"Why is she so hard to keep up with?" Charlie asked, trying to catch her breath as she sprinted alongside Ray.
"I don't know," Ray panted. "She has a big skirt and little legs. She shouldn't be this fast!"
Far ahead of them, they saw Nannerl begin running downstairs. Charlie activated her comms. "Oi, anybody on here?" she said. "We've got a runaway kid heading down to the second floor and she is not stopping."
On the second floor, Zari and Nate sat at a table observing the food court. Zari stood up as she heard Charlie's message. "We've got it," she said. She turned to Nate. "Nannerl's coming this way."
"Okay," Nate said as he also stood up. "Which direction is she coming from?"
A short blur in an elegant blue dress burst past the food court right in front of them.
"I think that answers your question," Zari said. "Come on!"
They hurried out of the food court and followed the running girl toward the movie theater on the opposite end. After passing a few stores, they managed to get within close enough range of her to try talking to her. "Hey!" Nate called out to her. "Nannerl! Wait!"
Nannerl spun around and spotted Zari and Nate. "Who are you?" she demanded.
They slowed to a walking pace. "We're friends," Zari explained. "We're trying to help you."
Nannerl stepped backward uneasily, not seeming to trust Zari's words. "What is this place?" she asked.
"It doesn't matter," Nate replied. "We just need to get you home, okay? Well, technically the palace, which isn't your actual home, but the point is, we're getting you back to where you should be." She seemed to hesitate, not giving him any verbal response as she took another step backward. "Nannerl?" he asked, waiting for her answer.
Suddenly, a massive crowd poured out of the movie theater, filling the space around them. Zari and Nate sidestepped around the mass of people. "A big movie must've just gotten out," Zari concluded.
"Seems like it," Nate agreed. Between the moviegoers, he spotted Nannerl pushing her way through the crowd, moving away from them. "Oh no," he said. "She's getting away." He grabbed Zari's hand and the two of them tried to wade through the crowd. However, by the time they got to where Nannerl had been standing, she was gone. "Aw man," Nate groaned. "We almost had her."
"Look!" Zari exclaimed, pointing diagonally at the nearest staircase. "She's over there!" She turned on her comms and said, "Nannerl's heading to the first floor. She's coming down the staircase between the shoe store and the jewelry shop."
Sara picked up the call. "On our way," she said, "but why is she running? Didn't I say not to freak her out?"
"Ask Ray and Charlie," Zari replied.
"Hey," Ray's voice said to both of them defensively, "we tried to be calm. At least we got her to talk to us for a second before she took off."
Sara sighed, then turned to Mick and nodded toward the exit of the arcade. "She's on our floor. Let's go."
They waded through the crowd of adolescents. Sara had to stop Mick from nearly pushing a couple of middle schoolers out of the way. But finally, they made their way out and rushed toward the staircase just as Nannerl reached the bottom.
"Hey! Kid!" Mick shouted at her.
"Mick, no," Sara said, trying to stay calm. "You'll scare her."
"Get over here!" he bellowed, ignoring her warning.
Nannerl looked back at him, then turned around and ran in the opposite direction.
"What did I say?" Sara said with a pointed look at her teammate. Mick muttered something unintelligible under his breath. Sara didn't bother asking him to repeat himself and took off after Nannerl. Mick followed close behind.
Nannerl ran through the crowded ground floor. As she bumped and jostled her way around, she became increasingly aware of people gawking at her and how very strange every single person near her looked. She had no idea where she was or how she'd arrived there, but she did know one thing: she was playing hide-and-seek with her little brother. Surely, he had to be nearby, too. She saw a very small boy standing near the fountain in the center of the mall. His back was facing her, and he was far away, but what she could see of him looked very much like her brother. "Wolfgang!" she exclaimed, relieved to finally see something that made sense. She hurried to the fountain and jokingly shoved him. "Don't scare me like that!" she teased. "I've been looking everywhere."
The boy jumped and spun around. "Hey!"
Nannerl gasped. His face was not Wolfgang's face. In fact, now that she could get a good look at him, she thought he might even be a little bit taller than her brother. This definitely was not the boy she was looking for. The world went back to making no sense. "I…I didn't…" she stammered.
The boy glanced at her dress and scoffed, "You look like a weirdo."
She tried to back away from him until her shoes touched the edge of the fountain. "I…uh…"
He frowned at her. "Don't push me, weirdo!" he said as he shoved her back before running away and disappearing into the crowd.
