A/N: You probably assumed this by now, but since there's actual content coming out for the new LoT season, I should mention that this story is not going to follow anything going on in the current season of the Arrowverse. I'm super excited for Crisis on Infinite Earths, but I probably won't be fully caught up on it for a while, so even though I might throw in occasional references to the crisis and the events of the current season, this fic is not intended to reflect canon after the end of the last LoT/Arrowverse season. Regarding anything up to and including last season, though, I'll try to stay as canon compliant as possible. (As much as I can be with Snart alive, of course!)
Sara and Mick sat patiently in the fabrication room. The normally empty room was filled with boxes of Leonard's belongings that had been sitting in storage in the cargo bay until now. Leonard emerged from behind a door, his clothes fully repaired by Gideon's technology. He'd also added a new pair of goggles and a repaired leg holster for the cold gun. He spun the weapon dramatically in his hands, then placed it in its holster. He reached down again and drew it, aimed at the wall, spun it around, then holstered it again in one smooth motion. "Now that's what I'm talking about," he said.
Sara chuckled. "Show off."
Leonard walked over to where Sara and Mick were sitting. "Maybe," he said, smirking playfully at her, "but at least you're enjoying the show."
Mick stood up and stepped closer to Leonard, peering at his newly restored dark clothes. "Gideon did a good job," he observed. "Wouldn't even know you blew up."
"Yeah," Snart agreed, looking down at his outfit. "Of course, she didn't need to bother with the jacket. I've got plenty more."
"Of course you do," Sara said, not at all surprised. "I don't know what your deal is with layers, but your parkas really came in handy earlier this year. We got trapped in an avalanche and nearly froze."
Snart looked back at her. "Trapped in an avalanche, huh?" He pulled over a chair into the space next to her and sat down, joining his two closest friends. "I was wondering what you guys got up to without me."
Mick sat back down, holding up a finger for each item he listed. "Aliens, magic, Nazis, demons, Beebo, Aruba, Time Bureau, a lot of weird creatures, kidnapped Nixon that one time, uh…oh, and Haircut got stuck in Hell."
Leonard turned his head toward his partner, looking at him in disbelief. "Raymond did what?"
"Don't worry," Sara quickly explained, "The team got him out. He's fine now."
Leonard leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the box in front of him, puzzling silently over everything Mick and Sara had said. "Sounds like it's been a strange three years," he finally said.
"You could say that again," Mick agreed.
Charlie stuck her head into the fabrication room from behind the doorway. "Oi, Captain!" she called. "Mind if I borrow you for a minute?" She noticed Leonard sitting with the other two Legends and added, "Looks good as new, mate!"
"Be right there," Sara responded. "Duty calls," she said as she stood up. "I'll be back in a second." She headed out of the room and walked away with Charlie.
Leonard watched her go, then looked to Mick. "So, that one was…?"
"Charlie," Mick answered.
"Charlie," Leonard repeated with a nod, committing her name and face to his memory. "Got it."
"She's a shapeshifter," Mick elaborated. "Picked her up in the seventies."
"Tell me, partner," Leonard asked, "why all the new faces? I barely recognize this crew."
Mick shrugged. "Three years. Stuff changes."
Snart looked around the fabrication room, noting several differences in its layout and contents. "Seems like it," he said, returning his gaze to his partner. His tone turned a little more serious as he began to question him, though he maintained a trace of his sarcastic drawl. "Looks like Kendra's not around. Last I remember, she was Savage's prisoner. What happened? Did he kill her?"
"No, we saved her," Mick replied. "Killed Savage, too. Three times."
"Three times?"
"Yep. Time travel's weird. But she left the team with Birdman after we took Savage out. Something about wanting to have a new life or whatever. Don't know what they're up to these days."
"Huh…okay." Leonard thought for a moment about which question to ask next. "Where's Jax? Haven't seen him on the ship."
"He left too," Mick answered. "It was, uh, last year. Decided to try something new after his partner…"
"Stein."
"Yeah, him. He, uh…he didn't make it."
Leonard frowned. "Stein died? How?"
"Nazis." Mick paused, then backtracked to explain. "Not time travel Nazis. Earth-X Nazis. It's this other world where they won World War Two. Except now they didn't, because we beat them. Long story, but they crashed the Flash's wedding and we fought back. So did all the other hero types who were invited. But anyway, before we beat them, they got the professor." He sighed, then added, "He fought to the end, though. Only gave up so the kid wouldn't die with him."
Leonard looked down at the floor, still frowning. "That's too bad. He was a good man."
"Yeah, well," Mick said, trying to think of something to lighten the mood, "the kid's doing all right. Got married and has kid of his own now. Or, maybe that's not until next year…I don't know." He waved his hand aimlessly. "Time travel."
Sara reentered the room. "Rory," she said, capturing both the attention of both rogues, "Charlie and Mona need you."
Mick grimaced. "For what?" He gestured toward Leonard. "I'm catching my partner up. Pretty busy here."
Sara walked over to his side. "Captain's orders," she said, leaning in toward him.
"When has that ever gotten me to do anything?" he scoffed.
She placed her hands on her hips and looked down at him intimidatingly. "Mick, it's about the thing."
"What thing?" he asked. She continued to stare at him until he realized what she meant. His gruff demeanor softened slightly. "Oh…you mean that thing."
"Yeah. That thing."
Mick turned to his partner. "I…uh…I have to…there's a…"
"Thing?" Leonard guessed.
