sara said, with skepticism as she flipped open the book.

"It's the stories of badass women throughout history, some of them are my true heroines," Mona explained.

Sara takes her time to glance over several entries. "Wow, this is great Mona, thank you."

"I'm glad you like it," Mona beams as Sara reaches over to hug her.

"Oh me next," Ray said placing his onto the coffee table.

Everyone else pulled out their gifts and shoved them into Sara's face, insisting that she had to open their gift next.

"Okay stop," Ava yelled, pulling up her hands. "Make a line!"

"Nope," Sara said, interrupting her efforts. "Birthday girl gets to choose."

Sara reaches out for Kendra's present and her best friend happily gave it over. She pulled the tissues from the bag and pulls out the knife set. Sara took ahold of one of the sleek black handles, pulling out the knife and admiring the blade.

"You're always complaining that the ones on the Waverider and at Ava's are dull, boring, and I quote, 'couldn't kill a squirrel,' so thought I'd get you some that could."

Sara twirls the knife around in her hand before grabbing the tissue paper to test it out. She easily cuts the paper into strips, then squares. With each stroke of the knife, Sara's eyes lit up with glee.

Sara finally put the knife back into the block and reached over to hug Kendra, "Thank you."

"Mine next," Rory insisted, setting his heavy box into her lap.

He hadn't bothered to wrap it, but the box had "Captain's" burned onto the wood. Sara undid the latches and opened the top to reveal three bottles of whiskey, from Sara's favorite brand. Sara picked one up and inspected it checking the label and realizing how old it was.

"Damn," Sara said, unsure of how to accept it, no matter how much she wanted to. "Thanks Mick."

"We will have to save those for later," Ava said.

"You're not getting any," Sara joked with a smirk and winked at her. "Relax I'll save those for a special occasion."

Sara put it back in the case before handing it to Dinah sr. who took it away and the whole thing was laughed off, much to Sara's relief.

Most of the gifts Sara got were practical, but funny. Ray got her an amazing survival kit, where as Sin got her a ball of nothing and a book that said, 'punched today in the face.'

Sara looked up as the grandfather clock chimed noon. Her birthday cake was a third of what it used to be. Her presents had been opened and tissue paper was strewn around the floor. It was time for everyone else to enjoy Christmas.

They quickly replaced the Christmas decorations up around her birthday decor. Once the tree was back up and the presents placed underneath it again, the Legends passed around their gifts. Apparently, not celebrating said holiday meant nothing when it came to presents.

---

"Hey Mom," Sara said, coming around to sit next to her in her office, while everyone else was busy with their new toys.

"Hey Sweetheart," Dinah replied setting her book down, sensing that Sara wanted to talk.

Sara hesitated, unsure of what exactly she wanted to know. She felt a little lost herself entering out into this new territory of starting a family and felt like someone had taken a pair of scissors to the strings of her future.

"What was it like when you found out you were having Laurel? I mean, I know she was planned, but it must have been an adjustment."

"It was, I'm sure you know how it is, but the truth is that Laurel wasn't planned, she was a complete surprise. You were somewhat planned, but Laurel," Dinah shook her head.

"What?" Sara said, not quite believing it. "But you never said…"

"We never wanted you two to believe you weren't wanted," Dinah said. "Or that Laurel had ruined our plans."

Sara nodded, understanding her parents intentions and waited for her to continue. Dinah took a deep breath as she seemed to be collecting her thoughts before she continued.

"When I found out that I was pregnant with your sister, Quentin and I were not at all ready. We were living in a one bedroom apartment in the glades. Quentin had just graduated from the police academy and I was a year into my master's program, I had a job but it wasn't enough and Quentin was still looking for a precinct to hire him. Honestly, we didn't know how we were going to support a baby."

"But you did," Sara said.

"Yes, but it took a lot of luck and some good planning." Dinah said, and then she smiled. "I'll never forget the look on your father's face when I told him. Having you girls made him the happiest man alive."

Sara teared up at the thought of her father, and how happy he would be to know she was pregnant. He always talked about what he would do if he had grandkids. How he would retire and spoil them rotten.

"It was decided that I would finish my master's, as I could do that before Laurel was born. Quentin was able to get hired at the local precinct which was a decent paying job. When the time came, we felt right about bringing Laurel into the world. It wasn't easy though, he ended up on the night shift and I was gone most of the day so Laurel was in daycare a lot." Dinah said.

