AN: IT'S HERE! I was gonna post it earlier but then the crisis happened and Quentin came back and I had to go rewrite several scenes, but it was worth it because I love Quentin and Sara's relationship. So enjoy!
February 27th, 2020. Week Fifteen.
Ava woke up and sighed, pulling her arm over to check her watch as the gray light of the morning eased in through the open curtains. It was early, but she liked to be up with the sun and she started to sit up, only to realize her other arm was pinned under Sara. She started to pull it out, but Sara rolled over to face her and cuddled into her side.
Ava melted and smiled down at her love. Sara's hair was messy and there was a line of drool falling from her open mouth, but Ava loved all of it. She placed a kiss to Sara's head and settled in, grabbing her phone and reading glasses from the nightstand. Ava snaked her hand down to Sara's stomach. Every morning she checked to see if Sara had started showing, although she knew Sara probably wouldn't start showing until she was further along.
Even though she couldn't feel or visibly see the baby, she could hear them. Ava reached over and grabbed her the current heartbeat patch and placed it in the middle of Sara's abdomen, under her belly button. When she opened the app, it flooded her speakers with the sound of the fast and steady heartbeat of their baby. Ava sighed in content, as an easy and light smile spread across her face. She was so in love with the baby, she couldn't believe she was lucky enough to have this chance.
Ava settled in, and after browsing social media for a few minutes with the heartbeat playing in the background she felt Sara stir. She looked over and smiled as Sara gazed lazily up at her.
"Good morning," Ava said, kissing Sara's lips.
"Morin'," Sara said with a yawn. "Are you playing the heartbeat?"
"Yeah, is that okay?"
"Yeah, I like hearing it too," Sara said, stretching out her arms and legs.
"Hey, guess what?" Ava asked, biting her lip to try and keep a straight face.
"What?" Sara asked, tilting her head.
Ava smiled, the happiness filling her face. "You're 14 weeks pregnant. Welcome to the second trimester honey."
Sara smiled so brightly, and Ava let the excitement fill her as Sara placed a hand over her own. Sara leaned in and kissed Ava, bringing her other hand up to Ava's cheek. When she pulled back, Ava smiled and just stared at her.
"What?" Sara asked, as if she had never had that lover's gaze.
"I am in awe of you," Ava smiled, with a dopey look in her eyes.
Sara laughed and moved her hands to tickle Ava's side. Ava rolled them, trying to get away. She was careful to not put her weight on Sara until she accidentally rolled them off the bed. Ava landed with Sara on top of her and the short fall thankfully did not bruise her butt. Ava paused looking Sara over for damage, but Sara burst out laughing and leaned down to brush away the hair in Ava's face.
"I love you too," Sara said, leaning down and kissing her again.
When they parted, Sara got up and Ava pulled herself up, grabbing the blanket and sheets they had pulled over with them.
"Now come on, squirt and I are hungry," Sara said, walking out of the room.
"Oh no," Ava said, dropping the blankets onto the bed. "We are not nicknaming them squirt."
Zari walked through the ship. It was early in the morning, but with the bright lights, one couldn't tell. Charlie had rolled over in their bed after she finished her prayers and had instructed her to bring back some extra pancakes. So she ventured out, in search of pancakes. As she passed the lab, Zari noticed Sara on the equipment with her headphones in doing pull ups on the bar. Zari was surprised to see Sara back in the gym. What used to be a daily occurrence was now a rarity.
She decided to stop in and see if Sara wanted to take a break for breakfast, something they had usually done in the past.
"Hey Captain," Zari said, catching Sara's attention as she walked in.
Sara dropped from the bar and turn ed around with a smile, pulling out her headphones. "Hey Z? Did you just finish your prayers?"
"Yeah, it looks like you're feeling better."
"Yeah, it felt good to do something physical again, even if I'm still not able to do what I'm used too,"
"Yeah, because God forbid you bench press a dragon."
Mithra wandered in and squawked, then jumped up into Sara's arms. They both laughed as Zari leaned over and scratched their head as they settled into Sara's arms, clearly enjoying the attention.
"Come on, let's go get some breakfast," Sara said.
Mithra put both front paws on the table as they eyed Zari's falafels. Their pupils were dilated and they licked their lips, leaning in towards the food.
"Mithra no!" Sara said, setting her mug of coffee down next to them.
The miniature dragon growled, bearing their teeth at Sara only to be met with the Captain's glare. They knew better than to mess with Sara, and quickly hop ped down from the chair to beg at Zari's feet.
Sara smiled triumphantly and stole one of Zari's falafels.
"Ah, I thought you had breakfast at Ava's," Zari protested, sitting down with her cup of tea.
Sara frowned and pouted as she put a hand on her belly. "But the baby's hungry."
"May Allah suffice," Zari deadpanned.
Sara continued to pout as Zari stared at her uncaring, until they both cracked a smile and started laughing. When they finally got the giggles under control, they started eating their respective meals.
"You know I'm glad I caught you this morning, there is one thing I've been wanting to talk to you about," Sara said, setting down her spoon.
Zari pinched her eyebrows together in a quizzical look. "And what's that?"
"Well, I'd like you to take over and lead the Legends after I have the baby."
Zari immediately dropped her fork and shook her head. "No, no, no, I do not want to be Captain. They'd never listen to me and I'd just screw things up."
"No you wouldn't," Sara insisted reaching over to squeeze Zari's hand. "And they will listen to you because they already do. I know that you can do this Zari!"
"But what if I can't? What if I make a mistake and it gets someone hurt or what if I create a hole in time that swallows up a country?" Zari asked her, and Sara could see the fear she had in her eyes.
"You are going to make mistakes and despite your best intentions and planning, someone might get hurt, but you can't let that stop you. We're screw ups by nature, but the good we do outweighs those little mistakes. I know you can do this Zari. You can be the leader I know you are." Sara tried to convey every bit of assurance she had for Zari into her words, hoping that Zari could see how ready she was.
"The only leader I am is the leader of a YouTube following. I can get people to stop being afraid of magical creatures or incite protest for a good cause, but that's all it is, a call to action. I inspire people to make the right decision, I can't tell them what to do." Zari looking down at her plate. Mithra placed their paws on Zari's knees and nudged her stomach with their snout.
"You can do more than that, I know you're capable of doing this," Sara said, as Zari looked up at her, but Sara could tell she wouldn't be convinced. "Just think about it, please?"
"Okay," Zari said squeezing her hand.
"Ugh." Nora groaned, and they looked up to see her walking into the kitchen with her eyes closed.
Zari dropped her hand and they remained quiet, letting the half awake zombie get her coffee. Of course, two seconds later Ray bounded into the kitchen with his usual morning cheer.
"Hey," Zari said.
"Good morning." Sara greeted them.
They didn't expect much from Nora other than her usual groan on our way as she made her way over to the table, but Ray, however, laughed and smiled at them.
"صباح الخير" Ray said. "Good morning, or at least I think that's good morning I don't exactly know for sure."
It was then that they realized that they had been talking in Arabic the entire morning. It was a usual occurrence as it was the first language they spoke in the morning. Zari tended not to switch over after her prayers and Sara was used to the language and hearing it spoken made her switch over too.
"Good morning," they said together in English, so they could talk to Ray.
It was at least another hour until the rest of the crew wandered in getting breakfast in various states of dress.
Charlie swaggered in last as always and grabbed a stack of pancakes. "I thought I asked for breakfast in bed?"
"What can I say, I found better company," Zari smirked up at them.
"There's no better company than me, Love." Charlie raised an eyebrow before pulling up a seat next to Zari and popping her feet up on the table.
"Feet down, please," Sara said, breaking out her 'mom' voice.
"Why? You've got your feet up." Charlie said pointing to the chair next to Sara that she had her feet on.
"Yeah, because I'm pregnant," Sara said, placing a hand on her belly. "And my feet hurt."