"Yeah." Mick stood up. "A thing. Your turn, Sara. Don't let him get in any trouble without me." He turned and left the room, stomping out the door and into the corridor leading to wherever Charlie and Mona were.
Sara took over Mick's chair, opposite Leonard. "So…Mick's been catching you up?"
"A little," Leonard replied. "He said the Hawks left, then Stein died, and then Jax left. And something about a place called Earth-X." He stopped talking for a moment, his eyes centering on Sara. There she was, sitting right in front of him, still as beautiful as he remembered. She gave him a funny look and he glanced away. He wasn't sure what to say, but he felt like he had to explain his staring somehow. "I…uh…I didn't think I was ever going to see you again," he said in a low voice. "Or this place, or the team. Well, what's left of it, anyway."
"I know," she said, scooting her chair closer to him. "I didn't think so either. You've really got the new Legends to thank for that. They're the ones who figured out how to bring you back."
Leonard looked back at her, his eyes revealing a level of joy that the rest of his face was trying very hard to hide. "Good thing they did." He relaxed a little, then added, "Sounds like you've had an eventful three years. What's it like, being captain of this crew?"
She laughed. "It's been an experience. Sometimes I feel like they think I'm their mom."
He nodded slowly. "Captain Sara Lance," he said, pronouncing each syllable of her full title carefully. He took his feet off the box and leaned forward toward her, smiling. "It has a nice ring to it."
"I don't remember you giving our previous captain this much support," Sara remarked.
"That's because I've got a lot more respect for you than for Rip," he returned. "You know that. Where is he, anyway? What did he do, quit and leave you in charge?"
Sara's face fell. "Rip's dead, Leonard."
Leonard froze. He straightened up in his chair and looked away uncomfortably. "Sorry to hear that," he said. "What happened?"
"He sacrificed himself to save the rest of us," she answered sadly. "We had our fair share of disagreements, but he was always a good man. Without him, I never would have found my place here." She made eye contact with Leonard and couldn't look away. She normally avoided sharing her feelings when she didn't have to, but she had always felt so comfortable talking to Leonard during their first mission. Now that he was back, she couldn't help thinking of all the things she would've told him for the past three years if he'd been around. The words came out before she could stop them. "I've lost so many people, Leonard. Not just Rip and Stein. I try not to think about it, but it never gets easier. First you, then Laurel…"
"Laurel?" Leonard's eyes widened, horrified. "No. Not your sister."
"Yes. My sister."
Leonard felt anger rise inside him. If someone ever killed Lisa, he didn't know what he would do, but it wouldn't be good. He hated the thought of Sara in any kind of pain, let alone the kind her sister's death must have put her through. "How?" he growled, his hand resting instinctively over the cold gun strapped to his leg. "Who did this?"
Sara grimaced. Time had made it easier for her to talk about Laurel's death, but that didn't mean she enjoyed it. "Damien Darhk," she finally answered. "He killed my sister to retaliate against my father for betraying him. It happened while we were still on our first mission. I didn't even know until I got home."
"Damien Darhk," Leonard repeated, thinking. Sara watched his face carefully, wondering if there was any sign of recognition. There wasn't. "Can't say I know much about him," Leonard told her, "but if I ever run into that guy…well, he'll wish I didn't." He noticed the odd expression on Sara's face. "What? Something wrong?"
Sara quickly snapped herself out of her memories of the last time Leonard had run into Damien Darhk. "We've already fought him a few times," she said, "and I doubt we will again. He died. Twice, actually."
Leonard slowly moved his hand away from the cold gun. "Let me guess, time travel?"
"Time travel."
"I see." He tried to think of something else to ask her about. "How's your dad? Is he okay?"
Sara shook her head. "He was actually killed last year. Ricardo Diaz," she said, answering Leonard's next question before he could ask it, "and yes, he's dead too."
Leonard noticed the sorrow in her eyes. He couldn't help feeling a bit guilty. If I'd been there, he thought, maybe I could have done something to save them. Even just one of them. Or if I couldn't, at least she wouldn't have been alone. She should never have gone through this alone. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how. He reached out and took her hands in his. "Sara," he said softly, his voice lacking its usual layer of snark, "none of this should have happened to you. I…I'm sorry."
She shook her head dismissively. "Don't be."
"But I am," he insisted. "I should have been there. Here. With you."
She glanced down at her hands, still in his. Something about the way he spoke reminded her of one of the last conversations they'd had. Me and you. She pulled her hands away suddenly. She couldn't think about that right now. "Well, in that case," Sara said, "I'm the one who should be sorry."
Leonard looked at her confusedly. "For what?"
"For taking three years to save you."
"What?" Leonard clearly thought the suggestion was ridiculous. "That's not your fault. You've got nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one who was being a jerk, remember? I'm the one who should be sorry."
Sara remembered the last time she'd called him that, shortly after he'd very unsuccessfully attempted to threaten her with his cold gun. "You already apologized for that."
"Well, I think it warrants a second apology."
Sara threw up her hands exasperatedly. "Seriously, Leonard, stop acting like you're the bad guy here. I literally left you to die. Alone. I know how much that hurts. I'm the one who should apologize, okay?"
"Only after I told you to go," he argued. "I'd have been a lot more upset if you'd stayed."
"Doesn't make it right. Isn't not leaving anyone behind your number one rule?"
