Soprano - the highest singing voice.

Ava hung back by the stairs, watching as Sara was practically steamrolled by a girl who looked like sunshine in human form.

"It's so good to see you," She said, hugging Sara so tight she lifted her up, off her feet.

"Hey, Kara," Sara laughed, even if she sounded a little strangled. She gasped in relief when Kara put her down, making a show of rubbing her side, "You'll crack a bone one of these days,"

"A badass like you? I doubt it," Alex said, smirking at Sara past her sister, "You're tougher than that,"

"That is why you're my favourite Danvers," Sara laughed, hugging Alex next.

"Hey," Kara pouted.

"Don't worry, you're my favourite Danvers, Kara," Barry said giving her a comforting side hug.

"Hi, Allen," Sara held up a hand with Barry high fived, "What's the performance going to be this time?"

"Oh," Kara perked right up again, "We're doing the duet from Anything Goes,"

"What's the duet from Anything Goes?" Sara asked.

Barry, grinning, did some quick fancy footwork, shimming around Sara. He doubled back, pointing at her with finger guns, he sang the line, "You're the top!"

Sara snorted, "I know that, but what's song?"

They all chuckled, Kara, elbowing Sara lightly.

"Barry!" Ray and Nate came in just then, both boys pulling Barry into big bear hugs.

"Ava, what are you doing?" Sara's voice snapped Ava's attention.

"I was –uh,"

Sara crossed the floor to her, grabbing her by the sleeve and pulled her back towards to the others, "These are the Danvers sisters, Kara and Alex. Swimmer's bod over there is Barry. Guys, this is Ava. Violinist, classical, secretly into good music and a pain in my ass,"

"Classical is good music," Ava retorted instantly.

"And there's the pain in my ass part,"

"Hi Ava," Kara smile was warm and radiant. In the way that was off-putting if you didn't know her, "Any friend of Sara's is a friend of ours,"

"I don't know if Sara and-" She cut off when Kara pulled her into a hug, shocking her silent.

"Fair warning, Kara's big on the hugs," Alex laughed, extending her hand for Ava once Kara had let go.

"I get that,"

"Ava, do you like show tunes?" Barry asked, hanging between Nate and Ray.

"Most of the time. I haven't encountered a Broadway show I hated,"

"Do you have a favourite?"

"I want to say Hamilton… but there's Rent. It's not perfect, but it's fun. Then, I really love Wicked,"

"Wicked is amazing," Kara chimed in.

"Didn't you two do a song from that a few months back?" Nate said.

"Yeah, we sang 'What is this feeling?'" Barry nodded.

Ava arched a brow, giving a sceptical look. A look that didn't get past Barry.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing," Ava blushed because she was caught.

"No, what is it? Don't think I'm good enough for Glinda's range?" He challenged jokingly.

"No, it's not that," Ava glanced at Sara, silently asking for a change in subject.

Sara's answered with a smirk, "Oh no, I want to hear this,"

Ava rolled her eyes at her. Of course, she'd leave her out to hang. "I just think it's interesting that you sang one half of what's essentially lesbian-subtext the song,"

Alex snorted and Sara burst into laughter. Ray and Nate both ducked away, covering their snickers behind their hands. Even Kara couldn't keep her giggles down. Barry looked like he'd been slapped in the face, but the expression only lasted a few seconds. He was laughing with everyone else soon.

Lily, Amaya and Zari came down the hallway just then, "What's going on?"

"Ava just called Barry a lesbian," Nate said.

Lily snorted, covering her mouth, "Sorry, Barry I didn't mean to," She said, coughing to cover her laughter.

Amaya grinned, looking at Ava, impressed. Next to her Zari's expression was one of surprise, "Damn, I wouldn't guess you had in you, Sharpe," She said.

"Sara, I like this one," Alex said, elbowing Sara gently.

"Yeah, so do I,"

Ava blushed furiously, "I didn't call him that," She defended weakly.

"Alright, we can all stand here making fun of Barry," Lily said, holding up a set of keys, "Or we can let the Soprano twins get on stage. Dad gave me the keys," she held up a finger in warning, "But there are no soccer balls allowed in the theatre. Or any other kind ball or throwable object for that matter,"

"We're not going to make that mistake again," Nate said, as he allowed Lily to pass so she could unlock the doors.

Barry, Kara and Alex all looked confused, looking at the others.

"We may have broken a pipe the other day," Ray said with a sheepish grin.

"By 'we' you mean the Legends?" Kara asked.

"Yeah," Nate and Ray said together.

Alex laughed, "You guys are a menace,"

"True, but we're fun menaces," Sara said, with a wink. Alex rolled her eyes with a good-natured smile.