"I thought your ankles didn't start swelling until you were like you know," Mick said sticking his arm out to represent a big belly.
"Actually they can occur earlier and Sara's been on her feet a lot which can lead to more stress on her joints and bones, and putting your feet up also helps prevent varicose veins which can start to appear around this time," Ray said waving around the spoon from his cereal.
Suddenly all eyes were on him eager to know his sudden knowledge of pregnancy.
"What? I just read that What to Expect book that Sara had lying around I figured it would be good in case Nora or I wanted to have a baby. Not that we're trying to have a baby just that in the future it's best to be prepared." He babbled turning a deep shade of red as Nora gave him a look with a raised eyebrow and tight lips.
"Okay well since you're all here. We need to go over the schedule for today," Sara said.
Sara's announcement was met with groans and grunts as Charlie rolled her eyes, Nora dropped her head down into her folded arms, and Nate leaned back in his chair, groaning up at the ceiling.
"Do you want me to do this later?" Sara asked.
"No!" Everyone said and knowing she would deliberately wait until they were focused on whatever free time activity they had chosen.
"Well I looked over the training schedules Zari had and together we've made a few tweaks. I like the direction it's going so we will continue with that. As for anachronisms, there isn't too much going on so well just hang out unless something urgent pops up."
"Does this mean you'll be training us?" Behrad asked.
"Yes, but, my goal is for you guys to function as a team without me in the field, but I'll still be on your comms giving directions from the Waverider until I go on maternity leave, at which time I'll have someone else step up as Captain."
"So does that mean you're retiring the canary costume?" Charlie asked.
"We'll see, but for now I'll be providing backup from the Waverider."
"Sounds good," Ray said as the rest of the Legends nodded or verbally agreed with him.
"Does that mean I can finish waking up now?" Nora asked, her eyes barely open.
"Of course," Sara said, hiding her laugh. "Just remember to meet up in the gym at two."
Ava was on cloud nine as she walked into the Time Bureau that morning. She was going to be a mom. All she could think about was the sound of the heartbeat that she had heard that morning. Ava wished she had recorded it on her phone so that she could always listen to it. Needless to say, she was distracted and didn't see Gary until he was about to run into her. The coffee sloshed over her hand and dripped onto her white blouse as well as Gary's shirt and tie.
"Gary watch where you're going."
"I'm so sorry Director Sharpe, but I think you are the one who was a bit distracted. So what's on the old noggin today? Were you thinking about Sara and the baby? Are they doing okay, you know I could bring over some of my famous chicken soup. Apparently, it does wonders for morning sickness…"
"Gary!" Ava whisper yelled, shushing him and pulling him into her office. "Sara and I haven't announced the pregnancy yet and I don't want the whole department to know just yet. "
"Right, Sorry again Director Sharpe. It's just so exciting," he said jumping up and doing a full body wiggle in excitement.
Ava couldn't help but smile and giggle as well. It was exciting and she was over the moon.
"Director Sharpe." Rip knocked on her door.
"Come in Mr. Hunter."
"Good morning," He said to them holding a stack of paper, he took one look at their badly hidden smiles and adopted his fatherly inquisitive face. "What's going on in here?"
"Ava's excited about the baby!"
"Gary!"
Rip just chuckled and gave her a gentle smile. "And rightfully so, how is Sara doing?"
"She's doing good, happy to be over the morning sickness."
"That's good to hear," Rip said, "I remember how hard it was for Miranda. By the way, we've been meaning to have you both over for dinner."
"We'd love to, whenever you'll have us," Ava said.
"And you too, of course, Gary," Rip added, looking over to where Gary was smiling awkwardly next to them.
"Oh, I'll bring my Mom's Roz Bel Laban," Gary said, his smile genuine.
"Yes well, as much as I would like to continue this we must go over the reviews for the meeting today," Rip said setting the files on her desk.
"Right, the reviews," Ava said. Normally she would be more prepared and would have come in much earlier to get started, but she had completely forgotten.
Sara and the baby had taken over her mind. Despite that, Ava loved the quarterly reviews as it was a chance to review her knowledge of the Bureau's policies. It was also a time to enact new policies and changes brought forward by the department's heads each year. Ava and Gary both picked up a different set of files as Ava glanced over the first few pages.
"The meeting starts in about 20 minutes, which means we have just enough time to glance over them on the way over there," Rip said.
"Right, I'll lead the way," Ava said, picking up the rest of paperwork and depositing it into Gary's arms. "Let's go."
Ava tried to pay attention as they went over the new policy for paid sick leave, but she just couldn't concentrate as thoughts of Sara and the baby filled her mind. She nodded along as Rip detailed the benefits of giving employees proper time to be well rested and ready to return to work as well as the decreased spread of disease, but she couldn't help but sigh in relief as they finally moved on to the next subject.
"Now on to maternity leave, our current policy is three weeks of paid and an additional three of unpaid leave for expectant mothers and two weeks for their prospective partners." Rip said.
"That should be sufficient," Bill from accounting said. "We're not here to pay for parenting am I right?"
"I think that's hardly enough time don't you agree Director Sharpe," Rip said, getting Ava's attention. As she looked around, it took a second for her brain to process what had been said, until it clicked that she would only get two weeks with Sara and their new baby, before she would I have to go back to work for eight hours a day.
Ava sat up straighter and was able to quickly respond. "Most certainly not. For one thing, I can't believe we have such an ancient policy on paternity leave and the maternity leave is not sufficient."
"Well surely someone can just use their paid vacation time as well Director," Bill said.
"But they shouldn't have to," Ava argued, trying not to get emotional. "This has to be changed. Gary, what are the policies in other countries and agencies?"
"I agree, I agree with Director Sharpe on this one," Hank said, and Ava was surprised to find an unlikely ally. "When Nathaniel was born Dorothy and I had to spend a month in the hospital as Nathaniel was admitted to the NICU and eventually diagnosed with hemophilia. Once he was released it was quite an adjustment at home, as just like any newborn, Nathaniel was up every few hours a day and night. I returned to work after a week, but it was just too much for Dorothy to handle on her own. I tried to help out as much as I could for the time that I was home and during the night, but both of us were exhausted, sleep deprived, new parents and I ended up taking some extra vacation time. Having those two extra weeks with Dorothy and Nathaniel meant a world of difference."
"I agree with Mr. Heywood," Rip added. "Miranda and I had six months of time off, with the help of time travel. It was a valuable time for the three of us, and I was happy to be there to support my wife and get to know and care for my son. Perhaps we can do some research into the Canadian and European models and revisit this policy at another time, for now, let's move on to vacation time."
Ava gave Rip a small smile, as he had no doubt planned this, he returned her smile with a wink and they continued with the review.
March 8nd, 2020. Week Sixteen.
Sara surveyed the security footage from her position on the bridge. She watched as Nate's blue shirt and laser gun disappeared into a blind spot near the bathroom door in the hallway. They had been doing these mock drills over the past few days; so far it had just been one disaster after another.
"See anything?" Ray asked as he and Nora crept towards Nate, both wearing red shirts.
"Not yet," Sara replied. They had decided that a simple game of capture the flag with the use of laser tag would be a good mock exercise. "But be careful."
Sara could sense the ambush coming, but she held off on telling them. She wanted to see if they could catch on and deal with it without her. So she watched as Nora and Ray went straight towards the ambush that Nate, Mick, and Charlie had set up. Just as Nora and Ray were in position, Nate and Mick ambushed them, shooting Nora and convincing Ray to give up his vest. Charlie shifted into Ray's tall frame and headed to the kitchen, approaching Zari.
Constantine made a play for the flag and Sara watched as Charlie pretended to team up with Zari and takedown Constantine. Once they had Constantine tied up in one of the kitchen chairs Zari turned her attention towards Charlie-Ray and shot him, but as they were on the same team it just glowed red.