"It is. I don't leave people behind. But if I tell you to leave me behind, that's different."
"Well, I'm still sorry."
"So am I."
Sara held up her hand to stop the conversation. She took a deep breath to calm down, then said, "Okay, how about this: we both agree that we're sorry and we both forgive each other. Deal?"
"There's nothing to forgive you for, Sara."
Sara crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. "Do we have a deal or not, Leonard?"
Leonard stared at her silently for a moment. He knew he couldn't win. "Deal," he said.
She smiled victoriously. "Good." The two of them sat there silently for a few moments. Then, Sara brought up a new subject. "Enough about the past," she said. "Let's talk about now. How's it feel to be alive again? I mean, I know you technically weren't dead, but you were pretty close to it."
Leonard thought about it. "It feels…interesting. I don't know if I can explain it."
"Try me," Sara encouraged. "I've been dead before. I probably have the closest experience possible to yours, even if it's not exact."
Leonard smirked. "We do have so much in common," he drawled.
"Leonard, come on," she said, leaning closer to him. "Tell me."
"Okay." He spent a few seconds contemplating the best way to describe it. "The strangest thing about it is time," he began to explain. "When I was…there, I couldn't tell how long everything was taking. It felt, and still feels, like I'd been gone for centuries. But on the other hand, my memories feel so recent, like it all happened yesterday."
"Like what all happened? The Oculus?"
He nodded. "Yeah." His eyes involuntarily focused on her lips as he remembered that special moment they'd shared before the explosion. It really did feel like yesterday. He blinked and looked back up at her eyes, hoping she hadn't noticed. "So…the Oculus," he said. "That was three years ago for you, right?"
"Yes," she answered. "It was."
He hesitated, trying to think of what to say. There were so many words he'd wished he'd said to her in the moments before the Oculus was destroyed. There were even more that he'd wished he'd said all throughout their first mission. But how do I even start? he wondered. It's been three years for her. She might not even remember it. Maybe he couldn't say everything he wanted, but he had to say something. "Three years is a long time," he said, speaking slowly and thoughtfully. "Do you…uh…remember the Oculus?"
She smiled fondly. She still felt too emotionally conflicted to think about "me and you," but she didn't mind being reminded of their kiss for a moment. Now that Leonard was alive, it wasn't a sad memory anymore. "Yes," she said, "I do." She decided to redirect the conversation before he could press further and quickly came up with an excuse. "And I just remembered that there's a thing I need to show you." She checked her watch. "Right now, actually."
He arched an eyebrow. "Thing? Is that what Mick's doing?"
"Yep."
"Do I get to know what it is?"
"In a minute." She jumped up to her feet. "Follow me."
He stood up, still looking puzzled. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see," she said with a teasing grin. She walked to the doorway and stopped, waiting for him. "Come on, Leonard!"
He gave in and followed her. "Right behind you, Captain."
"Hey!" Mick barked, nearly bumping into Sara and Leonard in the S.T.A.R. Labs hallway. "I was just about to come and get you two."
"For what?" Leonard asked, throwing a suspicious glance at Sara.
"He's been asking me what's going on this whole way," Sara explained. "I said I can't tell him, but he does not give up."
"No, I do not," Leonard agreed. "Mick, what are we doing walking toward the central room of S.T.A.R. Labs? And don't look surprised," he added, turning to Sara. "I've been here a million times. Sometimes even by invitation."
Sara rolled her eyes. "I said we're almost there, Leonard. Just be patient."
"Fine." He craned his neck to see behind Mick. The entrance to the central room was dark, and everything was quiet. Very quiet. "People are going to jump out and yell 'surprise' as soon as we walk in there, aren't they?" he asked.
Sara and Mick exchanged looks.
"Pfft! Where'd you get that idea?" Sara denied. "That…that would be crazy. Right, Mick?"
"Yeah," Mick agreed with an exaggerated nod. "Dumbest idea ever."
Leonard groaned. "Guys, just because I came back to life this afternoon doesn't mean I was born yesterday."
Mick grunted and elbowed Sara. "I told you he'd figure it out. Surprise parties are stupid."
"Don't look at me," she retorted. "It was Charlie's idea. And thanks for officially giving it away."
Leonard crossed his arms, watching them bicker. "Are you two done?"
"Yeah, we're good," Sara said, turning back to him. "You're right. The new Legends wanted to celebrate, and they thought it would be a nice way to get to know you. Since, you know, none of them really do. Just act surprised, okay?"
He dropped his arms and teased sarcastically, "Well, if the captain says so…"
"They worked hard," Sara told him. "Play nice."
The three of them walked to the entrance to the main room of S.T.A.R. Labs, which was still very dark and very quiet. Sara and Mick stepped back so they were slightly behind Leonard. Somewhere in the room, a voice Leonard recognized as Barry's whispered, "One, two, three!"
"Surprise!" a chorus of voices shouted.
The lights turned on and the members of the Legends and Team Flash jumped out of their various hiding places. A banner hung from the ceiling that said, "Welcome back, Snart!" in very uneven handwritten letters. Blue and white balloons floated in random positions along the ceiling.
"Wow," Leonard deadpanned. "I am so surprised."
Ray did not seem to recognize his sarcasm. "Yes! I knew we'd surprise you!"
Leonard thought of a snarky response, but a warning look from Sara stopped him from saying it.