The shove he gave her was relatively light, and under normal circumstances would not have significantly affected its victim. However, Nannerl was standing on the slippery tile edge of a fountain in shoes that she had already been more active in than they were intended for, wearing a bulky dress that was not making keeping her balance any easier, and feeling both confused and overwhelmed by all the strange things around her. Therefore, the little boy's push was enough to make her lean just a little too far back, causing her to try to step backward to keep her balance, slipping on the wet tile in the process…and finally fall with a splash into the center of the shallow fountain.
Sara and Mick arrived on the scene just after she fell. "Wow," Sara said. "Kids are mean." She looked around for a moment, trying to find the boy who had pushed her, but he was already gone. Giving up on that, she cautiously approached the soaked girl in the fountain. She knelt at the edge of the tiles and looked directly into Nannerl's eyes. "Hey," she said, speaking slowly and calmly to avoid startling the girl. "Are you hurt?"
Nannerl sat up in the shallow water. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "No," she said quietly.
"Are you sure?" Sara asked again. "We can take care of you if you're hurt."
"No," she repeated, a little more confidently this time. "I…I'm not hurt."
Just then, the other Legends made it to the ground floor. Zari, Nate, Charlie, and Ray huddled around Sara, with Mick finally joining them from where he had been standing back. "What happened?" Nate asked. "Is she okay?"
"She's fine," Sara answered. "Some jerk kid pushed her, and it made her slip. She says she's not hurt." She stood up and extended her hand to Nannerl. "We're here to help you. Is that okay?"
Nannerl tentatively took Sara's hand and let her help her stand up again. She stepped out of the fountain and looked around at the faces of the Legends standing over her. "Who…who are you?" she asked, eyes wide with both curiosity and concern.
"We're the Legends," Ray answered, "and we're here to keep you safe."
"Yeah, because we're doing a great job of that right now," Mick said.
"Shut up, Mick," Zari said, silencing him with a glare. "From what I heard on comms, you didn't help."
"But seriously," Charlie said, speaking directly to Nannerl, "we're trying to help you out. You're somewhere you're not supposed to be right now, and we can get you back to where you're supposed to be. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Nannerl hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Are you taking my brother, too?"
"Your brother is already there," Nate explained simply. "If you come with us, we can take you back to him. Do you want us to take you back to your brother?"
Nannerl glanced over her shoulder and noticed the growing number of people staring at her. She looked down at the floor as she tried to think through what was going on. Finally, she lifted her face to look at Sara again. "I...I do."
"Good," Sara replied. "Then, let's get you out of here."
"So that's what Savage meant when he said they were fighting over a girl," Nora said as she set down her empty mug that previously held hot cocoa.
"Can't believe the Boy Scout didn't tell you," Snart replied as he reclined in his seat, leaning back so his feet rested on the edge of the table.
"I mean, he kind of did after I asked him," Nora clarified. "Just not with this much detail." She thought for a second, then asked, "But didn't she have a soulmate that whole time? Like, someone they all knew would reincarnate?"
"Yep," Leonard confirmed nonchalantly.
"Okay," Nora said, thinking the situation over. "Well, I'm going to need to have a little talk with Ray…"
"Oh, I wouldn't worry," Leonard drawled. "Raymond might be an idiot, but he knows when something's over. Kendra was years ago, and so was Savage. These days, he's all yours."
Nora smiled, oddly reassured. "Yeah, but I still might want to talk to him, just to make sure we're both on the same page about everything. You know, honesty and communication and all that."
"How sweet," Leonard deadpanned.
"Also, I cannot believe Ray played Jenga in Hell with the guy who tried to murder his ex-fiancée multiple times," Nora pointed out.
Leonard gave her a strange look. "Is the fact that he played Jenga in Hell at all not ridiculous enough for you?"
Nora shrugged. "Fair point."
"Attention," Gideon's voice declared through the Waverider's speakers. "The Legends have returned and are bringing the anachronism on board."
Leonard took his feet off the table and sat up in his chair. "Well, it's about time."
Nora and Leonard stood up and walked over to the cargo bay just as the door closed behind the Legends and one very wet little girl. Nora stared at her. "So…what happened?" she asked.
"Water fountain mishap," Sara answered. "Everything's fine now." She turned to Zari and Charlie. "Get her to the fabrication room so Gideon can dry off her clothes." The two women led Nannerl away. "Any word from the away team?" she asked Leonard and Nora.