"Hey, what was that for?" Charlie-Ray asked.
"I needed to be sure you weren't Charlie, and besides, you and Nora are supposed to be scoping out the hallway."
"We were but then…"
Sara stopped paying attention as Charlie spun a tale, knowing the outcome. The shapeshifter did a very good impression of Ray, and Zari would let down her guard. The second she did, Charlie casually walked on the flag after placing her hands on it she transformed back into Charlie revealing the ruse, and Gideon set the lights back up.
Sara walked over to the parlor and sat in the dark brown leather chair. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; just because they couldn't win at lasers tag didn't mean that they would fail a mission. They just needed a real task.
She opened her tablet and searched through the level three time spikes.
"All right everybody, meet back on the bridge," Sara sighed in disappointment.
The blue team triumphantly approached the bridge with Charlie carrying both of the flags as Zari glared daggers into them and her own team.
"Okay, so how could you have done this differently?" Sara said looking over at Ray, Zari, Nora, and Behrad.
"Haircut's an easy mark," Rory said triumphantly.
"Well this wouldn't have happened if you had stuck to the plan," Zari yelled.
"Plan was stupid," Nora said spinning around to yell back at her. "We have to be on offense, not defense."
Soon enough they all dissolved into arguments and Sara rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. At a time when she needed them to get along, all they seemed able to do was fight.
Once things got particularly nasty, Sara put two fingers in her mouth and whistled, catching all of their attention. "Okay, why don't we all take a break."
Sara knew that they all had the capacity to do this together, and she could see that Zari was ready to take over if they could just stop bickering for five minutes. Sara got up from her seat and pulled out the keys for the Jump Ship. She knew that there was one person she could count on that could run this team as well as she did.
"Hey, where are you going?" Charlie asked.
"2020. I'll be back later," Sara said.
After sending Jax a quick text she arrived in his neighborhood a few minutes later. She disguised the jump ship as a car and parked it on the street before walking up to his front door.
She didn't have to wait long for him to swing open the door and greet her, with Martina in his arms, each of them wearing matching smiles.
"Hey," he said as they both reached out for her and pulled her in for a hug.
"Hey, it's good to see you," Sara said, hugging them both in return.
Martina smiled and cooed at her when they pulled back and Sara reached out to tickle her tummy, causing the seven month old to break out into sweet little giggles. It has been an honor to be able to watch Martina grow and be a part of her life. Sara couldn't believe that she was now going to have a baby of her own.
"Come in," Jax said, turning away and leading her into the living room. He plopped Martina down on the floor and sat down on the couch, patting the spot next to him for Sara to sit. "So how's the pregnant life treating you?"
Sara laughed, having told him about her pregnancy soon after she told the other Legends. He and Karen were over the moon for her and Ava, and had promised to take them out to celebrate that weekend.
"It's been good. I've gotten a bit of heartburn lately, but it hasn't been too bad."
"That's good," He said, with a big smile. "I'm really happy for you, Sara."
"And not just because you now have someone to call at 4 a.m. when Martina keeps you up?" Sara asked, having been on the receiving end of several phone calls in the past, which worked well with the Legends tricky schedule.
"It's one of the benefits," Jax said, smiling at her. "But you didn't come here to talk about baby stuff, did you?"
Sara sighed and looked over at Martina as she played with a few of the blocks. "It's the Legends. They just can't seem to work together. I kept doing missions and stuff, trying to get them to work together, but they kept fighting. Like, this afternoon with laser tag, but it's just so difficult, they couldn't stop arguing, and I couldn't stop them since I'm technically not supposed to be there, and it was just so frustrating."
"Yeah, I remember how it was after we lost Rip and none of us seemed to be going in the same direction until you stepped up and started giving us orders. You've always been a leader Sara, and it's going to be an adjustment for everyone once you're gone."
"That's kind of the reason why I'm here," Sara said, with a shy smile. "When I do have the baby, I want someone there that I can trust to help the team take care of time, and I was hoping that would be you?"
"I don't know Sara," Jack said looking over at Martina. "What about Zari? I thought you said you could rely on her to help the team in your absence."
"She's still thinking about it and if she doesn't want to do it, I'd just be more comfortable having you there. You've done it before and I know you can do it again."
"But I got you killed," Jax said, looking down at his hands.
"No, Rip killed me. You sent Ray into the ducts to restart the Waverider and that ended up saving me. You fought Rip off by yourself and you saved America, Christmas and me." Sara smiled as she looked over at Martina. She reached out to the little girl and let her grab onto one of her fingers smiled at her. "Did you hear that Martina, your Daddy's a hero."
Martina squealed as Sara picked her up and bounced Martina on her knee, leading to more squeals and giggles from them both.
"Just think about it please," Sara said, looking back over at him. "I know it means a lot with Martina and getting a sitter, and I'm not asking for an everyday thing, just maybe helping out for a few hours on the tougher missions."
"What about the other half of Firestorm?"
"I have already talked to Lily and she's on board with it. Her work at Star Labs is completely flexible, and with Ronnie starting preschool, she's agreed to help out for as much time as you are."
"I'll think about it," Jax said, looking at Martina in Sara's lap.
"Thank you," Sara said, leaning in to hug him. "I really appreciate it."
March 14th, 2020. Week Seventeen.
Ava portaled into the living room of their home and double checked her watch to make sure she had gotten the time right. She was supposed to meet Sara there at two so they could go to her appointment over at Miranda's clinic. Ava meant to make it by the time that they had already been forced to reschedule due to the Waverider getting stuck in LA's mud pits last week in 204 BC.
"Sara?" Ava called up the stairwell, having not seen Sara in the kitchen or living room.
"I'm up here," Sara called down.
Ava stepped down the hall to see the door to their bedroom open just a crack, and she gently pushed it open.
"Wait, close your eyes!" Sara said.
"What's going on?" Ava asked, closing them. She had barely peeked into the room and had only got a glimpse of Sara, who was topless, a sight she had seen dozens of times before, yet she gave Sara the privacy she requested.
Sara ran over and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the room. "I have a surprise for you."
Ava smiled as Sara led her a few steps into the room, before they stopped and Sara pressed her back against Ava. Ava's hands wrapped around Sara's middle and Sara placed them on her stomach. Ava knitted her eyebrows together in confusion, until she felt it. The small but ever present bump expanding from Sara's waist, it was so small that it fit in one of her hands. The intense excitement Ava had felt over the past few months swelled in her heart as she gave Sara a gentle squeeze and placed her head on Sara's shoulder.
"Okay, open them," Sara whispered. Ava opened her eyes to see that they were standing parallel to the mirror and Ava removed one of her hands to see the little bump. "I sort of noticed it this morning, but it's become a bit more prominent over the past few hours, probably because I've been standing and such," Sara said, placing her hand over Ava's.
Ava hummed in contentment as she caught Sara's eyes in the mirror, remembering the sweatpants she had put on that morning. "I guess this means we have to get you some maternity clothes."
"Yeah, I thought I could borrow some of your stuff," Sara said, looking over to the pile of Ava's clothing that was in a heap on the bed, and Ava looked down at Sara's pant leg, which was rolled up several times on one foot while the other had completely disappeared into the pants. The pants were unbuttoned, yet snug on Sara's hips. "But apparently not; I can't fit into your pants or shirts."
"Come on," Ava said, pulling Sara away from the mirror. "We can go over to the fabrication room on the way there and get you some new pants, shirts, and bras before heading to the appointment."
Sara let Ava pull her through the portal into the fabrication room, still topless. Sara went over to the wall and pulled up the patterns for her favorite articles of clothing. Ava took the opportunity to take Sara in. Apart from her belly, Sara had gained some weight in her hips, thighs, and chest, the latter of which had Ava's full attention. Sara's areolas were darker, and both her areolas and her nipples were bigger.