Charlie stepped forward, holding a half-filled balloon closed with her fingers. Mona joined her. "Glad you made it down here, mate!" she cheered. "Zari said we could have a party once you were up and walking, so once those pirates were gone, I thought, why not?"
"That's definitely not what happened," Zari corrected from her position against the opposite wall.
Mona picked up where Charlie left off, "Captain Lance helped us pick out all the decorations, and Wally's got a music playlist. Also, we have pizza, and chips, and…"
"Booze," Mick interrupted. "Don't forget booze. What?" he asked, noticing the eyes of the room staring at him. "Can't have a party without it."
Charlie grinned. "Got that right."
"Well," Sara said, stepping out from behind Leonard, "what are we waiting for?"
Nate, standing beside Zari, cupped his hands to his mouth. "Whoo!" he shouted. "Let's get this party started!"
Wally hit the button to start his playlist. The Legends and Team Flash dove into food and drink supply. Barry speedily finished two slices of pizza, then pulled Iris with him to the middle of the room, which had been cleared out for dancing. Ray joined in, followed by Nate, who dragged along a reluctant Zari.
Leonard picked up a beer bottle and made his way to the back wall, observing the scene carefully. He wasn't the most social person in the world but seeing everyone in one place provided a perfect opportunity to study just who all these new Legends were. He already recognized Mona, who stood by the stack of pizza boxes. She seemed deep in conversation with Caitlin Snow, who Leonard remembered well. He also recognized John Constantine, who he saw try to pull out a cigarette before getting it plucked out of his hands by Joe West. On the dance floor, Leonard spotted the woman Mick had identified as Charlie. She was dressed in layers of funky, ripped clothes, aiming for what Leonard guessed was a punk rock style. She danced in the middle of the floor, obviously having a very good time. Leonard also recognized Wally West, who was sorting through his phone's music at Charlie's request. The two of them had never directly fought each other, but when he'd learned Barry's identity, Leonard had made it his business to know everything he could about the West and Allen families. Judging by the rings he now noticed on Iris's and Barry's fingers, it seemed that those families weren't so separate anymore.
There were several other people who he still didn't know. There was a man who seemed very close with Raymond, judging by how much the two of them were joking around with each other. Leonard assumed from his general shape that he had been the steel man he'd seen on the bridge. With him was a dark-haired woman who seemed less than thrilled with his jokes, although she smiled at them anyway. On her wrist was an ancient-looking red jewel or stone of some kind. Leonard wondered how much it would be worth if he stole it. There was also another dark-haired woman in the far corner of the room, passing a beer to Mick. She was about the same size as the first woman, although her clothes were much darker.
Charlie hopped in front of him, interrupting his observations. "Hey, mate," she said, "I know I saw you before, but I don't think we've been introduced. The name's Charlie."
Leonard nodded in acknowledgement. "Mick told me you're a shapeshifter."
"That I am," she replied. "I can shift into anyone or anything. Joined the team in 1977 after Ray infiltrated my band." She paused, analyzing him. "You're taller than I expected."
He wasn't sure how to react. "Thanks?"
"You're welcome. So, why all the coats?"
"What about them?"
"You have at least five of the same one," she pointed out. "Nice of you to leave them around in case of an avalanche, but I've been wondering why you've got so many."
He shrugged. "Don't see why that's any of your business."
Charlie nodded understandingly. "Secretive bloke, aren't you? Well, that's fine by me. I like a good mystery."
Zari stepped off the dance floor and tapped Charlie on the shoulder. "My turn, Charlie," she said.
Charlie gave her a friendly punch on the arm. "Right, right," she conceded. "I hear the dance floor calling me anyway. Later, mate!" She ran to take Zari's place among the dancing heroes.
Before Leonard could say anything, Zari spoke, "Just so you know, people are going to be coming over and introducing themselves to you literally all throughout this party. You might as well set up a table and start an autograph line."
Leonard had to respect the casual deadpan attitude of this new person. "In that case, I guess you're up next."
"Yep." She lifted her wrist to show her totem. "Zari Tomaz. Hacker from the future with wind powers."
Leonard tilted his head to the side. "Wind powers, huh?"
Zari opened her palm and used her totem to create a tiny, spinning sphere of wind in her hand. "For the record," she said as the sphere disappeared, "I'm a lot more than just a magical hairdryer, so don't even think about comparing me to one."
"Got it," he said. And that red thing is definitely more valuable than I thought, he mentally added.
John Constantine slid into the conversation, bumping Zari out of the way. "Hello, handsome," he said with a wink.
Leonard arched an eyebrow. Wait, is he flirting with me now? he wondered. Wasn't he just calling Sara "love"? He decided not to acknowledge it. "I believe we've already met," he said.
"True," John replied, "but I thought I'd stop by anyway. What do you think of all this?" he asked, waving his hand at the team, most of whom were now either dancing or watching the dancers with amusement. "The Legends, I mean. Different now, or as bonkers as they've always been?"
Leonard's vision automatically rested on Sara, who was dancing in the middle of the room near Cisco and the woman he now recognized as Zari. He smiled a little. She still danced the same way she had when they first met. "Based on what Mick's told me, it sounds like they're a little more 'bonkers' these days," he said, looking back at John.
"Only in the best ways, love," John replied, leaning in flirtatiously.
Hold on, now I'm "love"? Does he just call everyone that? Leonard wasn't sure if that made it better or worse.