"Haven't heard anything," Nora replied.
"Well, that probably means nothing's gone horribly wrong," Sara said.
"You mean, aside from terrifying a little girl and almost drowning her?" Leonard drawled with a quick glance toward the exit Nannerl, Zari, and Charlie had just gone through.
"Hey," Nate responded quickly, "we didn't almost drown her. It was a very shallow fountain, and we're not the ones who pushed her in."
Sara turned around to directly face Ray and Nate. "True, but if you guys hadn't scared her off, we could've brought her back to the ship a lot sooner without having to chase her all around the mall." She pointed at Mick without looking away. "And that includes you, too, Rory."
"Well, she was faster than we expected," Ray pointed out. "And way more skittish."
Mick finally broke his silence. "It doesn't matter what happened," he said gruffly. "We wanted to find the kid. We got the kid. Now, the kid's on the ship. What's next?"
"The rift," Sara answered. "Our comms were all working at the mall, so that means it's somewhere else in this area."
Nate gave her a thumbs up. "Okay, Captain. Let's go!"
As he moved toward the cargo bay door, Sara blocked him with her arm. "Not so fast. You're needed on the ship."
Nate raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Why?"
"Because between making sure Nannerl stays safe and keeping in touch with the away team," Sara answered, "we'll need a few more people onboard. Zari's got to get back to her updates, so she'll be in the engine room. You should stay behind, along with at least two more people."
"Not me," Mick said immediately. "I don't want to babysit."
"Nora's been here all day," Ray suggested. "It's only fair to let her out in the field. For that matter, Snart seems good to go, too. He's been under observation long enough."
"Actually," Leonard said slowly, "I might stick around here."
Nate and Ray stared blankly at him, stunned. Sara and Mick also looked at him, but with less shock. "You actually want to stay on the ship?" Nate asked, disbelief all over his face. "Weren't you complaining about being stuck here all morning?"
"I was complaining about being stuck letting Raymond experiment on me," Leonard clarified. "Judging by how it sounds like things went at the mall, you guys are clearly desperate for help with that kid on your hands."
Nate opened his mouth to argue, but Ray stopped him with a gentle pat on the back. "Let it go, buddy," he said. Nate accepted his friend's suggestion and relaxed without responding.
"Thank you, Leonard," Sara said, smiling appreciatively. "In that case, I'll take Mick, Nora, and Ray to find the rift. Nate, Charlie, and Snart can look after Nannerl. Zari will be working on Gideon's software. And, of course, John and Mona are still in 1762 keeping an eye on things." She looked around at the teammates surrounding her. "Did I miss anything?"
"Nope," Ray replied cheerfully. "You've got it all covered, Captain."
"Perfect," Sara said. "In that case, I'll go to the bridge to check on a couple things, then grab Charlie and head out." She walked out of the cargo bay, flashing a sweet smile at Leonard as she passed him, and then made her way toward the bridge.
Leonard watched her over his shoulder until she disappeared from view, then looked back at the others and noticed Nate staring at him with what looked like a very confused expression. "What?" Leonard asked. "Something wrong?"
Nate shrugged and broke himself out of his thoughts. "No, no. Nothing's wrong. Just…wasn't expecting you to volunteer for that. Or anything, really. You're usually so…grumpy, I guess? Is that the right word?"
"Shows how much you know about me," Leonard replied coldly before turning around and walking away.
Once Sara, Mick, Nora, and Ray had planned out their search strategy, they left the ship as a group to locate the rift. Zari changed back into her typical flannel and jeans and headed to the engine room to get back to work. Charlie, Leonard, and Nate were left standing just outside the open doors of the library. Inside, Nannerl sat quietly, her clothes now dry, taking in her surroundings.
"She seems calm now," Charlie observed as the three of them watched their guest from a distance. "I guess the fright wore off."
"Oh, please," Leonard muttered, rolling his eyes. "Like the fact that she isn't actively running away from you means anything."
"What are you talking about, Snart?" Nate asked.
Leonard frowned at him. "Look at her face, Nathaniel. She's terrified. She just jumped two hundred years into future and then got chased around by a bunch of adult strangers. You think a few minutes on a spaceship are going to erase that?"
"Well…no," Nate admitted. "No, they wouldn't. But I do have an idea that might make her feel better."
"What's that?" Charlie asked, intrigued.