Having finished programming the fabricator for her desired clothing, Sara turned to look at Ava. When she caught Ava's line of sight, Sara laughed and sent her a sultry smile. "Sorry, Miss. Sharpe, but you'll have to wait till after our appointment."
"Oh I'm sure we could make time," Ava said, her eyes glued to Sara's chest.
Sara laughed again, the sound filling Ava's heart and the room, as Sara threw a t-shirt at her, and Gideon was nice enough to fabricate a bra that Sara quickly grabbed. The bra Gideon made was soft and easily adjustable, and the jeans had an elastic waist that would stretch as Sara got bigger and added material to go over Sara's bump. Ava handed her the gray loose t-shirt that hung off of her and hid her belly.
Once she was dressed, Sara grabbed Ava's hand and opened a portal into the parking lot. "Come on hot stuff, let's go check up on this baby before we try and make another one."
"Sara, you know you can't get pregnant until after we have this baby," Ava said, knowing how terrible the public school's sex and reproduction education was. However, Sara only laughed and walked into the clinic. "Sara? Sara!"
Ava opened the portal, back home this time after the appointment, and sent out a quick text to Rip and the rest of the Legends, letting them know that they would be unavailable for the rest of the night, as they had one exciting thing to consider.
"I think we should do it," Sara said, spinning around with a large smile on her face.
"I don't know," Ava said, wary of the prospect. "It's not like it really matters until they're older and it doesn't change anything."
"Yes, but it's just exciting," Sara said, vibrating with excitement. "Just thinking about it as us getting to know our kid better."
"Gender doesn't dictate personality."
"Yes, but it does influence other things, like perception and influence, what if we get a pediatrician that is super sexist and just assumes that our baby is tough because they're a boy or fragile because they're a girl?"
Ava crossed her arms and settled into her chair in the living room. "That's not exactly the best reason to find out the gender."
"I know," Sara said, her excitement fading to a general happiness as she walked over to Ava, dropping into her lap. "I'm just so excited, please Ava, I gotta know!"
Ava can't help the smile that spread across her face. Sara's excitement was contagious and she pulled her in for a squeeze. "Okay, but this can't influence any of our baby clothes. I wanna stick to the gender neutral stuff."
"Okay, but what if there's this really cute suit or this really fluffy dress and I mean come on, who doesn't like suits, and the fluffy dresses were just made for those cute embarrassing photos. You are not gonna be able to stop me from buying both dinosaur and unicorn clothing," Sara said, wiggling her finger at Ava for dramatic effect.
Ava rolled her eyes, but she did have to admit that there were some very cute onesies out there. "I just wish everything wasn't so gendered. I mean they're a baby, they don't care."
"Yes well, you can write your paper on the downsides of gendered clothing later, for now just please tell me we can figure out the gender of our baby?" Sara said, sticking out her bottom lip, knowing full well that Ava couldn't resist her pout.
Ava hesitated, if to tease her more than anything else, and pretended to deeply consider it as she looked away from Sara, brought her eyebrows together, and placed a hand on her chin.
"Ava," Sara whinnied, swatting her arm.
"Okay," Ava relented. "I suppose we could find out the gender at the 20 weeks scan.."
"Yes!" Sara said, literally wiggling with excitement in Ava's lap, almost sliding off if Ava hadn't had her arms securely around Sara's waist. "I'm so excited to see our baby girl!"
"You don't know that it's a girl."
"Yes, I do! It's a mother's intuition," Sara said, straightening up a little bit and pretending to be very serious.
"Uh huh," Ava said, leaning in. Sara kept her serious face until Ava kissed her neck and Sara broke, smiled down at her, leaning in to pepper kisses around Ava's face.
"I love you, Ava Sharpe," Sara said, leaning in to kiss Ava's lips. "Even if you only dress our kid in yellow."
"It's a nice and sensible color that looks good on everybody."
"It doesn't, but I'm gonna let you believe that," Sara said with a laugh at Ava's pout and leaned in to kiss it away.
Ava melted into her lips and smiled against her kiss, leaning in and pulling her arms around Sara's shoulder to pull her in further. They both relaxed into the chair and Sara leaned her head on Ava's shoulder.
Sara played with the engagement ring on her finger and smiled, until she suddenly froze in place, putting both of her hands on her belly. It had been happening a few times over the past few days, but Sara had been sure it was just gas or her imagination, but this time it was a little stronger and definitely not gas.
"What is it, what's wrong?" Ava asked, sitting up and putting both of her hands over Sara's.
Sara's face remained still for another moment until she felt it again. That light fluttering inside her that she was sure was their baby moving around. She looked over at Ava with a huge smile, her eyes sparkling. "I think I just felt the baby move."
"You did?" Ava said, holding her hand on Sara's belly as well.
"I feel it again," Sara said, letting out a laugh. She reached up to hold Ava's face as she gave her a quick kiss, before putting both of her hands back on her belly. Sara couldn't help but laugh again, as she felt the ever present fluttering inside her.
Sara rested against her chest, and Ava brushed her hair away from her face and let her hands rest on Sara's baby bump that was so wonderful. It was late afternoon and still light out, but the early winter sunset had started, sending warm light in through the windows. Ava thinks about their child doing acrobatic feats inside Sara, knowing that each day they grew bigger and stronger.
"Hey Ava?" Sara asked, pulling her out of her head with a tug on her shirt.
"Yeah?" Ava looked down at her as Sara looked away from her, and down as she fiddled with the buttons on Ava's shirt.
"I like the name Laurel, like Dinah Laurel. That doesn't have to be the name we pick, but I'd like to put it on the list."
Ava leaned in and kissed Sara's forehead. When she pulled back, Sara looked up at her with tears in her eyes. "I would love to do that, and I think we should use Quentin for a boy, at least as a middle name."
Sara smiled with wet eyes. "I'd like that."
Sara leaned in and nuzzled her neck. She felt a few tears fall, and Ava hugged Sara closer to her.
March 21st, 2020. Week Eighteen.
Ava carried the last of her file boxes through the open portal and into her office. "That's the last of it."
"Got it," Gary said cheerfully, as he sorted through the other boxes she had brought over.
Ava looked around the small office, all that was left was her desk and chair, which she had posted on one of those garage sale websites a few minutes before. Soon enough it would be empty and ready for a fresh coat of paint and new furniture. Even though it was still early in the pregnancy, Ava wanted to get a jump on the nursery and get everything settled, so they could relax and enjoy themselves leading up to the birth.
Sara came into the room holding a number of paint swatches and held one up to the empty wall next to the window. "What do you think?"
Ava barely processed what Sara was asking her as the sight of Sara in a tight green shirt that outlined her new little belly. It made Ava smile and gaze over at her.
"Aww Captain Lance, you're little belly is so cute," Gary said, stepping into the room to get a better look.
"It's not that cute." Sara said, placing a hand on her stomach that was now more rounded and went from under her ribs to her waist. "it just looks like I've had too much to eat."
"You look perfect," Ava said, knowing she still had a love-struck look across her face.
"May I?" Gary asked, reaching forward with his hand.
Ava saw Sara's look of hesitancy and distress and grabbed Gary's hand, pushing it down. "Not now Gary."
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow at work Director Sharpe," Gary said unfazed, and he waved goodbye as he closed the portal behind him.
"I'm just not really comfortable with anyone else touching me. I mean with you it's different, you're my fiance and the baby's other Mama." Sara said, looking down and caressing her belly.
"You don't have to explain it to me," Ava said.
"I know, but it's just not like there's anything they can feel yet," Sara said, looking back up at her.
"It should be pretty soon now," Ava said, smiling at the thought.
"Yeah, I can't wait," Sara said, an excited smile spreading across her face.