Lily got the doors open, Kara and Barry the first ones inside, running to the stage. They jumped up, pacing the length of the stage a few times, talking to each other about their choreography, they got into a short debate about starting upstage or downstage. The rest of the group took seats on a little cluster in the second and third rows. Ava found herself sitting in-between Sara and Zari. Alex, Nate and Lily were sitting in the row in front of them. Amaya on Zari's other side. Ray was getting the music track Barry had given him ready to play with the system's speakers.

"Have I missed anything from the soprano twins?" Jax asked when he showed up minutes later dropping into the seat next to Lily.

"Not yet," Nate to him.

"Hey Al, how's the old girl treating you?" Jax asked, leaning out over Lily and Nate to give her fist bump.

"Like a dream since you took a look at her. That trick you showed me with the chains is a life saviour,"

"Just you babysitting today? No Iris?"

"She wanted to, but a project kept her back. Lena wanted to come too,"

"But they're coming to the show right?"

"Wouldn't miss it,"

"And the after party?"

"That's the only reason I'm coming to show," Alex laughed.

Ava sunk into her seat slowly, very aware that everyone was engaged in their own conversations around her. She had an itching desire to make up an excuse to leave. But just as she was about to, Sara put a hand on her shoulder, leaning closer.

"You'd get along great with Kara and Barry. They're both into some more traditional styles,"

"Yeah, but ask Kara to sing some Nicky and she'll surprise you," Alex cut in, leaning over the back her seat to look at them.

"What about you?" Ava asked.

"What about me?"

"Do you perform?"

"Nah, I have no stage talents," Alex said, "Unless you count breaking wood,"

"Alex's a martial artist. She helps out with some of the classes here when uni isn't killing her with work," Lily said.

Alex gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Don't listen to her, she's got a great singing voice. But Kara's the only one who gets it out of her," Sara said, "Well, Kara or a lot of alcohol," She added after a beat, with a smirk on her lips.

Alex wrinkled her nose at Sara and stuck out her tongue.

Kara doing a line of vocal warm-ups caught their attention. Kara and Barry were standing downstage, counting their steps from each other.

"Do you want me to get the spotlight?" Jax called out.

"We're good, Ray hit it," Barry called back.

Ray started the music, looking down at the screen. He gave an O.K. sign at some unknown cue. Barry crossed the stage to Kara, "Kara, where's the old Danvers confidence? You think he's got one tiny fraction of-" The music kicked in and both Kara and Barry turned to Ray gesturing to him to start over.

"Okay, instead just go to ten seconds and hit play after I repeat 'your' twice," Barry said.

"I can do that," Ray made some quick adjustments giving a thumbs up when he was ready.

Barry jogged back a few steps and started over, going to Kara again, "Kara, where's the old Danvers confidence? You think he's got one tiny fraction of your brains, your looks, your...your..."

The music kicked in and he started to sing, "At words poetic are not pathetic, on the other hand, babe, you shine, and I can feel after every line…" As he sung he moved around a despondent Kara, trying to get her chin up. The music picked when at the chorus, "You're the top! You're the Colosseum. You're the top! You're the Louvre Museum. You're a melody from a symphony by Strauss," He took her hand, pulling forward singing her praises the entire time.

"What's this song from?" Amaya asked.

"An 80's Broadway musical, I think it's 80's," Alex said, "Anything goes,"

"Isn't Barry singing the girl's part?" Nate asked. His friends look at him surprised, "What? I know things,"

Alex chuckled, "Yeah. They switched parts just for kicks, so they say,"

Kara had started singing, "Your words poetic are not pathetic. On the other hand, babe, you shine, and I can feel after every line a thrill divine, down my spine…" They were doing some jazz steps in time now, shimming across the stage. "I'm a toy balloon that is fated soon to pop, but if, baby, I'm the bottom you're the top!"

"What are they singing about?" Lily asked.

"It's a song about two friends encouraging each other,"

"So perfect for the Soprano twins," Sara said.

"Except that those two are totally bottoms," Zari deadpanned, making everyone around her snort.

"Z," Amaya chastised.

"What?"

"She's not exactly wrong," Sara snickered.

"I'll tell them you said that," Alex said with a wicked smile.

Zari shrugged.

"I'm sure Iris could confirm that statement for us," Lily said, earning another round of amused snorts.

Kara and Barry danced around each other, their dance very jazz and swing inspired. They went for a big finish as they harmonized the last few lines. Barry tried to lift Kara so she was sitting on his right arm and shoulder. They finished their song, hands both up, but a few seconds after their voices faded away Barry wobbled. They both fell to the stage.

"Kara!" Alex shot up to her feet, practically climbing across Lily, Nate and Jax to get to the aisle. She sprinted to the stage. The rest of them weren't far behind. Ray was already up there, so he got to them first. He held up a hand for Barry, pulling him to his feet.

"Ow," Barry groaned, rubbing the back of this head.