John continued, "Speaking of things that are bonkers, I've got this great story about the time I met this magic chicken and opened a portal to…"
Nora stepped in and grabbed his arm. "John," she said, interrupting his tale, "Snart just got here. Save your weird stories for later."
"But…"
"Do you want to freak him out? Because this is how you freak people out."
He rolled his eyes at her, then smiled at Leonard. "I suppose I ought to give her a turn too. Maybe later we'll get another chance to, uh, get to know each other better." He strolled away, leaving the two of them alone.
Nora turned to Leonard. "Sorry about him," she said. "John's a great guy, but he can be a lot."
"And who would you be?" Leonard asked.
"Nora Darhk," she answered.
Leonard frowned. "Darhk…like Damien Darhk?"
She groaned, vaguely annoyed to have to go over her backstory. "Ugh, yeah. Here's the spiel: my dad was a bad guy, he got me to join him when I was a kid, we fought the Legends a bunch, stuff got crazy, he started feeling bad about it, then he died to give me another chance, I became a Legend, and now here we are."
Leonard looked at her curiously. From her villainous past, evil father, and even her dark fashion choices, she seemed like someone he could understand. "Sounds like you're a lot better than your old man," he said.
"I hope so," she replied, "but it's a work in progress." She glanced in the direction John had gone, then added, "I imagine John's already told you he's a master of the dark arts. Well, I do basically the same thing. We're kind of the ship's magic team. Except John's a lot showier about it than I am."
"Interesting," Leonard said. He was actually starting to slightly enjoy this conversation.
"Hey, Snart!" Ray Palmer exclaimed, suddenly joining the two of them. He put his arm around Nora. "Looks like you've already met my wonderful girlfriend."
Leonard nearly spat out his beer. "Your what?"
Raymond repeated himself, "My girlfriend." He turned to Nora. "Did you not tell him?"
"I was getting to that part, babe," she answered. "But you two should probably catch up with each other anyway." She kissed Ray on the cheek, waved at Leonard, and walked away.
"Isn't she amazing?" Ray asked after she left. "I'm so lucky."
Leonard could not believe what he was hearing. Nora seemed to him like a genuinely cool person. What was she doing with Raymond of all people? "Unless my memory is off," Leonard commented, "I thought you were still hung up on Kendra."
Ray waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, that's over. She's back with Carter. I was upset at first, but I got over it. It's been three years, after all."
Leonard's eyes darted to Sara's dancing again, then back to Ray. "Yeah. It has."
"It's funny," Ray continued, "I actually had this great talk about that whole situation with Vandal Savage. We were both in Hell, and he was supposed to torture me, but it turns out being dead has really chilled him out. We got into this super deep talk about Kendra and the whole world domination thing. He opened up a lot. It was great. Oh, and then we played Jenga."
Leonard stared at him blankly, trying to process what he'd just heard. "Raymond," he finally said, "not one word of that made any sense."
Ray thought about it, then shrugged. "Yeah. I guess it wouldn't." His face lit up as the music changed. "Oh! This is our song. Nora!" He quickly ran to his girlfriend's side and pulled her onto the dance floor.
Leonard followed them with his eyes and noticed that Sara was no longer dancing. Where did she go? he wondered, scanning the room.
"How's the view?" Sara asked, startling him as she seemed to suddenly appear at his side.
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Sara?" he teased. "You've got to give me at least twenty-four hours before I die again, just out of courtesy."
Sara shook her head disapprovingly. "Leonard, I think you're having a little too much fun with all these death jokes. You're going to run out of them soon at this rate."
"Don't underestimate me. I've got plenty more."
"Well, you shouldn't underestimate a reformed assassin's stealth either. You know I've always been able to sneak up on you." She handed him a plate with two slices of pepperoni pizza on it. "Here. This is yours."
He looked down at it, puzzled. "Why?"
"Because you haven't eaten in three years and Mick says you're a pepperoni guy."
He took the plate out of her hands, accepting it. "Pizza," he said sarcastically, "definitely the best thing to eat after three years of nothing."
"Oh, absolutely," Sara agreed, sharing his snarky tone. "Nothing better."
Nate stepped in, facing the two of them. "Mind if I join in?" he asked.
"Not at all," Sara replied. "Leonard, this is Nate Heywood."
"Dr. Nate Heywood," Nate corrected her, emphasizing his title, "also known as Steel." He paused briefly, analyzing Snart's appearance. His clothes were a little different from what he'd been wearing in the Legion of Doom, but everything else about him looked the same. Nate pushed that thought back and resumed the conversation. "So, uh, how are you after, you know…everything?"
Snart flashed a smug smirk at Sara as he answered, "Never felt more alive."
Sara facepalmed.
"Ha! Good one," Nate said, giving Snart a cheerful thumbs up.
"It's really not," Sara disagreed.
Nate didn't acknowledge her comment. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you. I mean, not technically…" he noticed Sara tense him, giving him a warning look, "…because I've heard so much about you, it feels like we've already met. You know?" he explained, quickly recovering.
Leonard studied Nate suspiciously. There was definitely something he wasn't telling him, but he didn't know what it could be. "Oh really? And what have you heard?"
"Just…good things," Nate replied. "All good things. Lots of nice, positive things."
Leonard chuckled wryly. "Then you haven't heard much."
"Stop it," Sara said, lightly nudging Leonard's arm with her shoulder. She turned to look at Nate. "He's kidding. But Nate, can I talk to you for a second? Just to go over what happened with the pirates."