Ava leaned in and kissed her, just as excited. When they parted, Ava grabbed the swatches for the wall. "Come on Captain Lance, we've got to decide on a wall color before the crib arrives."
"How's this one?" Ava said holding up an ash green to the wall.
"I don't know, I don't want it to be so dark," Sara said, holding up a more chartreuse green.
"And I would rather not blind our baby with such a bright color."
"It's not that bad," Sara argued.
"Oh really?" Ava asked, holding it up closer to Sara's face.
"Okay, I see. It is a bit much, what about this one?" Sara asked, holding up an olive green.
"Yeah, I like that one," Ava said.
They were finally able to narrow it down to either an olive or a sage green and decided to do a square of each on the wall before deciding on which one they preferred. So they headed out to the paint store and got a pint of each before heading back home.
"Hey Sara?" Ava said as they stopped at a red light a few blocks away from home.
"Yeah?"
"I don't want to hyphenate our last names. I want the baby to have your last name Lance, and I'd like to take your name when we get married." Ava didn't have time to register Sara's expression as the light turned green and she proceeded forward. Sara remained quiet for the next few blocks as they traveled.
"But Ava, what about your name, our baby should have a piece of both of us."
"And they will," Ava said, looking over at her, to let Sara know that she was sure. "But that doesn't have to be in the form of a name. My last name was picked at random and it doesn't mean anything to me, but your name has such a rich history. You have such an amazing family and I want to honor that, I want to honor you."
Sara was quiet for the rest of the ride as she thought it over. As Ava parked in the driveway she finally spoke. "Okay, but I'd like them to have part of your name if it's a girl, which it is, I want her middle name to be Ava, even if Dinah Laurel Ava Lance is a mouthful. It might work better if it's for a boy. We can do A. Lance, and pick a name that starts with an A."
"I've always liked the name Avery," Ava said, as Sara leaned over and squeezed her hand.
"Quentin Avery Lance," Sara said, trying it out on her tongue. "It does sound nice."
"Just nice?" Ava asked, raising her eyebrows.
"I don't know," Sara said with a sigh. "I'm just not sold on it, it doesn't feel right."
"Okay," Ava said, stepping out of the car and walking around to open Sara's door. "What about Lawrence?"
The name was from one of Ava's favorite books, Little Women, and she could just see a little Lawrence running around, with Sara's mischievous eyes, and her warmth and kindness. However, Sara didn't share her sentiment for the name.
"Only as a middle name!" Sara insisted, taking Ava's hand as she helped Sara out.
"It's not that bad," Ava insisted, as she grabbed the pints of paint from the back. "I think it would make a great first name."
"Yeah, but do you know what the nickname for Lawrence is?" Sara said as she unlocked the door having stolen the keys for Ava's pocket. "Laurie. We can't have a Laurie and a Laurel."
"Wait you want more than one kid?" Ava asked, pausing on the stoop to look over at Sara.
"Well yeah, I mean It's kinda hard to think about having another one right now," Sara said, looking down at her belly and smiling. "And God knows this hasn't been easy, but I'd like to have at least two. I want them to have a sibling. Whether that means I get pregnant again, with is not happening until this one is at least a year old, or maybe we could adopt?"
Ava had always been partial to adoption, in a way she felt like an orphan with fake parents and when she used to think about starting a family with Sara she had dreamed of adopting a child with her. Especially after watching Alex and Kelly adopt two wonderful kids.
"I'd like that too, but for now and for this little one, I think we should still consider it. I really like it, it's from Little Women and you know how much I adore that book," Ava said, stepping inside with the paint, as they went straight up to the nursery.
"I'll think about it," Sara said, as she followed Ava at a slower pace.
Now that the baby was getting bigger, they were forcing Sara's organs up and pressing against her lungs, meaning that even the daily walk up the stairs was literally, a little more breathtaking.
"Okay, what about Nolan or Cassidy?"
"Why Nolan?"
"I don't know. I just think that sounds nice."
"It sounds too posh," Sara said, making a face.
"Too posh?" Ava asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Yes, come along Nolan let's go summer in the Hamptons," Sara said, with a bad upper east side accent and a wave of her hand. "Come on Ava, don't you get that vibe from it?"
"What's wrong with that kind of vibe?"
"Everything!"
Ava set the paint on the table and grabbed an old bed sheet, laying it down. "Well, why don't we decide on a paint color, and then we can decide on a name."
"Sounds good to me," Sara said, grabbing the paint brushes and other tools for her.
"All right, go on then," Ava said, shooting her out of the room. "I'll call you back up once the paint dries."
"In the meantime, I'm going to start an official list," Sara said, walking out the door.
"I want to see Lawrence on there!" Ava yelled to her down the hall.
"Fine!" Sara yelled back, but Ava could hear her smile.
April 8th, 2020. Week Twenty.
The sight of the emergency lights on the Waverider sent Ava into a panic, as she stepped onto the bridge where she was supposed to meet Sara for their appointment. "Gideon?"
After receiving no answer from the A.I., Ava proceeded with caution into the hall, before she heard Sara shouting and raced towards the engine room.
She stormed in and was relieved to see Zari, Behrad, and Ray working on the engine, and the rest of the Legend standing about looking shameful as Sara gave them the lecture of a lifetime.
"How could you guys be so stupid, you put not only your own lives but the lives of all those civilians at risk!" Sara yelled, pacing back and forth in front of them. "You can't all go running off at the same time, you have to coordinate your efforts and actually talk to each other and agree on ONE plan!"
Sara paused to send them a look meant to put them six feet under, and as Ava looked around as they all hung their heads, she saw it had the desired effect.
"I was just trying to get those guys to stop coming after us," Charlie said, defending their actions from where they were resting over the back of one of the chairs.
"We should have proceeded with caution and slipped away into the crowd, that would have been our best course of action," Ray said, looking up from the wires he was fixing.
"It doesn't matter which play was the best option, you should have communicated to each other what was going on and worked together towards, and I'll say it again, one plan that kept everyone safe."
"Well, we would have had just one plan if those two," Zari said, pointing towards Ray and Behrad, "Would have just listened to me."
"And who put you in charge?" Behrad asked, crossing his arms and turning around from his place in the Captain's chair, fixing the dashboard.
"Enough!" Sara shouted.
Ava carefully walked over to her after catching her eye, and put an arm around her waist. Sara sighed and rubbed her forehead, leaning into Ava and burying her face into Ava's shoulder.
"Ava and I have an appointment. I'll be back later and I want Gideon up and running before we get back."
"Oh, are you finding out the gender?" Mona asked, perking her head up and smiling as wide as she could.
"It's definitely a boy, isn't it?" Charlie said getting excited as well.
"No it's a girl," Rory said.
It took Ava a moment to catch on to how they were so invested in this. "You guys are gambling on the gender of our baby?"
"No of course not, pet," Constantine said shuffling his cards. "It's just a little friendly betting pool."
"There's one for your due date too," Mona said, then immediately put her hand over her mouth. and mumbled out, "I wasn't supposed to tell you that."
"Well, the ultrasound is not till tomorrow, so you'll have to wait," Ava said, adopting a neutral face that neither approved nor condoned their inappropriate gambling. "We'll be back in a few hours."
"And this place better be sparkling," Sara said, as they all looked down and slowly nodded.
Sara leaned into Ava and put a hand on her chest, as Ava gave her a gentle squeeze as they walked back to her room to fetch her jacket.
"Should I be worried about them?" Ava asked, placing her hand on Sara's belly.
"No, they each only put a 10 in, so they're not losing any real money and they don't usually do this kind of thing."
"You knew about it?"
"Well someone's got to be in charge of the pot," Sara said, with a sly smile.
Ava just shook her head as Sara laughed. "Personally I think Mona's going to win for the due date bet, she picked August 19th."
"And I'm sure that has nothing to do with your feelings about going past your due date, August 20th," Ava said.