Sara listened to her mother. She had never known how hard it was for them. All she and Laurel had ever known was a happy, stable childhood. Her parents were not always around, as they worked long hours, leaving them at daycare or with a sitter and later on their own, but they had everything they could have ever needed or wanted. She never thought that there was a time in their lives when that had been different.

"I had to quit my job as a research assistant because I couldn't balance a job and being a mother and continuing with my doctorate. Things were tough for a few years. Quentin worked a lot and we didn't see each other and when we did we had Laurel to take care of, but we were happy. Then halfway through my doctorate program, I found out that we were having you. It wasn't until you were about two that things finally settled down. I was able to get a job as an assistant professor, Quentin finally got on the day shift, and life got better from there."

"I thought your parents left you some money when they died?" Sara asked. She had always assumed that that was how her parents had been able to support themselves throughout her mom's studies until she got hired at the university.

"They did, but Quentin and I agreed that it would go towards my degrees. We thought it was the best chance for me to get a good job, one where we could support a family comfortably."

"I never knew that," Sara said, astonished.

"I suppose I could have told you, I probably should have, but I'm telling you now," Dinah said, with a soft smile and Sara realized she was protecting her, by keeping this from her and Laurel until now.

"Thank you, Mom," Sara said, pulling her in for a hug. "I think I needed that."

"Are you worried about what it's going to be like when the baby comes?" Dinah asked, pulling away from her but still remaining close to Sara. She sat right next to her and held her hand.

"Kinda, I'm just not sure what to do about anything, parenting or otherwise. I don't even know what kind of crib to buy, let alone how much time I want to take off when the baby comes."

"You don't have to make any decisions right now, you can worry about them as they come. Even if you wait until you have that baby in your arms. I'll go out and get whatever crib, bassinet, or Moses basket you want." Dinah said, with a laugh they shared. "But whatever decision you make, don't spend your life regretting it."

"Do you regret going back to school right away after you had Laurel and me?" Sara asked.

"I do wish that I had spent more time with the both of you, I think you especially needed it. You had a pretty hard case of separation anxiety. Every time Quentin or I dropped you off at daycare you bawled. It broke our hearts every day."

"Really? I cried every day?" Sara asked. "I mean I remember hating it, but I don't remember that."

"Almost every day," Dinah said, as she looked away, caught in the memory. "I would sometimes stick around and watch from the window. You usually calmed down pretty quickly, as it was the initial separation that was hard. We hired a babysitter once you were in school and you did better with her."

Sara thought about what her mom had said, and she wondered if her disposition would carry over to her baby. She wanted to stay with them for a while, but she loved her work and so did Ava. If the baby was like her Sara knew it would be hard to put them in daycare. However, if they were like Ava maybe they would enjoy the independence and socialization. It was something she thought about a lot, whether the baby would be like her or Ava. She guessed about what a childhood would have been like for Ava, based on her personality.

"There you are," Kendra said, coming into the room. "We've got to get ready for the Hanukkah party. Please tell me you're going."

"I don't know," Sara said, despite the fact that she let Kendra drag her out of her seat.

"It'll be fun. I promise," Kendra insisted. "And if not I will personally take you home after they light the menorah."

Sara thought about it for a moment. "Okay fine, but you have to promise to stick with me."

"That'll be easy," Kendra said, as she linked her arm with Sara's.

"You girls have a good time," her mom called to them as they walked out of the room.

Sara felt bad that she had left her mom in the middle of their conversation as Kendra lead Sara into the hall and up the stairs. Before they reached the top, Roger waved them down.

"Hey, Sara, mind if I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure," Sara said walking back downstairs, not sure what to expect. She placed her hands on the banister and shuffled from one foot to the other. She didn't actually know Roger that well. He was just her mom's boyfriend, whom she occasionally saw when they got together. They had never gotten the chance to get to know each other.

"I know you're heading out to your Hanukkah celebration, so I won't keep you long."

"I want to let you know that I'm here for you," he said, placing his hands over hers and giving them a squeeze. "If you ever need anything, and I mean anything, I want you to call and I'll help you. Whether it's something little like coming up to help you two with the nursery or something bigger like staying with you while Ava's away on business. If there's something on your mind that is worrying you, give me a call and I'll try and help."

Sara wasn't sure what to say. She never expected him to reach out like this.