"Of course, Captain," he said. Sara grabbed his arm and pulled him away until they were far out of Leonard's earshot. "Everything went according to plan," he started to explain. "We got them back to 1967 and flashed them all. Rip should have arrested them about five minutes after the jump ship left the scene, so there won't be any trace of…"
"Yeah, I don't actually want to talk about that," Sara cut him off. "I'm sure you did your job."
He tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Then what is it?"
Sara lowered her voice enough for the music to prevent anyone else from hearing her. "I already talked to Ray and Mick about this, but please don't tell Snart about the Legion of Doom." She glanced back at Leonard, still observing the party in silence from his piece of the wall, then back at Nate. "He doesn't remember it and he doesn't need to. If he ever finds out, it…it'll only make things more complicated for him, okay?"
Nate nodded obediently. "Okay. Never bring it up. Got it."
"Thanks," she said, visibly relieved. She paused, then added, "I really appreciate how well you're handling this, by the way. I'm sure it's harder for you than the rest of us."
Nate was surprised. "How so?"
"Well, you're the only one here who only knew Snart as a bad guy," Sara explained. "Team Flash met him as a villain first, but they all saw him change over time. Ray, Mick, and I all met him first as our teammate. The others are blank slates. I mean, I guess Zari, John, and Nora met Leo, but they all know he's a different person. And Charlie and Mona have never met any version of Snart from any earth until now. But for you, your first interaction with him was with the Legion, and you never saw the Snart we all knew on the Waverider."
"That's true," Nate admitted. "It is a little weird. I wasn't totally on board at first, if I'm being honest."
Sara raised her eyebrows questioningly. "What changed your mind?"
Nate looked down for a moment, thinking about his answer. "Do you remember when I was new to the Legends?" he asked, looking back up at his captain.
"Of course." She let out a little laugh. "How could I forget?"
"Come on, Sara, I'm serious." Despite his declared seriousness, he continued to smile as he explained, "When I got hurt for the first time, you immediately knew I was a hemophiliac. I didn't have my powers yet, so you were understandably worried. I told you that I wanted to stay and fight regardless of the risk. Then, you said something to me that I didn't really understand until today."
"And what was that?" she asked, though she had a feeling she knew the answer.
"You said, 'Even the strongest and the bravest of us die,'" he said. "I didn't know much about the team by that point, so I didn't think much about it. But, doing the math, you'd only permanently lost one Legend at that point. Well, 'permanently' might be the wrong word now," he added, forming air quotes around the word, "but that was what you believed at the time, at least." He tilted his head subtly in Leonard's direction. "You were talking about him, weren't you?"
Sara looked down and smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I was."
"Then I think I trust my captain enough to be okay with this," Nate concluded.
Sara placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Nate," she said. "That means a lot."
Meanwhile, Mick approached Leonard. He nodded a silent greeting, then turned around the stand next to him, his back against the wall. "So," he asked gruffly, "did you meet everyone yet?"
"I think so," Leonard replied.
Mick took a sip of his beer. "Bunch of freaks."
"And yet, three years later, you're still with them," Leonard pointed out. "I think you might like this bunch of freaks."
Mick grimaced. "I don't do touchy-feely, Snart."
"I know, Mick."
"Good," Mick grunted, taking another swig of his beer.
The two of them stood in silence for a few seconds until Leonard remembered what he wanted to ask. "Have you seen Lisa? Does she know I…"
"Died?"
"Yeah. Or, something like that."
"She knows. I told her when we got back from killing Savage."
Leonard looked away, thinking. "Is she safe?"
Mick shrugged. "Last I heard, but I haven't seen her in a long time. She's always been good at disappearing." He noticed the concerned look in his partner's eyes and assured him, "I'm sure she's safe, Snart. She's strong. She can take care of herself."
Snart nodded, although the look of concern didn't leave his face. "She is and she can. She's my sister, after all."
"Exactly." Mick paused, trying to think of something helpful to say. "Hey, I'm sure we'll run into her eventually. And, when we do, think how happy she'll be to see you. That'll be fun, right?"
Leonard glanced sideways at his partner appreciatively. "Yeah, it will."
Mick tried to take another sip but found his bottle empty. "Ugh! I need another." He turned to his partner. "You want anything?"
He shook his head. "I'm all right."
"Okay." Mick stomped across the room to find himself another beer.
Meanwhile, Sara returned to the dance floor, making her way to join Zari and Charlie. Leonard once again found himself watching her. He couldn't help smiling. It felt like only yesterday when his heart had broken at the realization that he was looking at her for the last time. Now, she was right in front of him, smiling, laughing, and dancing with her friends.
Barry Allen, who had recently rotated off the dance floor for a second helping of pizza, noticed something about Snart. He smiled knowingly, then strolled across the room to join him. "Well, if it isn't Captain Cold," he greeted him.
"My, my, my, the Scarlet Speedster," Snart drawled back.
Barry took a bite of his pizza. "You ever think," he said as he chewed, "what we would have said five years ago if someone had told us we'd be friends in the future?"
"I think friends is a strong word."
"Acquaintances? Frenemies?"
"Pretty sure even frenemies get wedding invitations." He noted Barry's surprised look, then added, "What? I said, 'Don't seat me at the singles table,' not, 'Don't invite me at all.'"
"Snart, you were dead."