"Say hello to… Beebo!" Nate said, producing a Cuddle Me Beebo toy from behind his back and holding it up proudly.
After a beat, Charlie asked, "Were you really standing there holding that this whole time just to make a dramatic reveal like that?"
"Maybe."
Leonard stared at him disapprovingly. "She's eleven," he finally said.
"So?" Nate asked.
"Name one eleven-year-old who still plays with Beebo, Nathaniel. Just name one."
Nate was starting to get frustrated with Snart's attitude. "Yeah, well…she doesn't know what age it's meant for. And, also, Beebo can bring fun to all ages."
"Eh," Charlie said with a little hesitation, "I might be on Snart's side with this one, mate."
"What?" Nate groaned. "Oh, come on." He set Beebo down and turned to face Leonard directly, crossing his arms in defiance. "Since when are you the expert on kids, Snart?"
"Since you guys proved that you clearly aren't," Leonard replied, his voice measured and much calmer than Nate's.
"Whoa there, mate," Charlie said, holding up her hands. "We did our best. She took off out of the blue."
"She took off because she was scared," Leonard corrected her. "You might not have been the first thing that scared her, but you're on the list. And she's still scared. You need a better remedy for that than Beebo, trust me."
"What do you know about kids?" Nate asked. "Have you ever had to take care of a scared little girl before?"
"Yes," Leonard stated.
"See? This is new territory for…wait, did you just say yes?"
Leonard sighed exasperatedly. "Yes, Nathaniel, I did. Now let me handle this."
Before Nate or Charlie could ask any questions, Leonard stepped past them and into the library. Nannerl went from staring at the books on the shelf next to her chair to warily looking straight at him. She froze when he took a step closer. Leonard stopped in his tracks and looked her in the eyes. "Nannerl?" he said in a soft voice. "Is that your name?"
Nate and Charlie stared at him, then at each other, then back at him. Neither of them had ever heard him speak with his usual snarky drawl.
"It's okay," he said, continuing to talk the same way. "I'm not going to hurt you." To prove his point, Leonard held his hands where Nannerl could see them. "See?"
She relaxed a little but kept watching him carefully. He took a few more steps toward her. Once he was directly in front of her, he knelt down to get closer to her level. "I know this is scary," he told her, speaking slowly and gently, "but you seem like a brave girl. Do you want to tell me what's bothering you?"
Nannerl squirmed in her seat. "I don't…I don't understand," she said.
"I know. I know you don't understand. But I promise, we're going to keep you safe, and then we're going to take you back to your family."
Outside the door, Charlie whispered to Nate, "You're seeing this too, right?"
"I was about to ask you that," Nate whispered back.
"Why can't I go now?" Nannerl asked Snart, now at least comfortable enough with him to talk a little bit more. "They said I could go home. Why am I still here?"
"We need to take care of a few things first," he said, deciding against explaining the complexities of rifts in the timeline to an already very confused child. "But we'll be out of here soon. You just need to wait a little bit longer. Okay?"
Nannerl looked him in the eyes for a moment, then nodded. "Yes," she said quietly.
"Good girl. I knew you were brave."
She smiled slightly at the compliment, then asked him, "What about my brother?"
Something about the way she asked the question resonated with Leonard. "Your brother?" he repeated, almost quietly enough to be a whisper.
"We were playing hide-and-seek," Nannerl explained. "Then I was in that…other place. I don't know where he went." She grew bolder in the way she spoke. "They said he's okay, but I'm not supposed to leave him alone. I'm supposed to look out for him, not lose him. He's my little brother. Do you understand?"
Leonard could see every worry he had about Lisa reflected in Nannerl's much smaller face. "Yes," he answered solemnly. "I do understand." He glanced down at the ground for a moment, then looked back up at her with a determined expression. "You're not going to lose your brother," he said earnestly. "I won't let that happen. I'm going to make sure you get back to him safe and sound, like you were never gone. You just need to be patient and trust me. Can you do that?"
Nannerl looked away thoughtfully. Finally, she answered, "I can."
A/N: As I've mentioned before, I started writing this fic and came up with most of the basic ideas for it before season 5 premiered, and I am not trying to be canon compliant to anything after season 4 because of that. (Although I might try to work in a cameo for Behrad later, we'll see...) This mission was one of the earliest ones I came up with a plot for, so even though I love Lita, this version of Mick doesn't have a daughter yet and won't act like he does. If Lita were around, I think he'd probably be reacting a little differently about babysitting.