"Thank you," she said genuinely, realizing in that moment that she should make an effort to get to know him.

"Your mom and I," he added, "want to be a part of your new life."

Sara smiled and stepped around the banister, pulling him in for a hug.

"Thank you," she said again.

"Don't mention it," he said once they parted. "That's what family's for."

---

"Hey," Kendra greeted her once Sara had slipped into the room. "What do you think? The red one or the black one?"

She pointed to two similar dresses laid out on the bed. Both were more casual with a similar style. Kendra stood over them, her hands on her hips, dressed only in her underwear and bra, as Sara tore off her shirt and pants. They were used to seeing each other in states of undress, as they often changed together in the fabrication room when she lived on the Waverider.

"Red always looks nice on you," Sara said, as she sat on the bed. She noticed the stretch marks across Kendra's belly from when she had been pregnant with Hector; Sara wondered how her body would change as her pregnancy progressed.

Kendra picked up the red dress and put it on, tying it closed around the front. "Is everything okay with you? you seen off."

Kendra set her sights on her and Sara knew that she wouldn't be able to brush her off. "I'm pregnant, six weeks tomorrow."

Kendra's face changed in an instant from concern to excitement as she sat down next to Sara and pulled her in for a hug. "That's amazing! I'm so happy for you, and Ava too!"

"Thanks," Sara said, hugging her back with just as much force. "It's just very new and unexpected."

"Unexpected how?" Kendra asked.

"Well, there was this toy we got..." Sara said, as she explained her babies miraculous conception.

After she had finished Kendra's just nodded and said, "I can't believe you got pregnant the first time you had sex with that thing."

"According to Gideon, I have the fertility of a rabbit and it wasn't the first time."

Kendra laughed and then immediately put her hand over her mouth, stifling her giggles. "I'm sorry honey, but that's hilarious."

Sara laughed too. "Yeah, I laughed too when they told me that. Needless to say, that toy is going back in the box and being shoved in the back of my closet for the foreseeable future."

Kendra put down her hand and laughed with Sara joining in. They giggled on the bed for several minutes, as Sara leaned in and Kendra hugged her. Unlike telling her Mom, telling Kendra felt different. They had been best friends for the last four years and although they had drifted apart after Kendra left the Waverider, they had both made an effort to get back together a few years ago, talking and texting regularly. Sara had been there to support Kendra when she gave birth to Hector and she knew that Kendra would be there for her as well.

"So have you been to an OB yet?" Kendra asked.

"Yeah, we met with Miranda a couple days ago and she's agreed to work with us. I think it will be really good," Sara said.

"Miranda is very good."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that she delivered Hector."

"She was straight forward and calm, then tough and strict when I needed her to be," Kendra said, getting up and going over to the closet where Sara had stored her clothes. "Here, wear this."

Kendra pulled out one of Sara's more comfortable dresses, a navy blue t-shirt dress with long sleeves. Sara easily pulled it on and went over to her dresser to grab a couple of longer necklaces.

"How was your nausea?" Sara asked, turning around with a pair of earrings for Kendra. "I've just had a little, but I read it's supposed to get worse."

"Well..."

---

"Happy Birthday!" Felicity said, enveloping Sara in a warm hug. She was the first person to greet her when they arrived at Star Labs.

"Thank you, Felicity, Happy Hanukkah!" Sara said, hugging her back.

"Hey stranger," Oliver said, once Felicity let her go.

"Hey you," Sara said, leaning over to hug him too.

In the corner of her eye, Sara saw Felicity greet Kendra and Ava before Oliver pulled back to greet them as well. They were just in time to gather around the table as Barry and Felicity lead the ceremony, reciting the blessing in Hebrew and lighting the Menorah.

Afterwards, they brought out the food and drink and everyone lost their chocolate to Ray, the dreidel champion. She and Ava spoke with Felicity and Oliver for a little while before they went to talk to Jax and Lily. It seemed that everybody from the multiverse had been invited as Sara waved at Alex and Kara, who were with their group of friends across the room. Sara let Kendra lead her around the party before they settled on one of the couches, sparking up a conversation with Barry and Iris.

Sara placed her hand on Ava's knee as it bounced next to her. Ava usually loved parties, taking the opportunity to talk to everyone and show off a little. However, it seemed that Ava's worries prevented her from enjoying herself, or leaving Sara's side.