"Oh, I see," the master thief replied mockingly. "If you need me to steal something, you can time travel back to 1892 and grab me, but if you're getting married, that's suddenly not an option. Glad to see we figured that out."
"Oh my…come on, Snart," Barry muttered.
"Barry, relax. I've been gone for a while. I need to make up for three years' worth of messing with you."
Barry laughed and shook his head. "Of course you do." He took a step closer, sliding along the wall until he was standing beside him. He noted the direction Leonard was looking and followed his gaze toward Sara, just as he'd suspected. He grinned amusedly, then started talking again. "Hey, you know how I'm a CSI?"
Leonard turned his head to face him, not really sure where he was going with this. "Yeah. So what?"
"So," Barry continued, "we're a lot like detectives. We analyze situations, look for clues, and come up with hypotheses based on the evidence we find."
"Fascinating," Leonard deadpanned.
"Those skills apply to things other than crime scenes, too," Barry said. "It's really helpful as a superhero, you know? The Flash needs to read situations well to do his job. Not just events the happen, but the people in them too. Their actions, their plans, their motivations, everything."
"Barry, are you trying to make a point?"
"Getting to one."
"Well, make it, then."
Barry scooted an inch closer to Leonard, now about as close as he dared to be. "Snart, I think you're in love with Sara Lance."
Leonard froze. The idea itself wasn't shocking when it existed in his own head but hearing Barry Allen say it out loud was not something he was prepared for. He struggled to act unaffected, knowing Barry would take any reaction as confirmation. "And…what makes you think that?"
"A few things," Barry replied. "Body language, first of all. You haven't been able to keep your eyes off her since waking up, and you always look happier when she's near you. You've even been smiling at her. Not your usual snarky smirk thing. I mean a real, genuine smile. And that's not even getting into the look in your eyes when you see her. Take it from a guy who's spent his whole life in love with his best friend: that's not how you look at someone you don't have feelings for."
Barry waited to see if Leonard would respond. When he didn't, he continued, "Sara dropped some clues too. I've never heard anyone outside your family call you by your first name, but she's been doing that all day. Obviously, you've let her in at a level you don't normally let people into. Plus, before we pulled you out, I asked her if you two were close. She seemed pretty attached to you. She said you were really caring toward her and rarely asked anything of her. Sounds to me like the way you'd act if you were in love."
Barry paused again, listening for a response that never came. "Then, there were a few things about the King Shark heist. That comment about the wedding reception, for one thing. But, more importantly, as much as I'd like to take credit for turning you into a hero, something definitely changed about you while you were on the Waverider. The guy who talked me out of killing King Shark seemed a lot more interested in doing the right thing than I remember Captain Cold being, even after we got on better terms. I know you said it was because you wanted the Flash to remain hero and not get my hands dirty, and I do believe that was part of it, but it still felt like there was something driving you to do better, something making you actually want to be good. Or, maybe, someone."
Still no response from Leonard. Barry wrapped up his assertion, "Finally, there's the fact that when I told you Iris could die, that was the thing that changed your mind about helping me. It felt like you just…understood, you know? Like you knew exactly what losing Iris would mean for me. I thought at the time that maybe you had someone like Iris, and maybe you knew what losing that person would mean for you. Well, with all the other clues, I think I know who that person was."
Again, Leonard said nothing. "What do you think, Snart?" Barry asked. "Am I right?"
"I think you should stick to analyzing crime scenes," Leonard said, finally breaking his silence.
"Dude, it's okay to have feelings," Barry said. "Nothing to be embarrassed about."
"Barry, have I ever asked you to get involved in my personal life?"
Barry thought back to his past interactions with Snart. "No, not that I can think of."
"Then why do you keep doing it?"
Barry noted his deflection but went along with it anyway. "I mean, technically, you got into my personal life first when you started kidnapping my friends, so really, you're the one who started this whole personal involvement thing."
Leonard shrugged. "I guess that's fair."
"It is." Barry looked away from Leonard toward the dance floor. Sara and Iris were now dancing next to each other, trying to mimic the moves Charlie was showing them. "I'm not telling you this to flex my CSI skills," Barry said, still facing Iris and Sara. "I'm trying to help you out."
"Oh really?" Leonard asked skeptically. "And how exactly do you think this is helping me?"
"Because," the speedster answered, "I may not have died or gotten stuck in the timeline before, but I've had a lot of close calls. And every time that I think I'm not going to make it, do you know what my potential last thought always is? Iris. Every single time, it's Iris. And, every single time, I think about all the times when I should have told her I loved her and how special she was to me but didn't."
Leonard lowered his eyes to the floor. "The things you didn't do," he said in a voice so low it was barely above a whisper.
"Exactly," Barry nodded. "It's not just those times, either. Sometimes, out of the blue, I remember how many years it took for me to tell her how I felt. I mean, seriously, it took a while. Even Joe was getting impatient. And you know what, Snart? I'm not proud of that. I should have told her a lot sooner, and not just for my sake. For hers. Because she deserved to know how loved she was that whole time." He glanced sideways at Leonard, then continued, "There's no such thing as a risk-free life for a superhero, so I can never really know how much time I have left with Iris. That's why I've decided that the best thing I can do to make up for all those lost moments is to love her now as much as I can for as long as I can. Which brings me to you."
Leonard looked up at him. "Why?" he asked, a clear defensive tone in his voice.