"No, not at all," Sara shook her head.
Ava shook her head and just sighed until she felt something move under her hand in Sara's belly. She stopped and put both hands over the spot as all of her focus turned towards their baby. Sara noticed her change in focus, and placed both of her hands over Ava's.
Ava waited as the seconds drifted by, each one carrying away her hope of feeling it again. Just as she pulled her hands away, Sara quickly grabbed them back, pulling up her shirt and moving them a little to the left. They only had to wait a second before she felt it.
"Did you feel that?" Sara asked, looking up at her.
Ava could only nod as she was overwhelmed with happiness; she was over the moon. She had waited so long to be able to feel them, that finally getting the chance to feel them kick was overwhelming.
"Aves," Sara said, cupping her face and wiping away a few stray tears that Ava hadn't realized had fallen.
Ava looked up to see Sara smiling, a look of pure joy across her face, and let out a breath along with a smile, as she reached up to brush away her tears.
"I'm just going to blame it on the hormones," Ava said still smiling.
"Yeah," Sara said nodding her head and pulling Ava in for a hug.
They let out a little laugh at the situation, before Ava's phone went off, and they quickly collected their things and headed off to their appointment.
Ava opened the portal back into their living room after their appointment and guided Sara through, with a hand on her lower back. Their happy mood had been taking away when Miranda had taken Sara's blood pressure, noting how high it was and had put a rush on Sara's urine test noting the swelling in her feet and hands. They were both relieved to find there was no protein indicating kidney damage, but Miranda believed that there was still a risk for preeclampsia and put Sara on a daily dose of aspirin, and after a mental stress test, she advised Sara to take it easy, and reduce the stress in her life. Miranda also wanted to keep a close eye on her, meaning more tests and appointments. Sara dropped down onto the couch putting her face into her hands.
Preeclampsia. The word floated around in her head, it could mean liver and kidney damage. It p them at risk for Placental abruption, seizures; it could mean that they had to deliver before the baby was full term, or worse, it could kill them both.
The thought of having to deliver a preterm baby, and knowing that they would have to be in the hospital, not in her belly, was the worst part. Sara wrapped her arms around her belly as if it could keep them safer. Being pregnant had not been easy, and she had been counting down the days to 40 weeks, but now she would give anything to keep them right where they were.
"Hey, it's going to be okay," Ava said sitting down next to Sara and putting her arms around Sara's shoulders. "We just need to relax a little bit and your blood pressure will go down and we'll put your feet up and that'll help the swelling and you'll take your medication and we'll keep an eye on you. Even if you do develop preeclampsia we have the best people on the job taking care of you, Gideon and Miranda are going to make sure you and our baby are healthy."
"She is right Captain," Gideon chimed in, peering from Sara's phone on the table across from them. "We would be able to cure your toxemia, without the need for an early delivery and you could continue on with your pregnancy as planned."
"I just got so scared," Sara said, her voice shaky as she spoke, as she looked up at Ava and saw the tears forming in her eyes.
"I know, I know," Ava said, pulling her into a hug as Sara let out a heavy breath in her arms. "I was scared too. But it's going to be okay. We're going to take some time away from everything and relax, and you and the baby are going to be fine, okay?"
Sara nodded and buried herself into Ava's chest while Ava rubbed her back and pressed her lips to the top of her head. Sara forced herself to relax and take a deep breath, but found herself, out of breath and lightheaded, due to the baby adding to her abdomen and forcing her organs, pressing against her lungs. Ava immediately noticed and mimicked deep and long breaths until Sara was able to calm down.
Once Sara's breathing was back to normal, Ava moved her hands over from Sara's neck to her shoulders, getting them a light squeeze. "Sara, I think it'd be wise if you took some time off. I know things on the Waverider have been really stressful for you."
"Yeah, maybe that would be for the best," Sara said, not quite focusing on Ava's words as she stared down at her hands on her small belly.
"It might also be time for you to take part of your maternity leave. I know how stressful things have been for you and that stress isn't going to go away overnight. I don't want you putting yourself and the baby at risk," Ava said, putting her hands over Sara's.
"What?" Sara said, looking up at Ava. "You want me to quit my job?"
"It's necessary Sara. I just want you to rest at least until the risk for preeclampsia has passed. You know it might be nice if you could work on the nursery and get into some of your other hobbies, I'll take over for you, since Zari and Jax are still hesitant to take up the mantle of Captain."
"You're not taking the Waverider from me!" Sara shouted, standing up and towering over Ava, who is still sitting on the couch.
"Sara that's not what I'm saying. I'm just trying to help you and your team," Ava said, remembering the fight they had had earlier, before they had gotten engaged. "You have to take a break, at least for a little while until your blood pressure is back to normal and Miranda gives you the okay to go back to work. No one else is willing to Captain the Waverider, and I don't want your team under the same stress that you are."
Ava tried to explain, putting her hand down on the seat next to her, asking Sara to join her. "I'm not asking you to give up anything for me or to quit time traveling, I'm worried about you and the baby."
Sara crossed her arms, but thought it over. She shifted from one foot to the other. "I'm not ready to stop now."
"I know, and I'm sorry to push you like this. At least let me help you by going with you on the next Legends mission and helping out you and your team. I know you don't need a babysitter, but would you be willing to accept my help?" Ava said, trying to find a good compromise.
Sara realized that her stress had been spilling over into every aspect of her life, and that needed to change if she wanted to continue with a healthy pregnancy. She nodded and sat back down with her next on the couch. Ava enveloped Sara in her arms, and Sara curled up in her embrace.
"Why don't we watch a movie and order some takeout. We can get your favorite, Chinese?"
"Yeah," Sara said, nodding; she was so exhausted and welcomed the break from everything.
Ava got up and grabbed the takeout menu, before returning to the couch and pulling Sara down, so they were both lying down. She grabbed the remote and pulled up one of Sara's favorite movies 'Swamp Thaaaaang'.
Sara called up the restaurant to order the food, as Ava didn't speak Chinese, and took the opportunity to catch up with the waitress. Once the food was delivered Sara tried to focus on the movie, but she had to sit up a few minutes in as her heartburn flared up. The Chinese food Sara had ordered was spicy and didn't help, so she just ended up munching on plain rice.
Ava seemed to easily get engrossed in the film, but Sara just couldn't seem to get lost in it. She kept thinking about everything Miranda had told her about preeclampsia, despite both Ava and Gideon's assurance that it could be cured, the initial risk to her and the baby's health remained.
Sara looked over at the picture of her Dad and Laurel that sat on the end table next to her. Sara was so grateful for the support Ava gave her Ava was her rock, but Sara also wanted her and sister. She wished she could call Laurel and just talked to her about everything that was going on. They would have loved Ava. But asking for Laurel when she had Ava, Tommy, her dad, and mom felt selfish.
She remembered when she had her first surgery at nineteen to get her wisdom teeth removed. She was suddenly faced with her own mortality, and having written up her will, Sara was frightened at the prospect of dying. Both Laurel and her dad had reassured her everything would go fine. Her dad had taken the day off from work and the family of four had piled into the oral surgeon's office. Her Mom had a calming presence guiding Sara through, Laurel had brought her stuffed shark and promised to keep it safe for her while she was in surgery. Sara didn't want to seem like a baby so she had Laurel walk her back, Laurel gave her a quick hug and kiss on her forehead, promising her that everything would be okay and, even at nineteen, Sara believed her.
Sara loved that Ava tried to assure her, believing that it was enough. Eventually, Sara moved to the other end of the couch, sitting up and leaning against the armrest. The next movie, the sequel, played and Ava sat up and kissed her in a way that made Sara forget her worry. Soon enough Ava fell asleep on the couch next to her, leaving Sara with her thoughts.