"Are you guys okay?" Sara called from the edge of the stage.

Alex had leapt on stage and was next to Kara, helping her sit up.

"Yeah, I'm good," Kara said as she flexed her elbow, "It never went quite that bad when we practised it before,"

"But it did go bad?" Ava asked.

Barry gave a nervous laugh, "More often than not,"

"Usually he'd just drop me early but I landed on my feet so we could play it off," Kara said.

"You should just have Kara do the lift. You're as strong an ox, Kara," Ray said.

Kara and Barry exchanged a look like they were considering it.

"Maybe just go back to the leaning finish you showed me the first time," Alex suggested, "At least for today, so you don't break anything,"

"Alright," Kara conceded, letting Alex help her up. Alex was still checking her over, "Alex, I'm fine," Kara insisted, "You dropped out of med, remember. You don't have the credentials to go doctor on me,"

"Yes I do, it's called being your big sister," She said, rolling her eyes at Kara, but she stepped back.

"You want to run it through again?" Barry asked.

"Yeah, of course,"

They went back to their places, going over it a few more times, without the big finish.

"You know, we're kind of sticking to stage right," Kara said, after their third run, "There's all this space over here we're not using," She walked through the space waving her arms about.

Barry placed his hands on his hips, frowning as he watched her pace. He clapped his hands after ten seconds or so, "I know. What if after the second chorus…" He started to show Kara some variation to their choreography.

The others zoned in and out of their performance as they went through the motions.

"So, is this changing your mind about performing?" Sara asked Ava, nudging her with her shoulder.

Ava rolled her eyes, but her expression didn't shift instantly on guard as it usually did when someone brought up performing, "Are we back on this?"

"Look at how much fun they're having," Sara nodded towards the stage. At that moment Kara went in the wrong direction, stumbling into Barry and they both burst into laughter.

"Yeah, because they're together," Ava said drily.

"Have you never had fun performing on your own?" Sara asked. Her question was one of genuine curiosity. She almost sounded concerned at the idea Ava may have never enjoyed performing.

She shrugged, "I've never hated performing if that's what you're asking,"

"No, I was asking if you had fun. There's a big range between hating something and having fun," She held up a finger on each hand, spreading her arms as far apart as possible to emphasise her point.

"I have enjoyed some of my performances in the past,"

"Some?"

Ava shrugged, "Have you enjoyed every show you ever did?"

"Some not as much but overall… yeah," Sara answered honestly.

That made Ava retreat internally. Shame burned in her chest at her admission. Should she have enjoyed all her performances?

"I mean, but there was this one time I was a villager for a school play that had no lines. That time I was completely ambivalent to the whole thing," Sara backtracked instantly.

That pulled a smile from Ava. It was so clear Sara had only said that for her sake. To help her not feel so out of place. She grateful leaned into the out Sara offered.

"Oh?" She asked with a sly smile, "You were villager b? Sara Lance always struck me as centre stage kind of girl,"

"I was sweeping villager actually," Sara said, voice affronted that Ava would suggest she would be anything less, "Much more important than villager b,"

"I'm sure," Ava laughed.

"Besides, this was after the time I froze on stage when I was the lead. I think my drama teacher was worried I'd freeze again if I had a big part,"

Ava's jaw dropped in surprise, "You froze on stage?"

Sara groaned, "That's a story for another time,"

"Aw, come on, you can't just tease me like that,"

"Actually, I can," Sara folding her arms, "Teasing is my speciality,"

"Are you always this cocky?"

"Pretty much, yeah,"

Their bubble was suddenly broken by Amaya calling out, "You in?" She asked. Most of them were standing now. Kara and Barry were off the stage, standing with the group.

Sara frowned, "Game for what?"

"We're going to SC Jitters," He said.

"Oh yeah, totally," She got to her feet, joining her friends.

Ava hung back, collecting her things. There was a seed of disappointment burning in the pit of her stomach. One she firmed tried to ignore. When they all filed outside, Ava turned in the direction she usually did to head to the subway. She could hear Martin calling out to Lily to not be home too late. Lily's mildly annoyed reply. Something was said and there was rise from laughter from the group. Ava just kept walking down the sidewalk, away from them. But she was stopped by a tug on her bag from behind.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Ava looked at Sara, her own confusion as palpable as the one on Sara's face.

"Going home," She said, pointing over her shoulder.

"Oh," Sara's hand fell to her side, "You don't want to come with?" She asked nodding back over her own shoulder. Ava looked past her, where everyone else was stopped, looking at them.

"I… I didn't think I was invited,"

"Of course you were," Sara snorted like it was obvious.

A surprised little "Oh," fell from Ava's lips. Sara smirked and took her arm, pulling Ava back towards everyone else. Ava didn't resist.

Nardragon~ until the next page.