"Ava, you don't have to stay with me the whole time," Sara said, leaning over to whisper to her. "Why don't you go find Nora?"

"No, I'm fine," Ava said, brushing her off. So Sara tried a more direct approach.

"Ava, I think I saw Nora sneaking off. Why don't you go check on her?" Sara asked, offering Ava an out. She knew Nora hated parties and would probably seclude herself in a quiet corner.

"No, I'm sure Ray's keeping an eye on her," Ava said, placing her hand over Sara's and giving it a squeeze.

"Our Nora or your Nora?" Iris asked. Barry and she looked around, and Sara remembered that their daughter was named Nora as well.

"Nora Darhk."

"Oh good," Barry said, with a sigh of relief. "She just started crawling and we keep wondering when her super speed is going to appear."

"Didn't you guys say she wouldn't get her powers until she reached puberty?" Kendra asked.

"Yes, but there's always the possibility that they could develop early," Iris explained.

"I remember when Hector sprouted his wings," Kendra nodded, as they started talking about their super powered children.

"Sara, is something wrong? Are you mad at me?" Ava asked, whispering and leaning towards her.

"It's just that you're... hovering," Sara said, not meeting her eyes. "I know you don't mean to, but you are."

"I just worry about you and…" Ava trailed off, looked down and Sara's middle.

"Ava," Sara whispered. "Go find Nora. I'm fine, the baby's fine, and I've got Kendra. She knows and she'll keep me company. Not that I can't look out for myself."

"Okay," Ava said. "But do you need anything before I go?"

"You're sweet to worry," and despite the affectionate look she sent Ava she continued, "but I swear to god if you keep hovering…"

"Okay, okay," Ava nodded getting the picture. She got up and pressed out her dress shirt, looking back at Sara before she walked away.

---

It wasn't hard for her to find Nora. She was tucked away on the roof with a blanket and a warm cup of tea, looking up at the stars.

"Mind if I join you?" Ava asked.

"Not at all," Nora said, adjusting the blanket so that Ava could sit down next to her.

"Where's Ray?" Ava asked.

"He's downstairs talking to Cisco and Felicity about some science experiment or something computer related. Sara?"

"Same, but with Kendra, Barry, and Iris and I'm pretty sure they're not talking nerd," Ava said, earning a snort form Nora. "She shooed me away. Apparently, I've been a little overprotective the past few days."

Nora laughed. "I can't imagine why."

"It's just that with the baby, Sara's the one doing all the hard work. I feel like there's nothing for me to do except watch over her and make sure she's okay."

"Sara's a big girl Aves," Nora said, elbowing her. "She can take care of herself."

"I know," Ava said."But she shouldn't have to, not while I'm here. I read in all those pregnancy books that Sara is supposed to get more nauseous and tired starting next week and I know she won't be up to doing a lot. I'll have to step up and take care of things."

"And that's good that you're doing that," Nora said. "But nobody likes to be smothered, even you."

"You're right. This time," she added, catching Nora's smug look. She had been hovering, she and Sara had been together for the entire week. She should give her some space and some time alone with her friends. "So how was your vacation with Ray?"

Nora smiled and her eyes filled with love. "It was great. Ray and I went to a lodge up in Canada. Ray's never been skiing and I haven't gone since I was a kid, but to be honest we didn't get out all that much."

"Oh really?" Ava teased, causing Nora to laugh.

"Not like that, we just watched a bunch of movies and hung out for the week. It was nice to spend some time alone, just the two of us."

"Yeah," Ava agreed.

They both fell silent as they sipped their drinks and stared up at the sky. Nora must have been using her magic because it didn't feel nearly as cold around them as it should have been. Then, the door burst open behind them and they both whipped around to see who had found their hiding spot.

"There you are," Mona said, carrying a bottle of champagne and a couple of glasses. "I've been looking all over for you two. The first night I get to see you after you get back from your vacations and you two sneak off without even saying hello. What am I, chopped liver?"

"Of course not," Ava said making room for her on the blanket.

"Good, because I got our favorite," Mona said waving around the bottle. That was indeed their favorite choice of champagne.

She handed the glasses to Ava and poured them a drink, then passed the glasses around, the bubbles spilling over the edges.

"Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah," Mona said.

"And Happy New Year," Nora said, bring the glasses together for a toast.