She couldn't stop thinking about her Laurel, and how much she missed her. She slipped out of Ava's arms and wrote a quick note, a promise that she'd return, placing it under Ava's pillow where they normally placed notes for each other. Sara grabbed the keys from the table in the hall and locked the door behind her.
The drive felt nice, and Sara focused on something other than her grief, letting the music fill her mind. She hardly ever drove, not since she died, but thanks to Gideon she still had a valid license. There was something about leisurely driving around the city that Sara's always loved. Just taking a break from everything and going somewhere. She drove through the city, taking in the towering buildings and bright lights. The spring evening made the night cold, but there were signs of new leaves on the trees that hung over the back streets that Sara took to the cemetery.
She slowed down as she took the curved road between the graves, before parking as close as she could. It's a small walk up to the meadow where Laurel laid. When her Dad had chosen Laurel's grave, he had deliberately picked a secluded spot, surrounded by trees, but in an open meadow. They had sold her grave to pay for Laurel's, but Sara knew that one day she would need one too.
The open plots that were next to Laurel stayed empty, but she never imagined that she would bury her father there, the memories of the world before Oliver changed it, still lingered in her head. Sara supposed she would need the next three plots next to them. She put a hand on her stomach, feeling her baby alive and well kicking inside of her. Even before their birth, she was planning for their death. It was an inevitability that Sara was always aware of.
She had put a pot of flowers on the grave and filled it with lilies, roses, and daisies. They were the flowers that her dad always bought for them on special occasions, birthdays, Christmas, and Valentine's Days growing up, even if they were no longer single. Their Dad had always wanted them to know that they were loved. Sara looked down at the wilted flowers on Laurel's headstones. She hadn't stopped to get any, and she regretted that now as she collected the dead flowers that crumble in her hands.
"I'm sorry," Sara whispered to her. "I promise to stop by and replant some soon. I'm sure you know why I haven't been by to visit. Ava and I are having a baby."
Sara rubbed her stomach and wished that Laurel could feel her baby kick. Laurel would have been over the moon, and would have started stopping by more often to check in on her. Between Ava, her Dad and Laurel, there would always be someone's hand on her belly, and once the baby was born there would always be someone to hold them.
Her sister would have insisted she stay with them for a few days and help them figure everything out, her dad would have helped Ava build the crib and she knew they would paint the walls and try to get it set up to surprise her. Laurel would have been there when she went into labor, would have stayed with her through delivery. She would have held Sara's other hand and whispered words of encouragement. She would have been their baby's aunt and godmother and the third person to hold them.
Sara would have wanted Laurel with her in the delivery room, and she would have cried when she first held the baby, and whispered how beautiful they were, and how proud she was of Sara. She would have been the best auntie in the world, always willing to babysit and show them what it looked like to have strong women in their life. All of these could have been and should have been swirled around in Sara's mind, causing her to sob into her hands in front of the grave.
The tears wouldn't stop, they fell like a waterfall from her eyes, and Sara hugged herself, trying to sway the grief that felt as big as a mountain.
"Sara?" Someone called out behind her and at first, she thought it was Ava, but she can barely hear them through her wailing.
Instead, it was the other Laurel who wrapped her arms around her shoulders and pulled her in. She had never been Sara's Laurel and she had never tried to be, but Sara loved her like a sister, and having her here now swayed her tears and brought comfort to her.
"Here," Laurel said, putting something soft in Sara's arms.
Sara felt the fuzzy fabric and breathed in its scent, she instantly recognized the soft plushie and held it closer.
"Sharkey," Sara said in disbelief, burying her face in the soft material. Laurel smiled, apparently, this Sara didn't name it either.
The plushie had brought her so much comfort to her as a child, and one of the first things she had done was to go to the aquarium and buy one for her child.
"How did you get this?" Sara asked looking over at Laurel.
"I found it in Quentin's apartment while we were going through Laurel's stuff after I took on her identity for a bit. It was in one of Laurel's boxes that she must have kept."
"I can't believe they kept it all these years."
"Of course they kept it. You couldn't sleep without it," Laurel said, but bit her lip realizing she had given too much away.
Sara gave her a sad smile as Laurel sat down next to her, with a kind and loving expression. Sara was a bit taken aback at that. No one had looked at her like that in a long time. She had forgotten what it meant to have a sister who loved her, to have anyone who loved her unconditionally. This was her only chance at getting her sister back and she grabbed it with both hands.
"How did you know it was mine?" Sara asked.
"Well, none of the other stuff in the box was Laurel's and I never had one as a kid so I figured your Laurel didn't either, so it had to be yours," Laurel lied, Sara looked as if she didn't quite believe her, but relaxed back into their embrace. The quiet fell upon them in a stilling silence.
"You had a sister too," Sara said. She had always wondered if there was a Sara on earth two.
"Yes, she was a lot like you, but she had a normal life. She was a doctor, and she had a wife and a daughter too. She named her daughter Dinah Laurel." As Laurel spoke, she had a far off look in her eyes as she gazed up at the stairs. "At first I was mad because that was my name and my legacy, but now I'm happy she had it. I mean, I don't want kids and I try to be worthy of the name."
"You are, and I'm sure your sister and niece would have agreed. I was thinking of naming them Laurel too," Sara said holding her stomach.
"I think that would be fitting, especially for her," Laurel said, as they both looked over at Laurel's grave.
They sat for a moment, then Laurel looked down at her stomach too. "May I?"
Sara nodded, and Laurel reached out and wearily placed her hand on Sara's belly. Sara smiled and moved her hand to where the baby was kicking.
"It feels like I'm getting a second chance at all this."
"Me too,, and I know we won't mess it up."
"If you ever need anything, I'd be happy to help," Laurel said, looking back up at her.
"I'm hungry, do you want to get something to eat?" Sara asked, with a slight shrug.
"Sure," Laurel said with a smile. "Dinah is making some Matzah ball soup with Dad at our place. She's trying to get the recipe right before Passover tomorrow, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind another taste tester."
"That sounds really good," Sara said, licking her lips at the thought of her Dad and Dinah's cooking.
"You should probably text Ava while I drive us over to Dinah's. I texted her when I found you, but she's been pretty worried."
"Yeah," Sara said, pulling out her phone and sending Ava a quick text saying she was fine and that they were heading over to Dinah and Laurel's apartment, asking her to meet them there.
Ava sent her a quick text once they were on the road, filled with relief and promised to meet her there after picking up the car that Sara had forgotten in the cemetery, but that one, Sara decided, she would just blame on baby brain.
The drive to the apartment was short, and soon enough Laurel was putting the key in the lock and opening the door for her. The warm smell of freshly cooked soup filled the apartment and Sara was greeted with the sight of her Dad sitting at the counter, with Dinah on the other side watching over the soup.
"Hey sweetie," her Dad said, greeting her with a hug. "I was just about to call you and ask if you and Ava wanted to come over."
"That's okay, it's good to see you," Sara said, giving him a tight squeeze, feeling at ease to be in his arms.
When Sara pulled back, her Dad greeted Laurel with the same affectionate name, as Laurel has been fully adopted into the family.
"And how's this little one doing? Not giving you too much trouble I hope?" Quentin said with a teasing smile, as he placed a hand on her belly.
"They've been bouncing around and Ava felt them kick," Sara said as she grabbed his hand and moved it to the left side of her belly to where the baby had been kicking on the drive over.
It took only a second before Sara felt them kick against her stomach. Her Dad's face lit up, and she knew he felt it too. Sara looked up to see him tearing up, and it made her pause. She had rarely seen her Dad cry, much less cry from happiness, and he just held her belly and looked down at her child with such love that Sara felt herself tearing up as well.
"Dad," Sara said, wiping away the tears that had fallen on her cheek. "You're making me cry."
He just looked up at her and leaned in to kiss her forehead, before pulling her in for a hug. "Happy tears are always good."
"Yeah," Sara nodded against his chest.