"Because, the way I see it, you just got yourself a second chance. I don't want you to waste it. If you love Sara, don't hold that in. Not that you necessarily have to start reciting sonnets or anything, but definitely don't hide your feelings from her forever. I know your whole thing is coldness, but I think there's room for some warmth in there too."
For a moment, neither of them said anything. Then, Leonard spoke, "Barry, has anyone ever told you that you overshare your emotions?"
Barry nodded. "A few times, actually."
"Well, I'm telling you again. You overshare your emotions."
"Better than undersharing," Barry remarked with a pointed look toward him.
"Whatever," Snart dismissed his comment. "Listen, Barry, I get that you hero types are always looking for someone to help, but I really don't need you getting into my personal business."
"Most people only get one life, Snart. You got two. All I'm saying is to use it wisely."
"And all I'm saying is, I don't need the Scarlet Speedster giving me love advice."
Barry pointed at him, beaming victoriously. "Ha! You do love her!"
"I didn't say that," he hurriedly denied. He knew deep down that it was true, but he wasn't about to give the Flash the satisfaction of being right.
"What's going on here?" Mick bellowed as he approached the two of them. He glared menacingly at Barry. "Flash, if you're bothering my partner…"
"We're just having a little talk," Barry assured him. "Nothing to worry about."
Mick looked to Snart for confirmation. Snart crossed his arms and threw a frustrated glance in Barry's direction. "We're…peachy. Everything's just peachy."
Sara walked away from her fellow dancers and joined them. "Thought I'd take a break. Charlie's got enough dancing in her for all of us. What is this, a Flash and rogues reunion?" she asked.
Leonard tried very hard to pretend Barry wasn't there as he looked toward her. "Yeah. Something like that," he answered.
"Great," she said. "Just so you guys know, Ray and Zari say they'll need a day to finish repairs on the ship. Barry, do you mind if we stay parked here? We'll be cloaked, so it shouldn't freak any locals out."
Barry chuckled. "Honestly, I don't think even seeing the Waverider would freak the people of Central City out. Weird stuff happens here a lot. But, yeah, go ahead."
"Thanks," she said. She then looked to Leonard. "You might have noticed, but the team's a bit bigger than when you left. We've already got the newbies sharing a room."
"So?" he asked.
"So, someone's going to have to let you stay in their room," Sara finished. "For now, at least. We might be able to find some extra space and convert it later, but tonight, you'll have to have a roommate." She reached to her side and patted Mick on the shoulder. "Mick volunteered to let you stay with him, but if you two can't do that without killing each other…"
Mick brushed her hand off. "I'm not going to kill Snart!"
"Still a little too soon for that," Leonard commented. "Like I said, I should get at least twenty-four hours. After that, sure, go ahead, kill me again."
Sara crossed her arms. "Leonard, stop reminding us you were basically dead. We all know. We were there."
Leonard backed off. "Fine, I'll take a break."
Sara gestured toward Mick. "Can you share a room with him without the world descending into chaos? Or should we find someone else willing to let you stay in their room?"
Leonard thought of a snarky comment about Sara's room, but thought better of it and decided against saying it, especially with Barry Allen observing him so closely. "No, I can stay with Mick."
"Perfect," Sara said, the smile returning to her face. "Then everything's good."
"And we didn't even screw up the timeline," Mick observed.
"That's right," Sara laughed. "Just an easily cured case of time pirates. We really got lucky this time, didn't we?"
Leonard raised an eyebrow. "Wait, how often do you guys screw up the timeline?"
Mick and Sara looked at each other awkwardly. "Let's…save that conversation for tomorrow," Sara suggested. "Tonight, let's just celebrate. Okay?"
Leonard took a step away from the wall and closer to her, turning his head so she could see his face and Barry couldn't. He smiled. "Okay, Sara."
At the Time Bureau, lights started blinking all over the large timeline map projection. Loud beeping sounds could be heard throughout the building. Agents rushed from monitor to monitor, trying to track what was happening. Gary Green stood in the center of it all, look up at the projection, bewildered.
"I…I've never seen anything like this before," he stammered. "Where's Director Sharpe?"
Ava Sharpe burst through the door behind him. "Gary," she said as she walked briskly up from behind him, "why am I being called here? I told you I had that meeting about Heyworld. For the record, it is beyond me why that place is still under Time Bureau jurisdiction."
Gary pointed up at the main monitor. "The timeline," he explained. "Look at it!"
Ava looked up and gasped. "When did this start?"
"The first alert was a few hours ago," Gary told her, "but they've been increasing exponentially since then. It looks like something messed with the fabric of time itself."
Ava took a step closer to the projection, studying it. "Well, whatever happened, we've got a ton of irregularities. Are any agents on this?"
"All that we could spare," Gary answered, "but there are so many to fix. We're still pretty short staffed these days."
Ava sighed exasperatedly. "I know, Gary." She turned around to face him again. "Last year, we could have handled this, but I'm still rebuilding this place. We just don't have the resources for something of this magnitude." She hesitated, then added with visible reluctance, "We're going to need help."
"What are you saying?" he asked, his eyes wide. "Are you…are you going to call the Legends?"
Ava frowned. "Get reports on my desk of every irregularity you've identified so far, preferably in chronological order." She started to walk toward the exit.
"Director Sharpe!" he called after her. "Are you going to call the Legends?"
She walked out the door without answering.
Gary turned around to look at the timeline projection again with its growing mass of irregularity alerts. "She's definitely going to call the Legends," he said to himself. "Awkward."