"Speaking of New Years, if you guys don't have any other plans, Nate said his mom had this cool place overlooking Time Square. Since she'll be in DC for New Year's, Dot said he and Behrad could stay there and have a few friends over."

"I'm in," Nora said immediately.

"I don't know," Ava said, weary to go anywhere she wasn't officially invited.

"Don't worry, Ava, he was already inviting the other Legends when I left to go find you two."

"I'll check with Sara and see," Ava said.

Her phone dinged and she looked at the banner to reveal a text from Sara asking if they wanted to spend New Year's in New York.

"Looks like we're going," she said texting Sara back.

"Yes," Mona cheered.

---

January 1, 2020, 12:01 AM.

Ava rubbed Sara's back as she sat next to her on the bathroom floor, watching the New Year's streamers fall outside the bedroom window. Sara was leaning over the toilet and breathing heavily, her forehead resting on her arm.

"Do you think that's the last of it?" Ava asked.

Before Sara could reply she leaned forward and vomited again, but this time there was nothing left, just water and bile.

"I think that's the last of it," Sara said, she looked over at Ava completely exhausted.

Ava grabbed the warm rag they had been using and folded it over to a clean side as Sara spit into the bowl. She wiped Sara's mouth as she sat back on her knees.

"Do you want some water?" Ava asked, already getting up to grab her cup by the sink. She looked back and Sara nodded.

"And my toothbrush," Sara added.

Sara put down the toilet seat down and gently turned around to sit down. Ava immediately dropped the cup and rushed to her side to help her up. She put some toothpaste on Sara's brush and handed it to her, along with a cup of water. Sara hesitated for a moment and Ava thought she would vomit again until Sara gently began to brush her teeth.

When she was finished, Sara looked up at her and Ava knew that all she wanted to do was collapse in her arms. She crouched down to her level and Sara pushed herself into Ava's arms, forcing Ava to sit back down on the bathroom floor.

She enveloped Sara, who immediately let out a deep sigh. Ava let herself relax and looked back out the window at the fireworks that had replaced the falling streamers. She could still hear someone playing Auld Lang Syne and Ava joined in, humming along as she rubbed circles into Sara's back.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to watch the ball drop and kiss," Sara said, looking up at her.

"Don't be," Ava said, cupping her face and reaching forward to gently kiss her. Sara's lips tasted like the bubblegum toothpaste she insisted on using. She knew Sara didn't have the energy for a proper make out so Ava pulled away. "There, now we've had our New Year's kiss."

Sara's soft smile just touched her eyes as she turned around and leaned back against Ava. She grabbed ahold of Ava's hand and placed it over her belly.

"I guess, with the baby, we'll just have to figure out new ways to celebrate the holidays."

"Hey," Ava said, softly lifting Sara's chin, to look up at her. "I don't care how we spend the holidays, so long as I'm with you and this little one."

She squeezed Sara's hand over her belly; she still wasn't showing, but that didn't stop Ava from placing her hand over Sara's jeans all the time.

"You're such as sap," Sara teased closing her eyes and leaning back against her.

"Only for you, my love," Ava said placing a kiss to her forehead. "Do you wanna go back to the bed or sleep here tonight?"

"Let's sleep in the bed," Sara said. "We've slept on the bathroom floor twice this week."

Ava nodded and gently helped her get up, wrapping her arm around Sara's waist. Once they were standing, she led her into the bedroom. Sara crawled onto the bed as soon as they reached it, curling up on the blankets.

Ava grabbed a pair of pajamas for Sara tossing them onto the bed. When she got no response from her, she looked over to see that Sara was already asleep. She gently removed Sara's party clothes and pulled the nightshirt over her head, something Ava had done a few times before, but more often in the past week. Sara had developed a tendency to fall asleep whenever she laid down, and was well and truly out, as she didn't even stir until Ava tucked her in.

Ava went over her own nightly routine before crawling in next to Sara. She lay awake for several minutes and listened to the party that continued down the hall. At the beginning of each year, she always liked to think about all the thing she had accomplished. She thought about all the wonderful new things in her life and where she wanted to go in the future.

However, in that moment all she could think about was the baby growing in Sara's belly. It made her feel anxious and excited at the same time and it was all she could think about these days. God, she was so excited about everything that this baby meant to her. As she fell asleep, her mind was filled with baby things, the things she would get, the things she wanted to do, and the day she would finally hold them in her arms.