After they dried their tears, they sat and chatted for a moment, and Dinah offered her a taste of the soup, which was heavenly, as most of her cooking is. They talked about plans for the first night of Passover, until her Dad pulled her away to the guest bedroom so they could talk.
"What's bothering you?" Quentin asked, in a matter of fact kind of tone, and Sara just sighed as she sat down on the bed in the guest bedroom.
"Ava and I had an argument. We had our 20 week appointment today and my blood pressure was a bit high. I'm doing fine and I don't have preeclampsia yet, but my doctor wants to keep an eye on me. Ava took it a step further, and she wanted me to stop working altogether. I understand taking a step back, especially if things get worse, but I don't want to quit just yet. There's no one else to run the ship. The Legends are arguing more than ever, which is the root of the stress, but I know that I can get them to cooperate and get everything in order, but Ava insisted on being there to look over my shoulder and be too overprotective."
Sara took a deep breath and felt the tears collect in her eyes again. "And I miss Laurel. I went to her grave, and I couldn't help but think about how excited they would be for the baby and how involved they would be in our lives, and I just miss her."
"Oh Sara," he said in a loving tone, sitting down next to her and putting her arm around her. "I won't tell you what to do, I'll just tell you this. I know that the baby's health is what's most important to you right now, and I know that feeling of not wanting to put your life on hold. Your never mother didn't want to quit the job that she loved when she got pregnant with your sister, but like you, her blood pressure was high and she had too. If I could have stayed home with your sister I would have."
"Yeah, but she continued with her master's program and you were a cop like you wanted to be, all I have is the Waverider."
"And that's not going to go away Honey, this step back is just temporary. Just take it easy for now, let your team handle the stressful things and see if your health improves, then you can make the decision to go back. In the meantime, you know I'm always here to keep you company, and I set up both yours and Laurel's cribs."
Sara laughed and gave him a look.
"Okay," he said holding up his hands. "Your Mom did, but I read the directions to her."
For as many talents as her father had, handiness wasn't one of them. She remembered her mother teaching her how to fix a broken sink and change a tire as a teenager.
"Speaking of which," Quentin added, going over to one of the boxes he had brought with him.
"Your Mom sent this stuff up from Central City," he said, looking over at the two blue totes boxes. "And I got you some stuff too."
Sara saw the label of 'Sara's baby things' and one marked 'Laurel's things' as well as a new fancy diaper bag full of new clothes, blankets, and other baby things. She opened the bag and pulled out an outfit. Sara smiled; it was so tiny and cute, she held it up imagining her baby in them.
"She figured you wouldn't want too many of your old clothes, but she kept a few of the nicer neutral outfits and shoes along with some toys and blankets. So I just got a few new things, like a few outfits and the bath kit and toys."
"Thank you," Sara said, putting it back and opening the box of her baby things.
I remember you wearing this" Quentin said, pulling out a yellow romper with little flowers on it.
"I think I'll pass on that one."
Quentin chuckled and put it back in the bin, but pulled out something else. "And we thought you might like to look through this."
"My baby book," Sara said, opening the first page. It had a picture of her in her mother's arms in the hospital along with her footprint, full name and birthday. Sara flipped through the pages and picked up one of the muslin blankets, feeling the soft fabric between her fingers. Quentin pulled out a few more baby toys to show Sara, most of them were definitely a product of their era, but they were sturdy, although Sara would definitely check the paint.
Sara looked over at the large bin realizing how much less she would have to buy now, for their baby. "I'll have to call Mom and thank her for all of this and you too, thank you."
"Oh, it's what Grandpas and grandmas are for," Quentin said, with a shrug. "Although I'd prefer Papa if that's okay, Grandpa just sounds like I'm old."
"Dad you are old," Sara said with a chuckle and pulled her dad in for a hug, and Quentin squeezed his daughter tight. One particularly strong kick pushed them apart, as Sara put her hand over her baby.
"Do you want to feel them again?" She offered, seeing him look wistfully down at her belly.
"Yes of course," Quentin said excitedly, as Sara held her Dad's hand to her stomach and they were greeted with another set of joyful kicks.
Quentin laughed and smiled, "They're strong like you."
"Like you too," Sara smiled.
The sound of the doorbell pulled them apart as her Dad started packing away the baby things.
"That's probably Ava," Sara said looking to the door.
"I'll let you two talk."
Sara walked down the hall and passed, Laurel and Dinah, who were laughing and talking over bowls of soup with the front door left unattended as Ava knocked again. Laurel gave her a knowing smile as Sara approached the door. She swung open the door and was greeted with Ava, who let out a sigh of relief and pulled Sara into her arms.
"I was so worried about you, I thought you'd taken off for something," Ava said, holding her close.
"I'm sorry, I just needed to see Laurel."
"It's okay," Ava said, pulling back. "And I'm sorry if I overstepped with the Legends."
"No, it's okay," Sara said, cutting her off. Sara stepped back into the hall with Ava and closed the door behind them. "I do need your help with the Legends; I don't think I really understood what changes needed to be made, and I'd be happy to have you help me make them."
"I know how important this is to you, Sara," Ava said, taking both of her hands and holding them close to her chest. "And I'd like to work something out where you can stay on the Waverider for as long as possible. It's your home, and I don't want to take that from you."
"It is my home, and the legends are my family, but time travel is my job and it will wait for me."
Ava gave her a smile and Sara pulled her in for another hug, relieved to be in Ava's arms. "You're my true home."
"I love you too," Ava said.
They were interrupted as Sara felt a series of strong kicks, as their baby made its presence known. She laughed and brought Ava's hands over to feel the kicks against her hand.
"I love you too, we're going to make a good home for you," Ava said to them.
"We promise," Sara added, leaning over to give Ava a kiss before Ava leaned down to kiss her belly as well, not wanting a baby to feel left out again.
As they walked back into the apartment Dinah and laurel greeting them with hugs and bowls of soup, and Quentin nodded at Ava, who nodded back.
"He called you while Laurel drove us over here didn't he?" Sara said, turning to look between them.
"Now Sara, it's not what you think," Quentin said, holding up a hand.
"Actually I called him. Talking with Quentin actually helped a lot," Ava said, looking back at him with admiration. "He just wanted me to see things from your perspective and when I did, I realized that I shouldn't keep you in a bubble."
Sara looked between them as her dad and Ava looked back at her with affection. All Sara ever wanted was for Ava to be accepted by her family, and knowing that they accepted her and the fact that Ava went to her father for advice made tears once again form in her eyes.
"Aww, you guys are gonna make me cry."
April 10th, 2020. Week Twenty one.
Sara and Ava both watched in awe as the video of the sonogram displayed their baby on the screen. Their hearts filled with joy and excitement as the babies' legs and arms wiggled around, as if they were dancing for their Moms. Neither of them spoke as they just watched the sonographer, Lynette, take pictures and measurements, they were content to watch their baby.
Lynett moved the wand to face the baby, and both of them sigh in content.
"Are you ready to know the gender?" Lynette asked, as excited as they were.
Sara looked up at Ava as the excitement filled her face, and they both nodded with enthusiasm.
"Okay," Lynette said, moving down to check.
It was hard to tell from the sonogram, and neither Sara nor Ava were experts. Lynette took her time to make sure she got it right, and when she was sure she looked over at them with a smile.
"It's a girl."
"A girl!" Sara all but squealed and nearly cried with excitement, as she squeezed Ava's hand a little too tight.
Ava did cry and brushed away the tears on her cheeks, as she leaned over to wrap her arms around Sara's shoulders and squeeze her. "She's our Laurel."
Sara nodded and let the tears flow as they both looked back at the sonogram. "Hello, Laurel."
AN: Although I already picked out baby Laurel's name and stuff I want to know what you guys think of the other names and what do you think of Ava giving Laurel Sara's last name?